Today I tried a recipe for blueberry bread (or maybe it’s more like a cake or a loaf) that I’m going to share with you. Yeah, before you say anything – my blueberries all sunk to the bottom L. I wasn’t very happy about that but it still tasted great at least. I wanted to use wild blueberries as they work better, but unfortunately I couldn’t find any at this time of year. I came across this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and decided to give it a try. If you choose a lot of variations could be made to this recipe – maybe instead of using blueberries use blackberries or raspberries? You could also consider adding some of your favorite chopped nuts into the bread. What I really like about this recipe is how moist it came out and the great lemon flavor it has. This recipe for blueberry bread is a great combination of yogurt, blueberries, and lemon. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
1 1-/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon flour (for blueberries)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon sugar
3 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups blueberries (fresh of frozen)
1/3 cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Grease and flour a 8 ½ x 4 ¼ x 2 ½ inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In bowl mix 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Step 2: In another bowl whisk together yogurt, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, oil and vanilla extract. Slowly mix the wet and dry ingredients together into one bowl.

Step 3: Lightly toss blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour to coat, and fold them gently into the batter. Pour the batter into your baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until done. Stick a tooth pick in the loaf and if it comes up clean, it’s done. While the loaf is baking cook 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
Step 4: When the loaf is done allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes, and place on a cooling rack. When the loaf is still warm pour the lemon-sugar mixture over it and allow it to soak in. Allow to fully cool.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe, baking

It keeps getting warmer and warmer here in Michigan, and the weather is becoming great for outdoor grilling. So today I decided to fire up my grill again and make chicken teriyaki sandwiches. These sandwiches are a great combination of sweet and savory. For this recipe not only are you grilling the chicken, but you are grilling the pineapple as well! This was my first time ever putting pineapple on the grill and I think it turned out great. To get the most flavorful chicken it’s best to marinate overnight, but if you’re in a rush a few hours will work just fine. Some choices for toppings would be lettuce, tomato, onions, or just whatever you like. This recipe is great if you’re looking for a quick, great tasting meal that’s easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (if they are too thick cut them in half)
1-2 cups teriyaki sauce
Slices of Swiss cheese
1 can of pineapple rings
Hamburger buns
Mayonnaise
Lettuce (optional)
Tomato (optional)
Onions  (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound to an even thickness. Marinate for 4-6 hours (or overnight for best results) in a covered bowl or zip loc bag.
Step 2: Place pineapple rings on the grill and cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Step 3: Grill chicken breasts 5 minutes on the first side, turn over and add pineapple rings and Swiss cheese slices and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from grill and place on a bun.  Spread mayonnaise under the top half of the bun and add any additional toppings as desired.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

If you like grilled salmon or even if you don’t like grilled salmon you might appreciate this recipe. But this recipe isn’t about the salmon – it’s all about the sauce. Tonight I prepared a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce that goes great with grilled salmon or even ribs or chicken.  Be careful to not over cook the sauce, as it will thicken as it cools. If the sauce sits for too long and becomes too thick then just add a little bit of water to thin it out. This delicious sauce called ‘honey pepper sauce’ is very similar to the one served at the Applebee’s restaurant. This meal is very easy to prepare and the fish and the sauce should be on the table within just a few minutes.  Also, if you don’t have a grill, or prefer not to use one baking the salmon in the oven will work just as good.

Ingredients:
Honey Pepper Sauce-
¾ cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Salmon-
4 (8 oz) salmon fillets
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
Vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make the sauce combine all of the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Watch the sauce to make sure it doesn’t bubble over while boiling. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Step 2: Rub each salmon fillet with vegetable oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Step 3: Grill salmon for 4-7 minutes on each side or until fully cooked.
Step 4: Serve Salmon with a cup of honey pepper sauce for dipping or pour sauce over salmon fillets.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

As promised in the sweet and sour chicken recipe, here it is – sweet and sour pork.  According to the Wikipedia the origin of sweet and sour pork dates back to 18^th century Canton or earlier. There’s a record that shows the renowned Long Family used sweet and sour pork to test the skills of their family chefs. The secret to this amazing recipe lies in the sauce. Instead of using the white vinegar, we are using apple cider vinegar. I find that this goes much better with the pork than normal vinegar, but I love just about any sweet and sour sauce. Another thing I love about sweet and sour dishes are the vegetables. Speaking of vegetables, instead of using tomatoes I decided to throw in some sliced celery instead and I thought it made a great edition to the dish. Now to the question – which is better, sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour pork? I’d love to hear what you think. 

Ingredients:
1 pound pork butt (cut into 1 “ cubes)
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 egg white
2 green onions (chopped)
1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)
½ cup cornstarch
Vegetables-
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 stalks celery (sliced)
1 green bell pepper (sliced)
1 medium onion (cut into wedges)
white sugar (to taste)
salt (to taste)
Sweet and Sour Sauce-
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup white sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup ketchup
½ teaspoon soy sauce
1 (8oz) can pineapple chunks (with juice)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup water

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Put cubed pork in a bowl, and season with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Mix in the green onions and egg white. Cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinade for at least 1 hour. When finished dust chicken with 1/2 cup of corn starch until evenly coated.
Step 2:  Heat 1 quart of oil to 375 degrees in your deep fryer or wok. Fry pork in oil until evenly browned (should be about 10 minutes per batch). Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: Heat a tablespoon of oil in your wok over medium heat. Stir fry celery, onions, and green peppers, cook until tender. Season with sugar and salt – remove from pan and set aside.
Step 4: To make the sweet and sour sauce- In your wok (or saucepan) mix 1 cup of water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup sugar, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup ketchup, and ½ teaspoon soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and stir pineapple chunks with juice. Return to a boil and mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch in ¼ cup of water to thicken the sauce. Cook until thick and well blended. In a bowl pour sauce over fried pork, and add vegetables and mix well.
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Chances are you’ve probably have eaten chicken fettuccini alfredo at some of your favorite restaurants such as the olive garden, and tonight I have a chicken alfredo recipe for you that rivals restaurants. That’s right; this is some of the best homemade chicken alfredo that iv ever tasted. This dish is based off the original called fettuccini alfredo, which is basically fettuccini noodles topped with a delicious creamy cheese sauce. We are adding chicken and going even further by putting sliced mushrooms, roma tomatoes, and onions in the mix. The original recipe calls for cooking the chicken in the frying pan, but sometimes I feel like something different so I’ll grill it instead.  This recipe might seem like it takes a little work, but it’s really easy and the end result is worth it. This recipe is sure to impress almost anyone. Cook it for some guests and see for yourself.

Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (cut into cubes)
6 tablespoons butter (divided)
4 garlic cloves (minced and divided)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 onion (diced)
1 (8 oz) package sliced mushrooms (or use sliced canned mushrooms)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups milk
1 cup half and half
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey jack cheese
3 roma tomatoes (diced)
½ cup sour cream

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, half of the minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of butter, and Italian seasoning. Cook chicken until its no longer pink inside. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Cook fettuccini according to package directions.

Step 3: While fettuccini is cooking melt 4 tablespoons of butter in your skillet. Sauté onion, 2 tablespoons of garlic, and mushrooms until the onions are transparent. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper, and cook for a couple minutes. Slowly add the milk, half and half, and stir until it’s creamy and smooth. Stir in the Colby-jack and parmesan cheeses, and stir until cheese is melted. Stir in the chicken mixture, diced tomatoes, and sour cream. Serve over fettuccini. 
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If you’ve ever seen the movie Spanglish you probably recognize this sandwich. It’s none other than the World’s Greatest Sandwich by Thomas Keller. He was asked to make an amazing snack for the movie that everyone at home would want to eat, and that he did. From the first time I saw the movie I immediately wanted to make this sandwich. The recipe wasn’t hard to find either; it is actually included on the DVD. Thomas Keller also had to train Adam Sandler (who had never cooked before) to make this great sandwich in the movie. There is a short clip included on the DVD of the training session. For those of you who have never watched the movie, the World’s Greatest Sandwich is basically a BLT with a fried egg and Monterey jack cheese. The original recipe calls for pain de champagne (rustic country loaf), but that can be hard to find so sour dough would be a good substitute. If you’re in the mood for a delicious late night snack this is for you, but is it really “The World’s Greatest Sandwich”? I’ll let you decide.  

Ingredients:
3 to 4 thick slices of crispy bacon
2 slices Monterey jack cheese
2 slices pain de champagne (rustic country loaf) or sour dough bread (toasted)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 slices tomato
2 leaves butter lettuce (or the lettuce of your choice)
1 teaspoon butter
1 egg

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook bacon until it’s crispy, drain on paper towels and set aside.
Step 2: Place two slices of cheese on one side of the toasted bread and place in a toaster oven or under a broiler to melt the cheese.

Step 3: Spread mayonnaise on the other slice of toast, and top with slices of crispy bacon, lettuce, and tomato slices.
Step 4: In a non-stick pan melt butter over medium heat. Fry the egg on one side and flip briefly when the bottom is set. You want to keep the yolk runny.
Step 5: Slide the egg on top of the tomatoes and top with the other slice of toast (melted cheese side down). Place on a plate and slice in half, letting the egg yolk run down the sandwich.

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I know it’s a little late, but I’m just getting around to posting the dessert I made for Easter this year. As a last minute decision I decided to go with no bake lemon cheesecake squares, and the results turned out pretty good. I just wish I could find some decent fresh strawberries around here this time of year. This recipe is great if you’re looking for something light and refreshing – it would be great in the summertime!  This is a no bake cheesecake recipe so after only about a half hour it will be in the fridge. If you can find good ones, fresh strawberries taste just amazing on top of the cheesecake. Let me know what you think.

Ingredients:
Crust-
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
½ cup butter (melted)
¼ cup sugar
Filling-
¾ cup sugar
8 ounces softened cream cheese (softened)
1 (3 oz) package lemon jello
¾ cup water (boiling)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
¼ cup lemon juice
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk (chilled)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Mix the crust ingredients and press them into a 13×9” pan.
Step 2: In a bowl stir together cream cheese and sugar until it’s fluffy.

Step 3: In a separate bowl mix together jello and boiling water. Then add the lemon juice and lemon extract and mix well. Set it aside and let cool. Meanwhile, place a large mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer to chill.
Step 4: Once bowl and beaters are chilled, whip evaporated milk on high until it thickens and holds a peak. Turn the beater to low and slowly mix in cream cheese, followed by the lemon jello mixture.
Step 5: Pour filling over crust in the pan, and top with sliced fresh strawberries (If desired). Chill in the refrigerator until filling sets. Cut into squares.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe, baking