A happy birthday banquet for husband Scott

Happy birthday to my husband, Scott. Today we celebrate his special day by cooking at home and enjoying a nice evening together.

I know Scott better than the back of my own hand and can easily choose recipes that I know he will enjoy. Usually that will involve some kind of grilled meat, simple side dishes and then something chocolate for dessert. Today I have chosen a few recipes that I think he would enjoy. Some of them I will be making for him for his birthday and others in the days to come.

Happy birthday, honey, and may God bless you with many, many more.

Marinade for Grilled Meats (Pork Chops)

This marinade recipe can be used for many different meats, but I'm using it with pork chops today.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• Zest of one lemon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Place all ingredients except pork chops in a jar with a secure top. Shake until well blended.

Pour over meat, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Turn meat occasionally to coat. Meat can also be placed in a plastic bag and placed in refrigerator.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Take pork chops from marinade and place on grill and cook until the pork chop releases from the grill, about four minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for another three minutes.

Herb Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 to 1-1/2 pounds each

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place pork tenderloin and herb sprigs in a zip top bag. Pour marinade over meat. Seal bag and place in refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour.

30 minutes prior to grilling, remove tenderloin from refrigerator and place on counter to gently warm up.

Heat grill to medium high heat. Place tenderloin on grill. Cook for five minutes on first side until grill marks appear. Turn tenderloins and cook for five minutes. Continue turning so that each side of the tenderloins are grilled. Cook tenderloins a total of about 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

Remove from heat, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with juices.

Grilled Flank Steak

• 1 two to three pound flank steak
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
• 2 tablespoons honey

Place steak in a zip top bag.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour marinade over steak, seal bag and place in refrigerator for 3 to 5 hours.

Remove steak from fridge and let come to room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat grill to high - 500 degrees.

Remove flank steak from marinade and pat dry with paper towels.

Grill on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes on first side. Flip steak and grill for 2 minutes.

Place steak on cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 8 to 10 minutes.

Slice meat against the grain and serve.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

Marinade:

• 1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine or white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 to 3 drops of toasted sesame seed oil, optional

For Skewers:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into approximately 2-inch chunks
• 1 whole fresh pineapple, cut into 2-inch chunks

Mix together marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Place chicken chunks in a gallon size zip top bag. Add marinade, reserving 1/4 cup. Place in refrigerator for approximately 1 hour.

If using wooden skewers, soak in water placed in a shallow dish for 30 minutes.

Skewer chicken then pineapple chunk onto skewers and set aside. Heat grill to medium high heat. Rub grill grate with vegetable oil or spray with grill cooking spray.

Place chicken skewers on grill and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Brush on reserved marinade and turn skewers. Brush on any remaining marinade and continue to cook until chicken is done.

Remove from heat and serve.

Sheet Pan Ranch Chicken Thighs

• 8 chicken thighs, bone in/skin on
• 3 tablespoons dry ranch mix powder
• 1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, quartered

Add chicken, ranch dressing mix, Montreal seasoning and red pepper flakes to a large zip top bag. Gently mix together making sure chicken is coated with ingredients.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle olive oil on to a sheet pan. Place chicken skin side down on pan. Add onion around chicken. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees about 10 more minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook until chicken skin is slightly charred, approximately 2 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Notes: If prepping ahead, store chicken in refrigerator until ready to cook.

Perfect Lemon Roasted Chicken

• 1 (4 to 5 pound) chicken, whole
• Olive oil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons Montreal steak seasoning
• 2 lemons, cut into quarters
• 1 small onion, cut into quarters
• 4 to 5 peeled garlic cloves

Remove chicken from packaging and place in cast iron skillet. Put skillet with chicken (uncovered) in refrigerator for 1 hour. Take chicken from refrigerator and place on counter for 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Place 2 lemon pieces along with 1 onion quarter in cavity of chicken. Scatter remaining onion, lemons and garlic around pan. Drizzle chicken, onion and lemons with olive oil. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Place chicken in oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn down heat to 400 degrees and continue to cook for 60 minutes. Check temperature by inserting an instant read thermometer into thigh, until it reads 155-160 when done. Remove chicken from oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes

Slice chicken and serve with drippings along with onions and lemon.

Favorite Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup good vinegar, Champagne, sherry or balsamic is fine
• 2/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced or 2 teaspoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a medium bowl, add vinegar, salt, mustard, honey and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk ingredients until blended.

Slowly add the oil in a stream while whisking until an emulsion forms; color of vinaigrette will change to a golden yellow.

Taste and adjust seasoning including the oil and vinegar.

Notes: Can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days - always bring to room temperature before using. This dressing can be made by whisking, which provides a very smooth emulsion. You can also add the ingredients into a jar and shake to blend the flavors. This will give you a dressing that is not as smooth but still very, very good.

Deviled Egg Dip

• 4 boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoons good mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Boil eggs and chop yolk and white together. I use my pastry cutter to make this task fast and easy.

Add mayo, horseradish, dash of hot sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Place in a bowl and serve with crackers and veggie sticks.

Tomato Cucumber Salad

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 English cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

Place tomatoes, cucumbers and tomatoes in a large bowl, set aside.

In a mixing cup or small bowl, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper. Using a whisk, blend until well mixed. Pour over tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Toss salad.

Can be served immediately or stored in the refrigerator, covered for up to 2 days.

Pineapple Slaw

• 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits
• 3 cups shredded cabbage (1 bag slaw mix)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 3 to 4 scallions, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons brown sugar, more or less to your liking
• 3-4 tablespoons pineapple juice, reserved from drained pineapple chunks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Drain pineapple tidbits reserving juice. Set aside

In a small bowl or jar with a lid, add yogurt, vinegar, brown sugar, pineapple juice salt, pepper and red pepper. Mix well. In a large bowl, add cabbage, pineapple tidbits, almonds and green onions. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and toss until well coated. Sprinkle on more red pepper if desired.

Cover and place in refrigerator to chill until ready to serve.

Bacon Deviled Eggs

• 12 eggs
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, adjust to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon chives, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Hard Boiled Eggs

In a large pot, place eggs and cover with cold water. Cook on medium high heat until water comes to a boil. Turn off heat, cover pot with lid and let sit for 13 minutes. Uncover, drain and rinse with cold water. Let eggs cool completely.

To prepare the Bacon Deviled Eggs:

Peel eggs making sure no shell remains. Cut eggs in half, remove yolks and place in medium size bowl. Place whites on serving platter. Mash yolks with a fork to a small crumble. Add mayonnaise, horseradish, chives, salt and pepper and mix until smooth.

Using a small spoon or a plastic bag fitted with a star tip/snipped end, fill whites with deviled egg mixture. Sprinkle on bacon and extra chives.

Big Chocolate Birthday Cake

Cake:

• 4 sticks butter, plus more for greasing
• 8 heaping tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 whole eggs, beaten

Frosting:

• 3 cups heavy cream
• 24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease and dust with cocoa four 9-inch round cake pans.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa. Stir together. Add the boiling water, allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds and then turn off the heat. Pour over the flour mixture and stir lightly to cool.

Combine the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/chocolate mixture.

Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool completely before icing. Refrigerate the layers after cooling for best results.

For the frosting: Heat the cream until very hot, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt, and then pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Refrigerate to cool.

Once completely cooled, add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until light and airy.

Frost the cake in between each layer, on the top and around the sides.

Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake

• 1 box butter/vanilla cake mix

Blueberry Lemon Sauce:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Lemon Glaze:

• 2 tablespoon lemon curd
• 2 tablespoons water

Topping:

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon curd

Make cake according to directions. Let cool.

While cake cools, make blueberry sauce. In a small sauce pan, add blueberries, lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and corn starch. Bring ingredients to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a microwave safe dish, add lemon curd and water. Microwave for 10-12 seconds until curd is melted. Stir. Using a pastry brush, glaze top of cake with the mixture.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake. Pour blueberry sauce over cake making sure that the sauce seeps into the holes. Cover and let cake set up in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Using a stand or hand mixer, whip heavy cream, sugar and lemon curd until stiff peaks form. Layer topping on to cake. Chill for 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Pineapple Coconut Cake

Okay, so Scott is not a coconut fan, but I am, so this recipes jumped out at me and I want to save it for a later time.

• 1 box butter or yellow cake mix
• 2 (3.4 ounce) packages coconut cream instant pudding mix
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, saving juice
• 4 cups milk
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 (16 ounce) container whipped topping or 3 cups fresh whipped cream
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake mix per instruction substituting pineapple juice from crushed pineapple. If there is not enough juice, add water to make 1 cup. Bake according to directions.

Remove cake from oven and using end of cooking spoon, poke holes in cake.

With a hand or stand mixer, beat together milk and pudding mix until slightly thickened. Mix in drained pineapple and cup of coconut. Pour mixture over warm cake, making sure pudding mixture goes into poked holes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until set or minimum of 1 hour.

Spread on whipped topping. Sprinkle on toasted coconut. Serve immediately. Store remaining cake in refrigerator.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.