Tandoori Chicken

This is great served with riata, a yogurt cucumber sauce similar to tzatziki sauce, and actually what I use.  This is fun to serve as an appetizer, after the chicken is cooked, just cut it into thin 1 inch squares and top with a dollop of sauce, stick a toothpick in the middle and serve on a tray.

4 large chicken breasts

Lemon Juice, About 2 Tablespoons

1 c. plain yogurt (all I had around was sour cream so I used that)

Red food Dye (optional)

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger (fresh would be better, I didn't have any)

2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. paprika (make sure it's a nice vibrant red color)

1 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Pinch Cayenne (I like about 1/4 tsp. to make it spicy)

Pinch Cloves

I removed the fat from the chicken breasts so that only meat was remaining. Then I just the chicken in half lenght-wise and then in half again through the middle.

Rub the chicken with lemon juice. Mix the spices and rub the meat with the mix. Combine the yogurt (or sour cream) with red food dye until it is bright pink. Add to the meat and spices and make sure each piece of chicken is completely coated.

Marinate for 2 - 12 hours.

Turn oven on to broil and move a rack to the highest spot in the oven. Place the chicken on a wire rack or a roasting pan.  Broil from 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

I served mine over a qunioa pilaf but rice or couscous would also be good.

Kielbasa & Chicken

As a member of HH6 Cooking Club, our challenge this month was to cook an original crock pot recipe, using 5 ingredients or less.

Surprisingly enough, these few ingredients made plenty to feed our family of 5. 

I cut the pieces up pretty small so they would cook fast, about 1/2 inch each, since I didn't get them in the crock-pot until a few hours before dinner time. The kielbasa lends great flavor to and is primarily what seasons this dish, but it does so without overpowering the other ingredients and being the only thing that you taste. The ingredients are similar to another recipe I posted a while ago, the way it is cooked and the few small changes make it so that they taste quite different.

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 of a kielbasa

3 - 4 c. potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cut the chicken into small pieces and drop in the crock pot. 

Cut the kielbasa in quarters lengthwise and then at 1/2 inch intervals and drop in the crock pot. 

Chop the potatoes the same size as the chicken and drop in the crock pot. 

Pour in the mushroom soup and stir all together to combine and coat everything. 

Cover and cook on for high 3 hours. 

I served with steamed Brussels sprouts, but anything green goes great. So would fried cabbage.

Peanut Butter Silk Cups

Today is my 8th anniversary. While we were on our date last weekend I picked up come chocolate cups without any real thought as to what I was going to fill them with yet, just that I though they would be fun yet simple. And while with peanut butter I can take it or leave it, my hubby on the other hand LOVES the stuff. So that's what I settled on

1 batch swiss buttercream
I used 2 egg whites and 1/2 c. sugar, basically the smallest recipe, doubled.

Once you have made the Swiss buttercream, beat in

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
generous pinch salt

Taste the stuff before you add the salt. I found it cloying, thats why I added a little, if you like it like that leave it out.

Then using a large star tip I piped it into chocolate cups. Or you could use it to fill cakes or crepes or frost cupcakes. My kids are currently eating it with a spoon.





And I'm gonna send them over to Cast Party Wednesday, cause linking parties are fun

And to Double takes Peanut Butter Challenge

Southern Brunswick Stew

The first time I ever had Brunswick stew was when I lived in Virginia. The scouts there used to sell it. Once we moved from there I pretty much forgot about it. Until I moved to Georgia, about an hour from Brunswick, and despite Virginia making the same claim, they maintain that they are where the stew originated.

It's also a great way to use up the extra squirrel and possum you might have laying around your fridge.

Again, sorry about the cell phone pictures not being all that inviting, it really has a nice reddish orange color and tastes great

3 c. chicken broth
3 c. beef broth
1 c. frozen lima beans
1 c. catchup
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 c. frozen corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke dash tabasco
2 Tbsp dehydrated onions
1 carrot, diced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 potato, diced small
1 bottle beef OR 2 - 3 c. cooked shredded beef
1 c. cooked shredded chicken

Bring the chicken and beef broths to a boil.

Add the lima beans and boil for 10 minutes.

Add the corn, catchup, mustard, vinegar, garlic, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, tabasco, onions, carrot, brown sugar, potato, beef and chicken . Simmer together until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Watch carefully and make sure it doesn't boil dry, if it starts to add more broth.

OR dump everything in a crock-pot and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3

Creme Brulee

When you heat a liquid, usually a dairy, and then mix it into eggs it is called tempering. At that point in this recipe you pour it into the ramekins and bake it, but you can return it to the pan and continue cooking until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon to create custard.

If you go the custard route stir in some chocolate and whipped cream to make silk.

For such a great dessert this was not only super easy to make, but would be great for entertaining. You can make it the day before and just take them out of the fridge before dinner. Then when you are done eating just sprinkle with sugar and torch the top.

1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 c. half-an-half
6 egg yolks
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 Tbsp Turbinado sugar

Heat the cream, half-an-half, and vanilla until the liquid is really hot, but don't let it boil or it will curdle.

Meanwhile beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture looks light and fluffy and is pale in color.

When the cream is hot and the yolks are pale slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg yolks, a little at a time, until completely incorporated.

Pour into ramekins and place on a tray, pour water halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes.

Chill overnight. Remove from the fridge and top each with 1 Tbsp sugar, using a kitchen blow torch, run the flame across the top until the sugar is melted. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

I use the lowest setting on my torch. I found that the highest setting burns the top of the sugar before it melts the bottom, the lowest setting melted it throughout and the browned the top nicely.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

I like making my own dressings because then I know what is in them. I got this recipe from my little sister, it's quite tasty, great on summer salads

The onion says grated, which is pretty unusual but exactly what it sounds like. Chopping wont give it the same affect, grating releases the juices better.

3/4 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
3/4 c. good quality olive oil
1 tbsp. grated onion
1/4 c. white sugar
2 Tbsp. Honey
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. prepared mustard

Whisk all together until sugar is dissolved.

Hungarian Goulash

When I was a Girl Scout in Virginia we had an international event once a year. One year my troop chose Hungary, and we had a Hungarian women come and teach us how to make goulash. She said there were three things important to make authentic goulash. Never add flour, tomatoes, or peppers.

But then some people swear by those hings, so If I had to guess I would say it's like stew, there is no right or wrong way. Just make sure it has paprika, and lots of it.

Paprika should be bright red, and not brownish. To preserve both the color and the flavor of paprika store it in the fridge. She also said it had to be Hungarian paprika, I get mine in the huge Tones containers at Sams club, I think it's Spanish. So, um,...don't tell on me please?

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche

Check out the meatless version here

Saute
3/4 lb. beef strips
in
bacon drippings, butter, or oil
When cooked add
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 c. water
2 beef boulion cubes
(I used 1 regular and 1 sodium free)
2 Tbsp. paprika

Simmer over medium heat, covered, until most of the water is absorbed, but dont let is go dry. About 1 hour. You dont want it to cook faster than that either. Discard the bay leaves and add

3 - 4 potatoes, chopped
(about 1 baker sized per person)
1 qt. water
4 bouillon cubes
2 additional bay leaves
1 heaping T. paprika
1/4 t. black pepper
Simmer, covered until sauce is thick and potatoes can be crushed easily with a spoon. Crush a half dozen or so of them to mix in with the sauce a bit. This is really important since you will notice I don't add any thickener, just let the potatoes do the job. In the end the meat and potatoes aren't in a traditional sauce, its more like a thick paste that clings to the meat (in a good way!)