Say “hello” to our “Cook of the Week” Sarah!  I first met Sarah and her mom, Debbi, last summer at the National Beef Cook-Off.  I was a finalist in the “Grilling” category and she was one of the finalists in the “Teens Cooking with Beef” category.  I was instantly impressed with her poise, enthusiasm, and, of course, her food!  Sarah’s journey into the food world has been interesting and inspiring.  Her mom, Debbi, tells it best.

“Sarah was born in China and lived there until 2007 when we became a family.  She spoke no English and left behind everything and everyone she had ever known for the chance at a new life with a family.  After almost 14 years on this earth, she had just two small bags with her…one item inside was a cookbook.  She had always wanted to learn to cook, something we had not known about her until after our adoption was final.  In the beginning she could not speak English and we could not speak Chinese, but we found common ground with cooking.  All three of us would get into the kitchen and just be goofy and silly and whip up whatever came to mind … it didn’t matter how good it was or what it was, just the fact that we were together as a family.”

Currently, Sarah is a high school sophomore and loves all things “girly” especially jewelry and clothes.  (Ah, a woman after my own heart!)  She recently opened an online store as a way for her to learn about business as well as set aside a bit of money for college.  Also, she plans to give 20% of profits to worldwide orphan care to help those children residing in the world’s orphanages.  There are way too many children without families and she wants them to know they are not forgotten.  What a lady!

Sarah’s dad, Kevin, taught her to grill and she has loved it ever since!  Chicken wings are her favorite thing to make and she loves her food SPICY!!!  And I mean SPICY.   Debbi and Sarah love to come up with recipes together and they toned down this wing recipe, but it’s still smokin’ hot!

ASIAN BBQ FIRE WINGS Recipe by Sarah and Debbi Bracker

2 pounds chicken wings

1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies

1/3 cup sriracha hot chili sauce

2 Tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken wings in 8-inch or 9-inch glass dish.

To prepare marinade, in blender combine undrained tomatoes and green chilies, sriracha hot chili sauce, red pepper flakes, black pepper and toasted sesame oil; process until almost smooth.

To prepare “toss sauce”, remove 1/4 cup of marinade from blender to a small bowl and combine with teriyaki sauce and hoisin; cover “toss sauce” and refrigerate.

Pour remaining sauce from blender over chicken wings; turn wings to coat, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium-high.  Brush grill with vegetable oil.  Place reserved “toss sauce” (the sauce mixed with teriyaki and hoisin) in small saucepan and heat on grill (or stovetop) just until hot; keep warm.

With disposable gloves on your hands, remove wings from marinade, discard marinade and place wings on preheated grill.  (Discard gloves).  Grill wings 20 to 24 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and no longer pink inside.

Place hot cooked wings in large glass bowl.  Drizzle with warm “toss sauce” and toss to evenly coat.  Place on serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Enjoy!

Don’t those look AMAZING!?  Sarah also shared with us this quick and easy dessert.  Whip this up along with those wings and you have a party!  Thanks for sharing, Sarah!

ISLAND MACAROON SHORTCAKE Recipe by Sarah and Debbi Bracker

3 egg whites

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 (16 ounce) frozen all butter pound cake, thawed

6 Tablespoons flaked sweetened coconut

1 fresh mango, peeled and diced

1 cup pineapple pieces

2 cups small sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

To prepare meringue, beat egg whites with mixer on high until soft peaks from.  Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form.

Slice off short ends of pound cake and discard (or eat!).  Slice remaining loaf into six equal slices.  Lay slices cut side down on prepared pan, spacing at least 2 inches apart.

Spread meringue over top and half-way down of the sides of each piece (do not allow meringue to get close to the parchment paper or it will stick when baking).  Mound any remaining meringue on tops of cake slices.  Sprinkle each with 1 Tablespoon of coconut.

Bake 9 to 11 minutes until starting to brown on top.

Directly before serving, toss together mango, pineapple and strawberries.  Place one cake piece on each serving plate and serve with some of the mixed fruit.  Serves 6.

Categories: Around the World, Better Recipes, Celebrations and Parties, Dinner Tonight, Fast and Fabulous | Tags: Appetizer Recipes, Cake Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Easy Chicken Recipes, Easy Recipes, Fruit Dessert Recipes, Grilled Chicken & Turkey Recipes, Grilled Chicken Recipes, Grilled Recipes, Hot Appetizers, Pound Cake Recipes
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