Monday, September 13, 2010

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2/3 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar

Place the butter and brown sugar in a frying pan and melt until it boils or bubbles. A cast iron pan works well because it is heavy and will be less likely to scorch.

1 can pineapple slices
maraschino cherries (enough to fill the centers of the pineapple)

Place pineapples in the butter and sugar mixture. Put cherries in the center of the pineapples. Cut the slices of pineapple into halves and line the sides of the frying pan with them (standing up on edge).

Prepare a box of yellow cake mix following the directions on the box to mix the batter (Do not bake in a seperate pan; follow instructions below).

Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries.

Bake at 350 degrees F. When the cake is done, loosen the edges with a butter knife. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes, then turn it upside down on a serving dish.

Scratch Cake:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk

Combine ingredients and beat 1 minute. Pour batter over pineapples and cherries (same as above). Bake at 350 degrees F and follow the same steps as above.

Pork Butt On The Grill

This is so tasty!!!! It is a very lengthy and time consuming recipe but very worth it!

1( 8 pound) pork butt

4 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 1 hour (we didn't do this, we have a gas grill).

*Brine, recipe follows
* Garlicy Marinade, recipe follows
* Dry Rub, recipe follows
* Mop Spray, recipe follows
* BBQ Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat a charcoal grill or gas grill to 225 degrees F. Carefully edge the coals to 1 side and then add 1/2 cup drained wood chips (if you are doing this). Place 1 cup water in a metal drip pan on opposite side.

Inject the pork butt with brine about ever 2 inches and then rub the marinade and dust with dry rub. Place the pork on the grill, directly over the drip pan and cook. Be sure to replinish the coals as the temp drops, the chips as the smoke dissipates and the water in the drip pan.

After 6 hours, spray the pork with cider mop every half hour. Cook until the thermometer place into the thickest part of the pork reaches 195 degrees F. Transfer to a platter, brush with the sauce and let rest 30 minutes. To serve, slice into 1/2 pound servings, place on plates and serve with extra sauce alongside.

Brine:
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until the salt and sugar disolve and then place into meat syringe for immediate brining or reserve, refridgerated, for later use.

Garlicy BBQ Sauce:

1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Place all ingredients into a blender and puree. Remove to an airtight container and store in the fridge until needed.

Dry Rub:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sweet paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup dry mustard
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well and store in an airtight container for later use.

Cider Mop Spray:
1 cup apple juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup cidar vinegar

BBQ Sauce:

2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup smoked bacon, cut into rectangles about 1 inch long and 1/2 inch wide
1/2 cup sweet (Vidalia or Maui) onion, minced
1/2 cup garlic, minced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup apple juice
cider vinegar

Heat the oil in a sauce pan set over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned and crispy about 4 minutes (we used microwavable bacon). Reduce the heat to low and add the onion, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and cloves. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and water and then bring to a simmer. Stir in the ketchup, mustard, honey, preserves and juice and then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season with vinegar. Remove the bacon. Puree the mixture with a hand blender and then cool and reserve for later use.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Skillet Parmesan Chicken

Very Yummy!

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
more parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top
4 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese ( if you can get it, the soft fresh kind is best - it melts sooooo creamy)
your favorite marinara sauce or store bought spaghetti sauce

Directions
Pound the chicken breasts between two slices of plastic wrap until about 1/4" thick.
Season with salt and pepper.
Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
Dip in egg/milk mixture, then in breadcrumb/Parmesan mixture.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large deep skillet.
Brown the chicken breasts over medium heat until golden on each side (about 2-3 min per side).
Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Add the marinara sauce to the skillet.
Heat to boiling and simmer 10 minutes.
Add the chicken breasts to the sauce and sprinkle Parmesan over them.
Place a slice of mozzarella on each piece of chicken.
Cover and simmer about 8- 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the chicken is tender.
Serve with your favorite pasta-

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Pork Chop Dinner (Crockpot or Stove Top)

6 pork loins, trimmed (I used pork scallopini)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
hot cooked rice

In a skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil, drian. Place chops in a slow cooker (I didn't do this, I put it on the stove top just until the vegetables get tender (next). Add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms. In a bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and salt. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on low (in the crockpot) for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with rice if desired.

Barbequed Chicken

I served this the other night as a quickie, i made the sauce that was mentioned instead of pouring a bottle of sauce on top of the chicken (I have done that in the past to make it easy!). It was pretty good!

4 lb chicken wings or other pieces ( I used 2 chicken breasts and didn't use as much of the ingredients that the recipe called for)
1 1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup onion, chopped
4 tbsp water
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp oregano
4 bay leaves
2 to 3 dashes hot pepper sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse chicken. Cut at joints and discard wing tips or other chicken parts you don't want. Arrange on ungreased cake pan in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes; drain fat. Meanwhile combine rest of ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Pour barbeque sauce over the chicken and bake 30 minutes longer, stirring half-way through.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chicken Curry with Carrots

Cut lean beff or chicken, lamb, shrimp into cubes and chop onion finely. Stir-fry meat with onion in oil or butter in large skillet until onions are lightly browned. If you wish add veggies. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until meat and veggies are tender. Add curry ( you could add curry powder to this) blocks until completly melted and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over hot rice or noodles.









While in Japan curry is very popular throughout the restaurants, it is a indian food. There is this place called coco curry where they serve curry and you can get the curry as spicy as a number 10. The number 1 makes my tongue tingle and gives me acid reflux (you can also get mild). Jeff gets a #2 and I cannot see how! In the commisary (among other places they sell this mix (it is a block of curry that you melt in with your onion, vegetables and water. You bring to a boil and bring to a thick mixture and pour on your rice... very tasty in my opinion.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Rice Balls or Omusubi


You can get these here and Hayley and I love them,we like them with seaweed! It has a salty taste and the rice is sticky... I found a recipe online and I am going to try it soon.


How to make Omusubi (rice balls)


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Using cooked hot rice is an essencial point.

Add a teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of water. Put salt water on both hands to prevent sticking (temizu). Remember to put salt water on both hands before making each rice ball. Put about a handful of rice into a small bowl and shake bowl to make a roughly round shape before packing with hands into a ball (Fillings can be set in the center). Make sure you tightly pack while forming the rice ball to prevent crumbling. If too tightly packed it is not tasty.

Triangular Omusubi (This is a suitable form for any filling)

Hold rice in left palm (or right, if left-handed). Fillings can be set in the center of rice and covered. Using other palm with slightly bend fingers and hold together on top to pack rice. The upper palm forms a triangle while the lower hand holds the rice in between the thumb and fingers widthwise. Repeat packing three times to form a triangular omusubi.

Round Omusubi

Same as Triangular. Use upper palm roundly bent.

Ball Omusubi

Same as Round. Use lower palm also roundly bent.

Tawara (straw bag) Omusubi

Shoud be small (2 bites size) to look neat. It is too small to put fillings in the center, so mix fillings together with rice for easy making. Hold rice in left palm (or right, if left-handed) and gently squeeze into the form of a log. Use top palm to hold widthwise and roll with both hands.

Kinchaku (purse) Omusubi

Cover a small bowl entirely with plastic wrap and place rice on top. If desired, add fillings to the center and cover with rice. Hold rice together by picking up the edges of the plastic wrap and squeezing lightly to pack. This is an easy to make with small portions of rice. Freeze as is and heat in a microwave oven prior to eating.




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Triangular Omusubi
Hold rice in left palm. Fillings can be set in the center of rice and covered. The upper palm forms a triangle while the lower hand holds the rice. Repeat packing three times to form a triangular omusubi.


Tawara Omusubi

Hold rice in left palm and gently squeeze into the form of a log. Use top palm to hold widthwise and roll with both hands. Fillings can be set in the center.