Orange Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs

It's time for another Eating the Alphabet challenge.  Brenda from Meal Planning Magic, issues the letters for the challenge and then you select something that corresponds with the letter to make.  This month was 'G' or 'H'.  I decided to use ginger because it is something that I rarely use.

A few months ago, I had Barbara Bakes for the Secret Recipe challenge.  I found these chicken kabobs while browsing through her blog and decided they'd make a great weeknight dish since the marinade comes together quickly and the chicken is grilled.  Something we're all looking for in summer meals: easy.

Head on over to Brenda's blog to get more information about the challenge and sign yourself up to participate!

Orange Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs
barely adapted from Barbara Bakes
Ingredients

Orange Teriyaki Glaze

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons ginger, finely grated

1 tablespoon orange zest

1 clove garlic, finely grated or pressed

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange marmalade

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

 

Kabobs

6 bamboo or metal skewers

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Orange Teriyaki Glaze

 

Directions

1) If using bamboo skewers, soak in water 30 minutes.
2) Prepare Orange Teriyaki Glaze- Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, orange zest, and garlic and cook stirring occasionally, about two minutes. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, marmalade, orange juice, honey and red pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. and set aside.

2) Thread chicken onto skewers. Preheat grill to high heat and grease grates with oil.

3) Grill kabobs 2 - 3 minutes on all four sides. When the chicken is nearly done, reduce the heat of the grill and slather on the glaze. You want to be careful to let the glaze caramelize onto the chicken but not let it burn - rotate frequently and slather on more glaze after turning. Total cooking time should be about 15 minutes. You can slide the chicken cubes apart and check to see if it is done, or cook to 170º.

Even though the picture is horrible, this was a great dish.  While this chicken was fantastic, the ginger wasn't really prominent.  I changed the recipe to have double the amount of ginger. I loved the amount of orange in the glaze though, it definitely came through.  This was an easy dish and I served it with cilantro lime rice for a delicious dinner. 

 

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake

I love cinnamon, and try to make things that have cinnamon as often as possible.  When I received my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month: Everyday Mom, I quickly settled on this recipe.  I also chose this recipe because a bundt cake pan is something that I've wanted to get for a long time, so I was excited when I found mini-bundt cakes and look forward to using it to try other delicious recipes.

                      

Everyday Mom is written by Kim, who looks like she has a lot of fun making stuff with and for her kids.  I don't have kids yet, but hope that someday I can do food projects with my kids.  I'm sure that will be yet another journey that my cooking will take us on.  Check out Kim's blog to find kid friendly recipes and a lot of good-looking desserts.

Cinnamon Swirl Pound Cake
from Everyday Mom
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel Swirl:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Buttermilk Pound Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup buttermilk

Directions
1) Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan or all the compartments of a mini-bundt cake pan. Dust the pan with flour and shake out the excess.
Cinnamon Swirl:
2) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, breaking up any large lumps of brown sugar. Add the melted butter and stir until blended and crumbly.
Pound Cake:
3)  Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
4) In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at a medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes.
5) Gradually add the sugar and beat at medium-high speed until well blended and light, about 4 minutes.
6) At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest.
7) At low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions and mixing just until well combined.
8) Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Scrape the remaining batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.
9) Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes for a normal bundt cake pan or 45 minutes for mini-bundt cake pans, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

While I was writing this blog post, my husband snuck two out of the pan while I wasn't looking and declared these really good.  I love pound cake, so I knew they would be delicious.  I put cinnamon in the batter as well, and unfortunately, I couldn't really taste the cinnamon.  Next time, I think I'll ad even more.  These are fantastic by themselves, but I can't wait to find toppings to try with them.

If you have a favorite recipe using your bundt cake pan, please feel free to leave me recipes in a comment. 

Sloppy Joe Mac

Casseroles aren't really dishes that are meant for two people.  A 9 by 13 pan of something plus a side dishe usually turns into a week of leftovers.  Therefore, I don't really put casseroles on the menu very often. 

Since I'm going through my sloppy joe phase, which I think by now I've exhausted all my sloppy joe recipes, when I saw this, I figured I'd make it.  I considered cutting the recipe down to bake into a 9 by 9, but then ended up dumping the entire box of macaroni into the boiling water.  Oops, more leftovers for me.


Sloppy Joe Mac
from FoodNetwork
Ingredients
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

One 15-ounce can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste

3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup beef broth

12 ounces elbow macaroni with ridges

2 cups shredded yellow Cheddar

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Combine the brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce in a small bowl.
3) Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned. Season with salt and pepper.
4) Add the garlic, bell peppers and onions and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
5) Pour the tomato mixture over the beef, add the beef broth and stir until well combined. Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.
6) Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a large pot of salted boiling water until not quite tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to the sauce. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with the cheese.
7) Bake until the casserole is bubbling and the top is browned.

 

 

This was a really easy dish and was really tasty too.  I was surprised at how much it tasted like a sloppy joe.  We really didn't have many leftovers.  By the end of the first night, there was only half a pan left.  I think this would be a great potluck dish.  Kids would love it because of the mac and cheese part and it is simple to put together. 

 



Cream Cheese Meltaways

When I was a kid, I'd lose stuff and then have difficulty finding it again.  My dad was in the military, and the ID card that they give everyone was always the first thing to disappear.  My parents used to say, "It will always be the last place you look."

I felt very much that way for this baking challenge, for which Amanda from Our Italian Kitchen chose mini/bite sized treats.  Everything I found was delicious looking truffles, and I couldn't find anything that I actually had to bake.  I was so stuck on the truffle idea that I had almost given up, until I found these Cream Cheese Meltaways at Alida's Kitchen.  I found what I was looking for in the last place I looked.

 

Cream Cheese Meltaways
from Alida's Kitchen
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup  fresh lemon juice

assorted sprinkles, for decorating (optional)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch and salt until combined.
3) In a large bowl, add powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese and vanilla and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. 
4) Add flour mixture to butter mixture, stirring until combined.  (Note: dough will be dry and crumbly). 
5) Shape dough into 1-inch balls (be careful not to overwork dough) and place on prepared cookie sheets.
6) Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned.  Cool 5 minutes of pan and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze:  In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Dip the tops of cooled cookies into glaze and place on wire rack.  Decorate with sprinkles, as desired.  Let cookies stand until glaze is set.

I have to admit that I thought these cookies were more addicting without the glaze.  To me the glaze tasted better after it had awhile to sit, but I still think they were better without.  These were slightly bigger than bite sized for me, but I definitely could have made them smaller too.  I only yielded 20 cookies, while Alida said the recipe makes 36.  These are fantastic cookies, and I'm glad I ran across them for the challenge.

 

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes

Last Blogger's Choice recipe swap I participated in, I made Magic Monster Cookie Bars from Kate's Recipe Box.  This time around for the Blogger's Choice swap, I received Kate's blog again, so I decided to make one of the other recipes from her blog that I had wanted to make: Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes.  These have been going around a lot of blogs that I read, so I knew they had to be good.

Tex-Mex Sloppy Joes
slightly adapted from Kate's Recipe Box
Ingredients
1 can (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced (without seeds for less heat, with seeds for more)
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. beer, such as a light ale or lager
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and black pepper to taste
Hamburger buns, cheese (I used pepper jack) and guacamole, for serving

Directions,
1) In a bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, oregano, ground cumin, dried cilantro, allspice and Worcestershire sauce.
2) In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground meat, stirring occasionally until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.  Drain off the fat.
3) Add the canola oil to the pan with the browned meat then stir in the diced onion and the jalapeno. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  Stir in the tomato mixture, along with the beer, ketchup and cilantro until well combined.
4) Let all ingredients come to a low simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. 
5) Toast buns under the broiler until lightly browned.
6) Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on warmed buns with cheese and guacamole.

My modifications and substitutions were based on things that I couldn't eat in the original recipe.  I think the chipotle in adobo would add that smoky flavor, that these don't have.  However, these turned out to be the best sloppy joes that I have made so far.  I used ground turkey since I knew there would be so many other flavors.  I think what made these great was the addition of the beer.  It gave just that extra kick of flavor.  I did use pepper jack on top of using the jalapeno with the seeds, so ours were a little on the spicy side.  Thanks again for another great recipe Kate!


Thanks again Sarah, at A Taste of Home Cooking, for hosting the swaps.  They always result in great food!  Please find the other recipes from the swap below.

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde

Sometimes my work day seems really long and by the time I get home I don't want to make dinner and even ordering out seems like too much work.  This is where this meal comes in handy.  If you use store bought chips, this meal takes about 10 minutes, and is delicious.  Plus, it isn't too expensive to make. 

Chilaquiles with Salsa Verde
from Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients
3 cups salsa verde

3 4 1/2 ounce cans  diced mild green chiles

6 cups tortilla chips

1 cup sour cream

5 ounces queso fresco (or Mexican blend), crumbled

1/4 cup sliced radishes

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1) In food processor, mix salsa and chiles for 20 seconds.
2)) Pour sauce into large nonstick skillet; bring to simmer over medium. Lower heat to medium-low, add chips and toss to soften slightly.
3) Divide among plates. Top with sour cream, cheese, radishes and cilantro.

 I have never had radishes before this dish, so it was a new experience for me...I didn't realize they were had a kick towards the end of eating them. I liked this dish a lot, but I found it kind of spicy.  I really need to start reading the labels on the jars of salsa that I buy, I think I'd save myself some pain, although the radishes probably didn't help either.

I made chips from scratch using corn tortillas and Jacob said that the homemade chips made it even better.   Jacob didn't even miss the meat in this dish and went back for seconds.  Whether you make your chips from scratch or just buy a bag of your favorite chips at the store, this is a great, simple dinner.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

It's time for another Eating the Alphabet Challenge.  I missed last month as March is the craziest month in my family.  Three birthdays and an anniversary all within two weeks is a lot to do.

This month, the letters for the alphabet challenge were 'E' or 'F'.  I honestly wanted to try something with figs.  I found some great goat cheese and fig recipes, but then I found out that they aren't really in season yet.  Nonetheless, when they do come into season, I found some great recipes.

When I ruled figs out, I kept thinking about eggplants.  I am one of the few people that I know personally that LOVES them.  If I was still single, I think I'd eat several of them a week, but my husband isn't a fan.  One of my favorite flavors for eggplants is roasting them, so I found this new recipe for a spread that I knew would be simple yet delicious.

Roasted Eggplant Spread
slightly adapted from FoodNetwork
Ingredients

1 medium eggplant

1 red bell peppers, seeded  

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

 

Directions

1)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2)  Cut the eggplant and bell pepper into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool the vegetable mixture slightly.

3) Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

 

 I like this spread as an appetizer idea because it seems like a lot of appetizers are either really heavy with cheese or meat based.  This is really simple, but the roasted flavor of both vegetables really comes through.  Depending if you like roasted red peppers or the roasted eggplant more, you could go heavier on the vegetable that you like.  I served these with pita chips and it was amazing.  Definitely a great appetizer.

Please check out all the other letter 'E' and 'F' submissions below.  Thanks Brenda for hosting this challenge!