Author Archives: Ang

Jul15

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

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I’ve had this recipe saved for a while.  I am all about easy crockpot meals.  It doesn’t take more than five minutes to prepare the sauce. I only used a pound of chicken tenders. They were done in about 6 hours on low.

I made the huge mistake of not following the directions to wear gloves while cutting the habanero pepper.  I figured I’d save a pair of gloves since I was just cutting one tiny pepper. I scrubbed my hands for a while afterwards. An hour later, I rubbed my eye– ouch! I won’t make that mistake again! Anyway, I used the entire pepper and it made this chicken pretty hot; I wished I’d just used half of it. After tasting it, I added some brown sugar to try to balance it out a bit. I’m so glad I added it! I also added salt, cinnamon and thyme but didn’t measure any of them out.  So, this recipe was sort of a trial and error but ended up good in the end!

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced crystallized ginger
  • 1/2 to 1 habanero pepper, seeded, deveined, and finely minced (wear gloves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
  • 3 to 4 pounds chicken tenders

Preparation:

Combine onion and ginger in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients, except chicken, and pulse until well blended.

Place chicken in a 3 1/2- to 5-quart slow cooker and cover with sauce. Cover, set on low, and cook for 6 to 8 hours. or until chicken is tender (3 to 4 hours on high).

From: About.com

Jul12

Dining in Destin

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We’ve just returned from a family vacation in Destin, Florida.  It was a beautiful, fun and relaxing trip.  We spent hours on the beach and at the pool.  We went on a dolphin cruise and visited the Big Kahuna waterpark. We took nice walks along the harbor and in shopping areas. BUT, this is a food blog so I’ll stick to talking about food! Since we stayed in a condo with a full kitchen, we decided to eat breakfast and lunch there.  And the first night, we ate dinner at home as well because we were in a rush to eat and get in the pool.  So, we ate three dinners out and breakfast on our last day.  Our at-home meals were pretty healthy so I didn’t worry too much about what we ate when we were out.  Here are some highlights of our visits to a few local restaurants.

Pompano Joe’s

 

Pompano Joe’s is one of Destin’s most popular seafood restaurants.  They offer a variety of grilled, broiled and fried seafood with several Carribbean inspired options.  It was at the top of my list of places to go.  When we arrived, there were a ton of people standing around outside so we knew there would be a wait.  When we put our name on the list, the estimated wait time was an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and forty five minutes! What did we do? We waited. Those who know me well enough know that at home this would never happen. But, I guess vacation makes me more tolerant.  We’d gotten there early and weren’t even hungry yet…. plus, this place is right on the beach so you can’t complain about that. We headed out back to the beachside bar and I ordered a margarita. We walked around the beach.  What else could we do to pass the time? Take pictures, of course!

 

 As it turned out, we only waited an hour so I was happy.  This was the view from our table:

Pretty perfect, huh?

We ordered two appetizers- Voodoo (jerk flavored) shrimp and voodoo chicken wings.  Scott ordered the “P.J.’s Platter” which included fried shrimp, oysters, fish and scallops. I ordered fried scallops and the kids ordered popcorn shrimp and chicken fingers.  Austin had beans and rice and the rest of us had baked potatoes and mixed vegetables.  We loved everything!  I really loved the shrimp and wished we had more of it.  I’d never had fried scallops before and I think I picked a great time to try them!  They were flavorful and crispy.  They gave me a ton of them!  We found all of the portions to be huge.  Scott said he could have gotten full off of Austin’s kids’ meal.  I snapped a quick picture of the appetizers but by the time our entrees came we were so I excited that I didn’t even think about it. 

So, my overall review of this place is very good.  The food was great, the atmosphere is fun and the view is beautiful.  The service was good, too.  We had a really nice waitress who took good care of us.  When we go back to Destin, we will definitely eat here again.

 

The Back Porch

The Back Porch was recommended by several people- some of Scott’s co-workers raved about it as did some ladies from my cooking board.  It was right behind the condo we stayed in so we saw it as soon as we got there and agreed to check it out.  We were advised to get there early so we got there around 5:30 which was just in time because very soon after that the place was packed.  I imagine the wait was pretty long.  The atmosphere here is great- it opens to the beach so you have a great view. 

I am sad to say that we did not enjoy the food as much as we thought we would.  We started with popcorn shrimp and calamari appetizers.  They didn’t get us too excited.  The popcorn shrimp was ordinary and Scott is getting hard to please when it comes to calamari.  He orders it a lot and there are a few places in Atlanta that have amazing calamari so his standard is getting pretty high.  For dinner, I ordered Hibachi chicken with corn on the cob and rice pilaf and Scott ordered a shrimp sandwich with fries.  The chicken was good but I hated the rice.  The kids ate my corn because they didn’t want the fries that came with their kids’ meals.  Scott wasn’t too impressed with his sandwich.  The bright side was that the kids loved their food and ate it all. They ordered the usual- popcorn shrimp and chicken tenders.  We were thrilled to see them eat so well.  And their food was served in souvenir frisbees which came in handy on the beach the next day. 

We’re not entirely sure why we didn’t love this place as much as everyone else does.  We decided that we must have just ordered the wrong things.  Maybe they have certain dishes that are great while the rest are just okay.  Normally, I’d blame myself for ordering chicken at a seafood restaurant but the chicken wasn’t actually bad whereas the popcorn shrimp was almost disappointing.  I don’t regret checking it out but when we walked past all the people waiting for tables on our way out, I was really glad that we’d gotten there early and been seated right away.  It wasn’t the worst meal in the world.  It just didn’t live up to our expectations and wouldn’t have been worth the long wait.

Here’s another pic that I took from our balcony. 

 

McGuire’s Irish Pub

McGuire’s Irish Pub is listed as the #1 rated restaurant on Trip Advisor.  At first, I had no plans to go there but when Scott wanted to go to a non-seafood restaurant, I looked into it.  The reviews sounded really good so we decided to give it a try.  People rave about their steaks, extensive burger menu, their fresh seafood, their drinks and much more.  I am so glad we decided to eat there.  The food was amazing!

When we first arrived, we were slightly in awe of all the dollar bills that are hanging from the ceiling, stapled to the walls, even attached to ceiling fans. There is some story about the first dollar tip being put up behind the bar years ago and how patrons started leaving a signed dollar for good luck.  The tradition stuck and now there are dollar bills everywhere.   It certaintly isn’t the classiest look but it was sort of mind boggling to know that there was over half a million dollars in $1 bills in that place! 

I ordered a margarita and a few minutes later, the waitress arrived with two of them, saying that they were running a two for one special.  This was a very pleasant surprise.  And the margaritas were good!  McGuire’s brews their own root beer and beer.  Scott tried the root beer and loved it. 

The food that followed was wonderful.  I ordered cedar plank free range Galway salmon and Scott ate grilled lamb chops with old fashioned mint jelly.  We had salads and potatoes as well.  We were both very happy! The salmon was seasoned in a Black Mustard Irish Whiskey glaze. It was so good. The lamb chops were huge and afterwards Scott said they were actually too big but they tasted great.  By the end we were so full! I could barely see straight.  We were determined to eat everything because it was our last night.  Somehow, we did it!  The kids both ate cheese pizza which came with fries, an orange slice and a rice krispy treat.  Shania didn’t care for her pizza much (it was on really thick bread, not pizza crust) but she still ate it.  She attempted to eat brownie pie a la mode for dessert. The lighting was awful but I tried to take a few pics.

Donut Hole

This was the place that MrsSchoon (from What’s Cooking) told me I had to visit.  She said they had an extensive menu that goes way beyond doughnuts. The morning after we arrived we saw it on our way to the harbor and I said, “There it is! The Donut Hole!”  We decided to eat breakfast there on our last day but we passed it several times while we were there and each time, I pointed it out.  Finally Shania was like, “Will someone please get this girl some doughnuts?!” LOL. She didn’t realize it was a restaurant, too.  So, it became a joke during the whole trip about how I was so obsessed with the Donut Hole.     

On Saturday, Scott and Shania were so excited for me- I could finally GO to the Donut Hole and not point at it.  We went there around 10:00 and I was worried about how crowded it might be.  There were a lot of people lined up outside.  Some were just buying doughnuts and leaving, but many were there for breakfast, too.  Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to get a table though- maybe 15-20 minutes. 

This place does have SO much more than doughnuts.  At first, the smell of the cinnamon and sugar made me just want sweets but once I saw the menu I was ready for some food.  It was the best restaurant breakfast I’d had in a long, long time.  I ate a belgian waffle and home fried potatoes.  I wanted to order more but I knew that would fill me up and I was right.  Scott ate chopped steak, eggs and potatoes.  Shania had eggs benedict and grits.  Austin had pancakes with cinnamon apples.  The kids shared a side of sausage.  I took pictures of most of it. All I can say is- YUM! 🙂

 

On the way out the door, we bought some doughnuts- powdered, cinnamon sugar and glazed.  I was so full that I hardly cared about them at the time.  Later, I ate a powdered doughnut in the car.  It was good but paled in comparison to that waffle which I think I had a dream about somewhere in Alabama on the way home…

So, overall we ate pretty good in Destin.  And we had a great family vacation.  I miss it already. 😦

Jun30

Crash Hot Potatoes

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Not too long ago, I saw this recipe on the famous “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” blog.  I bookmarked it with plans to make it soon. The next day, someone from my Cooking Board made them.  The next day, someone else made them… And before I knew it, they were everywhere! Every time I saw them, my mouth would water.

So, now it’s finally my turn! I don’t have a potato masher so I used a meat tenderizer which worked just fine. I imagine that there are a lot of things in my kitchen that I could have used. You’re just smashing potatoes on a pan! I underestimated how much room they would take up so the potatoes were very close together. Next time I will use a larger pan. I added a little garlic powder but otherwise, I followed the recipe. I couldn’t wait to get these in (and out!) of the oven.  I anticipated them so much that I feared I might find them overrated and report that they were just alright. But, no. They were as good as everyone said they were. 🙂

Edit: The day after making these, I discovered that I do have a potato masher! Obviously, I never use it. Since then I’ve often used a glass which works very well also.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Ingredients

  •  New Potatoes (or other small, round potato)
  •  Olive Oil
  •  Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Whatever herb you like (I used rosemary and thyme)

Directions (Written by Pioneer Woman, excluding her original commentary)

Begin by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender. Next, generously drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan.  When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet giving them plenty of room to spread out.  Next, grab your potato masher and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes. Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie.  Repeat until all are flattened. And really, I don’t know why you couldn’t use the bottom of a glass for this step if you don’t have a potato masher. The surface might not be as textured and interesting, but I think it still might work.  Next, brush the tops rather generously with olive oil.  Next, grab some Kosher salt. You can use regular salt, but I’d really recommend using kosher. It adheres to the potatoes more easily and really flavors them nicely without getting too salty.  Remember: potatoes need salt. Don’t skimp!  Be ye ever as generous with fresh ground black pepper.  Now, you can grab some chives…or thyme…or whatever herbs you have available.  Whatever herb you use, just chop it pretty finely and sprinkle over the top.  Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20-25 minutes.  Or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

 

From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Jun30

Oven Fried Pork Chops

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I bought some pork chops for Scott today with the intention of pan frying them but in my search for a recipe, I found this. I decided this way would be healthier and less messy! So, I oven “fried” them. Scott really liked them.

Oven Fried Pork Chops

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless pork loin chops, about 3/4-inch thick
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (can use garlic powder for a quicker version)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil

    • Directions

    Preheat oven to 450° F. Pat the chops dry with paper towels. Coat each side well with the mustard. On a flat plate or piece of waxed paper, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, cheese, thyme, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Place the chops into the crumb mixture, turning to coat each side very well. Place in a greased or sprayed baking dish in one layer. Drizzle each chop with oil. Bake until brown and done, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately.

    From: Teri’s Kitchen

    Jun26

    Mojo Chicken

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    Last weekend, my mother in law bought a mojo flavored rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.  Scott and I really liked the flavors in it so I started searching for a recipe that I could make myself. I found this marinade recipe. I marinated chicken thighs and strips overnight and then roasted them at 425 degrees. It really tasted nothing like the chicken that we had last week. And it didn’t have as much flavor as I expected it to after marinating for so many hours. But, it was still pretty good. I had to add a bit more salt to it after it was cooked. I am interested in trying this again with fish.

    Mojo Chicken Marinade

    Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup minced yellow onion
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (e.g. Tabasco™) (optional)
  • 1 cup olive oil

    • Directions

    Pulse the garlic and onion in a blender until very finely chopped. Pour in orange juice, lime juice; season with cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.

    From: All Recipes

    Jun25

    Brown Sugar Angel Food Cupcakes

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    bsangelfood

    I’ve always loved angel food cake and when I saw this recipe, I could not wait to try it. I love brown sugar and cinnamon.  They turned out really well! Naturally, the brown sugar and cinnamon makes them taste completely different from regular angel food cake. But it’s a great twist and they are delicious! I really enjoyed them and they made for a great fat free treat. I had to freeze them immediately to keep from eating them all!

    Brown Sugar Angel Food Cupcakes

    Ingredients

  • 10 egg whites, about 1 1/2 cups, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups light or dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/4 cups cake flour

    • Directions

    Line 24 muffin pan cups with paper liners. Heat oven to 350°.

    Press the brown sugar through a sieve; set aside.

    Beat egg whites and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl on high just until foamy.

    Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. (Soft peaks will curl over slightly.)

    Sprinkle half of the sugar over the egg white mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.

    Sift the cake flour and combine with remaining sugar and cinnamon.

    Gently fold the sugar and flour mixture, a little at a time, into the egg white mixture.

    Spoon into the prepared pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched with a finger.

    Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

    From: About.com

    Jun23

    Cucumber Salad

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    I saw this recipe in mscreneet’s blog and thought I would give it a try. I did NOT use all of the salt that it called for and I used Splenda instead of sugar. It was pretty good. The longer this sits in the fridge, the better it is! It’s so much better after a day or two.

     

    Photobucket

    Cucumber Salad

    Ingredients

     
    2 cucumbers (sliced)
    1/2 medium onion thinly sliced
    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1/2 tablespoon salt
    1 teaspoon pepper
    1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic
    1/2 tablespoon sugar

    Directions

    Combine sliced cucumbers and onion in a medium sized glass bowl.
    In a small glass bowl mix, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, sugar and olive oil until well mixed
    Pour over cucumber and onion mixture and stir being sure to coat all of the cucumbers
    Cover the bowl with plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

    Jun19

    Cilantro Slaw

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    I love cole slaw but hate mayonaisse, so I am always making vinegar based slaw.  I came across this recipe and had to try this new slaw variation! It didn’t call for vinegar but after reading the reviews, I did decide to add a couple splashes of it anyway. I used balsalmic vinegar. I love cilantro so this was a perfect, healthy dish for me to make. Very refreshing!

    Cilantro Slaw

    Ingredients

    12 ounces purchased shredded three-color coleslaw mix
    1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
    3 tablespoons canola oil
    3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
    1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Directions

    Place coleslaw mix and cilantro in large bowl. Whisk canola oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add to cabbage mixture; toss to coat.

    From: www.epicurious.com, Courtesy of Bon Appetit, June 2006

     

    Jun16

    Vanilla Cupcakes with Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

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    I made these cupcakes for Father’s Day weekend. I make Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” chocolate cake all the time but I never make the frosting because I don’t like chocolate on chocolate. I was happy when my mother in law asked for these cupcakes because it meant I could make the frosting recipe for a change.

    Vanilla Cupcakes

    Ingredients

    · 3 cups sifted cake flour

    · 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

    · 1/2 teaspoon salt

    2 tablespoons meringue powder

    · 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

    · 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

    · 3 eggs

    · 1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

    · 1 1/4 cups milk

    · 1 package vanilla instant pudding

    Directions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

    2. Line pan with baking cups.

    3. Sift together flour, baking powder, meringue powder and salt; set aside.

    4. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

    5. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

    6. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add pudding. Continue beating one minute.

    7. Pour into prepared cups.

    8. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean.

    9. Cool 10 minutes.

    10. Turn out onto cooling rack; cool completely.

    Makes 24 standard cupcakes

    Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting

    1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
    2/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
    3 cups powdered sugar
    1/3 cup milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

    Cupcake recipe altered from www.cupcakefun.com

    Frosting recipe from: www.hersheys.com/recipes

    Jun11

    Spicy Steak Quesadillas

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    This was my first time making steak quesadillas. I am always buying Scott frozen ones! He said they were very good and really seemed to enjoy them…. in spite of having already eaten them for lunch the day I decided to surprise him with these for dinner. 🙂

    Ingredients

    4 (12-inch) flour tortillas
    1/2 cup grated Cheddar, plus 1/4 cup
    8 ounces sirloin steak, grilled to desired doneness and thinly sliced
    1 to 2 tablespoons minced jalapeno
    1/4 cup salsa, plus more for serving
    Vegetable oil, for cooking
    Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

     Directions

    Lay out 2 of the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with 1/2 cup of the Cheddar, spreading evenly over the tortillas. Divide the steak among the tortillas and sprinkle with the desired amount of jalapeno. Top with salsa and remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Top with remaining tortillas and press to seal.

    Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other quesadilla.

    Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice into 8 or 10 pieces. Garnish with salsa and cilantro sprigs.

    From: www.foodnetwork.com, Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck