What are you cooking this weekend?

Since summer is here everyone wants to be outside, so why not take the cooking there as well.  Lets face it the best part of grilling is there are so many different recipes to be tried. So whether you cook with charcoal, or gas grill, or even both, once it's hot you are ready to go.  of course then you sit and ponder the thought of what to try, meat poultry or fish, better yet what veggie like corn, eggplant and tomatoes. 

I find the simplest way to grill the freshest ingredients is really with some olive oil fresh ground pepper, and a sprinkling of kosher salt, that will turn yellow squash, zucchini and eggplant into something special, drizzle with some balsamic vinegar ( or if you can find balsamic glaze) and you are good to go.

A very simple grilled side dish/salad. Just brush thick slices or wedges of fennel bulbs with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, the grill over not-too-high heat. Place cut wedges on grill each cut-side. Place fennel on a bed of arugula, squeeze grilled oranges over top, reserve a wedge or 2 for garnish with fennel fronds.

Grilled spice rubbed carrots. This is very simple if you can find true baby carrots, or just use small or mini ones.  Peel the carrots if you need to, then roll them in a mixture of cumin, salt, pepper and brown sugar. Char, then move them away from direct heat and cover the grill until carrots are tender.



Grilled tomatoes. You simply need any size of a nice ripe tomato. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, grill until charred then serve with fresh mozzarella,some torn fresh basil and grilled bread.

How is this one? Grilled guacamole, another very simple recipe.  Simply halve and pit avocados,  brush with olive oil lightly, give them a   light char them, scoop out the flesh. Brush some thick red onion slices with olive oil,give another light char and then chop.  In a bowl combine, add tomatoes, lime, garlic and spices if you like. Yum!

Grilled Swordfish with Heirloom Tomatoes

4- 4-oz swordfish steaks
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups halved cherry or grape heirloom tomatoes(if you can’t find heirloom, any mix of cherry or grape tomato can be substituted)
1/4 cup fresh whole oregano leaves
kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat grill pan to medium-high heat; brush olive oil on grates. Using paper towels pat each swordfish steak dry; drizzle each side with olive oil, set aside. In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup of the olive oil, garlic and tomatoes; toss to coat.
2. Season each side of swordfish with salt and pepper. Place swordfish steaks on grill pan; cook 4 minutes each side, turning 1/4 turn half way through cooking to create cross hatch grill marks.
3. Meanwhile, place tomato mixture on another section of the grill pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until lightly charred. Transfer cooked tomatoes to a clean bowl. Fold in oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside. Spoon tomato mixture over swordfish steaks and drizzle with olive oil; serve warm.

Simple Lemon Grilled Chicken

4 bone-in split chicken breasts

Juice of 5 medium lemons

1 cup olive oil, or more as needed

zest of 2 lemons

Kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1. In a large bowl combine the lemon juice, zest, salt, garlic and cayenne. Pour the olive oil in while whisking to emulsify the marinade. Whisk it very thoroughly until it becomes almost liquid. Pour the liquid into a large zip close bag. Add the chicken breasts, seal the bag well and swish the marinade all around the meat. 
2. Store the chicken in the fridge until it you are ready to grill. It tastes best if allowed to marinate for at least 4 hours, but they can marinate for up to 24 hours in the fridge if you need to make it ahead of time.
3. Light the grill to medium flame, discard the marinade and grill the chicken until cooked through. Enjoy!

Flank Steak with Cilantro-Almond Pesto

3/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted
1 Tbsp chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 Tbsp plain fat-free yogurt
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 lb flank steak, trimmed 
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until finely chopped (about 15 seconds). Add yogurt and juice; process until smooth.
2. Grill steak 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve steak with pesto. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 

2/3 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tsp olive oil, divided
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh or 1/8 tsp dried rosemary
1/8 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 (5-inch) portobello mushroom caps
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
Cooking spray
2 tsp minced fresh parsley

1. Combine the tomato, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon oil, rosemary, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl.
2. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushroom caps using a spoon, and discard gills. Remove stems; discard. 
3. Combine 1/2 teaspoon oil, juice, and soy sauce in a small bowl; brush over both sides of mushroom caps. Place the mushroom caps, stem sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 5 minutes on each side or until soft.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture into each mushroom cap. Cover and grill 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley.

Note: Grill the mushrooms stem sides down first, so that when they're turned they'll be in the right position to be filled. If you want to plan ahead, remove the gills and stems from the mushrooms and combine the filling, then cover and chill until ready to grill.

Grilled Teriyaki Shrimp Kebabs

Sauce:
1/4 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
Kebabs:
48 large peeled and deveined shrimp (approx 1-1/2 lbs)
32- 1-inch cubed pieces fresh pineapple 
1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges
Cooking spray

1. Prepare sauce, combine teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds in a small bowl. 
2. Prepare kebabs, thread 6 shrimp, 4 pineapple chunks, and 1 onion wedge alternately onto each of 8 (10-inch) skewers. 
3. Brush kebabs with teriyaki mixture. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes or until shrimp are done, turning once.

I hope you find some inspiration here and get out there and start grilling.  Try something a little different change it up from the ordinary and see what happens.  Well until next time, have a great day enjoy life's little pleasures.

Looking for other food Ideas check out my other blog http://cherylsrecipejourney.blogspot.com/

What's For Dinner Tonight?

What is for dinner?  It is one such question that I know that has haunted so many of us.  I know it can scare some to their core, others can raise their hands in defeat before starting.  I think it is like that test you had when you went to school, you knew it was coming, but you just were never prepared for it.  You look at the clock each day, and think oh  no what am I going to cook for dinner tonight?  

Cause no one would have guessed dinner was coming again in 24 hours after the last one. 

I totally get it, just because I love to cook I know what it's like, everyday it is the same thing, as usual it is a hard to decide what to cook, who to please, and who is on what diet this week.

If I were to subscribe to my mother's way of thinking I would perpetually make reservations, or learn take out is my best friend.  Let me make this clear, I enjoy take out and love to eat out, but is cooking really that scary?  Has the daunting question of what to make really have got the best of us?   


So the fix, now don't hate me, just a little menu planning.  It is not as bad as it may seem, it can be a good thing, really.  Because if you know what’s for dinner, don't you think that your stress level might just be oh so much better.

If you think about it, shopping last minute, trying to gather everything together, then realizing, DAMN I don't have this or that what you needed for a meal.  Try a baby step, try a I only plan five dinners for one week's worth of meals.   The other two nights are whatever you chose either leftovers, dining out, or a meal from the freezer what makes you happy. Then see if the what is for dinner question is as bad as all that?

Savory Pork Chops in Creamy

 Dijon Sauce 

4-6 boneless pork chops

2 Tbsp butter - divided

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

1 Tbsp flour

1-14.5 oz can chicken broth

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp dried chives

1/2 Tbsp dried parsley

1/2 cup half-and-half

1. Lightly salt & pepper both sides of pork chops.  In a large skillet, sauté pork chops in 1 Tbsp of butter about 6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove pork chops to a serving platter.  
2. Melt the additional 1 Tbsp. of butter and gently sauté onions and garlic until soft.  Sprinkle flour over onions and stir through.  Turn the heat to medium-high and slowly add the chicken broth; stirring continuously.  
3. Add the Dijon mustard, chives, parsley, and salt.  Bring to a light boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add half-and-half; stir through and cook and additional 1 minute or until sauce is thick.

Sautéed Green Beans

1-16 oz bag whole green beans (thawed)

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

3  Tbsp  almond slivers

salt & pepper

1. In a large skillet, sauté green beans in butter and olive oil for 4-5 minutes.  Salt and Pepper to taste.
2.  Add almonds and continue to sauté for an additional 2 minutes.  Can also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

  Honey Mustard Chicken

1-3/4  lbs  boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp stone ground mustard 

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Panko Crispy Bread    crumbs 

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, stir together  honey, mustard, vinegar and sour cream.  In a second large shallow bowl, add Panko bread crumbs and dried herbs. 
2. Swirl your chicken breasts on both sides in the honey mustard mixture.  Leave sit in the mixture for a couple of seconds.  Dip in the breading mixture coating both sides well. 
3. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and lay chicken pieces evenly on the sheet.  Bake for  30 - 35 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Garlic Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes 

2 lbs medium baby red potatoes, washed, unpeeled, and quartered

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp chicken flavored soup base

2 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt, divided

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 Tbsp dried chives

1. Place potatoes and garlic in large pan and cover with water. Add 1 tsp. chicken flavored soup base and 1/4 tsp. salt to the water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. 
2. Drain well . Mash potatoes with butter, milk, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Stir in parmesan cheese and chives. Add additional milk if necessary.

  Country Inn Swiss Steak 

1-1/2 lbs thick-cut round steak

1/2 cup  flour

1 Tbsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp canola oil

1- 14-1/2 oz.  can diced tomatoes

1 medium onion, sliced

1/2 cup diced celery

3 carrots, diced

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together mustard and flour in a small bowl or cup. Sprinkle flour mixture over steak and pound it in with a meat mallet. Cut pounded steak into serving-size pieces. 
2. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. 
3. Transfer to a baking pan. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, celery, carrots, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Pour over beef.  Cover and bake until meat is tender when pierced, about 1-1/2 hours.

Lightly Buttered Egg Noodles 

8 ounces medium egg noodles

2 tsp. chicken flavored soup base

3 tablespoons butter

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and stir in chicken bouillon. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions. 
2. Drain noodles reserving 1/4 cup of liquid. Leave noodles in colander.  Pour the 1/4 cup of the noodle cooking water back into the pan. 
3. Over low heat, stirring constantly, add the butter and bring to a light simmer. Stir in parsley,  salt and pepper. Place noodles back in the pan and mix through.

Simple Roasted Broccoli

1 head broccoli, using florets only

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic, diced

salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Place olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag.  Add broccoli florets and shake well to coat.  
3. Lay broccoli in a single layer on cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

  Easy Skillet Lasagna

1-1/2 lbs. ground meat

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1-29 oz can tomato sauce

1-1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp onion salt

1 tsp oregano

dash of pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 bag medium egg noodles (about 16 oz uncooked)

1. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium high heat about 4-5 minutes.  
2. Season meat with onion salt, oregano, and pepper.  Then drain off any excess grease. Stir in can of tomato sauce and 1 1/4 cup water and bring to a slight boil. 
3. Add the egg noodles and stir until all egg noodles are covered with sauce.  Cover and simmer for about 6-7 minutes. 
4. Blend the Ricotta cheese with the parmesan cheese and drop 4 spoonfuls on top of the noodles. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over all and cover for about 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and is heated through.

 Scrumptious Lemon Chicken

1-3/4 lb. boneless chicken breast

1 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

3-1/2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 lemons

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 Tbsp.  dried parsley

1. With a sharp knife, carefully slice each chicken breast on the diagonal to make two thin breast slices. Do this to all breast pieces. 
2. Mix flour, salt, pepper together in a bag. Add chicken pieces to bag and shake until well coated.
3. Add the oil and butter to a large skillet and turn the heat to medium-high.  Let the butter melt and swirl the oil & butter with a spoon or fork on the bottom of the skillet.
4. Place the chicken into the  skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes on one side. Turn chicken over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. While the chicken is cooking, pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth into a glass measuring cup.  Squeeze into the broth the juice of 2 lemons.  Add garlic and parsley, stirring to blend.
6. Turn the heat to medium and add lemon broth mixture to the pan with chicken.  Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.  All of the broth should be cooked away leaving a tender, moist delicious lemon chicken.

Easy Rice Pilaf

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1/2 cup vermicelli or thin spaghetti, broken into small pieces

2-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1. In a medium saucepan with lid, sauté onions in butter and olive oil until onions are soft.  
2. Add rice and vermicelli  sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.  
3. Remove from heat and stir through the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Roasted Honey Carrots

10- 12 carrots (or a bag of baby carrots)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbs. honey

Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cut carrots on the diagonal into 2" lengths and halved lengthwise if carrots are thick.  
2. Place carrots in a baking dish and drizzle with oil and honey.  Lightly salt and pepper carrots and place in the oven.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  
3. Remove carrots and stir.  Place carrots back in the oven and bake for another 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Remove from oven and lightly salt carrots again.

Bonus anytime dessert

 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake 

1/2 cup Butter

1 cup Brown sugar; firmly packed

1- 20 oz can Sliced unsweetened pineapple rings; drained and dried, reserving juice

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice

1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. For the topping, melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet placed in hot oven. When melted, remove skillet from oven, swirl to coat evenly with butter, then spread brown sugar evenly over the butter. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Pat pineapple slices very dry between several thicknesses of paper towel. Cut pineapple slices in half, reserving one whole slice. Place whole pineapple slice in center of skillet, then arrange half-slices in spoke fashion around whole slice in center.
3. To make batter, in a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. 
4. Add the flour mixture alternately in batches with the milk and pineapple juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating well after each addition.
5. Spoon, or carefully pour batter over brown-sugar-pineapple topping in bottom of skillet, and spread evenly. Bake until top is golden and toothpick inserted into cake center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. 
6. Let cake cool in skillet on a rack for 5 minutes, run a thin knife around edge of cake to loosen from skillet. Place serving platter over skillet, carefully invert cake onto platter. Let stand for 1 minute before carefully lifting skillet off. 
7. Replace any pineapple stuck to bottom of skillet, scrape any remaining glaze from skillet onto cake. Cool on platter on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Summer Pasta Delights...

Let's face it, sometimes all you need at the end of the day is a big bowl of pasta, add a nice salad and viola, meal complete.  Of course when you throw the heat of summer into the mix, you don’t want anything too heavy or require you spending way too much time slaving over the stove. 







You need to prepare something fast and easy, but most of all, you need delicious and comforting. So how do you enjoy what you love without becoming a slave to your kitchen on top of everything else. Well the beauty of these recipes is the ease at which you can prepare them. Just fresh, fabulous flavors quickly combined so you can enjoy the rest of your summer night.

Bow Ties with Spinach and Cherry Tomatoes

12 oz farfalle (bow-tie) pasta 

4  Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 

1  Tbsp minced garlic

1- 10oz bag fresh spinach,thick stems removed, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1  pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add half the spinach and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook until spinach begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining spinach and cook until beginning to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp oil and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden brown. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, spinach, nuts and cheese to the pasta and toss to combine.

Caprese Pasta

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 

2 balls of mozzarella, chopped 

2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped 

1 tsp kosher salt 

Dash of pepper 

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 lb of your favorite pasta  

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, then cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, in a large bowl combine the chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and extra virgin olive oil with the salt and pepper.
3. Drain the pasta well (but don’t rinse it), then toss with the tomato mixture and serve.

Lemon Linguine with Spinach and Crispy Prosciutto

1 lbs linguine

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup minced shallots or onion

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

1  Tbsp   tablespoon(s) garlic paste

4   oz prosciutto, torn into pieces

1/3  cup(s) fresh lemon juice

1/2  tsp salt

1/2  tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 cups baby spinach,loosely packed, 

1/2  cup(s) slivered almonds, toasted

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or Grana Padano cheese, for garnish

1. In a large pot, cook linguine according to package directions, al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and grated lemon zest and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add garlic paste and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add prosciutto and cook, about 2 minutes, until crisp.
3. Drain linguine; add to skillet along with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, tossing over medium heat to combine.
4. Place spinach in a large bowl. Add hot linguine mixture to spinach, tossing to combine. Stir in pine nuts. Garnish with cheese.