Jerk chicken originally comes from Jamaica. If you are not familiar with it, it is basically a marinade for chicken or pork. It can also be used for other types of meats as well such as fish and beef. This mixture is a combination of tangy, hot and sweet flavors. The marinade is mixed in a blender to make things very easy. Some of the ingredients in the marinade include soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, jalapeño pepper and various seasonings. If you don’t want to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, any type of chicken would work. I used a whole cut up chicken. This is another summer grilling recipe and is perfect for outdoor cookouts. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 green onions (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and minced)
¾ cup soy sauce
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons fresh thyme (chopped)
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground allspice

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a food processor combine green onions, onion, jalapeño pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, vegetable oil, brown sugar, thyme, cloves, nutmeg and all spice. Blend for 15 seconds.
Step 2: Place the chicken in a large bowl or sealable bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours (or overnight for maximum flavor).
Step 3: Lightly oil grill grates. Pre-heat the grill to high heat. Cook chicken until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.
(Makes 4 Servings)

An essential part of any summer cookout is a good side dish, and what better of a side dish then a cold salad? This tuna pasta salad is perfect for those warm summer days. This can be made with little effort and is sure to please almost everyone. The dressing is a basic combination of mayonnaise, Italian dressing, sugar and black pepper. You can add additional ingredients such as green onions and cheese if you like. For your next cook-out give this cold salad a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package macaroni
3 tomatoes (seeded and diced)
3 stalks celery (chopped)
1 (12 ounce) can tuna fish (drained)
1 ½ cups light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon creamy Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 pinch black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large pot of salted water, bring to a boil, add pasta and cook until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine pasta, tomatoes, celery and tuna. In a medium bowl whisk together mayonnaise, creamy Italian, sugar and pepper.
Step 3: Add to pasta mixture, mix together well and refrigerate for 1 hour.
(Makes 4 Servings)

One dish that is very simple and easy to prepare are shrimp fajitas. There are many different ways to make fajitas but using shrimp adds its own unique flavor. For this recipe you can use either corn or flour tortillas. This recipe can actually be ready to serve within a half hour. It’s great for those nights when you don’t have a lot of time. Some condiments that could be served with this are sour cream, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole. The shrimp are first marinated in a seasoning mixture and then cooked in the pan. This recipe is also great for summer. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs medium raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Chile powder
½ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 lime (juice of)
8 flour tortillas (warmed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 green onions (sliced)
2 green bell peppers (sliced)
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 medium red onion (diced)
Fresh cilantro

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl or zip lock bag combine shrimp, salt, cumin, chile powder, oregano, garlic powder, and lime juice. Mix well and toss shrimp to coat. Place into the refrigerator and let marinate for 10 minutes.

Step 2: In a large skillet heat vegetable oil. Add green onions and peppers. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened. Add shrimp with the marinade and cook while stirring for 3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink.
Step 3: Spoon shrimp and vegetables into warmed tortillas. Top with cheese, cilantro, and red onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

For many of us summer has arrived, and that means it’s time for some summer grilling recipes. First I will start with this recipe for chicken burgers. I have used a few different types of meat to make burgers, mainly ground beef and turkey, but this was my first time using ground chicken. The result was fantastic; the burgers were very moist and delicious. These burgers have a teriyaki glaze and a ginger mayonnaise spread. Fans of ginger will absolutely love these burgers. The Japanese bread crumbs can be substituted for normal dry breadcrumbs if you choose. You can also add cheese to this recipe, personally I like sliced Swiss. This recipe will make 4 burgers. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 ¼ lbs ground chicken
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs (or normal breadcrumbs)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
2 green onions (chopped)
3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup teriyaki sauce
4 teaspoons honey
4 hamburger buns
lettuce
1 cucumber (peeled and thinly sliced)
Ginger Mayonnaise-
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon salt

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: To make ginger mayonnaise- in a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, pickle relish, ginger, lime juice, garlic and salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Step 2: In a large bowl combine ground chicken, breadcrumbs, egg, green onions, cilantro, garlic, chili sauce and salt. Mix well. Form into 4 patties. In a small bowl mix teriyaki sauce and honey.
Step 3: Brush grill grates with oil and heat an outdoor grill (this recipe can also be done in a fry pan) to medium-high heat. Add chicken burgers and brush with teriyaki glaze while turning and cooking until chicken has reached an internal temperate of 165 degrees.
Step 4: Place burgers on a bun, top with lettuce, cucumber and ginger mayo.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Coleslaw makes a great side dish for all of your summer meals. It goes great with fish, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and much more. I even enjoy using it as a topping for hot dogs. The greatest part about coleslaw is that it’s so easy to make. This can be prepared and in the refrigerator within 15 minutes at most. Basically all you have to do is mix the dressing up and combine it with the cabbage and carrot mix. This taste very similar to the coleslaw you would find in restaurants. If you think the amount of sugar might make the dish too sweet for your taste, you can use less. This is a fantastic recipe; give this one a try for the summer. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cabbage and carrot mix
2 tablespoons onion (diced)
2/3 cup creamy salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup white sugar (or less)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon poppy seeds

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:In a large bowl combine coleslaw mix and diced onion.
Step 2: In a medium bowl whisk together salad dressing, vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and poppy seeds. Pour dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
(Makes 6 Servings)

This delicious sesame salad combines sesame salad dressing, grilled chicken and pasta. Of course, the chicken doesn’t necessarily have to be grilled; you can use any kind of cooked chicken. It is also a way to use up leftover cooked chicken. For this recipe the dressing is where it’s at. The dressing is pretty much your classic sesame salad dressing using ingredients such a sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. This is a very simple recipe that takes little time to prepare. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package bow tie pasta
¼ cup sesame seeds
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cut into small chunks)
1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)
1/3 cup green onions (sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add sesame seeds and cook while stirring until they are lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook according to package direction until Al Dente. Drain pasta and cool. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

Step 2: In a jar with a tight fitting lid combine vegetable oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, black pepper and sesame seeds. Shake well.
Step 3: Pour the dressing over the noodles. Add chicken and mix well. Add green onions and cilantro and serve.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Until recently I had never tried homemade Chimichangas. I guess I must have been missing out all this time because these were great. If you are not familiar with the Chimichanga it is basically a burrito that is deep fried. This is a fairly lengthy recipe that requires a bit of work, but in the end you should find that it’s well worth it. If you like Mexican food, these should be a must try for you. If you don’t like the idea of deep frying this makes great burrito meat as well. I actually tried one before I deep fried them and it was great. I really enjoyed the nice flavor that the lime juice added to the meat mixture. For the meat, if you can find already cut up beef stew meat that would work well, and save a lot of time.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 lbs pound boneless beef rump (cut into one inch cubes)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 onions (chopped)
3 teaspoons minced jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons garlic (chopped)
2 ¼ cups beef broth
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
¼ cup lime juice (about 3 limes)
½ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
10 (11 inch) flour tortillas (warmed in the microwave)
Oil (for frying)
2 ½ cups shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups iceberg lettuce (shredded)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup tomatoes (diced)

Cooking Instructions:

step 1: In a large stock pot over medium-heat heat. Add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Add onions and jalapeño pepper and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute. Mix in chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, and flour. Cook stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add beef broth and red wine vinegar. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours.  
Step 2: When the meat is fork tender, shred the beef with 2 forks. Add pinto and black beans, lime juice and cilantro. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat.

Step 3: In a large deep skillet add about 1” of oil. Heat the oil to 325 degrees or until the oil is hot enough to frying. While the oil is heating prepare the chimichangas. Lay out a flour tortilla and fill the bottom half with ¾ cup of the beef/bean mixture (if the beef mixture has a lot of liquid, scoop it out with a slotted spoon). Top with about 2 tablespoons of pepper jack cheese. Lift the edge of the tortilla and roll it over the filling to secure it. Fold in both sides and continue rolling until you reach the opposite end. Place a skewer threw the seam side of the burrito to secure it (can also use toothpicks). Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Step 4: Lower chimichangas into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Fry in batches of 4. Serve with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.
(Makes 5 Servings)

Some of you may wonder how they make the brown sauces at the Chinese buffets. The truth is, there are many different ways to make brown sauce and each of them is probably different in some way. Here is a pretty standard recipe for Chinese brown sauce that can be used with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, ect. This is great for stir fry’s and I usually just coat chicken bits with a little corn starch, deep fry them and serve with this sauce. If you require some heat in your sauce try adding some red pepper flakes or chili paste.

Ingredients:
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon oil

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a bowl mix soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken broth and corn starch. Make sure the mixture is well combined and set aside.
Step 2: Add 1 teaspoon of oil to a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds. Add the chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce becomes thickened and bubbly.

I thought the first calzones recipe I posted was amazing and I would say these BBQ chicken calzones are equally as delicious. If you are a big fan of Barbecue chicken pizza, you are sure to enjoy this recipe. The recipe combines amazing ingredients such as BBQ chicken, cilantro, bacon, and cheese. This is a great way to make use of leftover chicken. It calls for refrigerated pizza crust dough but you can make your own crust if you want instead. For the cheese, you could replace mozzarella with cheddar or even add a little smoked Gouda into the mix. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon
½ onion (chopped)
3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast meat
2/3 cup barbeque sauce
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Crumble. Add the onion and shredded chicken to the pan and fry in the hot bacon grease. Fry until onion is tender. Stir in 1/3 cup of barbeque sauce. Remove from heat and mix in the crumbled bacon.

Step 2: Roll out the pizza crust dough onto a grease cookie sheet. Roll out to an even thickness and cut in half. Divide the chicken mixture between two pieces of dough, spreading the mixture to ½” of the edge or more. Drizzle the remaining BBQ sauce over the chicken mixtures. Sprinkle cilantro and mozzarella cheese over both. Fold the uncovered portion of the dough over the filling and press the edges together with a fork until sealed.
Step 3:  Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until browned to your liking. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then cut each calzone in half.
(Makes 4 Servings)

If enjoying eating at Mexican restaurants chances are you have tried or heard of Carnitas. I have wanted to try carnitas for awhile and this recipe looked like the best choice. The cooking process is very simple; the pork is simmered in an orange juice/chicken broth mixture until tender and then shredded. I did have a slight problem with getting the pork crisp in the pan. I was afraid to overcook it and it would become dry. I do prefer my taco meat to be a little on the juicy side. One method that I could recommend if you are having problems with the tradition pan method is to lay the pork out on a metal sheet pan and place it into the broiler until the outside of the pork becomes crispy.  This recipe can also be done in the slow cooker. If you do not use alcohol in cooking for certain reasons, it can be left out. Serve with guacamole, and/or Pico de Gallo.

Ingredients:
4 lbs boneless country style pork ribs
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups fresh orange juice
6 garlic cloves (peeled)
1 medium onion (quartered)
2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon orange peel (grated)
¼ cup brandy
Flour or corn tortillas
Optional Condiments:
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Lettuce
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cut the boneless pork ribs crosswise into thirds. Cut off any big chunks of fat from the pork and reserve (you will still want the small pieces of fat attached to the pork). In a deep skillet combine pork, reserved fat, 2 cups chicken broth, orange juice, garlic, onion, sea salt and orange peel. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is tender (about 1 hour and 45 minutes), stir occasionally. Add more chicken broth if necessary during this time period to keep the pork partially submerged.
Step 2:  Once pork is tender uncover and bring to a boil. Boil pork mixture until the liquid is reduced by half. Stir in brandy. Boil while stirring often until the liquid evaporates and the meat browns and begins to crisp.  Remove from heat.
Step 3: Discard any lose pieces of fat and tear meat into thin strips. Serve on warm tortillas with optional condiments.
(Makes 8 Servings)