Chicken with Caribbean Rub and Mango Salsa

This came from The Sisters Cafe.  Their recipe called for pork chops-- I used chicken.  It turned out to be delicious and refreshing.  I think it would go perfect with rice or couscous.  I grilled my chicken on the George Foreman.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1- 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1- 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

mango peach salsa (I bought some from Lee's that had pineapple and mango.  Mmmmmm)

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub chicken with spice mixture.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; grill 3 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 145° (slightly pink).  *Even better, grill pork chops on a bbq preheated to medium-high heat.  Or if you don’t have a bbq or a grill pan, broil the chops in the oven about 6 inches away from heat – works great too!  Serve grilled pork chops with mango peach salsa.

If you prefer to make your own salsa, here is the original Cooking Light recipe for mango salsa.

Toss together gently:
1/2 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup diced plum tomato
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am on a quest to make my recipes healthier.  With my changes, this one amounts to 111 calories per muffin.  Not bad.  It comes from recipegirl.com

banana- chocolate chip muffins

Yield: 12 regular-sized muffins

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

I like to bake these up in mini muffin cups to utilize for after-school snacks...

ingredients:

3 medium very-ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup low fat buttermilk or nonfat milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I cut both sugars in half)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat regular-sized muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, mash bananas with fork. Whisk in egg, milk, and sugars.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet mixture and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Spoon equal amounts of batter into 12 muffin cups. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Alisa's Favorite Chili

This is easy and delicious.  From KSL's Studio 5

Alisa's Favorite Chili

• 3 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) Ranch Style Beans* (I couldn't find these so I used Western Style Beans)
• 2 cans (20 oz. each) enchilada sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. cumin

Method:

Brown the ground beef and chopped onion together. Drain any grease and place mixture in a large cooking pot. Stir in beans, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, and cumin (add more seasoning to taste if desired). Simmer until thickened. Serve with grated cheese and bread. Serves 8-10.

Note: Ranch Style Beans are a brand name of baked beans that are found easily in most grocery stores.

Whole Wheat Bread (Marcia Wilson)

This bread is the best homemade whole wheat I've tried.  It is from Mb's mil, Marcia.  You can make the entire recipe if you are using a Bosch mixer, but make sure to half it if you use a Kitchenaid.  

Whole Wheat Bread

8 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup wheat gluten

¾ cup honey

¾ cup oil

5 tsp salt

3 cups hot water

White flour as needed (generally 2 cups)

4 tbsp dry active yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 ½ cups warm water

Directions: Mix wheat flour, gluten, honey, oil, and salt. Once combined at 4 cups hot water. Combine 1 ½ cups warm water, sugar and yeast, let proof. Once yeast has proofed add it to the rest of the ingredients. Add flour until the dough is able to be kneaded. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Place a large bowl coated with oil and let raise until double or 1 hour. Then punch a hole in the dough and push out all the air bubbles. Divide the dough equally and place in loaf pans. Cover with a clean dish towel and let raise about 30 min. Bake at 350 degrees until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees (about 30 min).

Chicken, Artichoke and Cannellini Bean Spezzatino

From Giada De Laurentiis. recipe here.

This soup is seriously good. The only changes I made: I used a rotisserie chicken and added at the end + used artichokes from the jar instead of frozen (I think my jar was 6 oz). Also, you can substitute bacon for pancetta.

1 (4-ounce) piece pancetta, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 packed cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 bay leaf

2 skinless chicken breasts with rib meat (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)

12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

In a heavy 5 or 6 quart saucepan add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, basil, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf. Add the chicken and press down to submerge. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, turning the chicken over and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add the artichokes and the cannellini beans and simmeruntil the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken and let cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bones and cut the meat into bite-size pieces. Return the meat to the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes until warmed through. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season the spezzatino with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the spezzatino into bowls and garnish with the cooked pancetta.

Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Breakfast Rolls

These are super easy; justin thought they were the best thing ever...basically cinnamon rolls made with crescent rolls and a pumpkin mixture. You could also use Rhodes dough or make your own, but I liked the lightness of the crescent rolls. Find the original recipe HERE.

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2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll crescent rolls to form 4 rectangles placed side by side. Pinch seams together to form one long rectangle. Place cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg into a mixer; beat until well combined. Spread mixture over crescents. Starting at long end, roll up then cut into 1 inch pieces (I put the rolled dough in the freezer for a couple minutes and found it was easier to slice after that). I baked mine in two pie dishes, but you could do two 9x9 pans or even one 9x13 dish.

2. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp canned pumpkin

Pad Thai (with Chicken)

This recipe is another from Martha Stewart's book, Great Food Fast.  I had a couple of issues with it.  First of all, it made a huge mess, but that might just be the way I cook.  Secondly, I found it way too spicy, so beware and reduce the chili sauce.  Overall, I did think it had a delicious flavor, just like the Pad Thai I get at Kamin.
(serves 6)

3 chicken breasts (it did call for shrimp, but I substituted)
8 oz. rice-stick noodles (Mine were short, and I ended up using about 3/4 of a 16 oz. pkg)
1/4 c. tomato based sweet chili sauce
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 T anchovy paste
4 T vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups bean sprouts
8 scallions, trimmed, halved lengthwise in 2 inch pieces
1/3 c. chopped dry roasted peanuts
1 large egg, lightly beaten

OPtional for garnish:
bean sprouts
fresh cilantro
lime wedges

Cook chicken in boiling water, leaving partially pink on the inside.  Thinly slice, then set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk chili sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, and anchovy paste.  In a large skillet heat 2 T. oil and garlic over medium high heat until fragrant.  Add chicken and stir until cooked thoroughly.  Transfer to plate.

Heat a large pot of water to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir the noodles until softened but still undercooked (about 3 min).

Return skillet to med high heat.  Add remaining 2 T oil, then noodles, chile sauce mixture, cooking until combined .  Add bean sprouts, scallions, and chicken.  Pour in the egg, tossing until the noodles are coated and egg is cooked.  Serve.

Lemon Basil Pasta (with chicken)

I found the beans in this recipe to be problematic.  They don't mix well with the pasta, and when I served it some had 2 beans, while others had half a can.  Not sure what the solution to this issue is.  Just thought I would mention it.  Obviously, this is not my photo, since I added chicken and parm to my dish.  The original recipe calls for adding 1/2 c. of the pasta water 1 T. at a time to the basil puree.  I didn't bother.  Turned out fine.  This dish is light and refreshing.  I served it with steamed broccoli.

Makes 4 Servings
(From March Better Homes and Gardens with modifications)

Chicken:
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
1 T olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
Juice from 1/4 lemon
Peel from 1/4 lemon
Parmesan (for garnish)

Heat olive oil, adding garlic, and lemon.  Add chicken and cook until just done.  Set aside.

Pasta:
10 oz. dried linguine or desired pasta
1 19-oz. can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves


Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding beans for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.  Drain pasta and beans; cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, finely shred peel from the lemon half (about 2 teaspoons). In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add lemon peel; cook and stir 1 minute, or until lightly golden.

3. In a food processor combine cooked lemon peel/olive oil, basil, the remaining 1 T. olive oil, the juice from the lemon half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and process until smooth. 

4. To serve, toss hot cooked pasta mixture with lemon-basil mixture. 



Top with chicken and fresh parmesan cheese.

Bottled Salsa

I use my food processor to chop all the ingredients.  I also drain off some of the water from the tomatoes because I don't like runny salsa.  Note to self:  wear gloves when handling jalapeno peppers.  They are no joke.  It seems like this recipe makes 5-6 large bottles.

48-58 tomatoes
4 medium onions
8 yellow peppers
4 green peppers
20 jalapeno peppers
1-1/4 c vinegar
2 t. sugar
4-1/2 t.  salt
1 t. crushed red pepper

Simmer over low heat, draining excess water until desired consistency is achieved.  Remove from heat, add 1 bunch fresh chopped cilantro and stir well.  Add salsa to bottles, leaving 1-2 inches at the top.  Seal with lids and place in water bath (bottles should be nearly covered with water).  Process for 15 min. or until lids are sealed.  Store for up to a year.

Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes

Can you tell I'm on a cupcake kick lately?  Frankly, this is the only way I can stand zucchini, and these were delicious.  The nuts made the cupcake in my opinion.  You could substitute chocolate chips as well. 

From marthastewart.com with my additions.

Cupcakes (makes 12)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)

            1 cup packed brown sugar

            2 teaspoons baking powder

            1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

            1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 t. ground cloves (my addition)

1/2 t. nutmeg (my addition)

  1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (I used almonds)

            1 zucchini (10 ounces), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)

            1/3 cup vegetable oil

            2 large eggs, lightly beaten

            1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Set aside.

.    In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt (also nutmeg and cloves). Mix in nuts.

.    In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).

.    Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely. Meanwhile, make frosting. Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread frosting on cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day.

Cream Cheese Frosting

            4 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter

            4 ounces room-temperature bar cream cheese

            2 cups confectioners' sugar

            1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Orange Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

(Sorry about the freaky font.  I am perplexed as to why it looks this way.)

Note:  This recipe called for real vanilla beans, but as I have no idea where to get them, I opted for vanilla extract instead.  Also, these taste much better refrigerated and were my favorite of the 2 recipes I tried.

Cupcakes

• 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 t. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla seeds, and orange zest until pale and fluffy. With mixer running, add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl.

Combine cream, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Sift togetherflour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add

1. flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with cream mixture, ending with flour; beat until just combined.
2. 

   Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until testers inserted in the centers come out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks. Undecorated cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 1 day (or frozen for up to 2 months).
    Frost and serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• (I also added a bit of fresh orange juice)
• Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

I have never been a fan of the cake mix cupcakes and this was my first venture into the "from scratch" cupcake recipe world.  There are a lot of recipes out there, but I was most impressed by what I found on Marthastewart.com  I bought a giant cupcake pan, a frosting bag, and frosting tips at Kitchen Kneads.  So fun.  They also have really cute cupcake liners.  

A word on the giant cupcakes:  they are really fun, but rather difficult to eat, and they take a lot of frosting.  

Also, I did find this frosting to be a bit sweet for my taste, but then again, I have frosting issues.  No one else complained. The frosting was colored with bright food coloring and I used some blue and purple sprinkles on top. The girls said they were "princess cupcakes". 

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake on the center rack of the oven until tops spring back to touch, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
• Buttercream Frosting:
• Ingredients

1. • 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
   • 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
   • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
   • Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
   • Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Braised Balsamic Chicken

I am still not quite sure why I fired up the kitchen today (my house was 85 degrees), regardless it was delish. This had a slightly meat-loafish vibe. I served it with a fruit salad and potatoes. You could also do a cous cous or pasta. I got the recipe from allrecipes. I stuck to the recipe except I used only 3 breasts. If you used 6 you'd have to add more wet ingredients. This could be done in a slow cooker as well. I substituted garlic salt for fresh crushed garlic. I also used fresh herbs (courtesy of Christina's fab graduation gift).

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.
2. Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.