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Jerk Chicken Thighs

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Several years ago one of my girlfriends brought me back a jar of jerk marinade from her honey moon trip to Jamaica.  It was hot, spicy and all things good.  The sauce didn’t last long and oddly enough we haven’t taken the time to make our own jerk seasoning sauce….until yesterday.

I had everything in the fridge needed to whip up a marinade and so the plan was set in motion and the marinade prepared.  I ended up keeping 2/8 chicken thighs separate, marinating with olive oil and light seasonings since we did not know what to expect heat (spicy) wise.  I marinated the chicken for about 5 hours.  I only had half a jalapeno left from a previous recipe with a few ribs/seeds intact…so this is what I used. The end result, a flavourful, tasty, mild jerk chicken (hint of heat) that 3 of us loved.  The 4th preferred the chicken without green on it (lol).

Tex Mex Style Burgers

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We love burgers and these Tex Mex Burgers are yummy.  Having smaller hands I like to be able to hold onto my burger, easily, and it not be so big that it’s all meat.  It’s all about the fixin’s for me.  A couple years back (wow 5 already!) we started a quest to try & test as many different burger recipes as we could in one summer which came to be known as our Bakers Burger Blast. It became so successful it continues on to this day.

On the menu this time is a chipotle infused burger with a Tex Mex flair. Liking all things spicy (even though I pay for it later) I saw the recipe and immediately added it to last weeks meal plan.

If you do not have a BBQ or do not like to BBQ do not fret.  Anyone can cook a burger as they can be cooked in a grill/fry pan on your stove.  Before we get started I have a quick tip for you.

Tip: 2 tbsp of chipotle makes the burger a wee bit spicy – the kids noticed. But they still ate them. If you prefer less spice use only 1 tbsp chipotle/adobe sauce. Take leftover pureed chipotle in adobe sauce and freeze in 1 tbsp portions. Ice cube trays work great for this. Once frozen place in ziplocks and it’s ready to go the next time you want to use it.

Maple Syrup & Mustard Glazed Pork Tenderloin

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I had a pork tenderloin sitting in the fridge for a couple of days taking up space.  Original plans were to stir fry it but it never happened.  Sometimes inspiration takes awhile.

With an activity night upon us and my pork about to be evicted I decided to mix together a maple syrup/mustard glaze and BBQ it instead.

Husband helped by making the seasoning rub (ok and doing the BBQing). He did not measure and so these are estimates only.

Spicy Orange Pork Chops

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I’m making these for dinner tonight.  They were put into rotation a while back since the flavour was delightful.  The flavour will improve the longer you marinate them.

If you do not enjoy spicy food it’s easy to omit the hot sauce although a few drops doesn’t really add much heat.  My kids eat them and they do not like spicy food!  But then again my kids love pork chops in all it’s variations.   As always do not use cilantro if you are not a fan of it.

Since we are “All Weather” Grillers these chops are fantastic any time of the year.

 

 

Beef Keftas (Meat on a Stick)

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Beef Keftas, or as I like to call them, meat on a stick or stick food, are a new way to eat a burger. I mean really, you are taking what is seasoned burger and wrapping it around a stick. Kind of brings you back to the cave man days, but really what a concept. If you love meatballs, meatloaf and/or hamburgers you will love it. My family devours them whenever they are on the table.

What exactly is Kefta you ask? Kefta is a Middle Eastern specialty – a spicy ground meat mixture that is formed around a skewer and then grilled. You do not need egg, bread crumbs or any kind of binder to help it stay together. Best of all it’s quick, easy and can be modified using different spices & herbs. Great for a busy evening where you do not have much time to cook.

Grilled Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa

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There’s nothing more annoying and satisfying at the same time as walking outside of your house and immediately being hit with the aroma of a neighbour’s BBQ grilling up something fabulous. Makes you want to run back in, find some meat and slap it on the BBQ. These marinated grilled pork chops with pineapple salsa are quick, easy, and pair deliciously with a fresh, tasty salsa.

Salsa come in all flavours, shapes and variations. We tend to eat more fresh salsas over the summer months with the endless bounty of fresh fruit available. My kids adore this pineapple salsa made with fresh pineapple so much so they ask me to send it with them to school for lunch.

I like to make extra pork chops so I have leftovers the next day. And a delicious way to use them up is to cut leftover pork chops into thin slices and put them into a wrap. You could add a little BBQ sauce, and some leftover pineapple salsa for a delicious lunch.

Serve this dish over rice, steamed chinese noodles or even cooked, seasoned barley/lentils.

 

 

Beer & Pretzel Burgers

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We love burgers and so we continue to experiment with new burger flavour combinations in our ongoing Bakers Burger Blast.  Today’s experiment: Beer & Pretzel Burgers.

This is a very interesting flavour combination which is dictated by the type/flavour of beer you use.  The first time we made it we used a wheat ale beer for this recipe (all we had on hand) and have to say we weren’t exactly sold on flavour.   The next time we used a lager and had much better results.  Different flavoured beers will appeal to different palates.  A Stout for example would be aromatic and give a caramel flavour.  Try a beer you like and go from there.

Grilled Zucchini with Feta

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With older nieces who are Vegetarian, I am fortunate to be able to experiment with Vegetarian cooking.  This is one of those experiments that turned out simply delicious.  Grilled Zucchini with Feta is a lovely accompaniment to any grilled meat.

Another great recipe to help use up some extra zucchini from the garden.

 

 

Cheddar & Apple Burgers

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Yet another installment from our Summer Bakers Burger Blast is our Cheddar & Apple Burger. The combination of the apple and cheddar makes it moist, juice and very flavourful. A hint of sweet from the apple cuts the richness of the old cheddar. Cheese and apple is a marriage made in heaven.

Next time I am going to add some thinly sliced apple as a condiment to give it a bit of crunch and perhaps a white cheddar melted onto the burger. Maybe even some salty bacon or caramelized onions. Mmmm.

Greek Feta Burgers

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This is one of those great ways to get your family eating their veggies. My family is pretty good with veggies but anytime I can get more into them it’s a good thing. You can also add in chopped roasted red peppers or kalamata olives.  You could also substitute lamb for beef.

 

Sundried Tomato Beef Burgers

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In a city known for it’s quality Canadian and Alberta beef, there’s no shortage of amazing burgers to be found here in Calgary. And with tasty burgers in every quadrant, inspiration comes from everywhere. One of our family favourite burgers just so happens to be our Pizza Burger. Every time we say we are having burgers tonight, my son always enthusiastically asks, Pizza Burgers?

The world is your oyster when it comes to making burgers although many feel burgers are best left without any add-ins. Just burger, salt and pepper. We say each to their own and we love a good burger oozing with flavours.

Our burger today is the Sundried Tomato Beef Burger combining simple Italian flavours of parmesan cheese and sundried tomatoes. If you are using sundried tomatoes packed in oil, pour in a little oil from the sundried tomatoes to kick up the flavour a notch. Pick up some soft delicious buns, all your favourite condiments (I like to top my burgers with feta cheese) and fire up that grill.

Here’s how we make them.

Sundried Tomato Burgers
Sundried Tomato Burgers

 

 

Pork Koftas with Tomato Dill Salsa

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Enjoy these flavourful Pork Koftas grilled on the barbecue with fresh Tomato Dill Salsa.

Pork Koftas with Tomato Dill Salsa
Pork Koftas with fresh Tomato Dill Salsa

If you are looking to change up your burger game, try making Pork Koftas or Beef Keftas and wrapping them around pre-soaked wooden skewers.

This Eastern Mediterranean specialty does not require any kind of dipping side sauce but instead is paired with fresh salsa adding additional texture and flavour.

Pork Koftas
Pork Koftas served with Tomato Dill Salsa & Cucumber Salsa

A fragrant mixture of aromatics like green onion, garlic and fresh dill give this kofta its flavour, along with spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika.

These ingredients are carefully mixed into the pork and egg mixture and then formed around skewers.

PRO TIPS

  • Swap pork for beef or lamb
  • Do not over mix your kofta mixture or the meat will end up tough
  • Serve with pitas, a side of couscous, fresh lettuce, grains or roasted potatoes
  • Also good served without pita, in a lettuce cup or as is with fresh salsa
  • Try to make each Koftas the same size to ensure even cooking
  • Prepare mixture the night before and keep in refrigerator for a quick meal the next day

Chicken Burgers with Mango Mayo

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Recreated Chicken Burgers with Mango Mayo again. Interesting flavour combination that surprisingly turned out quite tasty.  Hubs adored it with the Mango Mayo on the burger and the kids loved it as well.

The raisins add a sweetness to counter the wake up call of the cumin, garlic & cinnamon.  I can’t believe it took us so long to make this burger again – simply devine!

Grilled Peanut Butter & Banana Panini

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As you can tell by the original date, this grilled peanut butter & banana panini recipe has been around awhile.  More often than not when I make it for myself I use a crunchy almond nut butter.  For the kids its peanut butter since that is their nut butter of choice.

If you’re anything like me you have too many small appliances to count.   So a great way to make a panini style sandwich is to use 2 heavy bottom pans (cast iron works). One to put the sandwich in and a heavy one to put on top and “press” the sandwich down. Sometimes it takes a couple of times to get it figured out but when you do…presto you will have a panini style sandwich without the panini maker.  Easy, right?

In the past I have added honey or cinnamon honey and nutella to this sandwich.   Quick, easy and no complaints = my kind of cooking.

Deviled Drums

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Chicken legs are a favorite in our family and a nice change from the chicken breasts or thighs we usually indulge in.  These Deviled Drums taste better when they’ve had several hours to marinate and take on the flavours of the marinade.

We didn’t eat a lot of fried food growing up (shut the door) unless you consider the occasional  KFC dinner worthy of the title fried chicken…..and as such we do not fry chicken or any of our food, probably ever.

It’s not that we do not enjoy fried food, it’s more that we are trying to teach our kids healthy eating habits.  Balance is what we strive for and when you do not allow yourself the occasional treat, you are not really being true to yourself.

One day I will cook fried chicken, but until then it’s Barbecue all the way baby!

Pork Burgers with Peanut Sauce

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When it comes to burgers we’ve tried homemade beef, turkey, chicken and vegetarian burgers. Oddly enough we’ve never tried pork burgers, which brought us to Pork Burgers with Peanut Sauce.  When you first read the ingredients list you might go hmmmm…this should be interesting – or at least we did. In the end it’s a very tasty burger that pairs nicely with the peanut sauce.

Omit the cilantro if you are not a cilantro fan.  Serve in buns with lettuce, peanut sauce and whatever additional burger fixins you enjoy.

 

 

Wild Rice, Orzo & Mushroom Casserole

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Today’s casserole of Wild Rice, Orzo & Mushrooms is brought to you by the letters R, O & M! Seriously though, this earthy, flavourful, simple and hearty dish is truly a match made in heaven.

For those that have never tried it…wild rice tastes slightly nutty. It is very good (very good for you) and even better when cooked in broth. We made this recipe and much to my delight, everyone loved it. Rice & pasta together – what a concept!

Grilled Flank Steak

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Flank steak was a new discovery for me when I moved to Alberta. Yes I’ve had my fair share of steak, was my father’s favourite meal growing up, but I never went to the store and bought myself a steak, or even a lot of beef to cook, when I was single. I ate out a lot! Then I met my steak and potatoes loving husband and beef in it’s entirety re-entered my existence.

When we started experimenting with flank steak it was simply put it in the slowcooker, or slapped onto the grill for Fajitas. Recently I came across a rather easy looking recipe for a simple marinated grilled flank steak. We forged ahead and made this recipe about a month ago. Last weekend we made it again. Very tasty and it pairs nicely with any sort of grilled potato or vegetable. Any oil and vinegar dressing you enjoy will work in this recipe. You can even save some of the marinade before you add it to the steak and mix it in with your grilled veggies or potatoes to enhance their flavour.

Quick, simple and a show stopper. Other ways to enjoy this steak is to get it ready, toss into cooler or refrigerator and take camping. Or slice it up thin and add it to a green salad. A chimichurri sauce or herb infused butter would be a nice accompaniment. Finally make Fajita’s or Tacos with it.

 

Grilled Angel Food Cake

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Grilling Angel Food Cake allows the sugar in the cake to caramelize giving this dessert a delicious flavour boost. We love to entertain with this dessert as it’s as how stopper. No on really believes you can grill angel food cake! Most of the time we buy our angel food food cake from the store to save time.

It’s fun to set up a grilled angel food cake bar. We like to put out several toppings….tonight it was chocolate sauce, blueberry sauce, strawberry sauce, vanilla ice cream, fresh cut up strawberries and peaches and fresh whipping cream. Then everyone helps themselves to whatever toppings they wish. My boy even ran to the pantry to get some sprinkles for his!

As the sugars in the angel food cake brown up quickly do not leave the grill when you are barbecuing these delicate pieces of cake. Talking from experience they can quite quickly turn black!

Cut up some fruit or scoop on some ice cream. Topping options are endless!

 

 

Shrimp New Orleans

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We have soft spot for New Orleans since we spent our honeymoon there, (pre-hurricane Katrina). It’s an incredible place to visit…full of history, great blues/jazz and delicious, soulful food.  One of many hi-lights for me was going to dinner at NOLA’s (Emeril’s Restaurant).  It was just fabulous!

While this recipe is adapted from Atco Blue Flame Kitchen, it was also inspired by our visit to New Orleans.  We definitely left our heart there when we left and hope one day we get to go back soon. 

Pizza Burgers

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If you love pizza and burgers then you will love these Pizza Burgers!

Pizza Burger
Pizza Burger

Our pizza burgers feature pepperoni that’s been chopped up, delicious pizza sauce and a few herbs and spices that are mixed with ground beef providing an undeniably tasty pizza flavoured burger.

Pizza Burger
Pizza Burger

We make these pizza burgers whenever we are entertaining as they are always a hit. Also fun to make a couple days before you go camping, freeze and bring them along for a delightful camping meal that will make other campers jealous.

We serve our pizza burgers with fried mushrooms, sometimes peppers and top it all off with mozzarella. However any favourite pizza topping will do.

These pizza burgers are featured on Food Network Canada’s website.

Cheesy Basil Flatbread

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Flatbreads are traditionally unleavened bread, which is made without yeast. Flour, water, and salt are the main ingredients and popular flatbreads are naan and pita. We like to use store bought pre-made pizza shells or fresh pizza dough we pick up at the local Italian Store. Or if you have a favourite pizza dough recipe, make it and use that for your flatbread.

Flatbreads can be used as sandwiches, to scoop up stews or curries or add some toppings and serve with dinner.

Use your favourite cheese when making this Cheesy Basil Flatbread or use the old white cheddar as recommended. This cheese or any smoked cheese adds a little bite and flavour boost. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner served with a side salad.

mozzarella-basil-flatbread

Change it up by adding roasted garlic, olives, sun dried tomatoes, salami, artichoke hearts or any of your lighter favourite toppings.

 

Chicken Pesto Burgers

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In honour of Hamburger Day…here is our favourite chicken pesto burger recipe as first posted on January 6, 2007.  This recipe has been modified since then.

If you love pesto you will love this burger. It’s not overpowering but adds such a flavour boost. My kids add additional pesto to their buns. And ketchup!