Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic

Ingredients:
40 Cloves of Garlic: about 4 heads
1 Whole Chicken
1 Tbsp. Butter
1 Onion: chopped
2 Celery stalks: diced
1 tsp. Thyme
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper or Cracked black Peppercorns
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 C. White Wine

Directions:
Peel garlic and place half in the bottom of a prepared crock pot (spray it with pam to make clean-up easier). Place whole chicken on top. In a skillet over medium heat add onions and celery to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add thyme, salt, pepper or peppercorns and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add white wine and bring to a boil. Pour over chicken add remaining garlic. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours and low 8-10 hours until juices from chicken run clear.

Side notes: I also usually add new red potatoes, if they are small whole if they are larger cut into 2" chunks, during the last 2 hours of cooking time for high or 4 hours for low. If you add them too early they get too soft.

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients:
1 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Butter
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 Loaf Bread cut into 1 inch chunks
3 C. Half and Half
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp. Salt
15 Eggs

Directions:

Microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup until butter is melted. Pour into greased 13X9 glass baking dish.

Sprinkle bread chunks over brown sugar mixture. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours or up to one day.

Heat oven to 350. Uncover baking dish, bake 60-70 minutes, or until puffed and center is set.

Side Notes:
I refrigerate mine over night and bring it out of the fridge while the oven is preheating so that the glass won't shatter in the hot oven.

I usually 1/2 this recipe because it makes 12 servings. I believe the baking time was close to the same though. But check it after 30 minutes and every 10-15 minutes after that to avoid burning. This is a great recipe for early morning holiday's. Breakfast is ready to bake as soon as you wake up.

This is wonderful with maple syrup or Holly's Buttermilk Syrup!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Holly's Buttermilk Syrup

Ingredients:
1 stick of Butter
1 C. White Sugar
1/2 C. Milk or Buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 tsp. vanilla, coconut extract, or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or any other flavoring. (omit cinnamon if using anything except vanilla)
1 tsp. baking soda
sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:
Bring to a boil over medium heat, butter, sugar, milk & corn syrup. Remove from heat and add flavoring and baking soda and cinnamon if desired. Serve warm, will stay fluffy while it is warm but looses it's body after it starts to cool.

This is a great base recipe! We have loved experimenting with different flavors. Our family favorites are coconut and lemon, but don't let that limit you. If you have any other flavor suggestions please leave a comment and we will give them a try!

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

Ingredients:
1 package (18.25 oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
2 cans (16 oz.) Peaches in syrup: do not drain
1/2 C. Butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Yummy served with Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Spray bottom of one 9X13 inch pan with cooking spray. Empty peaches into the bottom. Cover with the dry cake mix and press down firmly. Using a cheese grater, grate butter over the top of the cake mix and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake for 45 or until bubbly.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1 can Sweetened condensed Milk
1 stick Butter
1 C. Corn Syrup
2 C. Brown Sugar

Directions:
Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Let cool. Really yummy over ice cream, or boil until it gets to a soft ball stage then you can use it for caramel apples or caramel squares.

My Creamy Curried Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. Butter
1/2 medium Yellow Onion
3 cloves Garlic: minced
1 box Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Breasts: cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp. Curry Powder
1 head Cauliflower: cut into floret's
2 C. Carrots: chopped
1 C. Celery: chopped
1 can (12 oz.) Evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch dissolved in 1/2 C. ice cold water

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan over medium heat saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is softened and just starting to brown. Pour chicken broth into sauce pan and add chicken. Turn heat up to high and boil for 2-3 minutes then add veggies (add warm water if veggies are out of the liquid, just enough to cover) and return to a boil. Once back to a good boil reduce heat to medium/high and cook for 5-7 minutes until veggies are tender/crisp and chicken is no longer pink. Add evaporated milk and once again return to a good boil then stir in corn starch dissolved in ice cold water until thickened.

This can also be made in the slow cooker.

(This is a recipe I came up with on my own, and it is a work in progress...I'm still working on the spices, last time I made it I used a pita calming spice combo that I found in an Auryvedic cook book and my whole family loved the change....only problem I don't have the cookbook any more and I am almost out of the spice mix. When I get the recipe again I will make changes to this recipe...also cook times are approximate as I usually just "know" when it's time to add the next ingredient. This is a really yummy low fat/ low calorie soup....hope you give it a try, and try out your own "spice combo"!)

Friday, January 15, 2010

Golden Graham Smores

Ingredients:
3/4 C. Light Corn Syrup
3 Tbsp. Butter
1 pkg. (11.5 oz) Chocolate Chips
3 C. Mini Marshmallows
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 pkg. (12 oz.) golden Graham Cereal (9 C.)

Directions:
Grease rectangular pan.

Heat syrup, butter and chocolate chips to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.

Pour over cereal, toss until coated. Fold in marshmallows, 1 c. at a time. Press in pan with buttered back of spoon. Let stand 1 hr.

Cut into 2 inch squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days. makes 24 squares.

Whipped Short Bread Cookies

Ingredients:
3 C. Flour
1 C. Corn Starch
1 lb. Butter
1 C. Powdered Sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375

Cream butter and sugar, add corn starch and flour. Roll into a log and cut 1/2-3/4 inch thick. You may need to refrigerate dough for 15-30 minutes before rolling into a log.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

This is a great basic dough and would be delicious with 1 tsp. lemon, coconut, or almond extract or come up with your own flavor.

Chicken N Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) Package Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Normandy Blend with Cauliflower and Carrots)
2 1/2 C. Cubed Cooked Chicken
1 Can (10.75 oz.) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup: undiluted
3/4 C. Milk
1 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese: divided
8 Slices Bacon: cooked and crumbled
1 1/2 C. Bisquick
2/3 C. Milk
1 Can (2.8 oz.) French-Fried Onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400

In a large bowl, combine the vegetables, chicken, soup, milk, 1 C. cheese and bacon. pour into an ungreased 13 in. X 9 in. baking dish. cover and bake for 15 min.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine bisquick and milk. Drop batter by Tbsp. onto chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered for 20-22 min. or until biscuits are golden brown. Top with onions and remaining cheese. Bake 3-4 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Burrito Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 Onion: chopped
1 tsp. Minced Garlic
1 can (2 oz.) Sliced Black Olives: drained
1 can (4 oz.) Diced Green Chillies: do not drain
1 can (10 oz.) Diced Tomatoes: do not drain
1 jar (16 oz.) Taco Sauce (I use the green LaVictoria)
1 can (16 oz.) Refried Beans (I use vegetarian, they seem less greasy)
12 (8 in) Flour Tortillas
1-2 C. Shredded Cheddar or Colby Cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the olives, green chillies, tomatoes, taco sauce and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Spread a thin layer of meat mixture in the bottom of a 13 in. X 9 in. baking dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes in preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
-2 Chicken breasts: cooked and shredded
-2 cans (15 oz.) Northern White Beans: do not drain
-1 can (14 oz.) Chicken Broth
-1 can (4 oz.) Chopped Green Chillies (can add or subtract depending on spiciness wishes, I use 1 can mild chillies)
-1/2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
-1 tsp. Garlic Powder
-1 tsp. Cumin
-1 tsp. Oregano
-1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
-2 C. Sour Cream

Directions:
Pour all ingredients (except Sour Cream) into a large pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, stir in sour cream. Can be made in Slow Cooker with raw chicken, just pour all ingredients (except Sour Cream) into Slow Cooker and cook on High 3-4 hours or Low 6-7 until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, but not dry. Stir in Sour Cream just before serving.