Grilled French Toast Kebabs

Put your grill to use to make these inspired breakfast kebabs, strung with cinnamon-flavored bread and served with smoky bacon. This is delicious and different.
 

Watermelon Margarita Ice Pops perfect for any time to cool off

• cups chopped seedless watermelon (1 1/4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup silver tequila
• Equipment: 8 (1/3-cup) ice pop molds and 8 wooden sticks
• Preparation: Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup, pressing on and then discarding solids. Skim off any foam, then pour into molds. Freeze 30 minutes. Insert sticks, then freeze until firm, about 24 hours.
• From Parade Magazine

Blueberry Walnut Salad

One of my favorite  salads. Easy and delicious,  and perfect for any season, with berries, nuts, and greens. For an entree add chicken, diced apples, and diced green onions! For the fourth of July add Strawberries.

 (10 ounce) package mixed salad greens

1 pint fresh blueberries

1/4 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, toss the salad greens with the blueberries, walnuts, and raspberry vinaigrette. Top with feta cheese to serve.

Refreshing and a must have in the summer

Homemade lemonade

Homemade Lemonade

From the Pioneer Woman blog, one of my favorites:

Ingredients

• 4 cups Sugar
• 6 cups Water
• 24 whole Lemons, Juiced
• 8 cups Water (additional)
• Lots Of Ice!

Preparation Instructions

Heat 4 cups sugar with 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan until it's dissolved. Set this in the fridge to cool.
Chill the lemon juice if you have the time.
Pour the lemon juice into a large vat. Pour in 3/4 of the syrup, then top off the vat with ice. Pour in 8 cups of water (give or take), stir it around, then give it a taste. Add more syrup if it needs sweetness, or more water if it needs dilution.
Serve immediately!
Add 2 cups raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries to the lemonade for different flavors.
Make hard lemonade by adding 2 cups light rum or tequila to the lemonade. (Naughty! Adults only!)

Chocolate Waffles by Ghirardelli

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup(s) Unsweetened Cocoa
• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 2 tablespoon(s) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 4 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 2 cup(s) whole milk

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups whole milk

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99

INGREDIENTS

1 ¹/₂ cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Baking Chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
¹/₂ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups whole milk

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99

Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer's directions. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar and salt and whisk to thoroughly mix. In another bowl, whisky together the milk, egg yolks, and oil. Add to the flour and whisk gently until just combined. In clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric beater at medium speed until they form soft peaks. Fold into the batter and mix in the chocolate chips. Ladle one-third of the batter onto the center of the waffle iron. Close the top and cook until the waffle is crispy on both sides. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for cooking time. Serve immediately

Read more at http://ghirardelli.com/recipes-tips/recipes/chocolate-waffles#UpYI6K4XF4uSK4Yr.99

Chef Inspired Untraditional Baked Ham

Ingredients

1 cup plum preserves

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 (7-lb.) smoked fully cooked, bone-in ham

Garnishes: pineapple, kiwifruit, green onions, black sesame seeds

Preparation
Stir together first 7 ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until preserves are melted and mixture is blended. Pour half of plum preserve mixture into a microwave-safe bowl.

Trim excess fat on ham to 1/8-inch thickness. If desired, make long, shallow cuts (about 1/16-inch deep) over entire ham, forming diamond patterns. Place ham on a wire rack in an aluminum foil-lined roasting pan. Brush ham with a portion of plum preserve mixture in saucepan.

Bake ham, uncovered, at 350° on lower oven rack 1 hour and 30 minutes, basting with remaining plum preserve mixture in saucepan every 30 minutes. Loosely cover with aluminum foil, and bake 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 140°, basting every 30 minutes. Let ham stand 15 minutes before slicing. Garnish, if desired.

Microwave plum preserve mixture in bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Serve ham with warm. mixture.

Bon Appetite

 

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Chocolate Covered Bacon

"This is the perfect marriage. The sweetness of chocolate and the saltiness of bacon. What could be better?"

You will need:

12 slices thick-cut bacon

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place a baking rack on top of a large baking      sheet.

2.    Thread each slice of bacon onto a skewer; place skewered bacon on the baking rack.

3.    Bake bacon in the preheated oven until crisp; 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool      completely.

4.    Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 30  second   intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring after each interval.

5.    Coat each side of the skewered bacon with the chocolate mixture using a pastry brush. Place    coated     bacon on a sheet of waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Store in      refrigerator until ready to serve.

              Note:
Optional toppings: candy sprinkles, finely chopped walnuts, pecans, pistachios, toasted coconut, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, or chopped dried apple chips. Sprinkle on topping of your choice while chocolate is still wet. From one of my favorite Allrecipes website which always inspires me.

The Perfect Summer Pie

No-bake berry pies often turn out soupy, chewy, or tasteless. Could we make a pie with great texture and flavor--and still keep it simple?

The Problem
Many berry pies consist of rubbery Jell-O or viscous pudding, poured into a cardboard-like prefab crust and garnished with Cool Whip.

The Goal
The bright flavors of a berry tart served in the more substantial form of a pie.

The Solution
Start with a quick and easy homemade graham cracker crust. Use a combination of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, some whole and some pureed. Thicken the pureed berries with cornstarch to help set the pie, and don't forget to strain out the seeds. Finally, toss the whole berries with melted seedless jam for a polished and glossy appearance.

Ou favorite BBQ Sauce Recipe

Adopted from Allrecipes.com, Big Al's Restaurant, K.C.
Prep Time:15 Min, Cook Time:20 Min, Ready In:35 Min, 48 Servings, Calculate, Original Recipe Yield 6 cups of sauce
Ingredients:
2 cups ketchup 2 cups tomato sauce 1 1/4 cups brown sugar 1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Happy cooking, Bon Appetit.

HOW TO GRILL BONE IN CHICKEN BREASTS

From my favorite helper: Cooks Illustrated, a visit to their website is a must.
Brine if you have the time, then cook over a two-level fire and cover the breasts for most of the cooking time--but not with the grill cover.
The Problem
Unfortunately, "properly"--as in "properly cooked"--can be a hard adverb to live up to. A chicken breast is thick, it's got a bone to contend with, and it needs to be thoroughly cooked right to the bone, all while the skin simultaneously gets nice and crisp without burning.
The Goal
When properly grilled, bone-in chicken breasts can be particularly tasty, with a kind of meatiness often lacking in boneless breasts. So we set out on a quest for properly grilled bone-in chicken--one with a juicy, evenly cooked interior, a nicely seared, crispy skin, and a robust grilled flavor.
The Solution
Start by brining the chicken in a salt/sugar solution, then grill over a medium-hot two-level fire, which allows for cooking directly over the coals for high heat and to the side of the coals for indirect heat. We placed the chicken breasts over direct heat to sear both sides, then moved them to the slightly cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. This produced a nice exterior, but we were still struggling with a somewhat dry interior. Covering the chicken for part of the cooking period gave us moist, thoroughly cooked chicken with a beautifully seared outside. But now the chicken had picked up an "off" flavor, imparted by the resinous buildup on the cover of the grill. The solution? Use a disposable aluminum roasting pan instead.
list of recipes:
• Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts
• Spice-Rubbed Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts
• Grilled Bone-In Chicken Breasts with Barbecue Sauce
• Basic Barbecue Sauce
• Barbecue Sauce with Mexican Flavors
• Barbecue Sauce with Asian Flavors
To find these recipes visit their website: www.cooksillustrated.com. To busy to cook
call us for your next event.

Celebrate Earth Day

It is Earthday's 40th birhday. Time goes by...
Celebrate with an Earthday "Recycled" Dinner, a great recipe, or call us and we will prepare it for you, recipe by Original Kaboose.com recipe
ANGEL HAIR PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS
Ingredients
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Instructions
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Saute asparagus in the pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and mushroom slices; cook 3 minutes more.
Drain pasta, and transfer to a serving dish. Gently toss pasta with asparagus mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan and crushed red pepper.
Nutrition Facts

Servings per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
calories: 299cal
total fat: 9.4g
cholesterol: 10mg
sodium: 413mg
carbohydrates: 40.2g
fiber: 5.2g
protein: 17.1g
Servings: 4

MANGO AND ROASTED CASHEW SALAD
This rich spring recipe combines sweet, flavorful mango and its relative, the crunchy cashew. Combined with wine, ginger and maple crystals, the pair makes a light fruit salad that's perfect for an Earth Day meal or an anytime side dish.
Ingredients
1/2 cup organic sweet white wine, such as a Riesling
1/4 cup maple crystals, or light brown sugar
1 large mango, cut into medium-size cubes (about 1-1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 cup oven-roasted cashews (see Tip)
Garnish: 8 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

Cooking Instructions
Pour wine into medium bowl. Add maple crystals, and stir until completely dissolved.
Add mango cubes and grated ginger. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours to let the flavors mingle.
Drain off excess liquid; return to bowl. Add cashews and mix well. Garnish with fresh mint.

Substitution(s)
Other tropical fruits such as pineapples and papayas are good alternatives to the fresh mango in this recipe.

Tips & Tricks
To make the oven-roasted cashews: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread raw cashews on a baking sheet and toast in oven about 5-8 minutes, until cashews turn a light golden brown.

Preparation Time:
10 minutes


Ready In:
2 hours 10 minutes

Happy birthday Earthday