Almond Chicken

So this is another favorite at home. It's almost like fried chicken but better! I found this a while back looking for something different. I've been meaning to try it with pecans or even pistachios, but I haven't gotten to that just yet. The chicken does not get dried out, which is what I was worried about the first time.

Almond Chicken

Ingredients:

1 c unblanched almonds - ground
1-1/2 tsp Paprika
2 large eggs
4 chicken breasts
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter melted

Directions:
1. Mix almonds and paprika in a bowl.
2. Salt and pepper chicken. Dip Chicken in eggs (beaten) and then in Almond mixture.
3. Put chicken on a plate or cookie sheet and set in fridge for minimum 1 hour.
4. Heat up oilve oil and butter in frying pan. Toast chicken on both sides until medium brown and creates a crust.
5. If you have a wire rack or something like it. I use a grill flat basket for this. Put it on the cookie sheet to keep the chicken off the bottom of the pan to keep it out of drippings when cooking in the oven.
6. Bake at 350*F for about 30-45 mins, or until chicken is done cooking.

Merry Christmas!!

I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours, I hope its filled with friends, family and cheer!

And from my dog Khione (pictured above), I hope it's a relaxing and lazy day!

Honey Wheat Zucchini Muffins

I have all this zucchini from the summer that I shredded up and froze and have been wondering what to do with it... I found an answer when our Bagel group at work had a bake sale to rise money for a Adopted Family program in town to help with gifts and helping with bill paying. I had made a lot of cookies and sweets but there are people at work that usually like some healthier option so I figured give this a shot and see how it goes and I think it turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:
1 c Wheat flour
2/3 c Flour (white/bleached)
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/3 c zucchini (shredded)
1/2 c milk
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Honey
1 large egg

Topper:
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon


1. Mix Flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together.
2. Add in Zucchini, milk, vegetable oil, honey and egg and mix well.
3. Fill Muffin pans about 1/2 full to 3/4 full.
4. Sprinkle Cinnamon/Sugar mixture for topping on top of each.
5. Bake 400*F for about 15 mins

Makes about a dozen muffins.

Double Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes

How can you go wrong with cookies and cheesecake... especially if you combine them?!?! I thank Nestle Toll House for putting this recipe on display when chocolate chips were on sale. Here is another treat for your upcoming holiday gatherings.

First, you'll need to make some cookie dough. You'll end up with some extra cookie dough from this, so you just might have to make some cookies. See the cookie recipe at the end of this blog.

Double Chocolate Chip Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredients:
1-1/2 c chocolate chip cookie dough
2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp flour
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c chocolate chips

1. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Place 1 Tbsp of cookie dough in each.
2. Bake the cookie above at 325*F for about 10 mins (or until cookie has spread to edge of the cup)
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in large mixer bowl.
4. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.
5. Stir in 1/2 c of chocolate chips into batter.
6. Fill the rest of the paper liner with cookie in bottom 3/4 of the cup.
7. Bake at 325*F for 13-15 mins
8. Remove from pan and let cool on cooling rack and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
9. Melt the 1/4 c remaining chocolate chips in a baggie. Start with 30 seconds then continue 10 sec intervals until melted.
10. Drizzle chocolate over top of mini cheese cakes before serving.


Nestle Toll House Cookie Dough (if you didn't know its on the chocolate chip bag)
2-1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 c choclate chips

1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
2. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and valilla in a large mixer bowl until creamy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.

If you have to bake extra cookies - 375*F for about 8-10 mins

Oreo balls... to die for!

With Christmas and Holiday Parties upon us this season, despite no snow in Nebraska and it doesn't feel like Christmas outside, I submit to you this easy quick and special treat! 

If I have a choice of cookies to eat Oreos are not my first choice... They just seem too sweet... but my first year here in Nebraska I was introduced to Oreo balls at a jewelry party... I've made them a few time since then and they are always gone before you know it! So easy and NO baking involved!

Oreo Balls


Ingredients:
1 - 15.5 oz package of Oreos
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese
Colored sugar or white sugar

Directions:
1. Crush Oreos


2. Mix in cream cheese


3. Form into about teaspoon size balls.

4. Roll in colored (or white) sugar

5. Chill and serve! ENOY!

I have done this with and without a food process... if you have a food processor i say use it! If not it will still work and still be good.

Quiche....first time for everything

To continue on with this week of Holiday specials,  today the idea was breakfast and I took a shot over this weekend to try out some quiche! Easy and quick, always my favorite type of recipes, along with ones you can customize to your taste. So to celebrate the Christmas season, and those gathering before us, enjoy these ideas for gatherings and even Christmas morning, or any other morning! 

I've never made a quiche before, but I knew I had a pie crust still from Thanksgiving. So what sounded good on a chilly Saturday Morning... making a quiche. I've never done it before, so there's a first time for anything.

For the pie crust, go back to my post from a few days ago and follow it through the entire baking.

So I decided to look up what type of recipes I could find. And if anyone knows me, I always tweek it so this is what i came up with and it turned out pretty good!

Tomato Sausage Quiche

Ingridents:
1/2 lb meat - I used pork sausage and cooked it with garlic, salt and pepper.
1/2 c diced tomatoes - I used cans because I didn't have fresh.
1/4 c onions diced
5 large eggs
1/4 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheese
Baked pie crust

1. Beat eggs and mix in milk, tomatoes, onions, meat and cheese.
2. Pour into pie crust, make sure to get the meat evenly distributed.

3. Bake at 350* F for about 40 - 45 mins.

 ENJOY!

Let me know what kind of ingredients you use.

Just make sure you don't over do how much you put in the mix and you drain items as well, so you reduce too much moisture.

Easy as Pie... Pie Crust

So for this week, and since I'm back to blogging... I've decided to make a special week of Holiday treats! With the holidays upon us,  you probably have a gathering or 2 you'll be attending, why not take something different. Today's pie crust is inspired for Christmas dinner desert! 

So it was just before Thanksgiving and it had been a while since making a pie, at least 4 years so I didn't remember what pie crush I used before, so I as in search of a new one. This one I found on Pinterest and it is easy and makes 4 crusts that can be refridgerated and frozen... PERFECT! Especially since I only planed on making 2 pies.

So on to the easy pie crust!

Ingredients:
4 cups Flour
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Salt
1-3/4 c Vegetable shorting (I used butterd crisco sticks)

1 Tbsp vinegar
1 egg
1/2 c water


Directions:
1. Mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shorting with a fork or pastry blender. If you have a food processor you can use it as well by just pulsing it, I did it by hand with a pastry blender.

2. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar, water and egg. Add to flour mixture stiring in with a fork until moistened.









3. Divide into 4 even balls molded by hand.

4. These can now be wrapped in plastic or in a freezer bag.

To continue to the baking when you need a baked crust see below, otherwise use it with recipes that call for refrigerated pie dough. 





On to the BAKING!
1. Get the pie pan that you will use out and ready to go.
2. These are perfect for about a 9" to 10" pie pan without being too thin.
3. If you're pulling this out of the fridge let it come near room temp so it doesn't crack entirely when rolling out.

So roll out the dough with a rolling pin, or if you don't have a rolling pin a glass on its side I've used before. 


I found that squishing, yes a technical baking term, with my hands out to about the size I needed then using the rolling pin to get it thinner works best for me.

Make sure the pan you'll be using fits and have an over hand of about an inch to 1-1/2 inches.

You'll end up with something like this

 Pinch around the top to give it a fancy feel to it.

 If you are baking it first I recommend poking holes with a fork so it does not bubble up on you.

This crust can be baked "filled" with beans or pie weights or "blind" without any weight in it, which is why I was drawn to this recipe.


Bake at 375*F for about 10 mins. It will have a toasted look to it (as least in my oven at about 10 mins...


Now you have an awesome and easy pie crust to try.

Noodle Kugle

Now many of you are probably wondering "What is noodle kugle"… trust me I didn't make up the name.

So let's turn to google: Kugel (קוגל kugl, pronounced IPA: [ˈkʊɡl̩]) is a baked Ashkenazi Jewish pudding or casserole, similar to a pie, most commonly made from egg noodles (Lokshen kugel) or potatoes, though at times made of zucchini, apples, spinach, broccoli, cranberry, or sweet potato. It is usually served as a side dish on Shabbat and Yom Tov.

Growing up in Orange Schools in the Cleveland area in Ohio, it was a very high populated area by folks that are Jewish. It was a great place to experience so many new meals and traditions in their religion and the culture. I experienced many new dishes and I loved, but above all from a lady named Janet who was the cook for Kiwanis meetings in Pepper Pike…. it took a while and many requests but Janet gave my mom the recipe…. and now I love sharing it with so many people. Some people have a hard time with it being a sweet dish instead of savory, but I think its both. Just be open to something different and so good!

So bringing back the blog again, I give to you my most favorite dish ever….. Noodle Kugle.


Noodle Kugle

8 oz medium width egg noodle
6 Tbsp melted butter
1 pint (16 oz) Cottage Cheese (recommended small/medium curd)
4 eggs beaten
1/2 c apricot nectar
1/2 pint (8 oz) sour cream

Topping
2 c crushed corn flakes
6 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp melted butter

1. Boil noodles and drain.
2. Mix in a Large bowl cottage cheese, eggs, apricot nectar and sour cream.
3. When noodles are cooked mix into large bowl with above.
4. Put into a 9x13 casserole dish (or pan).



















5. Take about 4 cups of corn flakes out of the box and crush in a plastic bag. Easiest way I've found is with a rolling pin or a glass rolling on its side. This should roughly give you about the 2 cups crushed, give or take a bit.
5. In a separate small bowl mix the topping items. Distribute evenly across the top of the main mixture.


6. Bake at 350*F for 45-60 mins. In my oven roughly 50 mins or so is good. Make sure you look for that the mixture has become solid and not runny and the top is crispy but not burnt.

Best served hot. Reheats well.