Broccoli & Grape Salad (Recipe 60 of 150)

Photo from Eating Well

Broccoli is my favorite veggie. It's pretty versatile really. You can bake it, steam it, sauté it, etc. I rarely eat it raw, but this salad made me want to eat it raw all the time. 

The balance of flavors in this salad was spot on. The savory almonds and the sour of the cranberries and then the sweet of the grapes!! It was outstanding. 

The dressing was also extra special. The combo of greek yogurt and mayonnaise made it more tangy than sweet. Honey made it just sweet enough. 

Really, I can't talk enough about this salad. And the best part, the leftover today. Oh boy! 

Broccoli & Grape Salad

Recipe from Eating Well

Serves 4

• 3 ½ c very small broccoli florets
• ½ c chopped red onion
• ¼ c whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
• 3 T mayonnaise
• 1 ½ T cider vinegar
• 1 ½ T honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground pepper
• 1 c halved seedless red grapes
• ¼ c toasted sliced almonds

Set a large bowl of ice water near the stove. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and onion; cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain; plunge the vegetables into the ice water. Let stand until chilled, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat very dry.

Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Fold in the broccoli mixture, grapes and almonds. Serve immediately.

Grilled or Baked Brazilian Steak Kabobs (Recipe 59 of 150)

You know there are some nights where my brain lives in an entirely different planet. Tonight was one of those nights. 

I only did half this recipe. See, I had the McCormick's Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade packet and I ONLY followed the instructions on the back of the packet. Why my brain didn't kick in and say, "Um, hello? There's more to this marinade" is beyond me? Stupid brain. 

The packet only meat was delicious. It would be even better if I had put the lime, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. I'm going to keep this recipe active - meaning I'm going to try it again. 

The other fun thing about tonight is I ran out of gas in my grill. Didn't even get the meat on it. Turned it on to heat it up and went to drop the kebabs on it only to find it still cold. Booo...And the back up tank of gas has been sitting in my garage for months now to be refilled. So, I'm officially, completely out of gas. Guess I know what I'm doing tomorrow. 

Grilled or Baked Brazilian Steak Kabobs

Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings

Serves 8

KABOBS

1 1/2 lbs. top sirloin steak cut into 1 1/2” cubes

1 red bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks

1 green bell pepper sliced into 1 1/2” chunks

1 large onion sliced into 1 1/2” chunks

salt and pepper

MARINADE

1 pkg. McCormick Grill Mates® Brazilian Steakhouse Marinade

1/4 c olive oil

2 T low sodium soy sauce

2 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T lime juice

MARINATE

Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl or large freezer bag (whatever dish you are going to use to marinate your beef). Remove ¼ cup (to use later for vegetables and basting).

Add beef to remaining marinade and turn to coat. Marinate 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, thread beef and veggies onto skewers.

Grease and preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill skewers until lightly charred all over, approximately 2-3 minutes per side, basting with remaining marinade halfway through cooking. You can check a beef cube for doneness if desired.

Let rest 5 minutes before serving. 

Classic Steak Diane (Recipe 58 of 150)

What the heck is Steak Diane and where did it come from? I have never seen it on a menu. Cuz I would have ordered it. 

I had to ask Wikipedia where Steak Diane came from. "Steak Diane is a dish of pan-fried beefsteak with a sauce made from the seasoned pan juices, generally prepared in restaurants tableside, and sometimes flambéed. It was probably invented in London or New York in the 1930s."

So that's it. It still doesn't explain why I've not seen it on menus, but whatev...

This was a delicious recipe. It was simple and flavorful. Full disclosure though, I did not flambe it. I had visions of how horribly wrong that could go and I decided to not even give it a try. I just poured the brandy in and lit it simmer a bit. 

Make this dinner. You won't regret this one. 

Classic Steak Diane

Recipe from 12Tomatoes

Serves 4

• 1/2 c beef broth
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 center cut beef tenderloin steaks (about 6oz each)
• salt
• 3 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 c finely minced shallots
• 4oz oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 T brandy
• 1/3 c heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T minced parsley
• 1 T minced chives

Whisk together the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Set aside. Pound the steaks thin, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper and set aside at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the steaks dry with a paper towel. Turn the heat up to high, and sear the meat for 1-2 minutes, then turn and sear the other side. Remove to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let the steaks rest.

In the skillet, sauté the shallots on medium-high heat, stirring a few times. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan. Stir, mixing well and stirring until the mushrooms release their liquid and the liquid evaporates (about 2 minutes). Remove pan from heat, then add the brandy and carefully light with a match to flambé. Continue to cook, lightly shaking the pan by the handle to stir until the flame dies down.

Stir in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened (about 2-3 minutes), stirring often. Stir in the cream and add the steaks and any accumulated juices to the pan and cook, turning the steaks in the sauce until warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Transfer the steaks to serving plates. Stir the parsley and chives into the sauce, and pour the sauce over the steaks to serve.

Enjoy!

Creamy Pesto Chicken Tortellini (Recipe 57 of 150)

I'm starting to think I prefer tortellini made for me in a restaurant. There's something about restaurant tortellini that just makes it taste better. 

This recipe was good, but not great. I mean it was just ok. It lacked flavor for me. It could be because I didn't put in the sundried tomatoes (blech) but I doubt it. I also think I'd prefer to cook my pasta separately and not in a one pot. 

Creamy Pesto Chicken Tortellini

Recipe from Spicy Southern Kitchen

Serves 4

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 (7-ounce) container basil pesto
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 1/3 c slivered sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 c freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes to brown it.

Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add the half-and-half, pesto and crushed red pepper flakes and stir to mix well. When it comes to a simmer, add the tortellini. Make sure the tortellini is as submerged as possible.

Turn heat down to maintain a gentle simmer. You don't want it to boil or the half-and-half may curdle.

Place a lid on the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tortellini are cooked through.

Note: If you don't have a lid for your skillet, you can use a round baking sheet or aluminum foil.

Remove from heat and stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

Check for seasoning and add salt and black pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Best Steak Marinade in Existence (Recipe 56 of 150)

Photo from Plain Chicken

Best Steak Marinade in Existence? Really? Could it be? Friends, I'm here to tell you, it's pretty damn close. So close, in fact, it's going into the 2022 Favorites bucket.

Amazing flavor! I questioned the tablespoons of basil and parsley, but I'm glad I followed the recipe. It really is a fantastic marinade. I'll be keeping this around for sure! 

As I usually do, I cubed my steak and did them kebab style. More marinade per bite in my opinion. I let them marinade for 3 hours. 

Best Steak Marinade in Existence

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 6

• ⅓ c soy sauce
• ½ c olive oil
• ⅓ c lemon juice
• ¼ c Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ T garlic powder
• 3 T dried basil
• 1½ T dried parsley flakes
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Dr. Pepper Grilled Chicken (Recipe 55 of 150)

Photo from Plain Chicken

I made this last week and am just getting around to posting it. 

Dr. Pepper is a weird ingredient to me. I've used it in pork before and in a pot roast. In both cases the "Dr. Pepper" flavor wasn't obvious. THIS recipe though, Dr. Pepper is the first thing to taste. It's subtle, but it's there. 

I swapped out the soy for tamari (Sherrie was over and she's GF). You can't really tell so not a big deal.

I marinated the chicken for 3 hours. Overall this was a good marinade. I doubt I'd make it again since I have so many others to try. But give it a try!

Dr. Pepper Grilled Chicken

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 4

• 2 c Dr. Pepper
• ⅓ c soy sauce
• 1 T minced garlic
• ½ c brown sugar
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T lime juice
• 6 chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients but the chicken in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to incorporate well.

Place chicken in a large gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Pour marinade over the chicken. Seal tightly and store in the fridge for 4-24 hours.

Discard marinade and grill until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.

Garlic Basil Bread (Recipe 54 of 150)

Bread! It's so yummy! And when you put butter and basil on it it's even better. 

I made this garlic bread for our French Sunday dinner cuz you know? Baguette is French. Hahah.

Ahem. This was an easy and delicious garlic bread recipe. 2 T of unsalted butter did not cover the full baguette with as much butter as, apparently, I prefer. I used 4 T and it was way better.

Garlic Basil Bread

Recipe from Cuisine at Home

• 1/4 c roughly chopped basil
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 2 T grated parmesan cheese
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 T chopped garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 small Italian baguette, halved lengthwise

Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from element. 

Puree basil, butter, parmesan, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a mini food processor until smooth. 

Spread mixture over cut sides of bread, then broil on baking sheet until edges are golden. About 3 minutes. 

Coq au Vin (Recipe 53 of 150)

Photo from MyRecipes.com

This was dish two for Sunday Dinner French theme. I just couldn't decide between the Beef Bourgignon and this, so I made both.

I think what shocked me about this recipe is the ENTIRE bottle of wine it calls for. I realize that wine is in the subject, but I hadn't anticipated a full bottle. Thank god I have a whole bunch of them to choose from. 

This was a delicious recipe. The chicken was so tender and fell off the bone. I cooked this for longer than the recipe calls for. I had it in a 300F oven for 2 hours. It wasn't necessary, its just what I did. 

Also, oddly enough, I couldn't find pearl onions at either of the grocery stores I frequent. I wasn't interested in hitting any additional to find them so I kept them out. 

Coq au Vin

Recipe from MyRecipes.com

Serves 4

4 applewood-smoked bacon slices, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 chicken drumsticks, skinned

4 chicken thighs, skinned

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 c finely chopped onion

1/2 c finely chopped celery

1/2 c finely chopped carrot

1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 T tomato paste

1 (750-milliliter) bottle red wine

2 c lower-sodium chicken broth

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

6 ounces frozen pearl onions

1/4 c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Sprinkle chicken with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove chicken from pan.

Add onion and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaves); cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Stir in wine; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring occasionally. Return chicken to pan. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done, turning after 20 minutes. Remove chicken from pan; cover.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add button mushrooms and pearl onions; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Place chicken cooking liquid over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Discard bay leaves. Stir in mushroom mixture. Return chicken to pan; simmer 5 minutes or until heated. Sprinkle with parsley and bacon.

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon (Recipe 52 of 150)

Yesterday was Sunday dinner. And this month's theme was French! I love that my friends and family

Photo from Recipe Critic

are bought 100% in to this theme idea for Sunday dinner. We had ourselves a feast last night. I couldn't decide if I wanted to make this or Coq au Vin, so I did them both. The Coq au Vin recipe is here. 

The rest of the dinner was filled out with canapes for an appetizer, Lyonnaise potatoes (basically layered potatoes and onions with butter), a French Country Salad, and rounding the meal off with garlic bread baguette. Dessert was Crème brûlée and assorted macarons. Unbelievably delicious. 

For this recipe I changed nothing. Not a single, solitary think. Oh wait, I didn't put the flour in because I thought the sauce would thicken up on it's own. I was wrong and had to do the cornstarch slurry towards the end.

This recipe is shockingly easy to put together and the slow cooker all the hard work. 

Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon

Recipe from The Recipe Critic

Serves 6

5 slices bacon, finely chopped

3 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut to 1 inch cubes

1 c red cooking wine

2 c chicken broth

½ c tomato sauce

¼ c soy sauce

¼ c flour

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 T thyme, finely chopped

5 Medium Carrots, sliced

1 pound baby potatoes

8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced

fresh chopped parsley for garnish

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium high heat until crisp. Put bacon in slow cooker. Salt and pepper the beef and add to the skillet and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes. Transfer beef to the slow cooker.

Add the red wine to the skillet scraping down the brown bits on the side. Allow it to simmer and reduce and slowly add chicken broth, and tomato sauce, and soy sauce. Slowly whisk in the flour. Add the sauce to the slow cooker.

Add garlic, thyme, carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir and cook on low until beef is tender for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8. Garnish with fresh parley and serve with mashed potatoes if desired.

Classic Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot) (Recipe 51 of 150)

Cooking 101 - READ the recipe thoroughly before you get started. Know what you're going to do and prep before you begin. 

I live by this rule almost 100% of the time. Today was not a day I lived by that rule. Funny enough, I scanned the recipe this morning and didn't see/understand it was a slow cooker recipe. EVEN THOUGH IT'S IN THE TITLE!!!

Ugh.

So I did not make this in a slow cooker. Instead, I put it in my dutch oven and stuck in in a lowish (300F) oven for 3 hours. 

I have a damn good Stroganoff recipe I use all the time. I spent years formulating the perfect combination to get a good flavor. So when I make a stroganoff recipe I tend to compare it to mine. 

Overall this recipe was good. It has too much paprika for me, but it wasn't horrible. I think the oven approach worked well for this too.

Classic Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot)

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 6

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, chopped into 2 inch chunks
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• generous salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, (half stick)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 to 12 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
• 1 to 2 cups sour cream, to add after cooking
• 12-16 ounces pappardelle pasta, plus water and salt
• fresh parsley, to garnish
• fresh chives, to garnish

Cut the chuck roast into 2 inch chunks. Separate all the pieces out onto a work surface and dry them all over with paper towels. Salt and pepper the pieces. 

Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat.

Carefully place about 1/3 of the pieces of beef into the pan, one by one. Leave at least an inch or two of space in between. If you put them too close together, your meat will start to steam itself, and no browning will occur. No browning means less flavor.

Let the meat sear for about 1-2 minutes, then use tongs to flip each piece. When you see nice brown edges on both sides, transfer the meat to your slow cooker.

Continue searing the rest of the beef in one or two more batches, depending on space. Add more oil as necessary, and reduce the heat to medium if your pan starts to smoke. Remove all the meat to the slow cooker, but don't clean out that pan. We need all those gorgeous brown bits.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium high heat in the pan you seared the meat in. When it's melted, add the chopped onion and quartered mushrooms. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons paprika, and 1 tablespoon dried parsley. Sauté for 5-8 minutes, until onions and mushrooms are soft.

Add 1 tablespoon smashed and minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Cook it for about a minute, stirring.

Add 1/2 cup red wine and 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. Let the mixture come to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for another 5-7 minutes until it has reduced a bit.

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, adding in every last drop. Stir it together with the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

Fill a large pot with water and about a tablespoon of salt (it should taste like seawater.) Bring the water to a boil and add the pappardelle pasta. Stir constantly to make sure the noodles don't stick. Cook according to package instructions, usually about 3 minutes. Boil until al dente, don't over cook.

Drain..

Add some pasta to a serving plate. Top with beef stroganoff. The chunks of beef may be big, but it's so fork tender your guests can take care of it themselves at the table.

Add a big dollop of sour cream to each plate. Top with fresh parsley and fresh chives.

Blue Cheese Dressing

I've recently decided I won't be buying bottled salad dressing anymore. My favorites are so easy to make and tastes way better, I just don't think it's worth it. I make Ranch almost every other week. I use the recipe on the back of the Uncle Dan's powdered ranch. AND I make sure I use real buttermilk. I think that makes all the difference. 

Blue cheese is my other favorite. My mom LOVED blue cheese and every time I eat it I think of her. This particular recipe I've made a dozen times over the years, but never put on the blog. I know it by heart and don't even have to think about making it. 

I do add a couple of things to it though over the years. I've put them below with my initials by it so you know it wasn't part of the original recipe.

Blue Cheese Dressing

Recipe from Food Network

Makes 1.5 pints

• 1 c mayonnaise
• 1/2 c buttermilk
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce - I think I put in about 2 tsps
• 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles - do not skimp on this. It really makes the flavor of this dressing
• 2 T chopped chives - JW: I use dried ones most of the time, but when I use fresh ones I say I'm going to always use fresh. 
• 1 dash salt, plus more if needed
• 1 large pinch of garlic salt (JW add)
• 1 large pinch of onion salt (JW add)
• 1 large pinch cayenne (JW add)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed JW: I almost never remember to add this in. But am glad when I do.

In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream and Worcestershire until smooth. Stir in the blue cheese crumbles, chives, salt, pepper and other JW adds.

Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving; the flavors deepen as it chills!

Easy Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms (Recipe 50 of 150)

Friday nights in the Wraspir household was always steak night. Dad would often stop on the way home and get us steaks of some sort. T-bone, tritip, NY. It depended on what was on sale. 

Dad rarely marinated steaks. He was a purest when it came to his beef. He wanted just some seasoning be it a rub or just S&P and that was it. 

Friday nights are often steak night for me too. Thanks Dad. But unlike my dad, I like to marinate steaks. This marinade contains a lot of the common ingredients in most the steak marinades I make. The one difference was the Dijon mustard. And that little tsp of mustard really brightened up this marinade IMHO. I let the steak marinade for about 3 hours. 

I did not make the mushrooms. I swapped them out for green beans. But I followed the same recipe. 

And with this recipe I'm 1/3 of the way through my goal of 150 new recipes this year.

Easy Balsamic Glazed Steak Tips and Mushrooms

Recipe from The Kitchn

Serves 4

For the steak:

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips, flap meat, or flank steak, cut into 3-inch pieces

1/4 c tamari or soy sauce

2 T vegetable oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T granulated sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the mushrooms:

2 T vegetable oil

1 pound cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 T unsalted butter

Coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

Marinate the steak: Place the steak in a single layer in a 9x13-inch baking dish or in a resealable gallon plastic bag; set aside. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the steak and turn the steak to coat. Cover the baking dish or seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

Cook the steak and mushrooms: Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. While the oil is heating, remove the steak from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Add the steak pieces to the pan (it's okay to crowd the pan as long as they're in a single layer) and sear until browned and the thickest piece registers 120°F to 125°F for medium-rare steak, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. (Or cook to 130°F to 135°F for medium steak, and 140°F to 145°F for medium-well steak — add a minute or two for every 10 degrees needed.) Transfer to a serving platter and set aside in a warm place or cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat if needed, until tender, about 5 minutes — they will release a lot of liquid. Add the vinegar and simmer 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the butter, and stir until melted and the sauce in the pan is glossy. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour over the steak, top with the parsley if desired, and serve.

Greek Salad Cucumber Bites (Recipe 49 of 150)

Every month our book club meets the book picker hosts the event. That person is responsible for the main part of the meal. The rest of us bring other parts of the meal: Salad, appetizer and dessert. For the April book I chose to bring the appetizer. 

We have a GF person in book club too and I try to make sure what I bring she can eat too. This seemed like the perfect appetizer. Then the GF person didn't make it so I changed it up a bit. 

I didn't put this on cucumbers. I had pita to dip. And I didn't put the red onion on it because one of the book clubbers doesn't do raw onions. 

This was a good recipe. The combination of cream cheese and hummus was really good together. Overall this I'd make again. 

Greek Salad Cucumber Bites

Recipe from RecipeGirl.com

Serves 12

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 large Hot House cucumber, sliced slightly on the diagonal
• 1/2 c prepared hummus
• 1/3 c chopped tomato
• 1/4 c chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
• 2 T chopped green onions

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and garlic with a rubber spatula until smooth and well-combined.

Assemble the appetizers: Scoop a heaping teaspoonful of the cream cheese mixture onto a slice of cucumber and spread to the edges. Spoon a heaping teaspoonful of hummus on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with tomato, olives, feta and green onion. Repeat with remaining cucumber slices and toppings. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and serve within a few hours.

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken (Recipe 48 of 150)

I'm not sure I'd say this was a "melt in you mouth" recipe, but it was pretty darn good. Flavorful and
low carb. 

I caution you to not salt this too heavily. The Parmesan has plenty of salt in it. 

Melt in Your Mouth Chicken

Recipe from Spicysouthernkitchen.com

Serves 4

• 3/4 c mayonnaise
• 2/3 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT chicken, in a medium bowl.

Place chicken in baking dish. Spread mayonnaise mixture on top of chicken.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through.

Asian Salmon in Foil (Recipe 47 of 150)

Fish. It's the one thing I need to get more of. So I've tried to have a fish dish at least once a week. I also know that I need to plan it early in the week because I know as the week progresses the more chances that I'll not make it. 

That photo isn't of spoiled salmon. It's of cod. For some dumb reason I pulled out cod instead of salmon this morning out of the freezer. Doesn't matter. It worked fine for this recipe.

I wouldn't use as much sesame oil the next time. It gets a little overwhelming. Other than that, this is a great recipe for fish. Or even chicken if you wanted. 

Asian Salmon in Foil

Recipe from Damndelicious.net

Serves 4

• 1/4 c honey
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 T seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T freshly grated ginger
• 1 tsp Sriracha, optional
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds salmon
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, Sriracha and pepper, to taste.

Place salmon onto the prepared baking sheet and fold up all 4 sides of the foil. Spoon the honey mixture over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon, covering completely and sealing the packet closed.

Place into oven and bake until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.* Open the packet and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Tops (Recipe of 46 of 150)

They look like cookies, but I swear
they are muffin tops.

Banana bread is one of my favorite breads. I don't make it too often because I will eat the entire loaf. And that is never good. I have a favorite banana bread recipe from my sister-in-law in St. Louis. She gave it to me a thousand years ago and the best bread pan every. She swore if I used that pan and her recipe I'd never over cook or under cook a banana bread recipe. She was not wrong. 

This recipe is good. It would be better without the chocolate chips, or maybe fewer of them. The chocolate chip ratio to banana bread is too high, IMHO. 

I bought a muffin top pan when I saw this recipe, or one like it, and I gotta say, I'm hooked. I really only like the top of muffins so this was perfect for me. I should have cooked them a little longer, but whatever, they're still good. 

I'd make this recipe again, but without the chocolate chips. 

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffin Tops
Recipe from Kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com

Makes 12 muffin tops

• ½ c butter softened
• ½ c granulated sugar
• ½ c light brown sugar packed
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ c buttermilk room temperature
• 1⅓ c mashed bananas very ripe
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ⅔ c mini chocolate chips either milk or semi-sweet

Preheat the oven to 350°

Spray your muffin top pans or cookie sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium-size mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and creamy.

Mix in the eggs, bananas, vanilla extract, and buttermilk until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir by hand until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Fill the muffin top cups ¾ full. (if using a cookie sheet, drop 1-2 tablespoonfuls of batter, depending on the size you want, to make each top.)

Bake on the center rack of the oven for approx. 15-minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin top comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 10-minutes, then place pans on a cooling rack to cool completely.