We had this for dinner tonight, it is a family favorite. My sister (Aunt Didi) sent me a recipe for this years ago, and, of course, I tweaked it to make it work for us. So, here goes my version....
Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box wild rice mix
1 cup white rice
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray large casserole dish with cooking spray. Mix wild rice and white rice in casserole dish. Sprinkle with seasonings from rice mix. Cut chicken breasts in half through the plane (long way). Put the chicken on top of the seasonings, then turn the chicken over so seasoning side is up. Pour water and Worcestershire sauce around edge of casserole. Dot butter around casserole on top of rice. Spread cranberry sauce on top of chicken. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes uncovered. Serve with salad or green beans for a super easy meal. If you don't need to feed 6 hungry people, make this with 1 pound of chicken, don't use the white rice, and reduce the Worcestershire sauce and water by half. The cranberry sauce is so good on the chicken that you will want to use all of it!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Something new to me...Roasted Asparagus
I have never cooked asparagus in the oven before, but tonight I decided to try it and it was really good! And of course, super easy!
Roasted Asparagus
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash 2 small bunches of asparagus. Snap off ends (at wherever they want to snap). Put in large flat pan. Toss asparagus with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Put pan in oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yum!
Roasted Asparagus
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash 2 small bunches of asparagus. Snap off ends (at wherever they want to snap). Put in large flat pan. Toss asparagus with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Put pan in oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Yum!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Apple Bundt Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze
Okay, this cake is perfect for fall, and the glaze is yummy! This recipe is cobbled together from a couple so no credits to any....
Apple Bundt Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups peeled, diced apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your Bundt pan by rubbing a knob of butter all over the inside, including the center post. Combine two tablespoons sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle all around the inside of the Bundt pan. (Roll the pan to cover all the surfaces.) Peel and dice the apples, toss with the other two tablespoons sugar,one teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, applesauce, apple juice, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until smooth, add the remaining flour (2 and 1/4 cups). Stir in the apples by hand. Pour batter into the pan, bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, cake will be dark and firm. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then put on large plate.
While cake is cooking, make the glaze.
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped (yes, pecans, you are after all southerners)
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream (yes, heavy cream, you are after all my children)
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add pecans, brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil (this is a boil that cannot be stirred down), boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool until thickened. Add in vanilla, spoon over warm cake. If you did not put the cake on a large plate, you may end up with glaze all over your kitchen counter. Ask me how I know. Make a pot of coffee, I will be right over.
Apple Bundt Cake with Butter Pecan Glaze
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups peeled, diced apples
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 and 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice or apple cider
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your Bundt pan by rubbing a knob of butter all over the inside, including the center post. Combine two tablespoons sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle all around the inside of the Bundt pan. (Roll the pan to cover all the surfaces.) Peel and dice the apples, toss with the other two tablespoons sugar,one teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of flour. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, applesauce, apple juice, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until smooth, add the remaining flour (2 and 1/4 cups). Stir in the apples by hand. Pour batter into the pan, bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, cake will be dark and firm. Let cake cool for 10 minutes, then put on large plate.
While cake is cooking, make the glaze.
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped (yes, pecans, you are after all southerners)
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream (yes, heavy cream, you are after all my children)
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add pecans, brown sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup. Bring to a rolling boil (this is a boil that cannot be stirred down), boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool until thickened. Add in vanilla, spoon over warm cake. If you did not put the cake on a large plate, you may end up with glaze all over your kitchen counter. Ask me how I know. Make a pot of coffee, I will be right over.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Aunt Lauren's Minestrone Soup
I love this soup, I love it especially when Aunt Lauren makes it, hers is always better than mine!
Aunt Lauren's Minestrone Soup
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic
2 onions
5 carrots, scraped
3 stalks celery, washed
5 to 6 potatoes, peeled
1 32 ounce carton low sodium beef broth
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup rice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
black pepper
salt to taste (don't add any salt until right before serving, you may not need much)
Brown the hamburger meat in a frying pan. Drain, and add to soup pot. While meat is browning, chop veggies into bite size pieces. Add to soup pot, along with beef broth, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook, covered, until potatoes are just about done, then add rice. Serve with Parmesan cheese, crackers, or homemade cornbread if you really want your family to love you. Makes great leftovers. You can add pasta instead of rice if you want, and/or a can of drained, rinsed kidney beans. This soup is no work at all if you have MK around to prep all the veggies!
Aunt Lauren's Minestrone Soup
1 pound ground beef
3 cloves garlic
2 onions
5 carrots, scraped
3 stalks celery, washed
5 to 6 potatoes, peeled
1 32 ounce carton low sodium beef broth
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup rice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp thyme
black pepper
salt to taste (don't add any salt until right before serving, you may not need much)
Brown the hamburger meat in a frying pan. Drain, and add to soup pot. While meat is browning, chop veggies into bite size pieces. Add to soup pot, along with beef broth, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook, covered, until potatoes are just about done, then add rice. Serve with Parmesan cheese, crackers, or homemade cornbread if you really want your family to love you. Makes great leftovers. You can add pasta instead of rice if you want, and/or a can of drained, rinsed kidney beans. This soup is no work at all if you have MK around to prep all the veggies!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
As long as I have the red cookbook out, I am going to post another recipe. This one might have come from Family Fun magazine too, but I am not sure about that. This is an easy recipe that really hits the spot.
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can pineapple slices, in pineapple juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
6-8 rolls, (deli sandwich rolls, hamburger buns)
Drain the pineapple, saving the juice into a bowl. Add the soy sauce, honey, molasses, mustard, garlic, and ginger to pineapple juice. Slice the chicken in half to make thinner pieces. Cook the chicken in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, turn pieces over to brown both sides. When chicken is done, add pineapple juice mixture to pan, cook a minute or so. Remove chicken to plate, add pineapple slices to pan. Let simmer in juice for 2 to 3 minutes. Put a slice of pineapple on top of each piece of chicken. Turn up the heat and let pineapple juice reduce a little bit. Serve chicken on a roll with mayo, lettuce, and reduced pineapple juice. If you don't have honey and molasses, just use 2 tablespoons of whatever you have. The sauce is easily adjustable to your personal taste. If you don't have fresh ginger, use a little ginger from your spice cabinet.
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large can pineapple slices, in pineapple juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
6-8 rolls, (deli sandwich rolls, hamburger buns)
Drain the pineapple, saving the juice into a bowl. Add the soy sauce, honey, molasses, mustard, garlic, and ginger to pineapple juice. Slice the chicken in half to make thinner pieces. Cook the chicken in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, turn pieces over to brown both sides. When chicken is done, add pineapple juice mixture to pan, cook a minute or so. Remove chicken to plate, add pineapple slices to pan. Let simmer in juice for 2 to 3 minutes. Put a slice of pineapple on top of each piece of chicken. Turn up the heat and let pineapple juice reduce a little bit. Serve chicken on a roll with mayo, lettuce, and reduced pineapple juice. If you don't have honey and molasses, just use 2 tablespoons of whatever you have. The sauce is easily adjustable to your personal taste. If you don't have fresh ginger, use a little ginger from your spice cabinet.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Hoecakes
These are great for breakfast. The original recipe came from Martha Stewart Living magazine, and, as usual, I have tweaked it to suit us.
Hoecakes
1 and 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (use corn oil if you have any)
Stir together cornmeal, flour, and sugar. Add wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs, and oil). Stir just until combined. Add more buttermilk or plain milk if batter needs thinning. Cook in frying pans sprayed with cooking spray. Serve with butter, honey, golden syrup, or regular syrup. My vote goes to honey!
Hoecakes
1 and 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil (use corn oil if you have any)
Stir together cornmeal, flour, and sugar. Add wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs, and oil). Stir just until combined. Add more buttermilk or plain milk if batter needs thinning. Cook in frying pans sprayed with cooking spray. Serve with butter, honey, golden syrup, or regular syrup. My vote goes to honey!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Jambalaya
This recipe is a modification of a recipe published in the AJC years ago. I don't make any claims towards authenticity because I have only spent a lovely 20 hours in Louisiana. Our friends from New Orleans, Gwen P. and her amazing daughter Amanda (the next world famous ballerina/dancer), are some of the nicest people in the world and Gwen makes the best jambalaya I ever tasted. They don't use tomatoes in their jambalaya, the very idea gave them the giggles, but this is a fairly quick dinner to put together.
Jambalaya
2 small chorizo sausages
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
32 ounces chicken stock
1 package smoked sausage
1 14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons of Emeril's Bayou Blast
1 pound shrimp in the shell
You will need two frying pans to make this dish, a small one and a large non-stick one that has a lid. Start by removing the casings from the chorizo and fry it in the small frying pan over medium heat. Chop the onion, bell pepper, and celery into small pieces, add to large frying pan. Cook over medium heat. Mince garlic and add to veggies. When sausage is done, drain on paper towels. Slice smoked sausage into nickle slices. When veggies are soft, add drained chorizo sausage, rice, and chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes, then add tomatoes, the Bayou Blast and smoked sausage. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, adding water if rice starts to stick. Add shrimp (stir into rice), recover and cook until shrimp is pink. Serve with hot sauce and sliced cucumbers. Dad, B., and I liked our cucumbers in vinegar, the girls like 'em plain.
Jambalaya
2 small chorizo sausages
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
2 cups rice
32 ounces chicken stock
1 package smoked sausage
1 14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons of Emeril's Bayou Blast
1 pound shrimp in the shell
You will need two frying pans to make this dish, a small one and a large non-stick one that has a lid. Start by removing the casings from the chorizo and fry it in the small frying pan over medium heat. Chop the onion, bell pepper, and celery into small pieces, add to large frying pan. Cook over medium heat. Mince garlic and add to veggies. When sausage is done, drain on paper towels. Slice smoked sausage into nickle slices. When veggies are soft, add drained chorizo sausage, rice, and chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes, then add tomatoes, the Bayou Blast and smoked sausage. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, adding water if rice starts to stick. Add shrimp (stir into rice), recover and cook until shrimp is pink. Serve with hot sauce and sliced cucumbers. Dad, B., and I liked our cucumbers in vinegar, the girls like 'em plain.
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