Grilled Crab and Zucchini Boats

Serves two

1 small-medium zucchini - 7"-8" long

1 6oz can of cooked crab meat, drained thoroughly

3T bread crumbs

2T mayonnaise 

1 tsp lemon zest 

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt-free all purpose seasoning 

1/4 tsp dill weed

1 slice onion minced

1 clove garlic minced

1 3" rib celery minced

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Sriracha Citrus Aioli, optional (recipe below)

Long skewers and aluminum foil

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or small spoon, carefully scoop out a trough in each half, about 1/2" deep, 1/4" from sides and 1/2" from ends. Lightly coat both halves with olive oil 

and sprinkle trough with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix crab, breadcrumbs, mayo, spices and veggies, along with a dash of salt and pepper. Let sit 5 mins. Carefully fill both halves of zucchini with crab mixture. To keep the zucchini stable on the grill it's recommended to skewer with two skewers. If using wood, remember to soak in warm water for a couple minutes first. Set grill to a medium heat and once hot place the boats zucchini side down and loosely tent with a piece of aluminum foil. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes. Turn heat to low, remove foil tent and cook for an additional 2-3 mins. Remove from heat, place on plate and drizzle with sriracha citrus aioli and additional sriracha, if desired. Serve hot. 

Sriracha & Citrus Aioli

2T mayonnaise 

1 tsp sriracha

1/2 tsp lemon juice 

1/2 tsp lemon zest

Skewered boats, pre-grilling

Pretzel Pigs in a Blankets w/ Beer Cheese Sauce

1 pkg lil smokies/cocktail Frank's

1 pkg rolled thin crust pizza dough

1/4 c baking soda

5 cups water

1 egg, beaten w/ 1 T water

Coarse sea salt

16oz Velveeta original

1 cup Belgian style ale

1 T stone ground mustard

Prepare 2 baking sheets: 1 greased, 1 towel-lined

Roll out pizza dough onto a large cutting board and cut in half length-wise and height-wise, giving you four rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 10 to 12, 1/2"-wide strips. Open package of smokies, lay out on a paper towel, pat dry with another paper towel. Wrap a strip of dough around each smokie and lay out on a greased baking sheet. Should have 40 to 48 total. Pre-heat oven to 425 F.

In a medium pot, heat water to a low boil. SLOWLY, add baking soda, 1T at a time. Add dough-wrapped smokies, 5 at a time, to water/soda mixture and boil for 15 to 20 secs. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carefully to the towel-lined baking sheet. Continue until all have been boiled. Re-grease the first baking sheet and transfer smokies back. Lightly brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle with sea salt at this time. Then bake for 15 to 20 mins, until nicely browned. 

While baking, cut cheese into 1" cubes and place into a large microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 min intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Add beer, 1/4 c at a time, stirring until fully incorporated. Then add mustard and stir well. 

Serve up and enjoy!

Pretzel pig-in-blanket - courtesy of Tasty

Beer cheese dip - original recipe

Red Wine Chocolate Cake

1 box Devils Food Cake (plus ingredients needed to prepare)

1 bottle dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon 

2 T unsalted butter softened

1 c semisweet mini chocolate chips

1 c powdered sugar

Fresh berries, cherries, whipped cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare the box cake mix as directed, but substitute wine for the water. Pour into a prepared bundt pan and bake for 40-45 mins, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake completely. Then invert onto a large plate. 

In a small bowl, microwave butter and chocolate chips for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave for 15-30 secs more until fully melted. Add 1/2 cup wine and stir. Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Let rest 10 mins before drizzling over cake. Serve with fresh berries or cherries and whipped cream. Oh, and drink up the rest of the wine!

Recipe adapted from Tasty

Overnight Cookie Butter Baked French Toast

• 
• 
  
  ⅔ of a loaf of challah loaf, preferably stale or lightly toasted
• ½ cup + 2 T cookie butter
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 3 large eggs
• 2¼ cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 banana, mashed
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar 
• 
  
• Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes. Layer one third of the bread in a prepared deep 8x8 baking pan or lasagna baking dish. In a small bowl, microwave the cookie butter for 15 to 30 secs, until runny. Drizzle a third of the melted cookie butter over the bread cubes and sprinkle a third of the chocolate chips over the bread. Repeat this to create three layers of bread, cookie butter, and chocolate chips. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mash banana with cookie butter and salt until combined, stir in the eggs, then whisk in milk. Pour over the bread, ensuring the bread is completely soaked in the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the French toast and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until center is set.

  Serve with maple syrup, chocolate syrup, or enjoy by itself! 

  Change it up! One idea: sub in white chocolate chips and add dried cranberries. Add 1 tsp orange zest when mixing bananas and cookie butter. Another: add dried cherries and chopped pecans along with chocolate chips. Tons of possibilities! 

Recipe adapted from one published at www.cookienameddesire.com

Blackberry Jalepeno Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup blackberry preserves

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon ketchup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 jalapeño, seeded (mild) not-seeded (hot), sliced thin

1 medium onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

6 slices bacon, cooked, chopped

salt & pepper

Sauce (optional)

1/4 cup blackberry preserves

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Goodies from the crockpot

Place sliced onions in the bottom of a crockpot. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Top with garlic, jalepeno, and bacon. In a small bowl mix together preserves, ketchup, stock, molasses, vinegar and liquid smoke. Pour over the chicken and set the crockpot to low and let cook for 5 to 6 hours, until chicken is fork tender. Turn crockpot to warm. If not preparing sauce, shred chicken in the crockpot using two forks. If preparing the sauce, remove chicken to a cutting board and shred. Using a slotted spoon remove the onion, jalepeno and bacon and put into a blender. Add ¼ cup of the liquid in the crockpot and puree until smooth. Add chicken back to crockpot and stir into remaining liquid. In a medium saucepan add preserves, ketchup, smoke, pepper and onion/jalepeno/bacon mixture and stir over low-medium heat until sauce is heated.

You can serve this a number of ways. For example:

On a bun, w/ pepper jack cheese with cooked bacon slices;

In a tortilla w/ queso fresco, sliced radish, and cilantro;

On top of a heaping plate of cheesy nachos;

Plain, topped with sauce;

Chilled on top of a salad

Recipe adapted from www.cookingforkeeps.com

Peach and Tomato Gazpacho

1 1/2 lb yellow tomatoes, chopped (3 cups)

1 lb peaches, pitted and chopped (2 cups)

1/4 cup crushed ice

2 tablespoons chopped shallot

2 tablespoons olive oil*

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Optional: crumbled goat cheese and additional finely chopped basil

Purée two thirds of tomatoes and half of peaches with ice, shallot, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons tarragon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute.

In a bowl, toss together remaining tomatoes and peaches with remaining tablespoon oil, remaining 1/2 tablespoon vinegar, remaining basil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a bowl. In a soup bowl add a couple spoonfuls of the chunky mixture, carefully ladle the liquid around. Top with goat cheese crumbles and finely chopped basil if desired.

*flavored olive oils, like basil or tarragon work great in this recipe!

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com

Smoky Lime Syrup & 3 Drinks

1/2 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 cup water
20 drops smoke bitters
1 lime, juiced + 1 tsp zest

In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Take of heat and add lime juice and zest. Allow to cool then strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.



Smoky Margarita

1 1/2 oz resposado or anjeo tequila
1/2 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz smoky lime syrup
3 dashes orange bitters
pinch of salt

Add first three ingredients into an shaker w/ 1 cup of ice. Shake vigorously for a minute then strain into an old fashioned glass filled with ice, topped with bitters and pinch of salt if desired.



Smoky Lime Rum & Cola

12 oz chilled cola
1 1/2 oz rum
1 oz smoky lime syrup
1 lime wheel

In a glass filled with ice, pour in syrup and rum, then top with soda. Stir and serve with a lime wheel.



Smoky Citrus Refresher

8 oz chilled lemon-flavored soda water
1 oz smoky lime syrup
1 lime or lemon wheel

In a glass filled with ice, pour in syrup and top with lime soda. Stir and serve with a citrus wheel.