Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Cooking : Banana Banana Strawberry Smoothie

Ingredients
1 banana, broken into chunks
1 teaspoon banana extract
3/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) container strawberry yogurt
2 teaspoons white sugar

Directions
Place banana, banana extract, milk, yogurt, and sugar into a blender. Blend until smooth and serve.

Cooking : Bird's Nests II

Ingredients
2 cups chow mein noodles
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
16 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
1/3 cup chocolate covered raisins

Directions
Place a sheet of waxed paper or foil on a large cookie sheet. In a large bowl, combine the noodles and the cereal and set aside.
Melt white chocolate or vanilla candy-coating in a double boiler over hot water (or in the microwave). Remove from heat and pour over noodles and cereal.
To form nests, mound 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. With the back of a teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each mound. Press 3 or 4 candies in the center of each "nest". Allow to set at room temperature until firm.

Cooking : 15-Minute Marinated Chicken

Ingredients
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions
Combine the first five ingredients; spread on both sides of chicken. Place chicken on plate. Marinate at room temperature for 10-15 minutes or for several hours in the refrigerator. Grill, uncovered, over medium coals, turning once, for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear.

Cooking : Beef Jerky in a Smoker

Ingredients
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
2 pounds sirloin, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions
In a large, nonporous bowl, combine the ground black pepper, soy sauce, vinegar, hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and add the meat slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Prepare an outdoor smoker for low heat and lightly oil grate.
Lay meat strips out on grill so that they do not overlap. Smoke over low heat. Jerky will be done when the edges appear dry with just a slight hint of moisture in the center of the slices, about 6 to 8 hours.

Cooking : Baked Havarti Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
2 (4 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, drained, and sliced lengthwise
4 ounces sliced Havarti cheese with dill
Italian dressing
Greek seasoning (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon white cooking wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Marinate chicken in Italian Dressing and Greek Seasoning, if using, for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Place chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional Greek seasoning, if desired, and bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
Shortly before chicken is done, melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Pour in wine, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic salt, and bring to a boil. Stir in mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
Remove chicken from the oven. Lay green chili slices on top of each breast, then top each chili with a slice of cheese. Return to the oven until cheese has melted.
Remove chicken from the oven, top with mushrooms and their pan juices, and serve.