Spicy Sweet Glazed Chicken

This is a recipe from a great site that my sister-in-law sent me.  I've tried several recipes, and this is one of my favorite.  They are all made to be able to cook immediately or to easily freeze and thaw.  I'm always looking for easy chicken recipes, and this one's great!

Spicy Sweet Glazed Chicken
(from When the Dinner Bell Rings)
Ingredients:
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
2/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
1 1/2 Pounds Chicken Pieces

Directions:
For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place all ingredients into a
large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run
clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken
breasts).

For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat
in freezer.

To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make
sure the baggie is completely closed. Place the Bag on a shelf furthest
from the freezer (It works best if the bag is laying flat, although this
may not be the best option with a side-by-side fridge/freezer). Preheat the
oven to 350 F. Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and
bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30
minutes for chicken breasts).

Per serving: 277 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat; (37% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 70mg Cholesterol; 1145mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates

Watermelon Margaritas

I have gotten behind on blogging again.  So, please scroll down to see a few of the recipes I've been making lately that I just back blogged.

This is a recipe that we made last week to take to a friend's house for the fourth of July.  These are super tasty and were a big hit!  I feel like we'll be making these again this summer!  We multiplied this recipe times three to make enough to take with us but didn't have enough limes, so we used some lemons and an orange to get enough citrus - it still tasted great.

Photo from:  wearenotmartha.com

Watermelon Margaritas (Serves 2):
From: wearenotmartha.com

1 1/2 C watermelon, chilled, seeded and cut into pieces
1/4 C lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 C silver (white) tequila
1/4 C Triple Sec (or Cointreau)
8 large ice cubes

Directions:
1.  Chop the watermelon into pieces.  Seedless watermelon will be much easier to work with!
2.  Put the watermelon pieces into the blender with the lime juice.
3.  Add the tequila, triple sec, and ice cubes.  Blend until you get a smooth consistency.
4.  Garnish with a lime!

Potstickers

Obviously, I've been on an Asian food kick lately!  I've had a few recipes that I wanted to try, so last week I finally got around to it.  These potstickers are amazing!  But, they're also pretty time-consuming, so just be prepared.  I didn't use the bok choy, so I can't say for sure how that would turn out.  The wonton wrappers were pretty easy to use - you can find them in the produce section usually.  Mine were square, so I ended up with triangles instead of semi-circles like in the picture.  The first night we made them, we followed this recipe, but I will say that I was very worried about the frying and steaming in the same pan - so be VERY careful if you try to do this.  We went ahead and made all of the potstickers and kept half in the fridge overnight.  The next night we didn't fry them, we just steamed them in a large pot with a steamer tray.  This seemed much safer - but of course this makes them more like dumplings and less like potstickers, but they still have the same flavor.  I found the sauce recipe on a different website and definitely recommend making it to serve with the potstickers.


Photo from: blogs.babble.com

Potstickers from: blogs.babble.com
Ingredients:
1 cup finely shredded bok choy or napa cabbage (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground pork
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. soy sauce (or to taste)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 pkg. wonton or gyoza wrappers, thawed if frozen
canola oil
chicken or veggie stock, or water

If you’re using it, toss the cabbage with salt in a medium bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Pick it up in your hand and squeeze out the excess liquid, draining it as well as you can. Add the pork, green onions, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and sesame oil and mix it all up with your hands.

To fill wontons, place a small spoonful of filling in the middle of each wrapper; moisten the edges with water (just use your finger) and fold over, pressing the edge tightly to seal. Place seam side up on a cookie sheet, pressing lightly to flatten the bottom. Cover with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out. (Dumplings can be prepared up to this point, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen.)

When you’re ready to cook the potstickers, heat a drizzle of canola oil in a largeish skillet set over medium-high heat. Place half the dumplings at a time in the skillet and cook for a minute or two, until deep golden brown on the bottom, shaking the pan a few times to keep them from sticking. Don’t crowd the pan too much.

Pour about 1/4 cup stock or water into the pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes – this will allow them to steam, cooking them through.

Makes 2 – 3 dozen potstickers.

Each: 45 calories, 1 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat, 0.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0.3 g polyunsaturated fat), 3 g protein, 5.9 g carbohydrate, 5.2 mg cholesterol, 0.4 g fiber. 20% calories from fat.

Potsticker Dipping Sauce
From: goodcheapeats.com

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger (I buy this is a tube so I always have some)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in glass dish.  Serve with potstickers.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is the name of a great appetizer at Bonefish Grill.  I was a little leery when I saw this recipe because generally copy-cat recipes aren't nearly as good as the original.  But, I have to say that I can't tell a difference between these and the ones served at the restaurant!  They are so good!  I followed these directions exactly, and they turned out perfectly.  We generally keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, and they worked great for this.  Warning: the sauce can be really hot, so use sparingly until you're sure you like it!


Photo from: fakeginger.com (and they really do turn out like this!)

Bang Bang Shrimp
from: fakeginger.com
Yield: 2 – 4 as appetizer
Ingredients:
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4-5 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, such as Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

For the egg mixture:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

For the breading mixture:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

For frying:
8 to 12 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:
1.Combine beaten egg with milk in shallow bowl; set aside.
2.Combine flour, panko, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in another shallow bowl; set aside.
3.Bread the shrimp by first coating each with the breading mixture. Dip breaded shrimp into the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the breading. Arrange the coated shrimp on a plate and pop them into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This step will help the breading to stick on the shrimp when they are frying.
4.While you're waiting on the shrimp, combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl; cover and set aside.

5.Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Use amount of oil required by your fryer.
6.When oil is hot, fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on rack or paper towels.
7.When all shrimp has been fried, drop the shrimp into a large bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup of sauce over shrimp and stir gently to coat.

Food Court Wars!

Crunchy Baked Okra - from Melissa

My sister-in-law prepared these for Father's day, and they were SO GOOD!!  They taste like fried okra, just less greasy.  You don't even need to thaw the okra before you cook them - warning:  your hands will get cold while you make this, but it's worth it!


Photo from:  thespottedfox.com

Crunchy Baked Okra
From: thespottedfox.com
Ingredients:
bag of frozen cut okra
Italian style bread crumbs
paprika
2 egg whites
salt & pepper

Directions:
In a bowl, toss together bread crumbs, a few healthy shakes of paprika, and salt & pepper.
In a separate bowl, toss a handful of your cut okra in the egg whites until they are nicely coated.
Take each piece of okra and cover with your bread crumb mixture. I usually push each side into the bread crumbs so they stick to the egg whites.
Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the okra on the baking sheet and make sure they aren’t touching one another.
Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes, turning your okra halfway.

Orzo with Artichoke Pesto and Grilled Corn

I've finally had time to try a few new recipes!  I made this last week and really liked it - though I would say that this recipe makes WAY more pasta salad than one or two people might want to eat within a few days, so definitely cut the recipe in half unless you're having lots of guests.  The artichoke pesto was wonderful and a great way to add new flavor to pasta salads.

On a side note, this is one of many of Giada's recipes I have tried.  I was telling someone the other day that one of the things that really helped me to become a better cook was following Giada's recipes in one of her Food Network cookbooks that I got while in college.  The pastas, sauces, and dishes she makes are very versatile - so if you're just getting into cooking Giada's recipes can be a great place to start!

Orzo with Artichoke Pesto and Grilled Corn
by Giada de Laurentiis
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
1 pound orzo pasta
2 ears corn, shucked and silks removed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Pesto:
12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (about 3 cups) (*I couldn't find frozen ones, so I just got two jars of artichokes from the Italian section of the store.)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, smashed
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (about 28)
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and place in a large serving bowl.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Brush the corn with the oil, using a pastry brush. Grill, turning frequently, until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes. Allow the corn to cool slightly. Remove the kernels with a large knife and add to the serving bowl.

For the pesto: In a food processor, combine 2 cups artichokes, oil, walnuts, oregano, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed, until the mixture is thick and smooth.

Chop the remaining 1 cup artichoke hearts into 3/4-inch pieces and add to the serving bowl. Add the pesto, tomatoes and Parmesan. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Cook's Note: To toast the walnuts, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.