Hot Toddy
Seems like cold and flu season has just kicked off on the adult portion of our household. I decided to go ahead and give in to the old school treatment.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz brandy, whiskey or rum (Jack Daniels is what we went with)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tea bag (used my favorite – Good Earth Original Sweet & Spicy Tea – caffeine free)
Preparation:
- Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey.
- Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter.
- On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea.
- Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.
Garlic Roasted Chicken Leg Quarters
It all started with a Google search: “Chicken Leg Quarters Recipe”. Chicken leg quarters were dirt cheap that particular week, and I was looking for some new-to-me ideas. I was in the middle of measuring ingredients when I realized that it had some more ‘exotic’ ingredients. Well, ‘exotic’ for my picky family’s scrutinizing tastes. (I am referring to the chili powder and cumin, which are probably spices that everyday normal people use.)
I even thought about abandoning my efforts, but I had some ingredients already mixed in the bowl. My family would just have to suck it up for this one.
Shockingly enough, it was a huge hit. The pickiest of them all DEVOURED this chicken and asked for seconds. Go figure. It is now a favorite of ours. Very tasty, not overwhelming on flavor. It was just right.
Ingredients:
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- dash freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (part dry white wine, if desired)
Preparation:
Heat oven to 425°.
Combine the garlic, oregano, salt, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Add olive oil and mix well. Use a mortar and pestle to make a paste consistency, or mash with a fork.
Wash chicken leg quarters and pat dry. Snip off any excess skin. Arrange the chicken pieces in a baking dish and pat the garlic mixture over each quarter. Pour 1/2 cup of chicken broth (part dry white wine, if desired) into the baking dish. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear.
Serves 4.
Chicken Jambalaya
My first attempt at Jambalaya. The problem…I had 4 pounds of smoked sausage in my fridge (thank you Publix sale and coupons), and I needed to find a new way to make it. I’d mentioned it in the past to my hubby, on nights that I worked, “well, there’s that summer sausage in the frige if you need something to make for you and the kids.” And there it sat when I returned home. Sigh. No bites, I suppose. I came up with Jambalaya thanks to an ingredient search on allrecipes.com. I was a bit of a skeptic at first…wasn’t exactly sure if the family would revolt about ‘weird’ food being set before them, but oh well. It sounded like a winner, and momma rolled with it.
It was deamed a success. Hubby loved it (test #1), kids ate it without throwing up at the table (test #2…odd sounding, yet I speak from past experience), and it used up ingredients that I already had on hand. Well, except for the shrimp. I skipped that and just added more chicken. Who knew I had all the makings on hand for something like this?
We definitely had to multiply the recipe to make enough though…a serving for 2 wasn’t going to cut it.
Prep Time: 10 Min // Cook Time: 25 Min // Ready In: 35 Min
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
- 1/4 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 dash cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken breast meat
- 1/4 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Directions
- In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Add the sausage, broth, tomatoes, green pepper, bay leaf, thyme and cayenne. Bring to a boil; add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chicken and shrimp; cook 5-10 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink and rice is tender. Discard bay leaf before serving.
Coq au Vin (The Pioneer Woman…again)
This was my first time attempting something ambitious sounding like Coq au Vin. Something about it sounded delightful, and I had been searching for recipes involving whole chicken. Although, by the time I actually made this recipe, I used chicken leg quarters instead. Turned out great though! I used cooking wine, and was happy with the taste. (Going against my adopted rule of “cook only with what you would drink”.) The resulting taste was super rich and deep. Perfect for a fall or winter evening, casual and fancy all at the same time. And not a bank-breaker. I probably made the first batch for $8 between sale prices and coupons. Probably could’ve been cheaper if I’d been patient enough to wait for all the ingredients to go on sale.
Recipe: Coq au Vin
Prep Time: 25 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour | Difficulty: Intermediate | Servings: 6
//
Ingredients
- 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into Small Pieces
- 1 whole Fryer Chicken
- 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
- 1/2 cup Carrots, Washed, Peeled, And Roughly Chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 pound White Mushrooms, Sliced
- 2 cups Burgundy Wine
- 1 pound Pasta (egg Noodles Or Fettucini)
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- Parsley, Fresh, Minced
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
Preparation Instructions
Saute bacon pieces in a large skillet over medium low heat until fat is rendered. Remove bacon from the skillet and set aside. Increase heat to medium.
Salt fat site of chicken pieces, then place chicken, fat side down, in skillet and cook in bacon grease until both sides are nice and golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside in a 2-quart baking dish, skin side up.
Saute onions, carrots and garlic in bacon grease until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from grease with slotted spoon and set aside.
In a separate skillet, saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until golden, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Layer half of the bacon pieces, carrot/onion mixture, and mushrooms in pan with chicken.
Drain grease from the large skillet, then place over medium heat. Pour in 2 cups Burgundy wine, using a wire whisk to scrape loose all the burned/brown bits. Lightly salt liquid and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Pour over chicken and vegetables. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
Cook pasta until al dente. Drain and toss with 2 tablespoons butter.
Serve chicken in a pasta bowl with noodles, sprinkling minced parsley over the top. Spoon juice from baking dish over the top of everything.
Posted by Ree on August 10 2009
Knock You Naked Brownies, aka ‘Turtle Brownies’ (The Pioneer Woman)
Good stuff! Another Pioneer Woman recipe that I copied and pasted here for my easy access. Make sure to use the 18.25 oz cake mix this recipe calls for. Some brands make a 15 oz version of German Chocolate Cake…it doesn’t work (I can vouch for that one).
Recipe: Knock You Naked Brownies
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook Time: 23 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12
//
Ingredients
- 1 box (18.5 Ounce) German Chocolate Cake Mix (I Used Duncan Hines)
- 1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
- 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk (additional)
- 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
- 60 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
- 1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, chopped pecans, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.
Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.
In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.
Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.
*Adapted from the standard/classic “Knock You Naked Brownies” recipe. These brownies don’t really knock you naked…but almost.
White Chicken Enchiladas (The Pioneer Woman)
These are amazing. I simply copy and pasted this from thepioneerwoman.com because I wanted to keep a copy of it on my blog for my own references. This is simply worth every long minute of your efforts…
Recipe: White Chicken Enchiladas
Prep Time: 45 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Difficulty: Intermediate | Servings: 6
//
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
- 2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
- 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
- 12 whole Corn Tortillas
- 1 whole Large Onion, Diced
- 3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
- 1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- Picante Sauce (optional)
- Cilantro, Chopped
Preparation Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.
In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.
Serve with picante sauce, if desired.
Faint. Repeat as needed.
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
My husband came home from work one day, raving about this Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread that a co-worker brought in. My husband requested (rather demanded) that I figure out how to make this. The only vegetable this man will ingest is iceburg lettuce and corn, so imagine my surprise. After I picked myself up off the floor, I gave google a shot and found a delightful Paula Deen recipe. It reviewed well, and I was drawn in by the cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest that the recipe called for.
I will admit to being a complete skeptic. The concept admittedly sounds nasty. But if my sweet hubby was laying his reputation on the line and declaring his love for zucchini, then I was willing to give it a go.
I opted for mini chocolate chips, as some of the reviews indicated that they wouldn’t sink to the bottom of the pan like the bigger chocolate chips would. I also sprinkle a little bit of brown sugar on the bottom of the pan, and again on top of the bread before baking. I have made it without the brown sugar before too, and it is great either way.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Zucchini ribbons, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.
Meatballs (for Homemade Spaghetti Sauce)
Ingredients:
-1 pound ground beef (or turkey, etc.)
-1 cup fresh bread crumbs
-1 cup fresh bread crumbs
-1 tablespoon dried parsley
-1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup olive oil
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls.
Pour olive oil into a skillet. Cook meatballs over medium heat until browned on all sides. Add to Homemade Spaghetti Sauce.
Cheddar Champ
A Publix Apron recipe. Super easy as it used pre-made mashed potatoes. I used Boar’s Head Vermont White Cheddar as the cheese, but was really tempted to use the Irish Aged White Cheddar in the ‘expensive cheese’ section. That’s what they used for the Aprons demonstration, but it was super expensive…
This is the side dish I use with the Pork with Lemon Dill Sauce recipe.
Ingredients
3 1/2 oz Deli aged white cheddar, shredded
2 leeks, very thinly sliced
1 cup reduced-fat milk
1 (10-oz) container cooking creme
2 tablespoons garlic herb butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (32-oz) package refrigerated mashed potatoes
Prep
- Shred cheese.
- Cut leeks in half lengthwise; then slice white portion only (2 cups).
Steps
- Combine leeks, milk, cooking creme, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in medium saucepan; cook on medium-high 4–6 minutes or until leeks are softened.
- Heat potatoes in microwave following package instructions. Stir potatoes and cheese into leek mixture. Serve. (Makes 6 servings)
CALORIES (per 1/6 recipe) 390kcal; FAT 27g; CHOL 70mg; SODIUM 1080mg; CARB 26g; FIBER 2g; PROTEIN 11g; VIT A 35%; VIT C 4%; CALC 30%; IRON 4%
Pork with Lemon Dill Sauce
Another Publix Aprons recipe. I am loving these Publix recipes lately! Seriously, when you take pork tenderloin and wrap it in bacon, then smother it in a rich sauce…how can that go wrong?? Recommended side dish is Cheddar Champ.
Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb)
4 slices bacon
4 toothpicks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup lemon dill sauce, divided (I finally found lemon dill sauce underneath the fresh seafood case. Who knew?)
Prep
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cut tenderloin into four equal pieces.
Steps
- Wrap each piece of the pork with a slice of bacon, then secure ends of bacon with toothpicks; season with salt and pepper (wash hands). Place pork on baking sheet and top each with 1 tablespoon lemon dill sauce.
- Bake 15–20 minutes or until pork is 160°F (for medium). Top each with 1 tablespoon (or more) remaining lemon dill sauce. Let stand 2–3 minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks and serve.
CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 230kcal; FAT 14g; CHOL 90mg; SODIUM 500mg; CARB 2g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 24g; VIT A 4%; VIT C 0%; CALC 2%; IRON 6%
