Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry

I got really ambitious a few weeks ago and decided to make recipes from Pinterest for an entire week. It was fun to try new recipes. Some recipes were really good, some were just ok. Luckily, there weren't any that were so bad that we had to throw it away and go out to dinner.
 

We really like curry at our house. This recipe is really easy and super yummy. The only thing that was complicated was trying to find the Garam Masala spice mixture in my grocery store. There really isn't a whole lot of ethnic diversity in the grocery stores here. Trying to find more than one option of taco sauce, which is considered Mexican food here, is next to impossible. So you can only imagine my delight when I found Garam Masala in the store and didn't have to make a special trip to the international market.

The ease of making this in the slow cooker was great. The chicken was so moist
and tender. One minor side note, if you have never used coconut milk before, there are 2 things you should know. First, there is a difference between coconut milk and coconut cream. Coconut milk is just that, the milk of the coconut, unsweetened. Coconut cream is sweetened and thicker. You use coconut cream in pina coladas. You do not want to use coconut cream in your curry. I don't think it would taste very good. Secondly, somewhere printed on the can it will tell you which end to open (usually the bottom.) There is some really gross (in my opinion) looking 'fat' in the coconut milk can that separates out and if you open the wrong end you will have that 'fat' sealing in all the coconut milk. If you open the wrong end of the can, like I did, this will not be an issue seeing as how the coconut milk and the greasy 'fat' stuff all goes into the curry. You just scoop it out and throw it in the food processor. But if you were to only need the milk and not the fat, it would make your life much easier to open the right end of the can. Now that I have probably turned you off from wanting to make this recipe, trust me that it is really delicious and just go ahead and make it.

Slow Cooker Coconut Chicken Curry
From Barefoot and Baking

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into large cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and halved
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 red pepper, seeded and quartered
1 can tomato paste (about 4 oz)
1 can coconut milk (about 14 oz)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon Garam Masala (Indian spice mix)
2 Tablespoons water
1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 bunch cilantro

Place chicken cubes in slow cooker.

Place the remaining ingredients, except cornstarch, water and cilantro, in a food processor and process together until smooth. Pour sauce mix on top of the chicken, mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

An hour before serving, mix together water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Add to the chicken curry and mix well. Place the lid back on for the rest of the cooking time.

Serve on top of steaming white rice (something aromatic like jasmine or basmati.) Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne

Another recipe that I have found on Pinterest is Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne. I have made this a couple of times. It is really good and very simple. This is prefect for a 'Meatless Monday' meal.

I really like the depth and dimension of flavor that the roasted red peppers add. It took me a while to figure out where the heck to find the roasted red peppers in the grocery store. I finally gave up and found a store employee and asked them. They can be found with the olives and pickles. I guess that makes sense.

If you want to be really ambitious, you can make your own pesto for this recipe. If you want to be lazy (like me), you can use store bought pesto. Sam's Club has some really good jarred pesto, Artisan Fresh, that can be found in the refrigerator section with the specialty cheeses and pastas. I have done both. And in all honesty, I think I like the store bought pesto route a little better. Maybe because I put in more pesto than when I follow the recipe to make my own and I really like pesto.

Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto Penne
From Annie's Eats

2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup roasted red bell peppers (fresh of jarred)
1 cup basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place garlic and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add Parmesan, red pepper, basil leaves, salt and pepper. Pulse until well combined. With the motor running, add olive oil through the feed tube and process until incorporated. Set aside.

If you are using store bought pesto, combine 1 cup pesto and roasted red peppers in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Add the pesto to the pasta and stir to combine. Stir in heave cream. Heat until warmed through. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Pudding Sugar Cookies

As part of my cooking spree from Pinterest, I made these cookies a little while ago. They were YUMMY and oh so simple to make. I really liked the pudding in the mix. It made them stay moist for much longer than regular cookies. And the cookie dough is delicious to eat with all that pudding in there. I personally think these cookies are better the second day. Don't ask me why, because I can't tell you. Maybe because the next day I was really craving something sweet and these hit the spot, or they really are better, who knows?

Pudding Sugar Cookies
From Jadi's Favorite Recipes

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, cream butter, oil and sugars for 4-5 minutes. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and dry pudding mix. Combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookies sheets. Slightly flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges. Be careful not to over bake these. Immediately move to a wire rack and sprinkle with more sugar.

Enjoy!

Winger's Sticky Fingers

Supposedly, this chicken tastes like Winger's sticky fingers. I cannot tell you for sure if this is true or not because the last time I at at Winger's was over 6 years ago. What I do know is that this chicken is AMAZING! We call it candy chicken in our house. It is ridiculously easy to make and finger licking good.

Winger's Sticky Fingers or Candy Chicken
From Favorite Family Recipes

1/3 cup Franks Hot Sauce
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1 package frozen breaded chicken tenders (I use the Tyson brand you can get at Costco or Sam's.)

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan until all the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding the chicken. The wings turn out best if you don't pour warm sauce over them. You want the sauce to be nice and thick.

Bake chicken according to packaged directions until crispy and cooked through. Dip each piece of chicken in the sauce so it is completely covered and move to a serving plate. Pour any remaining sauce over the chicken.

Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing. I make the homemade Hidden Valley Ranch dressing but replace half the milk with sour cream to thicken it up a little.

Enjoy!

Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting

These cookies are DELICIOUS!!! I found the recipe on...wait for it, wait for it...yes, you guessed it PINTEREST! Why are we not surprised? I think I may spend a little too much time on there some days. But these cookies are well worth the wasted time if you ask me. I have always wanted to try using applesauce in place of oil in things but have not been brave enough. So I figured why not start with a recipe that actually calls for applesauce just to see how they would taste. They were soooo good! And the caramel frosting...I could (and did) eat that stuff by the spoonfuls! There is a good possibility that I might just make the frosting and not the cookies one of these days because it was that good.

The cookie is more like cake. It isn't your traditional dense cookie dough. It is more like a thick cake batter. I tell you this so that you are not alarmed when you get done making the dough and think that you have done something seriously wrong because it doesn't look like cookie dough. I had that moment of panic, but after re-reading the recipe and verifying that I followed it correctly, I went ahead and popped the cookie in the over and hoped for the best. They turned out perfect.

Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting
From Chef In Training

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups applesauce
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cloves. Set aside.

Cream sugar and shortening together. Add eggs and applesauce and mix well. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

Drop small spoonfuls of batter on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting.

Caramel Frosting

6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, combine butter, heavy cream and brown sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool. Spread frosting over cookies.

Enjoy!

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

This recipe is great when you realize around 3:30 or 4pm that you haven't even began to think of anything for dinner. I pull out some pork chops that I keep in the freezer and throw them in a bowl of water to thaw. *Make sure your meat is completely sealed in a ziplock bag. Otherwise water will get in and that would be gross.) They usually thaw in about 30 minutes. This marinade is simple and quick and is made with stuff that you always have on hand (or at least I do). It is a great last-minute meal idea.

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless, thin cut pork chops
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together ketchup, honey, soy sauce and garlic. Divide. Put 1/3 of the marinade in a small bowl and set aside.

Lightly season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Using the remaining 2/3 of the marinade, brush each chop with the sauce to coat.

Grill on medium-high heat, basting often with the marinade (using the remaining 2/3 of the marinade as to not contaminate the stuff you will use for dipping sauce later.) Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until meat is cooked through.

Serve with the additional sauce set aside in the beginning.

Enjoy!

Southwestern Quinoa Wraps with Chipotle Dressing

For those of you who do not know what quinoa is, here is a little background info. Quinoa, pronounced ki:nwa, is a little grain-like seed that is a complete protein. It has a slightly nutty flavor and is light and fluffy when cooked. It is pretty healthy for you...it has all sorts of vitamins and minerals and such, I guess. I am no expert. I just found this info on the web.

I got a large bag of quinoa at Costco. I split it with a friend since I wasn't sure if we were going to like it and I wasn't about to bring home a 10 pound bag of something we weren't going to eat. I am assuming that you can also get quinoa at your local grocery store, or a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. One thing to keep in mind is to read the packaging to determine if the quinoa has already been processed to remove the bitter outside shell. If not, make sure that you soak and rinse it before you cook it.

Since I had a ton of quinoa in my pantry, I have been looking for recipes to use it in. I found this recipe at Epicurean Mom and it looked really good so I thought I would give it a try. Turns out it is really good. I forgot to put the bell peppers on it. I realized it right as we sat down to eat but figured we would skip it so I didn't have to get up and slice them all up when our son was gunning to eat already. I think the bell peppers would only make it that much better.
 

Southwestern Quinoa Wraps with Chipotle Dressing
Makes 4 wraps

For the Chipotle Dressing:
3/4 cup plain yogurt (The original recipe called for Greek yogurt, but I had plain in the fridge so I went with it.)
1 teaspoon adobo sauce* (I added a little more. Taste and then add a little at a time. That adobo sauce has quite the kick to it.)
1 chipotle chili, seeded and chopped*
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients together. Mix until well incorporated, set aside.

For the Wraps:
1 cup quinoa
2-2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, warmed or cold

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt
1 avocado, sliced
1 can sweet white corn, drained
2 bell peppers, grilled and sliced into strips (any color will work)
10" flour totrillas

Heat chicken broth and quinoa in a small sauce pan until just boiling. Turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until just tender. Fluff with a fork. Keep warm and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add onion and pinch of salt. Cook until browned and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Keep warm and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place drained corn in baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until just browning, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Don't forget to grill and slice the bell peppers! And slice the avocados.

To Assemble:
 Slather chipotle sauce over the middle of the tortilla. Scoop a heaping spoonful of black beans, quinoa, caramelized onions and corn on top. Place bell pepper strips over the top and finish with avocado slices. Roll and enjoy!


*Buy the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They can be found in the international/ethnic food isle.

Chicken Cordon Bleu {the easy way} with Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce

I came across this recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu from Mel's Kitchen Cafe while wasting time on Pinterst one day. I liked how easy this recipe was. We really like chicken cordon bleu but I  always dread making it because it always seems labor intensive to me. I am always stabbing several toothpicks into the rolls trying to keep them together and keep the cheese inside, without much luck. This recipe you just slice your breasts in half, instead of pounding them thin, and put the ham, cheese and bread crumbs right on top. It doesn't get any easier than that! I fell in love with panko bread crumbs. I had never used them before this recipe, and I don't think I will ever go back to regular bread crumbs now. And the sauce is simple and delicious. The only change I made to the original recipe was cutting the salt out of the sauce. The chicken bullion gives it enough salt for my liking. If you want you can always add salt to taste.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce

Chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (like you are butterflying, but finish the cut)
12 slices deli ham
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Paremsan-Dijon Cream Sauce:
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bullion granules (or 1 chicken bullion cube, crushed)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melter butter; set aside.

Lay chicken breast halves in a single layer in the baking dish. Top each breast with two slices of ham and two slices of Swiss cheese. It is okay for the ham and cheese to overlap, as long as the entire breast is covered. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through (clear juices), the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden brown.

While the chicken bakes, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour the milk while whisking constantly, make sure there are no clumps. Stir in the bullion. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thinken, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep sauce warm.

Remove chicken from oven, plate and top with sauce.

Enjoy!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Best Brownies

Best Brownies!  My friend made these for me one day and they were heavenly!

Best Brownies Recipe
Best Brownies
See how to make moist, fudgy, perfectly decadent brownies.

READY IN1 hr

Best Brownies

Original recipe makes 16 brownies
 
 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.
  4. To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.
 
 
Thanks to AllRecipes.com & Amber Jardine for the idea!

Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup


Amy tried and loved!
Enjoy!


Coconut & Chicken Curry Soup


Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces 1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. grated ginger 
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened coconut milk 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced 2 tsp. curry powder
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin or diced 2 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish 
1/2 c. unsweetened chipped coconut
2 cups freshly cooked jasmine rice (optional)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium sized soup pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and onions, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until cooked through and golden. Add ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and jalapeno. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cilantro and simmer an additional 3 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon rice into bowls. Top with a ladle or two of soup. Garnish with additional cilantro and shredded coconut.   

NOTES:

We cooked more rice and served the soup over rice, more like a traditional curry. I would recommend letting the soup sit for about 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors fully develop.
*Ginger can typically be found in the cooler of the produce section, usually near the fresh herbs, and other root vegetables. Peel the ginger and put into a ziplock bag. Store it in the freezer until ready to used. Grate ginger frozen. It makes is a million times easier to grate. Trying to grate fresh ginger usually ends up with a juicy, stingy mess and it is hard to gauge how much you have grated. You can store ginger in the freezer for several months.
**You can use either regular coconut milk or low fat/lite. If you want to go for a healthy soup use the lite coconut milk and reduced sodium chicken broth and omit the rice.
Make sure you use UNSWEETENED coconut milk, and definitely not coconut cream.
Coconut milk can be found in the ethnic (Asian/Mexican) food isle. Oh and open the can from the bottom. The milk settles to the bottom and the fat rises to the top. Make sure you scrape out all that coconut oil/fat in the can. That is where a lot of the flavor is. I was not able to find unsweetened chipped or shredded coconut and skipped it all together.
***You can use either yellow curry or red curry powder. We use yellow, which tends to be more mild. Curry can be found with the spices in the baking isle. 

Special thanks to Amy Karren who provided us with this recipe!

Sweet Dinner Rolls


Jen tried these and said they are better than Lion House rolls!  They make 16 rolls a batch, they usually triple the recipe and freeze them to use like rhodes rolls. 
Enjoy!




  • READY INABOUT hrs

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Read Reviews (1986)
"This dough makes wonderful dinner rolls but can also be used to make cinnamon rolls. Mixing it in your bread machine but bake the rolls in the oven. They're light, soft and sweet." —  
+Recipe Box+Shopping List+MenuPrint

Ingredients Edit and Save

Original recipe makes 16 rollsChange Servings

Directions

  1. Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
  2. When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.














Thanks to all recipes.com for the recipe!