Saucy Peach-Balsamic Chicken

My younger daughter recently brought us a jar of peach preserves she got at her local farmer's market.  North Louisiana is famous for its peaches so I knew they'd be good.  That same week I ran across this recipe from my June/July 2011 issue of Simple & Delicious.  We tried it when she came to visit the other day and it was quite yummy!


Saucy Peach-Balsamic Chicken
contributed by Trisha Kruse of Eagle, ID


4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz. each)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sherry or additional reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup peach preserves
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, brown chicken on both sides in butter.  Remove from the skillet and keep warm.

Add broth and sherry to the skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.  Stir in the preserves, garlic and tarragon.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in vinegar.  Return chicken to the skillet; cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

 

Vegetable Frittata

After reading several of your comments on my Baked Frittata post, I decided to give it another shot just using vegetables.  I think I liked this version even better!

6 eggs
1 sweet orange pepper, diced
1/4 of a purple onion, diced
about 5 ounces of fresh spinach
7 ounces Gouda cheese, grated

Whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch cooking dish and bake at 375F for approximately 20-30 minutes.

Rosemary Caper Chicken

I had every intention of taking a picture of this dish as soon as it came out of the oven... even had the camera sitting on the kitchen table.  We were hungry, though, and everything smelled so good that I got distracted and forgot until it was too late. 

Rather than use olive oil I sprayed the pan and the chicken with olive oil cooking spray.  Worked out fine.  I'll definitely make this again.


Rosemary Caper Chicken contributed to Angels on Earth magazine by
Stephanie Thompson of Edmond, OK

1/4 cup olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
lemon pepper seasoning
3 fresh sprigs rosemary
1-1/2 tablespoons capers

Pour olive oil into a small casserole dish.  Place chicken in dish and turn so that both sides are coated with oil.  Sprinkle seasoning on both sides as well.  Add sprigs of rosemary on either side of the chicken and one on the middle.  Cover and bake at 400F for 15 minutes.  Add capers and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until done.

Baked Frittata

I pulled some leftover ham out of my freezer the other day and the first thing that came to mind was "frittata".  I decided to go with a baked version and this is what I came up with:

1-1/2 cups fully cooked ham, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
6 eggs
garlic salt,
pepper
dried chives

Whisk eggs then add remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch cooking dish and bake at 375F for approximately 20-30 minutes.  Quite tasty!

Macaroni and Cheese

Considering how much I love cheese, you'd think I would be a big fan of Macaroni & Cheese.  Not so.  It's okay, but I can think of so many other ways I'd rather have my cheese.  Last November Algernon posted his recipe for mac-n-cheese along with photos of the process.  It's simmered in the back of my mind ever since.  I finally got around to trying it and guess what?  It's great!!  I'm sure I'll make it again! 

I didn't have a chance to take any photos of my finished product so you'll just have to go look at Algernon's.  Click here for his recipe. 

Corny Chicken Bake

Here's another chicken recipe we tested out recently.  I don't think it was quite as good as the applesauce recipe, but it was good enough that we didn't mind having the leftovers the next day.  It's another recipe from Simple & Delicious magazine, this time contributed by Barbara Ramstack of Fond du Lac, WI.   


Corny Chicken Bake

3 cups corn bread stuffing mix
1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1 celery rib, diced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablepoons spicy brown or horseradish mustard

In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix, corn, onion and celery.  Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.  Top with chicken.  Combine the brown sugar, butter and mustard; drizzle over chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. 

Applesauce Barbecue Chicken

This recipe was contributed to Simple & Delicious magazine by Darla Andrews of Farmers Branch, TX. I used chicken tenders which made this a quick and easy dish to prepare. Better yet, it was delicious!


Applesauce Barbecue Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6-oz. each)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup chunky applesauce
2/3 cup spicy barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

Sauerbraten

Quid and I spend a lot of time texting each other while watching food shows on TV.  Not long ago the topic of Sauerbraten came up.  I commented I'd never eaten it, so Quid e-mailed me a recipe she found online and I tried it last weekend.  Well, considering it has to marinate for three days I actually started it mid-week, but I cooked it on Saturday.   Even though it was delicious (and the left-overs were great!) it was fairly labor-intensive, so I doubt I'll make it again any time soon. 

This recipe comes from Alton Brown of the Food Network.



Ingredients



2 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, additional for seasoning meat
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
12 juniper berries
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) bottom round
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
18 dark old-fashioned gingersnaps (about 5 ounces), crushed
1/2 cup seedless raisins, optional


Directions


In a large saucepan over high heat combine the water, cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper, and mustard seeds. Cover and bring this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.


Pat the bottom round dry and rub with vegetable oil and salt on all sides. Heat a large saute pan over high heat; add the meat and brown on all sides, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.


When the marinade has cooled to a point where you can stick your finger in it and not be burned, place the meat in a non-reactive vessel and pour over the marinade. Place into the refrigerator for 3 days. If the meat is not completely submerged in the liquid, turn it over once a day.


After 3 days of marinating, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.


Add the sugar to the meat and marinade, cover and place on the middle rack of the oven and cook until tender, approximately 4 hours.


Remove the meat from the vessel and keep warm. Strain the liquid to remove the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and place over medium-high heat. Whisk in the gingersnaps and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Add the raisins if desired. Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.

Cheese Grits (two recipes!)

I love cheese grits.  For years I've used my aunt's recipe that calls for "old fashioned" grits (not instant or quick-cooking), eggs, and requires baking in the oven.  This week I found another version in Southern Living magazine that uses quick-cooking grits and is prepared on the stovetop.  Both are relatively simple to make and both are delicious.  Here are the recipes.... you decide!


Cheese Grits

1 cup grits (old-fashioned)1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 pound sharp cheese (grated)
salt to taste

Cook grits as directed on the box (it should be 6 servings of grits). Add ingredients as listed. Beat hard after each addition. Pour into a 9x13" pan. Bake in a moderate oven (325 degrees) until firm and slightly brown on top.


Gouda Grits

4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking grits
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. hot sauce

Bring first 4 ingredients and 4 cups water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat; whisk in grits, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, and stir in Gouda and remaining ingredients.

Meatloaf

Such a pedestrian dish and not one I often crave. However, I recently had a large package of ground beef that I needed to use and decided to see if I could come up with a decent recipe from what I had in the pantry. I didn't even think to take a photo of it. After all, meatloaf just looks like meatloaf. It was delicious, though, so I figured I'd better write down how I made it in case I ever want to have it again!

1 large package ground beef (2.25 to 2.5 pounds)
3 eggs
2 small (5.5 oz.) cans V-8 vegetable juice
1 small onion, diced
1-1/2 cup old fashioned oats
seasoned salt
pepper

Mix together all the ingredients and pat into a 7 x 11" glass baking dish. Bake uncovered in a 350F oven for approximately an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes.

My Public Speaking Report

I appreciated all your encouragement regarding the program I had to present earlier in the week. We ended up with a small group, but it was a very receptive group. Everything went well and I have to admit it wasn't as painful as I anticipated. I think a lot of that had to do with the subject matter. I really, really like that book!

Not only did I give the program, my "Circle" group was responsible for the meal as well. In addition to a bowl of red seedless grapes, I contributed the following two items. I apologize for the poor quality of the photos, but they were snapped quickly and without preview. The first recipe is from Southern Living Magazine, the second from Simple & Delicious Magazine.

Creole-Roasted Black-Eyed Peas

Preheat oven to 425F. Gently toss 2 (15.8 oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed, with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and 1-1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17 x 12" jelly-roll pan. Bake 55 or 60 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.



Party Vegetable Dip
(Amy Engle, Geneva, NB)

2 cups mayonnaise
1-1/2 cups (12 oz.) 4% cottage cheese
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
1 envelope (1 oz.) ranch salad dressing mix
1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Assorted fresh vegetables

In a food processor, combine the first six ingredients; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled. Serve with vegetables.

Duck & Mushroom Stew

This is a recipe rehash from my old 360 blog. I made it recently and realized I'd never posted it here.


Duck & Mushroom Stew

4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 6-oz. pkg. long grain & wild rice mix w/seasoning packet
6 cups beef broth
approx. 3 ducks, breasted
bottled italian dressing

Marinate ducks in the refrigerator for a day or two in the italian dressing.

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker place mushrooms, carrots, celery, and rice mix with seasoning packet. Place ducks on top of vegetables. Pour broth over all.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.

If using whole ducks... remove meat from the bone when done, cut or tear into bite-size pieces and stir into mixture before serving.

Lazy Girl Stew

Isn't it fun when you rediscover an old recipe that you'd forgotten about? Although I continued to prepare meat dishes for my family during the eight years that I was a vegetarian, this is one of the recipes that fell by the wayside. It comes from the cookbook our church music department published in 1974. The church organist at the time contributed this recipe. I'm so glad I remembered it!


Lazy Girl Stew

2 pounds cubed stew meat
1 can small peas (drained)
2 or 3 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 can water
2 potatoes, diced
Bay leaf

Throw it all into a Dutch oven and bake for 5 hours at 275F, or cook it 8-10 hours in a crock-pot.
(we like to serve it with a scoop of white rice)

Game Day Chili

Chili is one of those dishes that I often use a pre-packaged seasoning mix to make. Just add meat, tomato sauce, beans and you're done. When I found this recipe in the January issue of Southern Living magazine I knew I had to give it a try. It's definitely been chili weather lately and this was perfect chili to serve!


Game Day Chili



Ingredients

2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 tsp. ground red pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 (14.5-oz.) can beef broth
1 (12-oz.) bottle dark beer
3 (8-oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (15-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

Cook first 3 ingredients in a 5- to 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven. Add chili powder and next 3 ingredients; cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste, and cook 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 2 hours.



Chicken-and-Sausage Creole

I'm pretty sure I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine...the December issue, I think. We had it last night and it was delicious. Of course I tweaked it just a bit.

Chicken-and Sausage Creole

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 (14-oz.) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
1/2 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup chopped celery
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 bay leaves


Preparation

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, substituting 2 cups broth for water.

2. Sauté sausage and next 4 ingredients in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, next 5 ingredients, and remaining broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves, and serve over hot cooked rice.

Pear Pie

I'll close the year with this recipe for pear pie that I found at Allrecipes.com. I made a few alterations in the preparation, but it still turned out great!

Pear Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
5 cups peeled and sliced pears
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Combine sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and lemon rind in mixing bowl.

2. Arrange pears in layers in a 9-inch pastry lined pan, sprinkling sugar mixture over each layer. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Roll out remaining dough; cut slits for escape of steam. Moisten rim of bottom crust. Place top crust over filling. Fold edge under bottom crust, pressing to seal. Flute edge.

3. Bake at 450 degress F (230 degrees C) for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes.


Wishing all my blogging friends a very happy and prosperous new year!!

Gingerbread

We had a very nice Christmas at our house. Bingo was fun on Christmas Eve with everyone winning at least twice. As the "caller" I don't get to play, but since I keep the unclaimed prizes and they were things I would have chosen for myself...I felt like a winner too!

In recent years Christmas Day has been a fairly quiet, low-key day at my house. This year I decided to try yet another recipe from the Delicious and Suspicious mystery I read this summer. Although mine turned out a little dry, the flavors were quite good. Maybe I cooked it just a tad too long.

Lulu's Early Morning Gingerbread Treat

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg and 1 egg white
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended. Add juice, molasses, and eggs. Beat well and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup. Level with knife. Combine flour ginger, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to molasses mixture. stirring until well blended. Pour batter into an 8-inch square pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool gingerbread in pan on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over cooled gingerbread.

White Bread

I normally use my friend Susanna's bread recipe when baking, but decided to try something different over the weekend. I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com. My husband and daughter really liked it. I prefer Susanna's recipe.

It did make a pretty loaf, though.

Bark at the Bazaar

It was a very busy week!

Each year the craft group at my church (I organize more than I craft) hosts a holiday bazaar. (click here for past entries) It's held from 7:00 until 11:00 a.m. on the second Thursday in November and offers a variety of items for sale: jewelry, handmade ornaments and holiday decorations, scarves, wreaths, decorative trees, baby gifts, and much, much more. Our "Trash & Treasure" section is always overflowing with items. In addition to a bake sale section (cakes, cookies, breads, jellies, pickles, etc.) we offer breakfast items for dine-in or carry-out (with free coffee for those dining in).

In addition to the usual goodies I prepare for the bake sale, I always like to try something new. This year it was a treat called "Cookie Pretzel Peanut Bark". I didn't plan to post the recipe, but my son and his girlfriend liked it so much they wanted me to.


Cookie Pretzel Peanut Bark
contributed to Simple & Delicious by Peggy Detjen of Lakeville, MN

1-1/4 pound white candy coating, coarsely chopped
3 cups pretzel sticks, broken into pieces
1-1/2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
14 chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies, broken into chunks

In a microwave, melt candy coating; stir until smooth. Stir in the pretzels, peanuts and cookies.

Drop by tablespoonfuls into miniature paper liners or onto waxed paper. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I love cheese! Every so often I like to try a variety that's out of the ordinary for me. Most recently I brought home some Fontina cheese, the Danish version. Although I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it I didn't have a recipe, so I just experimented. It turned out to be delicious! I wish I'd taken a photo.


Stuffed Chicken Breasts

3 or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 or 4 shaved slices of smoked ham
sliced Fontina cheese
1 egg
seasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400F.
Make a slit in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Stuff first with cheese then a slice of ham. Secure with a wooden toothpick. Lightly beat the egg into a small bowl and pour some breadcrumbs into another bowl. Dip each stuffed chicken breast into the egg before rolling in the bread crumbs. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and lightly brown chicken breasts on both sides. Place into a glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake, uncovered, approximately 30 minutes or until done.
Be careful not to eat the toothpick!