These were a big hit at our recent movie night get together. They were also a huge hit as leftovers, even though DH doesn't normally like white meat! I try to keep the sodium low in my cooking and the McCormick's brand of lemon pepper is a staple in our house. Also, we grow Meyers so used those instead of the more acidic grocery store lemons. The marinade makes a tasty sauce, but a spicy bottled sate sauce was also a great pairing with it. Recipe doubles perfectly: Chicken Skewers with Garlic, Lemon & Mint Adapted from Roving Feast columnist Marlena Spieler, to the San Francisco Chronicle INGREDIENTS 1.5 lbs chicken breast, skinless and boneless 5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, stems removed and chopped 1/2 cup lemon juice (use 3 small or 2 large lemons), seeds removed 1 tablespoons olive oil 2 Tblsp cup oyster sauce (if you don�t have any, use 2 tsp lemon pepper total instead) 1/2 tsp McCormick's lemon pepper or other brand 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry sherry 1/4 cup chicken broth INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Cut the chicken into 2" chunks, trimming off any surface white ligament and excess fat. 2. Combine the chicken, garlic, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, oyster sauce and lemon pepper in a plastic container. Cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight, or up to 24 hours. 3. Remove from refrig 1/2 hr before serving. Drain the chicken, reserving marinade. 4. Place oven rack in highest position and preheat broiler on high for at least 10 minutes. Line a large flat cookie sheet, big enough to hold all four skewers, with foil. Spray with cooking spray. 5. Add the chicken broth and sherry to reserved marinade. Bring to a boil over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch, or just cook over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup. Taste for seasoning, then cover or low heat to keep it warm. 6. Thread the chicken cubes onto two 15-inch skewers. Place on cookie sheet, spray again with cooking spray. 7. Broil chicken skewers for 7 min. on one side and 3-4 minutes the second side. Let rest on a platter 2-3 minutes. Garnish chicken with additional chopped mint, if you wish. Pour the sauce over the chicken, or serve it on the side. You can also use a Thai or Indonesian sate sauce, if desired. - Makes two 15-inch metal skewers, enough to serve 3-4 people.

Happy sigh. I've finally well enough to cook some. And this one is a winner! I've had it on my list to do for years now. Since I found the black sesame seeds at the DeKalb Farmer's market on the Greyhound run we made there, I could do it. Finally!!! It was well worth the wait. My cake looks exactly like the one Anita (Pastygirl, her blog is Dessert First) made. Just the right amount of sesame flavor. Not too sweet. And perfect with the lemon sorbet I had on hand. Next time, I will try the honey ice cream too. Sesame Seed Cake from Alice MedrichâÂÂs Pure Dessert makes one 8-in round cake 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature 1/4 cup toasted black sesame seeds Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a cake pan or a springform pan ��" I find the springform works really well. Make sure the pan has high enough sides as the cake really rises in the oven! Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Beat the eggs together in a bowl with a whisk. Add the sesame oil and vanilla and thoroughly combine. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium for a few minutes to soften it up. Add the sugar and beat for several more minutes until it is light-colored and fluffy. Add in the egg mixture a little at a time while the mixer is still running, letting it slowly combine over a couple of minutes. Stop the mixer and pour in a third of the flour mixture, and beat just until combined. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Add half the buttermilk and beat until combined. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the rest of the flour mixture with the sesame seeds. With each addition, beat it only until it is just incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on the rack for a few minutes before unmolding. If you baked the cake in a regular cake pan, invert it onto the rack, and turn it right side up to finish cooling. This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. My note. It only lasts if you don't eat it all at one time. Like me. Here is a link that might be useful: Black sesame seed cake-From Dessert First blog

I have made the Pork w/Dijon recipe tooo. I totally agree it's a keeper! I mada a parmesan garlic butter based on something that was served at one of the restaurants in a hotel I worked at years ago in St Paul. I have their recip, but it makes 25lbs of butter so I winged it and it came out really good! Served it with ciabatta bread, but it would be equally good on steak or chicken, I think. Parmesan Garlic Butter Inspired by the St Paul Grille & Caf� 1-1/2 sticks butter, softened 1 tsp minced red pepper 1 lg clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/3 c finely grated parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar Dash seasoned salt Dash tobasco Combine all ingredients. Spoon into small serving dish, or roll in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill. I tried a new recipe tonight for pulled pork. Too freakin' hot to cook so I needed a crockpot meal. This filled the bill quite nicely. I did not have onion powder on hand, so I subbed minced onion. I also only had about 4oz of tomato paste, so I used what I had. The sauce was quite runny, but it was really tasty! I may try a larger roast or a little less sauce next time. The slaw is exceptionally good and very easy, too. Crock Pot Pulled Pork And Coleslaw Sandwiches From Tastykitchen submitted by Mrswilliams FOR THE PULLED PORK: 1/2 cups Ketchup 1/3 cups Cider Vinegar 1/3 cups Packed Brown Sugar 6 ounces, weight Tomato Paste 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard 1\-1/2 teaspoon Salt 1 teaspoon Onion Powder (didn�t have, subbed 1/2 small onion,minced) 3 pounds Pork Sirloin Roast, Cut Into 3 Pieces 1 package Sandwich Rolls/hamburger Buns FOR THE COLE SLAW: 1 bag (14 Oz. Bag) Cole Slaw Mix (shredded my own fresh cabbage and carrot) 1/2 cups Mayonnaise 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil 1/4 cups Sugar 1 Tablespoon Cider Vinegar 1/4 teaspoons Salt 1/2 teaspoons Celery Seed 1 teaspoon Onion Powder (didn�t have\-subbed 1/2 small onion, minced) PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: For the pulled pork: mix together ketchup, cider vinegar, brown sugar, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, salt, and onion powder in a crock pot. Add pork and turn pieces to coat with sauce. Cover, and cook on low for 6\-8 hours. Once done, shred pork and stir to completely incorporate in the sauce. For the cole slaw: mix coleslaw mix, mayo, canola oil, sugar, cider vinegar, salt, celery seed, and onion powder well in a large bowl. Cover and let chill for 1\-2 hours. Once pork is done and cole slaw is chilled, make sandwiches! Put some pork on your bun and top with cole slaw. Enjoy! Linda

This morning, I made a sweet potato hash with bacon and eggs, loosely based on the recipe below. Not only did I scale the recipe down to serve 2, I used bacon instead of sausage, and I made major changes in the cooking methods. My changes: Caramelize the onions on a low-ish heat with butter. Then dice the potatoes and mix them with the ingredients called for in the original recipe. However, instead of baking in the oven, put the sweet potatoes in the skillet with the onions, cooking the sweet potatoes on medium low heat until they are soft and lightly browned. Cut the cooked bacon into 1 inch pieces and add to the skillet with the sweet potatoes and onions. Make wells in the hash. Crack an egg into each well. Bake at 350 degrees until the eggs are set to your liking (we like ours totally done, so I baked for 15 minutes). I did not add the cheese, only because I forgot. This is definitely a keeper! Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Eggs serves 8 2 pounds onions, about 2 large 1 tablespoon unsalted butter Table salt 1 pound fresh Italian sausage or chorizo 3 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 large potatoes, ideally organic 6 large garlic cloves 4 long stalks rosemary, about 1/4 cup of leaves 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste if necessary Freshly ground black pepper To serve: Large eggs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Parmesan cheese, to serve To make the hash: Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Peel the onions and cut them in half lengthwise, then cut them into thin half-moons. Cut the half-moons in half. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it foams up add the onions and sprinkle lightly with salt. (Don't worry if they are crammed into the pan; they will rapidly cook down.) Lower the heat slightly and cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and lowering the heat if they seem to be burning. Cook them until they are very dark brown. Meanwhile, put the sausage in another skillet and brown over medium-high heat, chopping it up into fine crumbles with a spatula. Cook the sausage for at least 15 minutes, or until it is cooked through and quite crispy. Drain away any excess fat. While the onions and sausage are cooking, chop the unpeeled sweet potatoes into cubes that are about 1/2-inch to a side. Finely mince the garlic and rosemary leaves, and toss them in a large bowl with the sweet potatoes. Toss with the olive oil, kosher salt, and a generous helping of black pepper. When the onions are dark brown and the sausage is crispy, stir these into the sweet potatoes as well. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, and spread out the sweet potatoes evenly. Roast the sweet potatoes for 30 to 45 minutes (roasting time depends on the size and uniformity of the sweet potato chunks, as well as the variety of sweet potato you buy) or until they are soft and browned. Refrigerate the cooled hash for up to 5 days. To serve: Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread a relatively thin layer of the (already cooked) sweet potato hash in a baking dish, such as a cast iron skillet or a 9x13-inch baking dish. You can also bake in individual ramekins. Make small wells in the sweet potatoes and crack in large eggs. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are hot and the eggs are baked through. (Test the eggs by prodding them with a fork to check the firmness of the white and the yolk; baked eggs are deceptive in that the white often looks much less cooked than it really is.) Serve immediately, with shavings or sprinkles of Parmesan cheese, if desired. Faith Durand December 14, 2011 05:30PM Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchen Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Eggs