A KrAzy Beachwarming Party!

Dave & Jackie,

you didn't think we'd let you move to an Island
without throwing you a Party, did ya?

In honor of Dave & Jackie's recent move to the tropics,
the Year on the Grill no longer snow-bound,
we ALL got together for a Beach-Warming Party!

Surprise!!!

We prepared a Fabulous Tropical Feast,
because even if we can't be in the islands with you,
we sure can eat like we are!

We channeled all our jealousy, er, happiness for you
into these tropical-inspired dishes...

Enjoy!

Visit everyone's links for the recipes
and personal messages for Dave & Jackie!

And many thanks to Tamy for the fabulous badge!

This is going to be one KrAzy PaRtY!!!

(if you have a dish to contribute,
please leave a link for us at the bottom
so we can all have a taste!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To start us all off, because you can't have a party this big without a good breakfast, Linda, from Cooking Tip of the Day, made us all some delicious Tropical Buttermilk Pancakes, bananas, coconut, rum, pineapples, YUM.




At the bar,
we have a fabulous selection of drinks,
because we wouldn't have a party any other way!


Rainey, from The Project Table, brought
deliciously potent rum drinks called Painkillers.




Min, from The Bad Girl's Kitchen and Our Krazy Kitchen,
(wait that's me!),
whipped up a batch of Famous Piña Coladas.




Tamy, from 3 Sides of Crazy and a co-conspirator over at Our Krazy Kitchen,
really knows how to throw a party!
Not only did she bring
Breeze Rum Punch and Blood Orange Mai Tais,
she brought lots of food! (see below)




Sugar Plum Fairy, from VanillaStrawberrySpringfields,
brought lots of goodies, including her Hawaiian Piña Coladas.
(See the rest below)




Nancy, from Life in the Second Half,
brought these beautifully refreshing Pomegranate Cosmos!




Kathryn, from Virginia Kate Sagas,
brought cold, fruity and fun Tropical Greyhounds.




Oz Girl aka Susan, from City Gal Moves to Oz Land, brought her scrumptious Favorite Chocolate Martinis!




Now that we're tipsy from sampling this fabulous variety of drinks, let's move on to the food! Just bring your drinks, I'm sure Dave will let us all crash at his place!


Rainey, from The Project Table, also brought a lovely appetizer,
Scallop Rumaki (wrapped in bacon!)




Katy, from Food for a Hungry Soul,
brought a refreshing Avocado, Kiwi Orange Salad,
like eating sunshine, she says!




Joanne, from Eats Well with Others
and one of our partners in crime at Our Krazy Kitchen,
brought a fabulous Sesame Noodle Salad with Dried Pineapple.




I hope you have the grill ready, Dave,
because I also brought some
Grilled Caponata & Homemade Artisan Crostini!




Tamy, from 3 Sides of Crazy and Our Krazy Kitchen,
brought Creole Baked Goat Cheese in Roasted Red Pepper Cups,
I will be first in line to try these!




Patrice, from Ricepatty's Repertoire, brought
some delicious Barbados Black Bean Cakes with tangy Mango Salsa.




Tina, from Life in the Slow Lane,
brought a lovely Chicken Ramen Noodle Salad with Fresh Pineapple.




Penny, from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen,
brought some savory Conch Chowder and her Key West vacation photos!




Chaya, from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog and Our Krazy Kitchen,
brought some fresh and colorful Corn Soup with Potatoes.




Fire up the grill, because Bob, from Cooking Stuff,
brought some fantastic spicy Jerk Mahi Mahi,
prepared with a dry rub and perfect for the grill.




Martha, of Seaside Simplicity
and also one of our accomplices at Our Krazy Kitchen,
went all out and brought
Caribbean Steak (in a fruity, spicy marinade) and Lobster!




Tamy, from 3 Sides of Crazy and Our Krazy Kitchen,
also brought a fabulously delicious Jerk Chicken Pasta.




Kristen, from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
and a collaborator at Our Krazy Kitchen,
brought a filling plate of Hawaiian Loco Moco,
a rice dish topped with grilled burgers and fried eggs!




Chaya, from Sweet and Savory and another associate at Our Krazy Kitchen, brought tangy Salmon with Mango Sauce.




Debbie and Gary, from Dining with Debbie, brought a delicious Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa.




Tamy, from 3 Sides of Crazy and Our Krazy Kitchen,
prepared a delicious dessert,
Chocolate Cherry Pineapple Upside Down Cake!




Pam, from Sidewalk Shoes,
brought some luscious Caramelized Pineapple!



Christine, from Fresh Local and Best, brought delightful French crêpes. I'm going to wrap mine around that caramelized pineapple!




Sugar Plum Fairy from VanillaStrawberrySpringfields
also brought her fabulous Absolutely Delish Pineapple Cakes,
they look so good!




AND Sugar Plum Fairy, from VanillaStrawberrySpringfields,
ALSO brought Coconutty Island Truffle Bites
with hazelnuts, coconut, chocolate and lots of sprinkles...




Chaya, from Sweet and Savory and Our Krazy Kitchen,
also brought warm and fruity Double Berry Muffins.




And another one from Chaya, from Chaya's Comfy Cook Blog and Our Krazy Kitchen, a pile of delicious Jamaican Coffee Brownies with Pecans.




So glad you could join us!
Don't forget to add your Tropical Favorites below!

I was Featured at Our KrAZy Kitchen #3

Thank you everyone, we had so many wonderful link-ups this month that we're featuring a full course meal with 2 desserts since you can never have too many desserts! So all of you should take a bow, accept your award and pat your self on the back. We're inviting you to guest host here at OUR KrAzY kitchen where you can showcase another fabulous recipe.

Lisette from Fancy Frugalista with her Black Bean Dip.
Snowhite at Finding Joy in My Kitchen with Italian Wedding Soup.
Geri from Heart & Soul Cooking with her Chicken Pizza.
Kristen from My Tiny Kitchen with her Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries.
Joann from Moogie & Pap with her Double Decker Chocolate Cream Pie.

Chicken Enchiladas & Refried Beans

Recently FIL wanted chicken enchiladas. He said 2 different granddaughters would come up and make them in the past and then freeze them so he'd have them later. So I made a big batch and froze them in 2 packs for him.

OOPS there is no picture with the sauce poured over them, but don't forget this very important step.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or bone in if your prefer), cooked & shredded*
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream +
4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can Rotel mild original tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 14 oz. can mild enchilada sauce, green
2 cups finely shredded jack and cheddar cheese
corn tortillas
Avocado slices

• Place chicken in stock pot with enough water to cover, salt and pepper. Bring to a low rolling boil until chicken is cooked through. Cool, de-bone if necessary and cut into bite sized pieces, preferably shredded.
• In a large bowl mix together the chicken pieces, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Mix well.
• Lightly spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla. Divide the chicken mixture amongst all the tortillas and roll them securely. Place each one seam side down, side by side in a lightly sprayed rectangular baking dish. Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
• Bake foil covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
  
• Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crisp.
  
• Serve with avocado slices and home made refried beans.
  

*Tonight I used rotisserie chicken

LEBANESE TREAT: SHAWARMA

This is shawarma. It's a Lebanese-style sandwich, an Arabic version of the Turkish döner kebap. Although very similar to the Greek gyros in the way the meat is cooked, shawarma sauce, ingredients and garnishes are different from gyros.

Today, I'm guest posting for OuR KrAzY kitChEn. My first guest post ever will be short and sweet. I am not an expert in Lebanese cuisine but I 've tasted a lot of shawarma after trying out so many cookbook and online recipes for it so I can say with confidence that the recipe I'm sharing is one of the best so far.

But before I do, let me introduce the recipe by describing my first encounter with authentic Lebanese shawarma. I was at the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel when I espied a crowd of people gathering around a booth. I went closer and from where I was standing, I could see what looked like a tower of meat being roasted. Luscious, tender, thinly sliced beef and lamb seasoned with lemon juice, cumin, allspice, mace and other spices was slowly being grilled in an upright rotating roaster. The meats were stacked neatly in the vertical spit with alternating layers of marinated beef and lamb. Perched like a crown of jewels, a huge tomato and an onion topped the gorgeous stack of golden brown, lightly-charred, juicy meats. The place was perfumed with an irresistible combination of spices, lemon juice and the essence of chargrilled beef. The juices of the onion and tomato dripped down and basted the meat tower The man in charge shaved the meat for each order and placed it on pita bread along with freshly shredded lettuce, beet-colored pickled turnip, parsley, onions and sliced tomatoes. A generous spoonful of creamy, garlic tahini sauce (made of finely ground sesame seeds) was added and the pita bread was folded into a sandwich wrap and handed to me. My first taste was unforgettable. .... this Beef-Lamb Shawarma was absolutely DELICIOUS, moist and very flavorful....and I was nowhere near Lebanon but in the midst of scientific conference in Montreal, Canada!

Since then I've been on a quest to recreate that perfect shawarma. None of the recipes I've tried before even came close. The recipe I recently found and adapted from The Lebanese Kitchen by Monique Zaarour is not yet perfect but it's the best so far. Monique tailors it for the Western kitchen by pre-cutting the meat and using a regular oven as it's almost impossible to have a counter top shawarma oven in North America.

Ingredients
2 lbs beef sirloin, cut into strips (or beef+lamb or chicken)
3 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice (I added a more of this)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp mastic, crushed
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Tahini sauce
5 Tbsp tahini
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
2 garlic cloves crushed
5 Tbsp lemon juice

Garnishes
thinly sliced onions
sumac
thinly sliced tomatoes
finely chopped parsley

• Mix the seasonings and rub into the steak strips. Marinade the beef for six hours, stirring every hour.
• Place the seasoned meat in a rimmed baking dish then cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven (475 F) for about 40 minutes.
• Combine tahini sauce ingredients in a food processor and set aside. Pour tahini sauce over the meat and serve on a plate or as a sandwich with shredded letttuce, onions, tomato and parsley. Enjoy!
• NOTE: My son prefers cheese with his shawarma so I add it even if it is not authentic Lebanese.
  

Babka: Lovin' From the Oven

Have you ever picked up an old cookbook off of your shelf, you know, one that you have used for decades and turned it to a recipe you haven't seen for ages and suddenly been transported to the last time you tasted that dish? That happened to me recently with this recipe. It is excellent. It's not quite a bread and it's not quite a cake. It can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Babka:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
topping:
1 egg white
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, stick of butter, eggs, egg yolk and 3 cups flour. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and blended. Stir in remaining flour, stirring until dough leaved side of bowl. Mix in raisins. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Turn dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Brush the egg white on top of the babka and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake 350 degrees 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack 15 minutes. To serve, remove from the pan and cut in wedges.

This is SO good!!!!

LEMON BASIL TEA ala My Year on the Grill

Greetings from the tropics! All you east coasters, I see that you are getting a late winter surge of the white stuff. 6 inches to a foot. Ah yes, I used to worry about the next surge of weather. But, I only have one reaction to the news...

Ha Ha...

Hee Hee...

(insert snort where i try to be gracious and stifle the giggle)

... But

...

To no avail

...

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Ho ho

You see, I finally made the move. As of Saturday of this week, Jackie and I are residents of the US VIRGIN ISLANDS! The above shot is a view out our balcony overlooking the harbor town of Charlotte Amalie (the Island capital). I feel terribly guilty about the giggling, but in fairness, Jackie had the same reaction when we watched MSNBC this morning.

If you would like to follow along, I have started 2 NEW sister blogs that will be exclusively about my island adventures. One is my foodie experiences, called, "A Kansas Foodie in the Virgin Islands". The other is more of a visual scrapbook of what I see and do. No food details there, just little slices of my new life. I figure when we get shipped back to Kansas in 6 months (just in time for tornado season, so you can save the laughs for when I deserve em), "Daily Photos in St Thomas" will be a great souvenir.

Here is a photo of Jackie shopping at a local farmer's market. I already did a post on the experience at the Kansas Foodie site. Lots of new and interesting items to look over. I am not quite brave enough to jump in on the new veggies I see yet, but soon.

HOWEVER, we did buy some "Lemon Basil". I have seen flavored basil in my local farmer's market. I never did buy any, but I figured this would be a good chance to get my feet wet so to speak with more local ingredient cooking.

At the same table, they offered "Lavender Basil". The salespeople were very gracious, allowing us to sample a bit. Both kinds were so full of flavors, matching what you would expect. We were told that often you can see this growing wild on the roads and they will take a leaf and suck on it to sweeten their breath and encourage saliva (it is hot, and not having a dry mouth is not always easy).

BUT, what interested me was the idea of making tea with the leaves. We got some very handy instructions (it's not difficult) from one of the locals. I figured if it worked, this is a skill I can take back home with me when I shop at the local KC Farmer's market.

And maybe it is something you might want to try...

It is not at all difficult. I have limited cooking supplies. So, I used a coffee pot as my steeping pot. For each pot full, I used 1/2 cup of the leaves (washed). just dump them in and get the water slowly simmering.

Here's a collage of what happened over the next 10 minutes... notice the darkening of the water.

Almost looks like tea!

And the verdict is that it tastes like tea. Actually, it tastes like green tea. It has a lemon taste thanks to the lemon basil. Jackie happens to be a fan of green tea. She gave it a big thumbs up, and fills a water bottle of it every day to start on her way to work. I drank one cup while it was hot. I added a bit of locally made honey to sweeten it and it was indeed... TEA!

Who knew it was that easy!

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. As always, I was SO surprised to learn that I CAN COOK THAT!!!

Give me a little taste of home, and stop by the comment section. Let me know you won't forget me while I am gone!

See you next week!