Pool-side Dip

Another crowd-pleasing dip.  I made this for a pool party a few weeks ago, and it was a huge hit.  Mix together and serve with Wheat Thins!  Thanks for the idea, Melissa.  I hope you enjoy!

• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 jalapenos, unseeded
• 1 can of corn, drained
• 1/2 can of diced olives
• 16 oz (2 bars) cream cheese, softened
• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dip seasoning mix

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Unfortunately no picture of this dip, but just trust me, it's delicious.  Disclaimer: it's definitely not healthy, but a treat every once in awhile before a nice meal.  I hope you enjoy!

• 2 cups Parmesan cheese
• 1 (10 oz) box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach and artichoke hearts.  Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.  Bake in a shallow, greased dish for 20-30 minutes.  Serve with crackers or toasted bread.

Salisbury Steak

I've never tried Salisbury steak, and a picture from Martha Stewart's Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy recipe sold me.  It was delicious!  I hope to make other variants of this recipe in the future.  Hope you enjoy!

• 1/4 cup safflower oil (I used regular canola)

• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)

• 2 slices white bread

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 2 pounds ground sirloin

• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 1/4 teaspoons)

• 1 large egg

• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons plus a dash of Worcestershire sauce

• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, plus 1/4 cup for dusting

• 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Directions

1. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup onion. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Set aside.
2. Soak bread in milk, flipping once. Finely chop. In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup onions, the sirloin, garlic cloves, bread, egg, parsley, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Divide meat mixture into 6 oblong patties (about 5 inches long and 3/4 inch thick). Dust with cornstarch.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, and reduce heat to medium. Cook patties, 3 at a time, for 6 minutes, without moving them. Flip, and cook until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining patties.
4. Make the gravy: Add cooked onions and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to same skillet, and stir for 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high. Pour in broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until broth is clear and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and return patties and juices to skillet, spooning sauce on top.

Asian Marinated Chicken

Very simple recipe that makes a delicious, moist chicken.  I broiled the chicken instead of grilling it only to save time of heating the charcoal grill, but feel free to make this recipe you're own.  I hope you enjoy!

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 slices fresh ginger, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic in a shallow bowl.  Place chicken in mixture and set aside for approximately 15 minutes.  To broil, preheat oven to broil and place chicken on broiler pan.  Broil for 5 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through.  Grill accordingly.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken

The beautiful Mrs. Mallory at her wedding this weekend.

We had the honor of attending my good friend Kati's wedding this weekend in Little Rock.  Not only was the wedding beautiful, but the food was especially delicious.  I also forgot how much Tim loves pecan crusted chicken.  So in honor of Kati's wedding meal, I decided to try a sweeter version of pecan crusted chicken.  It was delicious, and I hope you enjoy!

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2"
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.  Mix mayonnaise and syrup in a shallow bowl until will mixed.  Combine Panko and pecans in another shallow bowl.  Dip chicken in syrup mixture and then dredge in Panko and pecans until well covered.  Place on foil covered baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Spray tops of chicken with cooking spray to prevent burning.  Bake 15-20 minutes until cooked through.