Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

You really should try this one if you like curry. It's a mild curry, creamy and delicious.

Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce (My Kitchen Café blog)
*Serves 4

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
1 medium red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (by seeding the jalapeno you lose most of the spice/heat but retain great flavor)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 cups hot cooked rice

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl. Stir together curry, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and chili powder. Sprinkle over chicken, tossing to coat evenly. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

In a large nonstick frying pan, stir onion, basil, garlic and peppers in hot oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add chicken and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine coconut milk and cornstarch and whisk well to combine. Carefully add to skillet, whisking vigorously. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in ginger. Cook and stir for another minute. Serve over hot rice.

Recipe Source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Gingerbread Waffles

I'm getting excited just thinking about breakfast on Christmas morning. We tried these last spring although I have to admit I thought it was a strange time of year for gingerbread. Nevertheless they were delicious. With Amy's buttermilk syrup they would be fantastic. Sort of like eating a gingerbread house first thing in the morning! If you don't want the work in the morning, you can make them in advance and even freeze them. While frozen you can put them into your toaster and they come out tasty and your home will smell like heaven.

Gingerbread Waffles (Family Fun Magazine, April 2010)

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 ¼ teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Fresh whipped cream and fruit, optional

With an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they’re light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, molasses, and buttermilk and mix until blended about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in the butter. Cover and refrigerate the batter overnight or cook immediately in a waffle iron until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and fruit, if you like. Makes 14.

Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs

I was telling Linsy how much I've been enjoying your recipes, and she asked if I had any to share. I thought I might have a few, so she invited me to join in. Here's one of my absolute favorites that my mom would make growing up. Not only is it easy to make, it's also got the healthy stuff you "have" to eat, and has the added bonus of having hot dogs so even your kids will love it!

Sweet & Sour Hot Dogs

9 oz. pineapple tidbits
6 hot dogs
2 tbs butter
1 medium onion
1 green pepper
1 bouillon cube
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 tbs corn starch
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
Rice

Drain pineapple tidbits, saving the juice for later. Slice the frankfurters, and cut up the onion and green pepper into strips. In skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and the green pepper, cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

Dissolve the bouillon cube into the hot water. Mix the corn starch and brown sugar and pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, and bouillon/hot water. Pour over vegetables. Cook & stir until thick. Add franks & pineapple and heat. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Asian Glazed Drumsticks

Annie passed this recipe along to me and it's delicious. I noticed she didn't post it so I couldn't resist.

Asian Glazed Drumsticks (Skinnytaste.com, Annie)

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 drumsticks • Points: 5 ww pts
Calories: 213 • Fat: 4.7 g • Protein: 27.5 g • Carb: 12.7 g • Fiber: 0.4 g

• 8 medium chicken drumsticks, skin removed (I used boneless skinless thighs too!)
• Pam spray oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce or garlic chile paste
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve.

Chap Chee Noodles

We had this recipe again last night and I remembered how delicious it is. Definitely spice up individual portions with chile garlic sauce.

Chap Chee Noodles (Korean) (allrecipes.com)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 pound beef top sirloin, thinly sliced (if you're like me, you'll want to use a pound or more)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/4 pound napa cabbage, sliced or use some coleslaw mix- I used 1/2 bag
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• 3 ounces cellophane noodles (they are clear and really thin), soaked in warm water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in sliced beef, and marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, then drizzle with oil. Cook beef until evenly brown. Stir in carrots, bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, and spinach. Add cellophane noodles, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until heated through.

Vegetable Fries

After tonight's dinner I feel it my duty to spread the word about how delicious rutabaga is for all of you who have never tried it (like me). My kids loved these fries. I couldn't stop eating them and had a hard time reserving some for my husband for later tonight.

Vegetable Fries (Real Simple Magazine, December 2010)

1 small rutabaga (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2" thick sticks
4 medium carrots (1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2" thick sticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the rutabaga and carrots with 2 tablspoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve with a big, juicy, sloppy burger!

Sweet Potato and Turkey Shepherd's Pie

A different take on the traditional Shepherd's Pie. I made this yesterday for the first time and loved it. Sometimes there is nothing better than some good old comfort food!


4 strips thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped

2 carrots, peeled and grated

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium (about 2 1/2 pounds) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 pounds ground, lean turkey
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
10 ounces frozen peas
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 - 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 425. Cover sweet potatoes with water in a medium pot and add a bit of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork-tender. When cooked, drain and return to pot. Mash lightly with a potato masher and stir in about 1/4 cup of the gravy (see below). Salt and pepper to taste.

While potatoes are cooking, in a large saute pan, brown bacon until almost crispy. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and saute until barely tender. Add seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add turkey to the mixture and brown until cooked through.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and the Worcestershire sauce and whisk occasionally for a few minutes until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the gravy mixture into the vegetable/turkey mixture along with the peas (I didn't want to use all the gravy so I ended up only using about half of it) and remove from heat. Pour into a casserole dish and spread the top with the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top and set on a cookie sheet, to catch any drippings. Set in the oven and cook for about 8 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted. You can also turn on the broiler for the last few minutes to get a bit of a crust on top.

Steak Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano

This recipe is delicious. I suggest you double the yummy sauce- you won't regret it. My family had real fajitas in tortillas, however I put the meat and veggies over crispy romaine lettuce as the recipe suggested can be done with leftovers.

Steak Fajitas with Sweet Potato and Poblano (Real Simple Magazine, November 2010)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼” pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 ¼ pounds skirt steak, cut into 4 pieces
½ cup sour cream
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (you can find it at Karns)
8 small tortillas, warmed (or serve the steak and potatoes over crispy romaine lettuce)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, onion, poblano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat broiler. Season the steak with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. (I simply sauted the meat in the same skillet after removing the potatoes) In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and chipotles. Fill the tortillas with the steak, vegetables and chipotle sour cream.

almost healthy cake

This cake is super easy to make, delicious and almost healthy

1 cup soft margarine

1 cup sugar (I've used Splenda and it's just as good)

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped chocolate

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Mix it all together and bake on parchment paper in a tall cake form

Bake for 30-35 min. @ 350 F

Served warm - with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a great dessert.

It's great for dinner parties as you can make the batter ahead and keep it in the fridge until you bake it.

Buttermilk Pancakes and Syrup

Best. Pancakes. Ever. I didn't even like pancakes before I tried this recipe. And now this is my favorite breakfast to cook on the weekends. Amazing. Recipe is from Danielle's cousin.

Buttermilk Pancakes

- 2 C flour

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp soda

- 3 Tbsp sugar

- 3 C buttermilk

-2 large eggs

- 4 Tbsp butter

Buttermilk Syrup

- 1 C sugar

- 1 C butter

- 1/2 C buttermilk

- 1/2 tsp soda

- 1 Tbsp white corn syrup

- tsp vanilla

Boil all ingredients except vanilla for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and then add vanilla (or other flavor like maple).

Pumpkin Cornbread

We had this with Danielle's Chicken Tortilla soup and both are delicious! The soup was great- the chicken is so tender. My kids do not ordinarily touch cornbread but they made an exception for this recipe! You can scroll down for Danielle's soup recipe.

Pumpkin Cornbread (Real Mom Kitchen)
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup cornmeal
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or freshly cooked and processed)
2/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 10-inch glass pie pan or 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Sift flours, baking powder, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in cornmeal.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs lightly. Whisk in pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses.
4. Make a well in the dry mixture. Add pumpkin mixture and blend batter with a few quick strokes.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cornbread is browned and the surface has a slightly springy feel.

Citrus Cream Cheese Pull Apart Rolls

This recipe is originally from Cooking Light Magazine but was featured at Home Based Mom. We tried them this morning for the first time and they were a huge hit. I'm pretty sure we just started a tradition for conference mornings.

Citrus Cream Cheese Pull Apart Rolls
1 package frozen roll dough — (25-ounce)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup butter or margarine — melted
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries — (such as Craisins)
OR 1/2 cup dried apricots — chopped
1 cup granulated sugar — divided
2/3 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese — (6 ounces) softened (I used the whole 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 large egg
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Thaw roll dough at room temperature 30 minutes. (It usually takes longer for them to be soft enough to cut.) Cut rolls in half. Place 24 halves, cut sides down, in bottom of each of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray. Brush butter evenly over rolls. Cover; let rise in a warm place (85º), free from drafts, 30 minutes. Sprinkle with dried cranberries. Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cream cheese, orange juice, and egg; beat at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Pour cream cheese mixture evenly over rolls. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and rinds. Sprinkle evenly over rolls. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size. (It usually takes longer to double in size.)

Preheat oven to 350º.Bake at 350º for 20 minutes. Cover with foil. Bake an additional 5 mintues or until rolls in center are done. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over rolls.

OVERNIGHT VARIATION: After pouring the cream cheese mixture over rolls, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 hours. Gently remove plastic wrap from rolls; sprinkle with rind mixture. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. (Depending on the temperature of your kitchen it may take longer to double in size.) Proceed with recipe as directed.

Caramel Apple DIp

I don't know about anyone else but for conference weekend we always like to stay put at home and eat snack-y foods all weekend. This is a great dip for such an occasion. You can also set out a bowl of sprinkles or mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the dipped apple slices...just in case you were wanting to amp up the sugar intake.

16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in caramel mixture. Serve immediately with apple slices.

*I can't remember for the life of me who I got this recipe from. If I stole it from anyone let me know and I will give you all the glory.

Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup

This soup is pretty fantastic. I wanted to make this for my parents the last time they visited but there was a canned pumpkin shortage so they had to break into their food storage and bring a can with them. They were glad they did!

Parmigiano Pumpkin Soup (American Lifestyle Magazine, October 2009)
3 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 large onion, cut into 1/8” dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (about 28 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin
1 quart chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup cream (at least 10% fat)
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley (flat-leaf)

Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp and frizzled. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, until aromatic. Stir in the pumpkin, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Transfer to a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 8 hours on low. Stir in the cream and Parmesan, and heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I haven't made this in a couple of years but I remember it being really tasty and it is from my sister who has the best recipes so I am giving it a go and making it again this week. Makes a huge batch so it would be good for a party, bring to someone or it is a good one to freeze if your feeling stingy and want to stock up on freezer meals like I usually do.

1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves minced
2 Tablespoons oil
2 lbs. chicken
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 10 oz can Ro-tel tomatoes w/ green chilies
4 cups chicken stock (broth is fine as well)
2 cups beef stock
1 can tomato soup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste
tobasco to taste

In large saucepan, cook onions and garlic in the oil until soft.
Add next 8 ingredients and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer for 50 mins.
Remove chicken and shred or cut up. Return chicken to pan.
Adjust seasonings and serve soup with condiments:
-shredded jack or cheddar cheese
-sour cream
-chopped green onions
-fresh cilantro
-tortilla chips or strips