Recipe Rendezvous

Chicken Pot Pie -- From Margie

2009-11-22T08:18:00.001-08:00

Chicken Pot Pie - The Best!

Step 1: 1 pkg Pillsbury Pie Crust - refrigerated
Unroll both crusts. Place 1 in bottom of 8 x 8 casserole dish.
Use 2nd crust for top after you fill this one.
Put oven to 425.

Step 2: 1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. chopped onion (sweet)
1/3 c. flour
salt, pepper to taste
Heat in saucepan on low - saute onions, then mix in flour to form a "paste"

Step 3: 2/3 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
Heat through - just to boiling

Step 4: 2 c. chopped chicken
2 c. frozen mixed vegs - your choice
Heat all vegs through

Step 5: Pour ingredients into pie crust in casserole.
Place 2nd crust on top. Poke holes to 'vent'.
Bake 25-30 min. until golden brown and heated.

Step 6: ENJOY!

Yaki Yam and Tofu Bowl -- From Becky

2009-11-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

(image taken from http://eatingchalk.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/hpim31401.jpg)

Yaki Yam and Tofu Bowl

1 package of lite firm tofu
1 large onion
1 large yam/sweet potato
bag o spinach
dried red pepper
dried ginger

Take lite firm tofu container drain liquid and dry. Cube tofu throw in bowl and cover with teriaki sauce. (If you like spicy food also sprinkle palm full of dried red pepper on top. Ginger also gives it a kick.) Let sit while cooking yams.

Throw yam in micro for 5 minutes. Then cube up cooked yam and onion and pan fry with some butter/olive oil spray.

In separate pan throw in tofu mix. Dry tofu for crispy fry (use butter or oil) or don't dry and simmer tofu with sauce. When tofu is almost done throw spinach on top for steaming.

Mix yam/onion with tofu/spinach. Let cool for a bit then dig in.

Some people like to serve this dish over brown rice mix or pan fried udon noodles. I like it just straight up.

2 servings - Each serving is around 300-400 cals. High protein, high fiber, low carb.

Almond Apricot Chicken with Mint Pesto -- From Kathleen

2009-11-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

(image borrowed from ayoska.wordpress.com)

I am participating in a recipe swap that should result in about 36 new recipes, so as I get them, I'm going to post them here.

ALMOND APRICOT CHICKEN WITH MINT PESTO
SERVES 4
TOTAL TtME:50 MINUTES
PREP TIN4E: 3O MINUTES

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 ounces goat cheese
4 dried apricots, cut into 7+-inch pieces (3 tablespoons)
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 large egg, liqhtly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 375'F. Cut a slit in one side of each chicken breast to create a pocket about 4 inches long.

2 In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup of the almonds with the goat cheese and apricots. Stuff each breast with one quarter of the mixture. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

3 On a plate, combine the breadcrumbs and the remaining 1/4 cup almonds. Dip each breast into the beaten egg, then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. .

4 Heat the oil in a large ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until golden, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to the oven; bake until cooked through, about l5 minutes. Serve hot with the mint pesto on the side.

MINT PESTO

3 cups lightly packed fresh mint
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt

1 In a food processor, combine the mint and almonds; process until finely chopped.

2 With the motor running, gradually pour the olive oil through the feed tube. Season with salt. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve. Store leftover pesto in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks; let it come to room temperature before serving.

Pineapple Mango Salsa

2009-08-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

1/2 cucumber, skinned and chopped
1 mango, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, chopped and seeded
1/2 lime, juiced
1-2 tomatillos, chopped
1/4 of a large red onion, chopped
1/2 can pineapple chunks, cut in half
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Chopped cilantro to taste
Let sit in fridge for 1/2 hour before serving.

When Loradona and I made this we doubled everything and we served it over our chicken and had chips with it. We made it on Saturday night and served it for Sunday dinner, it was still good Monday but pretty mushy after that.
There is a lot of chopping, which is why I recommend doubling it, it's not much more work.

Chicken (Curry) Salad

2009-03-23T02:46:00.000-07:00

(The chicken salad is in the blue bowl behind my spinach artichoke dip)
Ingredients:
-4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves - boiled and shredded or cubed (whichever you prefer)
- 1 1/2 to 2 stalks celery diced (fairly small) I'm not big on the taste of celery (or lack thereof) but I like the crunch, so if you like it chunkier, go for it, but I like it diced pretty small.
- red grapes either whole or cut in half. I usually cut them in half. Maybe a 2/3 cup or less
-For 6 chicken breasts about 1- 1 1/2 cups of mayonaise ( a little less for 4 breasts)
- About 1/4 cup orange juice ( to dilute the mayo)
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 11 oz can of mandarin oranges (drained)
- diced apple ( or half an apple) if you like :)
- about a teaspoon of curry or more
- salt and pepper to taste. (SALT IS A MUST- THE CHICKEN HAS NOT BEEN SALTED!)

Directions

- mix the dressing separately
- mix all other ingredients EXCEPT oranges in a large bowl
- pour dressing over mixture in bowl and check to see if it the consistency you want. I sometimes add a little more mayo or orange juice if it looks too dry.
- fold in oranges last.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2009-03-23T02:35:00.000-07:00

I have to warn everyone (again) that I RARELY measure things when I cook. This works for me... it may not work for you. This is why generally Cliff is the baker in the family and I am the cook most of the time. With this recipe it is all about the consistency and what YOU like, so if it looks like too little mayonaise - ADD MORE and vice versa. I have also mixed in some mozzarella cheese with my cream cheese/mayo/parmesan base so do what you like! It really is delicious, though :)

Ingredients:
- I think it was about an 8 oz package of cream cheese? Maybe a 1/2 a cup? I just eye balled it.
- About the same amount of mayonaise - maybe a little more or less (this with the cream cheese and parmesan cheese made up the base
- About a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- 14 oz. can of Artichokes drained and chopped
- about a bag of fresh baby spinach chopped and sauteed with a little garlic and then drained of excess water OR about 1/2 bag frozen chopped spinach thawed and WELL drained. ( you might have to squeeze to get the liquid out)
- Parmesan and Muenster cheese to top it (Maybe two slices or so torn? )
- A little minced garlic or garlic powder to taste. I like garlic.
- a little cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste. If you don't like things very spicy you can certainly skip the cayenne all together. I didn't use very much when I made it for the shower.

Directions -

- Grease a small-ish baking dish (I think I used an 8"x 8" or a 9"x9" and pre-heat oven to 375
-Mix the cream cheese, mayo, and parmesan together with a little minced garlic or garlic powder and your pepper. Fold in Artichokes and Spinach.
- Top with muenster cheese and a little extra Parmesan.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until cheese starts to bubble or the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Enjoy!

Lemon Basil Carrots

2009-03-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

LEMON BASIL CARROTS

baby carrots, or cut up whole carrots (skinned)

butter

pepper

lemon juice - just a little

basil

garlic powder

^ just use your judgement on amounts

sautee the carrots in the butter until they are as soft as you like, then add the other stuff. yum!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Home Fries variations..

2009-03-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

20 minute Jamaican Jerk Chicken Awesomeness

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lite Italian dressing (or dry dressing packet and 2 tbsp olive oil)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all this stuff together. Marinate the chicken for 1 hour to overnight. I've also done a 5 minute marinade and then made more sauce to spread on top of the cooked chicken.

To cook:
Works great in gorge Formans or on regular grills. I also recently broiled the chicken and it was FANTASTIC.

Home fries

Potato wedges (I cut Idaho potatoes in half longways and then in about 1/4 inch wedges)
Keep skins on

Toss the wedges in with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and garlic sauce. Don't get cheap on the seasonings.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for about 15 minutes. Flip them once in the middle.

*This recipe is especially delicious if you substitute Idaho potatoes for sweet potatoes.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

2009-02-01T01:45:00.000-08:00

My neighbor Nancy gets the credit for this one! So simple and soooooooooo good!

Ingredients

- Baby spinach
- Strawberries washed and halved
- Toasted pecans or walnuts
- Goat cheese
- Briannas Blush Wine Vinaigrette

Directions

- Toss spinach, strawberries, nuts
- Crumble goat cheese over salad
- Drizzle desired amount of delicious dressing over salad
- Enjoy!!!

Key Lime Pie

2008-09-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Key Lime Pie

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 regular limes or about 14 keylimes)
4 teaspoons grated lime zest
4 egg yolks
1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
11 graham crackers
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

PREP WORK

It's easier to remove the lime zest from whole limes so I would start with that. Then I would cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice being careful not to include any pits.

Process the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and then melt the butter and have it at the ready.

Process

1. Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green. This takes about 2 minutes

2. Beat in milk, then juice and set aside at room temperature till it thickens.

3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

4. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl.

5. Add butter and stir with a fork until well blended.

6. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan.

7. Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature.

8. Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken.

9. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.

10. Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled.

Some of you might like to serve it with a whipped cream topping or a meringue topping, but I prefer keeping it simple. If the pie seems to be sticking to the pan when serving, try dipping the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen it.

Stephanie's Garlic Cheese Bread Deliciousness

2008-07-17T15:15:00.000-07:00

Seriously some of the best garlic bread I have ever had.
Thank you for introducing us to this, Stephanie!!! :)

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf French Bread, cut open
-1/3 cup mayonnaise (Just trust me on this. If you have picky kids or husbands just don't make it in front of them or tell them that it has mayo.)
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (depending on how much you like garlic)
-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Instructions:

-Broil bread for 1-2 minutes, then spread mixture evenly over bread
-Broil for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on edges.

Enjoy!

Instructions

Most Excellent Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-07-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a Tammy Heslop recipe:

Most Excellent Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter or margarine 1 cup white sugar

2 cups pkd. Brown sugar 3 t. vanilla

4 eggs 2 t. soda

1½ t. salt 4¾ cup flour

5 cups chocolate chips 1-2 cups each white and peanut butter chips (opt.)

Mix butter or margarine, sugars, and vanilla until creamed and smooth. Add eggs then soda, salt, and flour one cup at a time until well blended and fold in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 350° for 9-13 minutes makes 7 doz. 2 in cookies.

Note: When baking a new recipe for the first time I always try it on the lesser amount of time just in case your oven runs hot (every oven is different) and remember the secret to a soft chewy cookie is to under cook slightly so when you remove it from the oven lift up a part of the center of a cookie and if it is not doughy and is a bit like cake you can take it out and wait for 30seconds to a minute before you remove them from the pan they will be just right.

Mexican Spaghetti

2008-07-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

Sorry - this isn't a very good picture. I guess we just couldn't wait to eat it! Yum!!

This is another recipe that we originally got from the Mama May. Cliff and I have tweaked it a little. Hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients

- ground turkey or ground beef (about 1 lb I think?)
- 1 med onion diced
-1 1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2-1 teaspoon minced garlic (we like garlic so we use at least 1 teaspoon if not 5.... j/k, maybe just 4...)
-1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (sometimes I use a little more of this too)
-1 15oz. can tomato sauce
-4 3/4 cups water
- 8-12 oz. uncooked spaghetti (we use hodgson mill whole wheat spaghetti)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

In a 12'' or electric skillet (350 degrees for electric) brown the ground turkey/hamburger meat with the onion. Add the tomato sauce, water, and seasonings, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil and then add the spaghetti. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered until the spaghetti is tender, stirring often, about 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if desired! Serves 5-6!

Coffee Bread

2008-07-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

My grandmother Nylund used to make this bread and served it everyday for "Coffee" - the Scandinavian equivalent to the British "Tea". We always called it "Coffee bread" but I have since learned it is called "Cardamom bread". Enjoy!
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup warm milk
1 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup warm water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Procedure:

In a small saucepan on low heat, combine butter and milk until the butter is just melted.
In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Stir gently for a few seconds, then let stand until the yeast is frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, salt ane cardamom; whisk gently to distribute the ingredients.
In separate bowl, beat 2 eggs and set aside.
Check that the milk and butter mixture is not too hot, and then combine all ingredients.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowlo and let rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about one hour.
Punch down the dough, and shape into desired shape.
If you are not going to glaze it after baking, sprinkle with pearl (or coarse) sugar.
Put finished breads onto greased cookie sheet. (When I do the small braided ones (great for dipping) you should NOT grease the cookie sheet.)
Let rise again until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Brush the top of each with an egg wash.
Bake at 350 degrees (180c) for 25 minutes.

Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter - melted
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine and spread on warm bread.

Birchermuesli

2008-06-22T16:41:00.001-07:00

I have no idea how to pronounce the name of this dish. As usual, not a KGerbers original (this recipe is from the Movenpick restaurant chain), but it's a great brunch dish all the same and it tastes very fresh!

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup 18 percent cream

2/3 cup sugar

1 small apple, peeled and grated (I use granny smith, but any will do)

1 1/2 cups fresh fruit (I use strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

1/2 cup whipping cream whipped

2 tablespoons plain yogurt (or vanilla flavored is good)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine oats, water, lemon juice, cream and sugar. Stir in the apple.
Slice fruit, if required depending on what kind you choose, and add to the oat mixture.
Stir in the whipped cream and yogurt. Makes 4 servings.

Jewish -style Brown Sugar Brisket (a.k.a. Brain Tumor Brisket)

2008-06-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

To start, lay the fatty side down and sprinkle the top liberally with garlic powder
Brisket in the slow cooker with garlic powder, brown sugar, and onion soup mix
All done! Yummy meaty caramelized goodness!
Makes great left-overs and sandwiches for days!!

A little background on this one... When I was 14 I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I had the tumor surgically removed in May of 1999. The surgery went well and I fully recovered. However, during my recovery it was necessary for me to take steroids to keep the swelling done. As a side effect steroids are known for increasing ones appetite. Just to give you an idea of how much my appetite was increased post surgery I will tell you that I went from 107 lbs to 127 lbs in less than a month. I ate everything in sight! (Once I was able to eat solid foods again - that is.) One of my fondest memories of this otherwise traumatic period of my life was this DELICIOUS brisket dish that my neighbor, Mrs. Zion, brought over to our house. I finished the entire brisket in two days flat ON MY OWN. It just melts in your mouth when cooked properly. Mmmmmmm.......

Ingredients

About a 4lb cut of brisket. (A notoriously tough and fatty cut of meat, it needs to be cooked nearly to death to be tender. It is very worth it though and usually much less expensive than other cuts of meat because of the toughness.)

1 Lipton's onion soup package

light brown sugar (enough to pack on to the brisket at about 1/4 inch thick or less) I used about 2/3 cup to 1 cup depending how large the surface of the meat is

garlic powder (this is also an eyeball measurement but you want enough to cover the surface of the meat. You are going to pound in in.

Instructions

1. lay your brisket cut fatty side down. On the non- fatty side take a sharp knife and ... stab it all over the surface a few times. (I was trying to think of a more professional term but you really do stab!) This is to allow the seasoning to seep into the meat while it is cooking. After a few good stabs :) sprinkle a liberal amount of garlic powder onto the surface and pound it into the meat with your hands. This can get a little messy

2. Next take your brown sugar and pack it onto the meat until you have a nice layer about 1/4 inch or so all over the surface.

3. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the meat mixture. Go ahead a use the whole package. Live a little.

4.Now place the brisket in to a large slow cooker or..... if you don't have a slow cooker don't panic! Seal the meat up really well in aluminum foil and place in a large glass baking dish. Put a little bit of water into the bottom of the baking dish to keep the meat from cooking to quickly. About a 1/4 of water or so. You can put a little bit of water in the slow cooker if you want but you don't need very much. The meat had it's own juices and the fat is going to cook off too. I wouldn't add more than a 1/4 inch to the slow cooker either. If you are cooking it in the oven you want your oven at 200 or 250 degrees (depending on how strong your oven is) and you will cook it for at least 8 hrs. In the slow cooker it cooks for about 6-8 hrs on high. Ours was done in 6 hrs.

5. To serve, just cut off the undesirable fat (there may be quite a bit) and serve with mashed potatoes, greens, rice, or whatever you like!

Mom's Spanokopita a.k.a. Cheese Triangles

2008-06-22T16:18:00.001-07:00

I am on a roll tonight!! That's what happens when you get stuck at the airport because your flight has been delayed for 3 1/2 hours because, after the weather delay, and the air traffic ground stop, the ramp crew in LaGuardia put the passenger baggage on the wrong plane and they're now having to taxi the plane back to the gate to fix the error. Nice job LaGuardia.

This next dish was, without a doubt, my favorite dish growing up.

Spanokopita a.k.a. Cheese Triangles (with or without spinach)

1 pound feta (I usually use 8 oz)
1 pint cottage cheese about 8 oz.
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
4oz. cream cheese or half a pkg.
4 eggs
2 tbs cream of wheat or farina to thicken (optional, but I do it)

salt and pepper to taste (just a little as the cheeses are salty)

For spinach, use 10 oz pkg of frozen spinch extremely well drained and squished
10 green onions chopped finely (I don't add these because I don't like onions, but if you like onions, go nuts)

1 stick of butter or margarine, melted (I do this a little at a time as needed)
1 pkg phyllo dough

Cut filo in strips about 3" wide and fold like a flag (hence, cheese *triangles*) put on baking sheet and bake at 350 until golden about 20 minutes.

The best!

Matt-A-Roni and Cheese

2008-06-22T16:09:00.001-07:00

I call this jazzed up Mac and Cheese dish "Matt-a-roni" because I got this recipe from my friend Matt. It is probably my favorite comfort food of all time. Without further ado:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Argo corn starch

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper2 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp margarine or butter

3 cups cheese-->this is where you get creative – any mix of cheese you want. I mix in Sharp Cheddar, Muenster, and Mozerella. Yarlzberg is also a good choice. I get some extra Mozerella to sprinkle on top during baking.

8 oz Mueller's elbows (cooked & drained)

1. In a medium saucepan combine first 4 ingredients; stir in milk. Add margarine; stirring CONSTANTLY (seriously, don't take your eye off the saucepan as this will burn very quickly!), bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil 30 seconds to one minute.

2. Stir in 1 3/4 cups cheese until melted. Add elbows. Pour into greased 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven 25 minutes or until lightly browned.This makes enough for about 4-6 people.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

2008-06-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

We made these for Roommate Thanksgiving this year and they were a huge hit. Again, not an original recipe, but it is from Cooking Light!

A note about the ingredients: I add more of almost EVERYTHING. More salt, more basil, more oregano, more garlic powder, more pepper, more dill. And definitely more sour cream. So much for the healthy factor. Play around with the different combinations of spices until you figure out what you like best.

Ingredients
13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Preparation:

Cover potatoes in water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Place potato in a large bowl. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Yield
12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Enjoy!

Blueberry Cobbler from the Cobbler Gobbler

2008-06-22T15:57:00.001-07:00

I actually can't take credit for this recipe as I found it online, but my friends and I enjoy it so much that I felt it was worth posting:

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (I've tried both and they both taste fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup white sugar, or to taste (I usually add a LOT less and it still tastes great)
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons white sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pinch ground cinnamon (I add more)

DIRECTIONS:
1.
Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking dish. Place the blueberries into the baking dish, and mix with vanilla and lemon juice. Sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of flour, then stir in the tablespoon of melted butter. Set aside.

2.
In a medium bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups of flour, baking powder, and 6 tablespoons sugar. Rub in the 5 tablespoons butter using your fingers, or cut in with a pastry blender until it is in small pieces. Make a well in the center, and quickly stir in the milk. Mix just until moistened. You should have a very thick batter, or very wet dough. You may need to add a splash more milk. Cover, and let batter rest for 10 minutes. (I usually let it rest for closer to an hour)

3.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spoon the batter over the blueberries, leaving only a few small holes for the berries to peek through. Mix together the cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar; sprinkle over the top.

4.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown. A knife inserted into the topping should come out clean - of course there will be blueberry syrup on the knife. Let cool until just warm before serving. This can store in the refrigerator for 2 days.

YUM!

Chicken Parmesan a la Mama May

2008-06-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Browning the chicken in the olive oil, mmm.....
Just out of the oven!
The plated dish! (Cliff and I usually split a half breast as they grow once you have pounded them flat and added the breading.)

This is such an Easy recipe for Chicken Parmesan and it really hits the spot when you are in the mood for Italian! Thank you to Mama May for this recipe and many others :)

Cliff and I are currently a family of two so we usually cut this recipe down to suit our needs. I'll give the measurements we use for the two of us as well. :)

Ingredients

6 med. chicken breast halves, pounded flat (about 1/4 inch) You don't want them toooo flat or they will fall apart on you. * For two people we use two breast halves

1 1/3 c dry bread crumbs. * We 1/3 the recipe on just about everything or eyeball it. We have made our own bread crumbs when we are feeling industrious. Otherwise, we just use "Progresso Italian Style" bread crumbs and they work really well.

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese. *( I would be lying if I said that I actually 1/3 this part of the recipe for us. I probably use about 1/3 a cup for the two of us........

3 eggs beaten. * 1 for two people

1 tsp. salt I don't usually add too much salt but it's up to you. I'm that way about everything.

Pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil. *(enough to light cover the bottom of your pan will do)

2 c. or more marinara sauce of your choice. * We make our own and use leftover sauce throughout the week. I'll post the recipe for that sauce a little later

6 slices (or grated 3 0z.) mozzarella cheese. * Cliff and I actually put two slices on each halve breast because we loooove cheese. Isn't that what makes chicken parmesan so good??

Instructions

1. Combine the bread crumbs and the parmesan cheese on a large plate.

2. Combine the egg(s) salt and pepper and any additional spices (i.e. cayenne pepper...) on another plate OR a pie plate works GREAT! (Thanks Stephanie!)

3. Dip pounded chicken breasts into egg mixture and then into the bread and cheese mixture, coating well.

4. Brown chicken in olive oil in skillet. (Golden brown on each side) This will almost cook the chicken all the way through because it is pounded so flat.

5. Put chicken in baking dish, pour sauce over chicken (Just a little, I usually put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish too.) Put mozzarella cheese on top (I usually sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on the chicken before the mozzarella too.)

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (or until the cheese just barely starts to bubble up and turn a little brown)

3.

Chicken in a Cashew Nut Sauce

2008-06-15T13:53:00.001-07:00

Stephanie enjoying our delicious Indian cuisine! (She also contributed the homemade strawberry lemonade)
Soooooo good!

This is one of my favorite Indian dishes to make. It is very simple and very mild in comparison to a lot of the other dishes we make. It comes from a book that my mom gave me when I got married called "Healthy Indian Cooking." You will need a food processor or a good blender in order to make this dish.

Ingredients

2 med. onions

2 tbsp tomato puree - (honestly I just use 1/2 a tomato as it all get's pureed anyway)

1/3 cup cashews plus more for serving later.

1 1/2 tsp garam masala (This can be found at Publix. McCormick makes it. This is a wonderful spice blend and much easier to buy than to make yourself. I actually like to add more like 2 tsp, but follow the recipe as it is the first time and see what you like.

1 tsp garlic pulp

1 tsp chili powder (this is NOT very much. I actually double this amount and it is still very mild)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp salt

t tbsp natural low fat yogurt (I just use regular plain yogurt)

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) (Coriander usually refers to the seed as in ground coriander/powder)

1 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins)

1 lb boneless , skinless chicken cubed

2 1/2 cups button mushrooms or regular mushrooms cut in half

Instructions

1. Cut the onions in quarters and place in the food processor. Pulse for about 1 min.
2. At the tomato, cashews, garam masala, garlic, chili powder, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, and yogurt, and process for another 1 1/2 minutes.
3. In a heavy-based sauce pan, heat the oil, then lower the heat to medium and pour in the spice/oinion mixture from the food processor. Fry for 2 min. and lower the heat if necessary.
4. Next, add half of the chopped cilantro, the sultanas and the chicken cubes and fry for another minute.
5. Add the mushrooms, pour in the water and bring to a simmer. Cover the saucepan and lower the heat a little and simmer for about 10 min.
6. After 10 minutes check to see that the chicken is cooked all the way through and that the sauce is thick. Cook a little longer if you need to. Serve with the remaining cilantro with plain basmati rice!

Background on Curry

2008-06-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a condensed version of my treatise on curry:

Cliff and I LOVE Indian food. It's one of my favorite things in the world! I love the unusual and unique combinations of spices and flavors and garlic naan pretty much equals heaven on earth in my book. Having said that - I get really frustrated when my friends tell me that they don't like Indian cooking because they don't like curry. This is like saying.... you don't like sauce. What kind of sauce? Marinara sauce? Cheese sauce, Barbecue? Alfredo sauce or Mexican Mole? Saying that you don't like sauce can be pretty vague. Curries work the same way. A lot of people think of yellow curry powder when they think of Indian curries and this preconceived notion doesn't even scratch the tip of the iceberg! At the risk of sounding rather lecture -y I want to give you a little background info on curries and the infamous yellow curry powder and hopefully encourage some of you that have been hesitant to try Indian cuisine to get out there and DO IT! :)
The term curry comes from the Tamil (southern India) word "Kari" and means "spiced stew." The term is now broadly used to refer to any spiced sauce. The yellow curry that most of us are familiar with is actually an approximation of Indian spices brought back from India by the British (they wanted to bring a little flavor back home from the colony) that relies heavily on turmeric. There is no "curry powder" in India as each region has their own mix/blend of spices. Some of these different curries are: Vindaloo, Korma, Dopiazza, Madras, Jalfrezi, Dhansak, etc. Some of these are very spicy and others like kormas are generally mild. They can be slightly sweet, very very hot, or even a little tangy! There are also different curries all over southeast Asia in places like Thailand and Japan and even in the Caribbean! Ok - I'll stop there because I'm sure you get the idea. I don't want you guys to read this entry, decide I'm a bore, and never return! I would just like to share my love of this country's food with anyone and everyone. I just want to stress that if you have tried a curry in the past that wasn't to your taste or fancy - give it another try! I firmly believe that there is a curry for everyone :)

MY Sour Cream Enchiladas

2008-06-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

I know everyone and their mother has a sour cream enchiladas recipe but I want to post mine anyway. This is my husbands favorite dish that I make. I do, however, need to give a shout out to the Mama G for the basis of this recipe. Love you Mama G! Enjoy!

*There are a LOT of variations on this recipe. It is very easy to customize, so other than the sour cream and the cream of chicken soup, you can make this however your little heart desires!

Ingredients

*2 Chicken breasts (bonless, skinless, etc.) cooked and cubed. (I just boil them and then cut 'em up.
*1 can reduced sodium condensed cream of chicken soup (that's a mouthful!)

*3/4 to 1 cup of sour cream - I just eyeball it.

1 1/2 cup shredded cheese - generally I use a mexican 4 cheese mix but cheddar works fine and if you have picky eaters like my dad who won't eat melted yellow cheese...*sigh*... then Monterrey Jack cheese works great and tastes wonderful. Like I said, this recipe is very flexible and forgiving so go with your gut and do what you like!

1 small to med. onion finely diced

6-8 tortillas - depending on how full you fill them and whether you want to use two baking dishes

1 can red enchilada sauce (optional) I like to add about 1/3 cup to the sour cream and chicken soup and then drizzle a little on top of the rolled tortillas.

salt/ pepper to taste

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Optional spices to taste - red pepper, chili powder, oregano, cumin. I sprinkle a little or a lot of these into the sauce mixture. (Cliff and I like things to have a little kick)

Whew! Ok I think I covered the basics. I used to put corn and beans in them too but now I just serve those on the side. Like I said, make this your own!

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13" baking dish (I like to use a glass baking dish.) I usually have enough chicken and sauce left over to make two more enchiladas so I usually end up using a smaller baking dish as well to cook the last two or three.

2. Stir soup and sour cream in a large bowl a long with onions, garlic, enchilada sauce and any additional spices you choose.

3. take a few large spoonfuls of sauce and spread around the bottom of the baking dish. Start making your enchiladas by spreading one out in the dish and taking a generous spoonful of sauce and spreading it in the tortilla. Add a small handful of chicken and then sprinkle some cheese. I sometimes drizzle a little extra red enchilada sauce inside too. Roll up the tortilla with the seam down. Repeat until the one or two baking dishes are full.

4. Take remaining sauce (sour cream/soup) and spread it all over the rolled tortillas. Then Drizzle any additional red enchilada sauce and lastly sprinkle with remaining cheese!

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. After 30 min. remove the foil and back an additional 5-7 minutes or until edges of tortillas are just slightly browned. YUM!

* Yet another variation that I sometimes like is green enchilada sauce or salsa verde instead of red enchilada sauce. This is really good too. Just something different.

Also, if I have a lot of extra red enchilada sauce left over I like to use it to cook rice. I will add it to the water I am cooking my rice in along with some spices and make spanish rice!

I hope this made sense. I don't usually use exact measurements when I cook unless I am trying something for the first time or I'm baking.....

Caribbean Crunch Shortbread Cookies

2008-06-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

Close up
A few more....

My mom gave me a cookbook entitled "Baking (Made Simple)" last Christmas and I had yet to use it before this past weekend. I was in the mood for something sweet and decided to check it out. I'm not a huge chocolate person but I do like shortbread and I LOVE dried fruit so I thought this recipe might be good. Turns out that it wasn't good. It was AWESOME! Super easy too. Here's how it breaks down....

Ingredients
1 cup butter (two sticks) softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (I actually forgot to put this in and they tasted just fine - so it's up to you)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup diced dried tropical fruit mix, (I used Welches tropical mix with mango, pineapple, and papaya)

Instructions
1. Cream butter and sugars and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer.
2. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in dried fruit.
3. Shape the dough into a 14 inch log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about an hour.
4. Preheat the over to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the log into 1/2 inch slices (this is a little tricky with the fruit so I had to reshape some of my cookies - they turn out just fine.) Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet and back for 20-25 minutes or until set and lightly browned. My oven took 25 min exactly. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 26 to 28 cookies

I tried them out on my Sunday School class today (8 year-olds) and they weren't too crazy about them because of the dried fruit - but all of the their mothers and the other teachers loved them! Hope you like them too!