Sunday, December 27, 2015

Chicken Diablo

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp curry powder
12 chicken thighs or drumsticks

In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mustard, honey, and curry powder and stir until smooth and well blended.

Arrange chicken in a large baking pan, and pour sauce over it. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Halfway through, turn chicken pieces over and baste them with the sauce.

(Perfect with Roasted Asparagus and Wild Rice and Mushrooms, or even just brown rice.)

(Adapted from Six O'Clock Scramble)

Baked Sweet Potato Burritos

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
2 cans kidney beans with liquid
4 TBSP chili powder (plus a dash or two or six of chipotle chili powder if you like spicy)
2 tsp cumin
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
20 8-inch flour tortillas
4 cups grated cheddar cheese

Mash the sweet potatoes, kidney beans with liquid, chili powder, cumin, mustard, and soy sauce until blended well. Divide mixture evenly among the tortillas (off-centered works best) and top with cheese. Fold tortillas into burritos and place them seam side down in two greased 9x13 pans (or one larger pan). Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

(Adapted from Six O'Clock Scramble)

"Thai" Rice Pot

1 TBSP sesame oil
4 different colored bell peppers, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 lb sliced mushrooms
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups sprouted brown rice
4 cups chicken broth
6 TBSP tamari soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP green curry paste
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 TBSP lime juice

Saute bell peppers and mushrooms in oil until they are soft. In a large stockpot, combine chicken, rice, broth, soy sauce, salt, and pepper, then add sauteed peppers and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked (15-45 minutes). Stir in curry paste, carrots, cilantro, and lime juice and serve.

(Adapted from Six O'Clock Scramble)

Sweet Potato Bake

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 apples, peeled and cubed
2 boxes turkey breakfast sausage, cooked and sliced up
1/2 cup milk, water, or broth
2 TBSP honey
salt and pepper, to taste

Layer 1/2 of the sweet potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish, then the sausages, then the apples. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the rest of the sweet potatoes. Pour the liquid over everything, then drizzle with honey. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour, or until potatoes are soft.

(Weird, but yummy!)

Mushroom Spinach Manicotti

1 TBSP olive oil or butter
1 onion, diced
2 (or more) garlic cloves, minced
8oz (or more) sliced mushrooms
4 cups torn up spinach leaves
1 (16-24 oz) container cottage cheese
1 egg
1 package manicotti noodles
1 26 oz jar tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook manicotti noodles according to package instructions.

Saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in oil or butter until soft, then add spinach and cook until spinach is wilted. Mix cottage cheese and egg together, then add mushroom mixture. Using your fingers, fill the manicotti noodles and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover the noodles with any leftover filling, then cover with the pasta sauce. Top with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake or broil for 5 minutes.

Southwestern Black Bean Casserole

1 TBSP olive oil or butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups corn, thawed and drained
1 cup chopped green olives
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, drained
crushed tortilla chips, enough to cover bottom of 9x13 pan
1 (15 oz) jar salsa
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Saute the onion and pepper in the oil/butter until onions are translucent. Add corn, then remove from heat and stir in the olives.

Mix together the refried beans and the black beans.

Cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan with crushed tortilla chips. Spread the bean mixture carefully over the chips, then add the onion, pepper, corn, and olive mixture. Pour the salsa over everything, then top with cheese.

Bake, covered, at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly. Uncover and bake for 5-10 more minutes until the edges begin to brown. (I like to broil it on high for a few more minutes until the cheese is golden and crispy.) Serve with sour cream.

(Feeds 5 of us...just. Double for 6 or for leftovers.)

No-Chill Sugar Cookies

2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 - 2 cups evaporated cane juice
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
6 cups flour (spelt or soft wheat)

Cream butter and sugar, then beat in vanilla, almond extract, and eggs. Slowly add baking powder and flour and mix until dough is stiff. Knead with hands if necessary to combine flour fully into dough. Divide into batches, roll out on a floured surface, and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes, then cool on racks before frosting and decorating.

Friday, December 4, 2015

Lemon Feta Chicken

3 pounds chicken pieces
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 TBSP lemon juice. Sprinkle oregano, pepper, and feta evenly over the chicken, then drizzle the rest of the lemon juice over it. Bake for 30-45 minutes until chicken is done.

(Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble)

Faux Flautas

1 can black beans, slightly drained
1 can refried beans
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 soft-taco sized tortillas
2 chopped tomatoes
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium saucepan, combine the beans, chicken, and spices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mash together until it is thick.

Place bean mixture off-center on each tortilla, top with cheese and tomatoes, and roll. Place seam side down in a 9x13 pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Top with salsa and sour cream.

(Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble)

"Spanish" Rice Pot

2 large onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
4 cups water
3 cups brown rice
7 cups chopped tomatoes
2 TBSP chili powder
(1 tsp chipotle chili powder, optional)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large stockpot, combine onions, bell peppers, and ground beef and cook until meat is browned. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat until rice is cooked (about 30 minutes).

(adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble)