Spicy Dijon Bacon Chicken Salad

For 40 other party food ideas for holiday entertaining or any time, head over to our Facebook Page to view a gallery of terrific suggestions. You don't need a Facebook account to view the photos. Click here to view the photo gallery. 

 

Here's a different take on a club sandwich and one of my favorite lunches. We also often serve them in mini versions at party buffets as a terrific finger food that people really enjoy. When I make homemade flatbreads I always freeze extra so that any  leftover chicken I have on hand can be used to make these terrific sandwiches.  If using them as party food, you can use two round flatbreads and cut them into wedges for serving.  I make flatbreads on my gas grill but I also sometimes use an unoiled cast iron pan to cook them during the winter months. You can find my recipe for flatbreads here: http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/07/grilled-flatbreads-garlic-oil-and.html

Makes 4 flatbread sandwiches

4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

1/2 cup plain mayonnaise

8 strips crisp cooked smoked bacon, chopped

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp finely chopped red pepper

1/4 tsp chile flakes (optional)

Toss together all ingredients well and spread between individual flatbreads. Add lettuce and tomato if desired.

Honey Cashew Cookie Bars

  

 For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

 When I first came up with the idea to use cashews in this recipe, I immediately thought of my Mom who is a big fan of cashew nuts. I must stick a few in the freezer for her.

These are one of my favorites in the dozens of cookie recipes available here on Rock Recipes. I share my Mom's love of cashews and the chewy honey caramel on a brown sugar shortbread base is as near to simple perfection as I can imagine. I had to force myself away from these after the third cookie.

A little chocolate is never a bad thing but honestly, these simple cookie bars are absolutely delicious all on their own; try them whichever way you like.


Bottom layer

 Cream together:

1 cup butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar


Mix in;

2 2/3 cups flour

Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch, parchment paper lined baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Topping

In a medium sized saucepan combine:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp whipping cream

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for only a minute or two before stirring in

2 cups chopped unsalted cashew nuts

As soon as the bottom has baked for 20 minutes, pull it out of the oven and spread the topping evenly over the base and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes.

Cool completely the pan on a wire rack.

Drizzle the top with

1/2 cup melted chocolate chips (optional, they are still very, very good without the chocolate.)

Five Spice Orange Date Muffins

Regular readers of Rock Recipes will have noticed that I have a little love affair going on with five spice powder, sometimes known as Chinese Five Spice.  As the name suggests, it is simply a blend of five different spices; variations occur but the most common combination is star anise, cloves, Szechuan pepper, cinnamon and ground fennel seeds. While it is commonly used in Chinese cooking I love to use it in baking, anywhere you would use cinnamon or any blend of baking spices. I've used it in everything from these muffins to a scrumptious Apple Five Spice Tarte Tatin. It gives such a spicy fragrance and flavor to baked goods, you will love it. Experiment yourself with this amazing spice blend, perhaps in this recipe for my favorite Apple Cinnamon Sticky Buns.

Sift together:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp finely minced orange zest
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp five spice powder
1/2 tsp salt



Beat together well:

1 egg
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract



Fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture. When the dry ingredients are almost incorporated, add and fold in:

1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin pans and bake for 20- 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack or serve warm from the oven.

Lemon Graham Crumble Bars

 

I love our old family recipe for Lemon Coconut Squares but I was recently introduced to this  version with graham cracker crumbs in the crumble mixture and they are absolutely delicious in their own right. This one also includes coconut in the lemon filling, which is something I had never encountered in a lemon square before; just a little something different but very good. 

Crumble together with your hands, rubbing the butter through the other ingredients:

1 ¾ cups graham crumbs

½ cup white sugar

¾ cup butter

¾ cup flour

½ cup coconut

Press half of the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Set aside.

Lemon Filling

In a double boiler, combine:

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

Juice of two lemons, approx. ½ cup

zest of two lemons, finely minced

1 cup coconut

Cook and stir until thickened.

Pour over bottom layer. Spread remaining crumb mixture over filling and press down slightly. Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes until set and golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

One Pot Tomato Yogurt Chicken Curry

This one pot recipe was a special request from a reader who wanted a mild curry with just a little heat. One of the ways to mellow a curry is to add yogurt to the recipe as in this delicious dish. This is a good basic recipe that you can play with to suit your taste. Increase or decrease any of the spices or add vegetables of your choice, to make your very own version. 

2 - 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in cubes

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp yellow curry powder

2 tbsp garam masala

3 tbsp canola oil or peanut oil

Toss all together and marinate the chicken for an hour or two or overnight.

Heat 3 tbsp peanut oil over medium high heat in the bottom of a large saucepan or dutch oven. Brown the chicken pieces and set aside to add to the sauce later.

For the sauce

1 large or 2 small red onions

4 cloves garlic

Puree the onions and garlic in a food processor or chop as finely as possible. Add the puree to the same pot and slowly cook the onion mixture until softened, about 5 minutes, then add

One 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 cup water

1 cup yougurt
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp yellow curry powder

1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cardamom 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red curry powder (hot, or cayenne pepper to taste, optional)

2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp honey

Simmer slowly for about 20 minutes before adding the cooked chicken and simmering for an additional 20 minutes or so before serving.

Serve with roti or naan bread. You can find my recipe for simple naan here:

http://rockrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/06/easy-homemade-naan.html

Ginger Orange Shortbread

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

These buttery spicy shortbread cookies are terrific on their own or you can bump them up a notch with the addition of a creamy orange frosting to sandwich them together.

Cream together:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar (i.e. icing sugar or confectioners sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp molasses

Sift together:

2 cups flour
3 tsp powdered ginger

Fold dry ingredients into the creamed butter and sugar until a soft dough forms.

Roll the dough out to about a 1/4 inch thick on a sheet of parchment paper and cut the dough into about 1x3 inch rectangles. Bake on a cookie sheet at 300 degrees F for about 25 minutes.

If desired sandwich together with orange frosting.


Orange Frosting

1/4 cup butter

1 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

1 tsp finely minced orange zest

1 cup icing sugar (i.e., powdered sugar or confectioners sugar)

This frosting should be very stiff but spreadable. If you think it's too thick, you may add a few drops of milk at a time to bring it to the right consistency.

12 Fantastic Leftover Turkey Recipes

 Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

 

Turkey Quinoa and Sweet Potato Soup

Easy Turkey Pot Pie

  
Savoury Turkey Stroganoff

  
Turkey Dressing and Gravy Panini

 

Turkey Parmesan Baked Rotini

Turkey Club Wrap

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Stew

Turkey, Bacon and Tomato Soup

Cheese Garlic and Herb Scone Club Sandwiches

 

Battered Deep Fried Turkey

Leftover Turkey Shepherd's Pie

For a dozen great ideas for leftover turkey, Click here to visit a photo gallery of suggestions on our Facebook page.

 

Well it's the day after Thanksgiving for our American friends and of course, the annual question arises, "What to do with all that leftover turkey?" 

Why not get rid of all the leftovers in one delicious dish?

We make this incredibly tasty Shepherd's Pie completely from the leftovers of a turkey dinner. You can make it in one large casserole dish or as shown here, in large individual ramekins. i won't use measurements for this recipe, they are quite unimportant. Just use what you can fit into whatever baking dish you are using. I like to warm up the gravy and mashed potatoes a little before I use them. This makes it a little faster for the entire pie to cook.

Leftover turkey, cut in chuncks

Leftover gravy

Leftover stuffing

Leftover vegetables

Leftover mashed potato, warmed with a little milk added

 

Cover the bottom of the dish with chunks of turkey in a double layer. Pour the gravy over the turkey to cover it. Next add a layer of stuffing followed by a layer of carrots or other leftover vegetables. Finally you can spread on the mashed potato layer or if you want to be "fancy", transfer your mashed potato to a Ziploc bag and snip the corner off with a pair of sharp scissors and use the bag to pipe the mashed potato in little peaks or swirls all over the surface of the pie. 

Finally, drizzle the top of the mashed potatoes with a few tablespoons of melted butter. Pop the pie into a 350 degree oven and bake until the top is golden and the gravy starts to bubble.

Chocolate Orange Nanaimo Bars

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

 

Okay, so maybe I'm a sucker for anything chocolate orange but I don't know why I didn't think of this idea before...shocked actually! I'm thinking it's because I don't make Nanaimo Bars very often; and I don't make them very often because they are one treat I cannot resist. With many of the treats I make, I am content to sample one or two and pass the rest on to family and friends but Nanaimo bars would never make it out of the house. They are the best thing to ever come out of that beautiful British Columbia town.

I've sampled many different versions of this classic Canadian favorite sweet, including mint, mocha, Irish cream, even peanut butter but I have never seen a chocolate orange version. When Spouse and I were talking about which cookie recipes we could add to our growing on-line collection, she mentioned that I hadn't included Nanaimo bars. As always, my mind goes to, "How can I put a little twist on that?" and almost immediately the chocolate orange idea came straight to mind. With just a little orange juice concentrate and the finely minced zest of a single orange, these amazing no-bake bars are transformed into something new and spectacular. You MUST try these...and no, none of these left the house; we all fought over the last crumbs.

Base Layer

Melt together over low heat

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

5 tbsp cocoa

Add 

one beaten egg

continue to cook, stirring constantly to fully cook the egg to a soft scrambled texture. Add

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup fine or medium unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts 

Mix together until well combined then, press into the bottom of a parchment paper lined 9x9 inch baking pan.

Orange Frosting Filling

With an electric mixer, beat together until smooth

1/2 cup butter

2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

zest of one small orange, finely minced

2 cups icing sugar (i.e., powdered sugar or confectioners sugar)

This frosting should be very stiff but spreadable. If you think it's too thick, you may add a few drops of milk at a time to bring it to the right consistency. Spread evenly over the bottom layer. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before adding the chocolate topping.

Chocolate Topping

1 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

Melt together over low heat, just until the chocolate is melted, don't over heat it.

Spread quickly over the chilled frosted layer. Return to the fridge until the chocolate sets. Cut into squares or bars. These freeze very well.

Orange Cinnamon Roll Cookies

 

These cookies are very festive for the holidays; with the fragrant citrus and spice bringing the season instantly to mind. As my daughter perfectly summed it up ,"This is the perfect cookie to leave for Santa."

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

Cookie Dough

1 cup butter
1/3 cup fine sugar
¾ cup icing sugar
zest of one orange, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 ¼ cups flour

pinch salt

Cream together the sugars and butter. Beat in the vanilla, orange zest, and egg until fluffy. Fold in the flour and salt just until a sot dough forms. Chill the dough for about a half hour and then roll out into a 12x12 square.

Cinnamon Paste

1/3 cup butter
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ tsp corn syrup
4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract

 

Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth, fluffy and is easily spreadable. Spread evenly over the surface of the rolled out cookie dough. Roll the dough up tightly and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour or so. Cut 1/4 inch slices of the dough and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until they get golden at the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before spreading or drizzling the glaze into the cookies. If freezing these cookies, I would recommend adding the glaze after they have been thawed.

Glaze

1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water

 

Mix together until smooth, spread or drizzle on cooled cookies.

Brie Hazelnut and Blackberry Puffs

For dozens of other party food and hors d'ouevre recipes check out our Facebook album with links to more great ideas from wings and ribs to savory pastries and other tasty nibbles.

Click here to visit our Facebook party food album 

 

Here's a great hors d'ouevre to serve at holiday cocktail parties or other occasions where tasty little finger foods are appreciated. This is an easy to make but very elegant little morsel which can be easily varied by changing the berries and nuts. I've made many different variations of this hors d'ouevre using blueberries, raspberries, partridgeberries, almonds, pecans, walnuts etc. Invent your own version, just make sure you toast the nuts before using them in the puffs.

1 pound package puff pastry, cut into 18 rectangles

egg wash (1 egg whisked with 2 tbsp water)

Brush around the perimeter of all the rectangles with the egg wash.

8 ounces brie cheese

1 pint blackberries

1/2 cup toasted, chopped hazelnuts

At one side of the pastry place about 1/2 ounce cheese along with a sprinkle of nuts and a blackberry. Fold the pastry over to cover the filling and press the edges of the dough together with your fingertips to seal. Brush the tops of the puffs with the egg wash

Make sure these are very cold before they go in the oven, this will help the pastry to puff. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Let cool about 10 -15 minutes before serving because the filling gets very hot.

Red Pepper and Prosciutto Napoleons

Another tasty little hors d'ouevre for the party buffet table. These make good use of frozen puff pastry, some sweet roasted red peppers and cream cheese and little slivers of prosciutto in this tasty little sandwich puff that's bursting with flavor. 

For dozens of other party food and hors d'ouevre recipes check out our Facebook album with links to more great ideas from wings and ribs to savory pastries and other tasty nibbles.

Click here to visit our Facebook party food album

Cut puff pastry in small squares and bake at 400 degrees F  for about 15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. cool completely, then split in half horizontally using a sharp serrated knife. Fill with red pepper cream cheese and top with thin slivers of prosciutto before replacing the top of the pastry and serving. 

4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

I like to cut the thinly sliced prosciutto into thin slivers so that the napoleons are easier to bite into. 

Red Pepper cream Cheese

1/2 roasted red pepper, pureed

4 ounces cream cheese

pinch salt

pinch black pepper

1 tbsp lemon jiuce

finely chopped chives (optional)

Beat all ingredients together until smooth.

Mango Five Spice Bars

Here's an exotic twist on a crumble bar cookie with fragrant vanilla, mango and spices all in in a buttery crumble. Delicious.

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

Mango Five Spice Bars 


2 cups flour
3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pulse together in a food processor until crumbly or just rub together with your hands until crumbly. Press half of the crumble into the bottom of a well greased or parchment lined 9x9 inch baking pan and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Toss together:

2 cups chopped mango

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp five spice powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

Spread evenly over the partially baked base. Top with the remaining crumble and press down slightly. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the crumble top is evenly golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into bars or squares.

63 Terrific Cookie Recipes...and counting!

 

 

UPDATE: 63 freezer-friendly cookie recipes! We now have 63 recipes and tempting photos in the collection. Your holiday baking starts here: Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

Red Berry Squares

This tasty little treat is a versatile recipe that can be made with any favorite jam. In this version I mixed together 3 different red berry jams; strawberry, raspberry and partridgeberry. What a delicious combination.

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

Cookie Base

1 ¼ cups flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Pulse together in a food processor until crumbly or just rub together with your hands until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a well greased or parchment lined 9x9 inch baking pan.

Spread the bottom layer with

1 1/2 cups red berry jam (any favorite jam can be substituted)

Top Layer

Beat together until foamy:


2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Gently fold in:

2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp flour

Drop the topping by heaping tablespoons all over the jam covered base. Spread carefully and evenly over the surface.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35- 40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack before cutting into squares or bars.

40 Great Holiday Party Food Ideas

 

 

Here's a list of links to 40 of our best hors d'ouveres, finger foods and delicious nibbles to make your Holiday party the tastiest of the season. 

To see a photo gallery of these recipes, head over to our Facebook Page where you can see them all in one place. You don't need a Facebook account to view the photos. Click here to view the photo gallery.

Here's our list of great recipe links:

Crab Cakes with Lime Chive Mayonnaise

Crab and Ricotta Ravioli

Chocolate Truffles

Bacon and Cheddar Mini Quiches

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Crostini

Lime Salsa and Cheddar Bruschetta

Italian Sausage Rolls

Cheese, Garlic and Herb Scone Club Sandwiches

Coconut Shrimp

Roasted Tomato and Grilled Corn Salsa

Bourbon Barbeque Ribs

Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Apple BBQ Sauce and Fennel Apple Coleslaw

Brie with Partridgeberries, Pistachios, and Honey in Puff Pastry

Five Spice Chicken Fennel Egg Rolls with Orange Ginger Sauce

Roasted Tomato Jam and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Balsamic Reduction

Crispy Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

Partridgeberry, Brie and Honey Panini

Barbeque Bacon and Cheddar Sliders

Black Bean and Ginger Glazed Ribs

Phyllo Curry Chicken

Curry Chicken Sliders

Crispy Sweet Sticky Spicy Wings

Pomegranate and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Orange Ginger Hoisin Ribs

Baked Honey Lemon Glazed Wings

Beer Battered Shrimp with Chili Lime or Lime Curry Mayo

Steak and Cheddar Quesadillas

Peach Lime Salsa

Spicy Mango Orange Grilled Shrimp

Spicy Barbeque "Boneless Ribs"

Tomato Avacado and Feta Crostini

Baked Chili Chicken Empanadas

Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Roasted Cherry & Pink Peppercorn Jam

Parmesan Fennel Mini Quiche with Spicy Quick Tomato Compote

The Best Beef Samosas

Chicken Fried Cod Nuggets

Herb and Goat Cheese Pinwheels

Fried Chicken Wings with Blackstrap BBQ Sauce

Ginger Raisin Cake Bars

Here's a very moist and delicious recipe for a Ginger Raisin Cake that we love at our house. This makes a terrific dessert served warm with a little butterscotch or caramel sauce or as a glazed cake. During the holidays we also cut this scrumptious cake into little squares or bars to add to the assorted cookie trays we offer to friends and family who drop by. Spouse loves her gingerbread and she heartily endorses this simple version.

For dozens of other cookie ideas, check out this growing photo gallery on our Facebook Page with links to all the recipes for all the photos. Click Here for Our Cookie Album on Facebook.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 baking pan, or preferably, line with parchment paper.

Cream together:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

Beat in:

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir in:

1/2 cup milk

Sift together

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

3 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. When the flour is almost incorporated fold in

2 tbsp fresh, finely grated ginger root

2/3 cup raisins

Do not over mix the batter or your cake will be tough. Spread batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you don't want to over bake this cake. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting with vanilla frosting glaze.

Vanilla Frosting Glaze

1 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread on the cake and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg or chopped toasted nuts if desired.

Curry Beef Triangles

 

Curry Beef Triangles is a one of my go-to recipes for a tasty finger food when entertaining guests at my house. Besides being easy to make and so delicious, they can be made in advance and simply popped into the oven when needed.

1 pkg (1 lb) frozen phyllo pastry. thawed

1/2 cup melted butter

Curry Beef Filling

 

 Combine well:

1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef

1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp yellow curry powder (more or less to taste)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1 beaten egg

 

To assemble the triangles, cut sheets of phyllo into roughly 6 x 8 inch rectangles, or a size that works well with the size of sheets you are using. Using 3 of these sheets, stack them together, first brushing melted butter between the layers.

At the shorter end of the pastry, spoon a couple of tablespoons of the filling near the center edge of the pastry. Fold the two opposite edges of the phyllo to meet at the center, covering the filling. Begin rolling/folding the phyllo in a triangular shape with the filling at the center. Place the seam at the final fold on the bottom. 

Bake for 20- 25 minutes at 350 degrees F until golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.