Extra, Extra...Read All About It.....

People often ask me where I get all my recipes... and on this occasion, I'm happy to report that tonight's meal came straight from the newspaper via my dad who is always looking out for me. Reading the newspaper doesn't normally spread good cheer, however on this occasion, I'm ready to shout the greatness of tonight's recipe from the roof tops!  2 out of 4 Perry's found it to be "finger licking good"...the other 2 are not available for comment...ya, that's what we'll call it....ahem.

It wasn't described as an Asian dish, however to me it resembles something like General Tso's chicken.... sweet, spicy, sticky deliciousness!  Oh, and did I mention it was spicy ?  I served it with brown rice which did help to tone it down, however next time, I will probably cut the red pepper flakes in half. The original recipe called for cooking this in the oven, however with the Oklahoma heat wave in full force, I made it completely on the stove top and it turned out great. This is definitely a keeper and certainly worth spreading the news about!!

STICKY ORANGE CILANTRO SMOTHERED CHICKEN
(as featured in the Tulsa World on 07/31/13)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (next time I will use 1/4 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 400 degrees. (Or you can cook this on the stove top as mentioned above.)
In a large oven safe skillet, mix the sauce ingredients together and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half. Add the chicken, turning to coat and place in oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. If cooking on stove top, cover with lid for first 8-10 minutes, then remove lid, stir, and cook until completely cooked through and sauce thickens. 

This Little Piggy....

I'm not a huge pork fan, but this particular recipe is DElicious. Better still, it's super easy. The original recipe called for a can of corn. Instead, I just used a salsa that had corn in it; "Pace Fire Roasted Tomato and Corn Salsa". It's super flavorful and very tender. Basically all you have to do is brown your pork chops then let them simmer in a sauce composed of salsa, pinto beans, and spices. Perfect for those hot summer evenings when you want something quick.

SALSA SKILLET PORK CHOPS

6 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 cup chunky salsa
2 TB water
1 tsp ground cumin

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops on both sides in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray.

Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour on top of chops in skillet. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Skinny Fried Chicken

Okay, I know what you're thinking...here we go with the oxymorons again. "Skinny" Fried Chicken? Yes! This recipe is baked but it actually has, as the hubster described it, "an almost like fried chicken" result. And he should know... I have tried a bazillion recipes for baked chicken with little success. The secret this recipe has is the addition of baking soda to the breading mixture. The results were really good. So good, that I've made this twice now before having time to blog about it. The original recipe (not to be confused with a certain famous bearded franchise') calls for using chicken drumsticks, which I did. The second time I made it, I used boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins which cook much quicker. The garlic and yogurt marinade produces a really moist flavorful chicken. Cooking the chicken on a wire rack and spraying it with olive oil cooking spray ensures its crispiness. One thing I will say is the second time around, I flipped the chicken in the middle of cooking so that both sides could crisp. This is definitely a keeper and I hope you'll give it a try !

"Skinny Fried Chicken"

1 cup fat free plain Green yogurt
1 tsp prepared mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 chicken drumsticks, skin removed (or chicken tenderloins)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Olive oil cooking spray

In a large resealable bag combine yogurt, mustard, and garlic. Add chicken, seal bag, and turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In another plastic bag mix dry ingrediants. Remove chicken from marinade and add one piece at a time to flour mixture, close bag and shake to coat. Place on a well greased wire rack over a baking sheet. Spritz chicken with cooking spray. Bake drumsticks 40-45 minutes, turning once while baking. (If using chicken tenderloins, bake time will be approximately 20-25 minutes)

"Nacho Mama's Chicken & Rice Casserole"

We've all had traditional chicken and rice casserole...it's yummy, savory, creamy, and just plain comfort food good. Your mom probably made it for church suppers, BUT, this is NOT your mama's recipe. Oh no. This is meatier and even better than that.... it's made in the crock pot ! Now as usual, the original recipe called for some yummy goodness that I had to omit for my family, but feel free to add "de spices" as you would desire. (it actually called for diced red pepper, celery, and onion) And I'm writing about this before we eat, so hopefully we will not have to resort to "stretchy pants" afterwards, however,if my pre-taste testing is correct, we may just have to !


Crock Pot Chicken & Rice

4-6 chicken breast, cooked and diced with 4 cups broth reserved
1/2 lb pork sausage, cooked
1/2 Hillshire Farm smoked sausage, sliced and cooked
1 pkg dry chicken noodle soup packet
1 cup rice

Mix all together in crock pot and cook 2-4 hours until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Oxymorons....

The dictionary definition of oxymoron is:- "A rhetorical figure of speech in which contradictory terms are paired, for example, alone together, current history or boneless ribs." I decided accidentally on purpose to title this post "Oxymorons" because of the name of my favorite meatloaf recipe which I will be sharing with you today. It is called "Daddy's Favorite Meatloaf" which in our family is a little big oxymoron because the daddy in THIS house would not eat meatloaf if his life depended on it. Sometimes I think the man would give his right arm to be ambidextrous. Not that we have had any friendly fights regarding this subject matter, however I think it would be easier to convince ME to eat jumbo shrimp than it would be to get him to try my meatloaf. (If you've read my past posts, you'll remember my strong feelings towards seafood, but I digress. Moving right along, this is my absolute favorite meatloaf recipe because of the tangy mixture of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar glaze that gives it a barbeque flavor. It's great served hot or cold on sandwiches. And in the big scheme of things, I guess it's not the end of the world if this isn't MY children's daddy's favorite meatloaf. Afterall, we must remember that we're all unique just like everyone else. Bon Appetite !

(someone's) DADDY'S FAVORITE MEATLOAF

1 cup quick oats
2 eggs
1/3 cup ketchup
1 pkg beefy onion dry soup mix
1/2 cup water
2 TB Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup frozen shredded hashbrowns
2 cups lean ground beef

In a medium bowl, beat eggs lightly; stir in remaining ingrediants except meat. Add meat and mix well. Pat mixture into a standard size loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Topping Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TB mustard

Mix together and spread on meatloaf after it has cooked for one hour. Cook an additional 15 minutes and then remove from oven to cool and serve.

Pssssst..... Pass It On.....

You should know by now that I love recipes. I collect them in a variety of different ways such as magazines, websites, TV shows, and probably my most favorite method, from friends. Now, don't get me wrong, you don't have to cook to be my friend... but it doesn't hurt ! My friend Stacy, who has made previous appearances on my blog, shared a few recipes with me last week when my beloved out dated, temperature challenged, too small oven finally went out. (Can you tell I'm really upset by it's passing?) Anyway, she most graciously sent me some of her family tried and true recipes that didn't require an oven. Tonight we feasted on her "Santa Fe Stew", which was absolutely DELICIOUS. Now, it resembles Weight Watchers Taco Soup recipe, as I'm sure many of you have tried, but it has a few variations that I really like quite a bit better. With her permission, here is a really yummy and satisfying recipe for a cold and rainy day like today. Do your friends a favor and pass it on!

STACY'S SANTA FE STEW

2 lbs hamburger meat-browned and drained
1 pkg ranch seasoning
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cans green beans
2 cans corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can Rotel

Mix everything together and cook until heated through.

Spies Like Us....

I really am just your typical wife and mother. My average day is filled with laundry, dishes, and nothing out of the ordinary. Really. Except when it comes to cooking. Sometimes, I find myself giving in to a very devious and secretive alter-ego that begs me to slip something unconventional into my family's dinner, just to see if I can get by with it. Now before you get the wrong idea, it's always something they SHOULD eat, but otherwise refuse to. Deceitful ? Possibly, but it's not like they asked me, "Hey mom, did you throw in some extra vegetables again tonight?" If they asked... I PROMISE I would tell them. But alas, they don't ask, so I continue to get away with my covert missions. Tonight's menu consisted of chili... PUMPKIN chili that is....(Insert evil laugh here) baahaahaaahaa

My verdict is, it was okay. You really cannot taste the pumpkin, but it was a little bland for my taste. Next time I make it, I will probably omit using chili powder alone and instead stir in a store bought chili seasoning kit like "Williams Chili Seasoning". It also has green and yellow peppers which are STRICTLY prohibited in my kitchen...unless no one is looking.... I threw these in the food processor and processed the living daylights out of them until they were unrecognizable. So there you have it. Just a few of my stealthy secrets. Cue the Mission Impossible Music...This recipe will self destruct in 5 seconds....

PUMPKIN CHILI

1 small green pepper, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 TB canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin
1 can (14 1/2 oz) tomatoes, undrained
4 1/2 tsp chili powder (or chili mix seasoning)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Saute peppers in oil in a large skillet until tender. Add garlic and cook for one minute longer. Crumble meat into skillet and cook until no longer pink.

Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in pumpkin, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Serve with toppings of your choice.