Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Another recipe from Pinterest...I really need to get back to my good old cookbooks.  But for tonight, how about this chicken over some rice?

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe:

(Recipe from Life as a Lofthouse)

Chicken:
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt & pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Bulgogi

We have a great local Asian restaurant that serves this, so when I found a recipe on Pinterest I pinned it immediately.  You can make this with steak, chicken, pork or tofu.  I am making it tonight with flank steak and will BBQ it out on the grill to celebrate waking up to blue skies and a sunny day. Hooray!

1# beef, chicken, pork or tofu (cut whatever you choose into wide strips)
2/3 c. soy sauce
1  t. red chili flakes
6 T. sugar
4 T. sesame oil
4 T. mirin
2 T. rice vinegar
1 T. grated ginger
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Mix together all ingredients except meat or tofu.  Marinade meat or tofu for 8 hours.  Grill til done.

Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies

I admit it..I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted just to Nutella.  My husband loves the stuff so for special treats I make up a goodie with it.  Here is the latest.  I finished it off by melting a cup of milk chocolate chips with about 3 t. peanut butter in the microwave, then spreading on the top for a frosting. Was my sweety ever  smiling:)
Peanut Butter-Nutella Brownies
Adapted from Culinary in the Country

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
4.5 ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour (I always weigh my flour when baking)
3/4 cup cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup peanut butter

In a medium bowl combine all-purpose flour, cocoa (sift this in to get rid of lumps), baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Over low heat, melt butter and stir in sugar and vanilla extract until well combined.

To the butter-sugar mixture add eggs, one at a time.  With a wooden spoon vigorously mix in each egg until well-combined.

To the butter-egg mixture whisk in the cocoa mixture until fully combined.

In a microwave safe bowl add Nutella and peanut butter.  Heat in the microwave in 20 second intervals until it reaches a runny consistency.  Stir this mixture into the batter.

Pour the batter into a glass 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  (I used Baker's Joy.)  Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Let brownies cool completely before cutting.

Cowboy Meatloaf and Potato Casserole

Yesterday was a bit damp and a little cool..yea summer in the NW :(..but a good chance to make this casserole for dinner. )  The original recipe called for 1 pkg. Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash Garlic seasoned potatoes....I chose to make my own mashed potatoes...you try it either way.  This is really easy and comes together quickly.

1 pkg. Ore-Ida Steam 'n Mash Garlic seasoned potatoes or 6 small red potatoes cooked until tender
1# lean ground meat
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1 egg
3/4 t. salt
2/3 c. milk
1 T. butter
1 c. bacon bits
1/4 c. crispy fried onions (the canned kind)
2/3 c. cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Coat a 9 x 9 baking pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl combine meat, onion, bread crumbs, BBQ sauce, egg, and salt.  Press into baking pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Carefully pour off any excess fat if needed.

With a mixer, mash potatoes, butter and milk.  Add in bacon bits and fried onions.  Spread on top of baked meat mixture.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.  Broil for 4-5 minutes.

Turkey Provolone Pesto Artichoke Bread

I must admit I named this recipe..any doubt what is in it?  I would love to hear ideas for a better name, but for now this is what it is.  A local deli used to make something like this, but it closed and I was never able to get the recipe.  So today while it is raining..YES AGAIN..I am baking this up for dinner.

Bread:
1 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. yeast
Mix well together with a whisk.  Then add:
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t. salt
1 c. pesto
Then mix in  :  1 1/2 c. bread flour
Add enough additional flour (up to a cup or so) to make dough easy to handle, not sticky.  Knead for 5 minutes on a floured surface.  Put into a buttered or oiled bowl, cover and let rise for one hour.

Punch down dough.  Roll out into a large rectangle.  Cut rectangle in 1/3's lengthwise.  Roll each 1/3 out a little more, increasing width only.  Onto the middle of each rectangle, spread pesto from top of dough to bottom.  Cover middle of dough with filling. Fold sides over, pinching to seal.  Braid three pieces of dough and put onto a greased cooky sheet.  Let rise for 20 minutes more.
 Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.

Filling:
1# turkey deli meat cut into strips
1# provolone cut into strips
1 l5 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped

Oatmeal sandwich cookies with creamy peanut butter filling

I haven't made cookies for my sweetheart for several weeks.  Yesterday was rainy again so I decided it was a good day to bake.  These are quite easy to make...and everyone in your family will love them and think you are quite wonderful for making them.  This recipe comes from the blog..Joy the Baker.

Cookies:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 1/4 c. oats
1 c. flour
1/2 t. bak. powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg

Combine butter and sugar, beat well.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix in oats.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
Use a heaping teaspoon to measure out each cookie.  Roll into a ball and put onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool completely.

Filling:
3 T. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. powdered sugar
3-4 T. milk
Mix butter and peanut butter until completely combined.  Add in powdered sugar.  Add milk until it
reaches a spreadable consistancy.

Spread one cookie with filling.  Top with another cookie.  Press together.

Greek Shrimp

1# raw shrimp
4 cloves, garlic, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, diced
1 c. feta
1/2 c. white wine
1T. oil
1/4 c. basil, chopped
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
1/4 c. mint, chooped
1 t. oregano
dash oh hot sauce
Heat oil, add shrimp, cooking untik pink.  Remove from pa,  Add garlic, green onion and tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes until tomatoes break down.  Add wine, herbs and feta.  Return shrimp to pan and cook until feta melts.  Serve in a bowl with a slic of toasted crusty bread.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Tomorrow is Father's Day..and what do you give a dad who really doesn't need anything?  How about a homemade fresh baked lemon meringue pie?  This just happens to be my dad's favorite pie.  So today I got out my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook..the first cookbook I ever got...and made a pie.  It was really easy and didn't take long to make at all.  Plus my dad will be happy tomorrow!  This is a recipe for an 8" pie...it will fill perfectly in one of those disposable aluminum pie plates.

Crust:
I made this in my mini food processor.
1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. plus 1 T. butter or shortening
3-5 T. vodka

Mix flour and salt.  Cut the butter into chunks.  Then using the food processor or a pastry blender, cut in butter until it is crumbs.  Slowly add in vodka, until dough comes together in a ball.

Roll out on a floured board, put in pieplate.  Prick with a fork on the bottom and sides.  Bake at 450 for 4-10 minutes.  Cool while making the filling.

Filling:
In a medium saucepan mix 1 c. sugar and 1/4 c. cornstarch.  Slowly whisk in 1 c. water.
Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently until it comes to a boil.  Cook one minute more.  Remove from heat.
Beat 2 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
Add 1/2 hot mixture into eggs.  Pour back into hot sugar mixture, combining well.
Now add in:
2 T. butter
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 t. lemon zest
Optional:  several drops yellow food coloring
Pour into pie crust.

Meringue:
Beat 2 reserved egg whites and 1/4 t. cream of tartar until foamy.  Slowly beat in 1/4 c. sugar.  Beat on high until stiff peaks form.  Add in 1/4 t. vanilla.  Spread meringue on top of filling.
**I found this didn't exactly "spread".  I had to drop it by big spoonfuls instead.  Make sure meringue touches the rim of the pie all the way around.  Use a spoon to move meringue around, pulling up to make little peaks.  Bake at 400 for 8-12 minutes.

Greek Farmer's Breakfast

4 eggs
1 red or yellow pepper
1/4 onion
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
4 small red potatoes
1/4 c. feta cheese
pinch of oregano

Beat eggs.  Dice peppers and onions.  Put several teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.   Add peppers and onions.  Prick potatoes and put into a microwave on high for 4 minutes.  Remove from microwave, and cut into 1/4s.  Add potatoes and spinach to pan.  Cook for 4-5 minutes.  Add eggs and cheese.  Turn heat down to medium.  Cook until eggs are done,  stirring frequently.  Sprinkle with oregano.

Lime Cilantro Crockpot Chicken

Last week I went to visit my daughter and she made up this super yummy and easy Mexican chicken dish made in the crockpot.  It only has a few ingredients and is ready when you get home from work...just serve it over lettuce for a super good salad or in tortillas.  I made it tonight for my son's birthday and it was a great hit...would be good for potlucks too.

6 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa
1 pkg. taco seasoning
juice of one lime
cilantro to taste

Combine all ingredients and cook on low all day.  Before serving shred chicken, mix well and serve.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I saw this post on Pinterest and baked them up for the June birthdays at work.  Yes, ladies, cupcakes tomorrow!  They require a little more preparation than most cupcakes.  All steps are easy, and the result is so good.

For the cake:
1 2/3 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sour cream
2 T. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Whisk together the milk, sour cream and vanilla.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until well mixed.  Add in the eggs, one at a time.  Alternately mix in the sour cream mixture and flour mixture.
Put liners in cupcake pan.  In the bottom of each liner put 1 T. batter.

Filling:  Mix
1 c. confectioner's sugar
3/4 c. peanut butter
4 T. softened butter
1/2 t. vanilla
After mixing roll into 24 1" balls.  Put one ball on top of batter in each cupcake liner.

Top with another T. batter to cover peanut butter ball.  Bake at 350 for 18 minutes.  Cool completely.

Frosting:
Mix with an electric mixer:
8 oz. cream cheese
4 T. butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
Slowly add in:
3 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

Then add in:  1 c. whipped topping

Frost and sprinkle with chocolate or other desired decorations.