Creamy Tomato-Basil Campanelle with Shrimp and Asparagus

Comfort food for Celeste is in order today, which is anything creamy pasta. I have been staring at this computer screen for 10 minutes now trying to figure out what to type and I just cannot come up with anything. A very close family member passed away yesterday and we just found out a couple hours ago that her brother passed away today. Cooking definitely helps to raise my mood. This is what we had for dinner tonight. I'm pretty sure after today, we are going to be having crock pot dinners for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Campanelle
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 15 asparagus spears, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3/4 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato juice
• 1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Hot sauce, splash
• 1 c chicken stock
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until it becomes fragrant. Add asparagus. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir frequently for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, to desired doneness.

• Add shrimp to the skillet. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is pink.
• Remove shrimp and asparagus, set aside; cover to keep warm. Discard any remaining drippings from the skillet.
• Add white wine vinegar, tomato juice, olive oil, hot sauce, chicken stock and basil to the skillet. Cook until warm, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add shrimp and asparagus to the skillet to ensure they are still warm.
  

• Drain pasta. Add pasta to the skillet. Stir in parmesan, shrimp and asparagus. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

• Enjoy!

Maple-Walnut Cookies with Toasted Walnuts and Maple Glaze

I have been craving sweets all day today and have been trying to concoct a recipe using one of my favorite flavor combinations, maple and walnut. These turned out DELICIOUS (yes, caps worthy)! You would never know that light maple syrup was used. The glaze and toasted walnuts give it a little extra goodness but these cookies are great without them, too! This makes approximately 36 cookies.

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough

• 1 c butter, softened
• 1 c white sugar
• 1 c packed dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp light maple syrup
• 3 c all-purpose white flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 c chopped walnuts

Maple Glaze

• 1 c white sugar
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/4 c milk
• 2 tbsp light maple syrup
• Walnut halves, toasted; for garnish

Directions:

• Make the dough. In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Add egg and syrup, beating until smooth.
• In a separate large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well-blended.
• Stir in the chopped walnuts.
• Shape the dough into a 2-inch-diameter log and wrap in wax paper.
• Refrigerate until the dough is firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the dough into 1/2-inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet about 1 inch apart.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine sugar, butter and milk in a sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Stir in maple syrup and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
• Remove cookies from oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
• Whisk the glaze when the cookies are completely cooled. Spread the glaze over each cookie and top with walnut halves.
• Enjoy!
  
  

Italian Pinwheels with Turkey, Green Pepper and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Cooking and baking have definitely been good medicine for me recently. I had a little spare time today before my husband came home from work and I thought that it would be the perfect time for me to try out this cute appetizer I found over at My Kind of Cooking. I changed it up a tad to appeal to my current taste bud cravings. These are so simple and so tasty!

Ingredients:

• 10-inch flour tortillas
• Cream cheese
• Marinated sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
  
• Sliced honey smoked turkey breast from the deli
• Green pepper, chopped
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste

Directions:

• Spread 1 oz of cream cheese per flour tortilla evenly.
  
• Season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
  
• Top with sun-dried tomatoes, turkey breast and green pepper.
  
• Roll each tortilla into a long log.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into 1/2-inch slices.
  
• Enjoy!
  

Saucy Italian Chicken and Peppers

How would you like your child to take a bite of dinner and say, "Mama, this is my new favorite dinner!" Does that not sound like music to your ears? Well, then you need to make this! It is made in under 30 minutes, it is simple and it is made on the stove top, which makes it the perfect summer meal. This recipe is going into my monthly rotation for sure.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz pasta, cooked
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 c green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 c red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 c chicken broth
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 c Italian dressing
• 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dried parsley)
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, stirring until it becomes fragrant.
• Add red and green peppers to the skillet. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. My husband likes his vegetables soft, so I cook a little longer.

• Season the chicken with paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken to the skillet. Stir constantly for about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cream cheese, Italian dressing, parsley, and parmesan. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken and the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally; about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• Serve over pasta.
• ENJOY!
  
  

Jerry-Rigged Eggs Benedict

My husband and I were talking about what to have for breakfast this morning. He mentioned that he has always wanted to try poached eggs because he has never had them before. I have never cooked nor have I ever eaten them before. I figured if we were going to have poached eggs, we might as well do eggs Benedict because we have both never had that before either. Talk about last minute! I did some research on wikipedia and then turned to Foodnetwork and found this recipe. I had no English muffins and no bacon or ham but I did have toast and SPAM, so I decided to go for it regardless. These were so good and I cannot wait to make them the right way!

Banana Nut Sorbet Without an Ice Cream Maker

My sister is pregnant with her second child and we were talking today about what she was craving. She told me that she was craving sorbet. I suggested she make it since it is fairly easy to make and that conversation really put me in the mood for it. This will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth! The nuts compliment the banana perfectly. One of these days, I will purchase an ice cream maker but, in the meantime, I am content making frozen treats without one!

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 to 3 tbsp chopped nuts

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mash up the bananas.
  
• Stir in the lemon juice and honey. Whisk together vigorously (or use a food processor) until there are virtually no lumps (I personally like a little lumpiness).
• Stir in the nuts.

• Pour into freezer-safe container. Freeze for 2 hours.
  
• Remove from freezer and whisk.
  
• Return to the freezer and whist once every hour for 4 hours.
• Enjoy! Feel free to drizzle with some chocolate or caramel!
  

Homemade Old-Fashioned Onion Rings

Wow, wow, WOW! These are amazingly good. When I saw the recipe and hundreds of rave reviews on Allrecipes, I knew instantly that I was going to try these. The taste is spot on and they are crunchy and salty -- perfect! I changed the technique from the original recipe as the bread crumb definitely adhered more evenly after I changed it. If you want to impress company, make these!

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 c milk
• 3/4 c dry bread crumbs
• Seasoned salt, to taste
• 1 qt oil, for frying

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
  
• Dip onion slices into the flour mixture, until coated; set aside.
• Whisk egg and milk into the flour mixture using a fork.
  
• Dip floured rings into the batter to coat. Allow excess to drip off of the onion rings for a moment.
• Pour bread crumb into a shallow bowl. Coat the onion rings and set them aside. Remember to use one hand for handling the wet ingredients and one hand for handling the dry ingredients.
  

• Preheat deep fryer for 365 degrees.
  
• Deep fry the onion rings for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown.
• Season the onion rings with seasoned salt.
• ENJOY!

Homemade Jolly Rancher Lollipops

Here is another really fun and easy treat for the kids... and adults!   I had a bag of jolly ranchers lying on my counter that was calling my name. In the back of my mind, I was still thinking about those wonderful chocolate lollipops when it hit me -- jolly rancher lollipops! I decided to attempt to melt them in my oven and stick a lollipop stick through them. First, I placed them side by side on a greased tin foil sheet but I left them in too long and they became paper thin.  Learn from my mistake -- watch them closely in the oven so this will not happen to you, too.   


I then had the idea to wrap tin foil around a heart-shaped cookie cutter use it as a mold for the lollipops. It worked like a charm!  These are so fun and easy and they make a delicious treat.

Ingredients:

• Jolly ranchers
• Tin foil
• Lollipop sticks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

For an easy lollipop, place three jolly ranchers side-by-side on a greased cookie sheet.  For a shaped lollipop, wrap tin foil around a cookie cutter(s) and coat with baking spray.  Set the cookie cutter(s) on a greased baking sheet.  Place three (or more depending on the size and shape you have made) jolly ranchers inside the tin foil mold.

Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, watching carefully as they will become paper thin if you leave them in too long.  Remove from the oven.

Gently press a lollipop stick halfway through the jolly ranchers, twisting slightly in order to completely mold the candy around the stick.  If you are using the cookie cutter method, carefully peel away the tin foil from the candy and then insert the lollipop sticks.

Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Lollipops with Nuts

This is fun, simple, tasty and perfect for the kids! Oh, the possibilities! I think next time I will melt some white chocolate and mix in a drop or two of food coloring. Rocky road with marshmallows sounds good, too!

Ingredients:

• Milk chocolate chips
• White chocolate chips
  
• Nuts
  
• Pam baking spray
• Deviled egg tray or ice cube tray -- something that is plastic
• Popsicle sticks
  

Directions:

• Melt chololate chips in the microwave.
• Stir in nuts.
• Spray deviled egg tray with baking spray.
  
• Pour melted chocolate into individual spaces.
  
• Twist in popsicle sticks into the chocolate.
  
• Sprinkle nuts over top of the chocolate or drizzle some melted white chocolate -- whatever you want!
• Pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  
• Remove from freezer, turn the container upside down and give it a tap. The lollipops should fall right out.
• Share them with a friend and enjoy!
  

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot with Parsley, Garlic and Cilantro

 

It has been in the 90s around here and if you know me, you know that I hate to fire up my oven when it is so hot outside. I bought a whole chicken at the grocery store and today was the last day before expiration. For the first time, I decided to attempt to slow cook an entire bird. I have cooked just about everything in a crock pot, but not a whole chicken. It takes about 7 hours total to cook, so I threw everything together before we left for church this morning. The chicken was so moist and tender and fell right off the bone and the potatoes absorbed all of that wonderful garlic and onion flavor. It was just out of this world good! I have a good 3/4 lb of leftovers, too! Now that I know it is possible to slow cook a whole chicken, I will be doing this on a regular basis, especially on hot, busy days.

Vanilla Milkshake

After a burger and onion rings, we thought a vanilla milkshake would be a perfect compliment to the meal as a dessert. You have to try this milkshake!

Ingredients:

• 4 c vanilla ice cream
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 c milk

Directions:

• Place all ingredients into a blender and blend!
  
• Enjoy!
  

Pistachio, Raspberry and Chocolate Deep-Fried Banana Split

There are so many wonderful elements to this banana split. Warm, crunchy bananas with sweet raspberries, salty pistachios and cold, creamy ice cream -- AMAZING!

I, along with many other featured publishers with Foodbuzz around the world, am making my own version of an ultimate banana split for a very good cause. Foodbuzz helped Electrolux and Kelly Ripa raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund by sending two Foodbuzz Featured Publishers to New York and giving them an opportunity to make banana splits with their kids. They then invited Foodbuzz members to join!

To help spread the word and raise money for the OCRF, Foodbuzz is sponsoring a posting challenge and Top 9 takeover! In a Top 9 Takeover, Foodbuzz asks all Featured Publishers to construct a post around a theme, and then for one day only, all Top 9 posts reflect that theme!

For this Electrolux Splits Top 9 Takeover, they wanted us to create the ultimate banana split and post it on our blog. Foodbuzz will also donate $50 for every Banana Split post by a Featured Publisher* created and uploaded to Foodbuzz before 12PM PST on Friday, July 16th.

Kelly Confidential Website - Click here to learn more information and donate money for this cause.

Ingredients:

• Pistachio ice cream
• Raspberry ice cream
• Chocolate ice cream
• Raspberries
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pisctachios, shelled
• Graham crackers
• Cool Whip
• Caramel
• 6 ripe bananas
• 1 c flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
  

Directions:

• Preheat deep fryer to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar over the raspberries and set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tsp of sugar and baking powder.
• In a medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.
• Cut each banana in half and then lengthwise.
• Dip each banana piece in the wet mixture and then dredge in the dry mixture.
• Deep fry for 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, Arrange 1 package of graham crackers on a large serving plate.
• Spread whip cream over all.
• Drizzle with caramel. Set aside.
  

• Scoop pistachio, raspberry and chocolate ice cream and arrange the scoops over the whip cream on top of each other to form an ice cream mountain.
• Surround the ice cream with the fried banana.
• Top with raspberries and pistachios.

• ENJOY!
  

Ratatouille's Ratatouille

One of my family's favorite movies is Ratatouille. I often wondered about the dish that Remy served the food critic. I have had ratatouille before but I have only had it as a stew and as a side dish. I decided to do some research on it and came across something very interesting. The true name of the dish is Confit Byaldi, created by Thomas Keller. The New York Times posted the recipe in June of 2007 here. It seems a little too time consuming for my busy little life, so I did further research and came across Smitten Kitchen's version of it. I made a few changes, i.e., addition of balsamic vinegar, addition of grated parmesan and addition of red pepper flakes. Leave out the red pepper flakes if you do not care for spicy food. My daughter was thrilled with the fact that it is just like the movie, so she ate every last bite and loved it -- and so did I! This is so tasty and healthy, too!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 c tomato puree
  
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 small Italian eggplant
  
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 small yellow squash
  
• 1 long red bell pepper
• Few sprigs fresh thyme
  
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  
• 4 tbsp parmesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  
• Pour tomato puree in the bottom of a 1 1/2-qt oval baking dish. Drop sliced garlic cloves and onion into the sauce. Stir in 1 tbsp olive oil and generously season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle 2 tbsp parmesan cheese evenly over all.
• Trim the ends off of the eggplant, zucchini and squash. As carefully as you can, trim the ends off of the red bell pepper and remove the core, leaving the edges intact (like a tube).
  
• On a mandoline, slice the zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and eggplant (slice the eggplant last as it will begin to brown) into very thin slices, approximately 1/16-inch thick.
• Atop the tomato sauce, arrange the slices concentrically from the outer edges to the inside of the baking dish, overlapping so just a smidgen of flat surface is visible.

• Drizzle the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the vegetables and generously season with salt, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle 2 tbsp parmesan over all evenly.

• Cover the dish with tin foil.
• Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until vegetables have released their liquid and are clearly cooked with some structure left so they are not totally limp. The tomato sauce should be bubbling over the sides of the vegetables. The vegetables should not brown at the edges.
• Serve over couscous, pasta or rice.
  
• Enjoy!

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

This week is Kids' Camp at our church and I have been so busy with it that I have had very little time for some relaxing cooking. Dinners have been a rush and I finally had some breathing time tonight. When my husband I were dating, he introduced me to bruschetta. I had never even heard of it and I fell in love at first bite. I picked up some French baguette at the grocery store and decided that this would be a very nice snack for tonight. 

Ingredients:

• 8 slices French baguette, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh basil, finley chopped 
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp onion salt
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (use fresh tomatoes when in season)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 tbsp of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar , basil, garlic powder, onion salt and diced tomatoes.  Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, brush the remaining olive oil over one side of each baguette and lightly sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Bake the baguettes in the preheated oven until lightly browned.

Spoon the tomato mixture evenly onto each piece of baguette.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  At this point, I like to lightly drizzle some extra balsamic vinegar on top of each piece but that is completely optional.
Enjoy!

Chicken and Bacon-Stuffed Ravioli in Bechamel Sauce

I had planned to have ravioli for dinner tonight but I wanted to fill it with something different. While browsing Foodnetwork.com, I came across a recipe by Tyler Florence for ravioli filling that sparked my interest and gave me inspiration for this dish. I wanted a cream sauce to go with the ravioli, so I continued my search on Foodnetwork and came across Mario Batali's recipe for Bechamel sauce, which I have never made before. The combination of the cream sauce with the ravioli was divine. My husband, however, enjoyed it with his favorite sauce of Traditional Ragu. There are a lot of pots and pans involved in making this but I think the taste is worth them all!

Ingredients:

Ravioli Dough

• 2 c flour PLUS extra for handling and rolling
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c milk

Ravioli Filling

• 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1/4 c sherry wine (or chicken broth)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/4 tsp parsley
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp grated paremesan cheese, divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  

Sauce

• 2 1/2 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 c milk
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

• Make the filling. Over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until it is crispy. Drain on papertowels and set aside. In the same skillet, add the chicken and brown it. Add the garlic and sherry. Season with bay leaves, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs, stirring and cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Remove bay leaves. Pulse together all ingredients (including the bacon) in a food processor including the drippings. Add egg, cream, parmesan and olive oil. Pulse again. Chill before filling the ravioli.
  
• Make the ravioli dough. Combine all dough ingredients, flour, salt, egg and milk. Knead dough over lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a glass, cut circles out of the dough.
• Assemble the ravioli. Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the middle of a circle and wet the edges of the dough with water. Place another circle on top and push down edges together. Seal with tines of a fork. Repeat until there are no circles remaining. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.

• Make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium pan over medium-low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heating until it turns a light golden sandy color, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk in a separate pan until it is just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, sitrring constantly. Season with salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
  
• While the sauce is cooking, boil water in a dutch oven. Place ravioli in boiling water and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring gently to avoid breaking. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon.
  
• Pour the Bechamel sauce over the ravioli.
• Enjoy!
  

Arrabbiata Spaghetti and Meatballs

My husband and daughter asked for spaghetti and meatballs again for dinner. If I've said it before, I'll say it again: My family would eat spaghetti and meatballs three times a week if I allowed them to. I have been on this spicy kick recently, so I decided to use Arrabbiata sauce over the spaghetti and meatballs. Arrabbiata is a Roman sauce. All'arrabbiata means "angry style", named due to the heat of the peppers.

Ingredients:

Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Arrabbiata Sauce

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c tomato paste
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Dry sherry wine, splash

Directions:

• Make the sauce. Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add all of the sauce ingredients and mix well. Turn heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally.
  
• Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, mix together the egg, beef, bread crumb, salt and parmesan cheese. Form into meatballs.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add meatballs and cook on all sides until golden brown and cooked through.
• I drain the sauce because my husband does not like chunks.
  
• Put the meatballs in the sauce and allow to simmer for at least 30 minutes. I like to leave mine in the sauce for at least 2 hours.
• Serve over cooked pasta.
  
• Enjoy!
  

Cajun Chicken Sandwich with Homemade Cajun Seasoning

My husband and I are in love with a particular Cajun Chicken Sandwich that one of our local restaurants serves. Last weekend he said to me, "It would be great if you could mimic that sandwich." Although it is not exact, it was so very close to the taste and had the perfect level of spiciness to it. I think that next time I will eliminate the oregano (my husband is not a big fan of oregano unless it's on a pizza or Stromboli) and just throw in a dash of thyme. Either way, this sandwich was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken 
• 1/4 c butter, melted

Cajun Seasoning Mix

• 3/4 tbsp paprika
• 3/4 tsp onion salt
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp oregano

Toppings

• Mayonnaise
• Sliced tomatoes
• Pepper jack cheese
• Lettuce
• Hamburger rolls, lightly toasted

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium heat.  Pound the chicken to 1-inch thickness.

Brush the chicken with butter on all sides.  

Combine the paprika, onion salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, cumin, thyme and oregano in a shallow bowl. 

Sprinkle the seasoning mixture on both sides of the chicken.  

Grill over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Arrange the sandwich.  Spread mayonnaise on both sides of buns.  Place the chicken on the mayonnaise and top with sliced tomato, pepper jack cheese and lettuce.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Fudge Puddles

Happy Fourth of July! July 4th is also my granddaddy's 81st birthday and we always have a huge picnic to celebrate both occasions. Other than hot dogs and hot dog buns, I was bringing a dessert. I recently came across a recipe that I have been dying to try on Sunday Baker and I made just a couple of minor changes from the original recipe. All I can say is wow. I would gladly gain 5 pounds over these. They are very rich -- rich enough to even satisfy my sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

Cookie dough

• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 c white sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I always add in a tad more)
• 1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 c butterscotch chips
• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

• Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.
• Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture.
• Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  
• Remove from fridge and form into 1 1/2-inch balls.
• Grease a muffin pan and add one ball to each muffin cup.

• Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
  
• Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball, big enough to fill middles with fudge filling. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then move to cooling rack.

• Make the filling. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients except the chopped nuts. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between until smooth.

• Immediately start filling cookie cups with the filling. You will need to stir the mixture every now and again to prevent from hardening.
  
• Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Allow to set an hour or so before serving.
  
• Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Sweets for a Saturday

Lemon-Butter Shrimp and Broccoli over Orzo

I can relate my middle school years to orzo. It feels discontent and wants to fit in with everyone else; therefore, it takes on every flavor it comes in contact with. Yes. Orzo sounds a lot like middle school to me. Okay -- back on track! I love this dish. My husband cannot stand any crunch whatsoever to his broccoli and this recipe yields crisp-tender, so I end up cooking mine until it is completely soft.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 c orzo
  
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 c olive oil plus more if needed when sauteing shrimp
  
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced; divided
  
• 1/2 c butter
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• /3 c chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 c sherry wine
  
• Parmesan, to taste
  

Directions:

• Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add lemon juice, chicken broth, 1 clove of minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika and sherry.

• Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add broccoli. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until broccoli turns bright green and starts to become tender.
  

• Remove broccoli from skillet. Place the broccoli in the sauce and cover. Stir occasionally.
  
• In the same skillet, turn heat up to medium-high. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Add 1 clove of minced garlic, stirring until it becomes fragrant. Add shrimp and saute until it turns pink, about 2 minutes per side. Be careful to not overcook.
• Add shrimp to the sauce and broccoli and toss. Drain orzo. Pour the shrimp and broccoli mixture over the orzo and give it a toss. Sprinkle parmesan over all. Season with salt if desired
  
• Enjoy!
  

BBQ Shrimp, Bacon & Green Beans over Rice

My, how the week has flown by!  I have had a major change (a good change) in my work schedule and food blogging had to be placed on the back burner, which is why it has been a full week since I've made a blog post.  I'm hoping that I will be able to post as consistently as I have been but only time will tell.  In any case, now that it's the weekend, I am very thankful to have some extra time to devote to blogging again.

This is a delicious and easy dish that can be made in under 30 minutes that my family loves.  My husband especially enjoys the addition of bacon because it brings a salty component to the sweet BBQ sauce.  While arranging your plate, be sure to drizzle that yummy pan sauce over everything liberally!