Yuletide Toffee Squares

Unfortunately this is not a keeper!! Perhaps I did something wrong, but not only did the chocolate not melt on the top, but the base was too chewy. The flavors all worked together, but the consistency wasn't to my liking. I would rather have true toffee than this pale imitation.

Yuletide Toffee Squares

4 1/2 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. light or dark corn syrup
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt, optional
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 c. chopped nuts, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan.
2. In large bowl, combine oats, sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir together until well-combined. Firmly press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until mixture is brown and bubbly.
3. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over toffee. Let stand 10 minutes. Spread chocolate evenly over toffee and sprinkle with nuts. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. To serve, cut into squares. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Stir-Fried Chicken Basil

This was a good recipe, but as usual with me I thought there was a bit too much soy sauce flavor. Next time I will try another less soy sauce flavored sauce. Also, I don't like mushrooms, so I substituted carrots, which I cooked first. I liked how the basil leaves got a bit crispy in the oil, but only half of them did this. I put the soggy ones in tomorrow's leftovers container!!

Stir-Fried Basil Chicken

2/3 c. packed fresh basil leaves (about 40 )
1/2 c. water
3 T soy sauce
3 T dry sherry (or water)
4 t. cornstarch
1 t. instant chicken bouillon granules
3-4 T vegetable oil
2 t. finely chopped fresh garlic
12 green onions, cut into 1-inch diagonal slices
16 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 c. hot cooked rice

1. Wash basil leaves. Lay leaves in a single layer on paper towels and pat dry. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and pat leaves again with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch, and chicken bouillon and set aside.
3. Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok and add basil leaves. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until glossy green. Use a slotted spoon to remove basil leaves from the hot oil and drain on paper towels.
4. Add garlic to hot oil and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly for about 15 seconds.
5. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of oil to the wok and add the green onions. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another minute.
6. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for another minute. Remove vegetables from wok and set aside.
7. Place chicken in hot wok and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until chicken is fork tender (about 3-5 minutes).
8. Push chicken from the center of the wok. Stir sauce and add sauce to the center of the wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened (1-2 minutes).
9. Return cooked vegetables to wok and stir to coat with the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through (about 1 minute). Place on serving plate and sprinkle with cooked basil leaves. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Carole's Mini Chicken Creamy Pesto Pizzas

I created a new recipe from two that I had wanted to try. I used one of those fresh growing basil from the grocery store, hopefully it will survive past this weekend since it needs a lot of water!! I used the Bridgeford frozen white rolls, but any brand of frozen dough rolls should work. When I brought home the rolls I let them that just a little bit so I could separate them before I re-froze them. This made it easier to break apart for thawing in the oven. I used cooked leftover chicken, but you can use whatever toppings will fit. I like my pizza thick, so I didn't press down the dough too far. If you want thinner pizza, just press it down more on the pan. If you want less oil, just toast the pine nuts in a pan or in the oven until golden brown.

Carole's Mini Chicken Creamy Pesto Pizzas

8 frozen dough white rolls
1 T olive oil
1/2 T olive oil
1 T raw pine nuts
1/8 c. olive oil
1/2 cup tightly packed, rinsed, drained, stemmed fresh basil leaves (do not use dried basil)
1 medium clove garlic
1/8 t. salt
1/8 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. freshly grated Romano cheese
3 T butter
1/3 c. whipping cream
1/4 t. salt
dash ground white pepper
dash ground nutmeg
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken
3/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to Warm. Remove 6 individual rolls from the package of frozen rolls. Place 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a bowl, separate the rolls from each other and roll in the oil. Place rolls on a baking sheet, spaced staggered for later "squishing" (I usually alternate 2 and 1 rows). Place baking sheet into the warm oven and turn off the oven.
2. While the dough is defrosting in the oven, place 1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil and the pine nuts in a small frying pan. Brown them on medium-high, constantly stirring, for about a minute and a half. Remove nuts to a paper towel when golden brown, they will continue to brown a bit more.
3. Combine pine nuts, basil leaves, garlic, salt, and remaining 1/8 cup olive oil in a blender container. Blend until mixture is evenly blended and pieces are very finely chopped. You may have to stop the process and scrape down the side of the blender container.
4. Transfer the pesto to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan and Romano cheeses.
5. In a small, heavy pan, place the butter and cream over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until blended and mixture bubbles for 2 minutes.
6. Stir in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from head and gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese, stirring until thoroughly blended and fairly smooth. Return pan to the heat if necessary to completely blend cheese, but don't let the sauce get bubbly or the cheese will become lumpy and tough.
7. Transfer the pesto to the pan of creamy sauce and stir until well combined. You will see the olive oil separate.
8. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
9. Remove the baking sheet of dough and place on a flat surface. Using your hand, "squish" down the dough balls to desired thickness. Using a brush, spread some of the green olive oil on the dough. Spoon some of the creamy pesto onto the dough, followed by some chicken and mozzarella cheese. Try not to let any of the cheese stay on the baking sheet. Squish down the mini pizzas so that they are compact and as flat as you want them to be.
9. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until the mozzarella cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer to plates or cooling racks. Makes 8 mini pizzas.

Tennessee-Style Fried Corn

After boiling up some corn yesterday I had a couple of ears leftover. So, I thought I would try this variation on a family favorite "Corn and Bacon". My family recipe uses small pieces of corn and fries it up with the corn. My grandmother added onions and bell peppers. This recipe has some milk added to it, and just salt and pepper as seasoning. I liked this recipe, but I ended up overcooking the corn and couldn't eat all of it. Next time I would use a bit more milk, and not cook it so long once the milk is added.

Tennessee-Style Fried Corn

6 ears of fresh corn
4 slices of bacon
1/2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
pinch sugar

1. With a sharp knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Also scrape pulp out with back of knife. Set aside.
2. Cut bacon slices in half. Fry in heavy iron skillet until crisp. Drain on paper toweling.
3. Discard all but 4 Tablespoons bacon fat. Add corn. Cook, without stirring, until bottom is browned (lift corn from the side with a spatula to check).
4. When well-browned, add milk and seasonings, stirring until well combined. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes longer. Arrange bacon over the top and serve. Serves 4.

Turkey Pot Pie

I have created my own recipe for pot pies, and used the same recipe for beef a while back. I used one of those chunks of turkey breast that come shrink-wrapped in the ready-made foods in the meat area of the grocery store. I had some russet potatoes to use up, and some half-and-half, so voilá a pot pie. I used a deeper pie dish and piled up the contents high in the middle. It worked out and didn't leak. Since I didn't use canned potatoes this time, I added the potatoes near the end of the process so they wouldn't get mushy.

Turkey Pot Pie

1 pkg. refrigerated double crust pastry
1 1/2 c. cooked turkey, cubed
1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 c. frozen pearl onions
2 T butter
1/2 c. chopped celery, including leaves
1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 T butter
1/2 c. frozen peas
1 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. cooked, cubed potatoes
1 c. milk or half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place one of the pastry rounds in a 9-inch pie dish, making sure that it is touching the bottom and sides. Trim the extra pastry off, at the outside edge of the pie dish. Prick the bottom several times with a fork. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Do not over bake. Lower oven temperature to 400ºF after you remove the pie crust to a wire rack.
2. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together in a shallow dish. Add turkey and roll pieces around until they are coated in the flour. Melt 2 T butter in large skillet. Add the turkey (after shaking off flour) and onions, reserving the excess flour for later. Saute until the turkey and onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Remove turkey and onions and place in a heat-proof bowl for later.
3. Melt 1 T butter in skillet. Add celery and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes. Add peas and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together milk and reserved flour mixture. Whisk slowly into the skillet. Stir until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, turkey and onions.
5. Spoon carefully into bottom crust, keeping the contents in a center mound. Top with remaining pastry, trimming the edge as you did for the bottom. Press the top edge to the bottom edge all the way around sort of sealing them together. Using a fork, prick the top crust several times for vents. Place a baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven to catch any overflowing filling. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before cutting. Serves 4-6.

Cahew-Top Sesame Chicken

I won't be keeping this recipe, it was a bit too salty and the seasoning is too strong. It is one of those recipes where I like most of the ingredients and yet it doesn't come out to my liking.

Cashew-Top Sesame Chicken

3/4 c. dried bread crumbs
2 T sesame seed
1/2 t. onion salt
1/2 t. dried basil leaves
1/2 t. dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. paprika
1/8 t. pepper
1 frying chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. chopped salted cashews (or peanuts)

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a 9-inch pie pan, combine all ingredients except chicken, butter, and cashews.
3. Dip chicken in melted butter, then roll in seasoned crumbs to coat.
4. Place chicken, skin side up, in a 13" x 9" baking pan.
5. Bake for 60-75 minutes or until chicken is fork tender.
6. Meanwhile, stir cashews into remaining melted butter.
7. When chicken is tender, pour cashew mixture over chicken. Continue baking for 3 more minutes. Serves 6.

Zesty Lemon Chicken

I think I have decided that although I love oats, I don't like them as a coating on chicken. This recipe was easy, but the lemon was too strong. Perhaps if it had been mixed with the butter that was poured on the chicken for the final cooking it would have been better? I won't be keeping this recipe, I even tried both chicken breasts, one with the lemon and one without.

Zesty Lemon Chicken

1 1/4 c. oats (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 T snipped fresh parsley (or 1 t. dried parsley)
3-lb. broiler-fryer chicken, cut up, skinned.
1/3 c. milk
2 T margarine, melted
lemon wedges

1. Grease rack of foil-lined broiler pan. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Place oats, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in blender container, and cover. Blend about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to stir.
3. Stir in parsley.
4. Coat chicken pieces with oat mixture, dip into milk, coat again with oat mixture. Place on rack.
5. Bake 30 minutes. Turn and drizzle with margarine. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with fork.
6. Remove from oven. Squeeze lemon over chicken just before serving. Serves 6.

All Time Favorite Caramel Rolls or Sticky Buns

Here is the other pecan roll recipe, the one my mom baked. This was a winner with the ladies at the table, but my father liked the other one because it was less "doughy". I think that he liked the shortness of the other rolls. My mother and I liked the cinnamon-taste of these rolls. Both recipes were good, though, and I will keep both.

All Time Favorite Caramel Rolls or Sticky Buns

1 loaf frozen white baking bread, thawed according to package directions
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 T butter, melted
2 t. water
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 c. chopped or whole pecan halves, if desired
2 T soft butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon

1. Let dough rise until almost doubled in size.
2. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, melted butter, water, and corn syrup and spread in a 10" x 8" or 9" x 9" pan.
3. Sprinkle nuts over brown sugar mixture.
4. Stretch and roll dough to a 16" x 12" (approximate) rectangle. Spread with soft butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and cinnamon.
5. Roll up tightly, jelly roll fashion, starting with the long edge. Seal edge by pinching dough together. Cut into 15 or 16 pieces.
6. Place cut rolls on top of brown sugar mixture in pan and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
7. Bake in a 375ºF oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool 1 minute. Loosed edges and turn out onto a wire rack lined with waxed paper.

Old Fashioned Praline Pecan Rolls

My Mom and I baked up two different, but similar, recipes for pecan rolls for Mother's Day. Both were yummy, this recipe was mine and was more brown-sugar-buttery. I melted some butter on them and ate two!! We both had problems with getting our dough rolled out to the proper size, this recipe called for a smaller rectangle and was cut into smaller rolls. This is a keeper, but we both liked the other recipe because of the cinnamon. Perhaps a mix of both recipes?

Old Fashioned Praline Pecan Rolls

1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread (I used Bridgeford Ready-Dough)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. pecans halves
2/3 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T flour
1/4 c. butter, melted

1. Let bread thaw until pliable. Dough may be thawed overnight in the refrigerator or in the microwave oven for 6 minutes on low power.
2. Place 1/4 c. melted butter in the bottom of a well-greased 13" x 9" pan. Sprinkle 1/4 c. brown sugar and pecan halves over butter.
3. On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to a 10" x 14" rectangle. Brush with 2 Tablespoons of the remaining melted butter.
4. Combine chopped pecans with remaining brown sugar and flour. Sprinkle evenly over the dough.
5. Beginning with the 10" side, roll the dough up tightly in jelly roll fashion. Pinch dough along the edge to seal. Slice rolled dough into 12 pieces. Place slices, cut side down, in prepared pan.
6. Brush dough with remaining butter. Let rise until rolls have doubled in size (2-3 hours).
7. Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully invert rolls onto a serving platter at once (syrup is very hot!)

Tuna Timbales

This recipe was from my past, but I didn't like it as much as I remembered. I ended up with only two small timbales when I halved the recipe, probably because some of my rice stuck to the bottom of the pan when I cooked it. I just don't like the taste of cream of mushroom soup any more, and the reason I don't eat fish is that I don't care for the taste of it either!! I used cheddar cheese instead of American cheese. I am going to keep this recipe, simply because it is a classic from my youth.

Tuna Timbales

3/4 c. raw rice, cooked
6 1/2 oz can of chunk style tuna
3 T grated onion
dash of Tabasco sauce
10 1/2 oz. can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 c. milk
1 c. grated American cheese

1. Cook rice according to directions on the package.
2. Break tuna into small pieces. Stir in onion, cooked rice, and Tabasco sauce.
3. Pack a liberal 1/2-cup of mixture into a wet custard cup. Unmold into a greased shallow baking dish.
4. Combine milk and soup. Pour over timbales. Sprinkle cheese on top.
5. Bake at 350ºF for 30-35 minutes. Makes 6.