Chicken Shawarma with Lime Avocado Mayo Dipping Sauce

These flavors are so random yet work together. Definitely a fusion dish and it surprised both my husband and myself by how well it truly tasted. (The curry makes the chicken look a little nuclear but no worries lol)

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ¾ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander

Lime Avocado Mayo:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 tablespoons mayo
• 4 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

Mix ingredients for chicken marinade in gallon zip lock bag. Add chicken pieces. Massage into chicken and close bag. Marinate 5 hours in fridge. 

Remove avocado shells and pits and blend in food processor until creamy. Get a medium sized bowl and whisk together the remaining ingredients plus avocado. Taste to make sure lime, salt and pepper is to your liking. Cover and put in fridge.

Grill chicken on grill 25 minutes til juices are clear.  Dip chicken into sauce and enjoy. Super super super tasty and incredible how these different flavors marry so well together :)

Grilled Polska Kielbasa & Krout' with Spicy Honey Mustard Sauce

This is seriously so easy and flavorful.  The amount of heat can be lessened based on your preferences. This can be cooked indoors in the wintertime or if you are without a grill.

Ingredients:

• 2 packages polska smoked kielbasa
• 32 oz jar sauerkraut, drained
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 tb unsalted butter
• 3 tb white sugar
• 3 tb fresh chopped parsley 

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/4 c yellow mustard 
• 1/4 c dijon mustard
• 1/4 c honey
• 1 tb prepared horseradish
• 1/8 t - 1/4 t cayenne (depending on your personal heat preference, I use 1/4 t)
• Pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
• Pinch of salt 

Prepare the dipping sauce.  Just combine the ingredients.  Set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium high heat. Add sugar, stir. Continue to stir until sugar is dark brown.  Add sliced onions. Cook until caramelized maybe 10 minutes. Try not to stir too often. Will get a better carmelization if you let it be as much as you can. 

While they are carmelizing cut your kielbasa into 3 inches length wise.  Grill on high heat 5 minutes then turn and grill 5 minutes more on the other side. Let rest 1 minute and while it's resting add 3 cups drained sauerkraut to onions. Stir and let wilt and brown some. 

While it's wilting and browning, cut kielbasa into 1 inch slices.  Be careful because they will be hot. 

Add to sauerkraut mixture. Cook additional minute.  Plate and top with parsley and dip fork fulls into sauce. Yumm makes 6+ servings worth!

Manicotti Alla Romana

This is a very decadent and amazingly delicious Italian dish. It is time consuming, I would give yourself one hours prep time plus one hours cook time. Absolutely worth it though. Would be perfect for a special occasion or valentines day to please your significant other.  Makes 14 shells.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (12 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 t Italian seasoning 
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (I use 7 herb tomato Ragu)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules or you can substitute for 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1/4 t Italian seasoning
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 t basil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute and stir in ground sausage. Cook until well browned. Drain grease and set aside to cool. 

Cook spinach according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add manicotti shells and boil for half of the time recommended on the package. Drain and cover with cool water to stop the cooking process and prevent the shells from cracking.

To the ground sausage mixture add the cooked spinach and ricotta cheese. When the mixture is cool, add the beaten eggs. Stir in 1 t Italian seasoning and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Gently drain the manicotti shells and carefully stuff each one with the meat and cheese mixture; (I put stuffing in gallon bag and cut tip off like a pastry bag and fill shells, if you do this, only use half of ricotta meat mixture at a time then fill bag again) place shells in prepared dish. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 

Prepare the white sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and chicken bouillon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to bubble. Stir in half and half, garlic powder, pepper, 1/2 t italian seasoning and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Taste test and ensure the garlic, pepoer, and salt amount is correct. 

Pour the sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.

Carefully pour spaghetti sauce over the white sauce, trying to layer the sauces without mixing. Sprinkle basil on top of the spaghetti sauce.

Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes more. Let cool out of oven for 10 minutes before eating

My Potato Salad

This is very much influenced by my mom's potato salad recipe which is probably one of my favorite side dishes. I always heavily look forward to her bringing her potato salad for Christmas dinner. The smell of potatoes and eggs cooking remind me of the holidays and it is one of my favorite smells. I of course cannot replicate the salad perfectly but I do try and of course add a little of my own flair. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 7 eggs
• 8 potatoes
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing (my mom uses milk)
• 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black 
• pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
• A few shakes of sweet paprika
• Sliced radishes

Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water; cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the cooled eggs.

Place the peeled and cubed potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate in bowl you plan on serving the salad in.

Stir together the mayonnaise, eggs, ranch dressing, pickles, mustard, green pepper, celery, onion, dill weed, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss potatoes with this mixture, add only as much as you want (some people like their salad dryer, I like mine creamy and not dry). Layer top of salad with sliced radishes and sprinkle with paprika. 

Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. 

7 Layer Cookie Bar

Ingredients for 9x13 baker:

• 2 cups crushed honey graham crackers (=12 full crackers)
• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted (=1 full stick)
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips 
• 2 cups chopped reeces peanut butter cups
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk 

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray a 9x13 Baker with nonstick cooking spray. 

Ground up crackers in a food processor. Melt butter and stir in to crushed crackers and press firmly into 9x13 baker, creating an even crust that somewhat sweeps the sides. Mixture will be a little crumbly.

Layer in the order listed in ingredients (chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped reeces cups, marshmallows and peanuts. ) Drizzle full can of condensed milk over the top.

Bake uncovered 18 minutes then pull out of oven and cover lightly with foil. Be careful not to burn yourself. Return to oven and bake 18 more minutes. Cool down at room temperature for 30 minutes and cut into squares but do not lift them out of baker yet. Cover and cool more in fridge for 30 minutes. This will make them much easier to fet out and set better. 

Basil Marinated Shrimp

Oh my these shrimp.. A combination of every flavor I love. You can pan sear or bake these but we like to put them on skewers and grill them.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Tb evoo
• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 
• 3 Tb dijon mustard 
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil or 1/4 cup dried but fresh is always better
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 lb fresh deveined and peeled large shrimp
• Bamboo skewers, soaked in water

In a large bowl stir together evoo and melted butter. Stir in lemon juice, mustard, basil and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Skewer if you plan on grilling them, make sure you presoak in water so they don't char!

Oreo Truffles

These truffles are delicious!  I was out of town once and my husband needed them for a work event and was able to make them himself.  My husband really only grills and makes breakfast so this must be a pretty fool proof recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) package oreo cookies 
• 1 (8 oz) package softened cream cheese
• 2 (8 oz) packages semi sweet baking chocolate, melted

Crush 36 oreos in a food processor.  Transfer to large bowl. Add cream cheese, mix well. Roll into 42 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.  

Dip in melted chocolate and place on a wax sheet. Put sprinkles on or drizzle white chocolate over milk chocolate,  whatever you fancy. Refrigerate until firm. Usually takes an hour.