Avril Lavigne shared this recipe in People magazine last month and I made it for our birthday party, too. It was very quick and easy to make and very good.
1 loaf French bread, sliced into 1 inch slices
2-3 tbsp. butter, softened
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, dices
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
6 large basil leaves, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter once side of each piece of bread and place pieces on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes or until bread is golden brown. (I just lightly toasted the bread without butter).
2. In a bowl, mix tomatoes, garlic, basil, lemon juice, and olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top each piece of bread with about a tablespoon of the tomato mixture. Serve.
Makes 20-25 pieces
Friday, February 18, 2011
Tandoori Chicken Sticks
These chicken sticks were very good and I look forward to making them again. The recipes was found in the 500 Best Ever Recipes: Appetizers, too, on page 107. There is a yogurt sauce/dip that goes with it, but we didn't make it, so I will not be sharing it here, either.
3/4 c. yogurt (6 oz.)
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 lemon, juice and grated rind
2 tbsp. mint, chopped
1. Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor and process thoroughly until smooth. Pour in shallow dish.
2. Freez chicken for 5 minutes to firm up, then slice into half horizontally. Cut slices into 3/4 inch strips and add to marinade. Toss to coat well. Cover and chill 6-8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat broiler and line bake sheet with foil. (I used our George Forman Grill). Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from marinade and arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Scrunch up to make chicken wavy. Broil 4-5 minutes until brown and just cooked, turn once.
Makes 25
3/4 c. yogurt (6 oz.)
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 lemon, juice and grated rind
2 tbsp. mint, chopped
1. Combine all ingredients in bowl of food processor and process thoroughly until smooth. Pour in shallow dish.
2. Freez chicken for 5 minutes to firm up, then slice into half horizontally. Cut slices into 3/4 inch strips and add to marinade. Toss to coat well. Cover and chill 6-8 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat broiler and line bake sheet with foil. (I used our George Forman Grill). Use a slotted spoon to remove chicken from marinade and arrange on baking sheet in single layer. Scrunch up to make chicken wavy. Broil 4-5 minutes until brown and just cooked, turn once.
Makes 25
Spicy Moroccan Olives (2 ways)
These delightfully spiced finger foods come right out of a recipe book my Uncle Dustin & Aunt Tracy gave me last year for my birthday; 500 Best Ever Recipes: Appetizers. It is featured on page 27 and each recipe has its nutritional information at the bottom of the page and I will include it at the end of the recipes. I made both versions of olives, one with Kalamata olives and one with a mix of green and tan olives. I don't care for olives outright, they have to be in food, but alone I just don't care for them, but everyone else seemed to really like them. By the end of the night they were all just about gone, as I had a pound of each one.
Spicy Herbal Marinade
1 lb. green or tan olives, unpitted (you can use any olive, even if already in a marinade, just rinse thoroughly)
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
good pinch of cayenne pepper
good pinch of ground cumin
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
Hot Chili Marinade
1 lb. olives, unpitted
4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
1 red chili, seeded & sliced
1/4 lemon, cut into thin strips
For both Marinades:
1. Crack the olives, hard enough to break the flesh but taking care not to crack the pits. Place in a bowl of cold water and leave overnight to remove excess brine. Drain thoroughly and divide olives between two jars.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the spicy herbal marinade in a jug or pitcher. Pour over the olives in the jars, (divide evenly between the two) and add more olive oil and lemon juice to cover if necessary. (I put each kind with a different marinade in bowls and just stirred them every 6 hours or so one day in advance).3. Make hot chili marinade the same way and put over olives in second bowl or jar. Store both in refrigerator for at least a week, shaking them occasionally.
NOTE: You can vary the marinades by experimenting with different herbs and spices. Trading lime juice for lemon juice and flavored vinegar. These marinated olives make great gifts.
NUTRITION INFO: 99 calories, 0.6g carbohydrates, 0.2g sugar, 0mg cholesterol, 38mg calcium, 1.5g fiber.
Spicy Herbal Marinade
1 lb. green or tan olives, unpitted (you can use any olive, even if already in a marinade, just rinse thoroughly)
3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
good pinch of cayenne pepper
good pinch of ground cumin
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. lemon juice
Hot Chili Marinade
1 lb. olives, unpitted
4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger root, grated
1 red chili, seeded & sliced
1/4 lemon, cut into thin strips
For both Marinades:
1. Crack the olives, hard enough to break the flesh but taking care not to crack the pits. Place in a bowl of cold water and leave overnight to remove excess brine. Drain thoroughly and divide olives between two jars.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the spicy herbal marinade in a jug or pitcher. Pour over the olives in the jars, (divide evenly between the two) and add more olive oil and lemon juice to cover if necessary. (I put each kind with a different marinade in bowls and just stirred them every 6 hours or so one day in advance).3. Make hot chili marinade the same way and put over olives in second bowl or jar. Store both in refrigerator for at least a week, shaking them occasionally.
NOTE: You can vary the marinades by experimenting with different herbs and spices. Trading lime juice for lemon juice and flavored vinegar. These marinated olives make great gifts.
NUTRITION INFO: 99 calories, 0.6g carbohydrates, 0.2g sugar, 0mg cholesterol, 38mg calcium, 1.5g fiber.
Aunt Michelle's Homemade Clam Chowder
This recipe is my Aunt Michelle's recipe that she shared for the family cookbook I put together in 2001. I made it for the first time in Guam and it was a huge hit! I still make it for special occasions or when asked and it is still a huge hit with everyone as it was at our birthday party!
2 (6 oz.) cans minced clams
1 c. onion, chopped
3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 c. potatoes, diced (I tend to double the potatoes)
1 c. celery (when I double the potatoes, I take out the celery & Jarom doesn't care to have celery in his chowder)
3/4 c. butter or margarine
1 qt. half & half
1 tsp. pepper
1. Drain clams, pouring juice over vegetables in a saucepan. Add enough water just to cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.
2. While vegetables are simmering, in a large pot melt butter. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add half & half, mixing as you go, until smooth. Stir constantly until it thickens. Do NOT boil!
3. Stir vegetable mixture into half & half mixtures. Add clams and seasoning. (At this point, I low it to cook on low for about 10-15 minutes to get all the flavors combined more and then serve.)
4. Serve with oyster crackers or in sourdough bowls, optional.
2 (6 oz.) cans minced clams
1 c. onion, chopped
3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 c. potatoes, diced (I tend to double the potatoes)
1 c. celery (when I double the potatoes, I take out the celery & Jarom doesn't care to have celery in his chowder)
3/4 c. butter or margarine
1 qt. half & half
1 tsp. pepper
1. Drain clams, pouring juice over vegetables in a saucepan. Add enough water just to cover and simmer until vegetables are tender.
2. While vegetables are simmering, in a large pot melt butter. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add half & half, mixing as you go, until smooth. Stir constantly until it thickens. Do NOT boil!
3. Stir vegetable mixture into half & half mixtures. Add clams and seasoning. (At this point, I low it to cook on low for about 10-15 minutes to get all the flavors combined more and then serve.)
4. Serve with oyster crackers or in sourdough bowls, optional.
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
This has become a fast favorite and it is healthy, as the chips are baked not fried and they use butter flavor cooking spray, instead of butter or margarine. I cannot remember where I got this recipe as, I wrote it down on a recipe card but I didn't note it in my notebook that I have here. However, I shared this recipe last year and the original post will have that source.
2 kiwis, peeled & diced (I used 1/2 c. chopped fresh pineapple)
2 apples, peeled, cores & diced
8 oz. raspberries, cut in half
1 lb. strawberries, washed, stemmed & diced
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. fruit preserves, any flavor (I used cherry)
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavor cooking spray
2 c. cinnamon-sugar
1. In a large bowl, combine fruits, sugars, and preserves. Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat one side of flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and spray with cooking spray again. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. bake wedges 8-10 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool and serve with fruit salsa.
2 kiwis, peeled & diced (I used 1/2 c. chopped fresh pineapple)
2 apples, peeled, cores & diced
8 oz. raspberries, cut in half
1 lb. strawberries, washed, stemmed & diced
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. fruit preserves, any flavor (I used cherry)
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavor cooking spray
2 c. cinnamon-sugar
1. In a large bowl, combine fruits, sugars, and preserves. Mix thoroughly. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat one side of flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and spray with cooking spray again. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Arrange on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. bake wedges 8-10 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool and serve with fruit salsa.
Birthday Recipes
We had a birthday party for us and our neighbor on February 5th and you know me, I made all kinds of food for it. I wanted to make all the desserts but I just didn't have time, as I was also studying for my CBEST exam the morning of the party. It is a four hour exam. I had that in the morning and then the afternoon to finish food and the party at 6pm.
I prepped as much as I could with the time I had but I still had a lot to do. I wanted to make a Croquembouche but just did not have time, so I plan to make it when we return from Oregon, next week.
The party was a great time! We danced and bowled on the Wii, played pool, the guys watched the UFC fight upstairs, and of course, visited. Here is a list of snacks we had at the party, the ones with an * are the recipes that will follow:
vegetable tray with ranch dip
fruit salsa with cinnamon chips*
Aunt Michelle's clam chowder*
Tandoori Chicken Sticks*
2 kinds Moroccan Olives*
Bruschetta*
I prepped as much as I could with the time I had but I still had a lot to do. I wanted to make a Croquembouche but just did not have time, so I plan to make it when we return from Oregon, next week.
The party was a great time! We danced and bowled on the Wii, played pool, the guys watched the UFC fight upstairs, and of course, visited. Here is a list of snacks we had at the party, the ones with an * are the recipes that will follow:
vegetable tray with ranch dip
fruit salsa with cinnamon chips*
Aunt Michelle's clam chowder*
Tandoori Chicken Sticks*
2 kinds Moroccan Olives*
Bruschetta*
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