Simply Cookbooks

I know I just posted, but I was watching the food channel last night and they had a show with Paula, Bobby Flay, Elton Brown, Tyler ( don’t know his last name) and Giada about Grilling on South Beach…the recipes were awesome.

Of course the chocolate smores caught my interest.  They look so good, that I will have to try them soon!

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007
Ingredients
nocoupons

* Canola oil
* 3 bananas
* 10 store-bought chocolate chip cookies (the larger the better)
* 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
* 1 cup small marshmallows
* 1 cup chocolate chips

Found this recipe over at The Food Network Magazine and had to try it.   We cooked it on the grill last Saturday and found it delicious.  Of course first I had to find out what a “hanger steak” was:

Anyone who has read any of my recipes knows that I am a huge Paula Deen fan.   It is not just her personality, but her comfort food that draws me to her recipes.   Now everyone knows that chocolate is a woman’s best friend.   Forget everything you have heard in the past…it is chocolate.

Here is a recipe of Paula’s that will make you drool with a chocolate high!   I did make a change with mine though when I made it, because I am not a huge Toffee fan, I substituted Caramel.   Yummy!
Ingredients:

Last year I made a post on the joys of homemade Ice Cream.  My husband had received an ice cream maker as a gift and since that time the Ice Cream literally is flowing in my home.

I love Ice Cream and some of the concoctions he has come up with are delicious…others not so good.

Summertime is a perfect time to make ice cream with the kids (or without).   Knowing what goes into your Ice Cream is half the battle towards enjoying old favorites.   Here are one of the more popular ice cream recipes:

This is the season that I love.  Gardening is a hobby of mine, I won’t say I am a good gardener, but I find it so relaxing.   One of my favorite gardening plants are herbs.   I plant them throughout my garden, wherever there is a free patch of dirt.

This is the first year I have planted Cilantro.   I like to put it in my salsa and on some meats. Learning about the herbs is part of the fun of growing them.

My son-in-law introduced me to this method of cooking a chicken on the grill about 5 years ago.  While his was very tasty and moist, this recipe will put his to shame (yours is still good, Tony!).

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pounds) whole chicken*
1 (12-ounce) can beer (cut off top with a can opener)
1 cup butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic salt or 4 to 5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper or to taste
Fresh or dried herbs of your choice
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Summer is only a few weeks away from being official.   For most families it is a busy time of the year.   So get out the grill and with a little time spent on prep you can have a dinner the kids will love and grownups will have a meal that is filling and not fattening.

Grilled Orange Chicken Fingers

Serve with carrot sticks and dip and kids will love this meal: they can eat everything with their fingers. The simple, sweet glaze for the chicken can be whipped up fast; marinating time is just 15 minutes and the marinade caramelizes deliciously on the grill.

The start of the summer grilling season is upon us!  It is time to make sure your grill is in good working order, cleaned and ready to go.

I love the taste grill cooking gives to food.   The flavors are hard to duplicate inside, even if you have a grill on your stovetop.   I personally alternative between charcoal and gas depending on what it is I am grilling.  The charcoal will give food, like most meats, a flavor reminiscent of the youth when Dad would fight to get those coals just the right temp.  I do the same.

I love Fajitas, chicken, steak, or pork.   I love the convenience of a tortilla filled with delicious flavors.  The versatility of this dish is wonderful.

Try cooking your own version of the Mexican Fajita; or if you are not that adventurous try this recipe.  It is easy to make just takes a little preparation time, and the best part is if there is an ingredient that might not fit into your families taste, then either leave it out or use a substitute.

Sizzlin’ Fajitas

Summer Party Fun!

Ingredients

* 1/4  cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 2  tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
* 1  tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
* 1  tablespoon pistachio nuts
* 1  green onion (white portion, only), cut up
* 1  8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
* 2  ounces queso fresco or farmer cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
* 3  tablespoons bottled green salsa
* Few  drops bottled hot pepper sauce

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender combine parsley, cilantro, oregano, the 1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, and the onion. Cover and process until finely chopped. Set aside.