Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

I'm not a huge fan of dressings.  Whenever I have a salad, I don't usually use that much dressing; its just never been my thing.  However, after making this recipe, my whole viewpoint of dressing completely changed.  Who knew that ranch dressing could make chicken so........wonderful??  The ranch dressing added sooo much incredibly delicious flavor to the chicken, and made it perfectly salty and wonderfully moist.  You truly can't get any moister than this chicken is.  This is definitely one of my new favorite chicken recipes.  Ohmygoodness, just typing about it makes me want to eat a bunch of it.  The chicken literally melts in your mouth, and it's super duper addicting.  The sauce is awesome too, especially over rice!

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup ranch dressing
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar, or to taste (optional)
• 5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Oh my word, these were so scrumptious.  I brought these yummies to a cook out - attended by a bunch of hungry runners - and they disappeared before I had a chance to blink.  One runner said (and I quote!) "that may have been the best cupcake I've ever had."  The chocolate cupcakes themselves have the perfect amount of cocoa, are moist, fluffy, and aren't too sweet...allowing you to taste the chocolate more.  The frosting is definitely the BEST buttercream frosting I've ever had.  I have never used heavy cream in frosting before, and now I'll never stop!  Heavy cream makes the frosting so incredibly fluffy and melts in your mouth.  Using shortening in the frosting also gives it an amazing consistency; Not too runny, not too dense.  I don't think there's anything that compliments buttercream frosing better than rich, chocolate cupcakes. This recipe is truly perfection.

Yield: about 12 cupcakes

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one medium cupcake pan or line with paper liners.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar and water. Mix together until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared muffin pan (batter should be just below the rim, for large cupcakes. For medium cupcakes, pour batter 2/3 to 3/4 full) and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes.
4. After 15 minutes, carefully remove cupcakes from pan, place on wire rack, and allow to cool completely.  Frost generously with Buttercream Frosting (recipe below).

For the Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter until fluffy. Add sugar, and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and 6 ounces whipping cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional 2 ounces whipping cream if necessary. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy, at least 5 minutes.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  

You will have some frosting left over (I had about a cup)...so you can either use it for another recipe or eat it by the spoonful...your choice(;

Chocolate Cheesecake Pancakes

I'm not sure if you know this...but I have a slight obsession with the Cheesecake Factory.  I've tried the majority of their menu items (since I go their nearly every time I go to the mall), including cheesecake (my favorite flavors being the chocolate coconut, peanut butter fudge ripple, lemon raspberry, and Chris's outrageous chocolate cake.  I can't help but smile when I think of the Cheesecake Factory; I've never had a bad meal their.  I went their for brunch the other day (try the giant Belgian waffle with strawberries, sweet roasted pecans, and cream...sooo good) , and I couldn't help thinking what a hit it would be if they added cheesecake pancakes to their menu.  It would be totally perfect for that restaurant.  Chop up some pieces of they're legendary cheesecake, mix it into pancake batter and wah-la:  cheesecake pancakes.  It wasn't long after I had this breakthrough idea that I spotted Philadelphia's new [chocolate cream cheese] in Harris Teeter.  I swear, I grabbed the container and sprinted back to my mom like a lunatic  - begging her to buy it.  She said yes, of course, because she's a huge cream cheese fan, as am I.  There's white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate, and we bought the dark chocolate.  It is so delicious.  Try it with graham crackers, banana, bagels, and my favorite - strawberries.  Another amazing way to have it is in these yummy pancakes.  I took my graham cracker pancake batter recipe from my scrumptious s'mores pancakes (here), added frozen chocolate cream cheese pieces, and they turned out perfect.  You get rich, chocolate, cream cheesy goodness in every bite, along with the graham cracker flavor that you would normally get from a cheesecake crust...making it seem like you're eating an actual slice of chocolate cheesecake.  Only it's breakfast.  And a pancake.  Mmmm...that's good eatin' right their.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Philadelphia chocolate cream cheese (any flavor - white, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate)

Whipped cream (optional)

Graham cracker crumbs  (optional)

Instructions:

1. Scoop 3/4 cup (about 3/4 container) cream cheese out, and divide it into four.  Place the 4 globs onto an ungreased cookie sheet; cover and freeze 8 hours or overnight.
2. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
3. Cut frozen cream cheese into bite-sized pieces.  Set aside.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.  Stir in cream cheese.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour cupfuls of batter onto the skillet.  Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
5. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs if desired. 

Chocolate Lindor Truffle Cupcakes

Make this. Make this. Make this. Make this. Make this. Make this.  MAKE THIS!  Have I told you that you should make this???  Because you really should.  I got a ton of Lindor Truffles for Valentines Day, so I wanted to use them up...and I had a chocolate cupcake recipe I'd been wanting to try, so I just dropped a truffle into the batter and wah-lah! Oh my goodness, these cupcakes are a chocolate lover's paradise!!  I made these with white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate centers...each one was incredible.  The cake part without the chocolate center was soo perfect too!  I think this chocolate cake is even better than my best chocolate cake (minus the frosting) found here. Because this cake doesn't use eggs, it makes the chocolate taste so much richer...I have no idea why.  It's so incredibly moist and sooo delicious!  They don't need frosting at all..in fact..I didn't frost most of mine.  I just posted the picture with frosting to make it look prettier for you(:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 Lindor Truffle Chocolate Candies (of your choice flavor)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
3. Add water, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Beat by hand until smooth.
4. Pour into a lightly greased cupcake pan.  Gently set one Lindor Chocolate on the top of the batter,  do not push it down farther (this will make the truffle stick to the bottom of the pan).  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 16-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  

Pepper Honey Cedar Plank Salmon Pizza

            Salmon pizza?  Yeah, it’s a little unusual, but it’s good.  It’s really good. The secret is the sauce and the cedar planks. The sauce makes a delicious marinade for any grilled fish or chicken, especially salmon.  If you taste the sauce before it’s placed on the fish, it may taste pretty peppery from the cayenne, but the finished product is not too peppery.  It’s perfectly spiced.  This is my all time favorite salmon marinade and I really enjoyed it on these pizzas.  The cedar plank gives the salmon a huge load of smoky flavor…way better than just broiling it in the oven.  One thing I like about these pizzas is they’re very balanced between the salmon and the pizza crust.  Salmon is definitely a more heavy, rich, filling fish.  And these pizzas are less filling than normal pizza because they’re made on tortillas.  I’ve made tortilla pizzas in the oven many times, and I love it because it’s so easy and you can add whatever ingredients you want.

Yield: 6 personal pizzas

Ingredients:

2 (12 inch) untreated cedar planks

For the sauce:

¼ inch cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

¾ cup honey

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

For the pizzas:

6 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless salmon fillets

1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1.5 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

Instructions:

1. Soak cedar planks in warm water 1-2 hours
2. Bring first 6 sauce ingredients to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in remaining sauce ingredients.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes.  Set sauce aside.
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat.  Place planks on the grate.  They’re ready to cook when they start to smoke and crackle just a little.
4. Season the salmon with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Place the fillets onto the smoking cedar planks and baste each fillet with a light coating of sauce.  Close lid of grill and cook salmon until just done in the center (about 15 minutes), basting about halfway through.  Remove salmon from grill.  Shred and pull it apart into bite-sized pieces.
5. In a small skillet, sauté onion and green pepper in oil until tender, about 6 minutes.  Place tortillas onto ungreased baking sheets.  Top with onion mixture, salmon, and cheeses.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
6. While pizza is cooking, return remaining sauce to a simmer to return to its liquid state.  Drizzle sauce over pizzas when done, cut into wedges, and serve.