Lettuce Wraps

This recipe makes a regular appearance at our house.  I make it at least once or twice a month.  They are fairly quick and so good!  I think they are pretty healthy too.  Enjoy!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps - I can't take any credit for this recipe.  Click to the left to link to the recipe.  I usually double this recipe.  I double all of the ingredients except for the water chestnuts.  My kids are still leery of unidentifiable crunchy chunks.  So, I try to minimize them when I can.

Cherry Hand Pies

These a fairly easy and SO good.  I have made them twice now.  I thought I would share them in honor of Independence Day!  Enjoy!

Cherry Hand Pies - Click to link to recipe.

Recipe Notes:  I obviously don't use the egg wash on these.  I just brush them with milk and I do sprinkle a little sugar on them.  Once they are cooked and slightly cooled, I also drizzle them with a vanilla glaze.  I don't really have a recipe for that.  I just add milk to powdered sugar until it is the texture I need.  Then I add a little vanilla to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon for this recipe).

Grilled Turkey Tenderloins

My husband is the grill master!  It is one of the reasons I get excited about warmer weather.  I beg him to grill for us most weekends.  This grilled turkey is amazing!  Seriously, you won't want to eat turkey prepared any other way!  So, so good!  We always double this recipe.  Who doesn't love delicious leftovers?!

The picture is a double recipe (four small tenderloins) but the recipe is for a single recipe (two small tenderloins).

Grilled Turkey Tenderloins

2 turkey tenderloins (about 2 pounds)
1 T minced garlic
1 t black pepper
1 T plus 1 t Worcestershire sauce*
2 T brown sugar
1 t salt
2 T vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients in a large ziplock bag.  Add tenderloins and marinate in the refriderator for at least 6 hours up to overnight.

In our kamado style smoker and convection grill, he preheated the temperature to 400 ^oF and cooked for about about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170-175 ^oF.

* For those on a gluten-free diet, we recommend Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie

My husband LOVES chicken pot pie.  I have tried so many recipes and never found one I liked.  The sauce was too runny, it took took long to prepare, and so on.  I found this recipe on pinterest recently and have already made it twice.  It is a keeper for sure and easier than most recipes as it uses purchased puff pastry dough.

The Ultimate Chicken Pot Pie - click here to link to the recipe.  I used a rotisserie chicken cubed.

M&M Cookies

This recipe is almost exactly like my increasingly popular recipe for Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (EF).  I just replaced the chocolate chips with miniature M&Ms.  I did make them a little bit bigger, flattening them slightly before baking.  So, they had to cook for another minute or two.  Although the two recipes are very similar, I am listing them separately because they taste like a whole different cookie.  What a difference a simple substitution can make.  One of my kids way prefers M&Ms over chocolate chips.  Happy kid!!

M&M Cookies

½ c unsalted butter 
½ c vegetable shortening
¼ c sugar
¾ c brown sugar

1 small package instant vanilla pudding

1 t vanilla

2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
2½ c flour
¹/₃ c milk
1½ c mini M&M candies
Preheat oven to 375^o.  Cream together the butter, shortening, both sugars, pudding mix and vanilla.  Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt mixing constantly.  Gradually mix in the flour.  Add milk one tablespoon at a time until dough starts to stick together.  Gently stir in M&Ms.  (I used my hands to mix in the M&Ms.)  Roll into balls, slightly flatten to make a thick disk and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes.  Let cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet before removing.  Makes about 28 cookies.

Southern Peach Cobbler

Happy New Year!  For our meal today, we had Hoppin' John (EF, DF, GF) and this peach cobbler made with frozen peaches from the summer.  I prefer more of a cake like cobbler, while my husband prefers a pie like cobbler.  My favorite cake like cobbler recipe can be found here Easy Peach Cobbler (EF).  The more pie like cobbler below is an adaptation of two recipes I found.  Enjoy!

Southern Peach Cobbler

Pastry Dough

Adapted from epicurious.com

2 ¼ c all-purpose flour

2 T granulated sugar

1 t salt

2 sticks (1 cup) less 1 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

6 to 8 T ice water

In a large bowl with a pastry blender, in a food processor or stand mixer blend or pulse together flour, sugar, salt, and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add 2 tablespoons ice water and toss with a fork or pulse until incorporated. Add enough remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing or pulsing to incorporate, until mixture begins to form a dough. Pat into a ball and chill 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough.  With about 1/3 of the dough, cut into one inch squares (or smaller) then place on a cookie sheet.  Bake the squares on 375 F for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Peach Filling

Adapted from iheartrecipes.com

2 lbs sliced frozen peaches, drained (reserve juice)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 T unsalted butter

1 t ground cinnamon

¼ t ground nutmeg

1½ c water or reserved peach juice

2 t pure vanilla extract

3 T all purpose flour

Place the peaches in a large pot.  Add 1 cup water or peach juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Turn the heat to medium high.  With the remaining ½ cup of water or peach juice sprinkle in 3 tbsp of all purpose flour then mix.  Once the peach mixture starts to bubble, pour the flour mixture into the peach mixture. Stir, and reduce the heat to low.  Once mixture is slightly thickened, remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Toss the cooked pie dough squares into the peach mixture and fold in. 

Pour the peach mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish.  Roll out the remaining dough, and cut it into strips Place the dough strips on top of the cobbler, lattice style.  Bake for 40 minutes on 375^o.  Cool slightly and serve topped with vanilla ice cream.