Chicken Parmesan Bake

This is a super simple dish that literally comes together in minutes.  I always kind of enjoy the layering process.  Something kinda fun about it.  (I know, I am lame and need to get a life!) Anyway,  it is super tasty and I will totally be making it again.  It does not really taste like Chicken Parmesan, but the flavors are fantastic together and we all loved the croutons on this.  The sauce gets diluted some from the chicken juices, but still had great flavor.  Make this dish! 

CHICKEN PARMESAN BAKE 
adapted slightly from: foodwishes.blogspot.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
• hot red pepper flakes, to taste
• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast (I halved mine in thickness, so I only used 3 large)
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1/4-1/3 cup chopped basil
• 8 oz mozzarella, shredded
• 4 oz Parmesan, grated
• 1 (5-oz) package garlic croutons

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Drizzle olive oil in 9x13 baking dish.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Put in raw chicken.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle chopped basil over sauce.  Sprinkle half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over sauce.  Sprinkle croutons over cheese.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the croutons.   Bake for 35-40 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown and chicken is cooked through.  Serve with pasta.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

These cookies are very tasty.  They are really best warm,  so I gave them a zap in the microwave to soften them a bit.  They are like biting into fresh apple cider.  I halved the recipe and this still made a whole lot of cookies.  Bonus: I have 5 packets of Apple cider left to make more!  The original recipe calls for whole caramels in the middle of the cookie, which also sounds delicious, but I liked the bits of caramel as well.  A great fall cookie that is something other than pumpkin!  Thanks Cristine!




CARAMELS APPLE CIDER COOKIES
recipe from: cristinecooks

• 1 cup softened butter 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 bags Kraft Caramel Bits  (11 oz each)

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in caramel bits.
Scoop cookie dough onto prepared sheet and bake 12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.  Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet until set. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.

Pasta with Creamy Avocado Sauce

If you like guacamole, you will love this pasta!  I love the freshness of this pasta.  The sauce is like a pesto/guacamole/ creamy sauce.  I bought this avocado at Publix that was huge!   It was just called a green avocado I think, not Hass, and was the size of 2 for sure. It was soft and lighter green and it was ready to be eaten.  I had intended to make guacamole, but then got the idea to make a pasta with it.  So glad I did!  My husband wanted me to call this Italian Mexican Pasta.  The whole time I was making this, I felt unsure if it was going to work.  I am glad I trusted my instincts!  It was creamy and so fresh tasting and just plain good.  Our family of 6 finished all but about 1/2 cup of this pasta.  Will be making this one again for sure!

PASTA WITH CREAMY AVOCADO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe green avocado or 2 Hass
• 13-16 oz cooked pasta (reserve water to thin sauce)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2-3 TBSP fresh cilantro
• 1/3 cup fat free greek yogurt
• salt and pepper
• juice and zest of 1 lime (I used lemon zest because my lime looked sad)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2-1 lb, sausages, removed from casing
• 2 diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS:

One huge avocado!  The pit off to the right.

Place water on for pasta and salt it.  Place sausage in skillet over medium high.  Break up and cook until done.  Scrape into a bowl and set aside.  Add a bit of oil if needed to the same skillet and add the thinly sliced onions.  Cook onion until soft, sweet and caramelized slightly, about 12-15 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook pasta and place avocado in food processor, with 2 minced garlic cloves and puree until smooth, scraping sides as needed.  Add the yogurt, lime juice, a bit of salt and cilantro.  Puree until smooth and creamy.  Add last clove of garlic to onion for last few minutes of cooking and add the sausage back to pan.  Add zest and pasta to pan.  Add the avocado cream sauce and some pepper.  Mix and add splash of milk or pasta water if necessary to thin.  Toss to coat evenly.  Serve topped with fresh diced tomatoes and and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Gramma's BBQ Chicken

This is one of the best grilled BBQ chicken's out there.  I have heard it is great on lamb as well, but I don't eat lamb, so I can't vouch for it.
It can be prepared the day ahead for convenience, or even two days!  The longer it sits, the better it gets!  (I am so corny!) I have let this marinate for 2 days and the flavor is incredible and goes through the whole chicken.  My husband always says it tastes lemony, maybe because the vinegar brings acidity to every bite. We love this recipe and eat this chicken all summer long and even into the fall. 

GRAMMA'S  BBQ CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar (sometimes I use balsamic)
• 1 TBSP poultry seasoning
• 4 TBSP salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup canola oil
• At least 8 large breasts, bone in and skin on, and any legs or thighs you want

DIRECTIONS: 

Place a large pot on the stove filled with water.  Add chicken to pot, as well as some salt and a bit of seasoning, if desired.  Cook on med-high 35-35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and skin begins to shrink or pull away a bit.  Do not remove skin.  Whisk all but oil together.  Stream in oil while whisking.  Put in large bowl or ziploc with chicken, reserving 1/2 cup for brushing while grilling.  Chill while marinating; marinate for at least 24 hours for best flavor, turning after 12 hours of so to marinate all sides equally.   Brush remaining sauce on outside while grilling.  Sometimes we brush the outside with regular BBQ sauce for a change up.

Sweet Potato Waffles

These are excellent waffles.  Similar to my sweet potato pancakes, but obviously a waffle.  I love sneaking some power packed veggie in my kids food and this lets me do that.  I literally could not crank these our fast enough and every single one of the 14-16 this made were eaten this morning.  Next time I am doubling the recipe so I can stash some in the freezer.  Enjoy!

SWEET POTATO WAFFLES

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 TBSP baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sweet potato puree
• 3 1/2 TBSP canola oil
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, separated

DIRECTIONS:

Whisk dry ingredients except brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.  Whisk all wet ingredients and brown sugar, except egg whites, in a large bowl.  Whisk dry ingredients in wet until dry disappears.  Whisk or use mixer to mix egg whites to soft peak.  Gently fold into batter.  These seem to cook faster than any other waffle I have made (Bonus!), so check them before indicator light goes.  Serve with warm syrup, cinnamon butter or fresh berries!

Chocolate Caramel Apples

We all loved these apples.  These are like what they sell in those expensive candy stores and at Disney for at least $5 a pop.  You can make lots of them for that price.   This is also a great way to use up some of the Halloween candy.

I loved the snickers, my mom loved the butterfinger, and my husband loved them all and said he wanted to eat all of them.  Coming from the least sweet-tooth in the family, this is big.  I am not a huge fan of granny smith apples, but the tartness really balances the sweet really well.  These will become our new fall caramel apple tradition.  DELISH!



CHOCOLATE CARAMEL APPLES

INGREDIENTS:

• 5-6 medium granny smith apples
• bag of caramels
• 2 TBSP water
• 1 1/2 cups choc chips, semi sweet or milk chocolate
• 1 tsp vegetable shortening
• 6-10 snack size candy bars
• OTHER TOPPING IDEAS: chopped nuts, crushed pretzels, sprinkles, marshmallows

DIRECTIONS: 

Total mess when you use wax paper!  JUST SAY NO!

Chop candy bars in tiny pieces if they don't mash well.

Wash and dry apples.  Melt caramels in saucepan over med. low heat with 2 TBSP water.  Line cookie sheet with parchment and spray with cooking spray.  DO NOT USE GREASED WAX PAPER!!!  Dip apples in caramel to coat, let them drip off, and wipe caramel off bottoms and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Chill for an hour.  Melt chocolate and vegetable shortening in double boiler.  Drizzle chocolate over caramel apples.  I spread it over the caramel with a spoon. Crush or chop candy bars and sprinkle over chocolate.  Chill for another hour.  The best way to eat these is by cutting in slices with a knife.  Can even drizzle with another kind of chocolate if desired, or drizzle more caramel over the top.  The useless greased wax paper took any ambition out of me.

This is an example of how not to sprinkle the candy bars. :)

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

We are addicted to this bread.  So much, in fact that I am getting rid of my bread maker.  I don't need it with this recipe.  It is easier than the bread maker, takes less ingredients, and in my opinion is far superior.  I can make this bread in less time than I can run in a store when I am out and about.  I know it sounds too good to be true, but this bread is fabulous.  I don't add the water to the oven like the original recipe calls for because I like a chewier crust.  This also makes a great pizza dough.  I do like my basic dough a tad better, but seeing how I almost always have this dough made, it is easier to just use this. 
This takes less than 10 minutes to mix up the dough and less than 5 minutes to get ready for baking.  NO KNEADING!  We have fresh baked bread probably 4 nights a week with our meal.  LOVE it!!
The link has great step by step directions, but it is so easy and really hard to mess up. 
My mom says it tastes just like what her Italian grandmother used to make.  I love how it is a rustic bread and wonderful with pasta or soups.  This is the least intimidating bread I have ever seen or made.  Go for it!


ARTISAN BREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY
recipe slightly adapted from artisanbreadinfive.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups warm water
• 1 1/2 TBSP yeast
• 1 1/2 TSBP salt (not coarse)
• 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
• 6 1/2 cups flour (I sub 1 c. whole wheat and 1 c. oat flour)

DIRECTIONS:
In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or lidded tupperware dump in the water and add the yeast, sugar and salt.
Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon.

Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.

Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape.

Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise. When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.  It will rise after the initial 2 hour and will pretty much fill it. DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH! It will settle itself.

The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping. (If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.) The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it is easier to handle when it's chilled.  As it sits, it will take on more sourdough characteristics.  The flavor deepens with time.

It will collapsed in the fridge, but this is totally normal for the dough. It will never rise up again in the container.

Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.

You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested. You can add a bit of water if it isn't. 

Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough, about 1/3 or 1/4th of the original  depending on the size loaf you want (I do 1/4th for us, 1/3rd with company) using kitchen shears and form it into a ball tucking under the edges to make a nice round smooth top.  Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper… (or rest it on a generous layer of corn meal on top of a pizza peel and I put the cornmeal on the parchment too!)


Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes, (although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structure in the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom. ) You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for our dough.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees with a baking stone on the center rack for 20 minutes or longer, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam. (The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)
*(or Cast Iron Pizza Pan- which will never crack and conducts heat really well. Be careful to dry it after washing rinsing with water or it will rust)

Sprinkle the loaf with a bit of flour and cut the loaf with 1/4-inch slashes using a serrated knife (I use kitchen shears). (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.)

Slide the loaf into the oven onto the preheated stone and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. (I skip the water and bake it 30 minutes or less)
If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.

Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a nice sharp bread knife that will not crush the bread as you cut. Or you can tear it apart as they do in most of Europe.

Dough lasts for up to 2 weeks!