No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie day. And where it might be too late (and hopefully too darn hot) for baking, these no bake cookies are sure to be the hit of any event. From Father’s Day (my dad LOVES his peanut butter) to 4th of July BBQ’s to just your everyday peanut butter celebration day, they are easy to make (your kids can help, or your cats if you don’t have kids) can probably be made with what you have already in your pantry, and disappear quickly.

These are low sugar but the sugar can easily be increased to up to 2x to appease the sweet tooths out there. And sugar substitutes are sure to work as well.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Balls
(Makes 24)

Just as good as Cookies, Heather’s No-Bake Peanut Butter & Pretzel Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup crispy rice cereal like Rice Crispies or Chex.
• 1 cup crushed pretzel sticks

In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and powdered sugar together till well combined. Add the chocolate chips and crispy rice cereal and also mix till well combined.

Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1″ balls and then roll in the crushed pretzels to coat.

Chill for 1 hour.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Cheese Steak Sliders

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

I love mini anything. Something about big sized foods made small makes me want to eat them ALL. I don’t like carrots all that much but put a bowl of the mini ones in front of me and I just have to eat them. Same with mini peanut butter cups. CRAZY RIGHT?

The slider is the perfect mini food. Its small size makes it perfect for parties where you want to load up your plate with a bunch of other goodies. It is also easy to eat with one hand leaving your other one available to hold your tasty cold beverage of choice.  Serve these on some stylish seasonal baseball themed plates from Shindigz. These also come with a delicious horseradish sauce, which makes them awesome to serve for your National Horseradish Month celebration!

Cheese Steak Sliders (serves 4)

These Cheese Steak Sliders are served on Baseball Plates from Shindigz, both are a Home Run!

Horseradish Sauce (make first)

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup horseradish
• squeeze of lemon
• salt & pepper (to taste)

Sandwiches

• 1 ribeye steak, sliced thin against the grain.
• 1 sweet onion sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 slider rolls, toasted
• 4-6 slices of Provolone cheese

In a small glass bowl combine all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside for 30-60 minutes so that the flavors can develop.

Slice the steak into thin slices and set aside. Do the same with the onion. In a heavy bottomed pan melt the butter. Add the onions and over low heat cook the onions till they are golden brown & caramelized. Remove from pan and cover. Set aside.

In the same pan cook the strips of steak in a few small batches till browned over medium heat. About 2 minutes per side.

Once all the steak is cooked add it all back to the pan with the onions. Stir to combine. Lower heat. Cover the steak with the slices of cheese. Cover the pan and let the cheese melt for 5 minutes.

Remove cover and stir to combine everything and get everything coated well in the cheese.

Smear horseradish sauce on the top half of the roll, pile up the steak on the bottom half and serve.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Carbo’s Homemade Salsa

Mark T. Carboni shares his Cookin With Carbo party recipes with Shindigz

When Carbo has a gathering of friends, he always is on the search the perfect opening bites of food and a comfortable surrounding. Bring your friends together around a bowl of homemade salsa that is painfully simple and tasty! Whether it is a Memorial Day picnic or any Summer party, you will find this salsa to be a hit!

Carbo’s Homemade Salsa

Whip up this Homemade Salsa in minutes for your next Party!

3 roma tomatoes
3 kumato tomatoes
1 Anheim pepper
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
1 T Olive Twist Organic Lime Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Olive Twist Spicy Hot Red Cayenne Olive Oil
1 T Olive Twist Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar
2 limes
1 tsp salt

Dice 2 roma and kumato tomatoes, the pepper, onion and cilantro. Mince the garlic, add to the tomato mixture. Juice two limes and add to the tomato mixture.
In a blender, place one roma and kumato tomato, the lime oil, the cayenne oil and the honey ginger and blend until smooth.
Add the liquid mixture to the tomato mixture, add the salt and stir. Allow to refrigerate at least one half hour to infuse the flavors.
This party favorite will be a great appetizer for up to 8 people.

The passion for cooking was inherited through Carbo’s maternal grandmother who inspired Mark T. Carboni (Carbo) to bring joy to friends and family through the act of preparing food and celebrations. Carbo and his partner travel to sample and learn regional and cultural differences in food. The experiences allow him to make new and exciting recipes that can be reproduce in your own home using every day products and equipment in a short amount of time. Carbo provides private cooking lessons, authored his first cookbook and keeps a highly interactive Facebook page that showcases food-talk and fun. www.facebook.com/carbocooks.

Grilled Brats, Beer, Kraut, & Peppers

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Holiday cookouts to me are all about burgers, bratwurst, and other assorted sausage family members that can be grilled and shoved in a bun for easy consumption. Paired with some tasty side salads, fruit and corn on the cob and you have a quick and easy meal that people can chow down on while never missing a single game of corn-hole.

Now that we’re entering prime summer party season, it’s time to add a few more delicious recipes.

One of our favorite ways to grill brats is to first cook them in a pan of beer, peppers and sauerkraut and then quickly brown them over hot coals so they can get some wonderful color and smoke. Plus everyone loves the Grill Master.

Grilled Brats, Beer, Kraut, & Peppers
Serves 6-8

These will go fast so make a double recipe of Grilled Brats, Beer, Kraut, & Peppers!

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 Bratwurst (we used a jalapeno bratwurst that our favorite local butcher makes)
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
• 1 bottle of good beer
• 1 28 ounce jar of sauerkraut
• 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a disposable aluminum foil pan or a large cast iron pan add the onion, red bell pepper, and unsalted butter with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Place this over a hot grill and cook till the onions are translucent and the pepper soft. Add the garlic and saute for an additional 5-10 minutes.

In another bowl combine the beer, sauerkraut, bay leaf, paprika, caraway seeds, and mustard. Stir to combine. After the onion mixture is softened add the beer and kraut mixture along with the bratwurst to the pan. Cover the grill and let this mixture simmer until the bratwurst are done (about 20 minutes).

After the bratwurst are cooked through, remove them from the pan and place over hot coals for a couple minutes so they get those beautiful grill marks and delicious smoky flavor.

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale Mint Julep

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Tomorrow is the Kentucky Derby – another of my favorite days. I admit I am a bit of a horse fanatic. Just this a.m. I went over the racing form trying to decide which horse is going to win! (Yes, the winner is all up to me, didn’t you know that?)

Derby day is always fun. Beautiful Churchill Downs, crazy wonderful hats, gorgeous and strong horses and delicious drinks. One in particular The Mint Julep. This drink is on its own already simply good and you must be wondering why you would want to make it any other way then with smooth Kentucky Bourbon. This is my favorite way to make them and has been my go to for years. You will really love it if you are a beer fan.

When you’re hosting a Derby party or any summer gathering, offer to make this for each of your guests, 21 and older please, and tell them you found it at Shindigz!

Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale Mint Julep

Kick off summertime with this Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale Mint Julep

8-10 spearmint leaves
1 Tablespoon sugar or sugar substitute
Half cup of ice
1 bottle Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale

In the bottom of a glass add the mint and sugar and muddle together. (Lightly crush the mint and sugar together.)

Add the ice and half the beer, cover and shake gently.

Remove the top glass and pour in the rest of the beer and the mixed mint and sugar beer together in the glass, taking care to strain out the ice.

Garnish with some additional mint if you desire.

Enjoy on the patio while you listen to your horse win the derby.

Next week – Tasty Tea Sandwiches for Mother’s Day.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Chicken Enchilada Meatballs

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Happy Cinco de Mayo! One of the tastiest food holidays ever. Ever ever. So many delicious tastes! Tacos and burritos and taquitos. Fresh salsa and guacamole. And margaritasssssss! Sigh. I love it all. And much to Jeff’s dismay, I could eat Mexican food every day of my life. For now he concedes on twice a week. I am working on increasing that.

These Chicken Enchilada Meatballs came about as we were planning a Cinco de Mayo party. I wanted simple finger foods (no dinner time assembly required like tacos) but I also wanted all the flavor of some of my favorite elaborate meals. The Enchilada meatball was born.

This is simple but does require some prep work. Grind your own chicken if you can, and get a good quality enchilada sauce. You can make your own and we usually do but we make a half gallon at a time. I wanted easy for this recipe.

Mexican Inspired Chicken Enchilada Meatballs are perfect for a Fiesta anytime!

Chicken Enchilada Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 4 scallions minced
• 1 teaspoon whole chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup Mexican cerveza
• 2 hand fulls of corn chips, crushed fine
• Mexican Quesadilla cheese (not fresh crumbling cheese, melting cheese)
• Red enchilada sauce (we used Frontera brand which is really good.)
• Cooking oil (olive, canola, vegetable or corn)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Roll into 1″ balls.

Preheat oven to 400°

In a heavy bottomed pan add about 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat till hot. Add the meatballs in 2 batches (This is so you do not over crowd the meatballs and steam them instead of browning them.) and cook till browned on all sides.

Move the meatballs to a 9 x 9 pan and pour the enchilada sauce over them. Top with 6 oz of shredded cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Be sure and check back Friday for a special “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” recipe just in time for The Kentucky Derby!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Carrot Zucchini Summer Squash Muffins

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

April 25th is National Zucchini Bread Day!

If you haven’t figured it out by now, Shindigz will take ANY reason to celebrate!

And really what isn’t there to celebrate about zucchini bread? It is delicious and makes your taste buds happy. It has zucchini in it! Which, okay, may not sound like anything all that special, but really it is. With the addition of veggies in a muffin you have a healthy snack, and dare I say it, with over TWO CUPS of veggies in these muffins, you can probably eat them as a side dish of veggies and reach your Recommended Daily Allowance of veggies! If you eat the whole batch. Which once you taste these you will want to.

These tasty so delicious that they’ll be the hit at any party, from summer celebrations to bridal showers.  Or how about impressing Mom on Mothers Day, especially with the creative way you’re eating your veggies!

Carrot Zucchini Summer Squash Muffins

Everyone will want your recipe for these Carrot Zucchini Summer Squash Muffins!

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 3 eggs beaten
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 cups grated carrots, zucchini and summer squash, blotted dry.
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.
In the bowl of your mixer, add the eggs, yogurt, oil, sugar, honey and mix to blend well.In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Slowly add the flour mix and blend till all ingredients are combined.

Mix the carrots, zucchini, summer squash and walnuts together and add to mixture.

Grease or paper your muffin tins. Fill each muffin almost to the top of the tin.

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool on rack and then remove from tin.

To glaze mix 1 cup of powder sugar with just enough milk to get a thick syrup. Spoon glaze over cool muffins.

Next week –  a TWO-FER! A drink for the Kentucky Derby lovers and a dish for Cinco De Mayo!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Happy Cheeseball Day!

Maybe, just maybe you have never heard of cheeseball day before. And you are thinking to yourself “you know there are plenty of other holidays we could be celebrating why the cheeseball?” Hmm… like tax day? Pfffft!

It is a day worth celebrating! Have you ever HAD a cheeseball? I don’t mean the small crispy cheeseballs that make a great after-school snack. (Or after work snack, or beer snack, or stuck on a train for 3 hours snack…) I mean the tasty cheesy smear on a cracker or on a stalk of celery snack that if you think back, you had once or twice, loved it but never thought you could do it for yourself because let’s face it, they are magical.

I am here to show you the cheeseball light! In a few simple steps you will be the easy cheesy hero at your next gathering with this Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball.

Yummy Cinco de Mayo party appetizer – a Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1  4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Serrano seeded and diced
• 1 Habanero seeded and diced
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 8 slices of thick cut bacon, diced

In a large bowl or in the bowl of your mixer add the cream cheese and mayo and whip till well blended.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix till well combined.

Pour out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around the cheese mixture and form a ball. Twist end tightly.

Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Cook up the bacon in a large skillet till crispy. Drain and cool. Crumble.

Remove cheese ball from refrigerator and roll in bacon crumbles.

Serve immediately with crackers, celery, apples or whatever else you like.

NEXT WEEK: Zucchini Carrot Squash Bread

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Sweet & Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

On the off-chance you are one of the unaware, March Madness spills over into April. The Final Four teams have solidified their spot for the NCAA Championship and there is a very good chance someone you know (or maybe even you) are making plans for a sweet get together for the big games. Since you will be competing with the TV at this event, you want to make sure whatever it is you make outshines squeaky shoes on a wooden court and big orange dimpled balls. If you’re looking for an excuse to fire up the grill and satisfy your basketball fans, these wings will do the trick.

Sweet & Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings

15 whole wings (or 15 drumettes and 15 wingettes)

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2” of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated.
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated.
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• ¼ cup lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teasppoon cayenne powder
• ½ cup canola oil

1. Rinse and pat wings dry.
2. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat honey till it is thin. Add soy sauce till well combined. Remove from heat.
3. Add the ginger thru the cayenne powder. Mix to blend well. Allow to cool completely.
4. Add the canola oil and wisk to blend well but do not emulsify.
5. Put the wings in a 2 gallon bag and pour the marinade over the wings. Push the air out of the bag and seal. Rock bag back and forth and massage wings to coat evenly with the marinade.
6. Place in the refrigerator and let sit overnight, turning the bag over a few times to mix up the marinade and the wings.
7. The next day, start your grill and bring it to 350-400. (Make sure your grate is clean and oiled.)
8. Take the wings out of the bag and transfer the marinade to a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring marinade to a vigorous boil for a minimum of 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
9. Lay the wings on the oiled grill grate in a single layer. Grill the wings over medium heat. Turn and baste with marinade at 15 minutes in and then again at 30 minutes. Remove at 45 minutes. Serve.

 

Optional: Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or thinly diced scallions.

Next weeks recipe is going to be Pecan Pear & Bacon Bites.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Apple Crisp with Honey

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Evenly spread the apple slices in the prepared dish. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and water, and pour over the apples. Drizzle apples with honey, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the apples.
4. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until apples are tender and topping is lightly browned.