Maple-Pecan-Crusted Vegan Chicken

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon crushed pink Himalayan salt
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup crushed pecans
2 cups of your favorite vegan chicken

Directions:

In a cast-iron skillet, melt the margarine over medium heat then add the salt, brown sugar, ginger, and olive oil. Mix that together.  Stir in the maple syrup, pecans and turn the heat down to low. Wait for it to bubble then add your vegan chicken. Flip it a few times to get it coated and then let your chicken simmer in the maple syrup mixture.  Cook for 2 to 3 mins then flip and cook another 2 to 3 mins. The kitchen will smell AMAZING.  You know the chicken is done when you have a golden brown crust on the pecans.

Recipe by:  Annie & Dan Shannon authors of the Betty Goes Vegan cookbook.
Photo by:  Laura Spear

Bobby Flays Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (12-ounce) can beer
• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken
• 2 tablespoons Basic Barbecue Rub, recipe is under seasonings and rubs on this blog
• 2 cups Cola Barbecue Sauce, for serving, recipe is under sauces on this blog
• 3 to 4 handfuls apple or hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Directions

Pop the tab off the beer can. Using a church key style can opener, make a few more holes in the top of the can. Pour out half the beer into the soaking water of the wood chips. Set the can of beer aside.

Set up the grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium. If using a charcoal grill, place a large drip pan in the center. If using a gas grill, place all the wood chips in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and preheat the grill to high until you see smoke, then reduce the heat to medium.

Remove the packet of giblets from the body cavity of the chicken and set aside for another use. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body and neck cavities. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water, drain, and blot dry inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the rub inside the body and neck cavities of the chicken. Rub the bird all over on the outside with 2 teaspoons of the rub. If you have the patience, you can put some of the rub under the skin being careful not to tear it.

Spoon the remaining 2 teaspoons of rub through the holes into the beer in the can. Don't worry if it foams up, this is normal. Insert the beer can into the body cavity of the chicken and spread out the legs to form a sort of tripod. Tuck the wing tips behind the chicken's back.

When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss all the wood chips on the coals. Stand the chicken up in the center of the hot grate, over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until the skin is a dark golden brown and very crisp and the meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 12 fresh coals per side after 1 hour.

Using tongs, carefully transfer the chicken in its upright position on the beer can to a platter and present it to your guests. Let rest 5 minutes, and then carefully remove the chicken from the beer can. Take care not to spill the hot beer or otherwise burn yourself. Quarter or carve the chicken and serve with the Cola Barbeque Sauce.

Recipe and Photo by Bobby Flay

Flag Cake

what you need:

4 cups fresh strawberries
1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen prepared pound cake, thawed, cut into 14 slices (or angel food cake)
1-1/3 cups Blueberries, divided
1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed

make it:

SLICE 1 cup strawberries; halve remaining strawberries.

COVER bottom of 13x9-inch dish with cake slices; top with sliced strawberries and 1 cup blueberries. Spread COOL WHIP over berries.

ARRANGE strawberry halves and remaining blueberries on COOL WHIP to resemble a US flag. Keep refrigerated.

Recipe by Kraft, Photo by Laura Spear

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix, about 18 ounces (if you can't find red velvet cake use 1 box chocolate cake plus a bottle of red food coloring, this is what I did)
1 (16-ounce) tub whipped topping
2 pints blueberries
1 pint strawberries, tops removed

Directions:

Bake the red velvet cake mix according to package directions and allow to cool.

Using a serrated knife cut the red velvet cake into 1 inch square pieces and line the bottom of the trifle bowl with half of the cake squares.

Using a spatula, spread about a 2-inch layer of whipped topping on top of the cake squares.

Layer about 1 1/2 pints of the blueberries on top of whipped topping.

Layer the remaining cake pieces on top of the blueberries forming a second layer of cake.

Using a spatula, spread remaining whipped topping over the cakes pieces.

Decorate the perimeter with the strawberries; placing the strawberries cut side down. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the trifle inside the strawberry perimeter.

Recipe by Sandra Lee, Photos by Laura Spear

Best Ever Classic Cheeseburgers

Best Ever Classic Cheeseburgers

1 lb ground beef

1/3 cup kraft original bbq sauce, divided

4 large onion slices (1/4 inch thick)

4-  2% Milk Singles

4 hamburger buns, split

1 tomato cut into 4 slices

Pickles, sliced

1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder

Stone ground mustard

heat grill to medium-high heat.

mix meat and 4 Tbsp. barbecue sauce, and 1 1/2 tsp chili powder. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; set aside.

Brush onions with  2 Tbsp. of the remaining barbecue sauce.

Grill the patties and onions 4 min. on each side or until burgers are done (160ºF) and onions are crisp-tender, brushing burgers with remaining barbecue sauce and topping with the 2% Milk Singles for the last minute of the grilling time.

Meanwhile, grill buns, cut-sides down, 1 min. or until lightly toasted.

Fill the buns with burgers, grilled onions, tomatoes, pickles.

top off with some bbq sauce, and stone ground mustard.

Classic Mini Sliders

Classic Mini Sliders

1 medium onion (about 1 cup finely chopped)

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1½ lb 90% lean ground beef

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp salt

6 slices American cheese

8 hot dog buns

24 hamburger dill pickle slice



Preheat oven to 450°F. Finely chop onion and parsley using Food Chopper. Combine beef, onion, parsley, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and salt in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well. Press beef mixture evenly over bottom of Large Bar Pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Meanwhile, on Cutting Board, cut cheese into quarters; set aside. Slice buns apart neatly at seams using Utility Knife (do not separate tops from bottoms). Trim about ¼ in. from each bun end to square off (discard trimmings). Cut buns into thirds for a total of 24 square mini buns; set aside. Remove bar pan from oven. Pour off juices, if necessary, and place on Stackable Cooling Rack. Cut beef mixture into 24 squares using Pizza Cutter. Top each burger with one pickle and one piece of cheese. Place one bun top onto each burger; top with one bun bottom. Cover bar pan with aluminum foil and bake 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and buns are warm. To serve, place one burger with bun top onto one bun bottom using Mini-Serving Spatula. Repeat with remaining burgers and bun bottoms. Serve immediately.



Yield: 24 mini burgers

pic and recipe from taste of home

Bobby Flays California Burger

Directions

Bobby's Perfect Patty

Shape 6 ounces of 80 percent lean ground beef chuck into a uniform patty, no more than 3/4 inch thick (don't overwork the meat). Make a depression in the center with your thumb so the burger won't bulge; the indent will rise as the patty cooks. Preheat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to high. Brush the burger with canola oil and season withsalt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, turning once (7 minutes for medium-rare). Avoid pressing with a spatula! Add cheese for the last minute of cooking.

Cheese

Your pick: Monterey Jack is a California favorite, but Bobby loves this burger with cheddar, too.

Avocado Relish

Avocado is one of Bobby's favorite ingredients. He mixes 2 chopped Hass avocados with 1/2 diced small onion, 1 mincedjalapeno, the juice of 1 lime, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, andsalt and pepper.

Watercress

L.A. doesn't do iceberg lettuce, so Bobby tops off the burger with this peppery green instead.

Tomato

One thick, juicy slice takes the place of ketchup.

Recipe Bobby Flay, Picture Laura Spear