Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken

3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

2 cups Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cup pineapple chunks
2 Tblsp. soy sauce
1/2 Tblsp. sriracha sauce
1 tsp. dijon mustard
2 Tblsp. cold water
2 Tblsp. cornstarch

Garnish:
sesame seeds
green onions, chopped

Place chicken breasts in bottom of instant pot.  Add BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, pineapple chunks, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, and dijon mustard; stir to combine.

Set release valve to "seal" and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.  When done, do a quick release.

Remove chicken from instant pot; set aside.

Set instant pot to saute' mode.

In small bowl, add cornstarch to cold water (not the other way around); stir to combine.  Add corn starch mixture to sauce.

Stir sauce until it thickens.  Dice or shred chicken and add back into sauce; stir to combine.

Serve over rice, drizzle with sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.
 

Homemade Teriyaki Jerky

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin or sweet cooking wine
1/4 cup teriyaki marinade
2 Tblsp. sugar
3 coins (each about 1/4" thick) or 2 tsp. fresh ginger or powdered ginger
1 crushed garlic clove
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 lbs. trimmed beef top or bottom round, sirloin tip, flank steak, or wild game - partially frozen
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 Tblsp. Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Tblsp. "The Salt Lick" dry rub (or dry rub of choice)

Plan ahead!  This recipe requires marinating overnight.

Combine all ingredients except meat in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.

With a sharp knife, slice beef into 1/4" thick slices AGAINST the grain.  Trim off any fat or connective tissue.

Put beef slices into bag of marinade; seal and massage marinade into meat to coat completely.  Refrigerate overnight.

For smoker:  start smoker on "Smoke" with lid open for 4-5 minutes or until fire is established..  Remove meat from marinade and discard the marinade.  Pat dry with paper towels if needed.  Smoke for 4-5 hours or until the jerky is dry but chewy and still pliant when bent.  Immediately transfer the jerky to a Ziploc bag and let it rest for an hour at room temperature.  This will help the jerky stay soft and chewy as any condensation in the bag will be reabsorbed by the jerky.  Squeeze the air out of the bag and keep the jerky in the refrigerator.

Salsa Picante Fresca

6 roma tomatoes, diced

1-1/2 jalapeños, cut in half, stems removed (keep seeds)

1 handful fresh cilantro

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. taco seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender or NutriBullet.  Blend until cilantro and jalapeños are finely chopped.  For more spice, add another 1/2 jalapeño. 

Best Bread Machine Bread

Makes one 1-1/2 lb. loaf.

Place the following ingredients into bread machine IN THIS ORDER:

1-1/3 c. warm water (approx. 110 F)
1/3 c. olive oil
2 tsp. salt

4 c. bread flour 
(make mound in middle and "dig" well at center)

2 Tblsp. + 2 tsp. white sugar
(pour into one of the corners of the pan)

3 tsp. (1 pkg.) rapid-dry yeast
(pour into well in center of flour mound)

Set machine to "Basic" loaf and press start.

For whole wheat bread:
Instead of 4 c. bread flour, use 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour with 2-1/2 c. bread flour.

From the kitchen of:  "Dinner with the Bickfords" Blog

The Best Banana Cake

1-1/3 cup mashed bananas
2-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice, divided
1-1/2 cups milk
3 cups flour
1/2 Tblsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 to 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

Place 1-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice in a measuring cup.  Top to 1-1/2 cups with milk.  Set aside.

Mix together mashed banana with 1 Tblsp. lemon juice, set aside.

Beat together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until combined.  Add vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix on high until light and fluffy (almost the texture of frosting).

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to egg mixture; stir just until combined.  DO NOT OVERMIX.  Fold in bananas.

Pour into prepared pan.  Put into the oven and reduce heat to 300 F,  Bake 60 to 70 minutes (see note below) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Remove from oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to make the cake extra moist.  Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

Cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add in lemon zest and juice.  Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.  Spread over cooled cake.

NOTES:

The cooking time on this cake can vary!  Check your cake at 55 minutes.  If it isn't ready, continue cooking until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  This can be up to an additional 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Make sure eggs and butter are at room temperature.

You need the acidity from the lemon juice (and milk) mixture.  Subbing in just milk or cream won't work.  However, you can use buttermilk in its place if needed.

When mixing the butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs, beat the mixture until VERY FLUFFY, almost the consistency of a fluffy buttercream frosting.  This should take about 5 minutes.

When adding the flour mixture, mix JUST until combined.  Over-mixing will result in a dense chewy cake.

From the kitchen of:  Spend with Pennies

Strawberry Garlic Chicken Marinade

18 oz., strawberry yogurt
15 large fresh strawberries
15 cloves garlic
1-1/2 cup soy sauce
1-1/2 tsp. paprika
3 tsp. rosemary
1/3 Tblsp. dijon mustard
juice from 1 lime

Blend all ingredients together on high in a blender until smooth. Makes enough marinade for 3 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts.  Marinate for 2 hours or longer before grilling, baking, or frying.

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls

(Crock Pot recipe) - Makes 10

Dough:
1 cup + 2 Tblsp. warm whole milk (120 F)
2 tsp. honey
1 (0.25 oz.) pkg. instant dry yeast
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tblsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Filling:
6 Tblsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1-1/2 Tblsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Glaze:
1/2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 Tblsp. heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Spray a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  Line slow cooker with parchment paper, trimming edges of paper just below the rim.  Spray parchment with cooking spray.

For dough:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, place warm milk and honey.  Gently stir in yeast, and let stand for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to milk mixture, beating just until combined.  Add melted butter and egg; beat just until a dough forms.  Switch to the dough hook attachment; beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes.

For filling:  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15" x 9" rectangle.  Spread butter onto dough.  In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Spring sugar mixture over butter.  Starting with one long side, roll dough into a log; pinch seam to seal.  Slice into 12 rolls.  Place rolls in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.  Using the parchment as handles, carefully lift cooked cinnamon rolls from slow cooker insert.

For glaze:  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with a mixer at medium-high speed until creamy.  Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.  Add cream and vanilla, beating just until combined.  Drizzle glaze over rolls.

Source:  Taste of the South Magazine
Photo Credit:  Taste of the South Magazine

Apple Cobbler

(Crock Pot recipe) - Makes 8 servings

5 Honeycrisp apples, cored and sliced into 8 sections
1/2 cup + 2 Tblsp. sugar, divided
3 Tblsp. cornstarch
2 Tblsp. orange zest
2 Tblsp. fresh orange juice
3-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 (10.2 oz.) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, to serve

Line a 6-quart slow cooker with foil.

In a large bowl, stir together apples, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, orange juice, and 2 tsp. cinnamon until combined.  Spoon mixture into slow cooker.

Cut biscuits into 6 wedges.  Place wedges on top of apples.  In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 Tblsp. sugar and remaining 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  Sprinkle over biscuit wedges.  Cover and cook on high or 2-1/2 hours.  Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

Source:  Taste of the South Magazine
Photo Credit:  Taste of the South Magazine

Mary's Ice Box Wonder Rolls or Bread

1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast
2 cups water
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
5-1/2 cups (for rolls) or 6-1/2 cups (for bread) flour

Dissolve yeast in the warm water.  Melt margarine with 1 cup water in microwave.  Add 2nd cup of water, sugar, salt, egg, and yeast mixture.  Mix well; add the flour and stir with wooden spoon until soft and dough forms.  Spray large bowl with Pam.  Place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise for 2 hours.  Punch down and cover again; place in fridge for 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove from fridge; punch down and form into rolls (24) or into loaves (2).  Let rise until double.  Bake for 15-25 minutes for rolls, or until tests done - or bake 35 minutes for bread, or until tests done.

Makes 24 rolls or 2 loaves bread.

From the kitchen of Mary Pinson.

Easy Cheater Chicken & Rice Soup

6 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 bay leaf
1 Tblsp. sea salt, more or less to taste
1/2 Tblsp. ground black pepper, more or less to taste
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups white rice
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned into bite-size pieces

Place all ingredients except rice and chicken in a stock pot and bring to a boil.  Boil gently until vegetables are tender.  Add rice.  Return to a boil; cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until rice is tender (about 12 minutes).  Add chicken and combine.  Heat through for a few minutes until chicken is hot.