Spicy-Sweet Grilled Salmon

So this was another recipe I tried that to me did not fit it's original description. Awesome - yes; spicy/sweet -  not so much. It was full of flavor and I might even go to say, the best salmon I've ever had. It wasn't dried out and a great balance of tang and sweet from vinegar/soy sauce/lemon juice/cilantro to brown sugar. Maybe if I added more red pepper flakes it would have qualified for spicy, but definitely not fixing the recipe as is. This recipe was originally made for broiling, but with the weather so nice outside, it was impossible for me to deny the grill this pleasure. Grilled salmon to me always has such a wonderful flavor. It has been a very long while since I have grilled salmon, so I was excited to break out my grilling skillet - it really is worth the purchase. The original title described this as "glazed". I'm sure since the heat source is on the bottom of the fish for grilling vs the top for broiling, that would contribute to it not really turning out "glazed". My feelings were not hurt that it didn't turn out that way because it was so delicious anyways!
 
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh salmon fillet with skin removed 
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 
• 1/4 cup water 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place salmon in a gallon sized Ziploc bag. 
2. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, water, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, cilantro, and brown sugar in a blender (I used my stick blender). 
3. Blend until brown sugar dissolves. 
4. Pour the marinade over the salmon to cover evenly. 
5. Seal the bag and refrigerate at least 2 hours (laying the salmon flat).
6. To grill: If you have one of those grilling skillets, this makes grilling fish a lot easier. Lightly grease skillet (and grill) with cooking spray or canola oil (it makes removing the fish and cleaning the grill a lot easier if it doesn't stick). 
7. Place fish in skillet. Keep the marinade to baste with in a few minutes.
8. Salt and pepper to taste. 
9. Grill for 15-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish). No flipping required! Baste every 3-5 minutes with marinade to keep fish moist.Grill until salmon is done - when fish is no longer bright red and can be flaked with a fork. 

Broiling Directions:

• Broiling is also an option. Here are the directions from the original recipe for broiling and making the sauce from the remaining marinade. I decided to forgo the sauce. The fish was plenty moist and flavorful by itself.  

1. Line a broiling pan with foil. 
2. Remove salmon from marinade, and place on prepared broiling pan; season to taste with salt and pepper. 
3. Transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. 
4. Turn on broiler to low. 
5. Broil salmon about 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes; brush with remaining marinade. Broil an additional 5 to 10 minutes, brushing 2 or 3 more times with additional marinade. 
6. Meanwhile, cook the remaining marinade over low heat until it thickens and reduces by one-third, 5 to 10 minutes. Use cooked marinade as a dipping sauce or drizzle over salmon just before serving.

Adapted from: Spicy-Sweet Glazed Salmon

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Oven Roasted Garlic Green Beans

These beans are awesome! I have permission to fix these at any time for the family. They said that they even prefer these to the Green Bean Bundles (I never thought I would see the day - lol). These are even easier to prep since you don't have to deal with the bacon wrapping. Don't get me wrong, I love my little green bean bundles, but if you are short on time, these are definitely the way to go. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
• 4-5 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp (6 cloves) minced garlic

Directions:

1. Wash and trim beans. Place in large (8 cup) seal-able container.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together (I used a small glass) and pour over beans. Seal container and shake to coat the beans evenly.
3. Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (I left them in there for a couple of hours to marinate)
4. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line large baking sheet with aluminum foil.
5. Spread beans out on baking sheet in a single layer.
6. Bake for 8-12 minutes until crisp tender (depending on how well done you like your beans). 

Courtesy of Persnickety Plates

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Montreal Steak Seasoning - MSG-Free

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon granulated onion
• 1 tablespoon crushed coriander
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Courtesy of Chow.com

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Cocktail Meatballs or Little Smokies

This is a super easy appetizer to put out at a party that is delicious! I added the lemon juice to help cut the excessive sweetness of the grape jelly - its your call.

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen original meatballs or 2 packages of little smokies cocktail sausages (watch for MSG) or homemade meatballs if you are feeling adventurous!
• 2 bottles chili sauce
• 2 cups grape jelly
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Bake meatballs as directed on package (normally 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees).
2. While those are baking, combine chili sauce, grape jelly & lemon juice in a pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add meatballs and continue to simmer for the next hour. 
4. Serve with toothpicks!

• Option: combine all into crockpot and let simmer on high for an hour. (FYI - I tried this on low overnight and it burned the sausages beyond recognition; hence why the pic is of round 2 -> meatballs)

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Memphis Red BBQ Sauce

I found this recipe in Taste of the South Magazine and thought I would try it out. I'm so glad I did because this sauce is delicious! The only modification I made to the original is I used dark Karo syrup instead of molasses because that is all I had in the pantry at the time. The next time we made it, we used molasses and the family agreed that it was better with the Karo syrup, so I will leave the modification in place. Feel free to make that judgement call yourself!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ketchup
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup dark Karo corn syrup
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. 
2. Store in air tight container and refrigerate up to 5 days.
3. Like most sauces, they get better with a little time. You may want to wait a few hours before enjoying this delicious sauce to let the flavors blend together.

Courtesy of Taste of the South Magazine May June 2012

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Mint Honey Lamb Skewers - Grilled!

These tasty lamb skewers were my first experience "Kabob-ing" anything. It was fun and a little time consuming prepping and skewering all of the ingredients, but in the end it was definitely worth it. The original recipe called for a reduction made with apricot preserves, the marinade and white wine. I tried to make it as instructed but turned into a nasty smelling I-don't-know-what that never made it onto the skewers. They were wonderful without it so I didn't even include it in what I made below. Happy Kabobing!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• ¾ cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 lb. cubed lamb stew meat
• 1 lb pearl onions, peeled (or I used a regular sweet onion quartered)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper - rinsed, de-seeded and cut into 1 square inch pieces
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper - rinsed, de-seeded and cut into 1 square inch pieces
• 1 small container Cherry Tomatoes,  rinsed 
• 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions:

1. In small bowl combine mint, wine, lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine.
2. In large bowl toss together lamb, onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers  Add wine mixture and toss until evenly combined. Cover, and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight.
3. Place lamb, onions  onto bamboo skewers, alternating lamb and onions until ingredients are used. Reserve remaining marinade and set aside.
4. Grill skewers until lamb is cooked through, about 8 minutes on each side. 

Inspired from: Mint Honey Lamb Skewers

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Jalapeno Garlic Chuck Roast

(Before Cooking)

This recipe I found was originally done as a pork shoulder. I decided to change it up a little bit and use this marinade on a chuck roast instead. Don't be afraid of the jalapeno. It really wasn't spicy at all, just good flavor from the marinade. It turned out pretty tasty.

Ingredients:

• 2 jalapenos, stem removed
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt-Free/MSG-Free Original Mrs Dash (or original recipe used salt)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2.5 pounds boneless chuck roast
• potatoes and carrots (optional)

Directions: 

1. Combine jalapenos, garlic, Mrs Dash/salt and vinegar in a food processor or blender. Pulse until jalapenos and garlic are finely diced. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in olive oil.
2. Use a knife to put shallow cuts all over the chuck roast. Place the roast in a food storage bag with the marinade. Close the bag and squish the marinade around the roast to coat completely. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
4. Place the roast in a foil lined roasting pan. Pour the excess marinade over the top. Bake covered 2 to 2 1/2 hours then add potatoes and carrots. Keep an eye on the juice level - you may need to add a cup or so of water to give the vegetables something to cook in. Bake another hour or so or until vegetables and meat are tender. 

Inspired from Life's Ambrosia Jalapeno Garlic Pork Shoulder

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Corn Meal Mix - Raid the Pantry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 2/3 cup white sugar (optional - if you like sweet cornbread)

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients and sift/mix well. May be stored in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

To make Cornbread or Muffins:

Mix with:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted shortening or butter.

Directions: 

1. Beat the egg, milk and melted shortening together, then add the dry ingredients.
2. Bake at 425 F in a well-greased 9x9 pan for 20-25 minutes for in well-greased muffin pans for 15-20 minutes.

Adapted from: Cheap Cooking.com - Corn Meal Mix

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Taco Seasoning Mix - MSG-Free

Yet another great way to control how you cook!

Yields 1 1.25oz taco seasoning mix pack (7 tsp total if you use the salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (optional)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Courtesy of: Accidental Mommies

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Dry Enchilada Sauce Mix - MSG-Free

Yields 1 1.5oz package of dry mix

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons mild chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Reconstitution

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

• To Reconstitute: 

1. Add 1 cup water or chicken broth and 8 oz tomato sauce to dry mix.
2. Simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens.

Courtesy of: The Inspired Budget

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Refrigerator Garlic Dill Pickles

Take advantage of local produce, especially during the summer! These wonderful refrigerator dill pickles are so refreshing! Another great way to control what goes into your diet.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 small pickling cucumbers, quartered into spears
• 1/8-1/4 sweet or Vidalia onion, thinly sliced, depending on how strong you want the onion flavor
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, mashed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dill seed
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

1. Pack speared cucumbers in a quart, wide-mouth Ball/Mason jar.
2. Put onion slices, garlic and bay leaf on top and in between spears.
3. In a bowl combine remaining ingredients and mix until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over cucumbers.
4. Close jar tightly and put in refrigerator for at least 24 hours. 
5. Eat and enjoy!

• Suggestion for multiple jars: repeat step 3 separately for each jar to get a more uniform flavor in jar.
• Note: Pickles are good for at least 1 week (the expire when they lose crispness or start to smell different)

Courtesy of my friend Caitlin

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Onion Soup Mix - MSG-Free

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup dried, minced onion
• 3 teaspoons parsley flakes
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 2 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Store in an air tight container in a cool dry place. If you have a vacuum food storage system (FoodSaver or equiv) that would be ideal. 
3. 4 tbsp of Mix equals 1 packet of onion soup mix.   

Adapted from Heavenly Homemakers

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Balsamic Honey Pork Roast

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I had intentions of making pulled pork out of this recipe but it didn't make it that far! It was eaten whole as a pork roast. Don't be afraid to pour off the juice and shred to enjoy it as pulled pork! To be honest, I had trouble tasting the honey part of this recipe. Next time I will probably up the honey to 1/2 cup and go from there. It was still a very tasty roast!

Ingredients

• ~ 3-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar 
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup honey 
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire              
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard 
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon Original MSG/Sodium-free Mrs Dash (or salt)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
2. Cut pork shoulder into 2-3 inch chunks. 
3. Place onion, bell pepper & pork in roasting pan. 
4. Whisk all other ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Pour mixture into roasting pan; mix well, and cover. 
5. Place in oven, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 hours or until the meat is tender (the meat will fall apart and off the bone when done).
6. Either enjoy as is OR for Pulled Pork:
7. Pour off excess juice, remove bone, and shred meat with 2 forks.
8. Now Enjoy!

Inspired from Six Sisters' Stuff: Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Pulled Pork 
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Spicy Dr Pepper Pork Roast

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 I'm always looking for another great way to make a roast. I ran across this recipe and both the Dr. Pepper and chipotle peppers peaked my interest. The recipe was originally designed to make shredded pork tacos, but the family was in the mood for roast instead. So, Viola! Time to add potatoes and carrots and leave it chunky. The peppers definitely added a good kick that required a tissue by the end of the meal. So if you have little ones or ones that don't like a lot of spice, I would back down to only 1/2 a can of peppers. If you want to leave the recipe simply as shredded pork, omit the potatoes and carrots and follow the directions on my BBQ Pulled Pork recipe.   

Ingredients

• ~2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder, bone included
• 1 can (11 oz) chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
• 24 oz (2 cans) original Dr. Pepper - not Diet!
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (optional)
• salt (or Sodium-Free Mrs. Dash) & pepper
• 1 lb small red potatoes
• 1 lb baby carrots

Directions

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1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
2. Cut pork shoulder into 2 inch chunks. 
3. Combine sliced pork (including bone), onion, garlic, Dr. Pepper, chipolte peppers including sauce, brown sugar, salt and pepper in roasting pan; mix well, and cover. 
4. Place in oven, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and carrots after the first 2 hours (to keep them from being too done/soggy). Cook for a total of 3 to 4 hours or until the meat, potatoes, carrots are tender (the meat will fall apart and off the bone when done). 
5. Enjoy!

Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman's Spicy Dr Pepper Shredded Pork
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Homemade Chicken Stock

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So easy, and so much more healthy than store bought! The only thing it takes is time!
 
Ingredients:

• 2 bone-in, skins on, "fryer" chicken breasts
• stock pot full of Water (I use a 7 QT pot)
• 1/2 large onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 3 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns 
• salt to taste (the less you use, the lower the sodium!)

Stock strained through a coffee filter Pin It 

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into large stock pot.
2. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours or longer if you have the time. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Retrieve the meat with large fork/spoon and reserve to use for soups, chicken salad, etc.
5. Obtain another large stock pot/container and fine strainer/colander. Place strainer/colander into the 2nd stock pot/container. Slowly pour stock through colander( you may want to use a large measuring cup to scoop stock out of original pot) to strain the vegetables/spices out. Careful! It will be hot!
6. To separate the fat:
1. Either store the stock in refrigerator and let the fat separate out naturally. Skim the fat off the top once cooled OR
2. Place coffee filter in strainer and slowly pour stock through, leaving the majority of fat in the coffee filter. I had to change the filter for every 2 cups that I poured through.  
7. Keep refrigerated to use within the next day or two or freeze what you don't need immediately. I placed mine in 1 cup intervals into containers for the freezer. The next day, I removed from the stock from the containers and placed in vacuum bags for future use. Saves space in the freezer by placing into bags.
8. My batch yielded 14 cups of stock.

Recipe adapted from Chicken Stock by Margaret Price at Allrecipes
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Honey Mustard Chicken

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Ingredients:

• 5 chicken thighs - original recipe used breasts
• 3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 3 tablespoons honey
• garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper to taste
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
• The original recipe used panko - I only had roasted garlic regular breadcrumbs & opted to leave out the garlic powder.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a shallow dish, combine honey & mustard.
3. In another shallow dish, place breadcrumbs.
4. Season chicken with spices to your taste.
5. Coat chicken with honey mustard mixture.
6. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.
7. Place chicken on lightly greased baking sheet or casserole dish.
8. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes (depending on thickness) or until done.

Optional Sauce Drizzle:

If you notice in the picture that there are 2 different colored sauces over the chicken. This came about because I wanted to have extra sauce on the chicken. I didn't want to use prepared honey mustard so I attempted to make it myself. Well, the first sauce listed below was ok by itself but I really wanted it to be tangier. It came out looking like a light yellow opaque sauce. So I tried again. The second sauce listed below I took from the recipe above. It is the darker, less opaque sauce. Still wasn't super happy with it as a stand alone. So, to keep from wasting both, I drizzled both on top of the chicken and it was an excellent decision! It turned out yummy and just was I wanted!

Sauce #1:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey

 Sauce #2:

• 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
• 1 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Mix Sauces in separate bowls. Drizzle over chicken or dip as desired.

Recipe Courtesy of What's Cookin, Chicago? Sauce #1 Inspired from Life's Ambrosia

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Baked Dijon & Lime Chicken

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This is probably one of my easiest prep, throw in the oven dishes to date! And did I mention it's delicious? Enjoy!
 
Ingredients:

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 lime, zested then juiced 
• 3/4 tsp pepper
• salt (optional) 
• The original recipe added salt after rinsing the chicken. I opted for the lower sodium version and couldn't tell it was missing)
• dried parsley (original recipe called for parsley but I was out - still turned out great!)
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Cut chicken into large chunks (or you can leave them whole. Keep in mind your cooking time will need to be increased to around 45-50 minutes). Rinse the chicken & pat dry. Place chicken in large bowl.
3. In a small bowl combine Dijon, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken, tossing well to coat.
4. Place chicken in dish as a single layer. Top the chicken with dried parsley. 
5. Bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. 
6. Finish the chicken under the broiler until it is golden brown. 
7. Serve chicken with the pan juices drizzled over the top.

 Courtesy of Gina's Skinny Recipes
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Pineapple Upside Down Cake Shot / Drink

     One of my favorite drinks of all time is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I've had it both as a shot and a drink. I primarily like it as a drink because it is so DELICIOUS that I want to savor it for as long as possible! It really tastes more like dessert with a subtle kick than drinking alcohol. I may also be partial to it because of the great memories with friends that come to mind. In leui of the new year, I thought I would share the recipe. 

For the Shot:

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 oz pineapple juice (chilled)
• 1/2 oz vanilla vodka
• splash of grenadine

Directions:

1. Mix pineapple juice and vanilla vodka in a shaker with ice until chilled. Strain into shot glass.
2. Add a splash of grenadine and let settle to the bottom. 
3. Serve and enjoy!

(Courtesy of BarMeister)

For the Drink: 

Ingredients:

• 3 oz (1 double shot) of vanilla vodka
• 5 to 13oz pineapple juice (chilled), depending on the size of the glass/your taste
• splash of grenadine

Directions:

1. Fill a tall glass with ice.
2. Mix vodka and pineapple juice in a shaker. I would suggest tasting before straining into glass to see if the drink is strong enough/too strong for your taste. Add more pineapple juice if too strong or more vodka if not strong enough. That's the beauty of mixing at home - you can mix until it tastes perfect! 
3. Strain into glass.
4. Add a splash of grenadine. Let it settle to the bottom.
5. Enjoy!

(Adaption from BarMeister's Recipe) 

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Beef and Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 1 pound flank or sirloin, sliced thinly across the grain
• 1 pound broccoli florets, blanched
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp cold water
• Beef Marinade:
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Sauce:
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

Directions:

1. Make the marinade: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the beef slices and stir until coated. Let stand for 10 minutes
2. Make the sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. 
3. Blanch the broccoli: Cook the broccoli in a small pot of boiling, salted water until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly. 
• If you want to cheat: buy a bag of frozen broccoli florets that steam in the bag. I cooked it in the microwave for only the minimum time per bag instructions.
4. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat until a bead of water sizzles and instantly evaporates upon contact. Add the sesame oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef and immediately spread the strips out all over the surface of the wok or pan in a single layer (preferably not touching). Let the beef fry undisturbed for 1 minute. Flip the beef slices over, add the garlic to the pan and fry for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until no longer pink.
5. Pour in the sauce.
6. Add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil.
7. Pour in the dissolved cornstarch and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, 30 seconds.
8. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Courtesy of Can You Stay For Dinner - Beef and Broccoli

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Glazed Pork Chops

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp McCormick Salt Free/MSG Free Garlic & Herb Seasoning 
• (original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp garlic powder & 1/2 tsp salt - I didn't have the garlic powder and I really don't like adding salt if at all possible)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar and spices until well combined.
3. Rub the brown sugar/spice mix all over both sides of the pork chops. Use all of the spice mix.
4. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork chops. Cook the pork chops for about 5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned.
5. Transfer chops to a foil-lined pan/casserole dish sized to accommodate the chops. Pour excess juice from the skillet over the chops. Bake in the oven for an additional 5 minutes to ensure they are thoroughly cooked (should be white in the middle).
6. Remove the chops from the oven and drag each side around in the thick glaze that has formed around the chops in the pan prior to serving.

(Inspired from Glazed Pork Chops by Budget Byte)

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