HONEY ORANGE CHICKEN KABOBS (Or Not Kabobs)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb chicken thighs trimmed

1 large green pepper

1 large red pepper

½ red onion

5 (per kebab) button mushrooms (optional)

½ zucchini

MARINADE:

1 cup OJ

¼ cup honey

½ t ginger powder

2T soy sauce

salt & pepper to taste

5 bamboo kabob skewers

INSTRUCTIONS:  (For Kabobs)
Place your bamboo skewers in warm water and set aside until you’re ready to skewer.

Cut chicken and vegetables into large diced pieces and set aside.

Prepare the marinade by mixing all ingredients together.

Season meat to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare the kabob by alternating chicken with vegetables.

Use approx. 3 oz of chicken per skewer.

Place prepared kabobs in a zip lock bag or a sealed container and pour marinade over top the kabobs.

Marinate for at least 3 hours.

For better flavor let marinate for 24 hours

Heat grill to 350 degrees and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes, turning on different sides until each kabob reaches 165 degrees

INSTRUCTIONS: (For Not Kabobs)

Cut chicken and vegetables into large diced pieces and set aside.

Prepare the marinade by mixing all ingredients together.

Season meat to taste with salt and pepper.

Place prepared meat in a zip lock bag or a sealed container and pour marinade over the top.

Marinate for at least 3 hours.

For better flavor let marinate for 24 hours.

Sauté vegetables in skillet on stove until just tender.

Heat ribbed grill pan (or skillet); coating with olive oil.

Place meat in the pan.

Cooking 5-7 minutes on one side; turn and repeat on other side.

Test meat temperature (165 degrees is done for chicken)

Serve with vegetables. 

(This marinade can be used with beef and pork.)

Caprese Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb shaped pasta (like rotini or penne)
• 3 each ripe tomatoes - or, 24 grape tomatoes halved
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella  - I use Cigliene and quarter them
• ¼ c chopped fresh basil
• 1 ½ cups balsamic vinaigrette
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook pasta as directed on the box, rinse and chill.
2.  Cut up tomatoes and mozzarella to a medium dice, add to pasta.
3. Pick basil from stem, chop and add to pasta.
4. Pour your favorite balsamic vinaigrette over the pasta and toss.
5. Taste and season if necessary.

This can be your main dish for a lunch or summer dinner - or use as a side to grilled chicken or pork.

STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

This is a great all-around meal for any time. It's comforting and yummy. Kids and adults love it. It's also a forgiving recipe - you can add more or less beef, Worcestershire, tomatoes - etc. it's to your personal taste. This is how I make it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-6 bell peppers (shaped to stand)
• 1-1.5 lb ground beef
• 1 1/4 C rice (I use Uncle Ben's)
• 3 cans diced tomatoes
• 2 1/2 C water
• 2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 medium diced onion
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Grated Parmesan
• Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice the tops off bell peppers and remove seeds. Rinse.  Keep the rings you slice off and chop them.
2. Sauté onion until translucent in stock pot or Dutch oven. Add beef.
3. Brown ground beef with garlic powder. Add diced tomatoes, rice, water, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped tops of bell peppers.
4. Bring to boil, then lower to simmer.  Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until rice is tender. (you may need to add some water up to 1/2 cup this depends on rice)
5. While stuffing is simmering, in another large pot, par-boil the green bell peppers until just slightly tender. (boil for about 15-20 minutes)
6. Prepare a baking dish - spray with olive oil spray.  Stand pepper cups up in dish.
7. Spoon stuffing into peppers until full.  Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.
8. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Serve.

NOTE: I also have done this as a "casserole" by cutting the peppers and putting in a baking pan; putting rice mixture on top of pepper layer; then more peppers on top; sprinkle with parmesan cheese - bake 30 minutes.  David isn't a huge fan of the pepper cups - but loves the meal so I've adapted this option.

EGGPLANT & SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
•  Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE CASSEROLE

•  Olive oil, as needed
• 1 large (18 to 20 ounces) eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
•  Salt
•  freshly ground black pepper
• 9 ounces chorizo or spiced sausage
• 12 ounces fontina cheese, grated
• 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

PREPARATION

1. For the béchamel: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add milk, salt, white pepper and nutmeg, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Cook, whisking frequently, until thickened and smooth, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. For the casserole: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and thoroughly coat both sides with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and black pepper. Roast until fully cooked, 12 to 15 minutes, then remove from heat but do not turn off oven. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, sauté sausage until browned and fully cooked. Remove from heat and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.
3. Oil an 8-by-11, 2-inch-deep baking dish. Spread one-third of béchamel in baking dish. Top with half the eggplant, then half the fontina and half the sausage. Coat with half of the remaining béchamel. Top with remaining eggplant, fontina and sausage. Spread with remaining béchamel and the Parmesan.
4. Bake until hot, bubbling and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow to rest for a minute or two, then serve.

PUMPKIN TEA BREAD

This recipe is one of my all-time Fall Favorites.  It's great for a coffee-break; afternoon tea or dessert!

Hope you love it too!!

3 Cups Flour

3 Cups Sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree (#303can)

3 eggs

1 ½ cups golden raisins

1-cup pecan pieces

1 cup oil

1 tsp. Nutmeg

1 Tsp ground clove

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Spray tube pan thoroughly with Pam.

Add sugar to oil.  Mix well.

Add pumpkin and eggs to mixture and mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix all spices, raisins and flour together.

Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Pour batter in pan.  Sprinkle pecan pieces on top of batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the cake comes out clean

Cool for 5 minutes and turn out on a cake plate. Garnish with powdered sugar.  Serves 12.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

My gosh!  I've been extremely remiss in posting new recipes.  How I went 2 years without a new one is crazy.  I promise to be more diligent and post at least twice monthly.

This is my go-to recipe for Chicken & Dumplings.  It's simple, easy - and slow-cooked so you can do other things.

Remember - you can delay start your slow-cooker with a lamp timer (*buy at Home Depot) by a couple of hours if needed. (I do not recommend delaying more than 3 hours for food safety sake)  The ingredients will slowly come up to room temperature and will actually cook more evenly.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders or boneless chicken breast cut into large-ish chunks
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 heavy Tsp Garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion (Or 2Tbs diced freeze dried onion)
• 1 pound cut carrots  (a little more if you like carrots)
• 4 large stalks chopped celery
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream (hold til Step 4)

DUMPLINGS

• 1 cup flour (gluten free or regular - as needed)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup milk or half and half
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. In the bottom of a large slow cooker (I use a 6-quart), place onions, carrot, celery.  
2. Put chicken into a Ziploc bag (or bowl) and add cornstarch, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the chicken with herbs and cornstarch.  Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
3. Mix chicken stock (broth) with Cream of Chicken soup and pour over the chicken. (Make certain liquid covers chicken and vegetables completely - if not, add water with bouillon cube or more broth until it does) Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low. (the 3-hour time is best for flavor and moist chicken)
4. Remove lid, mix ingredients and add heavy cream.  (this will thicken the broth while the dumplings cook)
5. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.  Work in the butter using your fingers until coarse crumbs begin to form.
6. Stir in the milk and combine well until a sticky dough begins to form.
7. Drop tablespoon sized dollops of dough over the stew in an even layer. (I do roll mine a little so they are rounded a bit) Push the dumplings (gently) under the broth so they get a coating of broth - (they will float back up) 
8. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 1 additional hour on high or until dumplings are cooked through.
9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

SLOW-COOKER CHICKEN CHILI

This recipe is great for a busy day - or any day that needs something easy.

*Note - I use a lamp timer to delay my slow-cooker turning on or to switch it off after a certain number of hours.  You can get one at Lowes or Home Depot or Ace Hardware.  This is helpful when you won't be home to turn the cooker on in mid-morning and the ingredients are cold or partially frozen.  It's completely safe and tested.

1 LB - 1 1/4 IB boneless skinless chicken - breasts or thighs
1 small onion chopped
1 small bell pepper chopped
1 cup salsa (I use green or red - whatever is on hand)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chopped chili peppers
1 tsp cumin (ground)
1 tbs chopped garlic (or 2 cloves)
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs chili powder
2 cans pinto beans
1 can cannellini beans

In slow-cooker, first 7 ingredients.  Add spices on top of the chicken.  Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours.

When bubbling, test chicken to see if it will shred easily with a fork.  If so, shred chicken.  If not, let cook another 30 - 45 minutes.

Add beans to shredded chicken mixture.  Cook 30 minutes more until beans are hot. 

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions to top.  I also serve with fresh cornbread.