What have I been up to?

I am still working hard on my cookbook. I have made a ton of recipes that have passed the taste buds of my husband and I, but there have been more recipes than I would like to admit that have bombed. This has started to make my project a little frustrating and has prolonged my publish date, so I am hoping to have my first book finished by the end of this year.

So to keep you interested I thought you all might like to see some teaser photos of the recipes that have made it into my cookbook.

Peach & Pound Cake Sandwiches & Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Three Herb Steak & Peppery Italian Beef Sandwiches

Veggie-Cheese Sandwiches & Chicken and Lemon Broccoli Alfredo

Berry Sauce

Cookbook

So, I have decided to self publish a cookbook. It is going to take a couple of months to complete and unfortunately I will not have the time to post recipes to this blog. Once my cookbook is finished I will let all of you know so you can purchase it if you'd like. Thanks for following and I hope you enjoyed the recipes that I posted.

Sweet and Fiery Polenta Fries

This was a unique alternative to ordinary french fries, and please note the title "Sweet and Fiery" because these fries have a sweetness and a kick to them. My husband and I really enjoyed these BUT we cannot eat a lot of them; so I guess it is good that this recipe only makes 2 servings worth.

Recipe:

2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (16 ounce) tube refrigerated cooked polenta
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
⅓ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped red sweet pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley


1) In large bowl combine sugar, salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper; set aside.

2) Cut polenta lengthwise into 12-15 thin slices; cut each slice lengthwise in 4 strips. In medium bowl toss polenta strips with flour to coat.

3) In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Shake excess flour off polenta strips; add to hot oil. Cook strips, turning occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Place fries in bowl with sugar mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with sweet pepper and basil. Serve immediately or keep warm on a baking sheet in 325°F oven up to 20 minutes.

TIP: To reheat any leftovers, place fries in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, in 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until hot.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 18 minutes | Yields: 2 servings

Source: BHG

Tilapia with Grape Chutney

This meal was so light and refreshing. At first I was a little skeptical about the tropical fruit mixture on top of the fish but the flavors were awesome. Definitely something I suggest you try at least once.

Recipe:

4 (4 ounce) fresh or frozen skinless tilapia fillets
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup seedless green grapes, halved
½ cup tropical blend mixed dried fruit bits
⅓ cup sliced green onions
⅓ cup apricot spreadable fruit


1) Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

2) In a 12-inch skillet heat oil over medium-high heat; add fish. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once.

3) Transfer fish to platter; keep warm. Add grapes, fruit bits, onions, and spreadable fruit to skillet; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve grape mixture over fish.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 6 minutes | Total Time: 16 minutes | Yields: 4 servings

Source: BHG

Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

All I can say is AMAZING!!!  These kabobs are so delicious. The first time I made these I thought the marinade was a little odd but after taking my first bite I was just blown away. You should definitely give this recipe a try and see if your family will love it as much as mine does.

Recipe:

1 cup olive oil
1 cup ranch dressing
6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons white vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons white sugar
5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts - halved, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 green bell pepper, cut into into 1-inch squares
1 red bell pepper, cut into into 1-inch squares
1 (8 ounce) package baby bella mushrooms
15-20 whole pearl onions, peeled with ends cut
1 yellow squash, sliced ½-inch thick
1 zucchini, sliced ½-inch thick

1) In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes.

2) Take 2 large bowls, place the chicken in one and the vegetables in the other. Pour one half of the marinade over the chicken and the other half over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3) Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers and discard marinade.

4) Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Tip: If using bamboo/wood skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes before using.

Prep Time: 50 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Other Time: Overnight marinade | Yields: 15 to 18 kabobs

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

I have made this recipe for 5+ years and I am always asked for the recipe. This can be served as an appetizer, snack or dessert. It can also be customized to your liking since any kind of fruit works well with this recipe except bananas.

This recipe is VERY time consuming. The fruit salsa is easy but cutting up all of the fruit does take time BUT the cinnamon chips seem to take forever. I just want you to be forewarned since it can seem like a lot of work but this dish is worth it. One note that I think you MUST know is that you need to make sure the chips are cooked until they are crispy. If they aren't they will be very chewy and believe me that will ruin what you think of them, if they are hard and crispy they taste delicious.

Recipe:

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Fuji apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
8 ounces blueberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves (any flavor, but apricot is best)
10 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar (2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon)


1) In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all fruit, white sugar, brown sugar, and fruit preserves. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

2) Preheat oven to 350°F.

3) Coat both sides of each flour tortilla with cooking spray. Cut tortillas into wedges using a pizza cutter and toss in a zip lock bag with cinnamon sugar mixture.

4) Bake in preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Note: Can use any kind of fruit, but do not use banana's. Can use frozen fruit, if desired. Tip: Put tortillas in a muffin tin to curl chips. Instead of tossing in a zip lock bag use a medium bowl and dredge the tortillas in the cinnamon sugar.

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes per batch | Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Other Time: cool 15 minutes | Yields: 10 servings

Grilled Tuscan Chicken Tacos

Wow, the flavors of this taco shocked me. I loved the taste of the grilled chicken strips and the artichoke hearts were not something I am used to seeing in a taco but they fit perfectly with the other seasonings. The only thing we hated about this meal was the flour tortillas. They tasted disgusting but that had nothing to do with the recipe itself just the brand of shell we chose.

This meal is also great because of the amount of time it takes to prepare. I love making meals that are true to the 30 minutes or less. This meal took no time at all which made it another keeper in my book because after working all day sometimes I just want a fast and easy meal for dinner.


Recipe

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 12 ounces total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
2 tablespoons snipped dried tomatoes (not-oil packed)
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
3 to 4 tablespoons bottled Caesar salad dressing
8 (7 to 8 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1) Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; sprinkle with lemon-pepper seasoning. For a charcoal grill, grill chicken on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170°F), turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on grill rack over heat. Cover; grill as above.) Cut chicken into thin strips. Cover; keep warm.

2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Carefully add wine. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3) Spread salad dressing over half of each tortilla. Top with chicken strips and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold other tortilla half over filling.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Yields: 8 tacos

Source: BHG