Chicken with Fig Preserves and Chili Powder Glaze

This is an easy entree.  It cooks quick and couldn't be easier to make.  It has such great flavor, everyone will think you worked REALLY hard to make such a delicious meal.  {Your secret is safe with me.  ; )  }

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks, or a mix
• 1 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ C. fig preserves
• 2 T. chili powder
• ½ t. Sriracha hot sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all of the ingredients, except the chicken, into a gallon sized plastic bag and squeeze all of the ingredients together inside of the bag.
3. Place the chicken in the bag and squeeze the glaze over the chicken.
4. Line a cookie sheet or baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray, place the chicken on the foil and spoon the excess glaze over the chicken.
5. Bake the chicken for 30 – 40 minutes. 

Tips and Tricks:

• The Sriracha is not necessary but I like a little heat.  If you don’t, then don’t add it.
• You can use any type of preserves for this recipe.  I really like the fig, but I think apricot would be good as well.

Summer Corn Salad

Can't get easier than this, a quick fix side dish for lunch, dinner, or pot luck.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. frozen sweet corn, white or yellow or mixed
• ½ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ C. cilantro, finely chopped
• ¼ C. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ C. olive oil
• ½ T. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the corn in a medium sized pot with ½ C. water for 5 minutes.  Drain and reserve.
2. Combine the last 6 ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
3. Toss the corn and Parmesan cheese together with the other ingredients.
4. Refrigerate to serve cold or serve at room temperature. 

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Green Giant corn.  I think it tastes better.

Fried Rice

This is a recipe I found from a blog called "Iowa Girl Eats".  I changed it up a bit after reading some other recipes for fried rice.  This was a quick fix meal that we really enjoyed.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. leftover prepared rice
• ¼ lb. of salami or ham, sliced and cut into squares
• 2/3 C. frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 shallots or ¼ of an onion, chopped
• ½ C. celery, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 egg
• 3 t. sesame oil, divided
• 2 T. soy sauce
• 2 T. fish sauce 

Directions:

1. Whisk egg with 1 t. of sesame oil in a small dish then set aside.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add salami or ham and then stir fry until it starts to brown, about 2 minutes.
3. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in the wok and then add frozen mixed vegetables, shallots, celery, and green onions. Stir fry until tender, about 2 minutes.
4. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
5. Push vegetables to the side of the wok then add egg and sesame oil mixture into the center and scramble.
6. Add the rice, fish sauce, and soy sauce to wok then toss well to combine.  Cook for 2 minutes until all the ingredients are hot.

Tips and Tricks:

• I don’t use a frozen vegetable mix for this recipe because I don’t like it.  I use 1/3 C. of frozen lima beans and 1/3 C. of frozen corn.
• I know the salami sounds crazy, but I found a recipe which called for a Chinese sausage that was described and sounds a lot like salami.  I tried using what I had, salami, and the fried rice had a GREAT flavor.

Broccoli Casserole

This is a traditional southern casserole: cream of mushroom soup, cheese, butter, mayonnaise, etc.  This is a Paula Dean recipe that I tweaked.

Ingredients:

• 1 (32oz.) bag of broccoli florets, frozen
• ¼ C. (½ stick) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ½ C. mayonnaise
• ½ C. sour cream
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 2 eggs, beatened
• 1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 1 t. garlic powder
• ½ t. black pepper
• 1 sleeve of Club or Ritz crackers, crushed 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil water in a large pot and add the broccoli florets to the boiling water for 5 minutes.
3. Strain the broccoli, allow to cool, and then chop.  Reserve.
4. In a small sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté the onions in 2 T. butter until soft, about 10 minutes.
5. In a large bowl add all of the ingredients, except the crackers and the remaining 2 T. butter, and mix well.
6. Spoon the ingredients into a 13”x 9”x 2” baking dish and cover with the cracker crumbs.
7. Melt the remaining 2 T. butter and pour over the crackers.
8. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until the crackers are browned and the casserole is bubbly.

Tips and Tricks:

• I don’t like chopped broccoli, but if you do, you could use chopped broccoli for this recipe.  I use fresh broccoli sometimes and I use about 1 lb. of broccoli florets, which is about 4 C.
• I use Cream of Celery soup instead of Cream of Mushroom for this recipe.

Deviled Ham Spread

I am a Southern lady and I have made deviled eggs many times, but this was my first attempt at making deviled ham and I am SO glad that I did.  I had deviled ham, pimento cheese, and deviled eggs as an appetizer at High Hat Restaurant recently.  I was determined to make my own.  This is combination of recipes.  I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ham, cut into slices or cubes
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• ½ C. mayonnaise
• ½ C. green onion, finely chopped
• 2 T. honey
• 2 T. sweet relish
• 2 T. Crystal hot sauce
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 T. Creole mustard
• 1 T. paprika
• ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 t. salt
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, once or twice while processing.
2. Place the deviled ham in a bowl and cover.
3. Refrigerate overnight or at least for 4 hours, before serving with assorted crackers or thinly sliced pieces of a baguette.

Tips and Tricks:

• Leftover ham is great for this recipe, but if not use a ham steak, it works the best.
• The honey is the secret ingredient for this recipe.  You may be tempted to leave it out, but you will be sorry if you do.

Pickled Shrimp

I've been on a Southern foods kick lately.  My Mom used to make pickled crabs when I was younger and this recipe reminds me of that.  These are much easier to eat, than the crabs.  This is a combination of a Paula Deen recipe and a recipe I found in Southern Living.  

Ingredients:

Shrimp:

• 10 C. water
• 1 orange (cut in fourths)
• 1 lemon (cut in half)
• 1 onion (cut in half)
• 1 head of garlic (cut in half)
• 2 T. concentrated liquid Shrimp and Crab boil
• 2 lbs. of Fresh Shrimp
• 2 T. salt

Pickling liquid:

• 2.5 oz. can of black olives, sliced (½ C.)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• zest of one lemon
• juice of one lemon, 2 T.  
• ¼ C. olive oil
• ½ C. apple cider vinegar
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 t. salt
• 2 T. capers with their juice
• ½ t. red pepper flakes
• ¼ t. cayenne pepper

• Bread rounds, for serving
• Mayonnaise, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large pot, put water, lemon, orange, onion, garlic, and crab boil (NO SALT).
2. Bring to a boil, and then add shrimp.
3. Bring to a boil again and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat.
5. Add salt and let the shrimp bathe in the salt water for 5 minutes.
6. Strain, when cool enough to handle, peel the shrimp.  Reserve.
7. Combine all of the pickling liquid ingredients together in a medium size bowl with a cover.
8. Add the shrimp and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.
9. You will need 3 bowls for serving: large, medium and small.  Place the bread rounds in the large bowl, the pickled shrimp in the medium bowl and mayonnaise in the small bowl.  

Tips and Tricks:

• Zest the lemon first, and then squeeze the lemon for the juice.
• My Dad swore that the reason his shrimp would always peel easily is because he put the salt in AFTER the boiling.  It works.
• This makes the perfect canapé.  People can place what they like on the bread rounds.  I put a little pickling juice on the bread and then a little mayo, finally I place a shrimp, some onion slices, a garlic slice, a few capers and black olives.   

Broiled Parmesan Grouper

This is a quick fix meal.  My brother caught a huge grouper, so that's how this recipe is making an appearance on the blog.  I found this on www.allrecipes.com.  I made a few adjustments.  

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. fresh grouper fillets
• 2 T. lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
• ½ T. kosher salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• ¼ C. mayonnaise
• ½ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• ¼ C. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 1 T. Crystal hot sauce
• 2 T. fresh dill, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Cover a baking dish or cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. Place the grouper fillets on the sheet and squeeze the lemon juice over the fillets.  Season with the salt and pepper.
4. Broil for 4 – 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets (they should begin to flake with the pressure of a fork).
5. Combine the remaining ingredients together and reserve.
6. Remove from the broiler and spread the cheese mixture over the fillets and return to the broiler for 1 minute or until brown and bubbly.
7. Remove and serve hot.

Tips and Tricks:

• A 1 inch fillet is the perfect thickness for this recipe.  If your fillets are thicker (mine were), you may need to allow them to cook longer.
• Any fresh herb will work with this recipe.  Dill gives the fish a nice fresh flavor.

Opa! Dip (7 layer Greek Dip)

I tried making this dip more than once.  The first time I made it the first layer was made with Greek yogurt and roasted red peppers.  The whole dip looked like a pink porridge, NOT appetizing.  I found two other recipes, combined them and came up with this.  I NAILED it.  This dip will be devoured by all Greek food lovers.  Great for those upcoming tailgate parties!

Ingredients:

• 1) 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1) ½ T. Greek seasoning
• 1) 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1) 1 T. fresh lemon juice, or juice of ½ of a lemon
• 1) ½ t. lemon zest
• 2) 1 ½ C. hummus (I use a 10 oz. container)
• 3) 1 medium cucumber seeded and diced (1 C.)
• 4) (4 oz.) feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 C.)
• 5) ¼ of a medium red onion, finely chopped (1/3 C.)
• 6) (4 oz.) Kalamata olives, chopped (1/2 C.)
• 7) (2 oz.) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (1/4 C.)

Directions:

1. Combine the 1) ingredients with a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. 
2. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small shallow baking dish.  The cream cheese mixture should cover the bottom of the dish.
3. Layer each of the other ingredients, in order, to create the 7 layers.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before serving.
5. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, or flat bread.

Tips and Tricks:

• I like to serve this dip with the BIG Wheat Thins.  You need a chip that has a flat edge to scrap the dip up and out of the dish.
• I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese for this recipe.
• If you don’t have Greek seasoning, you can use dill weed instead.
• The cup measurements after each ingredient are approximate.  Don’t stress about it being exact.

Raspberry Pie

This is a great fruit pie recipe.  You can make it with any berry, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or even a mixture of all.  It is a combination of the recipe that I got off the side of the pie crust box and one I found online.

Ingredients:

• 1 (9 in.) refrigerated pie crust
• 1 1/3 C. sugar
• 2 T. quick-cooking tapioca
• ¼ C. cornstarch
• 5 C. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
• 1 T. butter
• 2 T. milk
• 2 t. sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Roll the pie crust into a 9 inch pie plate and gently press the crust into place around the pie plate.
3. Combine the sugar, tapioca, cornstarch, and raspberries together in a large bowl.  Allow the berry mixture to rest for 15 minutes.
4. Place the berries in the pie crust and dot with butter. Cover the pie with the other crust.  Seal the edges carefully.
5. Cut four slits into the crust and then brush with the milk and sprinkle the sugar over the top.
6. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and filling is bubbly. (If the edges of the pie start to get too brown cover them with foil.)
7. Remove and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving. 

Tips and Tricks:

• I use Pillsbury Pie Crust, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually by the can biscuits.
• I serve this pie with vanilla ice cream.  Pie a la Mode!

Muffaletta Torte

This recipe was given to me by my co-worker, Jeff's wife, Mary Beth.  She made it for a shower and after one bite I had to have the recipe to make it for myself.  I made it for a birthday party and I had 3 people ask me for the recipe.  It's THAT kind of recipe.  ; )

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. Asaigo cheese, shredded
• 2 T. butter, softened
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• ¼ lb. Genoa or hard salami, sliced thin and finely chopped
• ¼ lb. ham or mortadella,sliced thin and finely chopped
• 1 C. olive salad mix, drained 

Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese, Asaigo cheese, butter and cayenne pepper in a food processor until well combined and soft.
2. To make the torte, line a container that holds at least 3 C. with foil or plastic wrap.  Spray with cooking spray and then add the drained olive salad (just use enough to make a thin layer).
3. Using a greased spatula, spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture in a layer on top of the olive salad, add the ham layer, spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture, add the salami layer and then the last 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture.
4. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
5. When you are ready to serve, place the container on the serving dish and invert.  Carefully peel away the plastic wrap or foil.
6. Serve with crackers.

Tips and Tricks:

• I chop the salami and ham in the food processor.
• I serve this with Wheat Thins.  They are sturdy enough to cut thorough the torte, so you don’t need to use a knife for spreading.  
• I use the Rouses or Boscoli brand olive salad mix.