Savory Saucy Shrimp Kabobs

These tangy kabobs are great for a Summer barbecue.  Serve with pasta salad, grilled veggies or toasted bread.

1 cup light mayo
4 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb. shrimp- medium to large size

Preheat gas grill to about 300 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a bowl.  Keep a little to use as serving sauce.   Put shrimp on skewers (if using wood skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes to avoid burning).  Brush kabobs with sauce.  Grill kabobs until shrimp are pink.  Do not overcook.  Serve with reserved sauce.

*Can be used with chicken as well.

Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

In a medium saucepan whisk together:

1 cup pineapple juice (or peach or apricot preserves)

4 tsp soy sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

4 T. corn starch

4 T. water

Blend and cook over medium heat until thickened.  Do not burn.  

Meanwhile, cube 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast.  Season with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder.  Roll pieces in flour and fry in a large wok that is hot with cooking oil.  Cook for about 3 minutes per side.  Chicken is not done yet, but then take the well-combined S&S sauce and pour in wok.  Turn down heat to simmer.  Cover wok and let chicken finish cooking for about 8 minutes.  

Serve over hot sticky rice.  I used Jasmine rice here because it's fast!  

Egg Muffins

These are a delightful little savory breakfast to bring to pot lucks or for road trips. I like to make them for black Friday shopping. Ill make a batch and keep them refrigerated until night time shopping and waiting in lines... Throw one or two in the microwave and they're awesome!

Egg Muffins or Breakfast in a Cup

1 box of chicken flavored stuffing mix, prepared as directed, but not cooked
12-24 eggs ( depends on how much stuffing you use per muffin)
1 cup shredded cheese
Bacon bits or crumbled cooked bacon

Grease 12-24 muffin cups. Oven on 350. Line each muffin cup with a spoonful of stuffing. Crack one egg on top of each cup, then sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Bake for 20 min or until the egg yolks are not runny.

Vera's Banana Bread

This is my grandmother's recipe and everything of hers is special to me because I never met her.  She is my mother's mother who died before my parents even met.  My favorite compliments from anyone are when I look like her or remind people of her.  My mother has done a great job teaching me about Grandma Vera by fun stories, anecdotes and recipes!  Mom says that Vera had to go to heaven to cook for Heavenly Father.   I will always mention her in a recipe of hers. 

Here she is with my Grandpa Joe.  Soo classy. 

Vera's Banana Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine- margarine is actually better than butter in this recipe

1 cup sugar

2 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 teaspoon salt

2 very ripe smooshed bananas

1/2 cup milk

(I always add 10 oz MINI chocolate chips.) 

Beat margarine, sugar, eggs, milk and bananas on an electric mixer until combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Pour into loaf pan.  Bake 1 hour on 350 degrees.  Makes one loaf.  or 3 mini loafs.  

Butter-Pecan Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

Need a change from your holiday pie rut?  This is a fabulous "winter" cheesecake alternate.  It was by far the easiest cheesecake I've ever made- no water bath needed!  Simple ingredients- the only thing I had to buy fresh was the whipping cream!

Crust: 

1 cup flour

1 stick butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup pecans

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Filling and topping:

3-8oz packages cream cheese

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/2 cup pecan halves

1. Heat oven to 400.  In food processor, cut all crust ingredients until combined.  Pat dough in bottom and 1 1/2 inches up sides of a greased 9 inch spring-form pan.   Bake 9 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes.

2. Reduce oven temperature to 325.  Beat cream cheese, 1 cup brown sugar in an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs one and a time- do not over beat.  Add vanilla.  Pour into crust.  

3. Bake about 1 hour or until center is almost set.  Cool 15 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, heat chocolate chips and whipping cream in small saucepan over low low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.  Spread chocolate glaze on top of cheesecake.

5. Heat 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and the pecan halves in a nonstick skillet over low heat., stirring occasionally until sugar is melted and pecans are toasted. Spread on wax paper and cool 5 minutes.  Arrange sugared pecans on top of cheesecake.  Cool 2 hours at room temperature.  Refrigerate 4 hours or over night.  

Store covered in the fridge. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu- You can do it on a weeknight

Tonight I made Chicken Cordon Bleu.  This is what I did:


Slice one large chicken breast into 6 small cutlets.  Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound with a meat pounder until 1/4 inch thick.  


Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and pepper.  


Layer pounded chicken with whatever sliced deli meat and cheese you have in your fridge.  I used honey turkey and swiss cheese tonight.  You'd be surprised how little meat and cheese you actually need. 


Roll up filled chicken breasts and secure with two toothpicks.  


Melt 1 cube butter or margarine in a bowl.   


Pour about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs in a bowl. 


Roll chicken in butter and then breadcrumbs. 


Place in a greased baking dish.  


Pour extra butter on top. 


Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  


Serve with rice. 


This is not hard.  It seriously took me about 9 minutes to prep the chicken and throw it in the oven.  Do it. 

NOT low-fat Chicken Tenders

These babies are worth the calories.  

Here we go:

Batter:

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

3/4 cup flour

salt to taste

Breadcrumbs

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

garlic salt

Whisk eggs, salt and water in a bowl until completely combined.  Pass flour through a sieve into the egg mixture.  Continue whisking until a thick batter forms.  

Place breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl.

Trim chicken breasts into 2 inch strips.  Season with garlic salt. Dip in batter and then in breadcrumbs.  After a few dips in the breadcrumbs, there will be clumps of batter and breadcrumbs.  Before dipping more chicken in the batter and crumbs, pass the clumpy breadcrumbs through the sieve and back into the shallow bowl.  Discard clumps.  Add more breadcrumbs as needed.  

Deep fry chicken for about 5-6 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel.  

I don't have a deep fryer yet, so I use a small saucepan filled 3/4 of the way with canola oil.  Careful not to burn the oil.  

Nothing healthy here, friends.  Just good taste.