Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Kafta)

Welcome everyone to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a recipe for Kafta which is a Lebanese beef kabob. The combination of flavors in this meat are really just out of this world and you will definitely have friends and family requesting the recipe. Traditionally the way you eat Kafta is to take a piece of pita bread and wrap it around the skewer and pull the skewer out while gripping the meat with the bread. You would dress these almost like a Greek Gyro by topping it with tomato, onion, and then either a Tahini sauce or Tzatziki sauce. This meat mixture can be used to make delicious burgers as well. Give this recipe a try for yourself and I promise you won't be disappointed. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you're aren't already so you don't miss a single post.

Kafta

• 1 1/2 lbs Lean Ground Beef
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Ground Allspice
• 1 tsp Salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 6 Wooden or Metal Skewers

1. Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill for high heat; if using wooden skewers, soak them in water.
2. In a large bowl mix together the ground beef, onion, parsley, cayenne, allspice, salt and pepper until evenly blended.
3. Divide the meat mixture into 6 portions, and press around one end of the skewers to form a log shape approximately 1 inch thick and 6 inches long. (Alternatively you can make meatballs and skewer 4 or 5 meatballs per skewer.)
4. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Cilantro, Black Bean, and Corn Salsa)

Hello again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday! Today I bring you a great summer salsa that's super easy to make and full of flavor. This salsa is great with just plain dipping chips but is also wonderful served on top of enchiladas or in burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, or tacos. Personally I think using fresh tomatoes and corn instead of canned gives it a better flavor but even using canned product you get a really good flavor and it's super easy to make. If you want to make this spicy, try adding about 1/4 cup of chopped jalapeno. Give this light, refreshing, summer salsa a try at your next barbecue or family gathering and enjoy all the rave reviews. As always, feel free to post comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren't already.

Cilantro, Black Bean, and Corn Salsa

• 1 (15 oz) can Yellow Corn, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can White Corn, drained
• 2 (15 oz) cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Italian-style Diced Tomatoes, drained
• 1 bunch Finely Chopped Cilantro
• 5 Green Onions, finely sliced
• 1 Small Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1/4 cup Lime Juice
• 1 Avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, or to taste

1. In a large clear bowl combine the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
2. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado being careful not to smash the avocado.
3. Drizzle with olive oil just before serving.

Gluten Free Friday! (Crack Slaw)

Hello again friendly food fanatics and welcome to another Gluten Free Friday recipe post. Today I bring you a recipe from my mother that I haven’t actually tried yet but I’m confident will be delicious. She said that it tastes just like the filling inside an egg roll and I’m a huge fan of eggs rolls and Chinese food in general. The recipe below is the original recipe as it was when my mother found it. However, she said that personally she uses ground chicken instead of beef and powdered ginger instead of paste. She also said that the bags of slaw she’s been able to find are 16oz, not 14oz, but said that it works just fine. The ingredients in this recipe should all be Gluten Free naturally except the Soy Sauce so you will need to be sure to use Gluten Free Soy Sauce and if you use anything besides fresh ginger be sure to check the labels. As always, feel free to leave comments below and be sure to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss a single post. Have a great weekend everyone.

Crack Slaw

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp White Sugar or Sweetener
• 1/2 tsp Ginger Paste
• 2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp White Vinegar
• 3 Green Onions, sliced
• 14oz Coleslaw Mix
• 2 Tbsp GF Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Hot Sauce
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet; drain off the excess grease, season with salt and pepper to taste, and then transfer to a bowl for later.
2. Heat the sesame oil in the skillet and add the garlic, onions, and coleslaw mix; sauté until the slaw is cooked to the desired tenderness.
3. Add the hot sauce, soy sauce, sugar or sweetener, vinegar, and ginger; stir to combine.
4. Add the ground beef back into the skillet and stir well to combine.
5. Serve hot with extra hot sauce on the side.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Garlic Lovers Pasta)

Hello once again food lovers and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. Today I bring you a great pasta recipe that’s full of flavor and will make your house smell amazing when you cook it. I’ve always been a huge fan of garlic so when I found this recipe I was excited and when I made it I wasn’t let down. There’s big garlic flavor in this dish but I think it balances great with the other flavors in the dish. As with most recipes there’s always room to put your little spin on things so I like to add a little cubed chicken or peeled and deveined shrimp to this dish. You could also use some smoked sausage or thin steak cut into small pieces in this and I bet that would be amazing as well. You can also add veggies like broccoli or peas if you like. If you’re a lover of garlic like I am then you’re definitely going to want to give today’s recipe a try. As always, feel free to post comments below and don’t forget to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren’t already so you don’t miss any new posts.

Garlic Lovers Pasta

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 10-12 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
• 1 lb Dry Penne Pasta
• 2/3 cup Grated Romano Cheese

1. Heat a pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook until al dente or to your liking.
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan; add the garlic and cook until golden brown.
3. Add the salt, red pepper and parsley to the pan and stir to combine then remove the pan from the heat.
4. Toss the penne pasta and Romano cheese into the garlic mixture and gently stir to combine; garnish with a little parsley and cheese and serve hot.

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Crab Cup Appetizers)

Hello once again everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday. I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July holiday. Today I bring you a delicious appetizer that’s easy to make and will be a highly requested item at your future get-togethers. If you have tartlet pans you can use biscuits or crescent rolls to make these but the phyllo cups are so flaky and so delicious that I highly recommend you use them. You can also use imitation crab meat instead of canned crab and it really tastes just as good. In fact, I’ve actually used imitation crab and made this into a dip instead of stuffing them in cup and they were just as a bit a hit. For a spicy version you can add chopped jalapeno and/or a little hot sauce to the mix to give it that extra kick. Give these simple crab cups a try at your next get-together and let me know below what you and your guests thought.

Crab Cup Appetizers

• 2 (15 count) pkgs Phyllo Cups
• 1 (8 oz) pkg Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 (6 oz) can Crab Meat, drained
• 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Tbsp Thinly Sliced Green Onion
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 pinch Paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C); spray a large (18”x26”) cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, crab, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, green onions and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Spoon the mixture into each phyllo cup and place them on the greased cookie sheet; garnish with paprika.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly brown; freeze any extras and reheat before serving.

Gluten Free Friday! (GF Chex Apple-Almond Bars)

Happy 4th of July everyone and welcome to another Gluten Free Friday recipe post. So the other day I was just looking around for gluten free recipe ideas and came across the Chex website which was loaded with recipes that you can make with Chex cereals. There was actually a lot more recipes that I would have imagined that there would. A few recipe stood out as something that I wanted to try and the recipe I have for you today is definitely something I recommend you make. These bars are delicious, fairly healthy, and they kind of remind me of the protein/nutrition bars that you can buy in the stores. Give them a try for yourself and while you're at it you should head on over to the Chex website and check out their other recipes. As always, feel free to leave comments below and don't forget to follow @RecipeBlogger on Twitter if you aren't already so you don't miss a single post. Have a fun and safe 4th of July weekend and I'll see you back here next Wednesday.

GF Chex Apple-Almond Bars

• 4 cups Cinnamon Chex or Rice Chex Cereal
• 2/3 cup Chopped Dried Apples
• 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
• 1/2 cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries
• 1 Tbsp Butter or Margarine
• 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
• 1/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with foil; spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl mix the cereal, apples, almonds and cranberries together; set aside.
3. In a 1-quart saucepan heat the butter, corn syrup and brown sugar over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil; boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.
4. Pour over the cereal mixture in the bowl; stir until evenly coated.
5. Butter the back of a spoon and press the mixture firmly into the pan; refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm enough to cut.
6. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows, making 16 bars; store covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Serving Size: 1 bar; Calories 130 (Calories from Fat 25); Total Fat 3g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 80mg; Total Carbohydrate 26g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 15g); Protein 1g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 6%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 15%

Yummy Recipe Wednesday! (Brown Sugar Pork Chops)

Hello everyone and welcome to another Yummy Recipe Wednesday! After an unexpected hiatus last week, due to some issues beyond my control, I’m back and I bring you a great recipe to try if you’re still figuring out what to make this upcoming 4th of July holiday. I’m a pretty big fan of pork chops and sweet barbecue so when I found this recipe I knew I needed to try it. These chops are probably the most delicious thing I’ve ever grilled. They are very sweet so if you’re not a fan of sweet barbecue you could try cutting the sugar down. I think the next time I make them I’m going to add some cayenne and other spices to make a sweet heat sauce. Also, if you want your sauce thicker just add a little more cornstarch. Personally I like the thinner sauce because it allows me to baste the chops throughout cooking so it can caramelize on the chops a bit and not be super thick. Give this a try for your 4th of July cookout and let me know in the comments below what your guests, and you, thought about this.

Brown Sugar Pork Chops

• Apple Juice, as needed for marinade
• Apple Cider Vinegar, as needed for marinade
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup Apple Juice
• 4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Water
• 6 Boneless Pork Chops

1. Poke several holes in your pork chops and add them to a large zip lock bag.
2. Add equal parts apple juice and apple cider vinegar to the zip lock bag; seal and place in the refrigerator for several hours.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
4. In a small saucepan combine the brown sugar, apple juice, oil, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and pepper; bring to boil.
5. Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl and then whisk into the brown sugar mixture; stir until thick.
6. Brush the grill grate lightly with oil before placing the pork chops on the grill; cook the chops over hot coals for 4-6 minutes on each side, basting them with the brown sugar sauce as they cook.
7. After removing the chops from the grill, let them rest under foil for about 10 minutes before serving; serve with the remaining sauce.