Monday, June 18, 2012

Monday Munchies - Hawaiian Chicken Marinade

I tried grilling alone for the first time ever last week.  It was a little scary, but for being a newbie I think it turned out pretty good!  This marinade is one of my favorites, so I figured if I used the marinade whatever I grilled should at least be edible!  I had some chicken breasts in the freezer so I thawed those out, but I've also made this recipe with pork chops, and it's delicious as well.

Hawaiian Chicken Marinade 
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Place the chicken in a large ziploc bag. Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, cayenne, lime juice and ground ginger and pour into the ziploc bag with the chicken. Seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.  This is super tasty with a fruit salsa on it too, we served these with peach salsa from Sam's Club for a party my brother had last year, it was a great addition, or some grilled pineapple is always good too!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Monday Munchies - Spinach Salad/Honey Wheat Bread

It was a great weekend in Jackson.  Friday night a bunch of my friends and I went camping at Shadow Mountain, and had a great time!  The sheriff came by and let us know that a grizzly had been spotted just a couple hundred yards from our campsite, but we just carried some bear spray and continued on with our fun.  The food was ridiculous - Jackson peeps know how to do camp food! We cooked brats, s'mores and cinnamon rolls over the fire (if you don't know what a pie iron is check them out, SO many possibilities)!  There was also some birthday pie that may have made a second appearance at breakfast...but anyway, after all that sugary food I was ready for some healthier food on Sunday.  So, this was dinner!

Spinach Salad with Strawberries
Salad:
2 bags of spinach
1 and 1/2 pints of strawberries
1 can mandarin oranges
Sliced Onions
(I also added some bacon and hard boiled eggs since we were eating this for our main dish)

Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
1 and 1/2 t. minced dry onion
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. paprika

Topping:
2 T. sesame seeds
1 T. poppy seeds
1/4 c. slivered almonds

Directions:
Mix salad ingredients together.
Mix dressing ingredients together, be sure the sugar dissolves and everything is well mixed. (I like to put the dressing in something with a tight fitting lid that you can shake to mix thoroughly. Coffee creamer containers work perfectly!)
Pour dressing over salad (or just let people add the dressing individually if you don't expect to eat the whole salad - it wilts badly after it sits overnight in the dressing).
Add toppings before serving.

Adapted from: My dad's co-workers Janice and Joan

Honey Wheat Bread 
2 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast (2 and 1/8 at high altitude)
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 whole milk
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon melted butter or oil
1 teaspoon (add another 1/4 t. in high altitude)
1 cup unbleached bread flour
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
EITHER 2 T. milk or 1 egg + 1 t. water to brush over top

Directions: 
In a cup, combine yeast warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar. Stir and set aside 3-4 minutes till mixture bubbles up. Meanwhile in a small sauce pan, combine milk, 1/2 cup water, butter, salt and honey and set over low heat till mixture feels quite warm — about 120 degrees and bubbles form around the edge of the liquid. Pour mixture into a large bowl and let cool till you can touch it comfortably — to about 110 degrees. Stir in 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white bread flour. Then add yeast mixture and beat hard for several minutes by hand, or be smart and use the paddle attachment on your electric mixer. Gradually stir in the remaining 1/4 to 1/2 cups of wheat flour. Continue mixing till dough comes together and looks stretchy. To knead with mixer switch to dough hook and mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes. Or put dough on table and mix by hand. Add more flour if necessary. Now you are ready for the first rise. Place dough in a oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place till almost double, about 45 minutes. Once dough has risen, punch it down and turn it out onto floured surface and knead it once or twice. Return dough to oiled bowl and let rise again 40-45 minutes.

While dough is doing its second rise, prepare a loaf pan with a little bit of oil or non stick spray. Preheat oven to 375 (or 425 at high altitude). Now make the loaf. Punch down the dough and and knead it a few times on the floured counter. Pat and press the dough into a 8x11 rectangle. Roll the dough into a log about 3 1/2 by 11 and pinch the ends to seal, Set the seam side down in the prepared loaf pan cover lightly with oiled plastic wrap and set to rise for the last time. This time the dough only needs to get 1/3 larger. Brush the top of the loaf with milk or some egg wash for color. Bake loaf for 30 minutes at 357 (or 15 minutes at 425, then lower oven to 375 and bake for 30 minutes more for high altitude).  If you want to test doneness by thermometer, it should register 190-195 when fully cooked. You could also do the sound check by tapping on the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles. It should sound hollow. Cool the bread on a wire rack and slice with a serrated knife. Eat it warm, with butter smeared on top. :)

Source: Pie in the Sky - awesome cookbook for high altitude baking!

Monday, June 4, 2012

Monday Munchies - Chocolate Zucchini Cake


This past week went by SO quickly I can hardly believe it's time for another installment of Monday Munchies! I was at my Missouri home last week for my dad's retirement, and I found some zucchini in the fridge that really needed to be used. If I learned anything about cooking from my dad, it's that chocolate zucchini cake is one of the best ways to get your daily recommended amount of veggies eaten. He also claims that since the cake has vegetables, it can be consumed for breakfast...I'll let you be the final judge of that! It's a rich and delicious chocolate cake, and for zucchini haters, you'd never know it was in there. Also, make sure you have a glass of milk with your slice of cake, it's kind of a necessity!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c, vegetable oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk (you can also substitute sour cream or yogurt)
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c, Dutch-process cocoa
2 c. shredded zucchini
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lighlty grease a 9" x 13" pan.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the eggs.

Stir in the buttermilk alternately with the flour. Then add the cocoa, mixing till smooth. Finally, fold in the zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 c. chocolate chips evenly over the top of the batter. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, till the top springs back lightly when touched, and it seems set. 


Remove the cake from oven, and eat it warm.  Serve with some powdered sugar sprinkled over the top and maybe a drizzle of chocolate sauce.  Enjoy those vegetables!

Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour