Parmesan Chicken

 

This recipe would also work for Homemade Chicken Nuggets. I served ours up with Marinara Sauce for dipping, but Pesto is great too.

Parmesan Chicken
4 skinless chicken thighs
1 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs(so easy to make your own)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3 eggs
1 cup whole wheat flour(or all-purpose)

Directions:
In a shallow bowl, pour 1 cup flour.
In another shallow bowl, beat eggs.
In another shallow bowl, combine whole wheat bread crumbs, Parmesan Cheese, basil and garlic powder.
Do this assembly-line-style. Start by dipping your chicken into the flour till it's coated all over, then into the egg making sure it covers the entire chicken, then into the bread crumb mix, then onto your baking pan that is sprayed with non-stick spray. I don't like my hands to get too thick and gooey, so I use one hand for the wet and the other for the dry ingredients. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

The title will take you to the William Sanoma site where I found these wonderful cookies. Try them, you will like them. :)
As these chocolate cookies bake, they puff up and crackle, so they are called crinkle cookies.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Before you start
Be sure an adult is nearby to help.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 2 baking sheets with butter.

Put the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.

Mix the ingredients
In another bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1 egg and beat on medium speed until blended. Add the other egg and vanilla and beat until blended.

Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.

Form the cookies
Using a tablespoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of dough. Scrape the dough off the spoon into the palm of your other hand. Roll the dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar until covered. Place the balls on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies
When 1 baking sheet is full, put it in the oven and bake the cookies until they are crackled and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Using a metal spatula, move the cookies onto the rack and let cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Makes about 24 cookies.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kids Baking, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003).

Blueberry and Nectarine Sauce

This was already posted on the first post of the blog, but now that I've tried the sauce, and the Challah Bread, I thought I'd go ahead and post it. I couldn't wait to try this because I had never tried the combined flavors of a nectarine and a blueberry before. This will be a new staple for pancakes and french toast now. I REALLY liked it. I found the blueberry pic at thedailygreen.com.

Blueberry and Nectarine sauce:

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup thinly sliced nectarines
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of allspice
Place the sugar into a heavy saucepan. Heat until the sugar melts and becomes a golden brown color. Remove from the heat and add the water. The water will start to bubble and spit so be careful. Place back on the heat and simmer until the sugar is melted again. Add in the lemon juice and continue to cook for a minute. Add in the blueberries, nectarines, lemon rind, cinnamon and allspice. Cook slowly for about 10 minutes the sauce will reduce and become thickened. Taste for sweetness, add more sugar if the fruit is on the tart side. Serve cooled or warm.

Pound-Cake Tiramisu

The title will take you to where I found the photo, but the recipe is from marthastewart.com

Well, it worked out really well with the previous entry, Buttermilk Pound Cake. I took the pound cake and sliced a couple of layers off to build the Tiramisu. This has to be refrigerated about 4 hours before serving, so that gave me plenty of time to work on dinner. Yeah!

Pound-Cake Tiramisu
Ingredients
Serves 8

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup strong hot chocolate, room temperature
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 loaf pound cake, preferably marbled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1/4 cup shaved semisweet chocolate
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Directions
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream, cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until combined. In a small bowl, combine hot chocolate and vanilla..
In a 2-quart baking dish, lay half the cake slices in a single layer, trimming to fit. Brush with half the coffee mixture. Top with half the cream mixture and half the chocolate. Repeat. Dust top with cocoa powder. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Buttermilk Pound Cake

I found the photo at http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/print/0,32179,1852163_1841344,00.html, and the title will take you to the taste of home website where I found the recipe.

This was the first time I have made Pound Cake, EASY and this one holds together so NICELY, is MOIST and is, in my opinion, the perfect SWEETNESS. I made this to go along with another recipe I am trying, but we won't find out until tonight if that one turned out. So watch for the next recipe to follow. :)

Buttermilk Pound Cake
16-20 Servings Prep: 10 min. Bake: 70 min. + cooling
Ingredients
1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add alternately with the buttermilk and beat well. Stir in vanilla.
Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Chicken-Patty Pita Pockets

 

I like to make these because they are good and because I can prepare all the ingredients in advance, then all I have to do is cook up the patties. The Minty Yogurt Sauce should be made at least an hour before serving, and kept cold in the fridge.

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 pound ground chicken
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
olive oil
Pita pockets, cut in half
Lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, for serving
Mint yogurt topping (recipe follows)

Mint Yogurt Topping
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions
1. Add first 11 ingredients to food processor, and whir until combined. At this point you can put it in the fridge for later, or set aside if making right away.
2. If making right away, divide the chicken mixture into 8 patties, and press to the size you want them. Spread a little olive oil on a baking sheet, place patties on sheet, and spread the tops with a little more olive oil. Broil, with tray as close to the broiler as it allows, 5-10 minutes each side.
3. Serve with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and Mint yogurt topping, if desired.
4. To make the Mint Yogurt Topping, combine all ingredients and place in fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Zucchini Bread

It has been so long since I've had some Zucchini Bread, that this was a great treat. Personally I don't think it needs the topping, because it tasted GREAT without it(I accidentaly skipped that part). It says it makes two loaves, and yes it does, but they are small loaves, not regular loaf pans like I used. :) MMM, SO GOOD. The title will take you to the picture, but the recipe is below.

Zucchini Bread {makes 2 loaves}
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Print recipe text only

2 1/4 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C canola oil
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
zest from one large orange
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
optional: 2/3 C chopped pecans, toasted*

Topping:
2 T white sugar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

*I actually really dislike nuts in breads. I hate how they get kind of soggy. I added them in the loaf pictured (just to live on the wild side) but I much preferred the second loaf without nuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside.

Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Add sour cream and orange zest and beat to combine. Mix in zucchini.

Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Divide batter between 2 pans. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Make sure to let your loaf rest on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before you try to remove it from the pan or it will come out in chunks!

This makes great muffins too. I used papers in the muffin tin and cooked them at the same temp. Set your timer for 10-12 minutes and then keep an eye on them (cuz I can't remember exactly how long they took!) I made 12 large muffins, 12 mini muffins, and one small loaf- so you definitely get a bunch!