Chicken & Potato Bake

I got this recipe from a friend. I love that it was yummy and not complicated. And while it cooks for awhile prep time is minimal. I made a couple of substitutions using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and red potatoes. Enjoy!

Chicken & Potato Bake
4 bone-in chicken pieces
4 large potatoes, cut in wedges
1 small onion, sliced or wedged (optional)
¼ cup zesty Italian dressing
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken, potatoes, and onions in a baking dish and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake one hour or until done.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

It is that fall time of year and pumpkin treats come to mind. I love this recipe and have received many compliments and requests for the recipe, so I hope you have a chance to enjoy it this year too!

1 2/3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbs pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
½ cup butter, melted (one stick)
8 oz of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Blend wet ingredients separately. Pour wet ingredients into dry. Stir only until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. The batter does not rise a lot while cooking so fill cups about the size you want the muffins. Makes 12 big muffins or 15 small muffins. Original recipe says cook 17-18 minutes but really seems to be more like 20-25, depending on how big you made your muffins.

Another note: The canned plain pumpkin seems to come in two sizes, less than you need or more than you need. I have found that if you double the recipe you can use the whole big can (even though it is technically still more than you need) and they turn out yummy!

Black Bean, Mushroom and Cheese Enchiladas

I was a little leery of this recipe because I am not a fan of mushrooms but Chris likes them so I decided to go for it and just cut up the mushrooms really little. It worked and we really liked them. They were quite flavorful and you never missed the fact that there was no meat-the price of meat being another reason we wanted to try it. I also think that this could be managed in some form from food storage food.

Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Approximate cost: $3 per serving, (factor an additional $5 to $7 if pantry staples are needed).

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces white mushrooms, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (4.5 ounces) diced green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
1/4 cup sour cream, plus more for topping
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 large flour tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
Cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and mushrooms and sauté just until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, stir in cumin and chili powder. Let cool slightly and stir in the black beans, diced green chilies, Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, sour cream and cilantro. Stir until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Divide mixture between the 8 tortillas, placing filling just off center of each tortilla. Roll tortillas into loose cylinders. Place the seam side down in the prepared dish. Pour enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with additional cheese.
6. Bake until bubbling and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sour cream and chopped cilantro.

Remember, black beans, either dried or canned, are inexpensive, nutritious and versatile. They’re low in fat and high in fiber, protein and iron. Just a cup of black beans can provide a good portion of your daily protein and fiber with hardly any fat.

Parmesan Tilapia

Dan's response when I told him we were having Tilapia for dinner: "Ugh. Okay"

Dan's response when he tried his first bite: "This might be the best fish I've ever had!"
(He doesn't eat much fish, though)

This is quick and easy and delicious. I used 4 tilapia fillets and cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
3 Tbs. mayo (I used fat free Miracle Whip)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

1. Preheat your broiler and place the rack on the 2 setting from the top. Line a pan with foil or grease a broiling pan.
2. Mix together the cheese, butter, mayo, and lemon juice. Then add the basil, pepper, onion powder, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Broil the fillets for 2-3 minutes. Flip them over and broil another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from oven, cover them with the parmesan mixture and broil for 2 more minutes until the topping browns and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook.

MUST Cobbler

If you like cobbler, you MUST make this!

And if you think you don't like cobbler, you MUST make this, because you will!


Please forgive the picture. I remembered to take it only after it was almost entirely eaten. Then I zoomed way in with my little camera so it wouldn't be so obvious we almost inhaled it. But now I'm telling you so that defeats the purpose.

Anyway, we pass by this fruit stand (outdoor store, really) on our way to Dallas. I have always wanted to stop and last month we finally did. I bought some beautiful blackberries. And we enjoyed this recipe.

And now I pay my parents to stop when they come down, or I stop myself if I'm the one traveling, for those blackberries. So, so yummy! And I imagine that this would taste great with most stone fruits.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. cold butter
1/4 cup boiling water
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs. lemon juice
4 cups fresh blackberries (frozen would probably work too, just thaw and get rid of the extra liquid)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line sheet pan with foil.
2. Mix flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.
3. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries. Transfer to a cast iron skillet (a saucepan works if you don't have one), and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. (If you used a saucepan, now's the time to transfer to a baking dish). Drop the dough onto the berries by spoonfuls. Place skillet on foil lined sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes in oven until dough is golden brown.

And finally, you MUST serve this warm (hot, even) with vanilla ice cream!

Zucchini Fritters

I found this recipe from Martha. If you happen to search it on her site she recommends a pasta dish that I would recommend avoiding. Olivia appropriately described the taste when she said, "Mom, this tastes like leaves." The fritters, on the other hand were awesome. I say definitely use the optional lemon wedges.


Ingredients

* 1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (1 lemon) plus
* 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
* 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed and leaves finely chopped
* 1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the salt, lemon zest, chopped parsley, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart.
3. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters, and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer fritters to a plate; set aside in a warm place. Cook remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil to pan if necessary. Garnish with parsley sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired; serve.

Empanadas and Egg Rolls

Culture Night for Recipe Group yielded a couple of great recipes that I will pass on here because they shouldn't be missed. I have not personally made them yet, just tasted, but I did see them made and I think that even I could do it. That means you for sure can! Both are authentic (which means they are made in oil)! Enjoy!!

Argentine Empanadas

2 lbs ground beef
3/4 TBS Thyme Leaves
3/4 TBS Rosemary Leaves
3/4 TBS Salt
10 sliced Spanish Olives
1/4 cup raisins
4 boiled eggs (chopped)
4 boiled potatoes (chopped into small pieces)

Directions:
1. brown ground beef with spices and raisins
2. add egg and potatoes
3. scoop a table spoon into the tapa (pastry, she does get this from a latin market, rather than a grocery store, they are frozen, I didn't see a name or brand)
4. close the tapa with fingers or fork, but be sure that you do it well-you don't want the oil to seep into the emapanada.
5. fry until golden brown (I didn't see this part but I think she said that when they float to the top of the oil they are done)

Cambodian Egg Rolls
(makes about 25 egg rolls)

1 lb ground pork or turkey
2 T sugar
a dash of salt and pepper
about 5 carrots, grated (the amount of carrots and cabbage is pretty much to taste, her family prefers the carrots to the cabbage so she always does more carrots and less cabbage.)
1-3 cups cabbage (optional)
1/2 onion chopped
clear noodles (she uses bean noodles, these are optional)
egg roll wrappers

Directions:
1. Cook pork in skillet
2. Add sugar, salt, pepper, onion, carrots and cabbage. Cook until tender
3. Place small amount of mixture in the center of the egg roll wrapper and roll according to package directions. Once again, roll tightly so there are no leaks.
4. Moisten tail end with water (some use egg whites but it is not necessary) and stick to egg roll.
5. Fry in hot oil until golden