Citrus Chicken Marinade

YUM! It is grillin' season again! Woo Hoo! Love to grill everything and I love to try new marinades and recipes.  This was a huge hit...juicy and flavorful! Make sure to allow plenty of time for the marinade to sit with the meat.

~Recipe~
4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts ** I doubled this for our family**
1 1/2 cups of white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp peppercorns
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons of fresh basil, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 additional Tbsp vegetable oil
Mix all of the ingredients well in a bowl.  Place chicken in a large ziplock bag pour the marinade over the chicken. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Turn occasionally to make sure all the chicken gets marinade time. Throw away the marinade before you grill.  Brush the breasts with the oil and grill for 10-12 minutes r until cooked through. Easy...Enjoy~

Lemon berry cupcakes

Mmmm mmmm good! And pretty, too! I found this cake "doctored" recipe and I couldn't wait to make them.  The recipe made 24 so I took them to a couple of neighbors and we had a ton for us as well.

~Recipe~
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 small pkg lemon instant pudding

Mix dry ingredients and add wet ingredients.  Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.  The batter will be really thick.   Fill cupcake cups and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Do not over bake or they will be dry. The tops MIGHT fall and you just have to fill with more icing! :)

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
1 cup soft butter
6-8 powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Put butter in a mixer and add 4 cups of the sugar, then juice and zest and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining sugar 1 cup at a time until icing is thick enough to spread. Ice the cupcakes and garnish with berries! Enjoy~

Shrimp Enchiladas

These were so good, Brooklyn and I thought...Tony is not a fan of hot shrimp so they were  not his favorite.  I will double the recipe next time because it only made 6. I will also make them spicier.  They lacked a kick. I served them with chopped avacados, Mexican crema, sour cream, hot sauce and then refried beans, queso, chips and guac.  to go with them. YUM!

~Recipe~
*adapted from Annie's Eats*
Remember to double this is you are making food for more than 4 people

3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 lb. medium-size shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 red bell pepper, diced
¾ cup onion, diced
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. salt
Dash garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper**use more**
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. heavy cream or half-and-half
¼ cup sour cream
6 oz. shredded cheese (such as Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, etc.), divided
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
8-10 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

In a large sauté pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp to the pan in an even layer and let cook without moving, about 1 minute.  Flip the shrimp over and continue to cook until just pink and opaque, 30-60 seconds longer.  Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.  When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, roughly chop into bite sized pieces, if desired. **I recommend this**

Melt the remaining butter in the pan.  Add the diced bell pepper and onion, and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the oregano, salt, garlic powder, cayenne and flour to the pan; stir well and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.  Lower the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream to the pan, stirring to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook just until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the sour cream, half of the shredded cheese, and the tomatoes.  Return the shrimp to the pan as well, and mix everything together until the sauce is well blended and the cheese is melted. **This is where I would taste it and add some serrano pepper or some heat**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.  Scoop 1/3 cup of the filling and sauce mixture down the center of a tortilla.  Sprinkle lightly with some of the reserved cheese.  Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place seam side-down in the  prepared baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining filling, tortillas and cheese.  Spray the tops of the finished assembled tortillas lightly with cooking spray.  Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned.  Let cool at least 5-10 minutes before serving. It is a good base recipe...add to it and play with it!! Enjoy~

Lime Cheesecake with Blackberry Sauce

This recipe is versatile and Delicious!! I have made it this way below and for Easter I made it a lemon cheesecake with a raspberry sauce. Both ways were FABULOUS!!!! YUM!! It is an easy recipe as well...double score! 

For the crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
Juice of 2 limes
Zest of 2 limes

For the blackberry sauce:
6 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. cornstarch
1½ tsp. cold water

To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 325 ˚F.  Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl.  Stir together until well combined and moistened.  Press the crumbs into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (or 6 4-inch mini springforms).  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.  Gradually mix in the sugar.  Blend in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in the lime juice and lime zest until well combined.  Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust.

To minimize cracking, place a shallow pan half full of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking.**This really works**  

Bake for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set (25-33 minutes for mini springforms).  Turn the oven off and prop the door open about 4 inches.  Let the cheesecake stand 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let cool 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the sides of the pan and let cool to room temperature on the rack.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before slicing and serving.

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Drizzle the blackberry sauce over the cheesecake before serving. Enjoy~

Snickerdoodle Blondies

These were sooo good! I made them one day for Brenn's lunch. That afternoon at the basketball game I was asked to make a whole pan!! They taste just like a cookie.  These are a definite favorite here!

~Recipe~

adapted from Crepes of Wrath**great website**

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
a pinch nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and/or line a 9×13 inch pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside.
 In large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar for 3-5 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish, so it’s best to spread it out with a greased spatula or your hands). Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool before cutting

Korean Beef with Cilantro Sauce

This marinade was outstanding! I cannot wait to use it again! YUM-O! I was not a huge fan of the sauce, but I will try it again with less cilantro.  I am a cilantro fan so I was surprised that this had too much.

~Recipe~
This calls for at least 1 hour of refrigeration.  I usually marinade at least 4 hours.
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 boneless strip steaks
Combine all ingredients in a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak to it.  Marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill until desired doneness.

Cilantro sauce
3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tsp minced seeded serrano chile
Combine in a bowl and whisk well. Serve with the strip steaks!
Enjoy~

Blueberry Banana Cake with Lemon Cream Frosting

I made this cake for dessert and I think it would be a better breakfast cake.  It is packed with heaviness and flavor and oh.so.yummy. I will definitely make this again but for a brunch or a snack cake, I think.

~Recipe~
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas(I used 3 bananas)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon juiced and reserve the zest for the frosting
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups blueberries, washed
extra blueberries and sliced almonds for garnish

*Frosting*
1/2 cup butter room temp
1 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt a
3 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, with enough that hangs over the ends for easy removal.**I don't see the point in this.  I will keep it in the pan next time** Grease pan lightly.  In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugars.  Blend in eggs 1 at a time and ship until creamy.  Add vanilla and bananas and mix until creamy.  Add four, baking soda and salt.  Stir the mixture until just combines, not over mixing at this stage.  In a large measuring cup mix the milk with the lemon juice**remember keep the zest for the frosting**.  Slowly pour the milk into the batter as the mixer is running and mix until well incorporated.  Fold in the blueberries.  Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 75 minutes or until tester comes out clean. I checked mine starting at 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.  Lift the cake out of pan using parchment paper ends and cool on a rack.
For the frosting* whip the butter and cream cheese together until very smooth.  Beat in vanilla.  Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest and salt.  Beat on low until well combined and then on high until frosting is very smooth,  Spread on cooled cake and garnish with blueberries and almonds. The frosting is such a great recipe, I can see using in on much more than just this cake! Enjoy~