Pots and Pins

Stuffed Peppers...

This one really takes me back...back to the first year the mister and I were married.  I was really trying to learn to cook and was willing to try different things but my repertoire had about 5 dishes and I made them over and over again.  Whenever I went to the doctor or dentist I loved sitting the in waiting room so I could go through their magazines - writing down recipes as fast as I could.  One day at my dentists' office I found this recipe at the same time they called my name...I asked if they would make a copy of it and the girl behind the counter asked for the magazine, looked at the recipe then she ripped out the page and told me no one would miss it!  When I got home I glued that recipe to a 3 x 5 card and it was the first recipe that went into my recipe file.  I knew I would like it because I love green peppers and I assumed the mister liked them too...to put it mildly, he did not.  But it's still one of my favorite meals - he just dumps the stuffing out of the peppers.  When he walked in the door the other night he said he could smell what was cooking from a block away...the only one of his senses that still works.

  

Written on the back of the 3x5 card, in my hand-writing, it says:  "Nothing good comes from cooking naked."  I have NO IDEA why I wrote that...but it's one of the reasons I've saved that card for all these years - it always makes me laugh and aside from that, it's SO true...not that I would know.

Stuffed Peppers ~ Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

4 medium-size green peppers

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups hot cooked rice

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 medium onion, sliced

1 can (29 oz.) tomatoes, chopped

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

additional salt and pepper to taste

Wash peppers; cut slice off tops; remove seeds.  Rinse with cold water.  Arrange peppers in a large Dutch oven and add boiling water to come halfway up sides of peppers.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Drain water and turn peppers upside down on a rack to drain completely.

Melt butter in same Dutch oven and add ground beef.  Stir and saute until lightly browned.  Add cooked rice, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice.  Divide mixture evenly between the 4 pepper cases, being careful not to pack too tightly.  Set stuffed peppers aside on a plate. Heat additional 2 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven and add sliced onions.  Saute until slightly soft and yellow.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to blend.  Arrange peppers in seasoned sauce, spooning a little sauce over each pepper to moisten filling.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until peppers are soft but not collapsing.  Serves 4. 

"It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious."  ~ Anonymous

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One year ago today:  Cafe Frio Chicken and Cafe Frio Rice

Nutty Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies...

Wow - that was a mouthful - and these cookies are all that and more.  Here's the back story...the good doctor stopped into a local bakery that is not known for anything - really, I don't know how they stay in business - but the good doctor went in, wanting something good and not seeing anything she settled on a cookie that had nuts in it.  She got back in her car happily eating her cookie and realized after a few bites that it was not only good, but dang good.  So she called the Fashionista, who, at her core, is a food sleuth.  The Fashionista, knowing this bakery has nothing to offer, was intrigued and went and bought herself a cookie.  At first bite she was not impressed, thinking the good doctor had been misled yet again by her magic Eight Ball, but after the third bite she thought maybe the good doctor had indeed hit upon something.  So the Fashionista brought me a tiny bit of her cookie, already chewed upon, and the crumbs, for me to decipher and try to come up with a recipe.  Not even a whole cookie.  So I bit slowly...definitely tasted Crisco, which I think should be banned worldwide, except for greasing cookie sheets, and definitely tasted the nuts...and then more subtly the brown sugar and the unmistakable quality of shortbread.  I had all the information I needed to recreate these wonderful nutty cookies for myself, the Fashionista and the good doctor, who will no longer need to go slumming in THAT bakery!

Really, this is such a simple recipe and they are such good cookies - especially if you are a nut...or like nuts.  You're going to want to print this one and make these...you're going to love the buttery goodness of these cookies - that's a promise! 

Nutty Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies - ME

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (3 sticks)

1 cup cornstarch

pinch of salt

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup finely chopped mixed nuts (I suppose you could use all of one kind of nut, like pecans)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Sift flour, cornstarch and salt into a medium-size bowl; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually add in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed and then stir in nuts.  Dough will be very thick.  Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop up dough into small rounded balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat sheets.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bottom of cookies are a golden brown.  Cookies will appear soft but with "set" as they cool.  Makes 2 dozen cookies. 

"Even if you don't risk anything, you risk even more."  ~ Erica Jong 

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One year ago today:  Max's New Sweater Sets

Sneak Peek...

This is a food AND quilting blog...and in the beginning I was hoping to have equal posts on those subjects...but somewhere along the way the food began to take over...and over.  In an attempt to regain some equal footing for my quilting friends, I have decided that from now on every Saturday will have a quilt related post - oh...beginning NEXT Saturday...I don't want to rush into anything!  Today I am going to show you just a few things I've been working on this summer - and in the next two weeks I'll have these projects wrapped up - well, that's my goal!  They have taken up the majority of my free time this summer...so today here's just a peek...

The paper mache elf is mine, the santa belongs to Stephanie...arms need to be attached along with trims and more painting, but they are going to be seriously cute, no?   On to the next project...started in June, carving the table took FOReeeever...and now the painting is coming along but oh so slowly...just know this, it's going to be fandamtastic and I love it!  The last little summer project has been these mini-log cabin blocks...I only need 144 of them...so every day I try to sew a few and I'm hopeful that what I have in mind for them will work - I never know as it's new to me every day!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars...

Let me ask you a question...could he be any cuter?  Aww shucks...I already know the answer to that - no he could not!  And he is FINALLY WALKING!!  I just love the pic on the right of his little legs...Go MAX GO!!  Oh how I miss my Max - it's like there is a hole in my heart!  I'm just counting down the days till my next visit. 

Thanks for all of your offers of help with my computerating issues...with serious brain usage over 5 hours, I finally managed to get my music into my computer but uploading it to my Ipod, well, let's just say a small child was involved but really, all she did was point and click - there was no stress on her part whatsoever so it's hardly fair to give her ALL the credit but I will, because that's the kind of gal I am...this morning I walked with music in my ears - I definitely had more pep in my step so that entitles me to make and eat these sinfully rich chocolate-peanut butter bars.

Guilty Kitchen posted a recipe for these bars recently and they sounded very familiar...after a bit of digging I found my sister's recipe which was very similar yet not.  And the thought of these bars was stuck in my head...of course, the only way to remedy that is to make them. There are three distinct layers to these bars - one better than the next.  The bottom layer is made with graham cracker crumbs, melted chocolate, chopped nuts, and some other evil ingredients.  Now, using a round cake pan was not the pan of choice, but my 8-inch square pans were in use so I had no choice - it was either wait two more hours or use a round pan.

The middle layer is the most evil...this is the layer that will take all of your taste buds hostage, and make them scream for more - chunky peanut butter mixed with MORE butter, powdered sugar and vanilla...stirred into a frenzy and then poured on top of the chocolate, nutty base.  But wait...there's more!   

The velvety smooth chocolate top layer is added...and then, just because too much is never enough...a nice sprinkling of sea salt (thanks to Guilty Kitchen's recipe for that little addition - which is a very fine one I might add!) finishes off these most delicious bars...next comes the hard part...letting them set in the refrigerator for at least two hours.  Patience grasshopper, patience.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars - Adapted from two recipes by Guilty Kitchen (who calls these Idle Hand Bars...as in idle hands are the Devil's workshop) and from my sister, Joni Geurts, (who definitely knows something about the Devil's workshop!)

Bottom Layer

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

5 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, hazelnuts or peanuts or a combination thereof (my sister only uses peanuts but the pecans or hazelnuts gives this a nice little twist)

Middle Layer

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Top Layer

5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 tablespoon butter

sea salt

To make Bottom Layer: In double boiler (or a bowl resting over a pot of lightly simmering water), melt the first three ingredients.  While still over water, add egg and beat to combine.  Remove from heat and add crumbs and nuts. Stir well to combine and then press into an 8x8-inch square cake pan.  Set aside and make middle layer.

To make Middle Layer:  In a small bowl combine peanut butter and butter.  Mix in sugar, salt and vanilla until well combined.  Scoop this mixture on top of the chocolate base layer, smoothing with a spatula until even and flat.

To make Top Layer:  In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate together.  Stir until completely melted and smooth.  Pour over peanut butter layer and spread evenly.  Cool in refrigerator for about 5 minutes (chocolate should still be soft but not warm), then sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  Return to refrigerator and let cool completely, about 2 hours.  Cut into 2-inch squares.  Makes 16.

Wow - that pics a little blurry...must have been because my hands were shaking in anticipation!  Oh by the way, these are dang good...a 4 danger on the old meter...(I'm holding back a dang just because the graham cracker base is not MY favorite...but I'll bet you'll love it!)

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One year ago today:  Taco Soup

Bundles of Love...

I mentioned this project briefly the other day in a post but after thinking more about it I realized that I needed to tell you more...so you can get a warm, fuzzy feeling inside just like I did.  This is a project about helping women who like to make things - the only difference between them and us is they live in Iraq.  There's this Army guy, Mr. Iraqi-Bundle-Of-Love, who started this project because he comes from a long line of quilting women...and because his heart must be the size of Mt. Rushmore.  He is currently in Iraq and he and his troops will personally pass out all of the bundles they receive - but they must be mailed before SEPTEMBER 7TH, 2009.   So time is short - dig into your stash and your hearts and send whatever fabric you have that you will NEVER use, because someone over there will.  They are also looking for yarn and all kinds of sewing notions.   

Go to Iraq-Bundles-of-Love and read the particulars...then leave a comment and you will be emailed the address of where to mail your bundle.  They are having you leave a comment so they can keep track of what is coming and be prepared...now isn't that just like an Army guy?  Always prepared!  You'll need a LARGE FLAT RATE POSTAGE BOX from the Post Office -  and you'll send your bundle to a US address so this will only cost $11.95...and think about all the love/joy/happiness your bundle will bring for just a measly $11.95!!  And anyone can do this - even if you don't quilt or sew...maybe your grandma has some yarn she's been hoarding...or your Aunt Till??  Go, search, find, pack and send...you'll be so happy you did. 

Here's the link again:  Iraqi Bundles of Love  Go now...do it!  It's only WORLD PEACE that's at stake!!!

You Know You're Too Dumb To Computerate When...

You can't figure out how to upload your CD's to your computer...

Or when you can't figure out how to back up your computer with the stupid little flash-thingy after it took you an hour to figure out what a flash-thingy was...

Or when you buy yourself an Ipod because you want music to listen to when you're out pounding the pavement trying to walk off the chocolate-peanut-butter bars that somehow ended up on your thighs and you can't figure out how to purchase tunes from the tune store on line...

Go ahead and laugh (the kid at Target who sold me the Ipod had himself a great chuckle when he tried to tell me how EASY it was...I tried to follow what he was saying but after his first three words my eyes glazed over and my temples were visibly throbbing, luckily he saw what was happening and rang me up before he had to call for paramedics.)  I AM that dumb.  I can email and write a blog and even upload pictures but that's all I know.  And I only know what I know.  There is no "figuring out" ability...left on my own, without a small child nearby, I am unable to computerate.  Now you know.  My new Ipod sits next to my keyboard and my pile of CD's where they will begin to collect dust unless someone comes to my rescue.  Pathetic.

Blueberry Pie...

Blueberry picking this year was rather uneventful compared to the monsoon we had to deal with last year.  As usual, I picked the most berries, but then my box also contained leaves, stems and the occasional smashed, rotted and the not-yet-ripe berries...Stephanie and Dawn picked only perfect berries, rather discriminating I thought.  But I was very happy with my pickings - the berries have been excellent this year, while not as big they are very sweet. I've given you some of my best recipes on this humble little blog, and my blueberry recipes rank right up there with the best of them...they include: Frozen-Blueberry Dessert,  Blueberry Corn Muffins, Blueberry Crisp, Blueberry Tart, Blueberry Crumb Bars, and last, Cheesecake With Blueberries - all dang good recipes.  But I realized I neglected to give you the best of the best blueberry recipe...the one for Blueberry Pie....super easy to make, if you use refrigerated pie dough, and it's kissed with lemon zest so all of those little blueberries will just dance on your tongue!

Not being a pretty pie maker is just one of the many albatrosses I wear, perhaps in my next life I shall master that - perhaps.  I would recommend using pate-brisee pie dough for the crust, it's just so light and flaky when baked, but I was in a hurry and used refrigerated pie dough - which worked just as well and made the makings of this pie as quick as can be. 

What it lacks in appearance it certainly makes up for in taste!  Because of the lemon, this pie has a refreshing taste, but the lemon is not overpowering, you'll still get that sweet blue flavor - the one that makes it worth standing out in the fields picking those plump, juicy little berries.

Blueberry Pie - Adapted from Joy of Baking

Refrigerated Pie Pastry for one 9-inch pie, you will use both sheets of pastry

4  cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Egg wash:

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a 9-inch pie tin with one sheet of the refrigerated pastry.  Trim to fit and flute the edges - or try to as I tried...I did, I tried my hardest!  Set aside.  In a small bowl mix together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest.  Place the blueberries in a large bowl.  Add the sugar mixture to the blueberries and gently toss to combine.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.  Place the remaining piece of pastry on a lightly floured cutting surface, using a knife, pizza wheel or pastry wheel, cut into strips about 3/4-inch wide.  Weave the strips on top of the pie, forming a lattice, pressing into the fluted edges of the crust to seal.  Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and cream.  Lightly brush the lattice pastry and the rim of the prepared pastry shell with the egg wash.

Bake pie in the lower third of the oven at 400 degrees.  Place pie on a larger baking pan, lined with parchment or foil to catch any spills.  Bake pie for 20 minutes and then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake pie for another 35 to 45 minutes or until the crust is a deep golden brown color and the juices are bubbling and thick.  If the edges of the pie are browning too much cover with a foil ring. Place baked pie on a wire rack to cool for several hours.  Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.  Store any leftovers for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.

"One's destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things."  ~ Henry Miller

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One year ago today:  Fresh Corn Cakes

Bruschetta...

I know what you're thinking...I'm smart like that...you're thinking who needs a recipe for bruschetta?  It's just chopped up tomatoes, basil and Parm on toasted bread, right?  Wrong.  And besides, I have a secret ingredient...a secret way of making bruschetta that will make YOUR bruschetta passe, boring, insignificant and bland...Think of this as a challenge...a Bruschetta-Off...your bruschetta against mine...right here, right now.  Take your time, gather your ingredients and make your tasteless bruschetta...I'll wait.  And while you're working, let me bring you up to speed on a few things:  First, I GOT MY BABY BOWL BACK!  I know how worried you were for me!!  Thanks for all of your cards/letters/flowers and support...it meant so much!  And now my baby is back where she belongs and all is right in my universe.

Next on my list...tomorrow is my anniversary.  But this year I do not want you to send me gift certificates, chocolates, flowers, etc., it's so sweet of you to always want to do that, but really, I have better plans for your money.

For my anniversary, the one the mister has forgotten about, I'd like you to follow this link and read all about the Iraqi Bundle of Love Project.  You can clean out some of your fabric/yarn stash, help make the world a better place, and I'll consider it an anniversary gift to me and the mister all in one fell swoop...trust me, this is a good thing, a very good thing.

Bruschetta...why do I love it so?  I'll tell you...it's a snack, an appetizer, or a meal...plus it's chewy and crunchy and colorful - so, so much to love!  Okay, here's my deal...just forget about your bruschetta for a minute and listen up...my secret ingredient?  Garlic JUICE!  Oh yeah!  I use minced garlic from a jar, and when I want to make bruschetta I drizzle on some of the juice, on top of the butter before toasting...you've just got to try it...in a word?  Amazing.  Oh, there is one other little secret...I use SALTED French bread...bread that has an outside coating of coarse sea salt...it makes a difference, a huge difference, between bland and bombtastic! 

Of course a little Italian candy - Calamata olives - adds it's own punch to the most incredible bruschetta you've ever had...On a scale of 1 to 10, this is how it would add up...Your bruschetta, probably a 5...I'm just saying...and my bruschetta?  A solid 10.  I could be wrong, maybe yours is a 6, possibly a 7, but this, well, this is a 10.  Make it and do the math for yourself.

Bruschetta - ME

1 loaf good French Bread with sea salt coating (if you can't find this kind of bread, then add sea salt to your bread after toasting, before the toppings are put on)

2 tablespoons butter, softened, or olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic juice (from a jar of minced garlic)

2 tomatoes, chopped

about 8 large fresh basil leaves, chopped

12 Calamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

Slice French bread in half, lengthwise.  Butter each half or put olive oil on each half - I prefer butter.   Put under a broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to toast, being careful not to burn.  When toasted to your liking, remove. Using a spoon, spread garlic juice on top of butter, it's okay if you get a few pieces of garlic!  Sprinkle on a bit of the Parmesan to each half.   Top with chopped tomatoes, basil, olives and more Parmesan.  Serves 4 normal people or two pigs. 

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."  ~ J.K. Rowling

Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie...

Doesn't it just sound good?  This pie is an award winner...it won $2,500 in the Great American Pie Contest so it should be good!  Oh, no, it's not my recipe.  My pie didn't win a thing...not even an honorable mention, worthy effort or a second look...nope, my pie was not even as much as an after thought...but I'm not complaining, because really, what would I do with $2,500???  That's not even enough to spit on!  So this is the pie that beat mine - apparently by a land-slide - and the winner, Sherrell Dikes from Holiday Island, AR, had this to say, "This was the first contest I've ever entered, and it was a wonderful experience!"  Her first contest.  Well, ain't that special?!?  No, really, I'm not bitter...I'm not...I'm irritated just a smidgen but certainly not bitter!

 

 

 

Making this pie became an obsession...not only did I make it once, but three times.  The first pie I gave to some friends and the wife said it was great but the husband, a peach-pie-afficionado said it was "not his favorite."  Ha!  Not everyone thought it was worth $2,500!  I felt such vindication!  As the pie was a gift, I did not taste it...so I had to make it again.  The second pie was okay...not great...perhaps I was judging it unfairly because of the bitter taste in my mouth from my pie not winning so much as a hotpad...so after eating every last crumb, it would have been rude not to, I made another one.  And three was the charm.  It IS a good pie - dang-good-award-winning, and that's hard to say with crow in one's mouth.  And it's different - it's not your ordinary run-of-the-tin peach pie.  It's the sour cream, of course, but also the pecans and that crumbled topping that will have you wiping your drool in between bites. 

Sour Cream Peach Pecan Pie - Adapted From Taste of Home Magazine, August 2009, by Sherrell Dikes

pastry for single-crust 9-inch pie

4 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 4 to 5 medium peaches)

2 tablespoons peach preserves

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges.  In a large bowl, combine peaches and preserves.  Transfer to pastry.  In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, sour cream, egg yolks, flour and vanilla.  Pour over peaches.  Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugars, pecans, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until crumbly; after pie has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle topping over pie.  Cover edges of crust with foil to prevent over-browning.  Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and topping is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Store in the refrigerator.  Serves 8. 

"A word to the wise ain't necessary.  It's the stupid ones who need the advice."  ~ Bill Cosby

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One year ago today:  Blueberry Tart

Chicken Satay with Yogurt Cilantro Almond Sauce and Spicy Peanut Sauce...

It's been stinkin' hot around here - sun beating down on every window - so the shades are drawn, the air is running on high and what do I do?  Do I retreat to my sewing room where fans cool the air so I can create till my heart's content?  No.  I do not.  Do I pick one of the books in my "must read" pile next to my bed and go lounge about in the cool darkness of the family room?  No, not me.  Do I head for the mall where it's downright cold inside and reward myself by buying something sparkly?  Or drive in my air-conditioned car to my favorite haunts to find the elusive antique of my dreams?  Or finish one of the dozen or so projects that need my attention?  No, no and no.  I go into the kitchen to cook, bake, saute and simmer...and that's just me personally, to say nothing of the food! 

It's been a very busy few days in the kitchen...the plum tart I made with stolen plums (it was a short crime spree and I've already punished myself) was a complete disaster...the blueberry muffins were good, not great...the first batch of peach hand pies were mushy and the second was burned to smithereens...the potato salad was given an added bonus of pasta because I was suffering from heat exhaustion, the boy was yapping at me, and I temporarily had an out of body experience as I dumped what should have been a pasta salad on top of the potato salad and mindlessly mixed them together ...but this peanut sauce and the cilantro sauce, well, they are both perfection personified.  And I can't say a thing about the satay...nothing.  As in words can't describe it...it's that good.  

I love the colors of these sauces...and the flavor - they are polar opposites - the spicy peanut sauce is thick and creamy, dark, rich and swarthy, yes, swarthy, as in Ricardo Montalban meets Johnny Depp in Morocco.  The yogurt cilantro almond sauce is bright and vibrant, yet just a bit naughty thanks to the jalapenos, think of it as Penelope Cruz meets Reese Witherspoon in Tijuana.  And then, my friends, the satay itself...chicken tenders marinated in yogurt, garlic and a bit of curry...oh my...you're going to love this! 

These recipes were part of the delicious lunch the Barr Girls made for me a while back...so, so good!  I did my best to follow their recipes exactly, but as usual I had to make a few adaptations, because I just can't leave well enough alone.  I'm going to give you their exact recipes, where you see ** is where I have either added or changed something. 

Chicken Satay with Yogurt Cilantro Almond Sauce and Spicy Peanut Sauce -  from The 4 Barr Girls

Yogurt Cilantro Almond Sauce

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

2 cloves garlic

1 to 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced

1 large bunch cilantro

6 tablespoons plain yogurt

juice of 2 limes

**1 cup coarsely chopped zucchini

In a food processor, combine the almonds, garlic, and jalapenos.  Add cilantro, yogurt and lime juice, **and zucchini and process until a smooth paste.  Pour into a bowl and garnish with almond slivers and extra cilantro.

Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1/2 cup diced red onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup light borwn sugar, packed

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup ketchup

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes in a small pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 o 15 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter and ketchup.  Cook for 1 more minute.  Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. (**I did not process this sauce as I liked the chunks of onion in it, it will be very thick.)

Marinade for Chicken:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 to 1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders

metal or wooden skewers (If using wooden skewers soak in water for 30 minutes so they don't catch fire on the grill :))

Combine the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and curry powder in a shallow mixing bowl, stir to combine. Place the chicken strips in the yogurt marinade and gently toss until well coated. Cover and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at up to 2 hours.  Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked skewers working the skewer in and out of the meat, down the middle of the piece, so that it stays in place during grilling. Place on a hot grill over low heat that's been brushed with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken satays for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through.  Makes about 15 to 20 skewers. 

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."  ~ Vincent van Gogh

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One year ago today:  Blueberry Picking In A Monsoon