Dinner Plate Pancakes

Mini Banana Apple Bran Muffins

2011-01-08T12:47:00.001-05:00

the petit appetit COOKBOOK

Easy, Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler

by Lisa Barnes

Makes 24 Mini Muffins Or 12 Regular Muffins

1 c organic whole wheat flour
1/2 c organic oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 c organic applesauce or Apple Puree (page 59)
3 medium organic bananas, 1 mashed (about 1/2 c) and 2 sliced
1/2 c packed organic light brown sugar
2 cage-free, organic eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degree. Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 regular muffin cups.

With a fork, combine flour, bran, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave for 25 seconds on High. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, applesauce, mashed banana, sugar, and eggs. Mix together with a rubber spatula. Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture and stir until just blended. Batter will be lumpy and very moist.

Spoon batter in prepared muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Place banana slice on top of each muffin. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown and set. Cool muffins in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes before turning out muffins.

Tip
Pick a test. Because these muffins are so moist with the mashed bananas and applesauce, the wooden-pick test is difficult. the center may not come out clean if you hit a chunk of banana. If you're not sure if they're done, you can always pop one out an take a taste.

*Changes I made.
I used regular flour and unorganic everything. I didn't have any oat bran in the house, I substituted oat meal. I tossed in the sliced bananas at the same time the mashed bananas were added to the bowl, no banana decoration on top because I didn't read that part until typing this... oops! I also added 1/4 cup pecan meal, yum! I used the regular 12 muffin cup pan and baked them for 18 minutes, perfect. The muffins are delicious and a hit with the kids. Enjoy!

French Apple Tart By Ina Garten

2010-10-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

For The Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1Tbl sugar
12 Tbl (1 1/2) sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

For The Apples

4 Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbl (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, small-diced
1/2 cup apricot jelly or warm sieved apricot jam
2 Tbl water

For the pastry, place flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 to 12 times, until the butter is in small bits the size of peas. With the motor running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Roll the dough slightly larger than 10 X14 inches. Using a ruler and a small knife, trim the edges. Place the dough on the prepared sheet pan and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel the apples and cut them in half through the stem. Remove the stems and cores with a sharp knife and a melon baller. Slice the apples crosswise in 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place overlapping slices of apples diagonally down the middle of the tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of the first row until the pastry is covered with apple slices. (I tend not to use the apple ends in order to make the arrangement beautiful.) Sprinkle with the full 1/2 cup sugar and dot with the butter.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the pastry is browned and the edges of the apples start to brown. Rotate the pan once during cooking. When the tart's done, heat the apricot jelly together with the water and brush the apples and the pastry completely with the jelly mixture. Loosen the tart with a metal spatula so it doesn't stick to the paper. Allow to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Pepperoni Bread

2010-07-02T22:38:00.001-04:00

1 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup warm water, 105 - 115 F
2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 eggs lightly beaten

5 cups flour

2 cups of your favorite cheese
1 pkg pepperoni

Mix milk, butter, sugar & salt. Cool to lukewarm. Pour warm water into a warm bowl, sprinkle yeast in & dissolve. Add cooled mixture, eggs & 3 cups flour, stir well. Add the rest of the flour & knead lightly on a floured board until elastic. Shape dough into a ball & place in a greased bowl, turn over to grease all sides. Let rise until doubled in size.

After dough has risen, split in half. With one half, roll out into rectangle shape, nice & thin. Layer pepperoni on the dough. Grate cheese over pepperoni and roll up into a stuffed loaf. Bake at 325 degrees until lightly browned on top.

One Hour Bread

2010-05-29T13:57:00.001-04:00

One Hour Bread
Makes 4 Loaves

10.5 c bread flour
.5 c sugar
1 heaping Tbls. salt
3 rounded Tbls. instant yeast
3 Tbls. liquid lecithin
4 c hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add water and mix. Spray counter and hands with Pam, shape into loaves and cover. Let rise 20 - 25 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

*I halved the recipe and added a heaping handful of cheese to the dough and shaped balls rather than loaves for burger buns. The recipe also works for pizza and sticky buns. Couldn't be much easier.

Two Muffins

2009-08-13T10:21:00.002-04:00

Kellogg's - Our Best Bran Muffins

1 1/3 c flour
.5 c sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1.5 c Kellogg's All Bran Original
1 c milk
1 egg
1/3 c shortening (I substitute applesauce)

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bow, combine All Bran cereal and milk. Let stand 2 minutes or until cereal has softened. Add egg and shortening (applesauce). Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into 12 muffin pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 degrees about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

*I like to eat these hot, warm and even cold! I press sliced strawberries and sprinkle sugar on top before baking or load them with blueberries.

Swedish Hotcakes

2009-08-11T19:07:00.004-04:00

Mix together:
2 eggs
1.25 c milk
.25 c vegetable oil

Add:
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbls sugar
.5 tsp salt
1 c flour

Stir well until there are no lumps. Pour 1/3 c of batter into heated, greased pan and swirl pan to form flat circle. When edges start to curl and small bubbles appear, flip and cook on second side until golden.

Topping suggestions are: melted butter with cinnamon & sugar, maple syrup with fresh fruit, fruit with whipped cream... the topping possibilities are endless.

Julia Child's Quiche Lorraine

2009-08-10T20:15:00.002-04:00

Quiche Lorraine (Cream and Bacon Quiche)

The classic quiche Lorraine contains heavy cream, eggs, and bacon, no cheese. The bacon is usually blanched in simmering water to remove its smoky, salty taste, but this step is optional. Diced, cooked ham, sauteed briefly in butter, may replace the bacon.

For 4 to 6 servings

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3 to 4 ounces lean bacon (6 to 8 slices, medium thickness)
1 quart water
An 8-inch partially cooked pastry shell placed on a baking sheet

3 eggs or 2 eggs and 2 yolks
1.5 to 2 cups whipping cream or half cream and half milk
.5 tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 Tbl butter cut into pea-sized dots

Cut bacon into pieces about an inch long and .25 inch wide. Simmer for 5 minutes in the water. Rinse in cold water. Dry on paper towels. Brown lightly in a skillet. Press bacon pieces into bottom of pastry shell.

Beat the eggs, cream or cream and milk, and seasonings in a mixing bowl until blended. Check seasonings. Pour into pastry shell and distribute the butter pieces on top.

Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until quiche has puffed and browned. Slide quiche onto a hot platter and serve.

* I normally cook my bacon like normal and toss it right into the egg mixture. Tonight I used cooked deli ham - did not saute it, sorry Ms Julia. I also like to be a quiche rebel and add in broccoli tops!

Orange Pull-Aparts

2009-06-02T22:18:00.004-04:00

ORANGE PULL-APARTS from Shirley Aaron

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C sugar

3 Beaten eggs

2 Pkgs. yeast

1/4 C. Warm water (to activate yeast)

1 C. Hot water

2 Tsp. salt

4 1/2 C. Flour

1/3 C. Shaklee N.P.S. or I just added flour instead when I didn’t have it.

Orange rind, grated

Melt butter, let cool; add remaining ingredients in order given. Let stand until raised double.Punch down and refrigerate. Next day, 3 hours before serving, roll into rectangle the size of the Tupperware pie sheet (mine measures: 15 X 21 inches). Spread with soft butter completely and sprinkle with sugar and grated orange rind. Cut into 2-inch squares. Stack squares into towers and stand them up in greased Bundt pan (butter side of square to the next unbuttered square) until pan is full. Press down and let rise to the top of Bunt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 min. until golden brown.

Notes from Lizzie: Shaklee NPS is a protein supplement: I added more flour. If you have a pie sheet I recommend using it to roll the dough out. Take directly from frig. and roll out before the dough gets real sticky on you (some light flouring required). Here's a photo of the "towers" but keep in mind my dough was a little warm and thus gooey.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

2009-05-08T13:11:00.000-04:00

I've had this recipe for ever and finally decided to make it, boy have I been missing out! It's so yummy, we gobbled it right up! The recipe makes a very large quantity, but I halved it and only used 2 lbs meat, turned out wonderful.

Ingredients:
6 lbs pork loin
2, 16 oz cans salsa
2 cans coke
3 cups brown sugar
raw tortillas (or hamburger buns)

Directions:
Place pork in crock pot and fill it 1/2 way up the pork with water. Cook on high for 5 hours. (I cooked on low overnight.) Drain off liquid. Cut pork into thirds. Mix together sauce and pour over pork. Cook an additional 3 hours on high. Shred pork with forks. Leave on low til ready to serve.

Sweet Pork Salad

2009-04-20T01:20:00.002-04:00

We had this meal at my girls cooking club. It is soo good. It tastes like the saled you buy at Costa Rica, the restaurant. This receipe can be found at the sister's cafe http://www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com. It can also be found at cooklikecrazy.blogspot.com. The second website is one of the gals in my cooking group. She is an awesome cook.

Shredded Sweet Pork
3 lb pork roast
1 c brown sugar
1 c Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tb dried minced onions

Cook all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day (abt 8 hours). One hour before serving, remove roast and shred it. Dump out all cooking juices and place shredded pork back into crockpot and add...1 c brown sugar and 1 c red enchilada sauce

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 c water
3 c rice
4 cubes chicken bouillon
4 tsp garlic, minced
1 Tb canola oil
2 Tb fresh lime juice
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 onion1 can green chilies

Blend cilantro, onion, and chilies in food processor. Bring water to boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

Garlic Black Beans
1 can black beans
1/3 c tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 Tb canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb chopped cilantro

Heat oil then add cumin and garlic until garlic begins to pop. Add rest of ingredients and serve warm. *I would at least double this recipe--but I really like beans!

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
3 tomatillos, peeled and quartered
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c mayonnaise
1/2 c sour cream
1 pkg dry buttermilk ranch dressing
1 c fresh chopped cilantro
6 green onions with ends, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tsp sugar1 jalapeno, sliced thin - add to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and mix well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

To assemble salad: Grate cheese onto a tortilla shell and place in oven under broiler until cheese is melted and shell is puffy. Top with romaine lettuce, beans, rice, and pork. Garnish with tomatoes, avacado, pico de gallo, whatever you like. Top with dressing and crispy tortilla strips.
*The recipe calls for cotija cheese, but I used sharp cheddar.

Roxi's Crescent Rolls

2009-03-02T11:09:00.003-05:00

This recipe can be found in the family cook book. I was hungry for a roll and this sounded fun and easy. I did change things up a bit in that I started the dough around 10 in the morning, rolled them out around 2ish in the afternoon and baked them up at 5 pm for dinner. The dough was very soupy when I scooped in out of the pot. Hugo thought it was very funny to see my fingers all gloopy, gunky with the dough. I added a lot of flour to be able to roll them out. I should talk to Roxi to find out what the recipe is like if made overnight. Anyway, they worked and are sweet tasting and very addicting rolls. I highly recommend them!

Melt together in a large stock pot and let cool:
1 cup milk
1 stick butter
Mix together and moisten with 1 cup of warm water:
1 pkg or 1 T yeast
1 T sugar
Add above two groups to this in stock pot and then add 4 cups flour
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix ingredients with wooden spoon until well blended. Cover with pot lid and let it sit overnight. Divide into 2 pieces. Roll on floured surface into two big circles (1/4" thick). Cut like pizza and roll into crescent shape. Let rise 3 to 4 hours on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. After removing from cookie sheets, brush each roll with butter.

*Okay, just realized that I didn't grease the cookie sheets or brush with butter - didn't miss either step at all. I also completely filled two large cookie sheets with these rolls. Was it the added flour or the recipe itself, I'm not sure. Talk to Roxi! Enjoy!

Nutcracker Mice

2009-01-20T14:57:00.004-05:00

I took this idea from Roxi May. She made them for a Christmas in Wisconsin and I thought they were darling and delicious! I made them in December for a party and they were a hit. Ali asked if I would post them here also.

Here's what you need:

Maraschino cherries WITH stems

Hershey Kisses

Almond slivers

Baker's dipping chocolate (baking aisle) or if you want to use the longer method

Candy BBs or icing for eyes

Dip cherries in chocolate and place on wax paper. Prop a Kiss up against the cherry and position the ears with the almond slivers. Dab on the eyes and place in frig to cool; for serving, remove from wax paper and display.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

2008-12-02T10:55:00.002-05:00

Fresh Jalapenos 2-3 inches in size
Softened cream cheese
Raw regular bacon, sliced into thirds (or longer if you want it to wrap around the jalapeno more)

Cut the jalapeno in half length wise. Remove the seeds and white membrane. Leave some seeds if you like things hot. Smear softened cream cheese into each half of jalapeno. Wrap jalapeno in 1/3 bacon slice. Secure by sticking a toothpick through the middle. At this point you can freeze them if you'd like in a ziploc bag.
Bake on a cookie sheet with a rack at 375 for 20-25 minutes. if the bacon does not look done after 20 minutes broil it for a few minutes. Served just out of the over is best. Room temperature still tastes good too.

Meringue Cookies aka "Spooks"

2008-11-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

We grew up enjoying this tasty little treat at our Grandmother's house. Every Halloween I'd look forward to eating some of her holiday spooks! She didn't only make meringue spooks, she used it to make little cups for fruit or custards to go into. She made roundish cookies. She made a nest with it one year for Easter. She could also whip up mile high meringue on top of a lemon meringue pie. So the possibilities are limitless.

This batter can be very temperamental, but once you get the hang of it you'll see it's sooooo easy!
My spooks turned out a little on the brown side (over cooked) they still tasted great, so we called them California "tanned" Spooks! This recipe is a little different than my grandmother's. I found it to create a more stable batter, thus easier to use!!

3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (you can also use a brown paper bag). Combine sugar and cornstarch in small bowl.
In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment(you don't have to have a stand mixer, it's just faster), beat egg whites , vanilla and salt at high speed until very soft peaks start to form (peaks should slowly lose their shape when whisk is removed), 30-45 seconds. With mixer running at medium speed, slowly add sugar mixture in steady stream down side of mixer bowl (process should take about 30 seconds). Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. Return mixer to high speed and beat until glossy, stiff peaks have formed, 30 to 45 seconds.
Working quickly, place meringue in pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip or large zipper-lock bag with 1/2-inch of corner cut off. Pipe meringues into "S" shapes for spooks or into 1 1/4-inch wide mounds about an inch high on baking sheets.
Bake 1 hour, rotating pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Turn off oven and allow meringues to cool in oven at least 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving, about 10 minutes.

Notes-
Meringues may be a little soft immediately after being removed from the oven but will stiffen as they cool. To minimize stickiness on humid or rainy days, allow the meringues to cool in a turned-off oven for an additional hour. Cooled cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

I do not know the name for this; we'll call it Yummo Chinese Chicken

2008-10-30T15:38:00.002-04:00

My mom gave me this receipe. It is one of her favorites. She talks about it all the time, so we decided to try it. Joshua came home and said that he was not hungry and would not be eating dinner. I made this and he ended up having two helpings. This is a quick and easy 20 minute meal using ingredients that are usually laying in your cupboards anyway.

8 0z. angel hair pasta
2 cups broccoli
1 lb. chicken
1/2 cup Asian Toasted Sesame dressing (Kraft)
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. ginger, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
Top individual servings with sesame seeds if desired.

Brown chicken. Add dressing, soy sauce, and spices. Let simmer for a moment. Add broccoli and peanuts just long enough to soften the broccoli. Place on top of cooked noodles. Top individual servings with sesame seeds if desired.

I love mushrooms, so we added those. My kids do not like nuts, so I gave them their food and then added the nuts to ours.

Red Potato Tuscan Chicken

2008-10-24T11:19:00.003-04:00

I posted this on the other website and doing it here as well. I love this dish!! It is one of my favorites!

3 garlic cloves
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups/plus thinly sliced red potatoes
Cubed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. herbs de province
4 tsp. cloves sliced garlic
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. salt plus 1 tsp.
Salt and pepper to taste

In large ziplock bag combine potatoes, sliced garlic, about 3 T. olive oil, 2 T. salt, and 1/2 to 1 t. black pepper. Shake to coat and leave to marinate while doing the following. Brown the chicken in olive oil in a skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add vinegar and stir pan to deglaze. Add broth, herbs, and garlic. Simmer 10 minutes. Layer potatoes on top of chicken in a baking casserole dish. Pour liquid into pan. Place covered covered baking dish in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Uncover. Let brown for 15 more minutes.
Optional Add Ins: mushrooms or onions. Pairs great with Roasted Asparagus as a side dish.

Family-Style Pork and Potato Stew

2008-10-24T11:06:00.004-04:00

This is a low fat meal and very tasty. My whole family loves it. Joshua usually makes it and enjoys playing around with the spices..

1 T oil
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into cubes (any pork will do)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onions
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 T chix bouillon
4 ¼ cups water
1 T cider vinegar
3 T flour
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
Salt, pepper (and other seasonings)

Season cubed meat with salt, pepper, pork seasoning, garlic salt, what ever kind of seasoning you want. Sear meat in a hot pan. While searing sprinkle 3 T of flour over the meat, stirring constantly. Do not cook meat all the way or it will dry out. Add all of these ingredients, meat on the bottom, to a crock pot. Cook on low 8 hours, high 4 hours.
This recipe can be made on top of the stove as well and tastes just as good.

Ham and Vegetable Creamed Soup

2008-10-24T11:01:00.003-04:00

This is a very easy and very tasty soup. It only takes 20 minutes to make, so is great if you're short on time. It does make quite a bit, but freezes well.

16 oz. bag of frozen vegetables (broccoli and cauliflower mix)
1 cup real butter
½ cup chopped onion
6 cups milk
1 cup of diced ham
1 can of corn
½ cup celery

Cook vegetables in 2 cups of water and set aside. In a separate pan (large enough to make your soup in) over medium heat, melt butter with onion and celery till done. Add the flour and stir till well blended. Add the 6 cups of milk to this along with 4 crushed bouillon cubes. Stir till thick and smooth. Add the vegetables, and their water, to the soup pan. Then add the ham and corn. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pork Chops In Gravy

2008-10-21T23:14:00.004-04:00

This recipe is from a little book I picked up awhile ago at that cute store by Kristene's called Sugar 'n Spice. The book is called, What's for Supper? by Marcia Chambers. I've liked a lot of the recipes that I've tried from it. This pork chop recipe is one I like to call "dinner SUCCESS" because my kids didn't complain which means that we had a stress free time at the table! So if you're wanting a different way to cook pork, give it a try.

5-8 pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown chops. Transfer to a greased 13x9-inch pan. Combine the soups; pour over chops. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with potatoes.

Caramel Apples, Turtle Style

2008-10-21T18:06:00.002-04:00

Here are the apples all washed and waiting for Trent to put their sticks in.

The beautiful and not so beautiful finished products!

The recipe:
4-5 apples
1 package (14oz) caramels
1 tablespoon water
1 cup marshmallow creme
macadamia nuts or pecans coarsely chopped
bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate candy bar (about 2oz), broken into small pieces

Line cookie sheet with waxed paper and grease; set aside. (we used tin foil sprayed with pam) Wash and dry apples completely. Remove stems. Insert craft sticks into centers of apples.
Combine caramels, marshmallow creme and water in small saucepan. Simmer over low heat until caramels melt and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Immediately dip apples, one at a time, into caramel to cover completely. Scrape excess caramel from bottom of apple onto side of saucepan, letting excess drip back into pan.
Immediately roll apples in nuts to lightly coat, pressing nuts lightly with fingers so they stick to caramel. Place apples, stick side up, on prepared baking sheet. Let stand 20 minutes or until caramel is set.
Place chocolate in small resealable plastic freezer bag; seal bag. Microwave at MEDIUM power 1 minute. Turn bag over; repeat until melted. Knead bag until chocolate is smooth. Cut off very tiny corner of bag; pipe or drizzle chocolate over apples. Let apples stand 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store loosely covered in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Note: We didn't care for the chocolate. It was a bit much for our taste buds. Next time we might consider trying a milk chocolate otherwise none at all. We will also use smaller apples.
Live and learn.

Company Chicken

2008-10-07T22:22:00.004-04:00

My cupboards were pretty bare and Trent invited our neighbors for supper, so I scoured my cookbooks and found this gem. The ingredient list is minimal, things that are usually lurking in the back of my cupboards. The recipe is from a fellow medical school spouse, Alana DeGooyer. The best part is that it can be made in the oven or crock-pot!

Salt and Pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup water
1 cup cream of chicken soup
1 pkg. stuffing mix, premade (or left over stuffing)
1/4 cup butter
4 slices Swiss cheese (don't limit yourself here, mozzarella is yummy too)

Oven directions: Preheat oven to 350 F. In an 8x8-inch pan place chicken with cheese over each chicken breast. Combine soup with water and spoon over chicken. Spoon stuffing mixture on top of that. Melt and drizzle butter on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes.

Crock-pot directions: Turn crock-pot to high. Place chicken breasts in crock-pot with cheese over top. Combine soup with water and spoon over chicken. Stuffing goes on top of that. Melt and drizzle with butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-4 hours until chicken is done.

Sticky Buns and Fingerling Potatoes

2008-10-06T03:11:00.003-04:00

I was craving Mom's cinnamon rolls to gobble down while watching General Conference on the computer. I looked in the Family Cookbook for the recipe and this is what I found just in front of it. A lovely short cut recipe for sticky buns from Grandma Marge. It is hard for me to believe that she has ever used this short cut recipe herself. She assured me she has when I dialed her up about it. So give them a whirl because they were very simple and very sticky and very delicious!

Quick Sticky Buns - pg. 119 in Family Cookbook
1 pkg frozen rolls, 16 count (I only had 12)
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 pkg butterscotch pudding, not instant!
1 stick butter, melted
1 c chopped nuts

Place all ingredients in a buttered bundt pan in order. Cover and place in oven overnight. Uncover and place pan in oven prior to preheating the oven. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes.

*******************************

I saw these fingerling potatoes on my fave blog Orangette a while ago and have been thinking and thinking of them. She doesn't care much for potatoes but she fell in love with these tiny Russian Banana potatoes. I love a potato just about any way you can think to cook a potato. I knew I would love them. And I did! Cesar said they were a winner. Hugo thought they were apple slices and inhaled them. Winner I tell you. Make them, but don't plan on having any for leftovers!

Fingerling Potatoes with Chives and Parsley
Adapted from Gourmet, July 2008

These would be delicious with almost anything: roasted chicken (served hot or cold), eggs any style, salmon (served hot or cold), you name it.

1 ½ lb. fingerling potatoes, such as Russian Banana
1 ½ cups water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large garlic clove, pressed
½ tsp. salt
A few grinds of black pepper
3 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

Peel the potatoes, and halve them lengthwise.

Combine the potatoes, water, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a nonstick 10-inch skillet.

Place the skillet over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat slightly, and continue to simmer briskly, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the lid, and continue to cook until most of the water has evaporated and the potatoes are glazed, about 5 minutes. Stir in the herbs.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with extra salt for sprinkling.

*I completely copied what she said except for two things.

A. I gave up on peeling the boogers and left the skins on. Didn't change a thing.
B. Forgot the chives at the market. Just went without. Still majorly yummy.

P.S. - We had them with a little trout and a little salmon and a nice big spinach salad with English cucumbers, cranberries, sunflower seeds and fresh mozzarella.

Lemon Chicken

2008-09-29T03:00:00.001-04:00

I love this lemon chicken! Cesar loves this lemon chicken! Hugo loves this lemon chicken! We all love this lemon chicken recipe and it is sooo simple that you'll love it too! Just so you know, I found this recipe on the back of a package of frozen Tyson chicken breasts.

Best Lemon Chicken
serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbls finely chopped red pepper (optional) (yeah, I am not a red pepper fan, it was omitted)
1 Tbls Dijon Mustard
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (I cheated and used minced from a jar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
chopped parsley

Remove protective ice glaze from frozen chicken breasts. Mix all ingredients, reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Pour remaining marinade over single layer of chicken. Refrigerate 20 min. (I have left this to marinade in the fridge overnight, it tasted the same as the 20 minute marinade - yummy!)

Chicken can be grilled or broiled, left whole or chopped in half. (I have only broiled this recipe out of quick convenience for moi.) Broil 5 minutes. Baste chicken; cook 3 minutes or until golden. Turn chicken; baste. Cook 6-8 minutes, or until juices run clear and temperature reaches 170 degrees.

I have served this with my Mother-in-laws carrot and/or spinach rice. Great way to get extra veggies sneaked into the kids tummies!

Carrot Rice

1 c rice
2-3 or 4 carrots, you choose, peeled and finely chopped, we like a lot of carrots!
olive oil to coat bottom of pan, I like to use a pasta pot so nothing bubbles over
1 Tbls minced garlic, again, I use the jar stuff, my Portuguese MIL does so I do too!
1 can chicken broth, plus a quarter can of water
salt and pepper to taste

With pot on medium heat coat bottom of pan with olive oil just to cover. Once heated through add garlic, allow to become golden stirring all the while. Add carrots, rice, chicken broth, salt & pepper and water. Bring to soft boil, cover with lid and simmer on low till done. 20 minutes? I kinda ignore it while I make something else. Taste rice, not soft? add a little more water and simmer. Once done, remove from heat to rest 5-10 minutes covered. Stir and pour into serving dish.

*The carrots can be substituted for spinach, a lot of spinach because it cooks down quickly, any greens really, mushrooms or diced tomatoes. Easy and addictive side dish.