Orange Chicken served with Couscous

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

Juice of 4 tangerines or 6 clementines(I used satsumas and it worked great)

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Ground ginger to taste

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup shredded carrots

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups couscous

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and cook in the hot pan until brown on both sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan you cooked the chicken add citrus juice, brown sugar, ginger, and 1/2 cup chicken stock and simmer until syrupy, 5-6 minutes.

While the sauce cooks, heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oil in a saucepot over medium heat and saute carrots and green onion for 3-4 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups stock and bring to a boil.  Then stir in couscous.  Cover the pot and turn heat off.  Let couscous stand for 5 minutes, fluff with fork. 

To serve, slice chicken breasts on a bias and fan them out on a bed of couscous. Drizzle with citrus sauce over everything.

*as adapted from the Rachel Ray Show

The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I keep adding chocolate chip cookie recipes, but I keep finding ways to improve upon them.  So here is my new,by far, ultimate favorite.

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1/2 tsp molasses 

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.
-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined. 
-Beat in egg, yolk, molasses and vanilla until combined. 
-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.
-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.
-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy (about 17 minutes in my oven). 
-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
2 c. buttermilk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 2 large lemons
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare mini loaf pans (or 1 large loaf pan)
-In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, poppy seeds and whisk to combine; set aside.
-In medium bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and whisk to combine; set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, add butter, shortening, and sugar and beat on high until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly before adding the next.
-Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts alternating with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour and mixing until incorporated.
-Scrape batter into pans and spread evenly.
-Place in oven and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 30 minutes (or 45-55 for a large loaf).

*found on good things catered blog

Monkey Munch

9 cups Chex, Life or Granola cereal (we used Granola)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Put cereal in a large bowl and set aside.  Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a quart-sized microwavable bowl.  Stir the ingredients together.  Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on "high."  Stir the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it mixes smoothly.  Add the vanilla and stir.  Pour over the cereal while stirring..  Put combination into a 2-gallon, Ziploc freezer bag.  Add powdered sugar, seal the bag and shake until distributed.  Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool and dry.  Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for storage.

Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg

1 cup milk 

2 Tbsp. cooking oil

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.  Combine the egg, milk, and oil.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy)  DON'T OVERMIX!  Cook over medium heat about 2 minus on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry.  Serve warm.

For whole wheat pancakes substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose and brown sugar for white sugar.

Enchiladas

Sauce:

4 heaping Tbsp. flour 1 tsp. garlic salt or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 or 2 heaping Tbsp. chili powder 1 can tomato soup

1 tsp. cumin

Enchiladas:

1 lb. hamburger 12 corn tortillas

1 medium onion, chopped

Approx. 1 lb. cheese, grated (i use cheddar jack)

Sauce: Put all dry ingredients in pan; add enough water with a wire whisk to make a smooth paste.  Put over medium heat; add 2 cups more cold water and stir fast.  Continue stirring.  When it starts to thicken, add tomato soup and stir good till blended.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add more chili powder if needed.

Filling:  Fry hamburger and onion (season while frying).  Drain and then add about 1/2 to 1 cup sauce.  Set aside.  Deep-fry each tortilla in a small amount of oil for just a couple seconds on each side.  Drain tortillas on paper towels.  Fill tortillas with hamburger and/or grated cheese.  Roll up and place seam side down in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Pour remaining sauce over top.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies!

So I was hesitant to put this recipe on my blog because in my opinion these cookies are amazing!  I took what I liked from several different recipes and came up with this.  I don't have a picture either, because everytime we make them they are gone so quick I don't get have a chance to get a picture.  Maybe I will just put up a general cookie picture!  

Mix together in a small bowl: 

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix together in a large mixing bowl:

1 1/4 cup coconut oil - use Spectrum unrefined extra-virgin.  It contains the most flavor.  It's more expensive, but so worth it!

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

a little more than 1 tsp vanilla

depending on egg size 2-3 eggs.  If extra large eggs, use 2.  If medium or large use 3.

1/2 tsp molasses

Mix your wet ingredients thoroughly and then add dry ingredients.  Mix just till combined.  Then add 2-3 cups chocolate chips.  Press dough into a 9 x 12 x 13 pan.  Bake at 375 for 10- 15 minutes.  Don't overcook!  Enjoy!

Crusty Pizza Dough

1 package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 1/2-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl.  Add salt, olive oil, and 2 1/2 cups flour.  Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer.  Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 min.  Continuing on Speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix about 2 minutes, or until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl.  Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.  Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover.  Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.  Punch dough down.  Brush 14 inch pizza pan with oil.  Sprinkle with cornmeal.  Press dough across bottom of pan, forming a collar around edge to hold toppings.  Add toppings, as desired.  Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes.

Meat 'n' Cheese Stromboli

1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings

1 medium green pepper, sliced into rings - we used red pepper

1 tablespoon butter- we used grapeseed oil

2 loaves (16 ounces each) frozen bread dough, thawed - we used our whole wheat bread recipe

1/2 pound thinly sliced hard salami - we didn't use this

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham

1/2 pound sliced mozzarella cheese - we used colby jack

1/2 pound sliced mild cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until crisp tender; set aside.  On two greased baking sheets, roll each loaf of dough into a 15 in. x 12 in. rectangle.  Arrange the salami, ham and cheeses lengthwise over half of each rectangle to within 1/2 in. of edges.  Top with onion mixture; sprinkle with Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper.  Fold dough over filling; pinch edges to seal well.  Brush with egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake at 400 for 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Note:  We only made one loaf using half of the dough that my wheat recipe yields.  It makes a ton.  Also because I used my own bread recipe I cooked it at 350 for 30 minutes.  It was amazing!  

Whole Wheat Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies!

O.k. I know what you are thinking . . . these are probably a disgusting attempt at a healthier cookie.   I have been creating and experimenting for a long time now and this is what I came up with.  I like them because they have no butter and use whole wheat flour without being a super dense cookie.  We liked them, but you be the judge!

a little less than a cup of natural applesauce

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs . . . if using medium eggs be sure to use 3

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups wheat flour

1 cup white unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Combine applesauce, sugars, eggs and vanilla.  Mix together flours, salt, and soda then add to the applesauce mixture.  Combine and then add chocolate chips.  Grease cookie sheet and then add spoonfuls of dough evenly spaced onto cookie sheet.   Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 mins.  Let cool on the pan for 2 mins.   Then let cool or if you are like my family don't wait and eat them while they are hot!  Enjoy!  

Let me know what you think or if you found ways to improve the recipe.  Thanks!

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

2 Cups uncooked elbow macaroni . . . we used "nemo" pasta at the girls request

1/4 Cup butter, cubed . . . we used I can't Believe it's not butter, light

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

2 Cups milk . . . we used skim

4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.  In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth.  Whisk in the milk, bouillon, and pepper.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese, ham, parmesan cheese and macaroni.  Transfer to a 2 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20-25 mins. or until bubbly.  Let stand for 5 mins. before serving.

The picture isn't the best, but it was really good and the girls loved it!

Our Family's Favorite Recipes!

This blog is for family and friends looking for new recipes!  I love to cook and bake and so in an effort to compile all of my family's favorites I thought I would create this blog to do so.  When I feel I have put in enough I will make a book of them all and whoever wants it I can make a copy for them also.  Enjoy!