Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs! Here are my favorite Labor Day Weekend recipes.

Cantaloupe Margaritas
c/o Country Cleaver

Ingredients

2 cups Chopped Ripe Cantaloupe, chilled

1/2 cup Silver Tequila

1/4 cup Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Orange Liqueur

1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Coarse Salt

Directions

In a blender or food processor, blend the cantaloupe until it is smooth.

Fill a cocktail shaker with cantaloupe puree, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and agave. Shake vigorously.

In a small dish, mix together the sugar and salt. Using a slice of lime, wipe around the rim of two glasses. Dip the rim of the glasses into the sugar/salt mixture. Fill both glasses with ice. Pour cantaloupe margarita into the glasses. Serve immediately.

Bacon Wrapper Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

c/o Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 4 (6 ounce) chicken breasts, butterflied or pounded thin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons roasted jalapenos (or fresh, or pickled), diced
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/4 cup monterey jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 slices bacon

Directions

1. Lay the chicken flat, season the outside with salt and pepper, spread 1/4 of the mixture of the jalapenos and the cheeses on the chicken breasts, roll them up and wrap each in 2 slices of bacon
2. Grill over indirect medium heat, with the lid down, until the bacon is crispy and the chicken is cooked (160F to 165F), about 20-30 minutes, or bake in a preheated 400F/200C oven on a wire rack on a baking pan until cooked, about 20-30 minutes, turning the oven to broil for the last few minutes to ensure that the bacon is crispy.

Gluten Free S'mores Tartlets

c/o Skinny Taste

Ingredients

For the graham cracker crust:

• 4 oz gluten free or reduced fat Graham crackers
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 3 tbsp whipped unsalted butter

For the chocolate filling:

• 8 oz 60% chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup canned fat free evaporated milk
• 2 large eggs

For the marshmallow meringue:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cup egg whites (from 2 large eggs)
• 1/8 tsp cream of tarter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a mini muffin pan with 24 liners and set aside.

Crush the cookies (using blender or rolling pin) and put the crumbs in a bowl; stir in butter and brown sugar, I used my fingers to combine well until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Divide about 1 tbsp of crumbs into muffin liners and press down.  Bake for about 10 min then lower oven temp to 325°F.

Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl.  In a sauce pan heat the milk for the chocolate filling until its just about to boil, remove from heat before it boils.  Pour the milk over the chocolate and let stand for a moment to let the chocolate melt, then whisk to combine well.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well.  Slowly add a small amount of the chocolate mixture to the eggs (about ¼ cup at a time) in 3 additions, you want to make sure you don’t scramble the eggs so whisk vigorously after each addition until all of the eggs and chocolate are mixed together.

Fill the muffin liners almost to the top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until it sets.  Let cool and start your meringue.

Stir together the sugar and water in a small sauce pan and heat on high heat until boiling and and it starts to turn a nice amber color, 5 min, shut the fire and swirl in the pan for another minute

Meanwhile, while you are caramelizing the sugar using a hand mixer with a whip attachment, whip the egg whites and cream of tarter on medium high until soft peaks form, turn to medium low and very slowly pour in the hot sugar syrup turn to high and whip until very thick and glossy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Blend in vanilla.

Transfer to a piping bag and dollop the merengue on top of each tartlet. Use a torch or broil in the oven for 2 minutes until it golden, careful not to burn. Eat within 4 hours.