In So Many Words

Note: This was originally posted on a separate blog that I had started, and I moved it here when I decided to merge the blogs back together.

Chicken Pizza (sans the pine nuts – and I know the red peppers aren’t very artfully arranged!)

When I was in State College last month, my sister-in-law made this fantastic chicken pizza. I loved it so much I made it for Bob the following week, and he raved about it as well.

Ingredients
Marinade:
4 tblsp white vinegar
4 tblsp soy sauce
2 tblsp olive oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c minced green onions
1/4 tsp black pepper
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

Other:
1 tblsp corn starch
Boboli or other favorite pizza crust
Shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
Sliced red pepper (optional)
Pine nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Mix together all ingredients for the marinade and put with the chicken pieces into a plastic bag. Let it marinate for 24 hours – very important!
2. Take out chicken and cook in skillet; reserve the marinade for later.
3. Remove chicken when done and let rest.
4. Pour marinade in skillet to cook; add corn starch to thicken.
5. Spread thickened marinade on pizza crust.
6. Top with chicken, shredded cheese, sliced red pepper and pine nuts (if desired).
7. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

Last night we had our new Life Group leaders over to the house for dinner. We started going to this group back in March and have felt so welcomed there, even with the huge ups and down Michael had this spring.

I am not very experienced at entertaining and have trouble figuring out what to cook for us for dinner, let alone making things for guests, but I decided to make my mom’s chicken teriyaki. I haven’t made it in a while, partly because it takes a while to cook and partly because I finished my bottle of sake the last time I made it and hadn’t replaced it yet.

It had been so long since I bought sake that the liquor store I had gone to before is now closed and I had to look one up online to find out where to buy it! But I found one, and it turned out pretty well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t eat much because my esophagus wasn’t cooperating last night. I started my steroids this morning, though, so hopefully they will start doing their job quickly so I can eat the leftovers.

Anyway, I thought I would share the recipe for anyone who wants to try it. This was always a favorite growing up and has always been well-received when I’ve made it for people.

Chicken Teriyaki

1 small chicken deboned (I use chicken breasts)

Batter
2 eggs
2 tblsp sake
2 tblsp corn starch
1 tsp salt
4 tblsp flour

Sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 tblsp corn starch

Optional
2 medium green peppers

Mix batter with whisk. Roll/dip cut-up chicken in batter and brown in large frying pan with oil. Remove chicken and saute cut-up green pepper in frying pan.

Turn heat to low and replace chicken. Mix sauce and add to chicken once pan is cooler. Cook very low heat, 1 hr. Baste often. Serve w/rice.

Enjoy!

I cannot take the credit for this recipe, but I love that they are something a bit out of the ordinary. These come from Cookies! published by The American Cooking Guild in 1989 and are attributed to Heather Hephner of Des Moines, IA.

Heather writes:

A last minute substitution gave a new twist to an old Amish recipe for raisin cookies. One day when I was out of raisins, I substituted leftover pineapple and adjusted the liquid in the recipe. Everyone preferred the pineapple version. I call these Pineapple Muffin Cookies, because they come out big and soft and almost muffin-like in texture.

Pineapple Muffin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, with juice
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugar and egg. When light and fluffly, stir in crushed pineapple with juice.
- Into a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg together. Stir flour mixture into the batter. When the mixture is well blended, stir in nuts.
- Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Yields 5 dozen.

All I can say is they are SUPER YUMMY!!

To find more recipes or share your own, visit Super Mommy to the Rescue.

This recipe comes from Gluten Free Oats, a company that offers oats that are uncontaminated by any sources of gluten. You can find them in some retail locations or order them directly online.

I haven’t made these since Thanksgiving, but this is my son’s favorite cookie and I think we need to make them again very soon. I’ve mentioned them before but never actually posted the recipe, so here it is.

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature*
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp gf vanilla
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups gf rolled oats
• 6 ounces gf chocolate chips or M&Ms*
• 1/2 cup gf sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts, optional

*To make this recipe casein free, use a butter substitute such as Earth Balance and a gfcf version of either chocolate chips (we like Enjoy Life brand) or M&Ms.

Instructions:
Preheat oven at 350º.
Beat sugar, brown sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix well. Add peanut butter and mix. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Place teaspoon full of dough on a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown around edges.

We all love these! This is truly a recipe that you could make for anyone and they wouldn’t notice that it was adapted for a special diet. And if you’re not on a GFCF diet, you could just use regular oats, butter and chocolate chips for a great treat.

To find more recipes or share your own, visit Super Mommy to the Rescue.

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who is of German descent and grew up in South Central Pennsylvania, thus the title of “hamburg” instead of “hamburger”. While not a fancy dish, my husband remembered it fondly from growing up and it is a nice, easy meal to prepare when you want some warm comfort food.

Hamburg

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups tomato soup
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups uncooked broad noodles
• 1 small can corn
• 1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Her instructions read, simply, “Fry pan, cover, low heat 15-20 minutes.”

I’ll expand a bit on that for anyone who needs a little more detail.

1. Brown the ground beef. Drain if desired.
2. Add the other items, cover and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes or until done.
3. I have found it better not to drain the corn because the extra liquid lets me cook it a little longer, thus avoiding crunchy corn!
4. Broad noodles are wide egg noodles. You can also use other widths. I wasn’t familiar with these before I moved to PA.
5. You could add onion or other such things if you desire – totally up to your taste, I just don’t like them.

To find more recipes or share your own, visit Super Mommy to the Rescue.

I know, I know, I already posted today, but I started going through my Google Reader and the first thing I saw was a post from Super Mommy to the Rescue sharing her recipe for Cherry Fluff and asking for a recipe in return.

My friend Lisa gave me this recipe and we each made a bunch of them for people this Christmas. I took one to work and gave some to friends and neighbors, all with good results. Ironically enough, my recipe also includes pie filling, albeit a different flavor. It is really easy to make as well.

Peach Pie Filling Cake

Ingredients for cake:
1 yellow cake mix
1 can peach pie filling
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped pecans or other nuts

Ingredients for topping:
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c butter, softened
1/2 c chopped pecans or other nuts

1. Mix cake ingredients by hand and put in greased 9×13 pan or tube pan.
2. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
3. Blend all topping ingredients together.
4. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle topping over cake.
5. Return to oven and bake 30-35 minutes more, or until tested done.

I used a tube pan for mine (sort of like a bundt pan, only with straight sides) and it had a removable center so the cake came out very easily. I packaged them in a white cake box with a festive ribbon tied around it and a cardstock label with a Christmas greeting.

What was your favorite new recipe this Christmas? Or your favorite old one, since it would be new to me anyway??

Although opening a box is pretty easy, the real stuff is so much better. This recipe actually came from the husband of a fellow blogger, TCC at The Campbell Corner.

I made it for the family this weekend and it was a big hit. Sorry I forgot to take a picture before we dug in so you could see how good it looked!

Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni
1/4 c butter
4 tblsp flour
1 qt milk
16 oz pkg white cheddar cheese, grated

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter. Blend in flour slowly.
Add milk. Cook & stir until bubbly and thicker.
Add cheese; stir until melted and then add macaroni.
Spread in 9 x 13 baking pan.
Sprinkle bread crumbs or dry stuffing mix on top.
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.

Simple but really good!

Last week I had a large package of chicken that needed to be used, so I made dinner with it one night and cooked the rest to be used later in salads or pasta. Then I started thinking about the delicious Curry Chicken Salad that my mother-in-law makes and decided to make some for us to eat over the weekend.

It is super easy and really great for summer picnics and gatherings. Because I am not a big fan of mayonnaise, I tend to start with 1/2 cup and add as needed.

Ingredients:

1 c mayo

1 tblsp honey

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp celery salt

3 c cubed cooken chicken

1 c seedless grapes, halved

1/2 c pecan halves

Directions:

Mix mayo, honey, curry & salt.

Add chicken, grapes & pecans.

Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.

You generally won’t find me sharing lots of recipes – I am usually lucky to put spaghetti in a pot and sauce in the microwave, but this is an awesome dessert recipe I got several years ago when I hosted a Pampered Chef party. I have made it many times to rave reviews and often take it to family reunions or picnics.

Heavenly Lemon Angel Cake
1 package (16 ounces) angel food cake mix
1-2 lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
1 package (10 ounces) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter into ungreased rectangular baker; spread evenly over bottom. Bake on center rack in oven 35-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown, cracked and firm to the touch. (Cake will appear dry; do not underbake.) Turn baker upside down onto cooling rack; cool completely. (Do not remove cake from baker.)

Poke holes in cake about 1 1/2 inches deep and 1/2 inch apart using a fork. Zest lemon to measure 1 tablespoon zest. Juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup juice. In a bowl, combine lemon juice, zest and powdered sugar; whisk until smooth. Slowly pour glaze over cake, spreading evenly. Let stand 30 minutes or until glaze is set.

To serve, cut cake and top each serving with raspberries and whipped topping. Enjoy!

Well, the birthday celebration week has come to an end at last!! (Actually, I have really enjoyed it despite the extra craziness involved. We spread things out this year and think it was a much better choice than trying to have one large party.)

A few months ago, we discovered Gluten-Free Oats and ordered some to try out. We have not seen any negative reaction to them, although admittedly the Little Guy does not consume them very often due to his texture preferences (pretty much only things that are crunchy or chewy, which does not include cooked oatmeal).

Anyway, their recipe for Monster Cookies has become one of his favorite special treats. We sent them to daycare on Monday for a birthday snack to share with the class, and we also made some for the family party/sleepover this weekend. They were a big hit with everyone.

I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone, whether on a special diet or not (unless you are allergic to any of the other ingredients, of course). They are even easier if you don’t have dietary restrictions, because then you don’t have to worry about having gluten-free oats, vanilla and chocolate chips. As it is, we use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, which I do believe have a small amount of soy, and Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. Enjoy Life products are awesome because they are all free of the top 8 allergens, plus are GFCF.

I did also make a regular birthday cake for this weekend. The Little Guy requested it so he could blow out the candles, but he did not want me to make one he could eat because, in his words, “Cake is yucky to me!”

(In the interest of full disclosure, I have to confess that we used M&M’s in place of chocolate chips this weekend. While I am not recommending it, three years into the diet we are occasionally allowing small infractions with digestive enzymes.)