The Best Mushroom Kebobs

Earlier this week, I found ribeye steaks on Manager's Special at Kroger.  They were a little over $5 each and normally priced around $10.  Score!  We maybe eat steak 3 times a year, mainly because of price, and secondly, because I'm just not a big fan of red meat.  So anyways, I knew I wanted to make a corn recipe a friend had shared, but wanted something else to grill.  We made a medley of grilled veggies last week and the mushrooms were my favorite, so I decided to just do mushrooms this time.  I googled a grilled mushroom recipe and the first one I looked at on Taste of Homes' website was this one and I had all the ingredients.

The case:

Mushroom Kebobs
Adapted from:  Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 16 oz mushrooms
• 2 sticks butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese  (buy from the deli refrigerated section)

Directions:

1. Clean mushrooms.  Pull out stem.
2. Skewer mushrooms.  
3. Mix butter, garlic salt, dill, and juice from 1/2 lemon.  Brush over both sides of mushrooms.
4. Grill over medium high heat for 15 minutes, turning and basting with leftover marinade every 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.

The ruling:

Absolutely amazing!!!!  Best mushrooms I've ever had.  The only problem with this recipe is that I should have made a lot more and I mean a lot more.  My 18 month old ate these like they were candy, which didn't leave near as many as Michael and I wanted.  Speaking of which, have I mentioned that I am the luckiest woman alive?  I sampled one of these while we were waiting on the steaks to rest.  Soooo good.  Then Michael said, "You know what would be really good?  What if we sprinkled some of the Parmesan over them."  I'm telling you he is pure genius!  Well, at least he has his moments, and this was definitely one!  

Stars: 5 definitely

Make again? Tomorrow sounds go

Waffle of Insane Greatness

Breakfast for dinner is a regular at the Greer Household.  Many years ago I originally saw this recipe featured on the now canceled Rachael Ray show called $40 a Day.  We tried to eat at Aretha Frankensteins while Emmaline was at Erlanger, but the wait was too long.  Recently Our Best Bites featured this recipe and I knew I had to try it. 

The case:

The ruling:

Waffle of Insane Greatness from Aretha Frankensteins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Butter and syrup, for serving

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. 
2. Add the milk, vegetable oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and mix well. 
3. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat a waffle iron. Do not use non-stick spray on the waffle iron; the oil in the batter will allow the waffle to release easily. Follow the directions on your waffle iron to cook the waffles. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_29006_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

The ruling:
These are some of the best waffles I've ever had!  Ryder loves them!  While I love to find new recipes for my favorite foods, sometimes I find a recipe that is so good I don't want to try another one.  This is officially my go to waffle recipe.
Rating: 5
Make again: Definitely

Honey Ginger Soy Chicken

Awhile back, I ordered a book called The Mom 100 Cookbook from Scholastic.  I read good reviews on Amazon and decided to buy it without knowing much about the book or the author.  Come to find out, Katie Workman is pretty well known in the cooking world.  She runs a website that shares famous chefs' recipes.  She lives in New York City and has two sons.  The main reason I decided to order the cookbook was because it was supposed to be for real moms and contained recipes for real food.  I was not disappointed when I received this book.  First of all, it has reviews from famous chefs such as Ina Garten and Bobby Flay on the back cover.   Next, it reads like a book.  The layout is fabulous.  She gives you 20 situations and gives you 5 recipes for each situation, everything from breakfast to bake sale to potluck.  Another thing I like is all her tips.  She has tips throughout the book on everything from getting kids to try food to cooking tips to different variations of the recipes.  Finally, there are a ton of delicious looking recipes.  I put a post it flag on each recipe I want to try and my book has more blue flags than empty white pages.  Most of the recipes are healthier and contain fresher ingredients.  Some are in my comfort zone and some aren't.  For example, there is a chicken strip recipe I plan on trying later this week but tonight's dish is something that I wouldn't typically make.  This Honey Ginger Soy Chicken recipe is found in the Potluck chapter.

The case:
Honey Ginger Soy Chicken
Adapted from The Mom 100 Cookbook by: Katie Workman
Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup honey, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 cup grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 minced garlic cloves
• 1 package skin on chicken thighs (5 pieces)

Directions:

1. Place the honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic cloves in a bowl and whisk until blended.  
2. Arrange the chicken in a foil-lined baking dish skin side down.  Pour the honey mixture over the chicken and stir so mixture evenly coats chicken.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil and marinate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350.
4. Bake covered for 30 minutes.  Uncover the pan , turn the chicken skin side up, and increase oven temperature to 375.  Continue baking for 35 minutes.  Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

The ruling:
Absolutely loved this!!!  This chicken had so much flavor.  The pan sauce was perfect over the brown rice.  I can't wait to try more recipes in Katie's cookbook.
Rating: 6
Make again? Yes and soon!

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

This recipe was given me to a friend named David Rogers.  David is in high school and is a member of the youth group at our church.  His mom actually told me about him making this soup one night when he didn't like what she was going to fix.  He found it online at Food Network and decided he wanted to make it.  I love that!  He's going to make a girl very lucky one day!

The case:

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved
• 2 medium carrots, sliced diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
• 1/3 cup jasmine rice
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Combine the chicken, carrots, bay leaf and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is just firm, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and the remaining 3 cups broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the rice falls apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Remove the chicken from its broth; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the same broth.
4. Puree the rice mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender, then return to the pan). Pour in the shredded chicken and broth, stirring gently to combine; bring to a simmer. Toss in the chopped herbs and serve the soup with lemon wedges.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/curried-chicken-and-rice-soup-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

I was so glad I found the curry powder this called for at Kroger.

The ruling:
This was absolutely delicious!  I wish I would have found it earlier on during flu and cold season.  Don't be afraid of the Thanks David!
Rating: 5
Make again?  Yes!

Cinnamon Toast

No food reminds me more of my childhood than cinnamon toast.  I've tried making it several times before, but it has never tasted quite like my Mama's.  Last month I finally got her to come down and show me exactly how she makes it.  I can finally make it just as delicious as her.  Ingredients are one of the most important factors here. I only use Nature's Own Honey Wheat Bread and Land O Lakes spreadable butter.

 

Cinnamon Toast

Ingredients:

• Bread- only Nature's Own Honey Wheat for me
• Butter
• Sugar
• Cinnamon

First, I take the butter out of the fridge and leave it out on the counter for 5-10 minutes.  This makes it easier to spread on the bread.

Next, I mix my sugar and cinnamon together.  Yes, this is very important.  Don't waste money on the premade stuff- that was my biggest mistake over the years.  The sugar/cinnamon ratio is off in the mix you buy at the store.  I don't have exact measurements for this, but first I put the sugar in a bowl.  Then, I whisk in the cinnamon.  Don't be shy with the cinnamon.  It is the star of the show!  You want your mixture to be a light tan.

After the butter has softened, go ahead and butter the bread.

 Next, sprinkle on a heavy helping on the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Next broil in the oven for 3-5 minutes.  Make sure you watch it!  The longer you leave it in the toastier the bread and cinnamon sugar mixture will be.  Leave it less time if you like it softer.

Monterey Chicken

I love eating chicken breasts cooked in the oven.   They can be so easy to prepare and cook and are relatively healthy, and there are so many different marinade combinations and toppings to choose from.  I'm always excited to try a new way.  I found this recipe on The Recipe Critic.  The addition of BBQ sauce is a new one for me that I couldn't wait to try!

The case:
Monterey Chicken adapted slightly from The Recipe Critic
Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 8 slices thick bacon, crumbled
• Barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Mix the honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and salt together. I cut my chicken breasts in half making them tenders. Marinate your chicken breasts in this sauce for at least an hour but can be marinated overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I poured a little of the sauce along the bottom of the pan and placed the chicken on top. I covered with aluminum foil and cooked for about 30 minutes. Make sure center is no longer pink and juices run clear.
3. While chicken is cooking, fry up the bacon and set aside.
4. When chicken is cooked, spread with barbecue sauce (, top with bacon and cheese. Put back in oven and broil until chicken in bubbly.

The ruling:
I absolutely loved this chicken.  It is so simple to make!  I only marinated the chicken for an hour.  I'm sure it would have been even better if it would have been marinated longer.  I dumped the whole zip loc bag of chicken and sauce in a foil lined 9 x 13.   I used Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce. The hardest part was frying the bacon.  Make sure to spoon some of the sauce over the chicken before serving.
Rating: 5 Stars
Make again? Yes!