Cinnamon French Toast (Kneaders) and Buttery Syrup!

This year I made a big Christmas Day breakfast for my family and it was SO good!!  Cinnamon French Toast with homemade buttery syrup, eggs, bacon, and orange juice.  I thought I'd post the recipe for the french toast and syrup.

Cinnamon French Toast (Kneaders)

Kneaders loaf of cinnamon bread (is comes drizzled with frosting on top)

3 eggs

3/4 cup milk

Beat eggs and milk together, dip both sides of sliced cinnamon  bread in the mixtures and then fry in a pan.  Pretty basic french toast, you just use the DELICIOUS Kneaders cinnamon bread instead.

Buttery Syrup

1 cube butter (no substitutions)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add sugar and dissolve.  Add buttermilk and vanilla, stir.  Add baking soda, it will foam up and double in size so make sure it doesn't boil over.

My family loved this!  We'll do it every year.

YOGURT - BROILED CHICKEN

3 stars and not my best picture.
It's good chicken, but not a ton of flavor.  I've never actually broiled chicken before so I was a little afraid. My son said it tasted like it kind of had a lemonish flavor, and I agree.  I might make it again.  Just something I tried because I had all the ingredients on hand and didn't want to go to the store.

YOGURT - BROILED CHICKEN

1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt 1 green onion, chopped 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed 1 tbsp. olive or salad oil 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 4 lg. skinless, boneless chicken breast-halves Oregano or parsley sprigs for garnish Directions: 1. In large bowl, with spoon, mix low-fat yogurt, green onion, dried oregano leaves, olive or salad oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add chicken. 2. Place chicken breasts on rack in broiling pan. Place pan in broiler at closest position to source of heat; broil breasts 4 minutes. Turn breasts; brush with any yogurt mixture remaining in bowl and broil 5-6 minutes longer until chicken breasts are fork-tender and lightly browned. 3. To serve, arrange chicken breasts on warm large platter. Garnish with oregano or parsley sprigs. Makes 4 servings. I left out the green onion and I only had red wine vinegar, so I strayed a bit from the recipe.  Turned out just fine. Here's the link: http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1825,139178-234205,00.html

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

I think we'll go 3 1/2 stars on this one.
The good thing is that it's pretty healthy.  Well, I used whole wheat pasta so that made it a little more healthy.  And, I have to say that I don't think anyone noticed that it was whole wheat!  Maybe I need to start using it more often.  The only sauce is freshly squeezed lemon juice,  I think I might put a little more of the red pepper flakes in next time.  I was afraid there wasn't going to be enough flavor, but there is a lot of flavor.  If you don't like lemon, you won't like this.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into fingers
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, until al dente. Drain well.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large grill pan over medium high and add chicken. Grill until golden and completely cooked. Remove to a plate and slice.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a saute pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant. Add the cooked pasta and turn heat off. Mix all together.

Remove pasta to a large bowl. Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in chopped parsley. Add the juice of 2 lemons and mix. Before serving top with Parmesan 

Here's a link to where I found this one:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/down-home-with-the-neelys/easy-lemon-pasta-with-chicken-recipe/index.html

Cafe Rio Burritos

Yum!  Probably about 5 stars on this one.
My family doesn't do salad so we did the chicken burritos.  I didn't have all the fancy things that Cafe Rio puts on them, and I'm wishing I had done a better black bean recipe (meaning more than straight from the can), but it was really good.  We did tortillas, chicken, cilantro lime rice, black beans, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Cafe Rio Chicken

1 (8 ounce) bottle kraft zesty Italian dressing (the small bottle at our store was a 16 oz)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Juice from 1 lime

Directions:

1. Mix dressing, chili powder, cumin, and garlic in a bowl.
2. Place chicken in crock pot and pour dressing mixture over the chicken, turning chicken to coat all sides.
3. Cook in crock pot for 5 hours on low.
4. Shred meat and add lime juice
5. Cook 1 additional hour.

Link: http://www.food.com/recipe/cafe-rio-chicken-222868#ixzz1g0kSgwUj

The shredded chicken, ready to go.
Actually, some one already had some to go when this was taken.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (I used the whole lime, but I like lime)
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken bouillon and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Link: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2008/09/cafe-rio-cilantro-lime-rice-and-black.html

Yummy lime flavor!  If you want rice on the side as well as in the burrito, I'd suggest doubling the recipe.  There really wasn't a lot left over.  Although, I think my 13 yr old made a rice burrito after his chicken and rice burrito.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

See the picture on "Lemon Chicken"
These were really good!  Crisp and tasty.  I'll definitely make them again.  Some recipes say to cook for 30-45 mins, but I think the hour was needed to get the crispness.  Don't forget to stir them with the spatula every 20 mins while roasting so they don't stick and all sides are even.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mixture)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Dump the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for at least 1 hour, or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, season to taste, and serve.

Link to the recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/rosemary-roasted-potatoes-recipe/index.html

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins

4-5 servings (for us)

Lemon Chicken

This picture goes with the Lemon Chicken AND the Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes.
There was homemade bread too, but I didn't have it on the plate.
We give both of these dishes 4 stars!  Actually my 13 yr old gives the chicken a 5.
My husband liked the flavor of the chicken but said it was a little too dry - um, that could have had something to do with the fact that I'm terrified of under-cooked chicken and I tend to cook it a little (or a lot) longer than the recipe says.

The chicken had a lot more flavor than I expected, well I used a lot more lemon juice than the recipe called for so that could have contributed.  The potatoes were nice and crispy  I did stir them with a spatula every 20 min during the hour cooking time.  That helped to keep them from sticking to the pan and helped them become crispy on all sides.

Lemon Chicken
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 large lemon = 1/3 cup, I used 2 lemons)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2-4 lbs. of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks (I used boneless, skinless breasts)
2-3 tbsp. melted butter
Thinly sliced lemons, for garnished

Directions:
Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a large zipper-lock plastic bag. Seal the bag and shake well to blend. Place the chicken pieces in the bag with the marinade, pressing out excess air and sealing once more. Refrigerate and let marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and transfer to a baking dish, skin-side up, reserving the leftover marinade. Brush the top of each piece of chicken with melted butter.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy and well-browned. Halfway through baking, pour the remaining marinade over the chicken pieces in the baking dish. Once fully baked, cover loosely with foil and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Printed from Annie's Eats

Link to Annie's Eats:

http://annies-eats.net/2010/04/15/lemon-chicken/

White Chicken Enchiladas

This gets 2 1/2 -  3 stars.
I found the recipe on Pinterest and people commented about how good they were so I tried them.
They were good, but missing something.  They needed a little more kick.  There are green chilies, but that just isn't enough in this.  I think we'll go back to the red sauce enchiladas next time.  Or maybe I can think of something that I could add to the inside of the enchilada in this recipe to make it better.  They're good if you are looking for a mild version of chicken enchiladas though.  

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce

10 soft taco shells

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used a little more-almost 3 cups)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan

2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.

3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.

5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

And the link to the original:
http://joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/white-chicken-enchiladas.html

Chunky Vegetable (beef) Soup

It's a 4 star soup for our family.  Even my 4 yr old ate almost the whole bowl!
I like this version of vegetable beef soup.  I also like using fresh herbs
I noted at the bottom the things that I did differently than the site I found the recipe on.

chunky vegetable soup

recipe adapted from Donna Hay

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

2 stalks of celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 x cans of chopped tomatoes (14oz)

1 1/2 litres of water or stock

1 cup of pasta (your choice) - I did 1 1/2 cups of rigatoni

In a large sauce pan over medium heat add the oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper and cook until just soft. Add the tomatoes and water and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pasta and cook for another 8-10 min. Serves 4-6.

I made this a little differently.  My husband likes meat in his soup, so I bought some stew beef (already cut into cubes), I cooked it in the olive oil until brown before adding the veggies.  I added 1 more tbsp of olive oil when I put the vegetables in with the beef.  I also added 3 tsp of beef bouillon to the water to give it a little more flavor.

Here's a link to the original site:

http://butterflyfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/beat-cold.html

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken

I give this 4 stars for my family, maybe even 5.
Not because of the wonderful  flavor, but because everyone likes it and will eat it!
The chicken really is so tender.  Next time I'll have to find something else to
serve with it to liven up that plate.  Pretty dull looking that's for sure.

Ingredients

Chicken Breast (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the cream of chicken, broth, and salt & pepper in the crock pot. Add chicken breasts (I cut mine into small pieces usually, but they could go in whole) and cover with the sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs or high for 4 hrs.

This chicken turns out so moist and just falls apart. I use the left over soup/broth mix as a gravy and serve it over either mashed potatoes or rice.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

I'll give it 4 stars!
Very easy to make, only a few ingredients, everyone loved it.
We had it with grilled cheese sandwiches and we finished it off.
I made a half batch and that was perfect with the sandwiches.

Todd Gardiner
Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill

Makes 4 servings
About 30 mins.

Ingredients

• 1 T Butter
• 1 oz Garlic minced
• ½ oz. Fresh Basil
• 8 C crushed tomatoes (high quality canned)
• 1C Heavy Cream
• Kosher Salt and White Pepper to taste

In 4qt soup pot sauté garlic in butter for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, do not burn garlic. Add basil and cook an additional 2-3 minutes stirring constantly, do not scorch the basil. Carefully add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes then add Cream and seasonings. Allow to cool slightly then puree using blender (I used my hand blender), adjust seasoning to taste and serve with fresh basil and sour cream.

Link to original post:
http://www.fox13now.com/recipes/kstu-recipe-creamy-tomato-basil-soup-20111121,0,3386150.story

Chicken Chili

This Chili is probably a 3 1/2 star chili.  Pretty good.  I don't know that I would really think of it as a "chili" though.
It's got a lime flavor and I think I might do more jalapeno next time.  My 13 yr old had 2 full bowls so he liked it, actually my husband liked it too.  It works for me since it's chicken breast instead of hamburger :)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins, washed and cubed
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice
• 2 cans Great Northern beans (16 oz) drained and rinsed well
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed, or fresh
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot, add onion and garlic; saute until onion begins to brown, Add cubed chicken and brown on all sides; add chopped jalapeno, coriander, cumin, crushed tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes; add juice of one lime and stir in the corn kernels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook chicken chili, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer; serve with sour cream, chopped red onion and chopped cilantro.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins

Here's a link to the site I found the recipe on:
http://southernfood.about.com/od/chickenstews/r/bl30223x.htm

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

This really was good.  I'll definitely make it again.  I love Mexican food!  This makes it's own enchilada sauce and everything!  My family liked it too.  I think I'll give it 4 stars.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
adapted from Tide and Thyme, orginally from America's Test Kitchen

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine
  
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medim cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 large beefsteak tomato, seeded and chopped
  
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts)
• 1 cup extra sharp white cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part reaches 160 degrees), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the onions to a large bowl and set aside. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onin mixture, and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Here's the link to the site I got it from:

http://www.pink-parsley.com/2009/08/chicken-enchiladas.html

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

4 Stars
This soup surprised me.  It was better than I expected.  My husband and kids liked it too.  Well, I can't say my 4 yr old liked it, but I think he ate it.  You can probably see that I love a good crock pot meal.  It was easy and really yummy.  I'll definitely make this one again.

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper 
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce 
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese 
2 chicken breasts

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips. Note: if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it’s all cooked.

Again, these are NOT my recipes.  This blog is only for me to keep track of recipes I have made and whether or not my family liked them enough to make again.  Here is the link to the original site:

http://realmomkitchen.com/463/chicken-enchilada-soup-and-my-top-10-soup-recipes/

Honey Sauced Chicken

Honey Sauced Chicken

3 1/2 stars
I made this in my crock pot.  I thought it was good, sweet and spicy.  I made broccoli on the side.  It just felt like it needed a vegetable.  The only problem is that that my 4 yr old thought it was too spicy to eat.  It really is too hot/spicy for kids.  Maybe if I didn't put in the full amount of red pepper flakes it would be OK.  It's pretty rich and  sweet though with all the honey.  I had to double the recipe to feed our family of 4 and have enough left overs for lunch tomorrow.

3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)

1/8 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Serves 2.

Recipe from: Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection

And here's the link to the site where I found this recipe:

http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/honey-sauced-chicken.html

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

OK, I'm starting this blog off with the BEST recipe I've ever found online!!  I'm serious.  This soup is SO GOOD!  It's from the Rachael Ray website, but I found it on Pinterest.  Now this is a little spicy for the little ones, but maybe you could just limit the chipotle peppers you put in?? Here's the link:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/mucho-gusto-latin-recipes/mexican-chicken-lime-soup



Mexican Chicken Lime Soup - 5 STARS!



And here are the instructions:

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• Salt and pepper
• 1 hass avocado, thinly sliced lengthwise into 12 pieces
• Crushed tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, lower the heat to medium and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Increase the heat to high, push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chipotles and adobo sauce, then stir in the chicken broth. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice; season with salt and pepper.
2. Place 2 avocado slices in each of 6 soup bowls and pour in the soup. Top with the tortilla chips.

6 Servings

Prep 15 min

Cook 30 min

My new cooking blog!

This is a new blog and I'm really excited to start it.  I hope I can keep it going.  I've found a ton of great recipes on Pinterest and a few recipe sites.  I try them and then forget which ones I've made and if my family liked it.  I'm going to attempt to keep track of the things I make and then share them.  However, my main purpose for creating this blog is for myself.  I've got to have a way to keep track.  A common question at dinner time is "have we had this before?" and the answer is usually "no".  There are just too many good recipes out there. I almost want to take a cooking class, but who has the money or time for that??  I've learned that I actually really like to cook!  That's a new discovery and hopefully a welcome one.