Here is delicious apple brine for turkey, chicken, or pork. If you have never tried brining before, it may be time to start. This brine helps to keep the meat from becoming overcooked. This brine will make the turkey or chicken very moist and not so easy to overcook. This brine also gives the meat a nice and slightly sweet flavor. Don’t worry though; this is a very mild brine. This is enough brine for a 14lb turkey. Give this a try for the holidays or for a fantastic home dinner. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 quarts apple juice
1lb brown sugar
1 cup kosher salt
3 quarts water
3 oranges (sliced into quarters)
4 ounces fresh ginger (thinly sliced)
6 garlic cloves (crushed)
15 whole cloves
6 bay leaves

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Bring apple juice, salt, and sugar to a boil over high heat. Stir well. Skim the foam. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Add water, oranges, ginger, garlic, cloves, and bay leaves. Mix well.
Step 3: Pour brine over turkey to cover and brine for 24 hours.

This dish really needs no introduction, macaroni and cheese is popular pretty much everywhere. As you probably already know from experience, most of the boxed Mac and cheese can be rather disappointing. Here is a homemade version and somewhat of a different take on the classic dish. This recipe uses three different types of cheeses- sharp cheddar, parmesan, and cottage cheese. Best of all, this dish is so easy to make and is perfect for a quick meal. This is also perfect for a dinner party or event. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
¼ cup butter (melted)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. Drain.
Step 2: Grease a 9×13” baking dish, in the baking dish stir together macaroni, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl mix together breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the macaroni in the baking dish.
Step 3: Place into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
(Makes 4 Servings)

For those that are craving a little heat Enchiladas Verdes might be perfect for you. This dish is pretty much a classic and is just like you would find in a Mexican restaurant. For this recipe we are making our own fresh green salsa that is basically a combination of fresh tomatillos and Serrano peppers. If you are not familiar with tomatillos, they are much like a green tomato in a husk. They can be found at any decent sized grocery store. For the chicken, the chicken is boiled in chicken broth, onions and garlic. You can use either white meat or dark meat, it’s up to you. Just remember that dark meat chicken takes a little longer to cook. This recipe calls for corn tortillas but I prefer flour so I used those instead. If you are using flour tortillas skip the frying/dipping into the salsa step and just add salsa on top. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 bone-in chicken breast halves
2 cups chicken broth
¼ of a large white onion
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons salt
Salsa-
1lb fresh tomatillos (husks removed)
5 Serrano peppers
¼ of a large white onion
1 clove garlic
1 pinch salt
Other-
12 corn tortillas
1 cup queso fresco cheese (crumbled)
½ white onion (chopped)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a saucepan add chicken breasts, pour chicken broth into the pan, add ¼ white onion, 1 garlic clove, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil, boil for 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove chickens breasts from the pan but reserve chicken broth. Set chicken aside to cool. Discard onion and garlic. When cool enough shred the chicken into pieces with a fork.

Step 2: To make salsa- Place tomatillos and Serrano peppers in a pot and add water so that they are fully covered. Bring to a boil and boil until tomatillos turn from bright green to dull green. Strain tomatillos and peppers and place into a blender with ¼ piece of onion, 1 garlic clove, and a pinch of salt. Pour In reserved chicken broth so that the liquid covers the vegetables. Blend until completely pureed. Pour pureed mixture into a saucepan and bring to a low boil.
Step 3: Pour a little oil into a frying pan over high heat. Fry each tortilla for just a few seconds on each side. Drain on a paper towel. Dip slightly fried tortillas into the low boiling green salsa mixture until the tortillas become soft again.
Step 4: Top tortillas with chicken, extra green salsa, queso fresco cheese, chopped onion and cilantro.
(Makes 4 Servings)

It doesn’t get much better than this. Mongolian chicken is nearly the perfect Asian recipe. Many of you are probably familiar with this dish because of Mongolian Beef. If you would prefer to use beef in this recipe as well, that’s totally fine. I would consider this dish to be sweet, salty and spicy.  I wouldn’t call this recipe totally authentic as it tastes much different from a lot of Mongolian /chicken beef dishes I have had. However, I might even go as far as to say its better! This recipe is all about the sauce. The sauce uses a combination of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce for a nearly perfect combination of flavors. I recommend deep frying the chicken to ensure it is crispy. I always eat my chicken immediately because I love the crispiness.  Serve with white rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thin strips)
½ cup cornstarch (or more, for coating)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
1 white onion (sliced)
2 green onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Oil (for frying)
Sauce-
¼ cup chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or less, to your taste)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl whisk together chicken broth, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, sugar, soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Step 2: Toss chicken with cornstarch in a bag until all of the strips are thoroughly coated. Heat a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Fry chicken strips in batches until golden brown and fully cooked. Drain on paper towels. Place into the oven to keep warm.

Step 3: Add a tablespoon or two of oil to a wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and green onions. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir fry until vegetables have reached your desired tenderness. Remove from pan and set aside.
Step 4: Pour the sauce mixture into the wok and cook until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly. Add chicken strips into a large serving bowl, pour sauce over chicken, add onions and mix well. Serve with white rice.
(Makes 4 Servings)

I had tried a recipe for chicken scallopini (Scaloppine) before and did not really care for it. I decided to give it another shot with a different recipe and it turned out fantastic. This dish is served at many restaurants and I would say is fairly popular. If you are not familiar with it, I believe it is an Italian based dish. For this recipe, the sauce is where it’s at. The sauce basically consists of butter, lemon juice, white wine, and heavy cream. All of these ingredients can be adjusted to your taste. Another great option if you want to add more flavor is to add crumbled bacon of pancetta on top. This is a dish that is sure to impress almost anyone with your cooking skills. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb linguini (cooked and drained)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pounded to an even thickness)
1 1/2 cups flour
Salt and pepper (for seasoning)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
12 ounces of fresh mushrooms (sliced)
Parmesan Cheese
Sauce-
¼ cup butter
The juice of 1 lemon
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour on both sides. In a large skillet heat oil and 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Fry chicken breasts on both sides until fully cooked golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven.

Step 2: Melt butter in the same pan, add sliced mushrooms and stir fry for a few seconds. Pour in wine, lemon juice, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook for about 1 minute until the sauce has reduced. Pour and stir in cream, add capers, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley and remove from heat.
Step 3: Pour sauce over chicken and linguini and top with parmesan cheese.
(Makes 6 Servings)

Shrimp burritos are great if you are looking for something a little different than your average burrito. These burritos use pretty standard ingredients such as rice, refried beans, cheese, and salsa, but what really makes them stand out is the sauce. The Mexican rice is also very good and adds a rice flavor to the burritos. The sauce is a combination of plain yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This requires a bit of work… cooking the shrimp, the rice, and wrapping the burritos, but its well worth it. This recipe is perfect for Lent. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
12 ounces cooked shrimp (with tails removed)
2 tablespoons garlic (minced)
Rice-
2 tablespoons oil
½ cup onion (chopped)
¾ cup long-grain white rice
¾ teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
1 ½ cups chicken broth
½ cup canned diced tomatoes
Chipotle Sauce-
½ cup plain yogurt
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Other-
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup salsa

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook while stirring until tender. Stir in the rice, season with garlic salt and cumin. Cook until the rice is lightly toasted (about 5 minutes). Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside.
Step 2: In a small saucepan stir together refried beans, ¾ teaspoon of garlic salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and warm over low heat until heated through.
Step 3: Coat a skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and garlic, sauté shrimp until they are heated through and lightly browned.
Step 4: In a small bowl combine yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers until smooth. Refrigerate until needed.
Step 5: To assemble each burrito. Warm tortillas in the Microwave so they are easy to fold. Place about ¼ cup of cheese on each warm tortilla. Top with about ½ cup of shrimp. Top with ¼ cup of refried beans, and then ¼ cup of rice. Spread on about a tablespoon of salsa and chipotle sauce, roll up and serve.

The Quesadilla burger has recently become pretty popular. If you are not familiar with this rather unique burger; the quesadilla burger is a grilled burger topped with cheese, Pico de gallo salsa, and a delicious sauce. The burger is placed between 2 lightly fried tortillas. This is a great switch up from your normal hamburgers. Be aware this does take some work but its well worth it. If you want to save time you can buy premade Pico de gallo from the store. The highlight of this recipe is the cilantro mayo sauce that goes onto these burgers, it really is dominant. You can use an indoor grill pan or just a regular skillet to cook these burgers if you choose. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Burgers-
1 lb ground beef
1lb ground pork
1 egg
¼ cup milk
¼ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
Italian breadcrumbs
Pico de Gallo-
4 roma tomatoes (seeded and chopped)
½ cup onion (finely chopped)
2 jalapeño peppers (seeded and finely chopped)
2 tablespoons green bell pepper (chopped)
2 teaspoon cilantro (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Cilantro Mayo-
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1 jalapeño pepper (minced)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
Additional Ingredients-
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Pepper jack cheese slices
1/2lb bacon (cooked until crispy, and crumbled)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To prepare Pico de Gallo salsa- In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, and cilantro. Add lime juice, salt and pepper. Put into the refrigerator.
Step 2: To prepare Cilantro Mayo- In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, cilantro, jalapeño pepper, salt and pepper. Place into the refrigerator.
Step 3: In a large bowl combine hamburger, pork, egg, milk, ketchup, mustard, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add breadcrumbs until the meat mixture no longer sticks to the bowl. Form into about 6” patties. With your finger make a depression in the middle of each burger. Grease and heat an outdoor or indoor grill and fry burgers until they are done. Within the last few minutes of cooking top with pepper jack cheese slices and grill until the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill.

Step 4: For each burger – In a small skillet, heat and lightly brown 2 flour tortillas. Assemble burgers by spreading some Cilantro mayo onto one side of the 2 flour tortillas. Lay out one flour tortillas and put lettuce and crumbled bacon on top, Add the burger on top of that, and add some Pico de Gallo on top of the burger. Place the other flour tortilla on top. Slice in half.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp can apparently be found a several Chinese buffets; Although, I have not actually seen it at one around here. What is so unique about this recipe is the shrimp are eaten with the shell on. This may be a turn off to some people, if it is please feel free to remove the shell after cooking. What I like about having the shell on is it gives the shrimp a nice crunch. Just as the name says, this recipe uses a lot of salt and pepper. It also uses ingredients such as fresh garlic and ginger. The flavors blend perfectly to create fantastic tasting shrimp. The shrimp are first deep fried for 20 seconds, and then fried in the wok for another 20 seconds. This is another fantastic Chinese recipe. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs large raw shrimp (deveined with shells on)
Canola oil (for frying)
1 cup green onions (sliced)
¼ cup fresh garlic (minced)
¼ cup fresh ginger (minced)
½ tablespoons sea salt
½ tablespoon ground pepper mix (black, green, red, ect.)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pat dry shrimp with paper towels. Heat a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Add shrimp and deep fry for 20 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Step 2: Coat the wok with a little oil and sauté green onions, garlic and ginger for 15 seconds. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Stir fry for 20 seconds and serve.
(Makes 3 Servings)

If you didn’t already guess from the picture, here is another amazing Chinese recipe, garlic ginger chicken. Just like the name says, this dish gets a lot of its flavor from fresh garlic and ginger. The chicken bits are coated with a batter and then fried in the deep fryer until crispy. The sauce is very simple, just basically rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. If you want to add a little heat to this dish, you can add some dried red pepper flakes. This is a very easy recipe that takes little time to prepare. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” chunks)
4 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 egg
1/3 cup cornstarch
6 garlic cloves (minced)
4 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
Sauce-
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice wine
3 teaspoons sugar
1 bunch green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Add chicken bits to a large bowl. Add soy sauce and rice wine. Marinate for 30 minutes. Add in the egg and cornstarch, stir and blend until the chicken pieces are coated with a batter.
Step 2: Heat oil in a deep fryer for 375 degrees. Fry chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown a crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Step 3: Add a couple tablespoons of oil to your wok or frying pan. Add garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds. Add soy sauce, rice wine and sugar. Stir and bring to a boil. Coat chicken bits with the sauce, top with green onions and serve.
(Makes 2 Servings)