Crockpot Santa Fe Chicken

Ingredients:

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast

14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

15 oz can black beans

8 oz frozen corn

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth

3 scallions, chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

salt to taste

Directions:
Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot . Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice or in taco shells

Turkey Cookies

I made these for Thanksgiving this year and they turned out so cute!!

For 10 turkeys you will need:

90 Candy Corn
20 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies
10 Whopper
10 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
1 Tube of black piping gel
1 tube of white icing
Yellow and red food coloring
2 plastic Ziplock bags

Mix red and yellow food coloring with some of the icing to create your desired orange. Then put that into a plastic bag and set it aside for later. Do the same for a thing of red.

Create the tail using 1 Oreo cookie and 6 Candy Corns. Gently pull apart just one side of the Oreo. Put a good amount of icing in between the two sides. This will help the Candy Corn stay. Place 6 Candy Corn (white side down) in between the cookie.

Take your white icing and squeeze a generous amount onto the top back of an Oreo cookie. Take the other Oreo and put the bottom into the icing to have it stand up. If it doesn't stand, add more icing! Once you have it stand put it up against something so it doesn't fall until the icing is dry. I use a thick book.

Take your knife and cut off the very bottom of your peanut butter cup so you have a flat surface. Put icing on the bottom of it the bigger flat. Bump it up against the bottom and back of your Oreo cookies.

Next take your Whopper and squeeze more icing on it on one side. Place the whopper on top of the Peanut Butter Cup to make your head.

Find a piece of Candy Corn that has a nice big white end. Using your sharp knife cut the color off leaving you with the white end. Place some icing on it and stick it on your whopper as the beak.

Put some frosting on the back of a Candy Corn and place it on the side of the Peanut Butter Cup with the small end pointing up. Do this on each side for the wings.

Take your icing and place two white dots as eyes. Get your tube of black piping gel and place a black dot on each eye to make them come alive.

Grab your bag of already created orange frosting. Cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag. Now, pipe feet.

Grab your bag of already created red. Cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe a strip under the nose for a gobble.  Now you are done! It is that simple!!

Raspberry Pretzel Jello

Crust:
2 2/3 cups pulverized pretzels
1/4 cup sugar
8 Tbs melted butter

Mix ingredients together and press into the bottom of 9x13 cake pan. bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:

8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
8 oz cool whip
Large package of raspberry jello mix
2 cups boiling water
16 oz frozen raspberries

mix cream cheese and sugar until well blended and sugar is not grainy. Add cool whip on low speed until blended. Spread on cooled crust and refrigerate until set.
Mix jello with 2 cups boiling water and frozen fruit. Spread on cream cheese mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easy Chocolate Truffles

8 ounces semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

8 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Your choice of flavoring (vanilla, coffee, raspberry, mint, etc.)

Your choice of coating (cocoa powder, coconut flakes, sprinkles, etc.)

Directions:

Heat chocolates, butter and milk in a pan until chocolates and butter are partially melted. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Whisk in desired flavoring until creamy smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and let stand until firm enough to hold its shape, about 2 hours.

Using a tablespoon or a tablespoon scoop, mold chocolate in to balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Place desired coating into a small bowl and working one at a time, drop truffles into the bowl with greased fingertips. Shake bowl back and forth so truffles are completely coated. Return to parchment. Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Let stand at room temperature before serving.

Yo Hallah Stuffed French Toast

We got this recipe from watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network channel and oh my it is delicious!!

Makes about 6 servings

Filling:

6-8  bananas turning brown and peeled

2 Tbsp margarine or butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp Vanilla

2– 8 ounce packages cream cheese

1 loaf challah bread

Batter:

1 dozen eggs

1/2 cup Half and half

I Tbsp nutmeg

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Compote:

1 lb frozen blueberries

1 lb frozen strawberries

1  cup water

1 cup brown sugar

1  cup cornstarch slurry (2 parts water, 1 part cornstarch)

Directions:

Slice the bananas into 1/2-inch wide pieces.

Heat the margarine in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook the bananas for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the brown sugar and vanilla. Sauté for about 3 more minutes. Let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Add the cream cheese to a large bowl. Fold in the banana mixture and set aside.

Slice the bread into 1-inch thick pieces.

Mix all the batter ingredients with an electric mixer in a medium shallow bowl and set aside.

Place the banana mixture, about 1 1/2 inches high on half of the bread slices, then top with a second piece of bread.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill for about 15 minutes.

Remove from the refrigerator and cut each sandwich, diagonally, into 2 pieces.

Heat a large skillet, coated with margarine, over medium heat.

Dunk the sandwiches into the batter and pan-fry on all sides. Keep warm. Start making the compote.

 Compote:

Put the blueberries in a sauté pan, over medium heat. Add 1 cup of water and 1 cup of brown sugar. Bring to a boil and add the cornstarch slurry. Cook until the sauce becomes thick and coats the back of a spoon.

Add the strawberries and cook for about 1 minute. Do not overcook.

After the sauce and the stuffed French toast are cooked, put 1 triangle on a serving plate. Shingle a second triangle on top of the first and drizzle with some of the compote. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) Repeat with remaining French toast and serve.

Man Pleasing Rosemary Chicken

Man Pleasing Chicken
from the Dating Divas

• Chicken thighs- 1 package
• Dijon mustard- 1/2 cup
• Maple syrup- 1/4 cup
• Rice/rice wine vinegar- 1 tablespoon
• Fresh rosemary
• Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 450ºF. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice/rice wine vinegar.
Put a 1.5 pound package of chicken thighs into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish. I used boneless, skinless thighs. Six came in my package, which made enough to serve 3 people. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.
Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through. I find that a meat thermometer is essential in cooking because it allows me to check for doneness without cutting into the meat and losing its precious juices. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary. If there is ever a time to use fresh herbs, THIS IS IT! The flavors are just so good together. Enjoy the savory goodness of this meal!

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie


Crust
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
flour for rolling dough

Make the dough by hand in a medium bowl. Whisk the four, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed w/ bean sized bits of butter. (If  the mixture gets warm, put it in the fridge for 10 minutes before continuing) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon of cold water over the mixture.

Alternatively, you can make the dough in a food processor with the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until it resembles a yellow corn meal mixed with bean sized bits of butter (about 10 times). Add egg, pulse 1-2 times, don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is dry, you can put up to a TBSP of cold water). Remove the blade from the machine and bring the dough together by hand.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate until throughly chilled, at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12 inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9 inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an inch hanging over the side. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to forma thick edge that is even with the rim of the pie pan. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.

Set seperate racks in the center and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Put a piece of foil or parchement ove the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights (this prevents the crust from bubbling up) Bake on a baking sheet on the center reack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Take the foil/ parchment filled with beans out of the pie and continue baking until the edges are browned.

Cool the pie shell on a rack and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees

While the pie shell is cooling, make the filling.

Filling
1 - 15 ounce can unsweetend pure pumpkin puree (2 cups)
3/4 cups pack light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half and half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.

Cover edges of pie with foil to prevent the crust from burning. Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set, but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 - 60 minutes. Cool on rack and serve at room temperature.

Tres Leches

Ingredients:

6 eggs, separated 1 cup white sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk 1 cup whipped cream (optional) 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries (optional)

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.	Grease a 10x15-inch baking dish.
3.	Beat egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form; gradually beat in sugar until mixture is glossy. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time, combining each yolk before adding the next. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, to the mixture, beating continuously; beat in baking powder, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cake cool for 15 minutes.
5.	Pour 1 cup cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk in a blender and pulse several times until well blended. Pour three-milk mixture evenly over the cake. Refrigerate cake until cold and the milk mixture has soaked in, at least 1 hour.
6.	Cut in squares and top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and a few sliced strawberries. Refrigerate leftovers

Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients: 4 large poblano peppers 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging 1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Cholula®) 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 5 egg whites at room temperature 1 egg yolk, beaten 1/4 cup all-purpose flour for dredging 1 cup oil for frying, or as needed sour cream for garnish Directions: 1. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet. 2. Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels. 3. Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 4. To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often. 5. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven. 6. To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter. 7. Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream

Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor – but doesn’t add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
1/4 cup thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
3 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth (I had a difficult time getting my cream cheese to completely whisk into the milk so my soup had some minor small lumps but next time, I’ll soften the cream cheese until almost melted in the microwave). Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve.

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls

INGREDIENTS:
Rolls:
½ cup warm water
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
6+ cups flour

Filling:
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons cinnamon

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Then roll out on floured board to 34 X 21 inches in size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tightly. With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with thread or serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cover and let rise until double again. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with cream cheese frosting (combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency). Makes about 24 very large rolls.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
Chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

DIRECTIONS:
For the chicken, cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients together and pour over chicken.

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes so it is evenly coated with the sauce. Serve over rice.

Naan (Indian Flat Bread)

NAAN (INDIAN FLAT BREAD)

INGREDIENTS:
3-4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon sugar
3-4 tablespoons, melted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Pour the milk into a liquid measure and heat in the microwave until warm to the touch (about 110 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). If using active dry yeast, mix the sugar and yeast into the milk and let it sit for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is foamy and the yeast has activated. Once the yeast/milk mixture is foamy, pour the mixture into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour (proceed with the second paragraph of the recipe). If using instant yeast, pour the warm milk into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Add the sugar, instant yeast, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Proceed as directed below.

Mix well to combine. Continue adding flour gradually in small amounts, until a soft dough is formed that cleans the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough by mixer or hand until it is smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let it rest at room temperature, covered lightly with greased plastic wrap, for about 2 hours.

After the dough has rested, turn it onto a lightly floured surface (I like to use my roul’pat for this) and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, rounding each into a ball shape. Cover the pieces with a towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. While the dough rests, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F and place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, try grilling the dough on a lightly oiled outdoor grill or use a hot griddle to bake the naan – you’ll have to experiment with cooking times but I’ve seen either of those methods used with cooking naan also.)

Once the dough has rested for 30 minutes, one by one, roll each piece into a circle about 6-8 inches wide, depending on how thin or thick you want your naan. Lay the circle of dough on the hot pizza stone and spritz lightly with water. Close the oven and bake the naan for 2-4 minutes, until it is lightly puffed (some pieces will puff more than others) and brown spots begin to appear on the top. Remove the naan from the baking stone and place on a cooling rack. Brush lightly with melted butter. Stack the hot naan on top of each other as it comes out of the oven. Cover with a towel and let the naan cool completely or serve warm.