Apricot-Glazed Cornish Hens

Good evening bloggers! Tonight is one of those nights where our hunger is almost unbearable. I know it is for me at least. I searched and searched for something other than chicken or turkey. What I found made my mouth salivate. I know for a fact that we have not had something like this on EMEF yet. We will be working with... drum roll please? Cornish Hen! With that being said, let's meet in the kitchen and make a delicious meal!

Apricot-Glazed Cornish Hens

You will need:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 Cornish game hens
• 1/4 cup butter, melted, divided
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ready? Great!

1. Combine the salt and cayenne. 
2. Rub a third of the mixture inside hens. 
3. Brush 1 tablespoon butter over hens, then sprinkle with remaining seasoning mixture. 
4. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 
6. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the preserves, honey, onion, nutmeg and remaining butter. 
7. Cook and stir until preserves are melted, then brush it over the hens. 
8. Bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until golden brown and a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. 
9. Cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

I hope you all have a wonderful night. Enjoy the cornish hen with your family, then finish off the meal with a night red wine. Or if it suits you better, a nice family-oriented movie with the kids. I'll see you all tomorrow. Happy blogging!

Chim, Chim, Chimichanga Baby!

Good afternoon my lovely bloggers! I hope you all are staying cool on this extremely hot day. This is one of those days that you should grab your sunscreen, a pina colada, and park your tookus pool side. It's also a great day to add a little Mexican flavor to your diet! That's right folks. We are making chimichangas tonight! So, grab your towl and your cooking utensils and let's make some grub!

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

You will need:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1.5 cups whole kernel corn
• 2 cups taco sauce
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 (16 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• shredded lettuce
• 1 tomato, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Drain the excess grease, and add the onion, bell pepper, and corn. 
4. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. 
5. Stir in the taco sauce, and season with chili powder, garlic salt and cumin, stirring until blended. 
6. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside. 
7. Open the can of beans, and spread a thin layer of beans onto each of the tortillas. 
8. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with as much shredded cheese as you like. 
9. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. 
10. Brush the tortillas with melted butter. 
11. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. 
12. Serve with lettuce and tomato.
13. Enjoy!

I hope all of you are taking precautions against this horrible heat and sun. I'm not doctor, but I recommend SPF 100... haha. I'm just kidding, but seriously, be safe and avaoid prolonged amounts of time in the sun. Have a great evening and happy eating! I'll see you all tomorrow!

Scrumptious Snacks and Dinner Delights

Good evening bloggers! I had a dear friend of mine message me tonight. She shared a special little treasure with me. I'm taking her advice and sharing it with you all. We all know kids and adults alike still love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Stay tuned in and scroll down to bask in this awesome treat! Before that however, we should get in the kitchen and make something to eat before hitting up dessert. Let's go!

Fettuccini Bolognese

You will need:

• 3/4 pound whole-wheat fettuccini 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 pound lean ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried 
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans no salt added diced tomatoes with juice 
• 1/2 cup chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk or regular whole milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1. Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil, and cook the fettuccini according to the directions on the box. 
2. In the meantime, heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. 
3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the garlic, ground beef, and thyme and cook until the meat is browned, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks, about 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in the tomatoes and broth and cook for 5 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Stir in the milk and cook for 1 minute more. 
6. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. When the pasta is done, drain it, put it back in the pasta pot, add the sauce and stir the sauce and pasta together. 
8. Put into serving bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.
9. Enjoy!

Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 slices white bread
• 6 tablespoons favorite jam
• 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
2. Spread the butter on one side of each bread slice. 
3. Flip the remaining slices over and spread them with the jam. 
4. Flip the remaining slices over and spread them with the peanut butter.  
5. Sandwich together the jam slices and the peanut butter slices, keeping the buttered sides of the bread facing out.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. 
7. Add the sandwiches and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the tops. 
8. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. 
9. Flip the sandwiches over and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. 
10. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.
11. Remove the sandwiches from the skillet and cut into quarters.
12. Enjoy!

Voila! I hope you enjoyed our special treat for tonight. I want to send a special 'Thank You' to my darling friend as well. Have a great night everyone and I will catch you on the flip side!

Do the Chicken Dance!

Good evening my amazing blogger friends and readers! Summer is all about grilling, burgers, chicken, and kebobs. Any one who is a cook can appreciate a good chicken recipes. I come to you with a delicious chicken recipe complete with beer sauce. I'm starving, and I'm sure you are as well, so grab that 6 pack that is sitting in your fridge and let's get cooking!

Chicken Legs with Beer Barbecue Sauce

You will need:


For the Chicken:

• 2 pounds chicken drumsticks and/or thighs, skinned, if desired
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil 
• 1/3 cup chopped onion

For the Sauce:

• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1/2 cup beer
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• Few drops of hot pepper sauce

Ready?

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Rinse the chicken and pat dry. 
2. In a large skillet heat the oil. 
3. Add the chicken and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning to brown evenly. 
4. Drain off any fat from the chicken. 
5. Add the onion to skillet with the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. FOR THE SAUCE: In a small mixing bowl combine the chili sauce, beer, brown sugar, cumin, mustard, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. 
7. Pour the sauce over the chicken. 
8. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat. 
9. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 
10. Uncover and turn chicken. 
11. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the chicken is tender and no pink remains. 
12. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter to keep warm.
13. Skim the excess fat off the sauce in the skillet. 
14. If desired, simmer sauce, uncovered, to your desired consistency. 
15. Pour the sauce over the meat.
16. Enjoy!

I hope you all have a great evening and I will catch you on the flip side. Good night!

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To... Not That I Do...

Good evening bloggers. I'm sorry about my delay with posting this entry. I do have a very good excuse. Care to hear it? It's my Birthday! Yes, I turned 22 today and couldn't have asked for a better day. It was filled with my loving family and friends and many, many Birthday wishes. So, considering the day, I have chosen a down-home, Southern comfort food as a Birthday dish. Let's head into the kitchen and celebrate!

Birthday Turkey Enchiladas

You will need:

• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• cheese
• Cilantro
• Tortillas

1. Brown the turkey in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the taco seasoning before it finishes browning.
3. Once the turkey is cooked, moved it to a plate. 
4. Cook the onion until it turns soft. 
5. Once the onion is soft, return the turkey to the skillet, adding the tomato and black beans, making sure to  mix everything together. 
6. Grease a 9x13 pan. 
7. Take a flour tortilla in your hand and pour in some of the meat mixture. 
8. Add a sprinkle of cheese, and wrap up the enchilada and put it in the pan. 
9. Repeat until all of the mixture is gone.
10. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and cover with foil.
11. Place the pan in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until it's bubbly. 
12. Remove the foil and sprinkle cheese on top and put it back in the oven to melt the cheese.
13. Sprinkle the top with cilantro and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy the rest of this very short evening. I sure enjoyed today. Thank you for bearing with my lateness. I will see you all tomorrow! Happy Blogging!

Our 100th post?! And Father's Day as Well!

Good afternoon and Happy Father's Day to all of our male readers with children! In honor of today being Father's Day (and this being our 100th post), I thought long and hard about a meal fit for Dad. Seeing how my own husband eats, I figure that we should make something filling. What fills up a guy more than steak? Nothing. That's what's on our menu. Steak. Let's grab our supplies and head out to the grill!

Shell Steaks with Red Wine Butter

You will need:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, cracked
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
• 1/2 cup ruby port
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
• Vegetable oil, for grill
• 4 (10 to 12-ounce) shell steaks (also called club steak or New York steak), about 1.25 inches thick
• Freshly ground black pepper

You haven't run off on me, have you? Great!

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. 
3. Add the coriander seeds and peppercorns and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 
4. Pull the pan from the heat and add the port and wine. 
5. Return the pan to the heat and, if cooking over a gas burner, tip the pan to let the alcohol ignite and then die out.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer briskly until syrupy, 20 to 25 minutes, then set aside to cool.
7. Beat the remaining butter in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer or whisk until smooth and light. 
8. Add the reduced wine mixture, vinegar, parsley and 1.5 teaspoons salt and beat until evenly mixed.
9. Spread a 12-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. 
10. Mound the butter across the plastic wrap, about 2 inches from edge nearest you. 
11. Fold the bottom edge of the plastic wrap over the butter and roll it up to make a 1-inch-wide log. 
12. Twist the ends together in opposite directions and refrigerate until firm.
13. Prepare an outdoor grill with a high fire.
14. Brush grill grate lightly with oil. 
15. Season the steaks on both sides with salt and black pepper, to taste. Grill 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat reads 120 degrees to 125 degrees for rare; 125 degrees to 130 degrees for medium-rare; or 130 degrees to 135 degrees for medium. 
16. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. 
17. Serve each steak topped with a 3/4 inch thick slice of the wine butter.

I hope you all enjoy this special day devoted to all of the great Fathers out there. You're worth it! I'll see you all tomorrow. Have a great rest of the afternoon and evening!

Summer's Here! Let's Celebrate!

Good afternoon bloggers! Summer is finally upon us, but for some of us, it's already been here. What good is Summer if you don't have something grilled to eat as well as something to cool you down while under the blazing sun? That's exactly what our menu is about today. We will be making an excellent meal and finishing it off with something deliciously cool and delightful. Enough of this chatting act... Let's go grill!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Salsa

You will need:

• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 1/2 cup minced shallots, divided
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 2.5 pounds total
• 1/2 pound fresh cherries, stemmed, pitted,halved
• 1 fresh Fresno chile, red jalapeño, or Holland chile, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt 
• Freshly ground black pepper

Ready?

1. Prepare a grill to medium-high heat. 
2. Combine 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup minced shallots, 4 tablespoons lime juice, and vegetable oil in a resealable plastic bag. 
3. Add the pork tenderloins and seal the bag, then turn to coat. 
4. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning occasionally. 
5. Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup shallots, 2 tablespoons lime juice, cherries, chile, and olive oil in a medium bowl. 
6. Season the salsa lightly with salt and pepper and set aside to let flavors to meld. 
7. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and season generously with salt and pepper. 
8. Grill the tenderloins, turning frequently, until a thermometer inserted into meat registers 145 degrees, or about 15 minutes. 
9. Let rest for 10 minutes. 
10. Cut into thin slices and serve with salsa.

Watermelon Granita

You will need:

• 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1. Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 
2. Pour the ingredients into a 9x9x2 metal baking pan. 
3. Freeze the mixture for 1 hour. 
4. Stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork after the first hour. 
5. Cover and freeze the mixture until firm, about 2 hours. 
6. Using a fork, scrape the granita vigorously to form icy flakes.
7. Spoon the icy flakes into a cup or small bowl.
8. Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy the blazing afternoon. Keep cool and protected as well. Have a great afternoon and I will catch you all tomorrow!