Hurray! It's BBQ Season!

With the hot, hot weather it is wiser to cook outdoors than heat up the house by having to turn on the oven.  Also, after the cold winter months, it is a relief to have some nice weather -- all the more reason to be outdoors enjoying it.  So, hurray!  It's on with the barbeque!

There are so many foods that are enhanced by being cooked on the grill.  Steak is just one of them, and just the tip of the iceburg.  Consider ribs, chicken wings, sausages, hamburgs, lamb chops, salmon... and the list goes on.  And it doesn't stop with meat either.  Grilled vegetables are great too, and baked potatoes.

Here is a simple recipe for grilled vegetables that you can use as a side dish for any of your barbequed meats:

Grilled Broccoli and Cauliflower

Cut broccoli and cauliflower in large pieces
Place them in a bowl
Season with salt, pepper and a bit of garlic powder
Cover with 1/2 cup Kraft Balsalmic Vinegar dressing and stir to coat
Let marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or up to an hour) stirring occasionally

Wrap vegetables in a tin foil and seal edges to make a package.  Place on a hot grill and let cook for about 15-20 minutes.

Be careful of the steam when opening the vegetable package.

The above recipe is simple, but the tangy taste of the balsalmic vinegar dressings adds a lot to the flavor.

If you want more barbeque recipes, try:

Chocolate! Everyone Loves Chocolate!

I can't think of a single person who doesn't like chocolate.  From the creamy white chocolate (which isn't really chocolate at all) to the dark, decadent chocolate, chocolate is a sweet eaters dream.

The beginnings of chocolate were found in Mesoamerica, where the beans of the Theobroma cacao were ground and roasted and made into beverages, dating back to 1900 B.C.  The Mayan and Aztec cultures also are known in chocolate history.  Priests in those cultures presented cacao seeds as offering to the gods and served chocolate drinks during their religious ceremonies.  Later, Europeans sweetened and fattened it up by adding refined sugar and milk.  The Europeans used it as a dessert or sweet rather than as a diet item (as in the case of the Mayan's and Aztec's).  It was John Cadbury, in the 19th century, that developed the emulsification process that made solid chocolate thus creating the modern chocolate bar of today.

Many of today's most popular desserts are made from chocolate.  From cakes to cookies, puddings to ice cream, chocolate seems to have risen to the top of the sweets and dessert industry.  Not all the desserts are chocolate alone, however.  Chocolate can be combined with many other ingredients, like fruit and nuts, grains like oatmeal, or even simply used as a garnish to make many varied and delicious desserts.

Here is a recipe for a banana loaf (made with chocolate chips) that includes a host of various ingredients.  It is a favorite at my house and I'm sure it will please you too!

Banana Coconut Chocolate Chips Bread

3 ripe bananas

½ cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

¼ cup melted butter

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup chocolate chips

¾ cup shredded coconut

In food processor, process bananas until smooth.  Add all other ingredients (except coconut and chocolate chips). Add melted butter last, drizzling in from top.   Process until smooth.  Open lid of food processor and stir in chocolate chips and coconut until well combined.  Turn mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake at 350° F. for about one hour, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Try This New Cookbook - The Wonderful World of Chocolate

Caribbean Cooking - Conch Fritters

If you have ever travelled to the Caribbean, you are sure to be a fan of Caribbean cooking.  Caribbean cooking embodies its own unique flavors with each Island, from Jamaica to Cuba to the Dominican Republica, as well as all the others.  Traditional to Caribbean cooking is some sort of rice and beans dish as the main staple, the beans typically a gungo bean or kidney bean, and added to the rice flavor is coconut. 

Of course, being in the Caribbean, fish and seafood is typical Island fare.  Here is a recipe straight from the Caribbean Islands that you may enjoy:



Conch



Conch Fritters

1 lb. conch meat (you can buy it canned)

1 onion

2 stalks celery

½ each red & green pepper

¼ cup buttermilk

¼ tsp. hot sauce

Salt & pepper

1 egg

1/3 cup self-rising cornmeal

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Oil for frying

Process conch in food processor.  Add onion, celery and green pepper and process again.  Add salt, pepper and egg and mix together well.  Mix flour and cornmeal together and add to conch (mixture will be thick).  Add buttermilk and hot sauce. 

Heat oil in a large skillet (oil should be about ½” deep).  Drop a large tablespoon of conch mixture into hot oil and fry until golden on both sides.  Remove from heat and place on paper towel to remove excess oil. 

Serve with sauce of your choice.

Caribbean Cookbook

Get this great new Caribbean cookbook, now available on Amazon, for more tasty Island recipes!

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Cooking Vegetarian Meals

Have you been wanting to include more vegetarian options into your family meals?  Cooking vegetarian meals is a healthy way to eat, but you don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy tasty vegetarian meals.  Even including one vegetarian meal once a week can improve the health of your family's meals.  And the great part is that they don't even have to know that what they are eating does not have any meat.

Here is a recipe that contains no meat at all, but no-one need ever know.  It looks and tastes like the 'meat' version.  Even my son, who seems to be 'allergic' to vegetables eats this dish heartily and even recommends it to his friends.

You will agree that most people love Italian food.  This vegetarian dish is a take-off of Italian cannelloni, but without the meat.  It does not even contain spinach, which most vegetarian pasta dishes contain, to 'put-off' the most vegetable-hating crowd. 

Vegetable Cannelloni

“Meat” Sauce:

1 large can mixed beans

3 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery

2 medium onions

3 large carrots

Process all above ingredients in food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a large pot.  Add:

¾ jar spaghetti sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup soy sauce

Pepper to taste

Simmer above in covered pot for approximately 45 minutes.

For Cannelloni Filling:

¼ large container of cottage cheese

¼ cup grated cheddar cheese

1 large carrot, grated

1 medium onion, grated

¼ cup bread crumbs

1 TBSP. vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. pepper

Parmesan Cheese in shaker

1 pkg. oven-ready cannelloni noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add carrot and onion and sauté until tender.  In medium bowl combine remaining ingredients.  Add hot carrot mixture to bowl gradually (so egg doesn’t cook.)  Stir together thoroughly.

Spread a layer of “meat” mixture on bottom of 13” X 9” lasagne pan.  Using your hands, stuff uncooked cannelloni noodles with cheese mixture.  Place stuffed cannelloni on top of “meat” mixture in pan.  Ladle more “meat” mixture over top of stuffed cannelloni, covering completely.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.  Cover tightly with tin foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.

Tip:  You can use the same 'meat sauce' to make lasagna!

If you would like more options for vegetarian dishes, try "Eating Vegetarian", available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007DY26Q2

The New Cupcake Trend & Orange Cupcake Recipe

If you haven’t heard, there is a new trend in the dessert market—cupcakes.  And who doesn’t love those sweet yummy cupcake concoctions?  They are sweet treats of the day for the most discerning sweet eater, and they come in so many flavors and variations.  Of course, you can stick to the traditional vanilla or chocolate cupcake if you like, but today’s market hosts a plethora of new unique cupcake recipes.

Although cupcakes have been around for a long time, their originals are controversial.  Some say that cupcakes came about when people started baking cakes in little teacups.  These little teacup cakes didn’t take as long to bake and cooled faster.  Some believe that cupcakes were named because the ingredients were measured in cups—one cup of sugar, 2 cups of flour, etc.  But however the cupcake came about, these sweet treats have made their way into our hearts.

Cupcakes have become increasingly popular in recent times.  You see them popping up at all types of events and occasions, such as weddings (in lieu of the traditional tiered wedding cake), at baby showers, at event openings, and even at sports gatherings (like at Super Bowl parties or hockey events).  No-one can resist these great tasting little cakes, and they can be made to suit any occasion.

Cupcakes can be themed around any event, with the ingredients or with their decorations.  For instance, a vegetarian gathering can feature cupcakes made with totally vegetarian or vegan friendly ingredients.  Some cupcake recipes include unlikely ingredients such as zucchini, carrots, beets, wheat grain or other healthy components.   Cupcakes can also be made to be vegan friendly without using eggs or milk products.  And the great thing is, these vegetarian or vegan cupcakes can be just as satisfying and tasty as any other cupcake.

Although their name may suggest that cupcakes are served at mainly feminine functions, today’s cupcakes are also served at many ‘manly’ events.  These cupcakes are typically centered around a sports theme, but can be made to suit a bachelor party as well.  Men like sweet desserts just as much as ladies, and these little cakes are easy to eat.

Part of the fun of cupcakes is the way they are decorated.  Of course, you can traditionally have the simple swirl of cake icing on top, but today’s cupcakes can also be elaborately decorated to suit many themes.  Some decorations set off the ingredients, like a strawberry cupcake may have sliced strawberries on top, while a mocha cupcake may be decorated with candied coffee beans.  Other decorative features are often included on the cupcake toppings to enhance their decorative appeal.  Chocolate shavings, shredded coconut, fresh fruit, candied fruit, raisins, marzipan shapes, or glace cherries are all common cupcake toppings.  Cupcakes can be filled with creams or jams, they can have several layers of toppings each with a different flavor aspect, or they can be topped with just a simple glaze or dusted with icing sugar.

You can find cupcakes at pretty much every bakery today, but there are bakeries devoted solely to cupcakes too.  At these specialty shops, you will find unique and exotic flavored cupcakes, as well as the traditional ones.

Many people like to experiment and bake their own cupcakes at home.  Here is a cupcake recipe you may enjoy:

Orange Cupcakes

3 cups flour

1 TBSP. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

Zest of 1 orange, finely grated

¾ cup milk

¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Frosting:

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

4 TBSP. butter

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

1 TBSP. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 TBSP. candied orange, cut in slivers

Preheat over to 350° F.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners and set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour baking powder and salt.  In another bowl, beat until fluffy the butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time into butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.  Add in orange zest.  Mix milk and orange juice together in a measuring cup.  Alternate adding flour mixture and milk mixture into the butter mixture, adding a third at a time.  Beat until just combined (do not over mix), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Fill muffin liners with ¼ cup of the batter.  Bake until cupcakes are golden and spring back when pressed slightly.  Let cupcakes cool before icing. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

To make frosting:  Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.  Add in milk and vanilla and beat again.  Fold in candied orange slivers.  Spoon frosting on top of cupcakes and swirl into a pleasing decoration.

For more yummy cupcake recipes, try this cupcake recipe book:  The Big Book of Yummy Cupcake Recipes.  Available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007AUJATA

Jerk Sauce Recipe

If you like spicy food, and especially like the Island tastes from Jamaica, you will enjoy this jerk sauce recipe.  You can use jerk sauce when cooking chicken or pork and it is especially good when barbequing.  This is a basic recipe that provides the basic flavor of jerk, but you will need to add hot peppers for the spicyness you want.  Add scotch bonnet peppers, habanero peppers, or country peppers at your own discretion and according to how hot you want it.  But remember, a little scotch bonnet pepper goes a long way, so becareful when you add it.  You can chop the peppers up really fine, add a whole pepper to the sauce, or grind a couple up in a blender or food processor.  Set your mouth on fire and enjoy the tingle!

Jerk Sauce

2 onions, diced
2 TBSP/ olive oil

In a saucepan, cook the onions in the oil until softened.

 Combine:
3 TBSP ground allspice
3 TBSP dried thyme
4 TBSP cayenne pepper
2 TBSP ground black pepper
4 TBSP sage
2 TBSP nutmeg
2 TBSP cinnamon
4 TBSP seasoned salt
1 head of garlic, peeled and chopped garlic
4 TBSP sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup water

2 TBSP flour

Add all the rest of the ingredients to the onions in the saucepan.  Bring to a soft boil and  simmer together until thickened, aproximately 5-10 minutes.

This is a great condiment for pork, chicken, fish, or goat.

  Makes about 6-7 cups  

For more hot sauce recipes, try "Zing's Hot Sauce Recipes" available at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061P4GOO

Or if you are interested in some great recipes for your summer cooking, try "Smokin' Hot Barbeque Recipes" available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007L5HN2U

Picky Eater Recipe - Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups

It is always a challenge to feed a picky eater in your household. And if you have more than one picky eater, you have a greater challenge to keep everyone happy. 

The problem with picky eaters is not just what they will eat, but you have to think about keeping them healthy as well.  Most picky eaters have issues with vegetables (at least some of them).  As the cook in your home, it is up to you to prepare meals that are both satisfying and healthy.  Often you need help in finding new tasty recipes that the picky eaters in your household will eat, and that are nutritious as well.

Here is a recipe for Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups that you can serve to your picky eaters:

Yummy Chicken Roll-Ups

6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

12 slices ham

6 processed cheese slices

Salt and pepper

2 eggs, beaten

14 saltine crackers, finely crushed (about 2/3 cup)

3 TBSP.butter, melted

Heatoven to 350 degrees

F. Place

chicken, top-sides down, on cutting board.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cover with ham and cheese. Starting at one short end of each, roll up tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks.  Dip chicken in beaten eggs, then roll in cracker crumbs until evenly coated on all sides. Place in baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; drizzle with butter. Bake 40 min. or until chicken is done. Remove and discard toothpicks before serving.

Crush the Crackers easily in a food processor, or place crackers in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin.

Tip:  When serving to picky eaters, serve with a dipping sauce, honey or ketchup.

If you want more recipes and help to serve your picky eaters, you may want to try this new ebook:

Available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FFJPMW