Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Cornbread Cups & A Giveaway!

How many of you associate "summer" with "grilling"?

The two things just go together naturally. Like "peanut butter" and "jelly". "Grilled cheese" and "tomato soup". "Nutella" and "spoon". ;)

We love to use our electric grill... but there is concrete evidence that our grill doesn't love us.

Case in point: A few years ago, I was prepping to grill some stuffed portobello burgers while chatting on the phone with a good friend. Multitasking usually isn't a problem for me, it's sort of a way of life. 

As I opened the sliding glass door to step out to the grill -- phone balanced delicately on my shoulder, plate of filled portobellos firmly grasped -- I misjudged the height of the grill's power cord while I stepped over it.  

I imagine that what was observed by anyone watching was a jumbled mass of arms, legs, mushrooms, and plate shards. Like a game of double dutch gone terribly wrong. The {hot} grill came toppling down on top of me!

Luckily, I lived to tell the tale, but that wasn't the last of our grill fiascoes. 

One time, Steve decided to use some cedar planks for grilling during our annual tailgate trip up to our college town. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned that when we tailgate, it's a day-long event with multiple courses of food and plenty of beverages. Somehow or another, in the midst of cocktails and friends and {beer fueled} collegiate excitement, it slipped Steve's mind to actually soak the cedar planks before putting them on the grill.

BIG oops.

We ended up with more of a bonfire than a cookout, but thank goodness the only casualties were a dry cedar plank, a few burger patties, and perhaps a stray eyebrow or two.

There haven't been any grill shenanigans in a while... which I attribute to the fact that Steve chained his bike to the grill and accidentally lost the key to the lock. Needless to say, we haven't done any real "grilling" this summer.

I have great news for you: You don't actually have to risk your life to enjoy summer cooking! 

Today, I've got a spectacular summer giveaway brought to you by the kind folks at Tastefully Simple. They let me try out a few of their products, and best of all, they gave me a few summer essentials to share with you!

Their Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce makes such a fantastic addition to a summer menu. You can use it for slathering over grilled meats, spreading over crackers with cheese, mixing into dressings and marinades, or as a dip for just about anything! {Check out my recipe below for Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Cornbread Cups and see how I was inspired to use the sauce!}

Speaking of dipping, what summer gathering is complete without chips and dip? Tastefully Simple's Corn, Black Bean Salsa served with Blue Aztec Chips with Blue Corn & Sesame is a major crowd-pleaser. I could barely keep it from Steve long enough to take a picture!

Meat isn't the only thing that tastes great grilled; veggies can also be the star of the show with just a little TLC. TS's Roasted Garlic Infused Olive Oil punches up the flavor of any dish, but is especially tasty on grilled veggies, mixed into homemade hummus, or straight up with dried herbs served with lightly charred bread. Mmm...

Let's not forget the drinks! As if Tastefully Simple wasn't already generous with the goodies they're sharing, they've also thrown in an Insulated Tub Cooler to make sure your beverages stay frosty while you soak in the sunshine. Bottoms up!

Want to get your hands on these summer goodies? Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget, and you just might be the lucky winner of all these great products! You'll have a head start on your summer cookout... just add sunshine!

Disclosure: Tastefully Simple provided me with the items mentioned above to sample and review. As always, the opinions written here are all my own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Raspberry Jalapeno Chicken Cornbread Cups
Cornbread adapted from Katie's Cucina

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk {I used coconut milk, but you may use whatever you prefer}
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup applesauce
3 tablespoons honey

1. Prepare a muffin tin by spraying each well with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, applesauce, and honey.

4. Add wet ingredients to dry, whisking until they are just moistened.

5. Fill muffin tins with about 2 tablespoons of batter {you want them to bake up only half way}. I use a heaping cookie scoop-full to measure.

6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until tops just begin to become golden and the sides start to pull away from the tins. You can also insert a toothpick in the center to ensure they are cooked through.

7. Remove from tins and cool slightly on a rack.

For Chicken:

You may grill, oven bake, or pan fry your chicken... it's totally up to you! I used 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts seasoned with salt, a light sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika and cooked in a skillet on the stove top until a nice crust was formed and the chicken was completely cooked through. 

Once the chicken is cooked using your preferred method, let it rest for about 5 minutes. Place chicken in a bowl and, using a hand mixer {or your actual hands!} shred the chicken. Stir in about 1/2 cup of the Raspberry Jalapeno Sauce, or more to taste.

For Assembly: 

Place a cornbread round on a dish or serving tray. Top with shredded chicken and a dollop of extra sauce. Garnish with a piece of jalapeno {I used pickled from a jar, but you can use fresh if you prefer!}. Insert a decorative toothpick if desired. Continue with remaining cornbread and chicken. Makes 12.

Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder

I love almost all of Florida's natural qualities: the beaches, the palm trees, the tropical climate. But one thing I could do without is the fact that we are located right smack in the pathway of tropical storms and hurricanes.

Not fun.

We are fortunate that our area didn't get too much damage from Hurricane Isaac this past weekend. Just a lot of rain and dreary weather, the kind that makes you want to stay in your pj's all day snuggled up on the couch with a good book and a mug of something warm and delicious {and perhaps spiked}.

Others nearby weren't as lucky and are spending the rest of the week dealing with leaky roofs, flooding, and road closures. Here's a picture of the parking lot where my Mom lives. Since the ducks couldn't tell where the lake ended and land began, they were swimming over the sidewalks.

Our solution to being stuck indoors all day Sunday? Pass the time by cooking & stuffing our faces. {Which you can never go wrong with in my opinion.}

By the day's end, I just wanted something simple and comforting for dinner, and Steve was so full from the all day munch-a-thon that he didn't have much of an opinion either way.

This Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder hit the spot. Rich and satisfying with a spicy kick from the roasted poblanos. {It may be a bit too spicy for those of you that aren't fond of a little heat.} Perfect for a crisp Fall day, a feeling-under-the-weather day, or a day when the weather has trapped you in your home.

I topped mine with a sprinkle of sharp cheddar and some of the Cheddar-Jalapeno Beer Bread that I sliced thin and toasted into savory "biscotti".

With stormy day meals like this, all I can say is bring on the rain... but please keep the winds & flooding. We can certainly do without those. ;)

Creamy Roasted Poblano & Corn Chowder

2 poblano peppers, roasted, skinned & seeded, and chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 a medium white onion, diced
2 {heaping} tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk, heated in microwave for about 1 minute
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1/2 cup half and half
salt, to taste

To roast poblanos: Set oven to broil {500 degrees}. Place peppers directly on oven rack on second setting from the heating elements. Broil for 5-8 minutes, watching for skin to blister. Flip peppers and broil other side for about 4-6 minutes. Remove from oven and place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap & set aside for about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until softened and translucent. 

Peel skins from peppers, pull out stem and seeds, and discard.  Chop into small pieces.

Stir in chopped poblanos and flour, making sure vegetables are well coated. Cook for about 2 minutes until vegetables and flour form a thick paste. Slowly whisk in warm milk, making sure there are no lumps of flour. Whisk in chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Ladle half of soup into a blender {more if you like smoother soup}, and blend until mostly smooth. Return blended soup to pot.

Mix in fresh corn kernels and half and half. Bring to a simmer until corn is heated through. Add salt to taste. Serve hot.

{Serving Suggestion: Top with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and Cheddar- Jalapeno Beer Bread Biscotti.}

Cheddar-Jalapeño Beer Bread

You know what I simultaneously love and dislike about cooking? It's a never ending learning process. There is no finite end, and even if there were, someone would come along and invent a new technique or recipe and you'd be back at square one.

In some ways, it levels the playing field for all of us - whether classically trained or self taught.

One of the world's most renowned chefs, Julia Child, {who would have recently celebrated her 100th birthday}, was well-known for her fearlessness and candor about delving into the world of food. She was a pretty spunky broad who wasn't afraid to "get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken." {How could you not love her?}

As I was reading a list of famous Julia quotes last week, I couldn't help but chuckle {and nod enthusiastically} at her advice and counsel. I could completely relate to many of the pitfalls and blunders she addressed in her witty way.

Some days you'd think I have never stepped foot in a kitchen. I make silly mistakes and I have to laugh at myself or else I'd cry... especially when said mistake ends in wasted ingredients, a wrecked kitchen, or an inedible product. And believe me, there have been countless occasions where this has been the case.

Inspired to list of some of the "oopsies" that I tend to make every week from time to time, I've compiled some important tips in hopes that they will both entertain you, and keep you from your own kitchen disasters.

Things I've Learned in the Kitchen {Through Trial & Error} :

1. For heaven's sake... use a big enough pot. Or bowl. Or pan. Because somehow I am constantly spilling things everywhere due to insufficient space in whatever vessel I'm using. I must've missed the day we discussed volume in school.

2. As delicious as whatever you are cooking looks or smells, give it a second to cool down before your put it in you mouth. It's a wonder I have any skin left on the roof of my mouth.

3. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need before you begin a recipe. There's nothing worse than getting to the "Add 2 eggs" step and finding that you do not, in fact, have any eggs in the fridge. {Especially when your husband left an empty egg carton to throw you off.}

4. On a similar note, read recipes all the way through before you begin them. It can be a little embarrassing to discover that Step 5 directs you to marinate the pork tenderloin... for 24 hours... and your company will be arriving in 3. Attention to detail, folks.

5. If a recipe tells you that you need non-stick cooking spray... or that you need to stir constantly... or that there will be violent boiling and the possibility of bubbling over - believe it. Odds are it will not be any different in your kitchen.

6. Powdered sugar, cornstarch, and dry quinoa are notorious "jumpers" in my kitchen. {Meaning, they like to jump out of whatever I am attempting to contain them in and onto my clothing or floor.} Proceed with caution.

7. Drinking wine {or any alcoholic beverage, for that matter} while cooking: Double edged sword. ;)

8. Put contacts in, do your eye makeup, or any activity that requires your hands being near your eyes BEFORE you come in contact with jalapenos. You might think sufficient washing will remove the residue... It will not.

9. Measuring when baking = not a suggestion. Unless your hands have unit markings & your arms are a kitchen scale.

10. Have fun in the kitchen. No recipe is worth a meltdown; no lopsided cake worthy of your tears. Cooking is an adventure, there will be mistakes. {Even when you are pretty good at it!} But if you can't help it and your deflated souffle or burnt caramel or lumpy gravy simply breaks your heart... wine or chocolate {or both!} will usually do the trick of soothing your culinary ego. :)

This recipe for Cheddar-Jalapeño Beer Bread that I borrowed from She Makes & Bakes is easy enough for the kitchen novice, but certainly doesn't taste that way. The result is a tender, flavorful bread with a crunchy golden crust and a little burst of jalapeño taste throughout. {NOTE: I was sorely mistaken for not heeding tip #8 after making this... even after washing my hands 5 times. Holy fire in your eyeball, Batman. Be careful.}

In short, friends, cook at your own risk...but definitely, cook!

Cheddar-Jalapeno Beer Bread
Adapted from She Makes & Bakes 

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jalapeño, seeded, deveined, and diced small
1 {12 oz} bottle of beer {I used Red Stripe Light because that's what we had in the fridge}
Approximately 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add cheese and jalapeño, and stir until combined.

Add beer and about 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until just incorporated. {Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.}

Pour 2 tablespoon of melted butter into the bottom of the loaf pan, and brush all around pan to coat {Don't forget the sides}. Spoon bread batter into pan and distribute evenly. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean {there may be some cheese on it, but we're looking for no raw batter}, and the top is golden brown.

Brush the top of the loaf with remaining tablespoon of butter, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing from loaf pan and slicing. 

Serve warm or toast up slices to reheat.