Chicken & Waffles with Rosemary Maple Gravy

I made this a couple weeks ago and it's a new favorite in our house! Plus, it's super easy! I got the gravy idea from Racheal Ray and the waffle recipe I got in an email from my dad. The waffle recipe is from a place in Salt Lake called Finn's Cafe, it recently won an award for "Best Breakfast" from a magazine there in S.L.C. The waffles were AMAZING! The kids ate them plain. I had one bite and called my sister gushing about how delicious they were!
WAFFLES
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon dried ginger
cooking spray
waffle toppings
Batter:
1. Combine 6 eggs and 1 cup of sugar. Whip until thick and frothy, about 4 minutes.
2. Blend in 1/4 cups of sour cream.
3. Add 1 cup flour and 1/8 teaspoon each of nutmeg, cardamom and dried ginger; fold in until thoroughly mixed.
4. Chill batter in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Cooking:
Preheat waffle iron and mist with cooking spray (Pam). Gently pour in batter. Cook until golden brown (2-4 minutes).
Traditionally served with sour cream and lingonberries, but also goes great with any of your favorite jams, syrups or butters!
Enjoy.
~~~~~~This was a little sweet for a savory waffle, which is what I made with the chicken and gravy. Next time I make them for a savory dish I will put in half the sugar it calls for. Also, I didn't have cardamom.

CHICKEN
I seasoned boneless skinless chicken tenders with salt and pepper and sauteed them in a pan with a little butter and olive oil.

GRAVY
Using the pan I cooked the chicken in, I added about 4 TBS of butter (this depends on how much oil you have left in the pan) and 2-3 TBS of flour to make a roue. Then I added chicken broth to make a thick gravy. I added 1-2 TBS of dried Rosemary (Tyler isn't crazy about Rosemary so I went easy on it) and about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of maple syrup - I just used the syrup I had in the cupboard, not real maple syrup. You can also use chicken gravy packets and add rosemary and maple syrup.

ASSEMBLY
I took one waffle square, put one chicken tender on waffle and folded it in half, just like a half sandwich. OR, make a full sandwich using two waffle squares and a full chicken breast or 2 tenders. Then dip in gravy.

Hors d'oeuvres

Earlier this week we had a thing at our house and I wanted to make some fun foods that would be easy to grab and eat while talking and walking around. So, this is what I came up with. Meatballs in a BBQ Apricot sauce, Veggies & Dip in a cup and a Dill Cream Cheese Crostini. They were so yummy and really easy to make. The meatballs can be made the day before and then, an hour or so before your party begins toss them in a crock pot with the sauce to heat them up. The veggies for the cup and the crostini can all be prepped the day before so all you have left to do on the day of is assemble!



Meatballs

I use my grandma's recipe. Any recipe will do - OR - buy the premade ones in the frozen section at the grocery store. For the sauce I combined equal parts BBQ sauce, your favorite kind will do, and apricot preserves. You can always bump it up a bit by adding a little cayenne pepper, liquid smoke, garlic, onion, brown sugar... the options are endless!

Veggies Sticks & Dip in a Cup

This doesn't really need explaining. Just cut up a variety of veggies. I used carrots, celery and red bell pepper. Make sure they are cut long enough to easily pick out of a cup. Put some Ranch dip in the bottom of a clear plastic cup - you can use shorter or regular sized cups - and then put in the veggie sticks. Simple and fun, right? Plus your guests can double dip all they want!

Dill Cream Cheese Crostini's

This one is really easy, too. You'll need:
1 baguette or a loaf of french bread. I prefer the baguette but french bread will work fine.
1 package cream cheese
1/2 - 1 TB dried dill, depending on how much dill you like. Just taste as you go.
Diced tomatoes
Diced black olives
Mozzarella cheese
~I also used capers and red bell peppers on mine~
Directions:
Soften cream cheese a bit and stir in dill, set aside. Slice your bread on a bias in 1/4 inch slices. Lay flat on a baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Broil for a couple minutes on each side till lightly toasted. You don't want them too toasted because they are going back under the broiler after they're topped. Once removed, spread cream cheese on each one. Top with tomatoes & olives (and anything else that sounds good to you!). Sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on top and pop them back under the broiler till the cheese just begins to melt. Serve warm.

And there you go. Three delicious, simple and quick hors d'oeuves for any get-together!

Chicken Nuggets

These are delicious baked, not deep fried, chicken nuggets. I love these because my kids love them and I know exactly whats in them! Plus, they're super easy to make! These also freeze great so I always make extra and freeze them for later.
Ingredients:
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sun chips OR corn flakes
Paprika
Salt & Pepper
Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian Seasoning OR Ranch Dressing Season packet
Egg
Flour
Cornstarch

Directions:
Cut chicken into nugget sized pieces. Combine equal parts cornstarch and flour in a small dish or bowl, add salt and pepper, mix together. Crack egg into bowl - use 2 eggs is you're making a lot. Beat egg. Pour chips or corn flakes into gallon sized Ziploc bag and crush into very fine crumbs. This is a great job for the kiddos! You can shake chicken in bag but it tends to make the chips or flakes a little soggy so I usually pour crumbs into a baking pan and roll chicken in crumbs. Also, I like the taste of Sun Chips better, but corn flakes are much cheaper. Add to crumbs: Paprika and either half a packet of Ranch Dressing seasoning OR garlic powder, onion powder and Italian Seasoning to taste. OR... just season it however your family would like it!
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet, or two if you're making a lot, with foil and spray foil. Dredge chicken in flour/cornstarch mixture, then into the egg mixture, then coat chicken with chips or corn flake mixture. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet. When your chicken is all ready to go in the oven, lightly spray chicken evenly with cooking spray. This is will help make them nice and crispy. Bake for 15-17 minutes, depending on the size of your nuggets. I always serve this with mashed potatoes and gravy, just like a school lunch. There's just something about dippin a chicken nugget in my mashed potatoes that really brings me back to grade school.... Hm. Anyway, any leftovers you have, just toss them in the freezer for another day! Now, I'm craving chicken nuggets...

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas with Onion Dip

I saw this made on Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives on Food Network and just had to try it! Of course they don't give exact measurements on the show so I had to guess as I went. It looks like a lot but I promise it is really easy and SO YUMMY!

Onion Dip:
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, sliced in quarters
1/2-3/4 c. mayo
1/2-3/4 c sour cream
2 tb Worchestershire
couple dashes of liquid smoke
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB sugar
pepper

Place onions on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven on 400 degrees till soft and carmalized, 15-20 minutes depending on the size of onion slices. The guy on the show smoked his onions so if you have a smoker you can smoke them instead. Remove from oven and put directly into a food processor or blender and puree till smooth. Pour pureed onions into a bowl and stir in all other ingredients. Taste as you go, if you think it needs more of something or something I didn't even list go ahead and add it. Tyler doesn't like onion dip but he LOVED this!

BBQ Sauce:
BBQ sauce is actually really easy to make but remember you can always use your favorite store bought bbq sauce. Again I don't have the exact measurments and even my own recipe is not in exact measurments but it's easy to taste and add as you like.
Start with:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
garlic powder
onion powder
liquid smoke
worchestershire

Simmer 30 minutes

optional: red pepper flake, chicken stock, salt, pepper, steak seasoning, mustard
This is just a basic recipe. You can adjust to your liking. If you like sweeter bbq sauce add more brown sugar or honey. You can add a touch of red pepper flake or cayanne if you want more heat. If you want a little more zing you can add a capful or two of vinegar. Or, even add a dash of steak sauce. Just make it your own!

Quesadilla:
BBQ sauce
chicken
red onion, diced
mozzerella, shredded
cilantro
tortillas

Directions:
I roasted 2 chicken breasts in the oven with olive oil, salt and pepper. However, you can use any chicken. Maybe you have leftovers, a store bought rotisseri chicken, or chicken from KFC. It doesn't matter what kind of chicken you have, just make sure its cooked and then shred it.
Assemble:
Lay a tortilla on a flat top or griddle. Spoon a little bbq sauce on tortilla and spread all over. Layer on half of the tortilla: shredded chicken, red onion, cheese, cilantro. Fold in half, cook a minute or two then turn over to make sure both sides are toasted and cheese is melty.

Dip in onion dip and ENJOY!

Tikka Masala

My sister introduced this to me and I LOVE it! It's a super easy way to get a taste of Indian food without actually having to know how to make Indian food! I use Patak's but I know there are other brands out there. Patak's has lot of different sauces, too. I have only tried the Tikka Masala and the Mango Curry and I loved both. The Mango Curry was a little sweeter and not as spicy as the Tikka Masala. You can find these sauces at just about any grocery store. I've bought them at Broulim's and Walmart. Anyway, all you do is saute some chicken, pour in the sauce and let it all simmer together 10 minutes or so. I serve it over rice and with Na'an. Na'an is an Indain bread that is sssoooooo yummy! If you don't want to make Na'an, you can use tortillas. Here is the recipe I use for Na'an:
Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
*During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
*I made this last night and since it was 10 degrees outside I didn't want to grill outside... so I did it in the oven. This is how I did it:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. Using my hands and fingers I streched and pulled the ball into a thin circle - not too thin or it will be crunchy. I do it about how I'd do a scone. Brush both sides with melted butter and place on wire rack on cookie sheet. Bake 3-4 mintutes per side. While cooking last side turn the broiler on high and cook until bread has a nice brown color.
That's it. This is so easy and such a fun change to the everyday meal. I hope you enjoy it!

Steak Burritos

This is a super easy slow cooker recipe. I had a cheap steak in my freezer that needed to be used up so I tossed it in the crock pot along with a couple chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - careful, they are pretty spicy so go easy on 'em - and a can of diced tomatoes and let it go. It was a thin steak so I only cooked it on low for 6 hours or so. When it was done I removed the peppers and diced them. Then I shredded the steak right in the crock pot, returned the peppers and mixed it in with all the yummy cooking juices and tomatoes. Then, because the steak was small, I cooked a little bit of white rice and heated up a can of black beans. Top with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, etc. and your done!

Ravioli

(please ignore the massive orange flowers on the plate, Jaxon insisted on using "Great Grandma's plates" tonight.)
I saw someone use wonton wrappers to make ravioli once, so... I thought I'd give it a go. And they were so easy, and so yummy! And the wonton wrappers are pretty cheap. I only paid $2.78 for them. I don't know how much it costs to buy frozen ravioli but I'm pretty sure its a little more expensive than that. I'll tell you how to make them and then I'll tell you what I put in them and on them. There are a couple different ways/shapes you can make. You can make a square: place a teaspoon or two -be careful not to fill them too full or they won't seal tight and if they don't seal tight they will make a big mess! - of filling in the middle of a wrapper, dip your finger in water and brush along edges of wrapper, place another wrapper on top, press edges together and seal tightly. You can make triangles using one wrapper and folding in half. You can also make a triangle and then bring the long side corners together, like a wonton. After you make your ravioli, place them in water that has been brought to a gentle boil. Cook them in batches, only put a few in at a time so they are not over crowded. Let them boil for a bout 3 minutes or until the wrapper is slightly translucent.
Now, the filling. This is the best part about making your own ravioli because you can put WHATEVER you want in them! I used shredded chicken and mixed it a little cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and a handful of a blend of Italian cheeses.
***Other options: Ricotta cheese, chopped mushrooms, ground beef, sausage, ground turkey, spinach.... the list goes on and on! Get creative and use whatever sounds good to you!
***Jaxon helped me make the ravioli and he had so much fun! If you feel brave enough, let your little ones help out!

The sauce I used on top is actually a recipe I got from my sister that I use on wide egg noodles and sauteed chicken. It's very versatile and can be used and altered to fit lots of different foods. It is SO easy and SO quick! Here is the recipe
1 pkg cream cheese - low fat or the nufchlalala....(I don't remember the name or how to spell it!) they work just fine in this so go ahead and save yourself some fat
1 pkg mushrooms
garlic
a little milk
salt
pepper
Directions: saute mushrooms in a little drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter till tender. Add garlic, however much you like and cook another minute or two. Add the pkg or cream cheese. Stirring constantly, so it doesn't burn, allow cream cheese to melt completely, adding milk along the way to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and voila! You have a creamy, rich sauce to top your ravioli with!

Remember, there are lots of different fillings and sauces out there. Give it a try!

Manacotti Enchiladas

Tyler loves creamy enchiladas. I hate the texture of flour tortillas when they get soggy from all the gooey filling. And I can't use corn tortillas because Tyler doesn't really like them. So, my solution..... manacotti noodles! My recipe for my filling is not really a "recipe", it's just some of this and some of that. But this is what I use: cubed or shredded chicken, sour cream, cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, parsley, diced green chilies, green enchilada sauce, and a little milk if it's too thick. On the top and bootom of the manacotti I use the filling mixture minus the chicken and a little extra green enchilada sauce, all topped with cheese of your choice. Be careful when you cook the manacotti to make sure you don't overcook them or they will split. Follow the directions on the back for al dente noodles, I think it's like 7 minutes. Fill cooked noodles with filling, spread sauce on bottom of 9x13 casserol dish, arrange filled noodles in pan, top with sauce and cheese, bake till bubbly. This is one of my new favorite dishes! It's a wonderful compromise for Tyler and I. He still gets his enchiladas, but I don't have to gag on soggy tortilla!

Super Easy Chicken Tacos

This is a really easy quick fix dinner idea. I boil chicken from frozen, enough to feed my family plus extra for left overs. (You don't have to cook from frozen, it's just faster and easier for me because my chicken is already frozen.) I hardly ever boil my chicken in straight water. To this chicken I added worchester sauce, lime juice, salt and garlic. I put everyting in a pot first, chicken included, then bring to boil. Depending on how big your peices are it will take 20-30 minutes-ish. When its done drain the chicken but save some liquid. Shred the chicken, or dice it if you prefer, then flavor however you like. You could make a bbq style chicken with a bbq sauce or make your own with ketchup, vinegar, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder, worchester sauce, salt, pepper and mustard. Or just add lime juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. To this I added worchester sauce, brown sugar, a little lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and a little of the left over cooking liquid. It was sweet and savory. Heat chicken and sauce together. Then you are ready to assemble your tacos. You can keep it simple with just cheese and lettuce or you can go big. Here are some optional toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, cilantro, avacado, green onions, olives, lemon or lime juice.
**Tip: Rice and beans are very cheap. To make my filling go farther I add white rice and beans to my tacos. Calrose rice is my favorite, it's sticky and plump and cooks pretty quick. For this taco I like to use black beans.
**This shredded chicken is also perfect for salad. Chop lettuce and top with chicken, black beans, cheese, corn, and ceasar dressing for a southwestern ceasar salad. I sent the leftover chicken from last night along with salad fixin's with
Tyler for his lunch today.

Hot Dogs ala Rose ala Aarti ala Melissa

So Aarti from Food Network made this hot dog dish that her mom, Rose, made for her growing up. I thought it would be a really fun dish to make for the boys since they would eat hot dogs all day, everyday if I let them. It was really easy. As you read the recipe think of what you can add to it to fit you family's likes. First she sauteed some onions. Then she added grated carrots and let them cook a bit. Then she added diced tomatoes, sliced ginger and garlic, a bunch of Indian spices, ketchup, sliced hot dogs, and a bit of water. I don't have many Indian spices and my boys are not really fans of onions or tomatoes so here is what I did for me and my boys.
1/2 onion diced
1 carrot, diced or grated
1/2 cup pinto beans roughly chopped
a little garlic
1/4-1/2 cup ketchup, depends on how tomatoey you like it
dash apple cider vinegar
3 hot dogs, halved length wise then sliced into 1/4ish pieces
curry powder
ginger powder
salt
pepper

Saute onions a few minutes in olive oil then add carrots and beans. Saute till carrots are tender crisp. Add garlic. If you want tomatoes add diced tomatoes now. Allow tomatoes to soften a bit. You could also just add fresh tomatoes to individual dishes when you serve it. Add ketchup, vinegar, curry to taste, ginger to taste (every one's tastes are different, especially with spices like these), salt, pepper and hot dogs. You will need to add a little water and maybe more ketchup to make it saucy. It should be like a thick gravy for the hot dogs. Aarti served hers in pita halves but I didn't have any so I put it over rice. You can serve it on Na an, or another flat bread. You can use all beef hot dogs, brats, or sausages. Or, skip the hot dogs altogether and use chicken. If you find something that makes it better or a different way to do it, let me know!

Over due

I know I haven't posted in quite a while so I thought I'd throw a couple recipes on here to make up for it. So here you go!

FLY OFF THE PLATTER PANCAKES
I got this recipe from my step-mom. They are some of the best homeade panckaes EVER!
It's really easy to remember, it's just one of everything. I usually double it for my family if I have something else to serve with it. If we are eating only pancakes I will often triple it. Leftovers keep just fine in the fridge for a couple of days, too.

1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tb melted butter
1 c flour
1 Tb baking powder
1 Tb sugar
pinch of salt

Mix wet ingredients together. In separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients, do not over mix! Let batter rest a few minutes to allow the baking powder to activate. Someitmes I add applesauce or use buckwheat flour instead. I have also read of people adding a packet or two of flavored instant oatmeal. Get creative, find out what your family likes best!


APPLE PEAR CHIMICHANGAS
I got this recipe from Ingrid Hoffman on the Food Network. It's a fun and different dessert.
wash, core, and slice 1 large pear and 1 large apple... or use 2 large apples.

1/4 c butter
1/3 c sugar
melt in a saute pan then add
1 tsp cinnamon
pears and apples
Cook till tender, about 5-7 minutes then add 1/4 c water and cook till browned, another 5-7 minutes. Roll fruit and sauce in tortillas like you would roll a chimichanga or burrito and secure it with a toothpick. Heat 1 Tb oil in a skillet and fry chimichangas lighly on each side. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Now, I don't have a recipe for this, it's just a suggestion. A couple in our ward came over last night to welcome us to the ward and they brought huckleberry cinnamon rolls. They were AMAZING! Instead of using raisins, she used huckleberries. Genius? I think so! It got my thinking about what else you could add instead of the traditional raisins... If you have a fun twist to something traditional, I'd love to hear what it is!

Food Combos

Ok, I found some great tips in a Family Circle magazine for maximizing the health benefit of some foods. These are some great combinations that will help you get the most out of your food!

1. Vinegar and high-carb foods like bread, pasta and potatoes. This can help with easier weight loss. When we eat high-carb foods it causes a spike in the glucose in our blood and then drops quickly making us feel hungry, so we eat more. Vinegar helps to moderate that spike in glucose, so we feel full longer. A recent study showed that people who ate 4 tsp of apple-cider vinegar with bagels and juice consumed 200 less calories during their day then people who ate the exact same meal minus the vinegar. I personally know that this works. I took apple-cider vinegar in a pill form every morning and within just a few short weeks I lost 5 pounds.I know its not huge but... if we could keep ourselves from gaining weight by splashing a little vinegar on our bread or pasta, why not?!

2. Tomatoes, olive oil, and broccoli. These simple foods eaten together can mean fewer colds. Tomatoes and broccoli are packed with vitamin c and beta-carotene that help strengthen your immune system. However, to be properly absorbed, beta-carotene must be consumed with fat. Hence the olive oil. According to a study, adding 1/2 tsp of monounsaturated fat allows our body to absorb 5 times more beta-carotene from the veggies we eat. Steaming is the best way to get those veggies to let out their beat-carotene and are also easier to digest after a quick steam bath.

3. Bananas and yogurt. Everyone talks about how yogurt has great probiotics and can help with tummy and digestive trouble, but what most don't know is that in order for probiotics to be reach their full potential, they need prebiotics. Probiotics feed on prebiotics so when we consume probiotics we need to feed them. This is where the bananas come in. Bananas supply inulin and ologofructose, prebiotics to feed the probiotics thus providing our intestines with the stuff they need to replenish good flora.

4. Spaghetti and red peppers. Iron gives oxygen to our brain which in turn gives us much needed energy. 12% of women are iron-deficient. Grains are great sources of iron but iron from plant foods are not easily absorbed. Vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed. By adding vitamin C rich food like red peppers (or tomatoes or broccoli), it creates a chemical reaction that allows the intestines absorb the iron.
~~~ So, if you make a pasta dish with great veggies like roasted tomatoes, steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, throw in some chicken for protein, drizzle with olive oil for some good fats, add a dash of vinegar (you'll want some acid anyway) and add garlic and whatever else you like (onions, spinach, salt, pepper, etc.). Now with this dish we have moderated the spike in glucose causing us to be fuller faster. We have boosted our immune system. And we have more energy from all the iron we allowed to absorbed. Look at all the good we can do with one delicious meal!

I hope some of these tips will help you as you plan your meals and think about what you eat!

Monte Cristo Hot Dog

I just realized that I haven't posted in a really long time so I thought I'd throw a recipe on here really quick, I don't have a picture and this is kind of a different thing but it's really easy and a fun change from your everyday hot dog.
You start by slicing a hot dog in half. Then fry it flat side down. After it's browned turn it over and top it with cheese, any kind of cheese you like and let it melt while the other side cooks. You can put a metal bowl on top if it needs a little help melting the cheese. Meal while toast your buns in the pan along side your frying hot dog. Then when everything is browned, melted, and toasted being the assembly. Lay the buns open and top with strawberry jam then top that with your hot dog with melted cheese. That's it! I know it sounds a little weird but the salty form the hot dog and the sweet from the jam and the savory from the cheese is amazing! You can also top with hot chili, onions, crumbled bacon, the list is endless! I promise to post more recipes of REAL meals later!

Dessert from the Grill

My step-mom gave us this amazing grilling cookbook and I've loved experimenting with all the fun recipes in it. The next three recipes are from the grilling cookbook. I don't have a picture to show this one and I wish I did because it is so pretty! Its called Dessert from the Grill. I made it for a BBQ we had out at my parent's house last Sunday. It was AMAZING!
Ingredients:
1 can (20 oz) sliced pineapple
1 TB butter
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
*1 loaf pound cake
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel ice cream topping
*The recipe calls for 6 slices but I used a whole loaf, about 8 or 9 slices. I used a box mix for the pound cake and cooked as directed on the box EXCEPT I added about 1/2 cup of homemade raspberry jam and just swirled it through the batter a bit.

Directions:
Drain pineapple reserving about 1/2 cup of juice. In a microwave-safe dish combine pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1-2 minuted until bubbly. Brush half the mixture on both sides of the sliced pound cake and the pineapple rings. Grill cake and pineapple, uncovered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, brushing occasionally with butter mixture. To serve, top each slice of cake (you can cut them in half) with a pineapple ring, scoop of ice cream and drizzle with caramel topping. I combined the remainder of the butter sauce with caramel topping, heated it again and drizzled that over the top instead of the regular caramel topping.

Grilled Fish Sandwiches

Ingredient:
4 4oz cod fillets
1 TB Lime juice
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
4 hamburger or hoagie buns
lettuce
tomato slices

Directions:
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with lime juice (I also brushed them with a little olive oil) and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Coat grill with non-stick cooking spray or oil before starting grill. Grill fillets, covered, over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily.
In a small bowl combine mayo, Dijon mustard, honey and a pinch of salt. I also added a dash of lime juice. Spread mayo on buns, top with fish lettuce and tomato.