Street Corn Nachos

Cliss has been making chips with cheese on them. The basic recipe goes as follows:

Chips and Mexican cheese layered  and then sprinkled with the Street Corn seasoning with Lime.

Broil in oven until melted. Eat.

Here is another version of that.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. 

extra-virgin olive oil

3 c. 

frozen corn

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 

jalapeño, seeded and minced

2 tbsp. 

lime juice, divided, plus wedges for serving

1/4 c. 

sour cream

2 tbsp. 

mayonnaise

1 

(9-oz.) package corn tortilla chips

2 1/2 c. 

shredded Monterey Jack

2 tbsp. 

crumbled cotija

2 tbsp. 

freshly chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large ovenproof skillet over high heat, heat oil. Add corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing until just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer corn to a large bowl and wipe the skillet. 

1. Stir in jalapeño and 1 tablespoon lime juice to the corn. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, mayonnaise, and remaining tablespoon lime juice. Season with salt.
2. Layer tortilla chips and Monterey Jack in skillet. Bake until cheese is melty, about 5 minutes. 
3. Top broiled tortilla chips with corn mixture. Garnish with mayonnaise mixture, cotija, and cilantro.

Chipotle Chicken Copycat Recipe

• • 1/2 medium red onion coarsely chopped (see notes)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a small can of Chipotle peppers
  • 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder or 1 ounce dried ancho chiles, soaked, see recipe notes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or rice bran oil, plus more for the cooking surface
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano (see notes)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken

  
  

  To make the marinade:

  1. To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 
  2. Blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add water to reach 1 cup.

  To make the chicken:

  1. Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, close the bag, and mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until shimmering (or preheat a grill over medium high heat). Add chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until the temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer. Depending on the size of your skillet, you can cook the chicken in batches.
  3. Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

  To bake the chicken in the oven:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with oil or nonstick spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper, tucking the paper around the chicken so it is completely covered. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F when tested with an internal thermometer.
  2. Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

  Recipe Notes

  To make the marinade with dried ancho chiles:

  1. Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles (wearing gloves is recommended). In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the chiles until fragrant but not smoking, about 5 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 cups (1 quart) water. Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes. Drain well. Add to the food processor with the other marinade ingredients.

Copy Cat Chickfila Nuggets

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup dill pickle juice
• 1 1/2 cups milk, divided
• 1 cup peanut oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

FOR THE HONEY MUSTARD

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the honey mustard, whisk together mayonnaise, honey, mustards and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, pickle juice and 1/2 cup milk; marinate for at least 30 minutes. Drain well.
3. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup milk and egg. Stir in chicken and gently toss to combine; drain excess milk mixture.
5. In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken, flour and confectioners’ sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
7. Serve immediately with honey mustard.

Chicken BBQ tostadas

• 8 tostada shells or 8 corn tortillas, brushed lightly with olive oil and baked for 3-5 minutes per side, until crispy
• 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 1 1/2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce, divided
• 2 cups shredded cheese (Mary uses mozzarella in the cookbook, but I have also used cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a blend)
• 3 green onions, very thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lay out the tostada shells (or baked tortillas) on two rimmed baking sheets.
2. Combine the chicken and 1 cup of the barbecue sauce in a small bowl, and stir to coat.
3. Divide the chicken between the tostada shells and top with the cheese (about ¼ cup on each).
4. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the cheese is melted.
5. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the remaining ½ cup barbecue sauce. Sprinkle with green onions, if desired.

Carne Asada

I had some requests to explain how to make this. It's pretty easy if you have the right ingredients, similar to a steak. This recipe was verbally given to me by my friend Fernando Morales Llan.

It is great for a BBQ, but you need to make completely different sides (beans, rice, etc.)

Here is what you need:
3-4 lbs of the Ranchero cut of meat
      *I usually get this from a Mexican Market. But if you don't have one, it is just flank steak thinly cut. About 1/2 an inch or slightly less.

Carne Steak and Meat Seasoning. I get this at the Mexican Market, but I've seen it at Walmart and Winco.

Directions:
I sprinkle the seasoning over the steak, covering it completely and let it marinate overnight.

The next day I grill the meat until it's cooked. Since it's so thin, it doesn't take long. I let it sit, for a bit, then I slice the meat and it's ready for tacos.

I serve it with Queso Fresco cheese (I get this at the Mexican Market deli.)

I also put salsa on it.

Cheesy Italian Tortellini

This is a recipe I got from my mom. The ingredients on this one can add up really quickly, but it tastes REALLY good. I use this one sometimes when I want to impress someone.

1/2 lb. ground beef (I use turkey)
1/2 lb. Italian Sausage (I prefer not spicy for this recipe)
1 container (15-oz.) refrigerated marinara sauce* (I prefer Buitoni brand)
1 can (14 1/2-oz.) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings, undrained**
1 package (9-oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini (I prefer Buitoni brand to anything else.)
1 cup shredded mozzarella or pizza style cheese (4-oz.)

Break beef and sausage into large pieces in a 10-inch skillet. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until brown. Spray inside of 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Mix beef mixture mixture, marinara sauce, and tomatoes in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. Stir in tortellini; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook on low heat setting about 15 minutes longer or until tortellini is tender.

4-6 servings.

*To make your own marinara sauce: Saute 1-2 garlic cloves, chopped onion and green pepper in olive oil. Add 2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes (or fresh), 1/2 tsp. oregano and 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley. (If using fresh tomatoes add 1/2 tsp. salt.) Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (FOR THE RECORD: I have never made this sauce recipe because I think it sounds gross.)
**A can of plain-diced tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings can be used.

Pressure Cooker Risotto

I have an Instant Pot, which is a combo pressure cooker, rice cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker and more. It's been really fun playing with this new appliance. So if anyone is still reading this blog, I'm about to start putting pressure cooker recipes on here. Brace yourself.

This came from hippressurecooking.com

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups of Arborio Rice (can be substituted with "Short Grain White Pearl" rice)
• 4 cups (or 1L) of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 swig of white wine
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In the pre-heated pressure cooker on medium heat add the oil, and onion. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add the rice and lightly toast it to release the starch. When you add the Arborio rice to the onions, the rice will turn from solid white to translucent as it absorbs the oil and onion juice, then in about a minute back to white. Wait until just a couple of grains look golden and your rice is toasted!
3. Add a swig of white wine and un-stick any grains from the bottom of the cooker with it and stir the rice until the wine has fully evaporated.
4. Add the broth (or broth and veggie mixture), mix and close the top immediately.
5. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker.
6. For electric pressure cookers: Cook for 7 minutes at high pressure.
   For stove top pressure cookers: Turn the heat up to high and when the cooker indicates it has reached high pressure, lower to the heat to maintain it and begin counting 7 minutes pressure cooking time.
7. When time is up, open the cooker by releasing the pressure. For electric pressure cookers cook for a minute less (since the release takes longer) and remove the inner pot from the cooker immediately to keep the rice from over-cooking .
8. The risotto should appear just slightly too wet. Stir, and the rice will continue to absorb the extra liquid in about 30 seconds. If the rice is still very wet, put the open pressure cooker back on a medium flame, without the lid, and finish cooking it this way - stirring often- until it reaches the right consistency.
9. For a classic finish, melt a tablespoon of butter and grated cheese and stir in right before serving.

Tinga

This is a recipe from Isela Garcia. My nephew, Josh, requested authentic Mexican food. So I asked a Mexican for help. She is great and this is very good.

This can be adjusted for larger groups. It's a great party food.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 clove garlic
salt to taste
1 1/2 onions, sliced
6 tomatoes, cubed
1 can whole chipoltes (read directions! You don't need the whole can.)
Chicken bouillon to taste

Boil chicken in water with garlic and salt until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken from water, but save chicken water. Shred chicken.

Sauce:
Put 6 cubbed tomatoes in a blender and blend with chipolte. You will add a couple of the chili's and a little bit of the sauce the chilis are in. With a little bit of chicken water, chicken bouillon and some salt to taste. Should be a paste, not runny!

Grill 1 1/2 sliced onions in a little bit of oil. Once soft add sauce and boil in pan long enough to cook the tomatoes.

Add chicken to sauce. If too thick, add stock from chicken pot.

Put in crockpot to keep warm.

Serve on Tostadas, with sour cream and lettuce.

Suggested sides:
Spanish rice, refried beans, chips, salsa and guacamole.

Carrabbas Chicken Bryan

I'm having a dinner party and this is what I'm making.  Because it's my favorite.  These amounts are for eight people.  I got it from food.com so the amounts can easily changed.

Recipe:

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 to taste kosher salt, to taste
4 to taste fresh ground pepper, to taste
4 to taste olive oil
16 ounces goat cheese
24 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 -16 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
16 teaspoons onions, minced
16 teaspoons garlic, minced
32 tablespoons butter, divided
24 tablespoons white wine
2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon's worth)
Directions:


Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil, season to taste with Kosher salt and cracked pepper.

Grill chicken until done (internal temp of 165F) - prepare lemon butter sauce while chicken is grilling.

Sautee onion and garlic in 2 Tbsp butter until soft and fragrant.

Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes to reduce.

Add remaining 6 Tbsp butter, a little at a time, until it melts and mixture is emulsified.

Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil, heat until hot (but do not overheat or sauce may break).

Top nearly-done chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the goat cheese until cheese warms and softens.

To serve, spoon lemon butter sauce over chicken breasts.

Enjoy! I serve this dish with pasta tossed in butter or olive oil (the delicious lemon butter sauce will perfect it), garlic mashed potatoes and a green salad -- yummmm!

Homemade Chicken n Dumplings

I love going to Cracker Barrel for their Chicken n Dumplings.  I have always wanted to make something similar at home, but every recipe wasn't quite right.  The dumplings, a lot of times ended up tasting like biscuits, not at all what I want.

I just found this blog called, Comfy in the Kitchen, and she has just the kind of food I love to eat every day.  Easy, simple and delicious.

Chicken n Dumplins made EASY!

1 Pre-Roasted Chicken (near your grocer’s deli area)

6 Cups Low Sodium canned chickenbroth

1 Cup water

Dumplins

2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Pour your broth and water in a large heavy saucepan/pot and boil on high heat. Peel back and discard chicken skin and flake off medium sized chunks of your chicken and set aside.

To make the dumplins: Combine the flour, baking powder, 1 ¼ tsp of salt and milk in medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5 mins. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface to ½ inch thickness. Cut ½ inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter.

Drop each square into the simmering broth. The dumplins will swell then shrink as they partially dissolve to thicken the broth into gravy. Simmer 20-30 mins until thick. Stir often. Add chicken and cook another 5 mins. Season with pepper (no salt needed because the broth is salty enough).

Corned Beef

So the same girl, MaryRuth also posted on how to make Corned Beef and Cabbage. I've been trying to find some good directions for it for a while. My mom just tells me it's simple. I know, but what do I do? So MaryRuth wrote it down. I would kiss her if I could. I wonder if she's Irish?

3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
10 small red potatoes
5 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender. 2. Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes. 3. Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.

My notes:
• Add a can of beef broth for extra flavor

• Put the beef in the crock pot, cover with water and cook on high for 6 hours… when the meat is done and its time to cook the vegetables dump all the liquid and meat from the crock pot in to a pan on the stove… bring to a boil and then dump in the potatoes and carrots and cook for ten minutes and then add the cabbage and cook for another 10 minutes… adjust as needed.

Chicken Bryan

I have a confession about Pinterest. I'm a little embarrassed about it actually.  I kind of view it like a catalog.  I like to browse and look at all the fun stuff, but I rarely make the stuff.  I mean I'd love to.  If I had unlimited amounts of money and time, it would be fantastic.  I've heard about many flops people have had.  And I don't think I've had a Pinterest flop yet.  Because I almost never make them.  BUT I have.  And I've enjoyed them.  But it's not very often.  Every once in a while I find a Pinterest recipe that I really MUST make.  And this is one.  This is supposedly the recipe of my FAVORITE dish at Carrabbas.  Oh yum.  I am jumping up and down with excitement.  THIS ONE...will be made.  But not today.  New Years Eve we do fondue!

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
olive oil
4 ounces goat cheese
6 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
2 -4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
4 teaspoons onions, minced
4 teaspoons garlic, minced
8 tablespoons butter, divided
6 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon's worth)

Directions:

1
Brush chicken on both sides with olive oil, season to taste with Kosher salt and cracked pepper.
2
Grill chicken until done (internal temp of 165F) - prepare lemon butter sauce while chicken is grilling.
3
Sautee onion and garlic in 2 Tbps butter until soft and fragrant.
4
Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes to reduce.
5
Add remaining 6 Tbsp butter, a little at a time, until it melts and mixture is emulsified.
6
Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil, heat until hot (but do not overheat or sauce may break).
7
Top nearly-done chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the goat cheese until cheese warms and softens.
8
To serve, spoon lemon butter sauce over chicken breasts.
9
Enjoy! I serve this dish with pasta tossed in butter or olive oil (the delicious lemon butter sauce will perfect it), garlic mashed potatoes and a green salad -- yummmm!

Tomato and Garlic Pasta

This is a great one that Matt found.  I loved it.  It reminded me of restaurant food.  It met with mixed results with the kids.

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz.) pkg. angel hair pasta
2 lbs. tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. tomato paste (we preferred it without the tomato paste)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Place tomatoes in a kettle, and cover with cold water.  Bring just to a boil.  Pour off water and cover again with cold water.  Peel.  Cut into small pieces.
2.  Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
3. In a large skillet or saute pan, saute the garlic in enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.  The garlic should just become opaque, not brown.  Stir in the tomato paste.  Immediately stir i nthe tomatoes, and salt and pepper.  Reduce heat, and simmer until the pasta is ready; add the basil.
4. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse in cold water.  Toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and then mix into the sauce.  Reduce the heat as low as possible.  Keep warm, uncovered, for about 10 minutes when it is ready to serve.  Garnish generously with fresh Parmesan cheese.
5. VARIATIONS: Saute fresh quartered mushrooms with the garlic, or add shoestring zucchini along with the tomato.

YIELDS 4 servings.

Pizza Margherita/Cinnamon Sticks

Crust:
5 tsp. yeast
2 1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp. salt

Topping:
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil
6 tomatoes diced
salt and pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let stand until foamy (about 5 minutes).  Add sugar, oil, flour and salt.  Knead dough on low speed until dough is elastic, about 8-10 minutes.  Add up to 1 cup of flour until dough pulls away from bowl.  Remove from bowl and form into a ball and transfer into greased bowl.  Cover and let stand in a draft free spot until dough doubles in size (1 1/2 to 2 hours).  Cut dough in half and let stand for 10 minutes.  Roll out dough on cookie sheet and sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese, basil, tomatoes and mozzarella over dough.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over top.  Drizzle the pizza evenly with 1 Tbsp. olive oil and cook @ 500 degrees for 10 -15 minutes.

Makes two pizzas.

Or you can make Cinnamon Sticks with the other pizza dough:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp. whipping cream (or milk)
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Roll out dough on a cookie sheet.  Spread butter over the top and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the butter.  Cook at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes or until the sugar starts to bubble.  Then drizzle icing over the top.

Boston Market Chicken

I love, LOVE, going out to eat. It is my weakness. My favorites are Cafe Rio, Kneaders, Magelby's Fresh, Rubio's and El Pollo Loco. Which I can all find locally. Yay me!

My VERY favorite I can't find here anymore. It went out while I was in college. Boston Market is the BEST. It way beats out KFC in taste and yumminess. And it's better for you as well. Many years ago I tracked down the recipe for Boston Market Chicken. I huffed a little when I saw the recipe because it called for Chicken BREASTS. What? Anyone, who is ANYONE, knows they keep the skin on their chicken. So I used a whole, cut up chicken. It worked fairly well, even though it wasn't rotisserie.

1/4 cup canola oil

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1/4 tsp. paprika

4 chicken breast halves, washed and patted dry

--Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Ina small bowl, combine canola oil, honey, lime juice and paprika. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 7x11 inch baking dish. Apply mixture to chicken pieces in a single layer. Bake in over for 35-40 minutes, basting every 8-10 minutes, until well browned and juices run clear when you cut into the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from oven. Cover with foil for 15 minutes.

Kari's Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchilada's are kind of a funny thing. Somehow, Cream of Chicken soup became a standard in most recipes. My husband and I have been striving to make things from scratch and this is one of my favorite recipes to make from scratch. I started with the El Torito Chicken Enchilada recipe and adapted it.

We have made everything from scratch in the recipe EXCEPT the tortillas. I haven't attempted those yet. But I'm going to tell you the basic way to do it and IF you want directions on some of the other items I can tell you.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken

1 large can green Enchilada Sauce (can be made from scratch)

1 large container, sour cream (can be made from scratch)

20-30 small flour tortillas

1-lb. Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese, grated

--Cook a whole, but cut up chicken in a crockpot. (It is cut up mainly so it will fit.) This takes 6-8 hours. I usually do this overnight and then let the chicken cool down in the morning, so by mid-morning I am making the enchiladas.

Shred and debone the chicken. (Chicken bones may be saved for homemade chicken broth.) Put shredded chicken in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix entire can of green enchilada sauce and entire container of sour cream together. Mix a little of the mixture in the shredded chicken, until chicken is moistened.

Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and put about 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan and spread around.

Then you start putting together the enchiladas. Take a tortilla, place a large spoonful in the center of the tortilla and sprinkle with a small portion of cheese. Roll and set in the pan. Repeat this until you have filled the pan. I usually keep going until I run out of chicken. This fills up usually a small pan in addition to the 9x13. It depends on the size of the chicken you start with.

Divide the sauce up between the two pans (if you did that) and cover the top of the enchiladas. Then spread the remaining cheese over the top of them. You will end of with a mountain of cheese and sauce on the top, but that is what you want. TRUST ME.

You can freeze this, stick it in the fridge or just put it directly in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Or until cheese and sauce is bubbly.

Serve with refried beans and Matt's salsa.

Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwich

I love Disneyland!

BLUE BAYOU MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and
baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth,
scraping sides of bowl.
3. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese,
covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice
each sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do
not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to
smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter,
allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil.
5. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or
until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet
in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
Cook one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature
between each.
6. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on
the side.

Oven Baked Teriyaki Thighs

This one is from Real Mom Kitchen. Kerstin highly recommends this. :)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• black pepper to taste
• 9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth and no lumps. Then, whisk in the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce it and simmer until thickens. You will end up with about 1 cup of sauce.
3. Trim off any pieces of fat from each chicken thigh using kitchen shears. Place chicken pieces in a 9×13 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 half of the sauce over the chicken, brushing each piece so it is coated.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and drizzle remaining sauce on top. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes more until inner temperature reaches 165 degrees or juices run clear.

Angel Chicken Pasta

This is what we had for the relief society broadcast dinner on Saturday. They had this with green beans and a roll. It was tasty. :)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into large chunks
¼ c. butter
1 (7 ounce) pkg. Dry Italian salad dressing mix
½ c. white grape juice +1/3 t. vinegar
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
4 oz cream cheese with chives
1-pound angel hair pasta

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Stir in pkg of dressing mix. Blend in wine & mushroom soup. Mix in c. cheese & stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil.
Arrange breasts in single layer in a 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over chicken & bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. While chicken is baking, cook pasta in salted, boiling water until firm but done. Serve chicken over pasta. (Can be done in a crock pot.)

Sesame Ginger Slow-Cooker Chicken

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)

1 bag (16 oz) ready-to-eat baby carrots

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp cold water

3 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sesame seed, toasted

2 green onions, sliced with tops

-Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker. Add carrots; sprinkle with ginger root. In small bowl, stir broth, honey, oil and dried minced garlic. Pour over chicken and carrots.

-Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

-With slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots to serving platter; cover to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; pour into 1-quart saucepan. In small bowl, mix soy sauce, water and cornstarch until smooth; add to liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and sauce begins to bubble.

-To serve, pour sauce over chicken and carrots. Garnish with sesame seed and onions.