Easy Cheesy Chicken with Wine Sauce

This is so easy and really, really good. Especially for using such simple ingredients. You can substitute whatever cheese you have on hand.

3 large boneless chicken breasts - filet into 6 pieces total

Lay chicken into buttered casserole dish and cover each piece with a slice of swiss cheese.

Mix and pour over chicken:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup white wine (or white cooking wine)

Mix one stick melted butter with 2 cups Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes (or whatever stuffing mix) and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F uncovered for one hour.

A Really Good Marinade - Citrus

For pork or beef:

Mix:
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup honey
2 T orange marmalade or apricot preserves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T salt
1 T dried garlic
1 t rosemary, dried
1 t thyme, dried
1 t sage, dried
1/2 t red pepper flakes
(optional, 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots)

Marinate meat overnight. Pour off extra marinade into saucepan. After meat is done, pour off juices into marinade and simmer until reduced and serve as a sauce for meat.

Thai Peanut Noodles with Shrimp or Chicken

This is a fantastic meal reminiscent of one of my favorite restaurant dishes, but made with everyday ingredients. Spice it up to your taste, use what protein you like! If you used freshly grated ginger root, it would put it over the top in my book, but I don't bother with that special ingredient, it is really yummy anyhow.

I like it because I can take out some chicken or shrimp and plain pasta for the Certain Little Boy before I add the spicy sauce. No need to make something special for him.

Serves 4.

1 lb cooked, peeled shrimp OR 1 lb chicken, cut into strips (about 2 breasts)
1 cup dressing (see below), divided
3 T peanut butter
1 T soy sauce
1 T honey
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t - 1 t red pepper flakes (use 1/2 t for mild/medium, 1 t for medium/hot)
1 T sesame oil
1 1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped green onions, divided
8 ounces cooked pasta, such as liguine
2/3 cup peanuts

Dressing:
1/3 cup cider vinegar
2/3 light olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/2 t garlic
1/4 pepper

OR just use bottled Italian dressing.

Marinate in refrigerator shrimp or chicken with HALF (1/2 cup) of the dressing. If using shrimp, don't marinate for more than 30 minutes.

Mix remaining dressing with peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, ginger, red pepper, and sesame oil until smooth.

If using chicken, first saute chicken and marinade until almost cooked through. If using shrimp, add at same time with carrot & half the green onions. Cook ~ 5 minutes until carrots are soft and shrimp is warmed through.

Toss in cooked pasta, peanut sauce and chicken/shrimp mixture. Sprinkle the peanuts and remaining green onions on top. This would be great served with bean sprouts.

Dump Cake

Another midwestern favorite which in my family was first made by my grandma.  It really more resembles a cobbler. YUM!

21 ounce can crushed pineapple, use juice too

21 ounce can cherry pie filling

1 box of dry yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter

Layer ingredients in order.  Cut butter evenly over top.  Bake in 350 degree F oven for about an hour.  Top will be nicely browned with the juices of the pineapple and cherries bubbling through.

That's it.  Enjoy it!

Recipe: EASY Cake Mix Cookies

1 box cake mix (any flavor)**
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix well all ingredients. Roll into tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Roll balls in sugar-in-the-raw (or regular sugar), if desired, and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool on sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.

**Lemon cookies shown.

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t freshly grated orange peel
3/4 cup chocolate chips (mini chips would work best)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Grease baking sheet.

In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small pieces then using pastry cutter or two knives, cut into flour mixture looks like crumbs (aka, the butter pieces are very small and well-distributed). Add chocolate chips--use hands to distribute into mixture.

In another bowl, lightly beat eggs, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla. Stir into above mixture as well as you can. Then flour your hands and really knead it all together until everything is well combined.

Pat the dough into an 8 inch diameter circle on your prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, wet the top with either an egg wash or just plain water and then sprinkle with granular sugar. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.


Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick near center comes out clean. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to wire rack. I recommend serving them slightly warm, maybe with a bit of devonshire cream or unsweetened whipped cream.

Recipe: Cherries on a Cloud - Meringue

6 egg whites (from large size eggs)
1/4 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
1 - 3/4 cup sugar (granular or superfine)

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and sugar in electric mixer until it forms stiff peaks (but don't overbeat).

(For tips on meringue, visit this website).

Form into 6 portions on a silpat-lined baking sheet (or buttered baking sheet). Using your spatula, make an indentation in the middle of each (like with mashed potatoes when you are going to add gravy). You can also make one large meringue if you desire, as pictured below.


Bake for one hour at 250 degrees F. DO NOT OPEN OVEN, just turn off the oven and leave in there for 12 hours.

The meringue will now be dry and crisp on the outside and the texture of marshmallow on the inside. Take out of oven and carefully remove to serving dishes. Just before serving, spoon one can of cherry pie filling evenly on top of each meringue.

If you are going to store the meringue, make sure they are in an airtight container.

This makes a very festive Valentine or anniversary dessert!

Recipe: My Mom's Scones

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
3 t baking powder
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
4 T butter
2 eggs, beaten (reserve 1 T of egg white for glazing)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 t sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, the 2 T sugar, and salt. With a fork or pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the eggs and cream to make a stiff dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly until dough sticks together. Divide into two parts. Roll each part out to make a circle about 6 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick. With a knife, cut each circle into quarters, making even wedges. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Brush tops of scones with the reserved egg white and sprinkle with the 2 t sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 8 scones.

Recipe: Salmon Patties

Salmon Patties

This recipe probably isn't for everyone, but I have always liked it. I guess it it sortof a poor man's salmon cake. And, yes, you really can eat the tiny, soft backbone of the salmon which are full of calcium. Quite honestly, no one would even notice it if you didn't tell them what it was.

1 14.75 oz can of red or pink salmon
12 saltine crackers
1 egg
Paprika
Lemon wedges
Butter

Crumble crackers into flaked salmon (remove any skin, but use liquid, bones, etc.) and bind together with egg. Shape into 8 patties. Sauté in butter until browned. It is important to cook with butter in this recipe or they won't turn out right. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Recipe: Thanksgiving Sage Dressing (Stuffing)

Thanksgiving Dressing

8 quarts bread, torn up (or cubed)
2-2/3 cups butter or margarine
2 cups onion, chopped
4 cups celery, chopped
3 T. sage
1 T. salt
1 t. pepper
2 eggs
Turkey stock, water or chicken stock

Melt butter/margarine in large pan. Put the onions and celery in it and sauté until soft. Sprinkle sage, salt and pepper over torn-up bread. Pour beaten egg over top. Add the vegetable mixture to it and stir. Add some stock or water until you achieve the correct consistency (should wet all the bread but not be saturated). Bake for about 2 hours in a 325-degree oven or until a brown crust forms on top.

Recipe: Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked pasta (either ziti or small rigatoni)
28 ounce jar pasta sauce, divided in half
1-3/4 cups (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided in half
1 egg
1/2 T dried parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t garlic, dry minced
1/4 t salt
1/8 t ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta according to box recipe. Do not overcook.

In large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, half of the pasta sauce (1 1/2 cups), half the mozzarella cheese (1 cup), egg, parsley, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir in hot, drained pasta.

Transfer pasta/cheese mixture into prepared 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. You may sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top, if desired. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for ~30 minutes or until you can hear it bubbling.

This can easily be made ahead and frozen. Just follow recipe, but do not bake. Then thaw overnight before baking.