Pineapple Chicken

First thing you want to do is get the marinade done and get your chicken started.Today I'm using about 4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast and here's what you will need for the marinade:

Pineapple juice                                   2 cups
Soy sauce                                            1/4 cup
Garlic fresh, minced                           4 cloves
Ginger fresh, minced                          2 Tbs
Green onion, chopped                        4 each
Cilantro fresh, chopped                      1/2 cup
Ground black pepper fresh                 about 60 turns of pepper mill (lots)
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Blend             1 Tbs

Mix all ingredients well, add chicken breast and mix well again, cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours minimum. May marinate over night if you like. A quick note about cilantro. Some people think that you need to remove the stems before you chop this herb. In reality the stems actually hold most of the flavor and nutrients so leave those stems and chop away.

While your chicken is marinating lets make a fresh pineapple salsa to go with it. For this you will need:

Pineapple fresh, diced                                            about 1/2 pineapple
Jalapeno fresh, seeded and diced small                 1 large
Garlic fresh, minced                                               2 cloves
Ginger fresh, minced                                              1 Tbs heaping
Roma tomatoes, diced                                            2 each
Green onions, chopped                                           2 each
Cilantro fresh, chopped                                          2 Tbs
Olive oil                                                                  2 Tbs
Lime juice                                                               2 limes

Mix all ingredients well, refrigerate until time to serve.

Ok, the chicken is in marinade and the salsa is made, it's all been setting for a few hours so lets get dinner started. I like to have some brown rice with this dish so we'll get it going first. Remember 1 part rice to 2 parts water, bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Now that the rice is cooking it's time to start the charcoal. Usually it takes about 20 minutes for the coals to be ready. We need a nice vegetable to go along with the chicken so I will get it in a pan for steaming and have it ready. I'm using a nice frozen blend so I will start it shortly after I put the chicken on and it should get done about the same time. I have to tell you the chicken breast I like to use I get from Fareway. They are huge, usually a pound or more each and they grill up really nice. They present well also as you see in the picture you can get some nice slices from them. They usually take 20-25 minutes to cook but the wait is well worth it. Grill  the chicken for about 10 -12 minutes on the first side, remember to start the chicken with the side that had skin down on the grill so you have a good looking piece of chicken when you are done. When the chicken starts to take on some nice color and it's showing that it is cooking pretty good around the edges its time to turn it. Another 12 minutes or so after turning it the chicken should be done. It will be kind of firm and if your not sure flip it over and cut a slit in the thick part to check. Under cooked chicken is not good so be sure to avoid it. Now that the chicken is done you can put it out on a platter and put the salsa out in a bowl and let everyone have at it or if you are having guests and want to impress you can set up plates. A nice scoop of rice, I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to shape the rice, a nice portion of a colorful vegetable, 3 nice slices of chicken, (if you cut it at a bit of an angle it makes it look bigger and a little nicer). Fan the chicken on the plate and top with a generous amount of pineapple salsa. I garnished with some of the fresh cilantro and there you go, pretty as a picture. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Fried Rice

Well I have some more left over chicken so today I think we will make some Chicken Fried Rice. I'm going to use brown rice because it is good for you and we should aways at least try to eat healthy. You can make this dish with fresh raw chicken but it is a really good way to use up chicken left from the day before. First thing is to cook the rice as it takes a good 40 minutes or so. Most packages of rice will have directions on them and that is good but I find they usually call for too much water. A good rule of thumb for rice is to use twice as much liquid  as rice so 1 part rice to 2 parts water as shown below.

Brown rice                    1-1/2 cups
Water                             3 cups

Bring the water to a boil, add the rice, return to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until liquid is gone and rice is tender. Remove from heat and hold while you stir fry the rest. Other ingredients you will need are:

Cooked chicken breast, cut in strips                    about 1 pound
Oil for cooking                                                     2 Tbs
Stir fry vegetable blend, frozen                            1 pound package
Eggs, scrambled                                                    2
Soy sauce                                                               3/4 cup
Garlic powder                                                        1/2 tsp
Fresh ground black pepper                                    to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)                                 1 Tbs
Sugar                                                                       2 Tbs

While the rice is cooking get the chicken cut and gather the remaining ingredients. Set the veggies out so they start to thaw a little. You can cut fresh veggies if you like but there are a lot of good frozen stir fry blends out there so pick one that best suits you. We like one that has asparagus in it. When the rice is close to being done go a head and scramble the eggs and chop them some with your spatula, set them aside and start heating up your wok. About medium high heat for the wok, when it is good and hot add the oil, peanut oil is great for stir fry but any good salad oil will do the trick. Add the vegetables and cook until they are just thawed, add the chicken and cook until it is starting to get hot. Add the seasonings, rice and soy sauce and mix well. At this point you want to stir often as the rice may stick. When everything is good and hot add the scrambled eggs and sugar. Mix well and serve. This is pretty much a one pot meal but if you like, some egg rolls and fortune cookies are a nice addition. Enjoy!!!

Fresh Spinach and Spicy Scallop Salad

I think you will find this salad to be refreshing and full of flavor. When it comes to scallops fresh is best but often are hard to get depending of course on where you live. If they are available in your area be sure to get them fresh but if not you can still create a great dish with frozen ones. If using frozen scallops thaw them and pat them dry, coat the scallops with a little bit of olive oil and season generously with fresh minced garlic, Mrs. Dash Salt Free Extra Spicy Blend, and fresh ground black pepper. If you have a Cajun Spice Blend you like to use you can replace the Mrs. Dash with that. You should figure on about 4 ounces of scallops per person so buy according to your needs.  Any way season your scallops well and put them back into the refrigerator until it's time to cook them. Now if you're having a salad you might want to make a nice dressing for it. I have chosen to make a Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette to go with the Scallop Salad. Ingredients you will need for this are:

Juice from 1 orange
White wine vinegar                           1/4 cup
Dijon mustard                                   2 Tbs
Red Onion, minced                            1/4 cup
Fresh garlic, minced                           4 -5 cloves
Fresh ground black pepper                about 20 turns of pepper mill
Fresh parsley, chopped                       1 Tbs
Honey                                                  1/3 cup
Olive oil                                              1/2 cup

Mix all ingredients well except for olive oil, add oil gradually whisking it in as you add. Check seasoning and adjust as you desire. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Now for the salad you will need fresh spinach, red onions, Mandarin oranges and toasted almonds. Julienne the red onion, about 1/4 of an onion should be plenty and an 11 ounce can of Mandarin orange segments will make 3-4 salads. I bought a 2 ounce bag of sliced almonds, put them on a cookie sheet and toast in a 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Be sure to use a timer as they will burn quickly if you forget. Start heating a skillet for the scallops. You will want to cook them kind of hot so I would say about medium high heat. I like to pull the stem off the spinach leaf as it makes it more appealing to the eye but that is entirely up to you. Clean the spinach and arrange on plates, usually a couple of ounces of spinach proves to make a pretty decent salad. Arrange the Mandarin oranges and red onions as desired and set salads aside until the scallops are done.
The skillet should be good and hot by now so start placing the scallops in one at a time. Be sure to place them with the flat side down. Cook until they start to take on some good color and turn to the other side to finish. Scallops cook kind of quick and will firm up as they cook. I would say 10 to 15 minutes total depending on size. Be careful not to overcook as they will get rubbery. Arrange the scallops on the spinach, drizzle about an ounce of the dressing over and top with the toasted almonds. Enjoy!!!

Cheddar Cheese Steak Sandwich

Cheddar Cheese Steak is a great sandwich and there are a lot of variations. This is one that I really enjoy and I hope that you will too. I like to use top sirloin but you can use what ever steak you like best. I like the sirloin because it's a nice lean cut and usually pretty reasonably priced. If you watch the ads you can usually find it between 3 and 4 dollars a pound. You want to figure about 5 to 6 ounces of meat per sandwich so buy accordingly. Normally a good thick cut top sirloin will weigh between 1-1/2 to 2 pounds. Lets plan for six sandwiches today, so the ingredients will be as follows.

Top sirloin steak                                         2 to 2-1/2 pounds
Yellow onions, julienne                             1 large
Cheddar cheese, sliced or shredded            about 6 ounces
Butter                                                           1 Tbs
Onion Buns                                                  6

Ok, fire up that grill and while you're waiting for it to get hot lets get some other stuff ready. Cut your onions and get a skillet hot on the stove. To julienne means to cut in fine strips. Melt the butter and cook the onions on medium high heat so you get some caramelization. Brown the onions nicely and remove from the heat for later. While the onions are cooking lets season up the steaks. I like to use fresh ground black pepper, garlic powder and Mrs. Dash Salt Free Extra Spicy Seasoning Blend. Be sure to season both sides well.  While you have the butter out lets spread some on those buns so they are ready to grill also, and add a little garlic powder if you like. Now the grill should be ready so lets cook the steaks. Before you go out heat the oven to 400 degrees. You may want to under cook the steaks a little as you are going to slice them and place in the oven with the onions and cheese for 5-10 minutes. Grill the steaks to your desired doneness. I like rare to medium rare. If you're not sure how to tell I have a little tip that may help. Turn your hand palm side up and using your index finger press against the part of your palm that is under your thumb. Notice how it's kind of soft and spongy, that's how your steak should feel if it's rare, next use the middle finger and you'll notice it's a little firmer, medium rare, ring finger is even firmer yet and that would resemble medium, and the pinky is very firm, that would be medium well to well done. I've used this to train cooks to cook steaks in the past, it really does work. Well now that the steaks are done take them off the grill and let them set while you grill the buns. You can put them on your grill and toast them up or do them in the skillet that you cooked the onions in. There is more room on the grill so I choose it. Now the steaks have rested and the juices are sealed in so starting slicing it up and piling portions onto a cookie sheet. Divide it evenly into six portions and top them each with the onions and about 1 ounce of cheese. Put this in the oven for 5 - 10 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly. Serve up on the toasted bun and garnish with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Serve with a side of fries or your favorite salad and enjoy.       

Easter Chocolate

Just wondering who has any solid chocolate bunnies left out there? If you do try melting them down and dipping some strawberries. On Mother's day I took a couple of those chocolate bunnies and did just that. It was a hit, every one loved them. Wash the berries and pat them dry with a paper towel, be sure to get them good and dry because the water will ruin your chocolate and then you will have to just eat plain strawberries. Set your chocolate up in a double boiler and heat until it all has melted. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and dip the berries in the chocolate, let the excess drip off some, then place them on the wax paper and put them in the refrigerator for about an hour to set the chocolate. I'm telling you, easy stuff and delicious.

Mother's Day Shrimp and Pasta

It was Mother's Day Sunday and you always need to fix a nice meal for Mom or for the mother of your children. It seemed to be a good day to put some shrimp out on the grill, cook up some whole wheat pasta and make a nice marinara sauce to go along with it. Add some Parmesan toast and a nice vegetable or green salad and you're sure to make Mom and every one else happy. Of course it doesn't have to be Mother's Day to enjoy a good meal so really you can have this anytime. First put on a pot of water for your pasta and then lets start with the shrimp. Usually a couple of pounds of shrimp will do the trick. I like the larger shrimp but you have to remember the larger they are the higher the price. There are alot of options when buying shrimp so check it out and decide what works best for you. You can buy them with the shell on and peel them your self or you can get them already peeled and deveined. The latter is the most desirable, may cost a little more but I think you will find it's well worth it. I like to put the shrimp on a skewer so I don't lose any on the grill. It's no fun watching the little guys fall into your hot coals and burn up. Much more fun to eat them. Any way put them on a skewer either metal or wooden and if you use wooden I would suggest soaking them for about an hour in water to help keep them from burning. Most likely they will still burn a little but not as bad as the shrimp really don't take very long to cook. Try not to pack them on too tight either as it will slow the cooking process. It's okay to have them pushed together just not real tight. Season your shrimp with garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper and parsley flakes. Add a little sea salt if you like but it's really not necessary. Season on both sides and put in the refrigerator until it's time to cook them. When ever the pasta water comes to a boil go ahead a cook the pasta. One pound should do the trick.  When it is done you can rinse it in cold water and set it aside for later. Time to make some marinara for the pasta. The ingredients you will need are:

Olive oil                                           3 Tbs
Yellow onion, diced                        1/2 large
Garlic powder                                  2 Tbs
Italian Seasoning                              1 Tbs
Parsley flakes                                   2 Tbs
Fresh ground black pepper              1/2 Tbs
Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Blend          2 Tbs
Crushed tomatoes                            2 - 28 ounce cans
Diced tomatoes                                1 - 14.5 ounce can
Granulated sugar                              2 Tbs

Heat the olive oil slightly and on medium heat saute the onions until they are translucent. Add all the spices except the sugar while the onions are cooking. When the onions are done add the tomato products and mix well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes to one hour. Add the sugar and serve.
Again you may have noticed I didn't add any salt. I just don't use it. Try it and if you feel it needs some salt then go ahead and add a little. Usually canned tomato products already have plenty in them.

While your sauce is cooking slice up a loaf of your favorite french bread. Make it kind of thick and butter both sides, coat them generously with Parmesan cheese and place on a cookie sheet. Heat your oven to 400 degrees and then go out and start the grill. When the grill is good and hot toss the pasta in the sauce give it a good stir with it still on low heat, put the bread in the oven and head for the grill. The shrimp should take about 10 minutes on a good hot grill so you want to stay with them so they don't over cook. They will turn kind of pink and firm up. When you get back inside the bread will be done and the pasta hot. This recipe will feed 6 easily.  Time to eat. Enjoy.

If you are reading my blog I would really like to hear from you. Try the recipes and let me know what you think or if there is something you would like me to make let me know. I really enjoy what I do and want to share so please make a comment.
Sorry no pics with this posting.......we ate everything.

Left Over Chicken

 My last post was a marinated chicken breast and we prepared quite a bit of chicken so as to have some left overs. So now you're probably wondering what you should do with all this left over chicken. Well there are a lot of things to do such as maybe a stir-fry, fajitas, BBQ, enchiladas, mix it with your left over pasta Alfredo or even just eat it as is, but today I think we will make some chicken salad. Of course the amount of ingredients will depend upon how much chicken you had left but lets figure on about half so that would give you about a pound of chicken to work with. So now I guess it's time to list the ingredients:

Cooked chicken breast, diced                 1 pound
Celery, diced small                                  2 stalks
Mayo                                                        1 cup
Orange juice                                            1/2 orange
Garlic Powder                                         1/4 tsp
Dill Weed                                                1/2 tsp
Parsley Flakes                                          2 tsp
Salt and Black Pepper                              to taste

Mix all ingredients well and chill until you are ready to serve. Now there are a lot of ways you can serve your chicken salad. As you see in the picture I have presented it with some fresh fruit. You can add some of your favorite crackers to this application or you could make a sandwich on some good whole wheat bread or a nice onion roll. Be sure to add some lettuce and sliced tomatoes to your sandwich. Another thing you might try is a warm chicken salad au gratin. Take a nice scoop of chicken salad and put it on half of a whole wheat English muffin, top it with a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese and bake it in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted well and slightly browned. Serve this with some fresh fruit of your choice and I'm sure you will be making someone happy. As we move into summer and fresh herbs are more available try this recipe with fresh dill and you will see a great and wonderful difference. I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know what you think.