Saturday Recipe Recap

I thought I would try something different for Saturday and just post the recap of the week's recipes here, to see what we experienced this week.  Hope you enjoyed the journey, and even more I hope you have a great weekend!  See you on Monday!

SCORPION BOWL

12 oz. Orange juice

8 oz. Lemon juice

3 oz. Orgeat syrup

12 0z. Puerto Rico Rum

2 oz. Brandy

1. Blend with 4 cups crushed ice and pour into large (tiki) bowl. 
2. Add ice cubes to fill. Garnish with a flower. 

BARBECUED SPAM KABOBS

1/4 c Minced onion

2 tb Cooking oil

6 oz tomato juice 

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

4 sm Red potatoes; cut in half

1 lg Green bell pepper

2 sm Onions

1- 12 oz can Spam; cubed*

8 Mushrooms

1. In small saucepan, saute onion in oil until transparent. Add tomato juice, brown sugar, vinegar, and cayenne; bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer sauce, uncovered, 10 minutes. 
2. Wash potatoes (leaving skins on), cook in small amount boiling salted water until tender, then drain. Seed and cut green pepper into 16 pieces. Cut each onion into 4 wedges. 
3. Alternate potato, green pepper, Spam, mushrooms, and onions on long skewers. Place on broiling pan; brush with barbecue sauce. Broil at least 3 inches from heat source 15 minutes, turning and brushing with sauce after 5 and 10 minutes.

** You may substitute chicken for Spam***

PORK CHOPS WITH APPLES

3 medium tart apples, 

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vegetable oil

4 pork chops

1/4 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup apple cider or juice

1. Peel, core and thinly slice apples, and sprinkle with nutmeg. 
2. In non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add pork chops, salt and pepper. After about 5 minutes, turn chops to brown other side. After 5 minutes, add apples and cover. Lower heat and simmer another 5 to 10 minutes. Thickness of chops will determine cooking time; center of chop should be white, and juices should run clear.
3. Remove chops from pan to a serving plate. Pour in juice or cider, turning up heat as you stir juice and apples, then spoon onto pork chops.

Potatoes au Gratin

3 to 4 lbs. potatoes

1 egg, beaten

3 cups milk, scalded

Salt and pepper

1/2 lb. grated Swiss cheese

1 clove garlic

1/4 lb. butter

Nutmeg

1. Peel and slice potatoes in rounds, mix with the beaten egg, the milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add half the cheese mix well.  
2. Arrange in baking dish which has been rubbed with garlic and buttered well. Dot with butter generously and sprinkle with rest of cheese. 
3. Bake in moderate oven (350°) for 1 hour or until the potatoes are done. 

Pineapple Chiffon Pie

1 Pie shell baked

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 ounces lemon gelatin

1 1/2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

1 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

1. In a small saucepan, combine the gelatin, pineapple juice and egg. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and a thermometer reads 160 (do not boil), about 10 minutes. 
2. Remove from the heat; transfer to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Fold whipped cream into filling. Spread evenly into crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

Sweet Potato Salad with Orange-Ginger Dressing

3lb medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup olive oil

2 TBS balsamic vinegar

1  TBS  grated ginger root

1 tsp grated orange peel

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped, toasted if desired*

1/4 cup golden raisins

1. In 2-quart saucepan, add 1/2 inch water; heat to boiling. Place potatoes in water. Cover tightly; return to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix dressing ingredients with whisk. In large bowl, combine cooked potatoes, pecans and raisins; pour dressing over potatoes. Toss gently. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ginger-Orange Pork Skewers

1 cup orange marmalade

1/3 cup dry sherry or orange juice

4 medium green onions, chopped (1/4 cup)

1 Tbsp olive  oil

2 tsp prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1- 3/4 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes

20 wooden skewers (6 to 8 inch)

1. In small bowl, mix all ingredients except pork and skewers. Place pork cubes in resealable plastic food-storage bag. Pour half of the marmalade mixture over pork; seal bag. Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours, turning bag occasionally. Refrigerate remaining marmalade mixture to use as dipping sauce.
2. Meanwhile, soak skewers in water 30 minutes to prevent burning. 
3. Set oven control to broil. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil or cooking parchment paper; lightly spray foil or paper with cooking spray. Remove pork from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Thread 2 pork cubes on end of each skewer. Place in pan.
4. Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat 5 minutes. Turn skewers; broil about 5 minutes longer or just until pork is no longer pink in center. Meanwhile, heat remaining marmalade mixture in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly; use as dipping sauce.

CREAMY MACARONI & CHEESE

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
Salt and pepper
1 cup milk
3 oz American, Velveeta cheese or any flavor desired
8 oz  pasta ( any shape), cooked and drained

1. Melt butter over medium heat and stir in flour, making a rue. Add milk with a wire whisk and continue cooking until thickened. Add salt and pepper, then cheese. 
2. Stir until cheese is completely melted, then pour over over hot pasta and serve.

Corn and Black Bean Salad

8 oz frozen sweet corn (1 3/4 cups)

2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup black beans, drained, rinsed

1/4 cup chopped red onion

3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped

1. Cook corn as directed on bag. Rinse with cold water; drain.
2. In large bowl, stir together corn and remaining ingredients except avocado. Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 1 hour. Stir in avocado just before serving.

Italian New Potato Salad

 3/4 lb green beans

1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, cut into fourths

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup Italian dressing 

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1- 2 1/4 oz can sliced black olives, drained

1. Cut beans in half if desired. In 2-quart microwavable casserole, place beans, potatoes and water. Cover and microwave on High 10 to 12 minutes, rotating dish 1/2 turn every 4 minutes, until potatoes are tender; drain. 
2. In large glass or plastic bowl, toss beans, potatoes and dressing. Add onion and olives; toss. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until chilled.

Naval Destroyer 
1 oz Vodka
1 oz peach schnapps

1. Fill a glass with ice add vodka and schnapps fill with orange juice.

Blue Wave 

2 oz apple schnapps
2 oz blue curacao liqueur
12 oz lemon lime soda

1. Add liquors to a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice. Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass, top with soda, stir briefly and serve.

Navy Seal


1 part Southern Comfort
1 part black raspberry schnapps
1 part peach schnapps
1 part 151 rum
1 part vodka
1 part cranberry juice
1 part Sweet & Sour
1 Cherry (optional)



Mix ingredients in a shaker, then pour into a shot glass.
Top off with a cherry if desired.

Sex On A Surfboard 

1 oz. coconut rum 

1/2 oz. Blue Curacao

1 oz. Peach Schnapps

1 oz. Ginger Ale 

Ice cubes 

1. Add Rum and Schnapps to glass and stir quickly. Then add ginger ale and several ice cubes until glass is nearly full. 
2. Then slowly pour in Curacao and watch this cocktail turn blue like the waters of the south Pacific.

When it comes to food, you can feel free to mix it up and just have fun.  Have a theme or go wild like I did here, what ever you may choose the prime objective is to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Hawaiian Beef Sliders

1 -20 oz can unsweetened crushed pineapple
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef 
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
18 miniature whole wheat buns
Baby spinach leaves
3 center-cut bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
Sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

1. Drain pineapple, reserving juice and 1-1/2 cups pineapple.  In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup reserved crushed pineapple, pepper and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 18 patties; place in two 11-in. x 7-in. dishes. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes and reserved pineapple juice. Pour half of marinade into each dish; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning once.  Drain and discard marinade. 
3. Lightly coat the grill rack with oil, grill patties, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
4. Grill buns, uncovered until toasted, serve burgers on buns with spinach, remaining pineapple, bacon and jalapeno peppers if desired.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

8 slices eggplant, cut 3/4 inch thick
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
4 medium roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup finely shredded basil


1. Sprinkle eggplant slices lightly with salt and pepper. In a small bowl stir together olive oil and garlic; brush on both sides of eggplant slices. In another small bowl toss together Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses; set aside.
2. For a charcoal grill, grill eggplant slices on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 5 minutes. Turn eggplant slices and sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Top with tomato slices and the remaining cheese mixture. Cover and grill for 2 to 3 minutes more or until eggplant is tender and cheese melts. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place eggplant on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as directed.) Before serving, top with shredded basil.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

1/2 cup rice vinegar
5 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup soy sauce 
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
3 Tbsp minced garlic
salt to taste
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 Tbsp chopped green onion (optional)

1. Whisk the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour half the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag; reserve the the rest for the sauce. Place the chicken thighs into the bag with the marinade, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Shake a few times to coat chicken; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning bag once or twice. 
2. Preheat grill,  pour the other half of the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce. Remove the chicken from the bag; discard used marinade. Place chicken thighs onto the grill, and baste with reserved sauce. 
3. Grill, basting one more time after 10 minutes; cook until instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh should read 165 degrees F approximately 25-30 min cooking on med heat. Let stand for 5 minutes; and bring remaining marinade back to a boil for 1 or 2 minutes, and serve with chicken. Sprinkle with green onions.

Hawaiian-Style Hot Dogs with Mango Salsa and Pineapple Mustard (Puka Dogs)

8 polish sausage links
8 hotdog buns
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cups beer (Longboards may do nicely)


Mango Salsa:
1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced
1/2 a small red onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper


Pineapple Mustard:
2/3 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
1 small garlic clove

1. Prick each sausage a half-dozen times with a needle or pin, arrange the onion slices on the bottom of a sauté pan just large enough to hold all the sausages. Place the sausages on top and add beer and water to cover (the ratio should be about 3 parts beer to 1 part water). Place the pan over medium heat and gradually bring the liquid to a simmer, not a rapid boil. Poach the sausages until half-cooked, 4 to 5 minutes. 
2. Preheat grill to medium-high.  Dice and combine all the ingredients for the Mango salsa, Toss and set aside.  In the food processor, puree the pineapple chunks, garlic and dijon mustard until smooth.
3. Open the buns and grill face-down for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Grill the sausages for 5-8 minutes, rotating for even char marks.  
4. Place the sausages on the buns and top with mango salsa, and pineapple mustard.

Grilled Peach Cobbler

5 medium fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced, or 5 cups frozen unsweetened peach slices, thawed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup coarsely crushed pretzels (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter
Caramel ice cream topping (optional)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)




1. In a large bowl combine peaches, granulated sugar, lemon juice, tapioca, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Place half of the peach mixture in a 2-quart disposable foil pan. Drizzle the 1/3 cup caramel topping over the peaches in pan. Top with remaining peach mixture. Cover pan tightly with foil.
2. For topping, in a medium bowl stir together crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and flour. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above the pan. Place foil pan on grill rack over pan. Cover and grill for 30 minutes. Uncover foil pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over peach mixture. Cover grill; cook for 10 to 15 minutes more or until mixture is bubbly and topping is light brown. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place foil pan on grill rack over the burner that is turned off. Grill as directed.)
4. Remove foil pan from grill. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. If desired, drizzle cobbler with additional caramel ice cream topping and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Classic Martini

1 part Gin
1 part Dry Vermouth

1. Combine in shaker over cracked ice, stir and strain into a cocktail glass. 
2. Optionally, garnish with an olive or two or a twist.

Singapore Sling

 2 parts Gin

1 part Cherry Brandy

1 part Grenadine Syrup

   Soda water

1. Add the ingredients to your cocktail shaker  with cubed ice and shake briskly for about 10 seconds.  
2. Strain and pour into an ice filled Sling glass  and top with Soda Water.

Classic Champagne Cocktail

1 glass champagne 

Dash of Angostura bitters

Dash of Cognac

1 sugarcube (placed in bottom of the glass)

1. Drip Angostura Bitters on the sugar cube and place in the bottom of the glass. 
2. Cover cube with Cognac, then top up with Champagne.

Parmesan-Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

18 (1- by 1/4-inch) sticks Parmigiano Reggiano 
18 pitted dates 
6 bacon slices, cut crosswise into thirds

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. 
2. Stuff 1 piece of cheese into each date, then wrap 1 piece of bacon around each date, securing it with a toothpick. Arrange dates 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan. 
3. Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more. Drain on a paper bag or parchment. Serve immediately.

Barbecue Pigs in a Blanket

32 cocktail franks
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
8 ounces refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1. Saute wieners in barbecue sauce and maple syrup until heated through. Cool for 5 to 10 minutes. 
2. Separate crescents into triangles. Cut each triangle into 4 wedges, making 4 very thin, long triangles. Wrap one triangle of dough around each coctail weiner and pinch the ends to seal. 
3. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350º until golden, about 10-12 minutes.

Black Olive Spread

1-10 oz can black olives
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Place olives, Parmesan cheese, and garlic (if using) in a food processor. 
2. Add olive oil slowly while running. Process until smooth.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR

2 large eggplants
2 onions
1 small can tomato paste (or to taste)
Salt
Vinegar and sugar to taste

1. Take 2 large eggplants, puncture them with a fork in several places so that they will not burst open when baked. 
2. Place them in the oven at 350° and bake until soft. 
3. Then peel and chop. 
4. Chop onions and fry in oil, mix with masked eggplant add tomato paste, salt, a little vinegar and sugar to taste. Cook 10 to 15 minutes. Use as spread.

If you make any of the recipes take a picture and share it with me either here or on Twitter @cherylhofmann or by email cherylsrecipe@yahoo.com. I will share them here with everyone.