Thru the Bugs on My Windshield — Cooking, Travel, Photography, Ramblings

Citrus Asian Chicken and Southwestern Creamed Corn – SRC

by Suzanne on December 5, 2011

I know, your first thought is, “What the What?!?!?! How can two such different dishes go on the same plate together? Well, it’s a bit of a stretch, but not all that much. Here’s how this twosome became a yummy pair. I soooooooooooooo love being in the Secret Recipe Club. It gives me an opportunity to really explore other blogs, recipes and take a moment to get to know the blogger. And it forces me out of my coma and into the real world. Well, at least the real cyber world. This month my SRC assignment was The Pajama Chef Sarah. She and her husband, Ben, are always whipping up something fabulous in the kitchen. Newly weds of two years they have already reached a few compromises in their lives together. Ben loves to lift weights and so he forces convinces her that lifting weights is something she should be doing, too. Sarah loves to run and has forced convinced him to run with her. I think they have got this marriage thing all figured out! The other thing I love is finding out how someone decided to name their blog. Well, among her loves in life which include her husband and peanut butter, she also loves lounging in her pajamas. In fact, Sarah says, “If it was socially acceptable, I would wear pajamas 24/7!” I feel the same way about my sweats, although in the Texas heat, 24/7 would only be practical about 3 days out of the year. While browsing through this blog, I had lots and lots of choices. I decided on the Lime-Soy Chicken because, well, it was just what my taste buds were looking for. Lime-Soy Chicken was a recipe of which Ben created and blogged and one that I couldn’t resist. Another recipe that caught my eye was Aunt Charlotte’s Tex-Mex Corn. Most of you know about my love for all things with Hatch Green Chile, so once again, I couldn’t resist. I was thrilled with the results! Maybe not the two dishes that YOU would have paired, but for me they both really hit my spot. “Spot” is very important, don’t you think? Oh, and a personal note to Sarah: Don’t sweat coordinating side dishes to be ready at the same time as the main dish. Just keep cooking and working through it and before you know it you will amaze yourself! With a microwave or [...]

{ 16 comments }

Sweet Potato Chips – Secret Recipe Club

November 7, 2011

The whole family is coming over for a little Fall Fun tonight. We weren’t able to get together over Halloween weekend because we had a couple of sick little bunnies. And of course, we wanted everyone to be well and join in the fun with everyone else. The menu includes Grilled Elk Burgers with Cheddar Cheese and Roasted Hatch Green Chile, Sweet Potato Chips and Jeni’s Special Cupcakes for dessert. I had originally thought about Sweet Potato Wedges, but when I received Lindsay’s blog, The Lean Green Bean for my Secret Recipe Club assignment, I knew her Oh So Sweet Potato Chips were the way to go. MM and I go to a Mexican food restaurant occasionally and my favorite thing there are the sweet potato chips. Now I’m going to learn how to make them by baking them at home! I have a mandoline slicer that has been screaming for a job and this is the perfect opportunity to give it a work out. I found that 1) you need to keep an eye on the chips to make sure the sugar content of the potatoes doesn’t burn and 2) the oven temp needed to be a little higher and 3) an extended cooking time led to a crispier chip. If you have leftovers, just reheat in the oven to re-crisp the chips. Sweet Potato Chips Ingredients: 3 large Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed, skin on, sliced 1/8″ thick Olive Oil Seasoning for chips 1 Tbsp Garlic Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper 1/4 tsp Cumin 1/4 tsp Chimayo Red Chile Powder (or a chile powder that has nothing but chile powder in it) Method: Coat sliced sweet potatoes lightly with olive oil. Lay chips on baking sheet without overlapping too much. Mix seasonings together then sprinkle over chips. Bake at 400F degrees for 15 minutes. Removed from oven and turn chips over. Place back in oven for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with or without salsa. These are delicious and make a great change of pace from regular chips. Besides, I got to use my mandoline. Slicin’ and Dicin’! Suz Check out the other Secret Recipe Club Recipes for this month now! Right here! You can purchase high-resolution photos of pictures from this blog and other images here. They make great kitchen decor and gifts. Also, the notecards are great for sharing recipes! More added every week. Thru [...]

Click to read more →

Cranberry White Chocolate Almond Cookies – Secret Recipe Club

November 7, 2011

Cranberry White Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

I just LOVE this time of year. Fall is my very favorite! I want to rake leaves then jump into the pile with childish abandon. [slideshow] I want to walk miles and miles and look at the beautiful colors, wearing my warm jacket and mittens. I want to cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace. I want to bake cookies until the whole house smells like vanilla and chocolate and “home”. I want . . . Wait, if I did all of this I would MELT! It would have to be 20F degrees, not 72F degrees with a 40% chance of rain for me to enjoy any of this. Geez, just thinking about it I had to turn on the fan. Whew! The one thing I CAN do, however, is make some cookies and that is exactly the plan. For this month’s SRC assignment I was given the blog, Bizzy Bakes. And boy, does she ever! Lots of wonderful recipes on her site and well worth a trip over to check it out! However, being that I had cookies on my mind, these Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Cookies really flipped my switch.Everything about them says “holiday” and “YUM” to me. Cranberry White Chocolate Almond Cookies Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose Flour 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1 teaspoon Salt 1 cup unsalted Butter, room temperature 1 cup Brown Sugar 2 whole large Eggs 1 tablespoon Vanilla 1 cup dried Cranberries 1 cup White Chocolate Chips 1 cup chopped Pecans Method: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Then add vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients until just blended. Add cranberries, chocolate and almonds and incorporate into dough. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 12 minutes. Word of warning, these ARE addictive! I know your family will love them as much as ours did. Loving the Fall and everything about it! Suz Check out the other Secret Recipe Club Recipes for this month now! Right here! You can purchase high-resolution photos of pictures from this blog and other images here. They make great kitchen decor and gifts. Also, the notecards are great for sharing recipes! More added every week. Thru The Bugs On My Windshield by V. Suzanne Collier is licensed under a Creative Commons [...]

Click to read more →

Pumpkin Spiked Latte – Secret Recipe Club

October 31, 2011

Yep, that’s right, I said, “spiked”. Sweet Pea from the blog Newlyweds has this great Pumpkin Spiced Latte recipe. She is my Secret Recipe Club assignment for this month. She’s also a Texas gal, and you know we are all neighbors here in the Lone Star State even if we have never met in person before. So a big shout out to Sweet Pea from Vivisue (that’s me)! Nothin’ like some good ‘ol southern hospitality. Sweet Pea has a LOT of wonderful recipes on her blog. However, it was real easy to pick one because as soon as I saw it my taste buds said, “Well hello darlin’!” (There’s a song in there somewhere.) I was ready to get to know this recipe better. I know y’all are just as excited as all git out to get a looksee at the recipe. And you will be even more excited to get a taste of this truly warm, cozy, and delicious concoction. Thanks for the recipe, Sweet Pea. It will definitely be one of my favorite holiday, cold night, snowy day comforts. Oh, and did I mention that I have NEVER had a latte. Nope, never. Until now. This is a great “first”! Pumpkin Spiked Latte Makes about 4 cups or 2 big mug fulls Ingredients: 2 cups Milk 3 Tbsp canned Pumpkin 2 Tbsp Sugar 1 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional) 1 tsp Vanilla (2 tsp if you do not use the Bailey’s) 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 1/2 cup strong brewed strong Coffee Directions: In a saucepan stir together milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, and just whip the mixture really well with a wire whisk, till frothy. Pour into large mugs. Add the coffee on top. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice. This stuff is so good it makes you wanna slap your husband . . . (in a fun way, of course) No longer a Latte Virgin, Suz To see the rest of the Secret Recipe Club’s recipes, check it out here! You can purchase high-resolution photos of pictures from this blog and other images here. They make great kitchen decor and gifts. Also, the notecards are great for sharing recipes! More added every week. Thru The Bugs On My Windshield by V. Suzanne Collier is licensed under [...]

Click to read more →

Justin, Abbie and Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

October 13, 2011

[slideshow] Pumpkin Whoopee Pies adapted from sarahlipoff.com Makes about 20 pies Ingredients for the cookie part: 1 1/2 c Pumpkin Pie Filling or Puree 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp ground Ginger 1 whole egg 1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil 1 cup packed Brown Sugar 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Baking Powder Pinch of Salt 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 2 cups all-purpose flour Ingredients for the filling: 8 oz Mascarpone Cheese 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix the pumpkin, syrup, vanilla, ginger, egg, oil, and brown sugar in a big bow and whisk until everything is smooth and incorporated. Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour and mix together. Heat oven to 350F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease the pans lightly). Spoon on batter in 2″ rounds. Place in the oven and bake for about 14 minutes. When they turn a bit brown and crack a little, they’re done! Let them cool completely before filling!!! Using a knife or pastry bag and swirl on some filling. Top with another cookie. If the filling seems a little gooey, place pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to stiffen the filling. Eat and Enjoy – the pictures are worth 1,000 words. Love these little punkins, Suz You can purchase high-resolution photos of pictures from this blog and other images here. They make great kitchen decor and gifts. Also, the notecards are great for sharing recipes! More added every week. Thru The Bugs On My Windshield by V. Suzanne Collier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Based on a work at www.txcolliers.smugmug.com/Lifes-Highway.

Click to read more →

PDQ Pizza – Secret Recipe Club

October 10, 2011

PDQ Pizza: Thru The Bugs On My Windshield

I love it when it’s time for another Secret Recipe Club assignment! Getting to know other food bloggers and browsing their mouth-watering recipes is really good for my creative side, not necessarily my back side, but they are all fabulous and worthy of blue ribbons. It’s the “deciding” part that really gets tough. This month my blog assignment was The Novice Housewife. Shumaila was assigned my blog a couple of months back and made my Coconut Bread with Coconut Lime Sauce. So now I get to return the favor AND the kudos. Browsing her site is an amazing journey and one that is definitely worth the trip. As I browsed through Shumaila’s recipes, the Naan Pizza grabbed my attention. Quick, easy, simple and something that a lot of us look for when coming home from a long day at work or a quick weekend meal when everyone is starving and wants something to eat PDQ! I happen to have some naan bread just screaming for me to make a pizza so I decided to quiet the beast. The great thing about this idea was that I could grab whatever I had on hand to make the pizza. I always have leftovers of some variety, as I’m sure you do, too. Heck, I’ve even made beef stew from leftover meatloaf. So there! Besides, October is National Pizza Month and I feel the need to celebrate! There is one HUGE requirement of making this recipe. DO NOT make this any harder than it needs to be. Use Mai’s Spaghetti Sauce or even an Alfredo Sauce, depending on the type of pizza you want to make. I choose the BBQ Chicken because of a great memory from Psycho Suzi’s in Minneapolis. Best BBQ Chicken pizza I had ever tasted. I wanted to see if I could re-create that – or even BEST that. PDQ Pizza to the rescue! PDQ Pizza Serves 2 or 4, depending on how hungry you are. Ingredients: 2 pieces of Naan Bread 1/2 cup of Famous Dave’s Devil’s Spit BBQ Sauce – or whatever is your favorite 3 medium thinly sliced Portabello Mushrooms 4 Thin Slices of Sweet Onion 1/4 thin sliced Red Bell Pepper 2 medium Grilled Chicken Breast sliced thinly 1/8 tsp Garlic Salt 1 cup grated Gouda or Sharp Cheddar Cheese Method: Lay out your naan bread on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and spread [...]

Click to read more →

Blueberry Mojito Thumbprint Cookies and the Freakin’ Flamingo

September 16, 2011

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Megan from Megan’s Cookin’ out in Redding California posted on Facebook that she had purchased some jam from the Freakin’ Flamingo. Well, THAT was enough to get my attention right there. Jam AND a Freakin’ Flamingo. So I had to go check it out. What I found was absolutely delightful! What a treasure of jams Renee’ has created. She makes lots of wonderful, unique jams in “mico-batches” and sells them on her website. “Micro-Batch Jams, Marmalades & More with a South Florida Twist” The “twist” being ingredients that I would never have thought about in a million years. But, they soooooo work! Names like ” Anne Bonny’s Pirate’s Reserve Caribbean Cranberry” that has a touch of lime and rum. Now I know I have your attention! I got in touch with Megan and told her how I, too, had purchased some of the jams – a sampler with Blueberry Mojito, Blueberry Marmalade, Pina Colada Jam, Strawberry Daquiri Jam, and a pint of Blueberry Mojito Jam. All are simply out of this world! And no, no one paid me to say that. It’s just a fact. Oh, and many of the blueberries in the latter are whole! So Megan and I decided to post a couple of different recipes using our flavorful and unique jams. The results exceeded all of our expectations. Check out what Megan came up with on her blog! I made some Blueberry Mojito Thumbprint Cookies, which I have to say are the best tasting, best textured thumbprints I’ve ever made. Good thing I have more cookie dough and jam! There are several variations you can use, so I will try and list all that I know. I’m sure you will come up with more of your own. This dough turns out light and airy, but also has a wonderful “crunch” to it as you bite into each cookie. Total YUM! Blueberry Mojito Thumbprint Cookies Makes 6-7 dozen cookies Ingredients: 2 sticks softened unsalted Butter 1 1/4 cups Sugar 1 large Egg Yolk 1 tsp Vanilla 2 1/2 cups all purpose Flour 3/4 cup shredded Coconut 1/2 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Himalayan or Sea Salt Finely chopped Pecans or Walnuts, extra shredded Coconut, Lime Zest to be used for rolling cookie dough balls in before baking (optional) Directions: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Add egg [...]

Click to read more →

← Previous Entries