What's Cooking at the Smiths: Yummy in My Tummy!

Goodness, time slips away from me so easily. I didn't realize it's been a month since I last posted! This week I have three great recipes you need to try!

This first recipe is Jalapeno Popper Pizza, compliments of Pinterest. I made a few weeks ago and have already made it a second time since then.

Jalapeno Popper Pizza

Ingredients:

One can of Pillsbury pizza crust

5-6 ounces cream cheese {softened}

1 cup pepper jack cheese {shredded}

5-6 slices bacon {crumbled}

4 jalapenos {3 seeded, 1 sliced with seeds}

2 shallots {diced}

Prepare pizza crust. Follow directions on the package.

Shred cheese, dice shallots, slice/chop jalapenos, and crumble cooked bacon.

After the dough has been pre-baked, spread cream cheese over dough. Sprinkle with 1/2-3/4 of the cheese.

Top with jalapenos, shallots, bacon, and remaining cheese. Bake for another 6-7 minutes.

The finished product is out of this world--seriously!

If you're ever in the mood for Chinese, you should make this next recipe. The list of ingredients is a little intimidating, but I promise it is easy to make!

Honey Sesame Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast {cubed}

2/3 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup honey

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp white vinegar

3 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic {minced}

1 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 tbsp cold water

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Green onions for garnish

Chop onion, mince garlic, and grate ginger.

In a skillet, combine chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Whisk together1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and 1 1/2 tbsp cold water until well blended. Whisk cornstarch into honey mixture once it comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on medium-low for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cover with a lid to keep warm.

Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350 degrees in a skillet. Chop the chicken, whisk the, whisk together.

Coat chicken in egg mixture then cornstarch mixture until well coated.

Fry chicken pieces about 5-7 minutes or until golden brown. Let the excess oil drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Add fried chicken to the honey sauce mixture and add sesame seeds. Toss until chicken is well coated.

Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with green onions.

A few weeks ago we went to Auburn for the last rolling of Toomer's oak trees. We knew we needed to leave early on Saturday morning, but did not want to stop for fast food. I pulled out the Joy of Cooking and found a blueberry muffin recipe. I baked them on Friday night so we could eat a quick breakfast before getting on the road Saturday morning. These muffins are super easy and taste much better than the muffin mix in a bag!

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp grated or ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

2/3 cup sugar or packed brown sugar {I used brown sugar}

1/4 - 1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.

Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and mix together with a few light strokes until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix; the batter should not be smooth.

Add 1/3 cup sugar and blueberries. Mix well.

Prepare cinnamon sugar mix {1 cup sugar and 2 tbsp ground cinnamon}. Divide muffin batter into greased muffin pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. I made 6 BIG muffins. It would be better to make 12 small ones. If baking big muffins, bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. If making small muffins, bake at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes. Muffins are done when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.