Chicken with All Purpose Marinade

I already posted several marinade recipes on my blog since we love to grill. I also love trying out new marinade recipes as much as I can. I think it's a great way add a ton of flavor to meat and it's also a great tenderizer too. I was looking for an all-purpose marinade and saw that the one on Plain Chicken was pinned a ton on Pinterest. So I gave it a whirl, and sure enough, the chicken turned out amazing. This is definitely another marinade that I'll keep around to marinade our meat. Dr. Sweetpea raved about the chicken too!

All Purpose Marinade

(Source: Plain Chicken)

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Whisk together all ingredients. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Marinate meat an hour to overnight.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This is a super simple cake that can be made any day of the week for an easy yet delicious dessert. Dr. Sweetpea loves pineapples and loves maraschino cherries, so I decided to make this cake for dessert one evening and he raved about it! Definitely something that I'll be making often!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

(Source: King Arthur Flour)

TOPPING

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple rings in juice, drained

candied red cherries or maraschino cherries

diced pecans or walnuts, optional

CAKE

3 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon coconut flavor, optional

1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan.

To make the topping: Melt the butter, and mix with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Space the pineapple rings atop the brown sugar mixture. Place a cherry in the center of each ring. If you're using nuts, scatter them in any empty spaces.

To make the cake: Beat the butter and sugar until fairly smooth.

Beat in the egg, then the salt, baking powder, vanilla, and coconut flavor.

Add the flour alternately with the milk, mixing at medium speed and beginning and ending with the flour. Once the last of the flour is added, mix briefly, just until smooth.

Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges of the pan. It may not cover the pineapple entirely; that's OK.

Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven, wait 3 minutes, then turn the pan over onto a serving plate. 

Wait 30 seconds, then lift the pan off. If anything sticks in the pan, just lift it out and place it back on the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutty Orange Biscotti

Whenever Dr. Sweetpea and I go to Starbucks, we always get a biscotti with our coffee. So to save ourselves a few bucks each time we head to Starbucks, I've been making biscotti from scratch at home. I saw Trisha Yearwood make this on her Food Network show a while back, so I decided to try the recipe out myself. 

Not going to lie, the recipe is super easy but the end result is absolutely delicious!!! Dr. Sweetpea had three in one sitting, not with his coffee, but as dessert. Definitely something I'll be making for us more often. I'll just switch up the flavors next time. 

Nutty Orange Biscotti

(Source: Trisha Yearwood)

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

Grated zest from 1 orange plus 1 teaspoon juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup chopped almonds or nuts of your choice

Nonstick cooking spray

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the orange zest and juice, oil, almond extract and vanilla extract, beating until blended. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the egg mixture, beating well. Fold in the almonds by hand. Remove the dough to plastic wrap, wrap and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the dough in half. Spray your hands lightly with nonstick cooking spray and shape each portion into a 5-by-8-inch log on the baking sheet. Bake until firm, about 25 minutes. Cool the logs on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Using a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Return the biscotti to the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake for 15 more minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Steakhouse Beef Kebabs

I've been looking for an excellent beef kebab marinade recipe and I think I found it! The meat is super flavorful and so tender when they're grilled. Dr. Sweetpea loved the kebabs so much that we're adding this to our monthly rotation. 

Steakhouse Beef Kebabs

(Source: www.seriouseats.com)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 medium cloves)

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin tips, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and halved

1 large red onion, sliced into 1 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 onion layers each)

Whisk together oil, Worcestershire, soy sauce, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, brown sugar, and black pepper in a small bowl. Place beef cubes and mushrooms in a large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 and up to 5 hours.

Thread beef onto skewers, alternating with mushrooms and onions.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and spread the coals evenly over entire surface of coal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Grill skewers until beef is well seared on all sides and center of beef registers between 125-130°F on an instant read thermometer, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skewers to platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

**The only thing I did differently is I threaded the meat and vegetables onto the skewers separately since the veggies cook much faster than the meat.**

Korean Recipes

Whenever I am home for the holidays, I always ask my mom to share the recipes for my favorite dishes. I managed to get two this year and I'm super excited! No pictures this time, but I'll share the recipe for my mom's Korean Spicy Pork Marinade and Korean Sauteed Hot Chili Paste with Pork.

Korean Spicy Pork Marinade

(Source: My Mom)

Marinade:

3 tablespoons finely chopped onion

4 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon ginger juice (finely chop some fresh ginger and squeeze out the juice)

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon mirin

2 tablespoons corn syrup

ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seed

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

4 tablespoons sugar 

Meat:

2 pounds of thinly sliced pork (Found in Korean grocery stores)

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and set aside until needed. Separate the thin slices of pork and sprinkle some sugar in between each slice and refrigerate overnight. Then mix the thinly sliced pork with the marinade and marinate for a few hours. When you want to eat the spicy pork, heat up a skillet until it's really hot and saute the marinated pork in the skillet until it's cooked through. 

Sauteed Hot Chili Paste

(Source: My Mom)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup chopped garlic

1/2 cup ground pork

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 cup gochujang (Korean hot chili paste)

Heat oil in a skillet and saute green onion in the oil for 1 - 2 minutes. Then add the chopped onion and ground pork into the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to break up the pork and keep stirring the pork/onion mixture in the skillet until the meat is cooked. Add the chopped garlic, sugar, and soy sauce to the meat mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the gochujang and mix in with the pork mixture until everything is combined. Cook this for 10 minutes and it'll be done!

Belgian Style Yeast Waffles

Who doesn't love fresh waffles in the morning? I recently bought a waffle iron during the black friday sales and have been whipping up waffles pretty frequently. I've always gone to my usual Waffle of Insane Greatness recipe, but I also heard yeasted waffles are also delicious. Since it's Christmas Eve, I decided to start our morning off with some yeasted waffles and they were absolutely delicious! Definitely a keeper for us.

Belgian Style Yeast Waffles

(Source: King Arthur Flour)

1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup (I used 3 tablespoons)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, leaving room for expansion; the mixture will bubble and grow. Stir to combine; it's OK if the mixture isn't perfectly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; the mixture will begin to bubble. You can cook the waffles at this point, or refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day. Preheat your waffle iron. Spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and pour 2/3 to 3/4 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturer) onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, until the waffle is golden brown. It takes us 5 to 6 minutes, using our 7" Belgian-style (deep-pocket) waffle iron. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired.

Favorite Cut Out Sugar Cookies

One of my favorite memories as a child is helping my mom bake Christmas cookies every year. I especially loved the cut out sugar cookies because I got to help roll out the dough, use the cookie cutters to cut various shapes, and decorate them with glaze and sprinkles. They're still one of my favorite cookies to make. Dr. Sweetpea helped me decorate ours this year and they turned out amazing!

Rolled Cut Out Sugar Cookies

(Source: Taste of Home)

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons 2% milk

Food coloring, optional

Assorted sprinkles or candies

In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Refrigerate, covered, 1-2 hours or until firm enough to roll. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 7-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. In a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. If desired, add food coloring. Decorate cookies with frosting and sprinkles. Yield: about 7 dozen.

Molasses Spice Cookies

It wouldn't  be Christmas Cookie season without some Molasses Spice Cookies! These cookies are are super flavorful and chewy that they'll blow you away! Even Dr. Sweetpea who never liked molasses cookies loved these!

Molasses Spice Cookies

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup molasses 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread 1/2 cup granulated sugar in shallow dish. Whisk flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, allspice, pepper, and salt together in bowl. 

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, brown sugar, and remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add molasses and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to low, slowly add flour mixture, and mix until combined (dough will be soft). (I always refrigerate the dough for a few hours so it can harden up and it'll be easier to roll into balls)

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls with your wet hands, then roll balls in granulated sugar; space balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are set and begging to brown but centers are still soft and puffy, 10 - 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes. Serve warm or transfer to wire rack and let cool completely before serving. 

Maple Pecan Swirls

I've never made spiral cookies before, but when I saw the recipe for Maple Pecan Swirls, I HAD to make them! I mean, who doesn't love anything with a maple flavor or pecans?!?! These cookies were super simple to make and so tasty! I sent some of these cookies to work with Dr. Sweetpea and the nurses at the hospital LOVED them! Even Dr. Sweetpea mentioned that these cookies are among his favorites :o)

Maple Pecan Swirls

(Source: America's Test Kitchen) 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces and softened

1 ounce cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, mix flour, superfine sugar, brown sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. Add butter, 1 pieces at a time, and mix until crumbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until mixture begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Knead dough by hand, just until it forms cohesive mass. Form dough into 7 inch square, wrap square in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Pulse pecans in food processor until finely ground, about 10 pulses. While pulsing, add maple syrup in steady stream; add egg yolks and process until combined. Refrigerate until needed. Meanwhile, roll chilled dough between 2 large sheets of parchment paper into 11 by 16 inch rectangle refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Spread pecan filling evenly over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border around edges. With long end facing you, roll dough tightly into log and seal seam. Wrap dough in parchment and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on parchment and roll log in sugar. Slice 1/2 inch off ends, then slice dough into 1/4 inch thick round; space rounds evenly on prepared sheets. Lightly beat egg whites; brush rounds with whites. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until light golden brown, about 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Transfer cookies to wire rack. Repeat with remaining rounds. Let cookies cool completely before serving. 

Rum Cake

I think one of the quintessential cakes to have around the holiday are Rum Cakes. I've been searching for a really good Rum Cake recipe for a while and saw one on King Arthur Flour's website. I'm SO glad I went with the recipe from King Arthur because it's super moist and has the perfect amount of rum in the glaze. The only thing I did differently was made these into into mini bundt cakes, so I baked them for a shorter amount of time. Dr. Sweetpea raved about how good these cakes were!

Caribbean Rum Cake

(Source: King Arthur Flour)

RUM CAKE BASE

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding mix, dry

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

4 large eggs

1/2 cup rum, plain or spiced

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon butter-rum flavor (optional but excellent)

1/4 cup pecan or almond flour, for dusting baking pan

RUM SOAKING SYRUP

8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup rum, plain or spiced

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place all of the cake ingredients except the rum, vanilla, and butter-rum flavor in a bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the bowl after one minute. Add the rum, vanilla, and flavor to the batter and beat at low speed for another minute.

Spritz a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle on the pecan or almond flour and turn the pan to coat evenly. Set aside. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread level with a spatula.

Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes. When done, the cake will test clean on a cake tester.

Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly while you make the soaking syrup.

In a medium-sized saucepan combine the syrup ingredients, except vanilla. Bring to a rapid boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Use a long skewer to poke holes all over the cake. Pour about 1/4 cup of the syrup over the cake (still in the pan). Allow the syrup to soak in, then repeat again and again until all the syrup is used.

Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit overnight at room temperature to cool completely and soak in the syrup. When ready to serve, loosen the edges of the cake and invert onto your serving plate. If the cake won’t release, place it in the oven, turn the oven to 350°F, and warm for 5 to 10 minutes, to soften the syrup. Remove from the oven, and tip the cake onto the serving plate.

Serve with hot coffee or tea. The cake is very moist, fragrant and potent. Wrap securely (or place under a cake cover) and store at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage, up to 1 month.

NOTE: For my smaller bundt cakes, I reduced the baking time to about 30-35 minutes.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

It's the holiday season again so that means baking tons and tons of Christmas Cookies! I came across these Peppermint Mocha Cookies on Pinterest earlier this year and saved the recipe to make around the holidays. Dr. Sweetpea said these are among the best Christmas Cookies that he has tried. I actually doubled the recipe and will post my doubled version below.

Peppermint Mocha Cookies

(Source: Sally's Baking Addiction)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoon peppermint extract

2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

1 cup + 4 Tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

4 teaspoons espresso powder

2/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups  mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

16 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

6 large candy canes, crushed

In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg, vanilla and peppermint extracts on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the chocolate chips. The cookie dough will be sticky. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough. I always chill mine overnight.

Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes-- if the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This makes the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.

Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each, into balls and place on the baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes. My oven has hot spots and yours may too- so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or (carefully!) use the microwave. For the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Dip each completely cooled cookie halfway into the white chocolate and place onto a parchment or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate. Repeat with the rest of the cooled cookies. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

We order Chinese takeout very few times a year since it's always greasy and super unhealthy. On the rare occasion when eat Chinese, Dr. Sweetpea either always orders General Tso's Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken. I was browsing one of my food magazines that I subscribe to and noticed they had a Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe in there and finally decided to make it at home. It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to tell me that he's never going to order takeout again because the homemade version is the best that he's ever had. 

Sweet and Sour Chicken

(Source: Cooks Country)

Sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Chicken

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise on slight bias into 1/2­ inch­ wide strips

Salt and pepper

1 cup (5 ounces) all­ purpose flour

1 cup (4 ounces) cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups water

3 tablespoons plus 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1­inch pieces

6 scallions, cut into 1­inch pieces

FOR THE SAUCE: Combine pineapple juice, orange juice, vinegar, ½ cup water, sugar, ketchup, pepper flakes, and salt in medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium­high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until reduced to 1½ cups, 8 to 10 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water, whisk into sauce, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer sauce to 2­cup liquid measuring cup; set aside.

FOR THE CHICKEN: Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and line half of rack with triple layer of paper towels. Line large plate with triple layer of paper towels. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper together in large bowl. Whisk in water and 3 tablespoons oil until smooth. Submerge half of chicken in batter, stirring to thoroughly coat.

Add remaining 2 quarts oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees. Working quickly, with 1 piece of chicken at a time, use fork to spear chicken in batter and carefully drop into hot oil. (Use second fork to help release chicken into oil.) Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 350 and 375 degrees.

Fry, stirring gently to prevent pieces from sticking together, until chicken is golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to paper towel–lined side of prepared rack. Let drain for 30 seconds, then move to unlined side of rack. Return oil to 375 degrees, submerge remaining chicken in remaining batter, and repeat frying with remaining chicken.

Turn off heat, add bell peppers to oil, and fry, stirring constantly, until softened, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared plate. Add scallions to oil and fry until tender, about 5 seconds. Transfer to plate with peppers. Blot vegetables with paper towels to remove excess oil.

Microwave sauce until hot, about 1 minute. Gently toss chicken, bell peppers, scallions, and 1 cup sauce in large bowl to combine; transfer to platter. Serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Both Dr. Sweetpea and I love dipping King's Hawaiian Rolls and we always have a few at home to eat throughout the week. I found this recipe the other day and decided to make them to eat with our Thanksgiving leftovers. These rolls were super easy to make and just as tasty as King's Hawaiian! Definitely a keeper for us! 

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

(Source: Cooks Country)

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons softened

1/3 cup honey

5 1/2 cups (27 1/2 ounces) all­ purpose flour

1 tablespoon instant or rapid­ rise yeast

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 large egg

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease large bowl and 13 by 9 ­inch baking dish. Combine pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, and honey in 4­ cup liquid measuring cup and microwave until mixture registers 110 degrees, about 1 minute. (Mixture may appear curdled.)

Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Slowly add pineapple juice mixture, followed by egg, vinegar, and vanilla and knead until cohesive mass starts to form, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium­-low and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. (Dough should clear sides of bowl but will stick to bottom.)

Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball. Transfer dough to prepared bowl and turn to coat with grease. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size and fingertip depression in dough springs back slowly, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Gently press down on center of dough to deflate. Place dough on clean counter and divide into thirds. Cut each third into 6 equal pieces (about 2 3/4 ounces per piece). Form each piece into rough ball by pinching and pulling dough edges under so that top is smooth. On counter, cup each ball with your palm and roll in circular motion into smooth, tight ball.

Arrange into 6 rows of 3 in prepared dish and cover loosely with plastic. Let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (rolls should almost reach top of dish and edges should be touching). Adjust oven rack to lower-­middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove plastic, transfer rolls to oven, and bake until golden brown and centers register 190 degrees, 20 to 23 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Let rolls cool in dish on wire rack for 10 minutes. Using spatula, slide rolls out onto wire rack, brush with softened butter, and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve warm. (To reheat room temperature rolls, wrap in aluminum foil, place on baking sheet, and bake in 350­ degree oven for 20 minutes.)

The Best Fajita Marinade

There is a restaurant in Houston that Dr. Sweetpea and I went to on a regular basis when we moved here this summer. I think it's a chain since I've seen various locations for this restaurant. Anyway, they have one of THE best steak fajitas that we've tasted. When we first went there, we ate enough fajitas to feed a family of four. Yes, that good.

I was doing some random browsing online one day when I came across THE recipe for this restaurant's steak fajitas. I was skeptical at first but when we made it at home, we were blown away by how it tasted exactly what we had at the restaurant. This will be our fajita marinade for a long time going forward.

El Tiempo's Steak Fajita Marinade

(Source: Houston Food Blog)

For the Black Sauce:

1 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups low sodium soy sauce

1 3/4 cup A-1 sauce

Mix water, olive oil, soy sauce, and A-1 sauce until well combined. Pour into re-sealable container with lid and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

For the Grill Spice:

1/4 cup ground black pepper

1/4 cup granulated garlic

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons Lawry’s seasoned salt

Mix black pepper, granulated garlic, cumin, and seasoned salt together well and place in a shaker. Keep this mixture covered when not in use.

For the fajitas: Marinade 4 pounds of skirt steak in about 1 cup of black sauce (you can always use more black sauce) for 24 hours. Sprinkle some of the Grill Spice onto the meat before grilling. Once the meat is done cooking, cut it against the grain and serve with tortillas, tomatoes, sour cream, etc. 

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Dr. Sweetpea has been asking me to make Pumpkin Mousse pie after he devoured the Cranberry Pie that I made earlier this month. So when I came across this recipe, I decided to make it for Dr. Sweetpea to satiate his appetite for Pumpkin Mousse Pie. Needless to say, it was simple to make and absolutely delicious!

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

(Source: MyRecipes.com)

1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust, thawed

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks

Place a baking sheet in oven and preheat to 400ºF. Bake pie crust until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Place crust on a wire rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1 Tbsp. cold water and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together pumpkin, pumpkin-pie spice and vanilla until well blended. Place 2 inches water in a double boiler and bring to a simmer. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in top of double boiler and heat, whisking, until mixture registers 160ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from heat and continue to whisk until cool and increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Heat gelatin mixture at 5-second intervals in microwave until dissolved, stirring between intervals. Let cool slightly, then whisk into egg yolk mixture. Fold pumpkin mixture into yolk mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Scrape filling into cooled pie crust and spread evenly. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.