Spreading Smucker's Traditions Recipe and essay contest

Ingredients

• 3 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup Smucker's® Apricot Preserves
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 cup chopped green or red delicious apples (or 1/4 cup of each type)
• Couple squeezes of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped green grapes
• 1/2 cup chopped red grapes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white ground pepper

Preparation

1. BOIL chicken breasts in a 4 quart pot of water, boil until cooked, approximately 20-30 minutes

2. CHOP apples and squeeze a little lemon juice on them to keep them from turning brown while chicken is cooking. Chop the grapes.

3. ONCE the chicken is cool, pull chicken breasts apart into bite size pieces and place in a bowl.

4. ADD in chopped fruit, preserves, mayo, honey, curry, salt and pepper.

5. TOSS till mixed well, refrigerate.

6. SERVE on your favorite bread or croissants or on a bed of fresh greens.

Story

My Curry Chicken Salad with Smucker's® Apricot Preserves is a family favorite! The original recipe idea came from a friend who owned a gourmet deli; I modified the recipe to suit my taste and found that everyone I served this to loved it also! My Chicken Salad is always on the menu for family gatherings. My father turned 80 three years ago and I hosted a luncheon at my home to celebrate; part of the surprise was flying one of my sons home from the Washington D.C. area where he is a police officer to surprise him. When I called my son to see if he could arrange to be here for the surprise he said sure and then asked if I was making my chicken salad...of course! The look on my father’s face was so heartwarming he had is entire family and my chicken salad! I have hosted many a luncheon, baby shower, bridal shower at my home and every time my chicken salad brings a "hmmm this is so good.” It makes me happy to know that my recipe makes not only my family but my friends’ tummies happy...hope it makes yours happy too!

Ingredients

• Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray
• TANGY CHERRY-CHIVE MAYO
• 2/3 cup Smucker’s® Orchard's Finest® Michigan Red Tart Cherry Preserves
• 1/2 cup real mayonnaise or low-fat mayo
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
• BURGER PATTY
• 2-3 teaspoons Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
• 1 cup Jonathan apple, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup chopped crispy bacon
• 16 ounce roll ground chicken
• 1 egg (or egg white)
• 1 1/4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
• BURGER ASSEMBLY
• 5 slices provolone cheese, for topping
• 5 sourdough English muffins, split and toasted
• 5-10 thin slices red onion
• 5-10 pieces, red-leaf lettuce

Preparation

1. HEAT broiler on high. Spray broiler pan with no-stick cooking spray.

2. COMBINE the preserves, mayonnaise and chives in a small bowl, set aside.

3. HEAT a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the apples and onions; season well with salt and pepper.

4. COOK and stir until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

5. STIR in the panko crumbs, and then transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.

6. ADD all the remaining burger ingredients into the apple mixture, season with salt and pepper; mix to combine.

7. FORM the mixture into 5 patties (thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking). *Mixture should be pretty sticky for a moist burger, but you may sprinkle in a little extra panko crumbs if needed

8. PLACE patties on broil pan on the center rack. Broil for 7-10 minutes, or just until centers are no longer pink, flipping once.

9. PLACE one slice of cheese on top of each patty the last minute of cooking.

10. ASSEMBLE burgers on bottoms of split toasted muffins by layering lettuce, patty, Cherry-Chive Mayo, and 1-2 slices of red onion. Top with remaining split muffins and enjoy!!

Story

Growing up in a family of eleven, mom knew how to cook with flavors from Heaven! With a name like Smucker's® - it had to be good, making eleven PB&J's she did what she could. It didn't end there, oh no- there's more Smucker's "flair!" From savory to sweet, mom won all at the fair! Her tangy meatballs; their flavors divine, with real fruity goodness straight from the vine. The thumbprint cookie with its strawberry sphere was always my Smucker's favorite this time of year. Mom's love of cooking she passed down to me. Her Sunday roast chicken with berries was inspirational- you'll see. My juicy chicken burger with cherries and chives is a tantalizing dish for your taste buds and eyes! These flavor combinations are tried and true. Mom shared them with me- I'll share them with you! On holidays this burger is always requested; for those are the days that we are truly invested to creating good food and close family ties. Mom's legacy is now mine. I'm the proud mother of three! I create recipes for my family. It just may be the preserves that hold us all together. Smucker's is the "sweetness" that we'll love forever!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Bacon
• 1 package Feta Cheese
• 1/2 cup Smucker's® Apricot Preserves
• 1 package pitted dates

Preparation

1. PLACE the preserves in a medium sized bowl.

2. CUT or crumble feta into small pieces and add to the preserves. Stir mixture with a fork.

3. OPEN each date and press in 1 to 2 teaspoons of the coated feta.

4. CUT the bacon in half. (I usually use scissors and cut through the package)

5. WRAP each feta-filled date with a half piece of bacon.

6. PLACE on a broiling pan and BROIL on high for approximately 7 minutes.

7. TURN each piece and broil the other side for approximately 7 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Carefully watch the broiling so your bacon is crisp but not burned.

Story

This recipe has become a family tradition because it is just absolutely delicious. When I make these appetizers for a party I have to hide them as they come out of the oven because they are so yummy that everyone eats them before I can get them out of the house. My family gets together to watch football and they love when I make them because the house smells delicious and they taste so good that we run out. A warning for those making them......Make double of what you need.

Ingredients

• DIPPING SAUCE
• 1/2 cup Smucker’s® Guava Jelly
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 large or two small fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• WONTONS
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon Smucker’s® Pineapple Preserves
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup corn oil

Preparation

To make dipping sauce

1. COMBINE jelly, vinegar and jalapeños in a small saucepan.

2. BRING to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. REMOVE from heat and whisk in sesame oil. Set aside until ready to serve.

To make wontons

1. COMBINE cream cheese, marmalade, green onions, ginger and salt in a medium sized bowl; stir to combine well.

2. PLACE 1/2 tablespoon cream cheese mixture in center of each wonton wrapper.

3. COAT outer edges with water and immediately fold each wrapper in half then seal edges firmly.

4. ON cookie sheet(s) lined with wax paper sprinkled lightly with cornstarch, place wontons on a single layer without touching and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

5. HEAT about 1 inch of oil in a medium skillet.

6. ADD 6 wontons being careful not to crowd them; fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.

7. REMOVE with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels. Repeat with remaining wontons, adding more oil as necessary. Serve warm with heated dipping sauce.

Story

Without a doubt, the favorite food at our family gatherings are fried dumplings (in all their variations). We've turned many a holiday into a feast of flavors, creating different types of fillings and dipping sauces that appeal to the whole crowd. Everyone chips in, sitting at a huge table stuffing the wrappers with their favorite filling ... laughing and joking at how each person's finished product looks better or worse than the other's. No New Year's celebration is complete without masses of wontons and potstickers, and over the years many of the traditional versions have taken on a new personality. This is one of my favorites that my mom and I came up with, always the finishing touch and always in demand. Smucker's® ingredients have made it so easy to take a new twist on tried-and-true recipes. And as the designated "fry cook", I have to be sure to sneak a few for myself since they literally disappear as soon as they're ready!

Ingredients

• SPICY PEANUT SLAW
• 1/4 cup Jif® Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
• 3 tablespoons Smucker’s® Pineapple Preserves
• 1 tablespoon light or regular mayonnaise
• 2-3 teaspoons water for thinning
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage from package
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, seeded, sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots from package
• 1/3 cup cilantro or Italian parsley leaves
• THAI-HITIAN CHICKEN SLIDERS
• 6 tablespoons (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) Jif Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
• 2 tablespoons Smucker’s Pineapple Preserves
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 1/2 pounds ground fresh chicken*
• 3/4 cup dried, unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil
• 12 mini slider rolls (such as sourdough, multi-grain, or sweet Hawaiian) split, lightly buttered, then lightly toasted
• 6 pineapple slices (rings) topped w/ fresh cilantro sprigs (for optional garnish)

Preparation

For the Spicy Peanut Slaw

1. WHISK together the peanut butter, ginger, lime juice, chili sauce, pineapple preserves, and mayo together in a small bowl.

2. WHISK in 2-3 teaspoons water to thin to desired consistency, blending thoroughly. Set aside.

3. COMBINE the cabbage, bell pepper, carrots, and cilantro.

4. POUR dressing over the slaw and toss to coat in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the sliders

1. COMBINE the peanut butter, pineapple preserves, ginger, and garlic in large mixing bowl.

2. ADD chicken and mix gently but thoroughly.

3. PLACE the bread crumbs in a shallow dish.

4. USING your hands (wear latex gloves, if desired), roll chicken mixture into 12 equal sized balls.

5. ROLL each chicken-ball in the bread crumbs to lightly coat. The mixture will be very moist.

6. PRESS each ball down slightly to form patties to fit roll size.

7. HEAT 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

8. PLACE 6 patties in skillet and cook 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove; keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and 6 patties.

9. PLACE a patty over roll bottoms, and spoon equal portions of the slaw over each patty and cover with roll tops.

10. GARNISH with cilantro and pineapple slices, if desired.

*Ground Turkey can be substituted for the Ground Chicken, if desired

Story

My Mother grieved for the loss of her Love, our Dad, for 4 years. And then, she decided she wanted, needed, joy back in her life. So she splurged and treated her four daughters to a wonderful vacation in Tahiti, back in 2004. It was time for the five of us to create new memories. One afternoon in Bora Bora, the smells coming from the open kitchen of a local café drew us in. Lunch was some amazing mini meatballs bursting with flavors of peanuts and pineapple, surrounded by a crunchy-spicy cool salad. Today, Mom proudly displays a photo of us 4 sisters with happy-mouth smiles on our faces at that café.

That was our last trip together. Mom is 86 now and likes being close to home. More than anything, she LOVES family get-togethers, but that's not always doable for everybody.

Since that trip, my rendition of those delicious bites morphed into Thai-hitian Chicken Sliders. So, to 'Spread the love', our newer family tradition now is getting together, garbed in loud Hawaiian shirts for an Island-themed Slider Party! It takes us right back to that happy little Bora Bora café, the beginning of new memories. Especially for my Mom.