Michelle’s Spicy Honey Chicken

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2 lbs

2 tsp vegetable oil

Rub:

2 tsp granulated garlic

2 tsp chili powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp coriander

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp chipotle chili pepper

Glaze:

½ cup honey

1 TB cider vinegar

Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.

Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Then toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well. Use your hands and get in there!

Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2TB honey glaze for later. Take the rest and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.

Drizzle the reserved glaze on chicken after taking it off the grill. 

Katherine’s Coconut Cupcakes

2 cups flaked coconut, plus more for garnish

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

1 box yellow cake mix

Water, oil, and eggs called for on cake mix box

Coconut extract (2 tsp)

Buttercream frosting

Heat oven according to cake box. Combine 2 cups coconut and condensed milk; set aside.

Make cake batter as directed, adding 1 tsp extract. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Top each with about 2 tsp coconut mixture.

Bake as directed on box. Cool completely.

Stir 1 tsp extract into frosting. Frost cupcakes.

Spread about ½ cup coconut on a cookie sheet. Toast in 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Cool.

Sprinkle toasted coconut on cupcakes.

Katherine’s Dump Salad

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can crushed pineapple

1 can cherry pie filling

8 oz. Cool Whip

Dump all ingredients in large bowl and combine.

Scott Wren’s Rib Rub

1 ½ cup brown sugar

1 ¼ cup sugar

½ cup salt

¼ cup pepper

¼ cup paprika

2 slabs babyback ribs

Favorite BBQ sauce (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients together. Rub ribs with mixture. Cook in 275 degree oven for 2 ½ hours. Grill about 5 minutes on each side.

If desired, you may lightly brush with BBQ sauce before grilling.

Bonnie’s Steak-on-a-Stick

1 ½ lbs London broil or flank steak

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

2 Tbs. molasses

2 tsp. dry mustard (ground)

1 tsp. powdered ginger

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1. Cut the steak on the diagonal in 1/4 inch slices and place them in a resealable bag.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then pour into the bag.  Seal the bag with no air pockets, shake, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or freeze until ready to use.

2. When you're ready to cook, skewer the meat ribbon style with 3 to 4 pieces on a skewer. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 1/2 hours prior to cooking.  Broil or grill the meat, about 3 minutes on each side. Makes 10-16 skewers.

Jami’s Sweet Chili Cheese Cornbread

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs at room temperature*
1 40z can chopped green chiles
1 can cream style corn
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons table salt
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup grated Monterey jack Cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (I like medium or sharp)
*To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in warm water for about 10 minutes before cracking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute.  Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each one.  Add green chiles and corn and mix well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Take a spoonful of flour mixture and toss with grated cheeses (this will help prevent the cheese from sticking together in a big lump.)  Add remaining flour mixture, and cornmeal to bowl and stir to combine.  Lastly, add grated cheese and mix until well distributed.
Pour  mixture into a 9×13 inch baking pan.  Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pan comes out with no goopy batter on it.  (Why yes, goopy IS an official culinary term.)

Christan’s Brazilian Lemonade

4 juice limes (try to find the ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and

the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)

1 cup sugar

6 cups cold water

6 TB sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place ½ of the limes in your blender.

Add ½ of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn’t test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 ½ servings at LEAST per person.

Jessica’s Frozen Berry Salad/Dessert

Frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc)

1 container Cool Whip

1 can Sweetened condensed milk

Mix together Cool Whip and milk, pour over frozen berries. Mix.

Serve immediately.

Shannon’s BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

3 lb boneless pork shoulder

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Smoked paprika or Liquid smoke

About 12 oz. of your favorite BBQ sauce (I love Sweet Baby Rays)

About 12 high-quality rolls

Rinse pork roast well in cold water and trim off excess fat. This is important, because sometimes, boneless pork shoulder (and bone-in pork shoulder, for that matter) can take on kind of an icky fishy odor and a lot of that smell is in the juices and the fat. Pat dry. Sprinkle roast with liquid smoke and seasonings and place in your slow cooker. Add about ½ inch of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When the roast has cooked, drain liquid and then return to the slow cooker and shred. Pour enough sauce over the meat so it’s well-incorporated but not soupy. Return the lid to the crockpot and heat through.

When ready to serve, slice rolls and add meat.

Sai’s Grilled Chicken

2 lbs boneless chicken thighs

1/3 cup sugar

1 TB chopped garlic

4 TB oyster sauce

1 pkg Lobo (seasoning for chicken – only sold at Asian store)

Mix ingredients together. Place chicken and marinade in a sealed container for 2-3 hours. Bake or grill. Throw away excess marinade.

Melanni’s Disappearing Salsa

1 can white corn, drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium can sliced olives, drained

½ bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 large tomatoes OR 4-5 small tomatoes, chopped

Just under ½ bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Best if made ahead and flavors have a chance to blend. Serve with corn chips.

Christa’s Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob)

Ingredients:

      6 ears fresh corn on the cob

      1 ½ cup shredded Cojita cheese

      4 ½ TB mayonnaise

      3 TB sour cream

      1 ½ tsp lime zest

      1 ½ tsp fresh lime juice

      ¾ tsp chili powder

      ½ tsp Franks red hot sauce

      Pinch of salt

Husk corn and cook in your desired way. We rubbed ours with butter, covered with salt and pepper and rolled up in heavy duty tin foil to grill on the grill at medium heat. It took about 15 minutes, turning the ears every 3-5 minutes.

Mix the mayo, sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, chili powder, and red hot sauce all together.

Grate the cojita cheese on a large plate that you can roll the corn in.

When the ears of corn are done, unwrap, rub on mayo mixture, then roll in the cheese.

Words. Can’t. Describe. The. Deliciousness.

Kari’s Organic Strawberry Peach Summer Soup

Ingredients:

2  organic peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into cubes

1 pint organic strawberries

1 ½ cups organic peach nectar or juice

2 TB lemon juice

¼ cup organic cane sugar (or sugar to taste)

Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Preparation:

1.      In a blender or food processor, whirl strawberries, peach, peach nectar, and lemon juice until smooth. Taste and add sugar if desired.

2.     Pour soup into a container, cover, and chill until cold, at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day. To chill faster, nest container in a bowl of ice water and stir soup often until cold, about 30 minutes.

3.     Pour the soup into shallow bowls. Scatter fresh cut strawberries on top. Garnish with mint sprigs.

****The great thing about this recipe is the fact that it is so versatile.  You can substitute any kind of fruit you desire, just make sure your juice or nectar compliments your flavors (for example, using pear nectar for a pear/blueberry combination) and you are good to go.  Perfect for BBQ’s, summer dinner parties or anytime you crave summer flavors****