Isn't it fascinating the way social media changes the way we learn and discover things?  Following Snookie on Twitter may not be the type of learning you want to foster, but Pinterest and the blogosphere open up a whole host of new material- recipes to try, books to read, DIYs to attempt.  I love the creativity and adventurousness of others!  For a long time I personally resisted Pinterest food pinning because they weren't trusted sources, but now the food board is probably my biggest or my most used board and I'm slowly working my way through recipes I've pinned and will share them here. 



Today's post is Key West Grilled Chicken (no longer pinned), and as the unofficial end to summer has passed and the days shorten, our grilling days may be numbered, but this one is a good recipe to have in your repertoire.  I doubt it'll ever be a superstar, but it's a good base marinade to have on hand, and if you're the deviant type who plays around with recipes, you will find lots of ways to tweak this one.  I made it pretty much as is, except that I used chicken thighs rather than breast meat.  It's also an affordable recipe, coming from grocerybudget101.com.  Next time I'm adding some spice to the marinade- both Drew and I agreed that a little heat from crushed red pepper or cayenne would benefit this.

Aside from its baseline goodness and adaptability, the recipe is quick and affordable.  From fridge to plate in less than an hour, and that includes marinating time!

Key West Grilled Chicken
from this site

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tbs. honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Juice of 1 Lime
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, vegetable oil, lime juice, and garlic.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes. If you prefer kebabs, as are pictured, cut the chicken into large chunks, skewer onto bamboo sticks that have been soaked in water for 5 minutes, and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

For a slightly zestier version, add a teaspoon of Freshly Chopped cilantro to the marinade.

Grill on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear. Serve with fresh salad, steamed veggies, baked potato or any of your favorite sides. For variation, try marinating shrimp, (which will take 2-4 minutes to grill in all!)

Today I bring you another Pinterest find that's worth making but, for me, still has a bit of tweaking left.  If you have been to Pizza Inn and love sweets, I've no doubt that the chocolate chip pizza has made its impression on you.  Always gone within about 30 seconds of being brought out of the kitchen, this tastes like the gooiest chocolate chip cookie, and it makes your eyes roll back in your head for a solid five seconds in one bite.  It's too bad you have to endure all the other Pizza Inn experiences to get to this sweet treat at the end.  NO MORE, thanks to Pinterest and the blogger who originated this recipe, who evolved it from other, similar recipes.



I'd say that this blogger gets it pretty close, but with my oven having the bi-polar behavior that it has, I overbrowned the crust, making the topping delicious and perfectly done while the crust snapped like a Wasa flatbread, so I still have some work to do. 



Still, this recipe is quick, easy, and makes enough for about 10-12 people- more if they're polite and eat proper portion sizes, but where's the fun in that?!  I took it to a church small group meeting, and that's why I can't tell you if it's good left over.



Chocolate Chip Pizza
from Pinterest via this blog.

baking pan, approximately 10×15 inches
1 THIN pizza crust in a can
2 sticks of butter, melted
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 bag of chocolate chips
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread crust on pan, and create a ½ inch lip of dough around edge. Follow can instructions for prebaking crust. In a bowl, stir together granulated and brown sugars with a fork, breaking up any lumps. NOTE: If crust has air bubbles in it after prebaking, puncture with a fork.

After removing crust from oven, mix together butter and yellow cake mix (there may be lumps.) Spread mixture onto crust (with hands, if needed), leaving approximately ½ inch from the edges without batter.

Sprinkle approximately ¾ of the bag of chocolate chips on top of batter (more, if desired.) Gently press chips into batter.

Sprinkle sugar topping over pizza, covering batter and chips but avoiding the lip of the pizza (you will probably not need to use all of the sugar.)

Bake 7-12 minutes on upper middle rack of oven(check at 7 minute mark–note check doneness of crust, too, as it will burn if cooked too low in oven and too long)

If after 12 minutes the topping has not browned, switch oven to broiler for approximately 1 minute….do not walk away or you risk BURNING the top of the pizza!
Cool 5 minutes…cut and enjoy!

Make this tonight!!

There are many dishes on here that I share because I enjoy them and hope you might, too, but this one is really special.  Its flavor combinations of citrus, herb, and smokiness are a triple threat! 



This recipe is simple, coming together in less time than it takes to light a charcoal grill and about the same amount of time that it takes to light a gas one.  It's tasty and involves few ingredients, and I am all about getting the mileage out of simple, flavorful ingredients rather than fussing with an ingredient list that's often longer than my weekly grocery list.  It's also fairly quick, which is perfect for those nights when you don't feel like doing much prep work.  In fact, our charcoal took longer to light than the actual cooking time of the fish. 



You can thank the staff at Everyday Food for this recipe, and it can be found online or in the June 2012 issue.  It's a perfect summertime grilling treat, and it had both Drew and me wanting more and discussing how we eat better at home than most of us can eat dining out.  Gotta love those recipes that make you feel like you've created a star dish!  I'm posting the recipe below, as is, and also linking to the webpage for a printable version.

Grilled Fish with Citrus
from Everyday Food, June 2012

Oil

Directions

Cook's Note

Mash together 1 stick unsalted butter; 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest; 2 teaspoons fresh orange juice; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro; and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.

Summer has such an abundance of wonderful produce!  What's your favorite summertime fruit or vegetable? 



I'm not sure if it's a favorite, but blueberries are near the top of my list, and we are blessed to have family willing to share some of their crop with us.  I think we've been given at least a gallon or two of blueberries this year! 



I like to try new things each year, and this year I opted to make pie.  It was a good decision!  I took this to my church small group meeting one day and everyone said they loved it.  Drew wanted seconds...as in a second pie. 



This particular recipe is incredibly simple but so delicious.  It really showcases the fruit.  It's perfectly sweetened, and so bubbly coming out of the oven.  The deliciousness can't be contained inside a mere crust!  It comes from the book, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.  I highly recommend that cookbook for your baking delight! 

Double Crusted Blueberry Pie
from Dorie Greenspan

Pie crust to make a double crusted, 9 inch pie
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 1/2 pints blueberries
1 cup sugar, or a little more, to taste, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Coarsely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
Squirt of lemon juice, or a little more, to taste
 1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
Sugar, for dusting

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Put the berries in a large bowl and gently stir in the sugar, flour, salt, zest and juice; let sit for about 5 minutes. Taste the filling and add more sugar and/or lemon juice, if you want.

Sprinkle an even layer of bread crumbs over the bottom crust (this help keep the bottom crust from getting soggy).

Give the filling a last stir and turn it into the crust.

Using your fingertips, moisten the rim of the bottom crust with a little cold water. Center the top crust over the filling and gently press it against the bottom. Seal, trim and either flute or press the edges of the crusts together.  Using a small knife, cut 4 slits in the top crust and cut a circle out of the center.

Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat – it will be your drip-catcher. (If you have time, refrigerate the pie for about 30 minutes. The pie can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. Glaze and sugar it before you put it in the oven and add at least 15 minutes to the baking time.)

Brush the top crust with the egg wash then sprinkle the crust with a little sugar – just to give it sparkle.

Bake the pie for 30 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and bake the pie for another 30 minutes or so (total baking time is about 1 hour), or until the crust is a beautiful golden brown and the filling is bubbling up through the slits. If the crust seems to be browning too quickly, make a loose foil tent for the pie.

Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool – and settle – for at least 30 minutes before serving.


Baker's Notes

• I completely forgot the bread crumb step, and my crust was a little "soggy."  Not enough to take away from the pie, but learn from my mistakes and don't forget this step.
• SO IMPORTANT to put the pie on a baking sheet- there will be a bubble over! 

What did we do before Pinterest?  Oh, yes, we wasted time on Facebook, or, perish the thought, searched different food blogs before recipes and ideas were conveniently able to be stored in one place.  Thanks to a friend from church, the recipe I'm posting about today made it into my pinning world because she tried it first and gave it a good review. 



This chicken recipe makes itself in the slow cooker and could literally be assembled by a child, which is great for busy people, or really anyone not wanting to turn on the stove/oven.  I shredded my chicken and used it as a burrito filling, and it was so tasty!  It also just fell apart beautifully, and was still moist, even after I cooked it 11 hours.  It makes enough for a good, hungry crowd of 6+ people.



I modified the original recipe a bit, so I'll be posting what I did.  I will link to the original recipe. 

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
Adapted from this recipe

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (use breasts or thighs- whatever suits you)
1- 16 oz bag frozen corn
1- 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel (or comparable off brand)
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1 packet taco seasoning, or blend of similar spices (forego salt if you use taco seasoning)

Assemble all in slow cooker.  Cook on high four four hours or low for at least 6-8 hours. 

Food doesn't have to be sophisticated to be good, and often the best foods are the ones we remember loving as children, hence the comfort food craze we began to experience a few years back.  I loved sloppy joes as a kid, and as an adult, they still hold a special place in food memories. 

What was one of your favorite kid foods?



Growing up, we made sloppy joes from Manwich or some other seasoning packet, and they were good.  I can't complain, but somewhere I decided I wanted to make more things from scratch so I could know what was supposed to be in them.  I saw this recipe on Food Network years ago, and it was one of the first dishes I could confidently cook.  We break it out from time to time, and this one's taste exceeds the memory of those first sloppy joes. 



If you have kids, this is a devious way to sneak more vegetables into their diets.  No cook's notes on this one, because I feel it's pretty perfect as is.  If you don't have and don't want to purchase the seasoning blend, just know it's a combo of salt, pepper, garlic, and I think onion. 

Super Sloppy Joes
from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 crusty rolls, split, toasted, and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!  This is such a fun and special holiday.  Thanks to all you who are currently in service, are vets, or who are family of those who are serving/have served.

I'll post a new recipe later this week, but wanted to review a few posts for things that might be fun for your 4th cookout:

1.  Buttermilk Brined Grilled Chicken

2.  Cauliflower Cocktail

3.  Greek Turkey Burgers  (is that unpatriotic to make Greek turkey burgers on our Independence Day?)

4.  Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken and Onions

5.  Peach Crumble Pie

6.  Tomato Peach Salsa

7.  Pepper Salad

8.  Squash Croquettes

9.  Classic Burgers

Ok, sorry I went list crazy, but here's a good start for ideas on grilling, sides, and dessert- enjoy! 

What are your plans for the 4th?