Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken originally comes from Jamaica. If you are not familiar with it, it is basically a marinade for chicken. It can also be used for other types of meats as well such as fish and beef. This mixture is a combination of tangy, hot and sweet flavors. The marinade is mixed in a blender to make things very easy. Some of the ingredients in the marinade include soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, jalapeño pepper and various seasonings. If you don’t want to use boneless skinless chicken breasts, any type of chicken would work.This is another summer grilling recipe and is perfect for outdoor cookouts. Enjoy.

Spanish Rice

It is basically sautéed rice with tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. This recipe can be prepared in about 40 minutes and is very easy to make while cooking your main dish. Chicken broth can be substituted for water if you are looking for a different flavor. Using chicken broth is how it is done traditionally. The rice is first browned and then simmered until all of the liquid is absorbed. This recipe can easily be doubled if you are serving a large crowd. Enjoy.

Cuban Burgers

If you haven’t guessed already this is a combination of a hamburger and a Cuban sandwich. This is a recipe from the legendary Bobby Flay. This burger uses traditional Cuban sandwich ingredients such as ham, pickles and Swiss cheese. The burgers are topped with garlic mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Since we are using the grill for this recipe, you know it’s perfect for summer. It is also extremely easy to prepare. The recipe calls for the burgers to be pressed, this is totally optional. Enjoy.

Shrimp Carbonara

With a dish like this it’s no surprise Italian cuisine is one of the most popular around. Shrimp Carbonara is among my favorite Italian foods. This dish combines shrimp, bacon and onion with noodles and a sauce. The sauce is a combination of whipping cream, eggs, and Romano cheese. It’s perfect if you want to make a good impression with little effort. It is a good idea to try and time cooking the noodles along with the shrimp and bacon so the noodles remain fresh.  Enjoy.

Lime Chicken

It’s the perfect recipe for your outdoor grill this summer. The marinade uses classic Asian flavors with a little kick. Some of the ingredients include soy sauce, garlic and lime juice. Judging by these 3 ingredients alone, you could assume this has amazing flavor.If you prefer not to use chicken breasts, thighs or any type of chicken will work. Enjoy.

Strawberry Cheesecake

A dessert recipe for awhile and strawberry cheesecake is the perfect recipe to pick things back up. IThe crust is just your classic graham cracker crust. This cheesecake is sure to please almost anyone and is very easy to make. Enjoy.

Seafood Salad

Its summer and you can never have enough cold salad recipes. Here is the one recipe for seafood salad I have been meaning to post for awhile. This salad is perfect for cook-outs, picnics, and parties. You can use your choice of pre-cooked cold seafood . Imitation crab or lobster goes great in this salad as well. Some of the ingredients include bacon, avocados, cheddar cheese, and tomatoes. You can also add additional ingredients such a green onions if you choose. Enjoy.

Shrimp Ceviche

For those that are not yet familiar with this, ceviche is citrus marinated seafood.  The shrimp is first marinated in lime juice and mixed with tomato, cilantro and onion. The hot pepper sauce gives this dish a nice little kick. Traditionally the shrimp are raw and cooked in the acid from the lime juice.  However, since this method apparently is not proven to kill bacteria, please use pre-cooked shrimp. This dish reminds me a lot of a salsa and goes great with tortilla chips. Shrimp ceviche is perfect for a hot summer day. Enjoy.

Deep Fried Fish

If you enjoy eating fresh fish chances are you have probably deep fried them at least once. Although not the healthiest choice, deep frying fish gives them great flavor and that wonderful crispiness. If you are not going with the average box mix, finding a breading recipe for fried fish can at times be a little difficult. This recipe is very simple and coats the fish fillets with buttery crackers and various seasonings such as garlic salt and old bay seasoning. This recipe will work with fish such as perch, bluegill, crappie, walleye and bass. My personal favorite is crappie. These go great served with lemon wedges. Enjoy.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

If you are a big fan of Barbecue chicken pizza, you are sure to enjoy this recipe. The recipe combines amazing ingredients such as BBQ chicken, cilantro, bacon, and cheese. This is a great way to make use of leftover chicken. It calls for refrigerated pizza crust dough but you can make your own crust if you want instead. For the cheese, you could replace mozzarella with cheddar or even add a little smoked Gouda into the mix. Enjoy.

Chinese Brown Sauce

Some of you may wonder how they make the brown sauces at the Chinese buffets. The truth is, there are many different ways to make brown sauce and each of them is probably different in some way. Here is a pretty standard recipe for Chinese brown sauce that can be used with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, ect. This is great for stir fry’s ,deep fry them and serve with this sauce. If you require some heat in your sauce try adding some red pepper flakes or chili paste.

Chimichanga

If you are not familiar with the Chimichanga it is basically a burrito that is deep fried. This is a fairly lengthy recipe that requires a bit of work, but in the end you should find that it’s well worth it. If you like Mexican food, these should be a must try for you. If you don’t like the idea of deep frying this makes great burrito meat as well.For the meat, if you can find already cut up beef stew meat that would work well, and save a lot of time.  Enjoy.

Sesame Salad

This delicious sesame salad combines sesame salad dressing, grilled chicken and pasta. Of course, the chicken doesn’t necessarily have to be grilled; you can use any kind of cooked chicken. It is also a way to use up leftover cooked chicken. For this recipe the dressing is where it’s at. The dressing is pretty much your classic sesame salad dressing using ingredients such a sesame oil, rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. This is a very simple recipe that takes little time to prepare. Enjoy.

Coleslaw

Coleslaw makes a great side dish for all of your summer meals. It goes great with fish, chicken, burgers, hot dogs, and much more. The greatest part about coleslaw is that it’s so easy to make. This can be prepared and in the refrigerator within 15 minutes at most. Basically all you have to do is mix the dressing up and combine it with the cabbage and carrot mix. This taste very similar to the coleslaw you would find in restaurants. If you think the amount of sugar might make the dish too sweet for your taste, you can use less. This is a fantastic recipe; give this one a try for the summer. Enjoy.

Chicken Burgers

For many of us summer has arrived, and that means it’s time for some summer grilling recipes.These burgers have a teriyaki glaze and a ginger mayonnaise spread. Fans of ginger will absolutely love these burgers. The Japanese bread crumbs can be substituted for normal dry breadcrumbs if you choose. You can also add cheese to this recipe, personally I like sliced Swiss. This recipe will make 4 burgers. Enjoy.

Shrimp Fajitas

One dish that is very simple and easy to prepare are shrimp fajitas. There are many different ways to make fajitas but using shrimp adds its own unique flavor. For this recipe you can use either corn or flour tortillas. This recipe can actually be ready to serve within a half hour. It’s great for those nights when you don’t have a lot of time. Some condiments that could be served with this are sour cream, Pico de Gallo, and Guacamole. The shrimp are first marinated in a seasoning mixture and then cooked in the pan. This recipe is also great for summer. Enjoy.

German Chocolate Cake

This is a classic recipe for German Chocolate Cake. The cake itself is fairly rich and moist; the frosting uses ingredients such as shredded coconut and chopped pecans. As you can see from the ingredient list, this might not be the healthiest recipe for you, but it sure is good! This cake is a triple layer so make sure to take small slices. This recipe makes a perfect dessert, give it a try for Easter.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

It’s been awhile, I think it’s time for another pizza recipe. This is not really a recipe but more like a guideline for making the pizza. Of course, you can add additional toppings or spice up the crust to your liking. If fresh garlic does not appeal to you, feel free to leave it out. The chicken and the bacon should be fully cooked for this pizza. If you are a chicken bacon ranch lover, or want to try it for the first time.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are an American classic and favorite. The great taste of that sweet tomato sauce with the hamburger and vegetables is just too good to pass up. Sloppy Joes make a quick and easy meal if you are in a rush. Many of you may have made your own before, or used a canned sauce. This is so much better than a canned sauce. This recipe might be a little different because of the addition of mushrooms. If you do not want mushrooms in your Sloppy Joes, feel free to leave them out. Enjoy.

Red Enchilada Sauce

This is a great recipe for anyone looking to make their own homemade enchilada sauce. This is specifically the red enchilada sauce. I personally prefer this over the green. This sauce beats anything you will find in the store, is easy to make and is extremely delicious. This goes perfect with any type of enchiladas… beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, ect. If you are looking for a solid enchilada sauce recipe, be sure to try this one. Enjoy.

Turkey Chili

This chili uses ground turkey for a slightly different flavor from your average chili with beef. The result was one of the best chili recipes I have ever tried. There are so many vegetables packed into this recipe such as zucchini, onions, green onions, green pepper, tomatoes and beans. Don’t let the lengthy ingredient list discourage you from making this because it’s well worth it. What’s great about this recipe is if you don’t want to do much work, it can be cooked in the slow cooker. Corn chips also go fantastic with this recipe. Give this a try for Cinco de Mayo, or any party or event. Enjoy.

Mexican Shredded Chicken

 This recipe combines flavors such as tomato sauce, salsa, cumin, garlic, chili powder and taco seasoning to create some delicious shredded chicken for tacos. If you don’t want to simmer the chicken in a pan, you can do this whole recipe in the slow cooker as well. This makes some great Mexican shredded chicken for your tacos or burritos. Enjoy.

Black Bean Quesadillas

Black bean quesadillas are great for those who do not eat meat, and are looking for a delicious Mexican treat. These quesadillas are a little bit spicy and a bit sweet for a perfect combination. They include ingredients such as black beans and corn, along with salsa and brown sugar. If you require meat in your quesadillas, feel free to add chicken or beef.  These are very easy and can be prepared within 30 minutes. They are great as a main course or even as an appetizer. Top with extra canned salsa or fresh Pico de Gallo. Enjoy.

Garlic Ginger Chicken

If you didn’t already guess from the picture, here is another amazing Chinese recipe, garlic ginger chicken. Just like the name says, this dish gets a lot of its flavor from fresh garlic and ginger. The chicken bits are coated with a batter and then fried in the deep fryer until crispy. The sauce is very simple, just basically rice wine, soy sauce and sugar. If you want to add a little heat to this dish, you can add some dried red pepper flakes. This is a very easy recipe that takes little time to prepare. Enjoy.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Salt and Pepper Shrimp can apparently be found a several Chinese buffets; This may be a turn off to some people, if it is please feel free to remove the shell after cooking. Just as the name says, this recipe uses a lot of salt and pepper. It also uses ingredients such as fresh garlic and ginger. The flavors blend perfectly to create fantastic tasting shrimp. The shrimp are first deep fried for 20 seconds, and then fried in the wok for another 20 seconds. This is another fantastic Chinese recipe. Enjoy.

Quesadilla Burger

The Quesadilla burger has recently become pretty popular. If you are not familiar with this rather unique burger; the quesadilla burger is a grilled burger topped with cheese, Pico de gallo salsa, and a delicious sauce. The burger is placed between 2 lightly fried tortillas. This is a great switch up from your normal hamburgers. Be aware this does take some work but its well worth it. If you want to save time you can buy premade Pico de gallo from the store. The highlight of this recipe is the cilantro mayo sauce that goes onto these burgers, it really is dominant. You can use an indoor grill pan or just a regular skillet to cook these burgers if you choose. Enjoy.

Shrimp Burritos

Shrimp burritos are great if you are looking for something a little different than your average burrito. These burritos use pretty standard ingredients such as rice, refried beans, cheese, and salsa, but what really makes them stand out is the sauce. The Mexican rice is also very good and adds a rice flavor to the burritos. The sauce is a combination of plain yogurt, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This requires a bit of work… cooking the shrimp, the rice, and wrapping the burritos, but its well worth it. This recipe is perfect for Lent. Enjoy.

Chicken Scallopini

For this recipe, the sauce is where it’s at. The sauce basically consists of butter, lemon juice, white wine, and heavy cream. All of these ingredients can be adjusted to your taste. Another great option if you want to add more flavor is to add crumbled bacon of pancetta on top. This is a dish that is sure to impress almost anyone with your cooking skills. Enjoy.

Mongolian Chicken

It doesn’t get much better than this. Mongolian chicken is nearly the perfect Asian recipe. Many of you are probably familiar with this dish because of Mongolian Beef. If you would prefer to use beef in this recipe as well, that’s totally fine. The sauce uses a combination of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce for a nearly perfect combination of flavors. deep frying the chicken to ensure it is crispy. Serve with white rice. Enjoy.

Enchiladas Verdes

For those that are craving a little heat Enchiladas Verdes might be perfect for you. This dish is pretty much a classic and is just like you would find in a Mexican restaurant. For this recipe we are making our own fresh green salsa that is basically a combination of fresh tomatillos and Serrano peppers. If you are not familiar with tomatillos, they are much like a green tomato in a husk. They can be found at any decent sized grocery store. For the chicken, the chicken is boiled in chicken broth, onions and garlic. You can use either white meat or dark meat, it’s up to you. Just remember that dark meat chicken takes a little longer to cook. Enjoy.

Macaroni and Cheese

This dish really needs no introduction, macaroni and cheese is popular pretty much everywhere. As you probably already know from experience, most of the boxed Mac and cheese can be rather disappointing. Here is a homemade version and somewhat of a different take on the classic dish. This recipe uses three different types of cheeses- sharp cheddar, parmesan, and cottage cheese. Best of all, this dish is so easy to make and is perfect for a quick meal. This is also perfect for a dinner party or event. Enjoy.