Oven fried chicken

Got this recipe from my friend Brenda Crumley

Put 6 pieces of chicken in a bowl, cover with buttermilk and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile mix up the batter

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons paprika 

Melt 1/2 stick butter in a pan you have sprayed with PAM.  Coat pieces of chicken with the flour mixture.  Lay in the melted butter.   Cook for 20 minutes at 400 degrees the turn each piece over and cook 20 more minutes.  Ready to eat !

Really good with boneless pork chops too!

Fresh Apple Cake with caramel glaze

1. Cream together 2 sticks of softened butter and 2 cups of sugar.

2.  Add 2 large eggs.

3.   In a separate bowl combine 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.

4.  Add dry ingredients to wet mix.  Add slowly.  When combined Add 3 cups diced granny Smith apples, 1 cup of chopped pecans and 3 tablespoons of milk.

5.  Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam and spread mixture evenly into the Pam.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes to an hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

6.  Meanwhile prepare the glaze.  To a sauce pan add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 stick butter. 1/4 cup buttermilk,  1 tablespoon corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.  Bring to a full boil.   Remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract.  Pore over the cake.  Use a spatula to spread over entire cake.  The longer it sits, the better it will be.  I made mine the day before I had planned to serve it.

How I make sausage balls

 In a large bowl add 2 cups grated cheese, I pound of sausage and 2 cups Pioneer baking mix.  Drizzle in 1/4 cup of water.  Spray a large baking pan with PAM or line with parchment paper.  I prefer parchment paper but use what you have.  With your hands mix the three ingredients together.  Make sure you break up the sausage as you go.  Form balls about the size of a walnut and place on the baking sheet. I toss each ball back and forth in my hands about 10 times, pressing gently each time to make sure the biscuit mix is well incorporated. We eat them for breakfast so this is the size that works for me.  Bake at 375 degrees until slightly brown.  Time depends on the size of the balls.

Beef Stew

 I had a friend ask if my beef stew was on my blog and I realized that it isn't so here's how I do beef stew...

I buy a small beef roast and cut it into bite size pieces.  I toss the meat in 1/4 cup flour.  I heat about 2 tablespoons of oil on low.  Add the beef and a diced onion to the oil.  Cook until beef is slightly brown and onions are tender.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.   Add beef broth.  The amount you add depends on how soupy you want it.  Add I can petite diced tomatoes and whatever vegetables you like.  I add potatoes and carrots.  Cover pot with a lid and simmer on low for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

Mexican Stew

2 Tablespoons of oil

1 yellow onion diced

Jalepenos diced - I used the kind in a jar. I diced up 6 or 8 slices.  You can do more and you choose your heat.

1 tablespoon minced garlic - I used the kind in the jar

1 pound of pork loin cut into bite size pieces

1 can Rotel.  You choose the heat.

1/4  cup chopped fresh cilantro or 2 tablespoons of the dried.

1/2 teaspoon cummin 

1/2 teaspoon  chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chicken broth 

1/4 cup flour

Toss the pork loin pieces in the flour.  Heat the oil on low.   Add the pork loin pieces and the diced onion.  Cook until the meat is slightly brown and onions are tender.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir.  Cover with lid and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.   Serve over cooked rice and top with grated cheese.

Or, you can add more broth and diced red potatoes and eat it as a soup with Jalepeno cornbread.   

You can also add diced avacados, Cheese and sour cream and eat with tortilla chips.

Pineapple Dump Cake

2  20 ounce cans crushed pineapple 

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup melted butter

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

Pour pineapple, juice and all into 9x13 pan

Sprinkle box of cake mix over pineapple 

Spread pecans over cake mix

Sprinkle brown sugar over pecans 

Drizzle melted butter over the entire thing

Bake at 350 degrees until brown around 45 minutes.  More if needed. 

This can be done with any fruit actually. 

Quick and Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip

 2 10 oz cans of chicken

1 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise 

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican blend)

1/2 onion diced

1 teaspoon lime juice (lemon will also work)

1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce (use your favorite)

1/4 cup ranch dressing (blue cheese if you'd rather.  Use what ever you normally dip your hot wings in)

Drain the chicken and break it up into shreds. 

Add all other ingredients, mix and pour into an oven safe dish you have sprayed with PAM.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

I cut the recipe in half and it works great for just two people.

FYI...Publix frequently has the chicken BOGO. 

I keep it I'm my pantry.  Works great for when I make chicken and dumplings and things like that.

Tortellini with Alfredo Sauce

 This is another one of my own creations.  It turned out so tasty I just had to share. 

1 pound Italian sausage 

2 10oz.  packs of Rana cheese lovers tortellini from the refrigerated section

8 oz cream cheese 

3/4 cup grated parmesean cheese 

1/2 cup milk

1 stick of butter 

Brown the Italian sausage.  Drain and set aside. 

Prepare the tortellini according to package directions.   Drain and set aside. 

In a sauce pan melt the butter over low heat.   Dice up the cream cheese and add to  butter.  Stir to blend as the butter and cream cheese melt.  Add the the Italian sausage and parmesean cheese and continue to stir until its smooth and well blended.  Carefully fold in to avoid breaking up the tortellini.  Ready to eat!

Chorizo Bowl

 One day at Kroger they had these little 9oz tubes of Chorizo for $1 each.   I bought a couple not knowing what I would do with them.  Last week Publix had Vigo rice mixes BOGO.   I bought the cilantro lime version.  Tonight I came up with a recipe and used both.

Vigo Cilantro Lime rice mix

9 oz tube of chorizo sausage

1/2 onion diced

1 clove of garlic minced

1 can rotel, you choose the heat

Mexican blend cheese

1 lime 

Sour cream

Chicken broth

2 Tablespoons butter

Start 2 cups of chicken broth boiling in a pot.  Meanwhile scramble the chorizo,  diced onion and garlic together in a skillet.  When onion is soft add the Rotel.  Let simmer.  When broth comes to a boil,  add the butter and the rice and stir for 1 minute while it boils.  Lower heat to a simmer and put on a good fitting top on the pot.   Simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Stir occasionally.   

Take a bowl and make a bed of the rice.  Top with the chorizo mix.  Sprinkle the cheese on top.  Mix about a half cup of sour cream with the juice of half a lime.   This make creama which is delicious drizzled over the top.  Serve with tortilla chips and additional lime, if you like.

Sweet and spicy nuts

 2 cups nuts

3 Tablespoons melted butter

1 Tablespoons  sugar

1 Teaspoon cinnamon 

1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Mix all ingredients except nuts and stir until blended. 

Add nuts and stir until they are coated. 

Bake at 350 degrees on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If nuts are already toasted cook for 5 minutes.   If they are raw,  cook for 10 minutes stirring once half way through. If nuts are not already salted you can add salt to taste when they come out if the oven. 

Key lime cookies

 Use the lemon cookie recipe I posted already.  Substitute key lime juice for the lemon.  Bottle key lime juice is fine. Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes.

Make a glaze from 1/4 c powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon key lime juice.  Let the cookies cool.  Spread on the glaze and sprinkle just a tiny pinch of zest to make them pretty.

Or...you can roll them in the powdered sugar as I described in the lemon cookie recipe.  

My version of cheese straws

2 cups grated cheese sharp or extra sharp 

1 stick softened butter

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne depending in your heat tolerance

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

1 teaspoon corse salt 

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Can do this by hand or use a mixer.  Mixed together cheese and butter.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Add to cheese and butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time.   Pinch off dough and roll into balls.  The size of the balls is up to you.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.   Use a fork to press each ball down.   You can do a second time in the opposite direction if you'd like.  Dip the fork in flour or water to keep it from sticking to the dough.   Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let cool on a rack.

FYI...it's OK to add 1-2 Tablespoons of ice water if the dough is too dry.

You can also roll the dough up in wax paper to make a "log ", chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, slice and bake.

Zuchini Muffins

 1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil 

3 teaspoons vanilla 

3 cups self rising flour 

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

2 cups grated zuchini 

1 cup chopped nuts

Raisins can also be added of you like

Mix all wet ingredients them add dry ingredients.   Fold in zuchini and nuts last.  This would also be the time to add rausins.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes 

Feta and Tomato Pasta

 1 bock of Feta Cheese 

4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes 

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper 

2 cloves garlic finely minced 

1/4 cup diced fresh basil 

8 ounces pasta cooked according to directions.   I used  Penne but any smaller pasta will do.

Put the block of feta in the center and pour the tomatoes around it.  

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.  Stir together with the remaining  ingredients, pasta last.

You could serve as a side dish or add grilled chicken to make it a meal.   

Becky's Green Enchilada Chicken Soup

 My sweet daughter in law, Becky, gave me this recipe. 

2 1/2 pounds boneless breast or thighs.

28 ounce can of green enchilada sauce 

24 ounces chicken broth 

1 cup half and half or heavy cream

2 cups Monterey Jack cheese 

4 ounces cream cheese 

4 ounces salsa Verde

Salt and pepper to taste 

In a crock pot sprayed with PAM, lay the chicken in the bottom. Can be frozen but cooking time will be longer.   Add enchilada sauce and broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.  Remove chicken and shread.  Return chicken to crock pot. Add Jack Cheese,  cream cheese and  salsa verde and half and half. Turn on warm and stir frequently till cheeses are melted. Serve and enjoy with tortilla chips.   Suggested toppings are avocado,  cilantro and cream cheese. Substitute Pepper Jack cheese for Monterey Jack for an extra kick.