Late Night Splurge

So recently, one of my girlfriends asked, " Well Jourdan, so you like to cook. What is a good dessert I can have that won't make me feel like crap later." Well my best tip doesn't require cooking AT ALL!!!!! Here is my TIP:


I love to buy bags of frozen fruit at the grocery store.... favorites are blueberries and pineapples! Grab a hand full of your favorite, put it in a bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to take the initial "freeze" off. Drizzle a small amount of honey on top and ENJOY!!! This little treat is SWEET, COLD and WON'T kill your waist line!!!!

Set It And Forget It Beef Stroganoff

This dish is SOOOOO easy and SOOOO delicious. My family grew up with beef stroganoff as a weekly meal. After being at work all day, coming home and cooking can be a daunting task for some. With this recipe, dinner is practically done when you get home.

Ingredients
1-2 1b. Stew Meat
1 can 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can French Onion Soup
2 cups water
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cups uncooked rice
8 oz sour cream
Salt, pepper, garlic powder (SGP)


Add stew meat to slow cooker. Season with SGP. Add soups and water and stir to combine. Add in mushrooms. Set cooker on high and cook for 4 hours or on low for 8. Thirty minutes before serving, add rice and sour cream.

Caribbean Nights

On the menu
Jerk Chicken
Roasted Corn on the Cob with Spicy Sauce
Rum Punch Cooler

Jerk Chicken- for this recipe I used a whole chicken cut up and about another pound of chicken wings.


Marinade

1/2 cup malt vinegar (or white vinegar)

2 Tbsp dark rum

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 habaneros, with seeds, chopped or 6 jalapenos

1 onion, chopped

4 green onion tops, chopped

1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons ground allspice

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons molasses

Add all ingredients to a food processor and combine until well blended. Rub chicken with marinade making sure to get under skin. Place in freezer bag or covered dish and marinate over night.

* I used my oven to smoke the chicken. It is actually very easy. Here is how I did it.

1. Soak your favorite flavor of wood chips in cold water for about 30 minutes- I used hickory.

2. Place chips on the bottom of a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet that has a deep ridge.

3. Place a roasting rack on top of the chips. I used four pieces of foit squished up as raisers for the rack in each corner.

4. Cover the enire dish, including bottom, in foil. Seal tightly.

5. Heat oven to 300 degrees and smoke for 3-5 hours until juices in chicken run clear.

Roasted Corn on the Cob with Spicy Sauce

6 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

1/2 cup mayonase

1 1/2 cups sour cream

2 Tbs chili powder

2 Tbs. ground red pepper

limes

Roast corn on grill or grill pan. While corn is roasting mix together the rest of the ingredients not including lime juice. While corn is still hot, spread corn with mayo mixture and squeeze limes over corn. Serve with more wedges of lime.

Rum Punch Cooler

1 part  Dark Rum- I like Appleton

1 part Fruit Juice

1 part Orange Juice

Splash of lime juice for each cocktail

Margarita Pie

This is a pie that really screams SUMMER. It tastes just like a great margarita minus the alcohol.


Ingredients
2/3 c Margarita Mix
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
1 graham cracker pie shell


Pre-heat ovent to 400 degrees. Whisk all ingredients together and pour into shell. Bake 7-10 minutes.

Santa Fe Wraps

Ingredients
1/2 c Light Mayo
1 tablspoon lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
3 c cooked chicken, shredded
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1/4 c chopped cilantro
7 Large tortillas.


Mix mayo, lime juice and chili powder in a large bowl. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Spoon mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Cut in half at an angle to serve.

Spiked Lemon-Blueberry Sweet Tea

Ingredients
1 (12oz) package frozen blueberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 large tea bags
3/4 c sugar
Bourbon


Bring blueberries and lemon to a boil in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionaly, about 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a bowl. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add the tea bags. Let stand about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Pour in blueberry mixture and sugar. Add to a pitcher and stir in bourbon. I love the taste of bourbon so I make my a little strong. Chill for about an hour before serving.

White Bean Chili

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 cup diced onion

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper 

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped green chiles (fresh or canned)

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

2 15-ounce cans navy beans, drained and rinsed

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the chicken, cumin, white pepper and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the spinach and cook, until they are slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add the chiles and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the beans and cook for another 10 minutes.