Author: Aj Best

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Caramel Popcorn Recipe

Makes enough for a “one hour eating frenzy” for 8-10 people

Ingredients

  • 5 bags microwave popcorn, popped, buttered and salted
    (I use Popsecret “Extra Butter”)
  • 1 stick (8Tbs) butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup Karo light corn syrup
  • 1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsps Vanilla Extract

Directions

  1. Pop the Popcorn and distribute into several half full bowls
  2. Bring butter, sugar, salt, syrup and milk to a rolling boil for several minutes stirring constantly
  3. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tsps vanilla
  4. Immediately stir into popcorn
  5. Allow to cool before eating frenzy
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Fannie’s Chicken

Makes 4-5 servings.

Ingredients

  • Chicken (3-4 breasts)
  • 1/2 C – Flour
  • Salt/Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 C – Butter
  • 1 – Onion
  • 4 cloves – Garlic
  • 1 can – Cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 14oz can – Tomato Sauce
  • 1/2 C – Cooking Sherry or White Wine
  • 3-4 C – Rice (uncooked)

Directions

  • Cut each chicken breast into 4-5 pieces and dredge in a mixture of flour, salt and pepper. In a 2 quart pan fry chicken in a tablespoon of butter a few pieces at time until the outside layer is cooked but the inside is still raw (2-3 min each). Add more butter as needed, then set chicken aside.
  • Julian cut the onion and cook in the same pan on medium heat with the remaining butter. Cook until softened. Add garlic and cook till fragrant (1-2 min).
  • Add the soup, tomato sauce and wine to the pan and stir to combine. Then add the chicken back to the pan. Bring heat to low and allow ingredients to cook for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Stir occasionally. If you have an oven proof pan, you can put the mixture in the oven at 250F to slow cook it. You may break up the meat a little part way through cooking in order to help it cook through and become tender.
  • About 30 min prior to serving, cook the rice.
  • Serve a few pieces of meat over rice with the sauce and enjoy.
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Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 1 box regular boiled lasagna noodles. Cooked for about 10 min
  • 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
  • 4 cups mozzarella
  • Cheese sauce
    • 2 cups cottage cheese or Ricotta
    • 2 eggs
    • 1T Minced Garlic
    • 2t Italian seasoning
    • 1T Parmigiana
  • Spinach

Assembly

Layers

  • Noodles base
  • 1/2 the meat
  • 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1/3 mozzarella
  • Noodles
  • Layer of Spinach
  • All the cheese sauce
  • 1/3 Mozzarella
  • Noodles
  • 1/2 Meat
  • 1/2 Sauce
  • Remaining Mozzarella
  • Sprinkle top with oregano and parmigiana

Cooking

Bake 350 for 45 min. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving

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Chicken Paprikash

  • 1-2 lbs Chicken Breast
  • 1/2c Flour
  • Salt, Pepper
  • 2T Paprika
  • 1/2c Butter (to saute)
  • 2 Cans Chicken Broth
  • 1 Onion
  • 4T Sour Cream
  • Egg Noodles

Cut Chicken into 1/3 breast serving portions. Combine 1 tablespoon paprika, with flour, salt and pepper. Dust chicken with flour mixture. In an oven safe pot melt butter over the stove and add chicken to slightly brown but not cook all the way. Work in small batches to brown the chicken. Once all the chicken has been browned remove chicken from pot, add onion and saute till softened. Add chicken broth and remaining Paprika and stir to form a sauce. Re-add chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Move pot to 300F oven for 1 to 2 hours till chicken is tender. Can be kept warm for far longer. Prior to serving add the sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

A staple that makes an appearance whenever we have a large gathering. These au gratin style potatoes will feed a small army. (and sticks to your ribs too… so good)

Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients:

  • Filling
    • 1 – Medium Onion – Fine Shopped
    • 1 can – Cream of Celery or Cream of Chicken Soup
    • 32 oz – Frozen Cubed Hash Brown Potatoes
    • 2 Cups – Sour Cream
    • 2 Cups – Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
    • !/4 Cup – Melted Butter
    • Salt & Pepper to Taste
  • Topping
    • 2 Cups – Corn Flakes
    • 1/4 Cup – Melted Butter

Combine all filling ingredients and press into large glass pan. Then combine topping ingredients and spread a thin layer over the top of the casserole.

Bake covered at 350 for 90 minutes. Remove cover for final 20 minutes.

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Ginger Snaps

Makes about 48 cookies

  • 2/3c veg oil
  • 1 egg
  • 4T molasis
  • 1c Sugar
  • 1t ginger
  • 1t cinnamon
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/2t baking soda
  • 2c Flour

Combine ingredients then roll into 1″ balls. Roll the ball in granulated sugar to coat (do not press flat). Bake at 350. 8-10 minutes for a Chewy cookie or 12 minutes for Crunchier cookie with cracked tops.

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Gingerbread Men

Makes 48 small cookies

  • 1/2c shortening (Crisco)
  • 1/2c sugar
  • 1/2c molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2c flour
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/2t baking soda
  • 1/2t ginger
  • 1/2t ground cloves
  • 1/2t nutmeg
  • 1t baking powder
  • 1 1/2t cinnamon

Combine ingredients and rest dough 2 hours in refrigerator. Roll out dough to about 1/4″ thickness or less. Cut into desired shape using cookie cutters. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min

Drawing frosting

  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4t cream of tartar
  • powdered sugar (to desired thickness)

This frosting will harden once it dries. Use a piping bag to draw edges on your shape or as desired.

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Tortilla Cream Cheese Rollups

A great appetizer that goes a long way with a group of 10 people.

Ingredients

  • 2 Bricks of Cream Cheese
  • 2 Bunches of Green Onions Diced
  • 1 Small Can Chopped Ripe Black Olives
  • 1 Small Can Chopped Green Chiles
  • 1 package of medium size Flour Tortillas (10-12 pack)
  • 1 Jar of your favorite salsa
  • Toothpicks for serving

Directions

  • Mix softened cream cheese, green onion, olive, and chiles together till well blended.
  • Scoop a correct portion of the mix (based on how many tortillas. 1/10 of the mix) onto the center of a tortilla and spread evenly over the surface.
  • Roll Tortilla into a long cylinder and set aside. Repeat till all tortillas and mix are gone.
  • Refrigerate till about an hour before serving (about 24 hours max)
  • Slice tortillas across the cylinder to make small wheels about 0.75 inches thick.
  • Arrange on a tray and serve with salsa and toothpicks.
  • Enjoy. Leftovers will save for a few days.

 

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Sugar Cookies

Melt in your mouth sugar cookies. Substitute peppermint extract for an especially delicious cookie. I make these every Christmas and they are usually gone within a few days. You can add colored sprinkles to the sugar at the end of the process to give the cookies a festive look.  Makes about 48 cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup White Sugar
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 2 Sticks of Butter
  • 1 Cup Minus 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1 tsp Lemon, Vanilla or Peppermint Extract
  • 4 Cups Flour

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients except for flour in a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly. Slowly mix in flour until well combined.
  • Refrigerate mixture for at least 2 hours.
  • Create 1 inch balls of dough and arrange on a cookie sheet.
  • Using the flat bottom of a tumbler glass, dip the bottom of the glass first into sugar and then use it to smash down the dough balls till they are about 1.5 inches in diameter and about 1/2 inch tall. more or less. Repeat to flatten all the balls.
  • Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until outer edge of cookie is light golden brown.
  • Enjoy.
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Applewood Smoked Chicken Peanut Curry

unnamedThe recipe is being created on the fly. The concept, as defined by the title of this post, sounds pretty delicious to me. Most of the ingredients being used are pulled because they are currently available in my kitchen and could easily be substituted. This is a Saturday afternoon thing, with no rush to get it done and nothing to do but drink margaritas and do laundry. Best part is that it combines 2 cooking techniques that should never be rushed; Smoking and Curry…

Ingredients

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 3 Tbsp Flour
  • Curry Powder
  • 2 Cans Chicken Broth
  • 1 lb raw chicken strips
  • 1 medium onion. Coarsely chopped.
  • 1 bell pepper. Coarsely chopped
  • 1 small red apple. coarsely chopped
  • 1 large Carrot. Cut into bite size pieces.
  • 1/4 Cup Raisins
  • 4 servings of cooked white rice.

Direction

  • combine flour, 3 Tbsp curry power and butter and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes stir regularly
  • Add 1 can of Chicken Broth slowly whisking to mix completely
  • Add 3 Tbsp of Peanut Butter and whisk until peanut butter melts and combines with liquid. Then remove from heat
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.  About 1/2 tsp each
  • Spoon a small amount of sauce onto chicken. Just enough to coat the surface of the chicken.
  • Hot smoke chicken on a prepared smoker for a minimum of 1 hour. Chicken may be grilled instead if smoker is unavailable (cook chicken till slightly blackened).
  • Meanwhile add 1 can of chicken broth to sauce and bring to a simmer.
  • Add Onion, Apple, carrot and bell pepper to sauce and cook over low heat  for 20 minutes stirring ocassionally.
  • Shred Chicken and add to sauce. Note that chicken is most likely still not cooked all the way through and should therefore still be treated as raw chicken.
  • Add Raisins.
  • Return to Boil and then simmer for at least 15 more minutes
  • Serve over rice and Enjoy!