Smoky Pineapple Shakes

We had leftover pineapple from the Broiled Pork Chops and Pineapple with Maple Syrup.  Brian got the wonderful idea of making a shake with it and it turned out really well.  You don't have to make the dinner to make the shake.  You do, however, have to broil some fresh (or canned, but fresh is best) pineapple with the maple glaze.

Vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 tsp. cayenne
Pineapple
milk

Mix maple syrup and cayenne.  Brush onto pineapple and broil until tender.  Blend ice cream, pineapple and milk.  Pour into a glass and enjoy the smoky, spicy, and sweet pineapple shake. 

Broiled Pork Chops and Pineapple with Maple Sauce

This is SO EASY and SO FAST and SO GOOD!!  The recipe originally calls for salmon, but Brian hates fish so.... I looked at the ingredients, thought they looked yummy, and substituted pork chops for the salmon.  And it was fabulous!!  I also added bacon to the mix, you can never go wrong with bacon. 

1 cup rice
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp. cayenne
4 pork chops (or salmon fillets)
salt and pepper
1/2 of a pineapple, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 lightly packed chopped fresh cilantro
4ish pieces of bacon

Cook rice the way you like it (sticky, dry, whatever).  Heat your oven on the broiler setting.  Mix the maple syrup with the cayenne. Salt and pepper the pork chops and put them on a cookie sheet along with the pineapple.  Brush the maple syrup on them and broil for however long it takes for your thick or thin pork chops to be cooked.  Remember to baste the meat and pineapple with the maple syrup through out the cooking time.  Oh yeah, I put the bacon on top of the pineapple for half the time, then just put it on the bottom of the pan so that it would get crispy.  In the meanwhile, mix the cilantro into the rice and fluff it all up.  And that's it.  Serve it all.  Delicious!!

Succotash

This is one of the easiest things to make, ever. It takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. And it's darn tasty, too.

1 lb. beef, cut into bite-size pieces (stew, stir-fry, steak, whatever)
corn - either 1 16oz. pkg frozen (does not need to be thawed) or 2 cans, drained
1 can lima beans, drained
butter
salt
cinnamon

Brown the beef in some butter. Add the corn and the lima beans. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon. I use about 1/2 to 1 tsp. cinnamon. I just lightly sprinkle it over the whole dish until it looks dusted, but not covered. Stir and let cook until corn and beans are heated through (you can add a little more butter here and there if things start looking dry). Serve.

Orange Brownies

I've had this recipe for probably about 10 years. I never made them, and don't have a clue where I got the recipe. In fact, I've never even tried them before...until last night. My husband wants to try at least one new thing a week, so last night it was Orange Brownies. Now I wouldn't really call it a brownie, but I can't think of anything else to call it. Maybe orange bars?? They were more of a mix between brownies and cake. I absolutely LOVED them! They were crispy-ish on the sides and light (but not as light as a cake). Great orange flavor, and the glaze on top was simple and yummy. So go ahead and try something new!

Orange Brownies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure orange extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest and beat with a handheld electric mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven and pierce top of entire cake with a fork.

Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Pour glaze over cake. Cool cake and cut into squares.