Huli Huli Chicken Skewers

 

   

   Have you ever heard of Huli Huli sauce? I must admit that until recently I was not familiar. It's kind of like a Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and it's AMAZING. 

 The first time I made it, I brushed it on chicken and pineapple skewers, (which were FABULOUS, btw) but then I thought "I need to make a giant batch and then can it!" CLEARLY it needs to be included on my wall o' jars. (Don't you just love it when you're in the middle of a meal and already deciding when to make it again? No? Just me?)

 Anyway, I found several recipes.. all very similar, but just slightly different. From what I can see, they all seem to start with your base ingredients like ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and brown sugar. Most add garlic and ginger too. Some add dry mustard, some add sherry or apple cider vinegar. It's basically like any other BBQ sauce where no two are the same. I did what I always do.. I read several versions, and then pieced them together using all of my favorite components. And it turned out great! 

 Btw, if you're wondering about the name, the word "huli" means "to turn", named after the traditional way roadside chicken is grilled on open-fire spits and flipped while being basted.

 So there you have it. The next time you're looking for a fabulous sauce to brush on your grilled chicken or pork, try this one. Simply stated, it's absolutely delicious! Boom. 

 

 

 For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 or 3 tbs lemon juice

Small pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper 

 

In a large pot, stir together all ingredients until well combined. I like to simmer it for about 10-15 minutes over a low heat, just to let the flavors come together. 

That's literally all there is to it!

For the skewers:

I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs, bell peppers, and fresh pineapple.

Cut chicken into bit sized pieces. I usually get about 4 pieces from each thigh.

Marinate the chicken in the Huli Huli sauce for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cut up your pineapple and peppers to the same size.

 To assemble skewers, just alternate pieces of chicken, pineapple, and peppers in whichever order you prefer. Place on a hot grill, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning frequently.  

 

 

 

 

Tips:

This sauce goes amazingly well on pork, so feel free to make your next batch of ribs with it.  

If you don't have a grill, just bake in the oven at 350º for about 20 minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes.  

Some recipes use a little less soy sauce and brown sugar. Make it the way you like it!

Want it to be spicy? Add more crushed red pepper flakes. 

Sweeter? Add a little more brown sugar. I bet honey would also be a great addition. 

If you don't have fresh garlic or ginger, feel free to use garlic or ginger powder.  

If you want to can it, ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process pints in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. 

 

  

Fresh Peach Butter

 

  So, I'm guessing you've heard of apple butter, but did you know you can make butter with other fruits as well? In this case, I'm not talking about regular BUTTER butter, but rather a fruit spread that is rich and velvety smooth, sort of a cousin to fruit jam. Actually, if we're being specific, jam is different because it has added pectin and pieces of crushed fruit in it. Fruit butter is thicker and more dense, has no added pectin, and is cooked down and pureed smooth. It's absolutely HEAVENLY. 

  Recently I had some fresh Jersey peaches that were ripe and sweet and PERFECT for making butter, and I thought, "Why don't I make this more often??" It's SO much easier to make than you might think, and it's so fresh, it tastes like summer in a jar. In fact I'm already planning to take a ride to make favorite produce stand so I can make more! Not even kidding. 

 So I hope you'll give it a try. I PROMISE you'll be glad that you did!

 

 

Fresh peaches

Sugar

Lemon juice

 

 

I usually peel my peaches, but you don't really need to. Just remove the pit and throw your sliced peaches into a pot with about a 1/2 cup of water. For every pound of peaches, add about 1/2 cup sugar. Add a few tablespoons of lemon juice. Place over medium heat and bring it up to boil. Use a potato masher to crush them up a bit. When the peaches are soft, use a hand blender to puree (or CAREFULLY ladle into a blender in batches). When it's completely smooth, reduce heat to just a simmer. You don't want a hard boil here, just a gentle 'bloop... bloop..." know what I mean? Let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Done!

 

Serving suggestions:

Use it as a spread on buttered toast and English muffins, or as a topping for pancakes, waffles, and French toast. It's also fabulous when added to yogurt and topped with granola. Or my favorite... swirl it into some home made vanilla bean ice cream for a perfect summer treat!!!

 

 

Tips:

I like to just keep it simple because I love the freshest peach flavor, but feel free to add spices like cinnamon or ginger. You can also add finely chopped crystallized ginger with the peaches and then puree as directed. 

For canning, use only yellow peaches, not white (white peaches have a different PH level, making them unsafe for canning) Ladle hot peach butter into hot jars, then process pints or half pints for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.  

 

 

 

Potatoes and Peppers

 

 

 I was recently scrolling through the tick tocks, and I saw a video for this recipe. It's an old timey recipe that was clearly meant for using up leftover potatoes and peppers. Coincidentally, I happened to find myself in the position of having a surplus.... three big potatoes leftover from my most recent Dinner Hang, and a whole bag of peppers from my sister, Jeanie.  I thought "How perfect is that??" 

 It was so easy and it turned out so good, I thought "why aren't we making this all the time??" Of course, I can see this as a side dish for any kind of grilled or roast beast, but I can REALLY see it as part of a big Sunday breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, and/or scrapple. YUM! It's also good enough to be a one pot meal, all on its own. Add some diced ham? YES PLEASE! I'm officially adding this to my breakfast/brunch repertoire. 

 So if you have some potatoes and peppers to use up, this is the recipe you've been looking for!

 

 

Bacon fat and/or butter 

Potatoes, peeled (if desired), and sliced

Peppers, sliced

Onions, chopped

1/2 cup milk or cream

4 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

 

Melt the bacon fat and/or butter in a large skillet or wide shallow pan over medium heat. Add your potatoes. Let them cook, stirring frequently to make sure they don't stick. If you're pan has a cover, even better. 

 When your potatoes are about halfway done, add your onions and peppers. Continue to stir and saute. Season with salt and pepper. When the potatoes are tender, drizzle in the milk or cream. Give it another stir, then give it a taste and adjust the seasoning, Top with shredded cheese. When the cheese is melted, it's ready to serve. 

 

 

Tips:

This requires more salt than you think it will. Just taste the potatoes and adjust the seasoning before you add the cheese. Want to add other seasonings? DO It! 

Use any kind of potatoes, or peppers or onions you have, I had a bunch of different color peppers, which was perfect. Do you like hot peppers? Go for it!

You really don't even have to peel the potatoes. Just sayin' 

The cream will absorb into the potatoes, so it doesn't really make a sauce. It's more of a velvety coating. I didn't have milk or cream, so I added a small can of evaporated milk. Use what you have!

Use whatever kind of cheese you like, and for Heaven's sake, SHRED YOUR OWN. It melts SO much better, than the pre-shredded.. and seriously, isn't that worth 2 extra minutes? 

 

Savory Cantaloupe

 

  Every so often, maybe every other month, I host a little get together for a group of my dearest friends. Sometimes it's a movie night, sometimes it's a bonfire night, or my favorite.. Christmas Tree Decorating. And as with any party, I love love LOVE to come up with new menu ideas. I love to give myself the personal challenge of coming up with something new for each dinner. 

 So, recently, I was planning for our Summer Hang, and I had already set the menu: Corn on the cob, Jersey tomato Caprese salad, Chicken skewers, and some roasted peppers as an appetizer. Nothing too fancy. But all delicious and definitely SUMMER. 

 And then, literally the day before our dinner, I happened to see a short video from Ayesha Nurdjaja. If you're not familiar, she's often seen on different Food Networks shows, most notably as one of the Titans on Bobby's Triple Threat. Anyway, I happened to see a video of her making this savory cantaloupe.

 As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to add it to my menu.. mainly because I knew it would be the perfect thing for my summer menu, but also because I love cantaloupe, especially when it's sprinkled with a little salt! This recipe takes that idea and runs with it. It's sweet, it's savory, it's tart, it's SO refreshing, and it has just a little spicy hit at the end. Nothing to burn my face off, but just the tiniest little poke. FABULOUS. I decided to serve it as an appetizer, but it's perfect as a little summer snack, or even as a palate cleanser between courses. 

  If you like cantaloupe, you simply MUST give this one a try. It was a HUGE hit with my friends, and it'll be a hit for you too!! SO good!

 

  

Fresh ripe cantaloupe

Olive oil

Fresh lime juice

Honey 

Fresh mint leaves

Tajin seasoning

Sea salt 

 

Basically, everything is to taste. 

Slice your cantaloupe into wedges. Place them on a serving plate. 

Stir together the oil, lime juice, and honey. Drizzle the dressing over the cantaloupe.

Sprinkle with chopped mint, Tajin, and salt.

That's it!

 

Tips:

I think the key to this recipe is the Tajin seasoning. If you're not familiar, it's a spice blend that is kind of like a mild chili powder with salt and dehydrated lime juice. It's FABULOUS. Put it on anything!

One of Ayesha's tips was to make sure your cantaloupe is well chilled. She said It has to be COLD! That makes it all the more refreshing.  

She also used the zest of the lime, but I just used the juice. I'm guessing she just drizzled everything over the cantaloupe, but I whisked the dressing together first and then gave it a quick taste to see if I needed to adjust the sweetness. 

I served mine with the rind still on, making it easy to just pick it up with your hands and take a bite, but feel free to remove the rind if you're so inclined. 

 

Joey's Chicken and Zucchini Stuffing Casserole

   

 

   Every summer, my favorite thing is to take advantage of as much Jersey produce as possible. I’m constantly finding new ways to cook corn on the cob, and I’m basically living on Jersey tomato sandwiches. (Fresh slices of tomato between two slices of toasted bread, a little slather on mayo, salt and pepper.. HEAVEN.) But this summer, I find myself wanting comfort meals a little earlier than Autumn, which is my usual go-to. So I decided to do both! Make a comfort meal using some fresh produce. Perfect!
 Since everyone is always looking for ways to “use up all that extra zucchini” that they having growing in their home gardens, I decided to do a chicken and zucchini casserole. 
 I knew I wanted to make it a complete meal by adding a starch, but I couldn’t decide which one. Potatoes? Rice? Pasta? Really, any one of them would work. Then I thought.. wait….STUFFING! Yes, that’s the right play here. So I basically just threw everything together… it came out so perfect, I think this is one of my new faves. Fun, huh? I also love that there’s a little wiggle room with the ingredients and cooking method. Use what you have, make it the way you like it. That’s the best way to cook, right?
 So I hope you’ll give it a try. Summer, Autumn, or whenever you feel like it. This one’s a keeper!




Butter or olive oil
3 medium zucchini
1 small onion
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cans cream of anything soup
1 soup can milk
8 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing mix


Place a few tbs of butter or olive in a large skillet over medium heat. Cut the zucchini into 1” pieces. Add to pan along with chopped onion. Stir and sauté until they cook down a bit. 
While the veggies are cooking, cut the chicken thighs into bite sized pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl along with remaining ingredients. Stir well. When the veggies are tender, add them to the chicken mixture and stir everything until evenly combined. 
Now you have two options for cooking:
Pour everything into a casserole dish. Bake in a 350º oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it stand for a good 10 minutes before serving. 
OR
Pour everything into a slow cooker and cook it on low for 4 hours. Easy!



Tips:
Boneless breasts will work just as well as thighs, but I just like the thighs better. You do you!
I used cream of onion soup, but use any kind you like. Cream of chicken or mushroom or celery, all good!
I topped mine with a little extra cheese and some chopped scallions, because why not?.
Not a fan of zucchini? Try broccoli or asparagus or even a mix of veggies. Broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower would be delish!
If you’re making this in the slow cooker, make sure you don’t go too long. 4 hours is exactly the right amount of time!

Bacon Cheeseburger Orzo

  

  

   I was recently in the mood for a comfort meal. You know, the kind of cheesy casserole-y kind of meal that always hits the spot and makes you feel just a little bit better. But what to make? First, I decided that it should be a stove top meal because it’s just too hot to turn on the oven. Then I took a quick inventory of my fridge and pantry to see what would work. 

 This is sort of how it happened:

 “ …. so.. what kind of protein…  ground beef.. that works.. a few last pieces of bacon.. perfect.. and now a few aromatics.. onions.. definitely… bell pepper, got it… what else.. minced garlic.. that’s a must…. And now for the starch….  Rice? Pasta? Orzo… YES…. And now to make it cheesy.. DONE.”

 Does anyone else do this? Just see what you have and make something out of it? Of course, sometimes I’ll have a recipe to follow, but in this case, it was what I usually refer to as a ‘throw-together” meal. (I think I must’ve gotten this method from my Mom). 

 Anyway, I mentioned it to my nephew, Daniel, and he said “ There’s no way that that’s bad.” 

 I mean, he’s not wrong. If you put a bunch of your favorite ingredients in a casserole, you’re all but guaranteed to hit all the right notes. In this case, it was so good that I immediately thought “I need to write this down before I forget what I did!” I already know I’ll be making this one again soon!

  I hope you’ll try it too. It’s easy to make and definitely hits the spot!

A few strips of bacon, cut into lardons
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
8oz Velveeta cheese
8oz Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup orzo pasta
3 cups beef broth (or water)
Chopped scallions for garnish


Place the bacon in a large pan. Turn on the heat to medium low, and let it slowly come up to heat. Saute the bacon until slightly crispy. Drain any excess fat and save it for another use. Now add the beef, onions, peppers, and garlic. Meanwhile, in a small pot, bring the broth to a boil and add the orzo. 
Continue to sauté until the meat is brown, and the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Now add the ketchup, mustard, and cheeses.
When the orzo is cooked, add it to the beef mixture along with any remaining broth. Give everything a good stir until well combined. Turn off the heat, and let it stand for about 10 minutes. Top with sliced scallions and serve. 


Tips:
 Can you cook everything in one pot? Probably. But since I wasn’t sure how soupy it would be, I cooked the orzo separately to see if it would need any more liquid. I wound up adding all of the broth anyway. Turns out the orzo was VERY thirsty and it soaked it right up. If you want to do everything in one pot, I would add the broth and orzo right after the beef is browned. Then add the ketchup, mustard, and cheeses at the end after the liquid is absorbed. 
 Do you really need the ketchup and mustard? No. Don’t like it? Just leave it out! But it definitely makes it taste more like a cheeseburger! 
For leftovers, just add a splash of water and reheat in the microwave, or store in airtight containers in the freezer. 

Homemade Grape Jam

 

  When I first bought my home a few years ago, I made a mental list of all the things I wanted to do, renovations and such. One of my ideas was to plant some fruit trees. I chose lots of fruits… apples, peaches, pears, cherries, and a few others…and then I thought.. the side fence would be prime real estate to plant some grape vines. I really had no idea what I was doing. (I’m still figuring it out as I go, tbh), but I figured “Let’s put some things in the ground and see what grows!”
  Cut to a few years later and my grapevines have FLOURISHED! I’m so pleased to say that they’re now growing and producing some wonderfully sweet grapes, enough to make pots of jam (which was the goal all along). So I figured I’d share how to make it. I canned it too, but this post will be just for the making, not for the canning. It’s more about the technique, not the recipe, since there are only a few ingredients. It’s a lot simpler than you might think, the pay off is amazing, and you’ll get quite a bang for your buck. I hope you’ll give it a try!



OK here we go. All you need is:
Seedless grapes
Sugar
Lemon juice

I do everything by weight, not by volume. 
Pick all of your grapes from their stems, place them in a colander and give them a good rinse. After you’ve drained them well, place them on a kitchen scale. Once you have their weight, then weigh your sugar. You want your amount of sugar to be a little less than your grapes. For instance, I had just over 4 pounds of grapes, so I used about 3 pounds of sugar. It’s not an exact science, so you can definitely cut back a little on the sugar, especially if the grapes are very sweet. Place your grapes and sugar in a large heavy pot. Add about a cup of water, (even better, you can use any kind of fruit juice), and a few tablespoons of lemon juice. 
 Bring it to a slow simmer until they begin to soften, then mash them up a bit. Let them simmer on a medium to low heat, not boiling, for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often. 
 Now it’s time to blend everything until it’s completely smooth. I used an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, you can carefully ladle your hot liquid into a regular blender in batches. 
 After it’s all blended, bring the heat back up until it reaches a slow gentle boil. Let it go for about an hour, stirring frequently, until it reduces down to your desired consistency. I like it to be very thick, similar to ketchup. 
Give it a stir, then give it a taste. You want to make sure it’s tart enough to balance the sweetness. I always wind up adding more lemon because I like it to be VERY tart. 
 And there you have it! Home made jam from fresh grapes! Boom. 



Tips:
I prefer to simmer it at a slow boil to minimize the risk of burning it. However, if you’d prefer to reduce your cooking time while you’re reducing your jam, you can crank up the heat, but you need to stir it constantly. Yes, constantly. Trust me on this one. 
Like I said, using fruit juice instead of water is a good flavor booster. It doesn’t even have to be grape juice. Apple, orange, cherry, cranberry, or even pomegranate juice will all work!
Sometimes when you boil jam, the bubbles can create a foam. You can skim it off the top, or.. pro tip.. just add a pat of butter to the jam. Presto! No foam!
This jam can be canned using a water bath or steam canner. Process pints or half pints for 10 minutes.