Pages

Monday, January 30, 2012

Crock Pot Sesame Chicken

Lately, I've been addicted to Pinterest.  In addition to planning my imaginary wedding, and furnishing my imaginary house, I've been collecting recipe ideas.  Tonight, I made honey sesame chicken in the crock pot.

I found the recipe on pinterest. It was originally from this blog.  Instead of ketchup, I used an orange ginger marinade that I found in the international foods section of Stop and Shop.

sixsistersstuff.com

It came out really well!  I used to only make soups in the crock pot.  This recipe inspired me to do more with it!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Another Variation on Roasted Asparagus

A few weeks back, I posted about my favorite cooking method for Asparagus.  I like to oven roast it.  Tonight,  I thought I'd try it with some different flavor enhancements.  Instead of olive oil, I used a lemon orange cooking oil.  For the spices, I used a Dean and Jacob's grinder.  I have quite a few of them in my spice cabinet.  The Royal Thai flavor is excellent!  Beyond that, the cooking method is the same.


Sunday, January 22, 2012

Pampered Chef's Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

In December 2010, I went to a Pampered Chef party.  The Pampered Chef consultant used some PC products to make this dish.  I didn't purchase the items, I have edited the recipe slightly to use kitchen items that I already owned.

This is the picture that I used on the Roasted Asparagus post.
I promised I'd get to this  recipe eventually!
That's the Pasta Toss in the background.




1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tbsp. Lemon Pepper
3 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth (about 6 cups)
1/2 medium onion
12 oz. uncooked angel hair pasta
1 lemon
2 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts (drained)
1/4 cup capers (rinsed)
chopped fresh parsley and grated fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Cut chicken into 1 in. pieces.  Combine with 1 tbsp. oil and the rub.  Heat the remaining oil on the stove for 1-3 minutes and add the chicken mixture.  Cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Boil broth.  (The recipe says to use the Pampered Chef Micro-Cooker.  I just use the stove.) Chop onion and add to skillet. Cook until fragrant.

(Also, I have to break hear to ask some advice from my readers.  Is there a way to cook onions without tearing up?  I hate when I'm cooking and end up looking, well, like this:)

fanpop.com
(and yes, the 17 year old inside of me still carries a torch for James Van Der Beek)


ok, on with the recipe.

Carefully add broth and pasta to skillet.  Cook uncovered for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Zest lemon to measure 1 tbsp.  Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp.  Add zest, juice and cream cheese to skillet.  Stir until fully incorporated.  Add chicken and artichokes  Cook 1-2 minutes or until fully heated.  Remove from heat and stir in capers.  Garnish with parsley and parmesan, if you wish.  Serve and enjoy!






Truffles!

I have a cousin who makes truffles by hand.  She also makes a fabulous Buche de Noel for Christmas every year.

For years, I have aspired to also make delicious truffles.  I've made Oreo Truffles, using crushed Oreos, cream cheese, and melted chocolate.

here they are, sharing a plate with the homemade kit-kats
Then, inspired by my friend Jen, over at Pretty Plate, I tried the cookie dough and cake batter truffle recipes that she posted.  I've made them for quite a few parties recently.  They're delicious.  I described them to my boss, who said that they sounded disgusting, but what he really meant was "disgustingly delicious!"


The white ones on the far left are white mint candy melts mixed with crushed mint mix-ins and poured into candy cups.  I bought those supplies on a whim when I was at A.C Moore buying candy melts for the truffles.  

The chocolate dipped ones are the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough truffles.  (When I ran out of chocolate, I dipped the remaining cookie dough balls in the leftover pink melts and rolled them in cocoa powder.

The pink ones are the cake batter truffles (which were rolled in rainbow sprinkles and Fruity Pebbles)

Thanks to Pinterest, I have also recently made Swirled Peppermint Bark and I want to try this Oreo Truffle recipe. It looks like it uses more Oreos and less cream cheese than the last recipe I tried, and is dipped in white chocolate instead of milk chocolate.  I put the peppermint bark in candy mixtures that I made for relatives this past Christmas.  I put them in these cute little boxes that I found in Target's dollar bin.  I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of those, though.


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Balsamic Butter Vegetables

This recipe was inspired by the bagged version of Balsamic Veggies from Trader Joe's.  My version didn't quite live up to the expectations that TJ's set, but I'll keep trying to perfect the flavor.  If anyone has any ideas (besides the obvious "just buy theirs") let me know!

traderjoes365.blogspot.com


1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies (or you could use fresh ones)
1 tbsp. butter
splash balsamic vinegar
spices (I like Tuscan Kitchen's Pasta & Veggies)



1. Melt the butter in a frying pan.
2. Add the veggies
3. sprinkle in the spices
4. add the vinegar
5. cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Bourbon Brownies

Several years ago we had a dessert exchange at my old job.  A group of about 20 or so of us each brought in a shareable amount of cookies, brownies or another dessert and we shared them.

One of my co-workers made these brownies.  She shared the recipe with us, and I made them for a family party.  They were a hit!

eveningedge.com

1 package brownie mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 tbsp bourbon (a nip should be fine if you don't have a bottle of bourbon on hand)
1 stick plus 4 tbsp. butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp. rum
6 oz. semisweet chocolate

1. Prepare brownies according to package directions
2. Bake for 20-25 minutes, and sprinkle bourbon uniformly over brownies.  Cool thoroughly
3. Combine 1/2 cup of softened butter with the powdered sugar and rum.  Once blended, spread evenly over the brownies and chill for 1 hour
4. Melt the remaining butter and chocolate and drizzle over the brownies. Chill for 1 more hour, and cut into 1 inch squares to serve.


Risotto

I love risotto.  I've made it on my own a couple times, and can't wait to try more recipes.

simplyrecipes.com
Rachael Ray's Butternut Squash Risotto

I also made this one recently, and it was excellent.

Muddy Buddies

Some people call these Muddy Buddies, some call them Puppy Chow.  This is the recipe found on the back of the Chex box.  It's a favorite in my family for parties.

9 cups of Chex cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Pour cereal into a large bowl. Set aside
2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter.  Microwave 1-2 minutes or until smooth.
3. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir to coat evenly.
4. Pour into a large, resealable bag with the sugar, seal and shake to coat the cereal.
5. Pour onto wax paper to cool.


Green Beans Almondine

16 oz green beans (I prefer the fresh ones as opposed to the canned)
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp lemon juice
dash salt

1. Cook green beans until tender
2. toast almonds in melted butter
3. stir in lemon juice and salt
4. add mixture to green beans and toss to combine

seriouseats.com

Wontons!

I love love love wonton wrappers.

Tonight, I made pepperoni pizza wontons.  To make these, wrap pepperoni and a chunk of mozzarella cheese (I cut up pieces of string cheese) in wonton wrappers.  I put each pepperoni packet in a greased muffin tin to try to help them keep their shape.










I also like to make peanut butter and chocolate packets.  I've never tried baking them, but they work pretty well in the frying pan as long as you keep an eye on them.

I love mozzarella sticks, but I always have a hard time keeping them intact when I make the breaded kind.  I found this great mozarella wonton recipe, and it works really well!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Tangy Dill Dip

1 small container plain Greek Yogurt
1 packet dill dip mix (or equal parts dried dill, onion powder and garlic powder)
dash hot sauce
dash champagne vinegar (I think any white vinegar will do.  I like the sparkling tang of the champagne vinegar)
assortment of spices (I used dried parsley, cayenne pepper, dried chives, cumin and dried mint)


Friday, January 13, 2012

Snacks for kids

When I was in high school and college, I worked as a camp counselor.   Here are a few kids's snack ideas that I came across during that time.   I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of these before posting, so images are credited where applicable.

Ants on a Log:
(this one was also popular when I was a camper myself)

1. Cut celery into 2 inch pieces
2. Spread each one with peanut butter or cream cheese
3. Place a few raisins or craisins in a row on each piece of celery.

slashfood.com


Dirt Cups:

1. Fill each cup with chocolate pudding
2. Top each one with crushed oreos
3. Place a few gummy worms in each cup, so it looks like the worms are crawling out of the cup.

lebanondemocrat.com

Some of the kids didn't like chocolate, so they liked to make "Sand Cups" or "Beach Cups"

1. Use vanilla pudding (or Blue Jello if you want it to look like water!)
2. Top the pudding with crushed vanilla cookies.  (You might choose to skip this step if you're using the blue jello, but it's all a matter of preference)
3. Top with Swedish Fish

kraftrecipes.com
Or you could try these other variations.

And just because I mentioned Jell-O here:

The Jell-O museum in LeRoy, NY
(I stopped here on the way to Niagara Falls this past fall.)





Thursday, January 12, 2012

Peach Kuchen

After going apple picking in the fall, I like to make apple crisp.  Many farms offer peach picking during the late summer months.

When I was a kid, my Aunt would always make Peach Kuchen after a trip to pick peaches at Smolak Farms.  Hers is a similar texture to coffee cake.  When I came home from Smolak's with my own bag of peaches, I decided to try to make a Kuchen as well.  Instead of using her recipe, I decided to try my hand at making my own kuchen.  I had just gotten a smartphone, and using the Big Oven app, I found a very different kuchen recipe.

1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups flour
2 egg yolks
1 tsp cinnamon
3 large peaches
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter

1. Work butter into flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tbsp. of the sugar until mealy
2. Press into an 8x8 greased pan.  Preheat oven to 400
3. Arrange peaches over crust, and top with cinnamon and the rest of the sugar
4. Bake for 15 minutes
5. Mix egg yolks and sour cream and pour the mixture over the peaches
6. Bake for another 30-35 minutes


I'm going to try to make this with apples one of these days.


Caramel Apple Crisp

Last fall, I went apple picking at Smolak Farms in North Andover, MA.  It was always the go-to place for fruit picking when I was a kid.  I came home with a big bag of apples, and wanted to do some baking.

I found an Apple Crisp recipe in a folder of uncategorized recipes on my cookbook shelf.  I started with that, and added my own flair as I went along.


4 Medium Apples, sliced
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour (I used gluten free flour, as I was bringing this dessert to a party with a friend with a gluten allergy.  I couldn't tell the difference between it and regular flour)
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
cinnamon
nutmeg
caramel syrup

1. Heat oven to 375, grease 8x8 pan with butter
2. Spread apple slices in a layer at the bottom of the pan
3. Mix the oats, flour and spices.  Sprinkle mixture over apples
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.  You should be able to stick the apples with a fork.
5. Drizzle caramel syrup on top

This tastes great served with vanilla ice cream!


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Cranberry and Pumpkin Muffin Stuffing

4 day old Muffins (2 Cranberry -- I always use Cranberry Orange Walnut, 2 Pumpkin) Cut into cubes
2 medium leeks, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 tbsp butter
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tsp poultry seasoning (I like Bell's)
1 cup chicken stock

1. Heat a skillet to melt the butter
2. Saute the leeks and celery
3. Add the muffin crumbles and toast them in the pan
4. Add the seasonings
5. Moisten with the chicken stock and reduce heat to low

I got this idea when I made Rachael Ray's Lemon Poppy Muffin Stuffing.  I just swapped out the lemon poppy muffins for the pumpkin and cranberry when I made it for thanksgiving.

Almost ready for Thanksgiving dinner!

Montalcino Chicken with Figs and Buttered Gnocchi with Nutmeg

This is another recipe that I got from Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals book.  The recipe notes say that you can substitute any red wine if you don't have any Montalcino.  Last time I made this, I used Montepulciano.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 lb. pancetta cut into sticks
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken cut into chunks.  (the recipe says to use thighs, but I prefer to use chicken breast)
salt and pepper
flour, for dredging
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
approx. 15 dried figs, quartered
approx. 1/3 bottle red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup parsley
zest of 1 lemon
4 sprigs thyme
1 12-16 oz pkg. gnocchi
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsp. chives

1. Boil water for the gnocchi.
2. Heat a skillet over med-high heat.  Add the olive oil and pancetta.
3. While the pancetta is browning in the pan, season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Dredge in the flour
4.  Remove the pancetta from the pan and add the chicken
5. Brown the chicken on each side, then push to the side of the pan.  Add the onions, garlic and figs.
6. Saute for 5 minutes, then mix in the chicken
7. Add the wine, then cook down for 5 minutes
8. Add the parsley, lemon zest, thyme and 1 cup of chicken stock
9. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes
10.  Add the gnocchi and salt to the boiling water.  Cook according to package directions
11. Heat another skillet to melt and brown the butter.
12. Add the gnocchi to the browned butter.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Turn to coat.  Add the chives and remove from heat
13. Adjust the seasonings on the chicken.  If you want more sauce, add another 1/2 cup of stock.  Serve the chicken and figs in a shallow bowl with the gnocchi.  Top with the browned pancetta sticks.




Guacamole

2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1 recipe Pico De Gallo
a few dashes hot sauce.  (My favorite is Cholula)

hotshotshotsauce.com


Mash the avocado and stir in the pico de gallo until well incorporated.  Add a few dashes of hot sauce and stir.

simplyrecipes.com



Pico de Gallo

When recipes call for garlic,  I almost always use Spice World's Minced Garlic because I'm too lazy to peel and chop fresh garlic.

hannaford.com
(Also, I'd like to point out that when I searched for a picture of this garlic, most of the results were Spice Girls-related.)

In this particular recipe (another one that I made up as I went along) I like to use the real thing.  It takes more time, but I think it tastes better in this recipe)

1 plum tomato
1/2 onion
1-2 sprigs cilantro
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 pinch salt

homesicktexan.blogspot.com



Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Amanda's Famous Crazy Mint Brownies

This all started several years ago when I saw a recipe in Cosmopolitan for brownies stuffed with Reese's cups. They were delicious, and I decided to try them with peppermint patties instead.  I loved the result, and took the chocolate mint flavor one step further by adding crushed Andes mints.

1 Box Brownie Mix
eggs
oil
1 bag mini peppermint patties
1 cup crushed Andes mints

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions.  Add the Andes mints and stir to combine.  Pour half of the mix into a greased baking pan.  Arrange the peppermint patties evenly over the top, and pour the remaining layer of brownie mix over them.  Add about 10 minutes to the suggested baking time.

At one of my old jobs, my co-workers used to request these for office gatherings.  I've also made them for family parties, and once even entered them into a baking contest.  (The Home Sweet Home Baking Competition)  Several food bloggers were there to judge, and you can read  Jen's (of Tiny Urban Kitchen) thoughts here.  She took several pictures, of the desserts.   Here's her picture of my brownies.

This is not a picture of the mint brownies, but it is a picture
of a different batch of brownies that I made.



Cocoa-Chili rubbed Steak

Begin by grilling your steak to your liking.

While the steak is on the grill, make your rub.  Combine equal parts cocoa powder and chili powder.  (I've seen a bottled version of the cocoa chili mixture in Stop and Shop, but I still make my own since I always have cocoa and chili powder on hand.

When the steak is done, dredge each piece in the rub, and you're good to go!

This one is pretty simple, but it's one of my favorites, so I wanted to share it.


I recently did some googling to find more steak rub ideas.  While I was looking, I discovered a recipe that suggested using this rub for pork as well.  That's something to try too!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Tomato Cucumber Salad

When I was in college, I used to watch Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals all the time.  I have a few of her cookbooks, and this Tomato Cucumber Salad is one of my favorite summer side dishes.  I know it's January, but it's my blog, and I'll post a summer recipe if I want to!  (also-- no one says that you can't have this all year round anyway!)  This one is from Rachael's Express Lane Meals book.

Ingredients:

1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 English cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, then thinly sliced into half moons
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

1. In a shallow bowl, combine shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper
2. In a steady stream, whisk in the olive oil
3. add the grape tomatoes.  Mash some of them with a fork so the juices become part of the dressing
4. add cucumbers and toss to combine

For a variation, you may want to try this Indian version.  I had lunch at an Indian buffet today, and one of the employees was sitting by the bar, making these fresh to order.

The tomatoes and cucumbers were cut into cubes.  He tossed them with cilantro, onion chutneyraitatamarind sauce and mint chutney.  He topped the mixture with what looked like pieces of papadums, followed by more raita, and a swirl of tamarind sauce.  It was very refreshing, and a nice addition to my lunch.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Roasted Asparagus

When cooking vegetables, I prefer to cook them in the oven, rather than boil them.  I don't know why, but they just taste better that way.

Rinse the asparagus, and snap off the ends.
Place them on a single layer on a baking pan, and pour some olive oil over them
season with a grinder seasoning blend  (I like Trader Joe's Everyday Seasoning)

Cook in the oven preheated to 450 for about 10 minutes, or until the ends are crispy. (I like to add some fresh lime juice at this stage)

Voila!  A tasty (and veggie-ful!) side dish.  (That's creamy chicken piccata pasta toss in the background.  I'll post about that soon)


Paula Deen's Homemade Kit-Kats

This is one of my favorite desserts to bring to parties.  I first heard about it via my friend's facebook, then found the recipe on seriouseats.com.

You Will Need:

75 Club Crackers
2 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Line 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan with one layer of Club crackers (you may need to break some to fit)

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add graham cracker crumbs, sugars and milk.  Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove pan from heat.  Pour half of the mixture over the crackers, smooth surface with a spatula.

3. Arrange another layer of club crackers over butter mixture.  Pour remaining butter mixture over surface.  Smooth with a spatula.  Arrange a 3rd layer of crackers over the top.

4. Combine peanut butter, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a small saucepan.  Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Spread evenly over crackers.

5.  Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Cut into 2-inch bars to serve.  Bars will keep for 2 weeks stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.








BLT Mac and Cheese

5 cups water
1 lb uncooked macaroni
8 slices bacon
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 cup half and half
7 oz. shredded cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 med. leek
2 lg. plum tomatoes
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350

cook pasta according to package directions and set aside.
cut up bacon and cook in skillet, transfer to towel lined plate.  Set bacon drippings and skillet aside
cut and rinse leek, saute with bacon drippings
cut tomatoes in half lengthwise.  Remove cores and scrape out seeds.  Dice and place in large bowl.
In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp. butter.  Once it's completely melted, add 1 tbsp. flour and stir to make a roux.  Allow the roux to come to a boil for a minute, then slowly stir in the half and half.  Simmer.  Once it thickens to cover the back of the spoon, remove from heat.  Stir in cheese until melted. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and other ingredients.  Stir to combine and transfer to casserole dish.

Combine panko breadcrumbs and olive oil. Sprinkle on top of pasta for a crunchy topping.  Bake for 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.

I found this recipe on: http://joelens.blogspot.com/2009/08/blt-mac-cheese.html on 10/16/11, and it was delicious!

Crock Pot Beef Stew

I got this one from cooks.com, but modified it slightly.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat
5 lg. potatoes, chopped
1 med. carrot, chopped
3 lg. ribs celery, chopped
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup quick cooking tapioca  (I bought "small pearl" instead of "quick cooking" and it worked out just fine)
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. pepper
1 box Kitchen Basics beef broth (I accidentally left this out last time, and it worked fine, as the meat made its own stock)

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-9 hours

Martha Stewart's Moroccan-Spiced Chicken

I love any excuse to raid the spice cabinet and add them to my cooking.  When I found this recipe, I was thrilled!

Ingredients:
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
Chicken (her recipe said to use a whole (4 lb.) chicken, but I prefer boneless, so I used a regular package of boneless chicken breast)
1 lemon, quartered

1. Place a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheat to 450. Mix spices, salt, pepper and oil.  Rub spice paste all over chicken.
2. Arrange chicken and lemon wedges on pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.

Serve chicken with lemon wedges.

Baked Mexican Dip

You Will Need:

8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
approximately 1/2 jar salsa
a few handfuls of shredded mexican blend cheese
8 x8 baking pan (I love the one-time use ones with lids, found in the baking section of most grocery stores)

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spread cream cheese to cover the bottom of the pan
3. pour salsa over the cream cheese
4. cover salsa layer with shredded cheese
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted
6. Serve with tortilla chips (or any other dipper of your choice) and enjoy!


Caitlyn's Awesome Butternut Squash Soup

Here's another soup recipe.  I can't take the credit for this one, as it's adapted from a recipe that I got from my friend Caitlyn.  I served this for Thanksgiving last year, in place of the usual mashed squash.

Here's what you'll need:

1 butternut squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes, no skin
water
butter (I used butter, but Caitlyn's recipe called for vegan margarine.  Use whichever you prefer)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
lots of spices
salt

1. Saute garlic and onions in a generous amount of butter
2. add more butter or water as needed until the base of the soup is brown
3. measure out the cut up squash and add the same volume of water to boil.  Add both to the sauteed onions and garlic
4. When you can stick the squash with a fork (like making mashed potatoes from scratch), blend your soup until smooth.  Immersion blenders work great!
5. add your spices!  Suggestions: cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, coriander, chili powder)
6. You can also add a tiny bit of cream, but since this soup is naturally very creamy, you may choose to leave it out)

Substituions/addtions/suggestions: pumpkin, apples, potatoes


Crock Pot Chicken Soup

1 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces (I liked the "stir fry pieces" purchased at my local stop and shop)
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine (any white wine will do.  If you don't want to use up your regular wine, cooking wine is great.  I used Holland House white cooking wine with lemon, because I wanted extra lemon flavor)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions and peppers
1/2 cup rice
a few shakes each of ground ginger, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and lemon pepper

Cook in the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours

Feel free to play around with different veggies and spices.  The ones listed above worked well for me, but experimenting with different flavors is fun.


Panko Crusted Chicken Tenders with Homemade Honey Mustard Sauce

(please note that I didn’t measure anything.  I made up the recipe as I went along.)
chicken
egg
flour
panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
any spices you want (I used cumin, cayenne pepper and turmeric)
honey
mustard
chives (I used the dried kind in a jar, but I bet fresh would work just as well, if not better!)
beaten egg
1. Cut up pieces of chicken, and coat with egg.
2. dredge each piece in flour (mixed with salt and pepper)
3. coat with egg and flour again
4. dip in egg a 3rd time
5. dip in panko (mixed with spices)
6. bake at 450 until golden brown.  20 minutes worked for me, but if you want the outside to be browner, adjust time to your liking
7. while chicken is baking, make your sauce.   Mix equal parts yellow mustard and honey, add a sprinkling of chives
8. Serve and enjoy!




image: cooks.com