Fried Chicken Amandine

This dish was interesting, with the crispy chicken being smothered with a creamy sauce.  I am a dipper by nature, perhaps I would try to make the sauce separately and use it as a base, sprinkling the almonds over the chicken next time. I didn't use the parsley this time and I always use toasted almonds.

Fried Chicken Amandine

2 fryers or broilers, approximately 1 1/2 pounds each

3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. paprika

8 T butter

1 c. half and half cream

3/4 c. blanched, slivered almonds

2 T chopped parsley

1. Cut up the chicken into serving sized pieces. 

2. Place flour, salt, pepper, and paprika into a paper bag. Shake several times to mix well. Place two pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet and arrange the pieces of chicken so that they will fry evenly. Fry over moderate heat until the chicken is browned on both sides. Turn frequently to assure even browning. Turn the heat down to simmer, cover pan and continue to cook for 15 minutes longer.

4. After this 15-minute cooking period, add the cream.  Stir well, so that it is evenly distributed. Continue to cook over low heat for 15 minutes longer. Add the slivered almonds and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

5. Place the chicken on a heated platter, pouring the cream and almonds over it. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Serves 4.

Homemade Kettle Corn

I was walking through my local farmer's market and a booth was selling a small bag of kettle corn for $6, I just couldn't do it.  I had never tried kettle corn before, but I thought I would like it.  When I got home I searched the Internet and came up with this recipe.

Definitely tasty, but I had to be careful of unpopped kernels that didn't stay at the bottom of the bowl, as well as some hard clumps of sugar. This recipe can be tweaked depending on how sweet or salty you want your kettle corn.

Homemade Kettle Corn

1/4 c. unpopped popcorn (I used white kernel)

1/8 c. white sugar

1/8 c. oil (I used peanut oil)

salt

1. Place 3 kernels of corn in the oil, cover the pan.  Heat over medium heat until the kernels pop. 

2. Quickly pour the sugar and stir into the oil.  Immediately pour the remaining kernels into the pan and return the lid.

3. Shake the pan constantly while kernels are popping.  You may need to pour some off to make more room. When you are nearing the end of the popping (longer time between pops), turn off the burner.

4. When kernels are almost done popping, pour them into the bowl and salt to your preference. Makes 1 big bowl of popcorn.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This salad was good, but I think next time I will use less oranges, would chop the water chestnuts smaller, and I would include peanuts or almonds.

Chinese Chicken Salad

3 c. cooked chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces

1/3 c. salad oil

3 T lemon juice

2 T vinegar

1 T sugar

1 t. soy sauce

1/2 t. ginger

1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

11 oz. mandarin oranges, drained

8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained

3/4 c. chow mein noodles

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine cooked chicken, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger. Marinate 1-2 hours. 

2. Toss lettuce, mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, chow mein noodles, and sesame seeds with the dressing. Serves 10-12.

Chicken Sesame Salad

This salad was good, but I didn't eat the green onions.  Next time I will slice them smaller so I will eat them.  I didn't add tomatoes because I don't like them, but there were some carrots in the salad mix I used.

Chicken Sesame Salad

3 c. cut-up cooked chicken

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. sesame seed, toasted

1 medium head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

3 green onions (with tops), cut into 1 1/2-inch strips

2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges

1 T sugar

2 T vinegar

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. crushed gingerroot or 1/8 t. ground ginger

1. Mix first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  

2. In a separate bowl mix remaining ingredients together with a whisk.

3. Toss salad with dressing. Makes 6 servings.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This is an old standby recipe from Best Foods mayonnaise. I hadn't made it for a while and I think I will keep it around.  I have such thick chicken breasts at my grocery store that I think I will cut up pieces the next time I do this one.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 t. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1. Combine mayonnaise with cheese. 

2. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Top with mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. 

3. Bake 20 minutes at 425º or until heated all the way through.

Chicken Rolls with Fresh Herbs

This recipe was complicated, but tasted great.  I would recommend slicing the chicken thin, rather than trying to get it thin enough by pounding it out.  I couldn't get most of my chicken breast pounded thin enough and it didn't cook through without burning the outside.

Chicken Rolls with Fresh Herbs

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and cut into halves

4 leaves fresh basil

1 small clove garlic, peeled and halved

1 sprig oregano, leaves removed

4 T butter

2 T flour

2 eggs, beaten

3 T butter

1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs

1. Pound each chicken breast half between two sheets of waxed paper until very thin, about 1/8" to 1/4" thick. Rub each breast with a cut clove of garlic.

2. Sprinkle the breasts on one side only with the herbs, rubbing them in well.

3. Cut the butter in portions of 1 T each and place a pat of the butter on the herbed side of the chicken breasts. Fold in the sides and roll up each breast jelly-roll fashion, securing with toothpicks if necessary.

4. Measure out the flour onto a plate. Lightly dredge each rolled breast in the flour. Dip into beaten egg and then dip into a plate filled with the breadcrumbs, using more breadcrumbs if necessary to coat each breast. Chill the chicken rolls in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.

5. To cook, melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat on a conventional range top. Cook the chicken rolls in the skillet for about 5 minutes, or until all sides are nicely browned. 

6. Transfer the browned rolls to a microwave-safe 9" square baking dish. Microwave, uncovered, on high power for 8-9 minutes or until cooked through, turning halfway through cookery.

7. Transfer the rolls to a serving platter and spoon over some of the cooking juices.

Roast Chicken & Kiwi with Raspberry Glaze

This recipe was a disappointment, I love all the ingredients independently, but when put together it failed.  The chicken was dry, and the raspberry sauce got too hard.

Roast Chicken & Kiwi with Raspberry Glaze

2 frying chickens, cut into halves

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 c. seedless raspberry preserves

1/2 c. white port wine

grate peel of 1 lemon

kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400º. 

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place, skin side up, in a single layer in large shallow pan and brush with butter. 

3. Roast, basting frequently with butter, about 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Drain off fat. 

4. While chicken is cooking, combine raspberry preserves, wine, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until slightly thick.

5. Spoon glaze over chicken, top with kiwi slices. Spoon glaze from bottom of pan over chicken and kiwi. Bake about 3 minutes or until kiwi and chicken are well glazed. Makes 4 servings.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Saute

This dish was interesting, not my cup of tea, though!!  The shallot was too texturally present in the sauce.

Lemon-Herb Chicken Saute

sauteed chicken breast

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 shallot, minced

2 t. grated lemon zest 

2 t. fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 t. dried

1 t. minced fresh tarragon leaves or 1/2 t. dried

2 T fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

salt and pepper

1. Saute chicken.

2. Pour cream into skillet and increase heat to medium-high. Deglaze skillet by heating cream to boiling and scraping loose browned bits on bottom of pan with wooden spatula or spoon. Add shallot, lemon zest, thyme, and tarragon.  Cook, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat until cream is thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve hot.

Taquitos

These were so tasty and so easy to make!!  I used thinly sliced london broil mixed with seasoning (cumin, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder) and cheese as the filler.  Definitely a keeper, I will try chicken next time.

Taquitos

2-3 T oil (I used corn oil)

10 corn tortillas

2 c. cooked shredded beef

2/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and oil up a baking sheet.

2. Heat 2 T oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry each tortilla one at a time until soft, about 20 seconds per side. Add more oil if needed. Transfer to plat using a paper towel to separate each tortilla.

3. To assemble, spoon 2 Tablespoons of meat misture into a tortilla and roll closed. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all are rolled.

4. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until ends start to brown. Remove and sprinkle cheese on top. Turn oven setting to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and serve with toppings like shredded lettuce, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, etc.

London Broil

This recipe wasn't as good as the other London Broil I tried recently, but was a serviceable one.  Unfortunately, I over-cooked the meat.  I won't keep this recipe because the other one was preferable to me.

London Broil

1 beef flank steak (1 1/4 to 1 3/4 pounds)

1/4 c. salad oil

1 T lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1. Combine salad oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper for marinade. Place steak in plastic bag or flat utility dish and pour marinade over it. Close bag securely or cover pan with foil and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

2. Pour off and reserve marinade. Place steak on grill and broil at moderate temperature for 5 minutes. Turn, brush with marinade and broil 5 minutes or to desired doneness (rare or medium). To carve, slice diagonally across the grain in thin strips. Make 4 servings.

Baked Chicken with Cashews

The chicken was pretty good, if a bit dry, unfortunately the sweet potato was uninspiring. I will keep this recipe and will try it again, perhaps not baked as long.  I also would like to try this recipe with almonds. I don't have a toaster over, so I used the oven.

Baked Chicken with Cashews

1 large chicken thigh or 1/2 a boneless chicken breast, skinned

1 1/2 t. butter, melted

1/8 t. paprika

1/8 t. curry powder

1/8 t. oregano

dash garlic powder

dash cayenne pepper

salt, if desired

1 T cashew pieces or slivered almonds

1 small yam or sweet potato

1. Place chicken in individual casserole.  

2. Combine butter, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.

3. Spoon over chicken.

4. Bake, uncovered, in 350º toaster oven, along with yam, for 45 to 60 minutes, or until chicken and yam are tender. About 10 minutes before chicken is done, baste chicken with butter mixture in casserole and sprinkle cashews over top. Makes 1 serving.

Chicken Rosemary

This was a disappointing recipe, with crunchy rosemary being the most unfortunate of the problems. Actually, the sauce, if there had been more of it, tasted fine.  This dish screams out for rice as the base, in fact my leftovers were more sauce (without the rosemary) and set on a bed of rice. I would make this dish with fresh rosemary sprigs in the sauce while it is heating so I could get the flavor without the crunchy dried rosemary leaves, and then remove them before eating.  Or, perhaps use a sieve to separate out the dried rosemary.

Chicken Rosemary

1 chicken, quartered

1/2 c. frozen orange juice

1/2 t. dried rosemary

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cornstarch

1. Arrange chicken in a shallow baking pan.

2. Combine orange juice, rosemary, salt, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until smooth and thick.

3. Spoon sauce over chicken and bake in a 350º oven for 1 hour. Serves 4.

Blueberry Crisp

This crisp was even better than the apple crisp I made for Independence Day!!  I adjusted this recipe to have more butter, more brown sugar, more cinnamon, and less flour (I used oat flour).  I used fresh blueberries. So yummy with ice cream, too.  

Blueberry Crisp

3 c. blueberries or 16-ounce package of frozen blueberries

2 T lemon juice

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. quick-cooking oats

1/3 c. butter, softened

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

cream or ice cream

1. Heat oven to 375º.

2. Arrange blueberries in ungreased 8"x8"x2" square baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

3. Mix brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle on top.

4. Bake until topping is light brown and blueberries are hot, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with cream. Makes 4-6 servings.

Apple Crisp

This is the recipe I have always used for my Apple Crisp.  My family started an Independence Day tradition, we bake up the Apple Crisp during dinner, take it out of the oven and go watch the Fireworks.  When we get back we eat the still warm Apple Crisp with ice cream.  About a half a minute in the microwave will heat it up nicely if it has cooled too much.

I always add more butter, more brown sugar, more cinnamon, and less flour.  This time I followed the recipe exactly and it became apparent why I do the alterations.  Also, the apples get a bit dry, so adding some additional moisture, perhaps some lemon juice, might be a good idea if the apples are not as juicy as they should be.  I am off gluten right now, so I used oat flour and it was fine. This is a keeper, when modified of course!!

Apple Crisp

4 c. sliced tart apples (about 4 medium)

2/3 to 3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. oats

3/4 t. ground cinnamon

3/4 t. ground nutmeg

1/3 c. butter, softened

1. Heat oven to 375º. Arrange apples in greased square 8"x8"x2" square pan.

2. Mix remaining ingredients and sprinkle over apples.

3. Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender, about 30 minutes.

4. Serve warm and, if desired, with cream or ice cream. Makes 6 servings.

Orange Jewel Chicken

This was not a good recipe.  The sauce was too watery, and it was hard to eat the orange portion.  It was too sweet, and that is saying something coming from someone who loves sweets.

Orange Jewel Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets

salt and pepper to taste

2 T butter

2 large naval oranges

2 T dried cranberries

2 T honey

1 T lemon juice

2 green onions, sliced

1. Place chicken breasts in a plastic bag one at a time and pound to flatten slightly. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165º. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, cut peel away from oranges and discard. Cut oranges into bite-size pieces. Add to skillet along with cranberries, honey, and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until liquid has thickened slightly. Stir in green onions.

4. Pour over cooked chicken and serve with rice or cous cous. Serves 4.

Korean Style Chicken

This dish has WAY too much soy sauce for my preference, it was so salty!! Part of that could have been the MSG that was an ingredient.  I might try this again with less soy sauce and no Accent.

Korean Style Chicken

3 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1/8-inch slices about 2" square

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 T sesame seeds

1/8 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1 green onion, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

1 t. peanut oil

1 T sugar

1 t. Accent [MSG]

1. Add soy sauce to the chicken.

2. Place sesame seeds in an iron skillet and heat until the seeds begin to swell up and pop. Put the seeds in the bottom of a wooden bowl along with the sale and, using the back of a large spoon, crush them as fine as possible [I used my ceramic mortar and wooden pestle]. Add the pepper, onion, garlic, peanut oil, sugar, and Accent.

3. Stir the chicken and the soy sauce into this mixture and let stand for 30 minutes.

4. Put mixture into a large skillet, cover, and cook over low heat until the chicken is tender.  If it becomes too dry during the cooking time, add a little water. Serve at once, piping hot. Serves 4.

London Broil

This marinade was perfect, I have a couple others to try, but this one is definitely a keeper. I used this beef in many other dishes this week.  It would have made a great sandwich, but I am off gluten for now so perhaps next time.

London Broil

1 1/2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

2 T minced onion

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. Italian seasoning

1/4 t. ground ginger

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 flank steak (about 2 lb.)

1. Combine all ingredients except the steak, blending well. Place steak in a glass or enamel baking dish. Cover with the marinade mixture and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight, turning the steak occasionally.

2. Preheat broiler. Remove steak from the marinade and broil about 5" from the heat for 5-6 minutes on each side. Meat should be rare.

3. Cut steak diagonally across the grain in thin slices. Serve with buns, mustard, and mayonnaise. Serves enough for about 36 buns.

Chicken Sticks with Peanut Sauce

This recipe tasted nice, but boy did it have a lot of ingredients!!  Also, I learned my lessons about either curry powder or turmeric, yellow stains were all over my kitchen towels, potholders, and my plastic storage containers.  Don't know if I will do this one again, if I do I am going to make sure I don't use my plastic containers and will use paper towels!!  Also, my kitchen smelled like curry for days afterwards!!

Chicken Sticks with Peanut Sauce

1/3 c. olive oil

1 T soy sauce

1 t. honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T curry powder

1 t. ground coriander

1 t. ground turmeric

1 t. ground cumin

salt and pepper, to taste

2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 t. tabasco sauce

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. smooth peanut butter

1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

2 T brown sugar

pinch ground cinnamon

1/4 c. boiling water

1. Combine the first 9 ingredients in a bowl.  Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

2. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over low heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the curry powder and tabasco. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring to mellow the flavors. Stir in the cream and water, then stir in the peanut butter, lemon juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well.

4. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Place in a food processor [I used my blender] and process until smooth, adding the boiling water slowly through the feed tube to bind the sauce. Scrape the sauce into a bowl and reserve.

5. Thread the chicken pieces evenly on 6 skewers and grill over hot coals, 3 inches from the heat source , for 5 minutes per side. [I used my broiler] Serve immediately with the peanut sauce. Serves 6.

Golden Gate Chicken, Cantonese

This dish was an interesting blend of sweet and tangy and I didn't cook the rice long enough. The original recipe said to "heat" the batter ingredients, which I did. Only after did I realize it was a typo and it should have read "beat". I really like the taste of fresh ginger, I need to make more recipes using it in the future!!

Golden Gate Chicken, Cantonese

1/2 c. golden seedless raisins

13 3/4 oz. chicken broth

1 T chopped fresh ginger (or 3/4 t. powdered ginger)

2 1/2 t. soy sauce

2 T cornstarch

1/4 c. dry sherry

2 t. sugar

3 T vinegar

2 lb. boned, skinned chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1/2 c. sifted flour and water

1 egg

1 t. onion powder

3/4 t. salt

1/2 c. cooking oil

1. Bring the first 4 ingredients to a simmer.

2. Blend cornstarch, sherry, and sugar together. Stir into sauce and cook clear. Add vinegar and keep warm.

3. Beat together flour, water, egg, onion powder, and salt. Dip chicken in batter, drain, and fry until golden in heated oil.  Cook a single layer at a time.

4. Combine with hot sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Stir-Fried Chicken, Garlic Chives, and Pea Pods

This dish was not very good, not only were there WAY too many pea pods, the sauce seized up and the ingredients were too expensive.  The produce guy laughed at me when I asked if there were "garlic" chives, he said regular chives are garlic chives.  Also, he laughed when I told him I needed the chives with their unopened blossoms!!  I did not take the time to remove the strings from the pea pods, but I did cut the ends off.  I used some white wine rather than sherry because, being on a budget,  I didn't want to purchase more ingredients I might not use again.  I found that 1 teaspoon of sesame oil was way too much, less would have given the dish a more subtle flavor.  This dish was really spicy for my mouth. I had bad timing cooking the rice, also, and the timing was a bit off.

Stir-Fried Chicken, Garlic Chives, and Pea Pods

1/2 c. chicken broth

2 T dry sherry

1 T soy sauce

2 t. cornstarch

1 t. sesame oil

1/4 t. crushed red pepper

2 t. vegetable oil

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but into 1-inch pieces

2 c. 1-inch cut garlic chives and their unopened blossoms

1/4 lb. snow pea pods, ends and strings removed

1. In a 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl, combine broth, sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Set aside.

2. Heat wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 Tablespoon oil and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add half of the chicken and cook until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Repeat to brown the other half of the chicken with remaining oil and transfer to bowl. Reduce heat to medium.

3. In same pan, stir-fry chives for 1 minute. Add pea pods and stir-fry for 1 minute. Restir sauce and pour over vegetables. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, until thickened. Return chicken and juices to pan, cook until heated through. Transfer to serving plate. Serve immediately.

Very Ritzy Chicken

This dish was interesting, it worked out great for me because I had several ingredients that I needed to use up. I am off gluten, so I used some croutons I made out of gluten-free bread for the seasoned bread crumbs.  I had some shredded mozzarella cheese to use rather than the slices.  As usual for me, there wasn't enough of the sauce, I would have doubled it had I known before I started the recipe. The flavors were good, and I will keep this one, but double the sauce next time!!

Very Ritzy Chicken

3 whole chicken breasts (6 half-breasts), skinned and boned
2 eggs, lightly beatedn
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs
3 T olive oil
1 pint heavy cream
1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 T parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
6 slices mozzarella cheese

1. Dip chicken breasts into beaten eggs and coat with bread crumbs. 2. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Add coated chicken and brown lightly on both sides. Remove from pan and place in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish, topping each breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese.
3. Mix together remaining ingredients in a saucepan and cook until mixture gets hot and thickens. Pour over chicken and bake in a 350º oven for 25 minutes.
4. This may be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated before baking.

Lemony Pine Nut Pilaf

This dish was a bit too lemony for my taste, although I added some cooked chicken for leftovers and it was nice.  I think with some adjustments it could work better.

Lemony Pine Nut Pilaf

1 c. chicken broth
1 c. uncooked regular white rice
2 T butter
1/3 c. pine nuts
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T grated lemon peel
2 T lemon juice

1. In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil and stir in rice. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Saute pine nuts until golden brown. Stir in parsley, lemon peel, and lemon juice.
3. Pour butter mixture over rice, stir to coat. Makes 6 servings.

Brown Rice with Garlic and Cashews

I liked the taste of this dish, but somehow the garlic got burned. Perhaps I had the heat up too high? I will keep this recipe, and hopefully will prepare it better next time.

Brown Rice with Garlic and Cashews

4 T peanut oil

2 c. short-grain brown rice [you will use half and save the rest for fried rice later]

3 1/2 c. water

2 t. plus pinch salt

1 large clove garlic, slivered

1/2 c. broken unsalted cashews

1. Heat 1 1/2 Tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the water and 2 teaspoons salt. Heat to boiling. Stir well, cover pan, and reduce heat to low. Cook until water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Let stand covered for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 1/2 Tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook gently until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in cashews and cook 2 minutes longer. Sprinkle with pinch salt.

3. Add garlic and cashews with oil to rice and toss to combine. Serve half the rice (about 3 cups). Let remaining rice cool and refrigerate for making fried rice later.

Pretzel Fried Chicken

How can you go wrong with pretzel-flavored breading on fried chicken!! Well, I suppose this is how. For some reason, even the oil smelled fishy to me as I was cleaning up later in the day. I ended up cutting up the chicken to use in a Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner. This is not a recipe to keep, although i still believe it has potential. Perhaps making sure the pretzels are totally powdered, perhaps using a blender? Also, the double-dip technique would have been nice to get more of the pretzel taste on the outside. The chicken was bland because there was no seasoning.

Pretzel Fried Chicken

2 2-to-3 pound fryer-broilers, cut up into portion-sized pieces
2 eggs, beaten until lemon yellow
1/2 c. milk
3 c. finely crushed pretzel crumbs made from the cocktail type pretzels
vegetable oil or shortening for deep frying

1. Dry the pieces of chicken with paper towels. Mix the eggs and milk thoroughly.
2. Place the finely crushed pretzels in a paper sack. Dip each piece of chicken in the egg-milk mixture and place in the crushed pretzels and shake sack until thoroughly coated.
3. Drop into 350º vegetable oil and fry until a rich golden brown. Place the fried pieces of chicken on aluminum foil in a large flat baking pan in a 300º oven for an additional 35 minutes. Serve piping hot. Serves 6.

Crispy Fried Chicken

This was a much better preparation for fried chicken, and the seasoning is better than my last recipe. I will keep this recipe until I find a better one. The difference is that instead of just an egg dip there is a batter dip. I used corn oil and it worked fine. One secret I keep reading about is to dry off the chicken before you flour it up. This recipe actually calls for moistening the chicken pieces!!

Crispy Fried Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lb. cut-up frying chicken
shortening for deep frying
1 1/2 c. flour
1 T garlic salt
1 1/2 t. black pepper
1 1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. poultry seasoning
2/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 egg yolk, beaten
3/4 c. flat beer or water

1. Combine first batch of seasoning (through second flour) and set aside.

2. Combine second batch of seasoning (after 2nd flour). Combine egg yolk and beer or water. Add gradually to dry ingredients.
3. Heat shortening to 365º in a deep saucepan or deep fryer to a depth of 2 inches.
4. Moisten the chicken pieces and dip in seasoned flour, then batter, then back in seasoned flour.
5. Fry in hot shortening for 15 to 18 minutes or until well browned.
6. Drain on paper towels. 4 servings.

Wessonality Fried Chicken

So I got a hankerin' for some fried chicken and checked out my recipe file for some that don't include dairy (I am off dairy for the time being to see if I have an allergy). This recipe was Carol Brady's favorite so I thought I would start here!! I used peanut oil because that is what I had!! I won't use full breast pieces in the future because they didn't cook in the center. I will cut up the chicken into "strips" for future recipes. This recipe was SO bland!! I will not be keeping it.

Wessonality Fried Chicken

3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. pepper
3 lb. chicken pieces
1 egg
2 T water
3 c. oil

1. Combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper in a bag.
2. Shake chicken pieces, a few at a time, in the bag.
3. Beat egg with water. Dip chicken in egg mixture.
4. Shake chicken in flour mixture again.
5. Heat oil to 375º in a skillet for 20 to 30 minutes, turning once. Makes 6 servings.

Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

I had some leftover Ricotta cheese and found this recipe yesterday. I was pleased with how the ravioli turned out, even though I didn't let the butter brown up enough!! The flavor is light and bright, and the lemony sauce helps to brighten it even more. Some tips I have are that you should set the finished ravioli on a damp dishcloth rather than on a greased pan. I did both (didn't have enough cookie sheets handy) and the raviolis stuck to the greased pan. However, try to have enough cookie sheets handy to place the boiled ravioli on in the oven while keeping warm. The other tip I have is to definitely use those large round spoons with holes for removing the ravioli from the pan, and tilt it against the side of the pan to drain off the water. I also used 5 or 6 ravioli in the boiling pan, more would make them stick together. This is definitely a keeper and I will freeze the leftover ravioli to make with the sauce later. I didn't eat the parsley in the sauce, but it did add some flavor and looked nice on the plate.

Parsley Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce

1 c. Ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (aka Italian parsley)
1 large egg

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
48 round won ton wrappers (about 9 oz.)
6 T butter
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. leaves of flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine cheeses, chopped parsley, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Lay 8 wrappers on a flat surface and spoon 1 Tablespoon cheese mixture onto center of each. Working with 1 wrapper at a time, moisten edge with water and top with another wrapper, pressing to seal tightly. Transfer ravioli to a greased baking sheet, cover, and repeat to maker more ravioli. Preheat oven to 250º.
3. Cook 4 to 5 ravioli at a time in boiling water until dough is tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to greased baking sheet in a singe layer, cover with foil, and keep warm in oven.
4. While the second to last batch of ravioli is boiling, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling until light golden, 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and parsley leaves. Layer ravioli and sauce on a platter. Serves 4.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

I was on a "fiscal fast" and was trying to find recipes using ingredients I had on hand. This recipe was OK, but I won't be keeping it. I was curious how the eggs would make the sauce, they sort of made it creamy. I have to say that I made the same recipe the night before and I didn't cook the noodles long enough. It came out clumpy, this was much creamier. Now I have to find some way to use up the extra evaporated milk!!

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

1/4 c. scrambled egg
2 T evaporated milk
4 oz. fettuccine or linguine
2 t. butter
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T snipped parsley
1 T cooked bacon pieces
coarsely ground pepper

In a small mixing bowl stir together eggs and milk. In a large saucepan cook the fettuccine. Drain well. Return pasta to the hot saucepan. Immediately pour the egg mixture over pasta. Add butter. Heat and stir mixture over low heat for about 2 minutes. Add cheese, parsley, and bacon. Toss until combined. Sprinkle with pepper.

Cardamom Shortbread

After my disappointment with the Red Velvet cupcakes, I knew this one would be a hit. I had made this as actual shortbread wedges years ago and people liked it. My gamble this time was how to make them bit-sized. I decided to bake it in a round pan and then, while it was still a bit warm, use a round cookie cutter to cut mini shortbreads for the tea party. It paid off and they were just the right size. I will definitely keep this recipe to use both as a true shortbread wedge as well as a cookie option.

Cardamom Shortbread

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 t. vanilla
2/3 c. flour
1 t. ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350º. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in oats and vanilla. In a small bowl, sift together flour and cardamom. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms. Press into a greased 8-inch round shortbread mold or a 9-inch round cake pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife. Invert onto a cutting board. If necessary, tap edge of pan on cutting board. Cut warm shortbread into wedges. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes 6-8 servings.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I wanted to make some Red Velvet cupcakes for my sister-in-law's baby shower tea party, but of course I had to test out the recipe first. To be honest, I have never actually tasted Red Velvet cake before, and in my mind it was moist, a bit chocolaty, and had creamy white frosting on it. I searched far and wide for a traditional Red Velvet cake recipe. What I found was that the traditional frosting was not the modern cream cheese frosting, but rather a cooked vanilla frosting. I even found one site that declared that her recipe was the best frosting ever and that you would never use any other frosting on a chocolate cake again!! I was tempted.

I decided on Paula Deen's Red Velvet cake recipe, and to use the "Best Frosting I've Ever Had" recipe. The result was disappointing, for me at least. The cake was too dry and dense, the frosting was not as sweet as I am used to, but came out smooth. I won't replace my traditional butter cream frosting again on a cake. I love the reliability of box cake mixes, and will probably use those from now on. I was tempted to try another recipe for Red Velvet cupcakes that added some chocolate ganache for more moisture, but ran out of time. Some friends told me that Red Velvet is not meant to be moist, and is less sweet compared to other cakes. Here are the recipes.

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

2 c. sugar
1/2 lb. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2 T cocoa powder
2 oz. red food coloring
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. baking soda
1 T vinegar

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture, mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Best Frosting I've Ever Had

5 T flour
1 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens (almost like a brownie mix). Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Stir in vanilla. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat well, until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Spread it on a cooled chocolate cake.

Chocolate Mousse

It seems I am starting off the new year with a couple of failed recipes!! This was another vintage recipe that failed big time. It was more like an ice cream than a mousse. It calls for a "refrigerator tray", which I think might be those old-fashioned metal ice cube trays with no dividers. Of course I don't have any of those, so I used a cast-aluminum griddle instead. I also made a mistake with the whipped cream, getting a bit lazy and buying the spray type rather than whipping it up myself. In the end I don't know if that made any difference in the final product or not. My other recipes were better mousse recipes. I did learn that Ghirardelli makes a product called "ground chocolate", which seems to be a combination of ground chocolate and cocoa. It has the same consistency as cocoa powder, but might have other ingredients.

Chocolate Mousse

1 c. Ghirardelli's ground chocolate
8 T powdered sugar
2 c. rich milk (I used half-and-half)
small can evaporated milk
2 t. vanilla
4 t. gelatin
6 T cold water
1 c. sugar
1 pint cream, whipped

Mix ground chocolate, powdered sugar, and milk; scald, take off stove and add both gelatin to which cold water has been added, and the cup of sugar, stirring until entirely dissolved (about 3 minutes)l add vanilla. When cold and ready to set, add whipped cream and put into refrigerator trays and freeze. This makes a generous serving for 8 to 10 people.

Hollandaise Sauce

This was a truly disappointing Hollandaise sauce. It was a vintage recipe, that was too lemony and the paprika was not the proper spice. I added too much salt, too. At least the consistency stayed smooth for me.

Hollandaise Sauce

3/4 c. butter
2 T lemon juice
3 egg yolks, beaten
1/8 t. paprika

Melt one third of the butter in the top of a double boiler, stir in lemon juice and beaten egg yolks. Place over hot water, cook slowly, beat constantly using wire whisk. Add one half of remaining butter, beat, add rest of butter. Beat until mux==ixture thickens. Remove from water. Add seasoning. If sauce should separate, add hot water by teaspoon and use rotary beater.