Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Cedar-Planked Grilled Salmon

Salmon on the grill is one of my favorite ways to prepare salmon. But put that salmon on a cedar plank, and then on the grill, and it takes it up to another level altogether. When we lived in the Northwest region of the U.S., it was easy for us to get delicious, wild Alaskan salmon. My favorite of all is sockeye. It has a brilliant red color that stays around even after cooking. It has more of the brain-boosting omega 3's than some other varieties of salmon, and it just tastes so darn good. The photo to the right is a pic I took last year of some freshly-grilled sockeye.

Here, if we want wild Alaskan salmon, the only variety available is frozen Coho salmon. Coho is my least favorite kind of salmon, but it still very yummy when grilled on a cedar plank. (The first pic on this post is the coho we grilled last night- it's not as brilliantly colored as the sockeye. I used dried dill, too, since it's hard for me to find fresh here.)
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I used this post from Eating, Etc. as a guide when making this. Since my pieces of salmon were small (no more beautiful, huge slabs of it for me) I used the rest of the rub on some chicken and grilled that too.
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Your plank may catch on fire, even if you have soaked it enough. It's a good idea to have a spray bottle of water by the grill, to put out the flare-ups that might happen.
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Cedar-Planked Salmon
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Salmon Rub:
4T olive oil
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
2T dried or 1/4c fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp ground black pepper
1T fresh lemon juice
1tsp lemon zest
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2-3 lb salmon filet, scored to the skin
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1) Soak untreated plank(s) in water, weighting it down so it is completely submerged, for 30 minutes to 24 hours (I used a jelly-roll pan and it worked great-just make sure the plank is completely covered by water).
2) Preheat grill on high heat.
3) Mix Salmon Rub ingredients together and rub over scored salmon to coat.
4) Place soaked wood plank on hot grill grate. Close lid & watch closely until wood starts to smoke (about 5 minutes).
5) Place salmon on hot plank. Reduce heat to low & cook covered until salmon is opaque throughout (about 20-25 minutes).

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Whole-Grain Waffles

I made this recipe up a few years ago, taking my then-fave waffle recipes and changing a bunch of the ingredients to healthier ones. Since then, I've found that subbing oat flour, or whole wheat white flour, for the (small amount of) all-purpose, works well, and makes it a 100% whole grain recipe. The oat flour, especially, acts just like white flour and these waffles are suprisingly light, fluffy and crispy.

You may need to spray your waffle iron with cooking spray between each waffle when making these. Also, when you first mix up the batter, it will be quite runny. Set it aside for about 2 minutes (while your waffle heater heats up!) It should thicken up. If not, mix in small amounts of whole wheat pastry flour until you get your desired thickness.

Try to use whole wheat pastry flour- it really makes these waffles. Regular whole wheat flour will work, but keep in mind that the waffles will be a lot heavier.

Whole Grain Waffles

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups skim milk (I only use 1 1/2 cups now because of my humid climate)
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or oat flour, or white whole wheat flour)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add rest of ingredients and beat until batter is smooth. Preheat a waffle iron, and coat with cooking spray. Pour batter into waffle iron in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown. Serve with real maple syrup, or fruit syrup, jam, or yogurt.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Homemade Yogurt... in the Slow Cooker!

Fellow blogger Eating, Etc. made homemade yogurt in the crockpot a while ago, and I've been intrigued ever since! I've always wanted to make my own yogurt, but didn't want to bother with a yogurt maker. Well, it turns out you don't even need one! This is so exciting.... all you need is a crockpot, regular pasteurized milk (don't use ultra-pasteurized), and some plain yogurt for your starter.

I suggest going to Eating, Etc's blog and reading her entire post on homemade yogurt, for it is very informative. I'll copy and past her instructions here. This is what she's learned after making her own yogurt for a few months now. Make sure you follow all the steps, like wrapping the crockpot up (I used a thick blanket, since beach towels are scarce around here) and draining the whey. I actually forgot about mine and drained it too long, and the result was the ultra-thick and creamy yogurt you can see in the photo. I love it!! If you drain your yogurt long enough- it should be plenty thick, without having to add things like powdered milk or gelatin.  I ate it drizzled with light-colored rosemary honey from mainland Portugal, and chopped pistachios.

Homemade Yogurt in the Crockpot
8c (1/2 gallon) pasteurized milk ( NOT ultra-pasteurized)
1c active culture plain yogurt (to use as your starter)
3qt (or larger) crock-pot
large thick beach towel

1) Turn crockpot on low.

2) Add milk; cover & cook on low for 2-1/2 hours to 3 hours.

3) Unplug crock-pot. Keep lid on, and completely wrap crock-pot in large, thick beach towel, for insulation, and let sit for 3-4 hours. (It seems like it's ready to me when I dip a spoon in it and the spoon is sort of slightly coated, rather than the milk running right off the spoon like water, if that tip helps you!)

4) At the end of 3-4 hours, in a small bowl, whisk 1c active culture plain yogurt (to use as your yogurt starter) with 1-2c of the milk from the crock-pot. Return it to the crock-pot.

5) Keeping crockpot unplugged, completely re-wrap in heavy beach towel.

6) Allow to sit for 8 hours. (I've let it sit for 10-12 hours!)

7) Yogurt will have thickened. Don't be alarmed when you see a watery looking glob in your crockpot. You're not done yet! You need to separate the watery whey from the actual yogurt. To do this, simply ladle yogurt into a paper coffee filter within a fine wire mesh strainer and allow to drain into a bowl. (I set up an "assembly-line" with 4 bowls & 4 strainers to speed up the process.) I let it sit for about 30 minutes or more, so it comes out quite dry.  (I do about 4 hours now). 

8) Then run the drained yogurt through the blender to make it creamier.  (I skip this part- I find it thins it out too much.)

9) Serve with favorite fresh or dried fruits, honey, or jam/preserves.

10) In a non-reactive container (non-metal), set aside 1c as your starter for your next batch.

11) Store in covered container and refrigerate. Will stay fresh for 7-10 days.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Friday, September 25, 2009

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I spotted these delicious-looking bars over at Culinary Concoctions by Peabody a while ago, and have had them bookmarked ever since. I was waiting to make them until I had a half-container of mascarpone cheese lying around, (and a little time on my hands) and that moment came yesterday. :) You'll notice that my bars look a little darker than Peabody's; that's because I used half whole-wheat pastry flour. Not really on purpose; I started out using only 1/2 cup ww pastry flour, but then I ran out of white flour and was too lazy to open a new bag, so I ended up using exactly half white, half ww pastry. There are no adverse effects from this at all; the only thing I noticed was the darker color (which usually isn't so visible when using ww pastry for baked goods). Oh, also, my top didn't get as crackly as Peabody's, but I was ok with that.

These bars are extremely chewy, delicious, cinnamony...... I baked them before dinner, and couldn't stop cutting myself a tiny piece, over and over again, when I was making dinner. They're popular with the kids, too. ;)

I used a glass baking pan, so my baking time was longer.

Snickerdoodle Blondies
by Peabody

8 ounces (two sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
3 ounces Mascarpone cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups all-purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar for coating (about 1/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar and move pan around to make sure that the bottom and sides are coated. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cream of tarter. Using an stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat for three minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the Mascarpone cheese and beat until fully incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. On low speed add the sifted flour mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. This will be hard as it is a thick batter. I found it easiest to just wet my hands a little and press the batter into the pan. Then even it out afterwards with a spatula. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar on top of the batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili

Today is the first day of fall, so I wanted to make something to match that (although it's still warm during the day here). I had an appointment in the late afternoon, when I'm usually making dinner, so I needed something in the crockpot. I had tomato juice, a green pepper, and fresh tomatoes to use up, also. So, this chili was born! It was nice and thick with great flavor. I added some smoked paprika as an experiment, but I don't think I added enough; I'll have to add more next time.

Slow Cooker Ground Beef Chili
1 pound lean (93/7) ground beef
1 small-medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2-3 fresh tomatoes (seeded, if desired; leave the peel on)
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
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sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips, for serving
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Brown and crumble ground beef in a skillet on the stove-top. Add to a large slow-cooker. Add the rest of ingredients. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Serve with sour cream, cheese, and chips, if desired.
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
This ice cream recipe is a wonderful way to use homemade Dulce de Leche. I found this recipe on Cafe Johnsonia a while ago (when it was first posted there). Before discovering this amazing recipe, my husband and I used to (occasionaly) buy Haagen Dazs cartons of Dulce de Leche ice cream and share them after the kids were in bed- it was some of the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Thank goodness I discovered Cafe Johnsonia's recipe though, because now I can easily make it at home, and we can enjoy it more often. :) (Especially since, after moving overseas, the price of a small container of Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche costs about the equivalent of $12 USD).

The only change I make to her original recipe is to reduce the sugar- I've found that with the sweetness of the Dulce de Leche, we only need 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Don't be scared to try a cooked ice cream recipe, using eggs. I love the richness and smoothness that eggs impart to homemade ice cream. If you get all of your ingredients and tools ready beforehand, you can have a very smooth ice-cream making experience. For instance, I use my stand mixer to beat the egg yolks while I'm waiting for my milk and Dulce de Leche to heat up on the stove. So, I move my stand mixer close to the stove. (That thing is heavy! Be careful if you do this.) This way I can take the hot milk mixture off the stove and quickly whisk it into the egg mixture, and then pour it all back into the pan again.

It's also important to strain the cooked egg mixture (before refrigerating), to get any bits of cooked egg out. You may think you've done such a good job whisking that there aren't any cooked egg bits, but you never know, and it's better to be safe than sorry. (I just use a regular strainer for this, perched over a big bowl.)

I always chill my cooked ice cream mixture overnight, before freezing into ice cream. This way, you know that it's cold enough, and will freeze quickly and correctly.  (New pics; first and last on this post, taken March 2014.)

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

2 14-oz. cans dulce de leche** (purchased, or homemade)
2 cups whole milk
4-6 egg yolks (depending on how rich you want it)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cream, cold (heavy or light cream will both work)
dash of salt

1.  Whisk together one can of dulce de leche and the whole milk in a medium saucepan. Heat gently over medium heat until very hot, but not boiling. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color--you can also use an electric mixer.

2.  Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the eggs while whisking. Pour back into pan. Gently cook over low to medium heat, until it starts to thicken and reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. (Don't let it exceed 180 degrees, or it will curdle. If you don't have a thermometer, cook until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.) Strain the cooked custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and add the cold cream.

3.  Chill until very cold (like overnight) and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions. Place 1/4 of the ice cream in a freezer-proof container. Dollop with 1/2 to 1 teaspoonfuls of dulce de leche. Top with another 1/4 of the ice cream. Repeat until all ice cream has been transferred to the container and most of the dulce de leche has been dolloped. (You will probably only use 1/2 of the remaining can.) Use a knife tip to swirl the dulce de leche through the ice cream. Place in the freezer for several hours to harden before serving. Makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Friday, September 18, 2009

Dulce de Leche

It's very easy to whip up your own Dulce de Leche (or Doce de Leite), given you have a can of sweetened condensed milk on hand. (Of course, you can also make it from scratch with milk, but I haven't ventured there yet). I'm not in the "boil-unopened-can-for-hours camp; that's too scary for me to try. And when you're able to (safely, and easily) make it in the oven, there's no reason to boil un-opened cans!

I use a method from David Lebovitz, found here. And since Mr. Lebovitz lives in France, I used a can of sweetened condensed milk I picked up when we visited France this summer (just for fun and laughs). It's great to visit different countries and pick up fun souvenirs, like..... cans of sweetened condensed milk.

Dulce de Leche or Confiture de Lait by David Lebovitz

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop (Ten Speed Press)

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C). Pour one can (400 gr/14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a glass pie plate or shallow baking dish. Stir in a few flecks of sea salt.
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Set the pie plate within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan, and add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate. Cover the pie plate snugly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours. (Check a few times during baking and add more water to the roasting pan as necessary).

Once the Dulce de Leche is nicely browned and caramelized, remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, whisk until smooth.
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Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Warm gently in a warm water bath or microwave oven before using.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Garlic Cheese Flatbread

A few days ago, I made some delicious Tomato-Basil Soup from Eating, Etc's blog. My family really likes to have something to dip into soup, so I decided to make Garlic Cheese Flatbread from Allrecipes. I've made it a few times before, and it's always popular. I've made some changes to this recipe, which I will write in my instructions below. The dough is sticky, and it's meant to be, so only add as much flour as necessary to be able to handle it. I ended up adding about 1/2 cup extra, which is more than I did the first time making it, but I live in a very humid climate now.

You might want to double this recipe if you have a larger family- for me, it makes about a 12-inch round flat loaf. Not that I measured. :)

Garlic Cheese Flatbread
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water, 105-110 degrees F
1 cups bread flour (all-purpose works, too)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 tablespoons butter, softened
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded, mixed Italian cheeses

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the surface of the warm water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve. Add the flours, salt, sugar, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and olive oil. Beat with a sturdy spoon until dough is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. (May need to add a little extra flour). Cover, and set aside until doubled in size, about 35 minutes. (Can use a stand mixer for this).

2. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a floured surface, adding a bit more flour if necessary. Roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness or to the size of your baking sheet. (I use a round pizza pan). Place on a greased baking sheet and spread butter over the top. Sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and Italian cheese. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Serve warm.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Monday, September 14, 2009

Fall-ish Type Food

Last week, we had rain (TONS of it), wind, and clouds every single day. It was definitely starting to feel like fall, or the End of Time. What? Nevermind. Anyway, today, the sun is out, the sky is blue, and it's warm again. The weather can't make up it's mind, which makes it hard for me to decide weather to keep grilling summery food, or make "fall food"!
Yesterday, though, we had a lovely fall-ish, comfort-style meal. My Mom used to make this for the fam when I was still in high school, and I really enjoyed it then. I've adapted the recipe for the slow cooker, which wasn't too hard. You just cook everything in a slow cooker instead of a pan on the stovetop. I doubled the tomato sauce, since I like things quite saucy. I love the herbs in here- dill, caraway seed, paprika, and I love the addition of sour cream, too.
The recipe originally comes from Taste of Home. And, it's from a cattle-ranchin' Canadian woman- no wonder it's so good!
(Note: You can use light sour cream for this recipe, but just know that it will curdle a bit. I decided to go for the full-fat this time.)

Slow Cooker Beef and Noodles
from Taste of Home

1-2 lb boneless beef round steak, rump steak, etc.
2 large onions, chopped 
3 tablespoons butter 
1/4 cup water, or beef broth
1 can (16 ounces) tomato sauce 
1 teaspoons sugar 
3 teaspoons paprika 
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons caraway seeds 
2 teaspoon dill weed 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream 
Hot cooked noodles (I used whole wheat)

1.  In a large skillet, cook onions in 2 tablespoons butter until almost tender. Remove to slow cooker. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the same saucepan, and sear the beef on both sides. Add meat to slow cooker. Pour 1/4 cup water (or liquid of choice) into hot skillet to deglaze. Stir up cooked brown bits with a spoon, and add this liquid to the slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix the next nine ingredients. Pour over meat in slow cooker; turn slow cooker to Low, and cook for about 8 hours. If cooking on High, cook for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender. Shred meat with two forks, and stir to coat with sauce. Turn off slow cooker, and whisk in the sour cream. Serve with noodles. Yield: 4-7 servings.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Grilled Dijon Pork Chops

We grill quite often, and I'm learning to handle the grill now. :D So many things are so delicious on the grill- meats, breads, veggies, and fruit. We grilled pork chops the other day. They were delicious, sweet/salty, and very easy, as well. I adapted this recipe from Allrecipes.com.

Grilled Dijon Pork Chops
1/4 cup dijon mustard (I used a mix of dijon and spicy brown)
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless pork chops

Combine the first 5 ingredients; place pork chops in a large re-sealable plastic bag, and add marinade. Seal out all the air in the bag, making sure all pork is covered. Place in the fridge overnight. Coat grill rack with cooking spray or oil, and turn grill on, to medium. Grill pork chops, covered, for 6-10 minutes on each side, or until meat reaches a temperature of 160 degrees. (Discard marinade.)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pan Pizza, Revisited

The Pizza Hut Pan Pizza recipe I made back in April has been so popular with my family that I've been making a lot of it lately, mostly for Friday family movie nights. The last 2 times I made this recipe, I made 2 pepperoni/cheese pizzas, and one pesto/red onion/feta cheese/olive pizza. I loved, loved, LOVED the pesto one..... it was wonderful with all of those flavors on top. The toppings are similar to this Greek Pesto Pizza I've made before, but it's still a little different with the thick pan crust. I thought the pesto pizza was way better than the pepperoni one, and my daughter agreed with me.

Toppings for Pesto Pizza:
1/4- 1/3 cup prepared basil pesto
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 small red onion, sliced, then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
handful chopped black or Kalamata olives

Top pizza dough with these toppings, and bake pizza at 420-450 degrees for 10-15 minutes (for thick crust).
**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Cheesy Potatoes Romanoff

I made another delicious recipe from my friend's blog, Eating, Etc. the other day. Some might call me a blog stalker, but that's ok. This recipe is simple, easy to throw together, and delicious! I used extra-sharp cheddar and cut back on the onions (for the babies sake- I used about 1/4 medium onion instead of 1 whole, large onion). I really liked the onion flavor, though, and would have been happy with more.

I can't get Russets over here, so I used large waxy yellow potatoes, and the texture was very nice; just perfect. I used my handheld potato-masher to get the right consistency.

Potatoes Romanoff
Serves 4-6

3 large Russet potatoes, boiled in skin
1c+ cheddar cheese, grated
1c+ sour cream
1 large onion, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Grease 9x9 baking dish.
3) Peel cooked potatoes and grate or run through potato ricer.
4) In a large bowl, mix together cheese, sour cream, chopped onion, salt & pepper.
5) Add potatoes and mix well.
6) Place in baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 F.
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**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken

We've been grilling a lot lately, and one of my main go-to grilling meats is this lemon-garlic chicken. I've been making it at least since we got our new grill, which was about 8 months ago. It's simple, uses ingredients I always have on hand, and is pretty fast. I like to use boneless, skinless chicken tenders, because they're so darn tender, and they cook quicker too. It's also easier to dole out small portions to the youngins. I usually don't have the foresight to marinate this overnight, but it would be good if I did. I usually just do a few hours. Also, like a lot of recipes on this blog, I'm just guessing at the measurments, since I don't measure when I make this.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
sprinkle lemon pepper (I like TJ's LP Grinder)
sea salt, to taste

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, lemon pepper, and salt together in a small bowl. Place chicken tenders in a shallow dish, and pour marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Grill chicken on an outdoor grill until done.

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Attack of the Mutant Alien Cow

This started out as an innocent little project- I thought that it would be fun to make a cute cow cake for my little guy having a birthday. (BTW, there are a ton of cute cake ideas on the Family Fun Website. ) I've made a few of these types of cakes before, but this one was by far the hardest one, mainly due to frosting spreadablity problems. It was really frustrating, but I finally got it all together, and then put the akward mouth and nose on. I used Whoppers for the eyes.

Right when I finished the face, the phone rang. I went upstairs to talk, and after 15 minutes, realized I hadn't heard from my little guy the whole time. I went downstairs, and he had a stool pulled up to the counter, and was leisurely poking and prodding at his cake, adding more Whoppers to random places. The poor cow ended up with about 6 Whopper eyes, but I couldn't really remove them without messing the cake up even more, so I just left them.

Now the poor cow cake is even wierder looking, but at least it's tasty, and the birthday boy seemed to like it. He didn't actually eat any.... he was too busy playing with new toys. My kids don't seem to actually eat their birthday cake until they're 4 or 5. Oh well, the rest of us enjoyed it!
(I'm kinda scared this cake might end up on that sad/wierd/scary cakes-gone-wrong blog!)

**This post and photos are property of http://dishingwithdish.blogspot.com/ **