Grilled Orange Chicken

Orange Marinade

1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice or store bought orange juice
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil
3 to 5 cloves fresh garlic chopped

In a one gallon re-sealable plastic bag, combine all ingredients.  Salt and pepper to taste.  

Add 4 chicken breasts, seal.  Toss to coat. Place bag and contents in a bowl. 

Refrigerate 6 to 12 hours, turning often.  

Remove chicken from the marinade.  Discard marinade.  Grill, fry, or bake until cooked through.

I love to use a marinade when I am grilling.  It makes the chicken, pork, or beef, so juicy when it is cooked.  The longer you let the chicken in this recipe, sit in the marinade, the more flavor it will have.  Even if you can only let it sit in the marinade for an hour, you will be surprised at what it does for it.

Check back on Tuesday, for my 

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post about lemons!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

SPAM-ellini

SPAM-ellini

1 (12 ounce) can SPAM Classic
1 (20 ounce) package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes

Slice SPAM into 1/3 inch slices. 

Grill SPAM over medium heat until grill marks appear.  Remove from grill. Slightly cool. Dice SPAM.  Set aside.  Prepare tortellini according to package directions.  Drain.  In large saucepan, add cream and cheese, cook over medium heat until combined and creamy. Add SPAM, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Mix well.  Add tortellini. Toss to coat.  Makes 6 servings.

I was recently contacted by a SPAM representative.  They offered me a starter box of SPAM products, plus a beautiful hand pained trivet and a SPAM spatula.  Looking at the delicious SPAM products, my mind began thinking of all the wonderful recipes that I could create using SPAM. 

So that is why June is SPAM month here on My Kind of Cooking.  Keep checking back all month long for more delicious SPAM recipes and tips!

To kick off this month of tasty treats, I created SPAM-ellini.  I had never grilled SPAM before, but I was so pleased with the results, that I plan to grill up another batch soon.  The sauce was creamy and not too rich.  The sun-dried tomatoes added a depth of flavor to the sauce.  But the real star of this recipe was the delicious grilled SPAM!  The great flavor and texture of the SPAM, complemented all of the other ingredients, to make a dish where everyone went back for seconds.

On Tuesday, I will post details on 

how you can win your own box of SPAM goodies!  

Plus details on how you can enter

SPAM's WEEKEND BRUNCH contest.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Recipe: Grilled Dry Rub Steaks

Grilled Dry Rub Steaks

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 (8 ounce) rib eye steaks

In small bowl, combine paprika, brown sugar, and onion powder.  Mix well.  Rub mixture over steaks.  Grill steaks over medium high heat to desired doneness.  Makes 2 servings.

When mixing up a batch of this dry rub, use the paprika of your choice.  There are so many to pick from.  Sweet Paprika, Smokey Paprika, Spicy Paprika, Chipotle Paprika,  I could go on and on but I think you get the idea.  This recipe is just a starting place.  If you have a picky family, this is a good basic and mild rub to test out on them.  It gives the steak a delicious sweet and savory flavor.

This is the recipe I was cooking up when the rattlesnakes came a calling.  Scrambled Hen Fruit called this recipe "Snake Bait" Dry Rub when she left a comment on Tuesday's post.  Maybe I should change the name, "Snake Bait" Dry Rub, it has a good ring to it. 

I will be drawing a name from my followers to win a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING, next Friday, August 6th.  If your name is drawn and you have a blog, I will mention your blog address on my "Fast Food Friday's" radio show on the The Passion Radio Network, and then post your blog address on my blog. Sign up as a FOLLOWER for your chance to win!

Another great giveaway can be found at my blogging buddy, Bo's Blog (say that three times fast), Bo's Bowl.   Not only does he have great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Speaking of giveaways, I won one!  Thank you Katrina of www.bakingandboys.com  I am looking forward to trying the new Dentyne Pure Gum.  I just love to try new thing!

Also, stop by and visit my friend Chaya's blog My Sweet and Savory,  she has an incredible blog that I think you would enjoy!

Recipe: Grilled Orange Chicken

Grilled Orange Chicken

 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

In large resealable plastic bag, place chicken.  In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Mix well.  Add to bag with chicken.  Seal bag.  Toss gently to coat chicken.  Refrigerate 3 to 12 hours, turning bag over often.  Discard marinade.  Grill on medium heat 15 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.  Makes 4 servings.

This is one of my go to recipes when I know I am going to only have a short amount of time to cook.  And this week is one of those weeks!  I have been helping our Passion Play Ministries International team going to India, prepare for the trip.  I was going to be a part of this trip, but the dates got pushed back, and if I went I would miss my son's birthday.  I love to travel, but I love my son, Tyler, more. 

I will be drawing a name from my followers to win a copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING, on August 6th.  If your name is drawn and you have a blog, I will mention your blog address on my "Fast Food Friday's" radio show on the The PCL Radio Network, and then post your blog address on my blog.

 Sign up as a FOLLOWER for your chance to win!

The first Friday of each month, I hold a drawing for a FREE copy of my cookbook, MY KIND OF COOKING.  This cookbook has over 500 yummy recipes using only 3, 4, or 5 ingredients.  It has everything from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.  It also includes slow-cooker recipes! 

For your chance to win, all you have to do is sign up as a follower.  To find the Follow button, scroll down the blog and look on the  right side.

If you are looking for more giveaways to enter, check out my friend's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner.  She is giving away a book called "Street Food Chicago" by chef Mike Baruch. 

Tip: To clean or not to clean? That is the question.

Do you scrub your grill clean with soap and water after or before you grill out?  According to research, you don't have to clean it up with lots of soap and water.  If you scrub the grill with a wire brush and then heat the grill to a high temperature, you will kill all the bacteria that is lingering there.

My husband has been saying that for years, but don't tell him he was right.  It will be our little secret. 

Check back on Friday when I post my 

Grilled Orange Chicken recipe.

Recipe: Grilled Strawberry Shortcake

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake
A new twist on an old favorite!

4 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 (10.75 ounce) frozen pound cake, thawed
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

In medium bowl, combine strawberries and sugar. Mix well. Set aside. Slice pound cake into 12 slices. Grill on contact grill until golden brown and grill marks appear. On 6 plates layer 1 slice pound cake, 1/4 cup strawberry mixture, 2 tablespoons whipped topping. Repeat layers. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Makes 6 servings.

Recipe can be found on page 233 in  
MY KIND OF COOKING COOKBOOK.

Diet Tip: Cut calories by swapping the pound cake for sugar free angel food cake, the sugar for sugar substitute and use fat free whipped topping for a low cal dessert your whole family will love.


It is so easy to get into a rut and cook the same old thing over and over again. To get out of that rut I like to think of new ways to recreate the recipes that I enjoy cooking. It changes an old standby recipe into something special.