Favorite Recipes January 2012

[IndianaMom]

Here is a great French Bread recipe I found. It is really easy and delicious.

French Bread

1 1/4 cups 80* water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon cornmeal

Glaze:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

In a bread machine pan, place the first five ingredients in order listed. Select dough setting. When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10in x 8in rectangle. Roll up longways, and pinch seams to seal.
Sprinkle a greased french bread pan (or baking sheet) with cornmeal. Place loaves seam side down on prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes. Wisk egg and water and brush over the loaves. With a sharp knife make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

[IndianaMom]

Kristinemomof3 passed this recipe to me. I just made it tonight and it was really good, but it is a bit spicy. Really easy. I had everything on hand at home.


Braised Balsamic Chicken


6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme



Season chicken breasts with ground black pepper and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.


Pour tomatoes and balsamic vinegar over chicken, and season with basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Put over pasta or rice.

[mnm'z]

That Balsamic chicken sounds super! I wonder what makes it spicy though... I think I might try this one tonight.

[phil2853]

This isnt necessarily a family one , though ive made it into one . This is almost exactly like the carabas dish.

TOmato Cream sauce

■2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■2 Tablespoons Butter
■1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
■4 cloves Garlic, Minced
■2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce( you can use diced as well )
■ Salt And Pepper, to taste
■ Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■ Grated Parmesan ( i use from 1/2 - 1 cup )
■ Fresh Basil, Chopped






7 oz. tomato cream sauce
1/3 cup mushrooms, sauteed
10 to 12 pieces sun-dried tomatoes, sliced ( i put in extra , i looooove sundried tomatoes)
8 oz. grilled chicken breast, cut into 6 equal strips
2 1/2 cups cooked rigatoni pasta
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
TO SERVE:
1/4 cup grated ricotta salata (shredded to order)
Green onions, sliced, to taste

Place tomato cream sauce, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes in a 10-inch skillet and heat over a medium flame.

Heat rigatoni in clean, boiling, salted water until hot (about 30 seconds). Drain pasta and add to skillet along with chicken and toss to coat pasta with sauce.

[Stef]

Oh my gosh Phil that sounds sooooo good. I will have to try it!

[Bear]

Here is one of my favorites for a quick and easy dinner. I have made this dish with chicken, shrimp, or scallops and all are equally good.

Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta (with Chicken, Shrimp, or Scallops)

1 lb spaghetti
1 lb chicken, or shrimp, or scallops
Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 c pasta water
1/2 c evaporated milk
Grated rind and juice of one lemon
Fresh chopped parsley
Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste

Cook the pasta al denti according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, brown meat in a large (recommend 12 inch) skillet in olive oil. Add a little salt to the meat. Add the garlic the last few minutes of cooking as not to burn. Turn the skillet down to medium low heat. When the pasta is about done cooking, steal 1/2 c pasta water and deglaze the skillet. Drain the remaining pasta and add to meat in skillet. Add the evaporated milk and cook until sauce has thickened (a couple of minutes). Check for seasoning and add a little more salt if needed. Add the lemon rind, juice, parsley, and parmesan cheese and toss.

To make this a one pan dinner, you can stir in cooked frozen peas or broccoli.

Next time I make this I am going to make Indianamom's French Bread alongside. And thank to everyone for the recipes with tomatoes. I have a lot of free Muir Glen to use up.

[IndianaMom]

Really easy! Kale was $0.99 per bunch at Kroger today.

Baked Kale Chips

Clean kale and remove the tough center vein. Rip into 2-inch pieces. Place about 1/2 TBS of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper to a gallon sized ziploc bag. Add 1/2 the kale to the bag. Add another 1/2 TBS olive oila nd pinch of salt and pepper to the bag then the remaining kale. Toss to coat, then spread kale onto a jelly roll pan or 1 or 2 cookie sheets depending on the amount. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes, then toss and bake another 5 minutes (or 10 if needed). Enjoy!