Almond- Orange Shortbread and Basil Grilled Chicken

It is so hot. It is so humid. It is so sticky and muggy out and I have just about had it with the constant threat of thunderstorms, so I am going to think of Chrsitmas. Christmas means cold weather and snow. It means hot chocolate and presents, but most importantly it means Christmas cookies. This recipe comes from everyday food and I discovered it, I believe, about 2 years ago and it is a definate keeper to my holiday trays. The orange flavor really shines through and the almonds make them look so pretty, and it is a true buttery, shortbread. It hits on all cylinders in my book.

Let's get started, shall we:

Almond -Orange Shortbread

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners sugar

3/4 tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

grated zest of 1 orange

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

In mixer, beat butter, sugar almond extract until smooth. With mixer on low add flour and zest, until a dough forms.

Gently mix in almonds, by hand.

It should look like this:

Form dough into rectangular log. 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch thick. ( keep it clean people, keep it clean. We are talking dough here. lol)

Wrap log in wax paper, I used plastic wrap and freeze.

When you are ready to bake, remove from freezer and let sit for 30 minutes.

Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place on parchmant lined baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes, before transferring to rack to cool completely.

They are just gorgeous and I love that the almonds show through so nicely and when you make them, and I know you will, you will see the little bits of zest show through.

A fantastic addition to any holiday tray, or simply wrap some in cellophane with a pretty ribbon and you have a great little gift for someone special, they better be someone special if you make them these babies.

Up next is a recipe my sister Donna, of My Tasty Treasures, just posted the other day, Basil Grilled Chicken. I was looking for something easy for the grill and this is both easy and tasty. I think this is a Paula Deen recipe, so prepare for butter, lots of butter.

Basil Grilled Chicken

3/4 tsp coarsley ground black pepper

4 skinned chicken breast halves

1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves, plus 2 tbsp freshly minced basil leaves

5 tbsp butter, melted, plus 1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

fresh basil sprigs, optional

Directions:

Prepare your grill

Get out your fresh basil.

Press the coarsley ground pepper into the meaty side of the chicken breast halves. Stir the chopped basil into the melted butter.


Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture.

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter,minced basil,parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together until smoothly blended. Transfer to a small serving bowl and set aside.


Grill the chicken 8 to 10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with remaining butter mixture.


Easy with the flames, Babe, you are not Donna's FFH, who puts out flames for a living and unfortunately, you cannot arrest a flame for burning your eyebrows off.

Serve the chicken with the basil- butter mixture. Garnish with fresh basil, if you choose.

And I would definately take Donna's suggestion and add a squeeze of lemon or lime over the top, just brightens everything up.

Great summer BBQ dish.

135 days until christmas, but who's counting?

Easy Summer Cucumbers and Mojo Skirt Steak

I know, I know you probably think you have stumbled onto my sister, Donna's blog, My tasty treasures, but you haven't. It is me and my favorite English Cucumbers. I love English cucumbers because you don't have to seed them. They are a little more expensive but for this really refreshing and delicious summer salad, it would be worth the extra cash. I found this recipe last summer here, on Recipezaar. This salad is the perfect side to have with your next BBQ. It is cool and so flavorful and it couldn't be easier. So here we go.


Easy Summer Cucumbers



2 Large Cucumbers, peeled and seeded if desired
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp celery seed(optional)
salt and pepper


Slice cucumbers, no thicker than 1/4 inch. Place in tupperware bowl or other container with tight fitting lid. Add sliced onions. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, minimum 1 hour to overnight. Stirring occasionally. Enjoy.


I am warning you, these are addictive. The hardest part is waiting. I hate waiting, but they are worth the wait. Try them with your next BBQ or just make a batch to snack on, you will be glad you did. Or if you are stuck with what to bring to someones house the next time, double or triple these and bring it on over. Your host will be glad you did.

To go with my cucumbers I made skirt steak. I love,love,love skirt steak. I know it doesn't look so appealing when you buy it, but it turns into very tender meat. I just saw this recipe last week over at Dinners for a year and beyond, and it just called to me.I absolutely love this blog, everything I have tried so far has been spot on. So take a visit and look through the archives , you will find many things you want to try. I love everything that this marinade had in it, from the cumin to the fresh citrus juices and when it was done it did not disappoint. It was amazing and even my husband and kids said how good it was. ( pat on the back). This is what my skirt steak looked like after lounging around in the marinade overnight.
Mojo Skirt Steak

for the marinade:

1/3 cup orange juice
juice of 1 lime
3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried
1 tsp cumin
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak or flank steak
1 lime, cut into wedges


Whisk together ingredients for marinade. Place in resealable bag and add the steak. Marinate 2-6 hours. I let mine go overnight.
Heat grill or grill pan. My hubby was kind enough to man the grill for these babies for me.


Remove steak from marinade and grill for about 4-5 minutes per side, for medium rare. For medium, cook steak a couple more minutes per side. Remove steak from grill and let rest, tented with foil, on a cutting board. Please do not skip this step. If you cut it right away, all the juice will run out, what a waste. To serve, slice on an angle and squeeze lime wedges over sliced meat.

This was so smoky and delicious. I can't wait to make it again. It does go perfectly with those cool, refreshing cucumbers, so if you are stuck in a rut when it come to what to BBQ next, try these, they are both keepers.