This is another of my mom's recipes and is one of my husband's favourites. I'm starting to try to stock the freezer a bit here and there for the baby's arrival and figured it was in my best interests to make a batch of this, in case I'm particularly cranky one day from lack of sleep and need to make it up to my husband with one of his favourite meals ;)
We don't make this often, as it has quite a bit of butter/oil in it, so I don't find it particularly healthy. But I don't dare cut the fat out, as that's part of what makes it so good. So we typically make this maybe once or twice a year (usually when my husband begs for it).
1/4 C flour
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. turmeric
5-6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 C uncooked long grain rice (I use long grain brown rice)
3 C chicken broth
1. Combine flour, paprika, thyme, salt and turmeric. Stir together so that the spices and seasonings are well mixed with the flour. Roll chicken pieces a few at a time in this mixture.
2. Brown a few pieces at a time in butter and olive oil over medium heat. Transfer chicken pieces to large casserole dish.
3. Add rice to the remaining fat in the pan. Stir until lightly browned, then pour over chicken. Pour chicken broth over the whole casserole.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 1 hour.
You can't even really call this a recipe, but I figured I'd post it anyhow, as I had to search the net for awhile to figure out how to cook steel cut oats when I first started buying them. I usually buy a big batch at the bulk food store. And because it takes so darned long to cook (I certainly don't have the patience to wait 30 minutes for my breakfast to be ready even on a weekend, never mind a work day!), I cook up a big batch from time to time and we then eat it all week. They're super cheap and this keeps you full all morning.
I started buying steel cut oats instead of regular oatmeal, as it's less processed and therefore, better for you than any other kind of oatmeal. They have a lower glycemic index than regular oatmeal as well, meaning that your blood sugar spikes less when you have these oats vs. regular oatmeal. And I kind of like the slightly nutty, just not quite crunchy texture of it more than regular oatmeal as well.
For cooking, the ratio of liquid to steel oats is 4:1. I generally make about 2 C of steel oats at a time, which fills a decent sized pot and gives us enough for the two of us to eat it for breakfast everyday for maybe 5 or so days. I used to make it with 4 C of water and 4 C of soy milk, but have been making it with a full 8 C of soy milk these days, as I find I'm usually starving again by 11 now that I'm pregnant!
You basically just heat the milk with a pinch of salt, stir in the oats and cook on low to medium heat until pretty much all of the milk has been absorbed. I'm not sure quite how long it takes, though it feels like forever... maybe 30 minutes? Stick around to stir it from time to time, or you'll end up with a burnt mess at the bottom of your pot. You can also stir in some cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar if your heart so desires.
I usually top it with blueberries (you can see from the picture that they're actually still frozen... this was for my husband's breakfast at work the next day). However, my friend Bev was recently mentioning that she puts cranberries on hers, so I tried that this week and it was delicious. Despite my reluctance (as cranberries don't usually rate amongst my preferred fruit) I tried her recipe this week, since I had some leftover from a punch I'd made over the holidays.
She basically cooks a bag of fresh cranberries in a bit of water for 3 minutes in the microwave and then stirs in a bit of sugar and some lemon juice. Though I didn't like these on their own, it was great in the oatmeal, as it counterbalanced the tartness of the cranberries.
Freezer-friendly: you just need to stir in a bit more milk once you re-heat this.
We had a big discussion about the title of this recipe over the holidays as were were discussing potentially making them when all of my siblings were down. We came to the conclusion that it's because these muffins really do taste like donuts - though perhaps not quite as greasy. This is one of my mom's recipes and though it's not one that I remember her making all the time, all of us kids still love it. I don't make it often myself either, as it's not the healthiest of my muffin recipes, but it's a must on any family camping trip we do. I often triple the recipe before going camping, as these disappear in a flash.
1 3/4 C flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 C oil
3/4 C sugar (first amount)
1 egg
3/4 C milk
1/2 C melted butter
3/4 C white sugar (second amount)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1. Combine thoroughly oil, sugar, egg and milk. Add in flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and stir to combine.
2. Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Shake muffins out immediately and while hot, dip in melted butter, then in sugar and cinnamon mixture (mixed together). (I tend to not take them out immediately, as I find that they fall apart if I do so.)
**For a delicious variation, fill tins 1/2 full of batter, put 1 tsp. jam on top and top with the rest of the batter.
I always put the jam in, as it's part of what makes them so darned good. You can use any kind of jam. Lately I've been using some black currant jam that I made a few years back, as it's way too bitter to actually eat on toast. But it's perfect in these muffins, as their sweetness offsets the bitterness of the jam. Though I tend to put a bit more than a tsp. of jam per muffin, be sure not to put in too much or to get the jam too close to the edge of the batter. Otherwise, the muffins won't hold together when cooked.
This recipe makes approximately 10-12 muffins.
This recipe is also from the 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook and is made with the Shredded Chicken post that I did on Dec. 18/09. I often make a batch of the Shredded Chicken and then immediately make this recipe, without freezing the chicken, so that the leftovers can all go into the freezer. Those who know me well know that though we typically eat homemade food, I barely ever cook during the week. I always stock the freezer with recipes such as these and just add veggies and/or rice depending on what is necessary on busy work nights.
2 C refried beans, canned or homemade
4 jalapeno peppers, sliced
2 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (I used light old cheddar)
1 Shredded Chicken (since I use bone-in breasts instead of what is usually called for in the recipe for Shredded Chicken, I just throw in a decent amount, enough to make maybe 5 meals total for the two of us.)
1. In slow cooker stoneware, combine beans, peppers, cheese and shredded chicken. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours, until hot and bubbly.
2. To make tacos, spoon filling into soft tortillas (wheat, or corn for gluten-free). Top with lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa, guacamole and sour cream, etc. Roll up and enjoy.
The recipe says serves 4 to 6, but I always put in lots of chicken. Today it made enough for 6 meals for 2 people in all.
Sadly, our crock pot has seen its last days and we will have to race out and get a new one, as I love using it throughout the winter. It's such a simple way to have a yummy home cooked meal ready at the end of the day with little effort. While making the Shredded Chicken, the broth that had formed leaked through the bottom of the crock pot (even though it's only 2 years old!) and all over our counters, ruining our kitchen counter for good. I guess that's just another excuse to get rid of that ugly white counter that stains so easily!!
This recipe also comes from the cookbook 125 Best Cheesecake Recipes. I made it for the first time for our New Years party, but any of the recipes I've made from this cookbook have all been delicious.
Crust:
1 1/4 C graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
4 packages (each 8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 C granulated sugar
4 eggs
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
Topping:
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Decoration:
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
I don't recommend using light cream cheese for this recipe, unless perhaps you're just making it for yourself at home. And even then, I'd recommend just freezing it and eating it less often rather than using light cream cheese.
1. Crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of cheesecake pan and freeze (for a gluten-free version, just omit the crust altogether).
2. Filling: In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour over frozen crust. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until the top is light brown and the centre has a slight jiggle to it. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes (do not turn the oven off). The cake will sink slightly.
3. Topping: In a small bowl, combine sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into centre or cooled cake and spread out to edges. Bake for 5 minutes more. Cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before decorating.
4. Decoration: Top with sliced strawberries when completely chilled.
As strawberries were no longer in season, I defrosted some that we had picked over the summer, crushed them and added them to the top of the cheesecake (without adding any more sugar).
Some tips that I've just learned to avoid having your cheesecake crack:
- allow all ingredients to come to room temperature before using
- incorporate one egg at a time
- make sure oven is preheated
- remove the cheesecake from the oven while the centre still jiggles
Good luck! Though this is super easy to make and also freezes well.
This recipes comes from the cookbook Cooking Light Slow Cooker Cookbook, which I can't find anywhere on Chapters to put a link to. It may be one of those special editions that comes out on the magazine from time to time. In any case, I love this recipe and we almost always have some of this in our freezer for a meal in a pinch.
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (19 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (I use light)
1 tbsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. chopped pickled jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Place onion mixture, chickpeas and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a 3 1/2 quart electric slow cooker; stir well. Cover with lid; cook on low heat setting for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in cilantro. Serve over brown rice.
Makes 8 servings.
I typically leave the jalapeno peppers out of this, only because I don't usually have any on hand. I put them in last night, without really measuring out the 2 tbsp. and it was much too hot for even my husband, who loves spicy food. I left the fresh cilantro out yesterday, as I forgot to pick it up at the grocery story, but it really does add a lot of flavour to the recipe and I almost never leave it out (and don't recommend doing so).
I have this recipe filed in my recipe book as 'Brandi's Salad', since it was given to me by my friend Brandi. She has a great collection of different excellent salad recipes that she's passed along to me over the years from a cookbook that she got a few Christmases back. The recipe is a bit different and the dressing is homemade, so it's nice to serve when having guests. It also takes only seconds to prepare. I just whipped up a batch for dinner a few seconds ago, since we had some avocados about to go bad in the fridge.
Brandi's Avocado Cranberry Salad
romaine lettuce
avocado
pumpkin seeds
dried cranberries
Dressing:
1/4 C seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. maple syrup
Using a good quality olive oil will make a big difference in this dressing. Costco has random companies in from time to time doing samples of their olive oils. Though they tend to cost at least double the price of the generic huge olive oil sold at Costco, it's well worth the investment. I always keep on hand both a good quality olive oil and the generic stuff and choose depending on the recipe I'm making (and whether or not there are guests over the show off to!).
