delicious – Barnwood and Baked Goods

Sweet and Spicy Breaded Chicken

Snow days make me want to cook!! Something about being cooped up that pushes me into the kitchen everytime. So for dinner tonite a sweet and spicy breaded baked chicken breast.

This is a no dredge recipe making it even easier! No messy dunking and breading just a crispy coating full of flavor!

Here’s what you need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp spicy bbq rub

1 Tbsp butter

1c. Panko bread crumbs

3 Tbsp sour cream

Sweet Hot honey to taste

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F

In a microwave safe bowl add butter and melt in microwave about 20 seconds. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, panko crumbs, and bbq seasoning. Stir mixture together. Set aside.

Rinse chicken and pat dry on paper towel. Add the additional one Tbsp. Of olive oil to a glass baking dish coating the bottom of the pan. Add chicken. Spread sour cream onto the chicken and top with crumbs mixture pressing it lightly onto the chicken.

Bake 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through and crumb topping is golden brown.

Drizzle with honey and serve! Enjoy!!

Sometimes Pinterest wins my heart

So while on IG recently I came across a recipe that was blindingly pretty to look at. You know what I mean…it was a scroll stopper!

My interest peaked and so I clicked to see the recipe which took me to pinterest and finally to the recipe! It’s here I found a super simple dessert with lots of design Wow factor! My first thought…. “I think I can pull this off!!”

So I gave it a go! And here was I learned!

#1 my knife skills are not as good as theirs…or maybe they “cheated” and used a mandoline

#2 knowing how long is long enough to microwave apples until “pliable” is very a tricky observation to make.

And #3 Apples add water and will increase baking time!

Other than these few things it came out great! And I encourage you to search for this recipe as described above and give it a try, you can easily find it on Pinterest. The recipe is not mine and I did not request permission to publish it myself so…sorry but you’ll have to look that one up! Enjoy it though! It was very good!!

Spicy Asian Taco

Another twist on a classic! I love tacos, and I love Asian inspired flavors! So why not create a little flavor infusion! These tacos are quick easy, and delicious. They are topped with a fresh made quick pickle of cucumber and radishes for a little tangy sweet flavor! Great for a quick family dinner.

Here’s what you’ll need!

For pickle topping:

3-4 large radishes thinly sliced

2 small cucumbers thinly sliced

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

salt

pepper

and 1 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, coat vegetables well and set aside to “pickle” the veggies. Stir occasionally as you prepare the rest of the meal.

For spicy sour cream:

3 Tbsp sour cream

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

For Beef filling:

1 Tbsp oil

1lb lean ground beef

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

3 green onions thinly sliced

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes,

1 tsp Siracha sauce

Flour tortillas, and chopped cilantro

In a Large sauce pan over med-high heat add oil, cabbage and green onions, cook 3-4 minutes until tender. Add ground beef, garlic powder, and sugar. Cook until beef is browned and cooked through. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and siracha. Stir well and heat through.

To assemble take a tortilla and top first with the sour cream, add beef mixture and top with quick pickled veggies, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately! Enjoy!!

Beef and Cheese Tostada’s

I have been seriously neglecting my blog this year. I apologize to my regular followers who are looking for new content. I have a ton of stuff saved up to share and tonight I’m going to start with a fresh and tasty dinner recipe for your family to enjoy!

Tostada’s remind me of a flat taco. They use the tortilla toasted so that it’s crispy and can act like a plate for all of the yummy toppings. This is a quick and easy to prepare meal that your family will be sure to love. Here’s what you need, Enjoy!

**Preheat oven to 450°F

1lb lean ground beef

1Tbsp southwest seasoning

1 tsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

1 small green pepper

1 small yellow onion

1 Roma tomato

2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 Lime

2 Tbsp. sour cream

1 tsp. Siracha hot sauce

8- small flour tortillas

1c. shredded Cheddar Jack cheese

salt, pepper, olive oil, and water

Dice the tomato, chopped cilantro if needed. Thinly slice half of the onion and finely chop the remaining half. Thinly slice the pepper, and quarter the lime. In a small bowl combine the tomato, onion, and cilantro. Squeeze the juice from half of the lime over the top and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine the Siracha hot sauce and sour cream, stir in a small amount of water until the mixture is thin and can be drizzled like a dressing.

In a medium sauce pan add a small amount of olive oil, beef, southwest seasoning, and chili powder. Stir until combined and meat is broken apart. Once cooked through add the thinly sliced onion and green pepper and cook until veggies are tender. Add beef bouillon and a 1/4 c of water stir over medium heat until thickened and set aside.

Prick the tortilla’s with a fork and drizzle with olive oil, place in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 3-4 minutes until brown and crispy, remove from the oven, turn the tortilla’s over and place back in the oven to toast the other side.

Once tortilla’s are toasted you can assemble you tostada. Layer tortilla, cheese, beef mixture and then top with homemade salsa and sour cream dressing. If desired you can add another squeeze of lime on top just before serving! Enjoy!!

Jackson Coney Island

@Tour_the_Town has had a busy day! After a quick downtown photo shoot in the freezing cold we made our way to local favorite, Jackson Coney Island!

Jackson Coney Island first opened it’s doors in 1914 under the ownership of George Todoroff. It’s original name was Todoroff’s eatery and the name later changed to Jackson Coney Island in 1931. It’s convenient location next to train depot meant lots of visitors and train depot employees would frequent the small establishment.

George sold the restaurant to the Andy and Don Lazaroff twin brothers with a knack for the restaurant business.

In 1965, Jackson Coney Island itself moved on to bigger things when the original building was torn down along with the McCain Block building next door to make way for the current restaurant and its parking lot.

In 1970, Andy Lazaroff sold out to his brother and Christoff to focus on Andy’s Pizza restaurants. They kept Jackson Coney Island until selling it to Dave White in 1972.

Now more than 100 years later the restaurant continues to call the community together with the diner concept that specializes in a Jackson Coney Dog. A humble hot dog on a steamed bun topped with a perfectly seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. The Jackson Coney is so much more than it’s sloppy southern counterpart. The Jackson Coney has a characteristic meat sauce that isn’t runny sloppy overly greasy or difficult to eat. It’s iconic flavor is something you’ll never forget!

The restaurant also sells a variety of lunch and dinner options as well as some very tasty desserts and classic malts!

The restaurant today keeps with traditon. It has a small dining room with booth spaces and a long bar where you can enjoy your dessert and cup of coffee while visiting with the very friendly staff! There is definitely a taste of Nostalgia when you walk in!

Jackson Coney Island was voted one of the top 5 coney island restaurants in State of MI in 2018, and is a must see when you tour our town!

We want to thank the wonderful staff for allowing to take photos and ask questions! You guys rock! You can find out more by visiting their website, see their menu, and like them on facebook! http://www.jacksonconey.com @JacksonConeyIsland

Hope you enjoyed this weeks tour! Find more behind the scenes photos this week on our instagram page @tour_the_town. Thanks for following along!

Barnwood’s Best Lemon Bars

I know I have shared a lemon bar recipe before which was a bit more pf a short cut recipe. Great of you short on time and usually a little cost saving due to fewer ingredients…BUT…it’s no replacement for a really great, from scratch, recipe.

That what these babies are. Fresh made shortbread crust with a custardy lemon topping that is just amazingly creamy and the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Here’s what you’ll need.

Shortbread crust

1 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
10 tablespoons butter, cubed. I ise mine cold but you can warm to room temperature for easier mixing.

Lemon Filling:

4 lemons, juiced and zested
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat your oven to 350F then butter and line an 8×8 inch baking tin, set aside. In a large bowl combine the sugars and the flour. Next using a pastry blender or large fork blend in the butter until you’ve reached the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Continue to bring the shortbread together using your hands until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the shortbread dough to your lined baking dish and press into one even layer using your fingertips and the palm of your hands. Then prick the crust all over with a fork.Bake the shortbread crust for 25 minutes. While the base is baking, make the lemon filling.

Lemon Filling:
In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, baking powder, soft butter, lemon juice, and zest then mix to combine. If the mixture looks a bit separated, don’t be alarmed. Remove the crust from the oven then fill with the lemon filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top has formed a crackle crust and is golden brown.Allow to fully cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares, of ot’ warm at all it will melt into a horrible little messy altgough tasty pile. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. That’s it! Enjoy!!

Corn Casserole

Christmas Eve with my family was wonderful it felt good to have everyone in one place! The kids are growing up, but not so grown up that they don’t look forward to a few gifts, and I love hearing about all of the successes that my brother and sister are having in their careers and personal lives.

We also enjoyed a very nice meal together. My brother prepared a ham, and brought some shrimp, my Mom made scalloped potatoes, and a cheese ball, my sister brought jalapeno popper dip and the most delicious snickerdoodle blondies…omg so yummy… and I prepared corn casserole. Needless to say none of us left that night hungry!

Corn casserole is a simple recipe reminiscent of old fashioned scalloped corn but with a twist. It uses simple ingredients, and you can make a bunch on a budget! Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

1 can cream style corn

1 box corn muffin mix dry

1/2 stick of butter melted

8oz sour cream

1 can whole kernel corn

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients reserve 1 c shredded cheese for the topping. Pour into an oven safe pan, and bake for 30-40 minutes remove and top with remaining cheese place back in the oven until cheese is melted and golden brown.