Italian Chicken Dish

Ingredients:
Chicken thigh & breast cut into 1/4 pieces (about 20 pieces)
1 pound Sicilian green olives-crack them
3/4 full small bottle of Capers
1 pound Italian black olives
1 bulb of garlic peeled and squeezed
Fresh parsley
Oregano to taste
1 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup cut up onions

Directions:
Fry chicken in olive oil enough to brown surface.  Put in roasting pan.
Blanch celery, carrots, and onions.  Put into roasting pan.
Combine olive oil, wine vinegar, parsley, garlic and pour over chicken.  Must be enough at the bottom of pan to cook through the chicken.

Cook at 325 degrees for approximately 1/2 hour uncovered.  Mix every so often.  The longer the chicken is cooked, the crunchier it is.

Frostini

Photo Courtesy of: © Starbuck Liqueurs

I love smooth and creamy drinks in front of a warm fire on a cold winter night.  I can be pretty picky because I’m not a big drinker but this martini never disappoints.  It’s made with Starbucks’ Cream and Coffee Liqueurs and peppermint schnapps topped with some fresh mint.  Sometimes I even add just a little dark chocolate shavings for a little chocolate flavor with my mint.  It’s sooooooooo good!

Ingredients:

1 part Starbucks Cream Liqueur

1 part Starbucks Coffee Liqueur

1/4 part DeKuyper Peppermint Schnapps

fresh mint sprig for garnish

Preparation:

1.    Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.

2.    Shake well.

3.    Strain into a frozen cocktail glass.

4.    Garnish with a sprig of mint.

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Easy Holiday Cupcakes

Easy Holiday Cupcakes

Is there anyone reading this blog who doesn’t want the kitchen to smell like honey, cinnamon, cloves, and all the to-die-for scents everyone drools for during the holidays?   That’s basically how I ended up with this recipe last weekend: dreaming about all the things I wanted to smell and taste that I then decided to throw—devil-may-care—into a big mixing bowl.  What came out of the oven was a batch of about 18 decadent cupcakes that not even the meanest Grinch could turn aside.

For cupcakes (makes about 18 medium-sized cupcakes):

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground clove

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

¼ cup butter, room-temperature

1 cup honey

¾ cup lukewarm coffee

For icing:

8 oz cream cheese

½ stick (1/4 cup) butter, room temperature

½ cup powdered sugar

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 F and butter the cupcake pan or insert liners.

For the cupcakes, whisk the dry ingredients (except for sugar) in a big bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, butter, honey, and coffee.  Pour the contents of the second bowl into the first in increments and mix until there are no visible chunks.  Spoon into the cupcake pan or liners and bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let the cupcakes cool and remove from pan.

While the cupcakes are baking, use an electric beater so mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and spread onto cupcakes when cooled.  Add a final sprinkle of cinnamon for flair.

About the Author:

Amanda Tradwick is a grant researcher and writer for CollegeGrants.org. She has a Bachelor's degrees from the University of Delaware, and has recently finished research on grants for adults returning to college and pennsylvania education grants.

Gingerbread Cookies

What's better than baking when you're stuck inside in the winter? It's so much fun to put all the ingredients together then you get to smell the mouthwatering smells, finally you're rewarded for your hard work with a delicious treat!

Ingredients

• 6 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup shortening
• melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Instructions

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe

                  Serves: 6 servings

                  Prep Time: 20 minutes

                  Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash
• peeled and seeded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion
• chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• Salt

Instructions

Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Serve

Meatless Meatloaf

Sauce

-          1 small onion, finely chopped

-          1 tbs. oil

-          1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Sauté onion in oil until lightly browned. Add tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Boil 4-5 minutes. Set aside

Meatloaf

-          ½ c. cooked soybeans

-          ¾ c. black beans

-          ½ c. walnuts, ground

-          ½ tsp. salt

-          1 ½ c. onion, chopped

-          ½ c. ketchup

-          t/1 tsp. basil

-          1 tsp. oregano

-          ½ c. oatmeal

-          ½ c. seasoned bread crumbs

-          3 eggs

-          ¼ tsp. pepper

-          2 tbs. parsley, chopped

Preheat oven 350^o. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.

Mash soybeans and black beans with fork. Add oatmeal, nuts, and eggs. Mix well. Blend mixture with remaining ingredients. Place mixture in greased loaf pan. Top with sauce. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Cucumber Sandwich

The cucumber sandwich is of British origin.  There are many different variation of this sandwich but this is the traditional way taught to me by my English grandmother.

1.      Slice two pieces from a loaf of homemade white bread.  The slices should be so thin that you can see through the pores of the bread.

2.      Lightly butter each slice bread.  Make sure the butter is spread right to the edges of the bread.  This is done to prevent the bread from getting soggy.

3.      Either peel or score the cucumber.

4.      Slice the cucumber as thin as you can (paper thin if possible).

5.      Sprinkle lemon juice and salt onto the cucumber and place on the bread right before serving.

6.      Cut the crust off the bread.

7.      Cut the sandwich into four triangles

Remember these sandwiches were delicacies of the British upper class so they should be delicate and light. 

Do you have a favorite version of the cucumber sandwich? 

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Black Bean Burgers

I have a few friends who are vegetarians and I love to give my family vegetarian meals several times a week.  I find it so hard to find new recipes that provide enough protein AND taste good too.  This is a recipe that one of my friends gave me and it is delicious.  My father is a steak and potatoes kind of guy and even he loves these burgers!

Ingredients

3 can black bean, drained

1 can corn, drained

Chopped onions

Chopped carrots

3 sweet potatoes, steamed, chopped and cubed

Directions

1.       Preheat Panini-grill

2.       In large bowl, mash the black beans

3.       Add everything, mix well

4.       Form into patties (size is a personal preference)

5.       Let cook for 5 minutes on Panini (should spray with nonstick on top and bottom)

What are your favorite vegetarian recipes?

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Heart Cake

This is a quick and easy recipe to make with your kids.  It's always a hit at Valentine's Day parties too.

Step 1: Bake a square cake and a round cake

Step 2: Cut round cake in half

Step 3: Add each half to the square using frosting to attach to make a heart shape

Step 4: Frost with pink frosting

Step 5: Enjoy!

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