Mediterranean Chicken with Eggplant

I made this and received a 10 from David. He said what would have made it better was if there was more! I need to get it down before I forget. Once again, I got a partial recipe from allrecipes.com and then added my own flare.

2 medium sized eggplants (I used one and it was enough, but it would have been better if there was more), peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/2 in. slices (I didn't peel it, whoops)
2-6 skinless/boneless chicken breasts, diced (I used two and it was just fine)
1/2 large red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tbsp. olive oil
4-5 slices provolone cheese
3/4 c. bread crumbs (optional)
salt
pepper
garlic salt (optional)
basil
any other spices you like

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Peel and slice eggplant length wise. Lay out eggplant and over both sides in a generous amount of salt. Allow to sweat for 20-30 minutes. Rinse off completely. Brush with olive oil (set aside remaining oil) and grill or saute until lightly brown. Set on paper towels to allow excess oil to drip. Place in 9 x 13' pan and set aside.

3. Saute chicken, onion, garlic, and pepper over medium heat. Season with salt, pepper, basil, and any other spices. Thoroughly cook chicken. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and bring to simmer. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

4. Pour chicken/tomato mixture over eggplant in pan. Spread evenly. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Drizzle remaining oil over bread crumbs. Top with provolone cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I made these for Christmas plates last year and they were a big hit. I loved them. Anything with Strawberry Jam is right up there with the best in my book. The only problem with these was that there wasn't enough! You may want to double stuff up. I always make changes after I make them, but I haven't made these in a while. I will change it if I do. These are from Taste of Home.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. strawberry preserves
1/2 c. flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add butter and vanilla; stir until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly into an ungreased 13-in.x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Spread preserves over crust. Combine coconut and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over preserves. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned. Cool.

Delicious Spinach Salad

This is not Popeye's spinach salad. It is fabulous with a capital Fab. I got this recipe from my cousin Teresa. It is wonderful. I am probably plagiarizing from her website, but I changed a few things so it isn't totally stealing, is it?

Jill's Spinach Salad

Salad:

1 bag of spinach
1 head romaine lettuce, torn
1 cup craisins
1/2 c. sliced red onion
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Dressing:

1/3 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup oil
1 t. celery seed

Cook until sugar dissolves (boil about 1 minute).

***Serve salad immediately after tossing in the dressing.

Janet's Rich Banana Bread

Oh Janet, how I love your ways... okay, I don't actually know Janet or her ways, but I LOVE her banana bread. It tastes like going home. I, of course, added my own tiny twist. There wasn't much to play with because this is such a delight.

Janet's Rich Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium bananas, mashed (I just add them in and let the mixer do the mashing)
a couple sprinkles of cinnamon (optional)
a sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Add bananas and mix. Finally, fold in the sour cream and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Best and Easiest Buttery Rolls

This is my FAVORITE roll recipe. I found this on All Recipes last year for a dinner party and haven't looked back since! It is so wonderful and easy. Did I mention it was easy?

1 cup warm milk (regular temperature for yeast. I just guess as I broke my thermometer)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 cups bread flour (I use Better for Bread flour. I don't know if it really matters)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 24 portions; shape into balls (you might be able to get more if you make them smaller. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan (This is actually the first time I paid attention to this. I put it on a cookie sheet and I don't grease it). Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes (I let it rise much longer because I love fluffy rolls). Bake at 375 degrees F for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown (I had to adjust this when I lived in Alaska to 11 minutes. Keep your eye on it the first time you bake them). Brush butter on the top (optional).

Notice one is missing up there? These are so good my husband grabbed it out of the oven... while it was still baking!

Buttery goodness!

Nona's Sticky Topcorn (Caramel Corn)

This is the most simple and delicious caramel corn recipe I have seen. It's simply delicious! It got it's name from my girls. It is Nona's recipe but my girls added the sticky topcorn to the name (little Bo has a hard time with popcorn).

1/2 c. popcorn, unpopped (white or yellow will do)
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/4 c. brown sugar
30 small marshmallows (or equivalent of large. I usually add 1/3 to 1/2 bag because I like it more gooey.

Pop popcorn into large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. As soon as butter has melted, add marshmallows and stir until all ingredients have melted, stirring continuously. Pour mixture over popped popcorn and stir until popcorn is coated. Serve while hot or save for later. (I will try to add a picture, but it just goes so quickly!)

Fruit Cobbler

We were able to get peaches on sale for 39 cents per lb at my new favorite store (go Sprouts!). I haven't seen peaches that low in... well, maybe never in my adult life. I was so excited we went back the next week and purchased more. I wanted to make a peach cobbler with the ingredients I already had at home without going out to buy more. I found this recipe on All Recipes and just altered it a bit. It turned out pretty good (for me), but I am sure I will try something new or change a few things to make it better. The first time is always an experiment.

Easy Peach (Fruit) Cobbler

4 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar (you can play with this. I just happen to like brown sugar more. It only calls for granulated sugar)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla (I forgot to add this and it still tasted great. If you want it, you can add it... it was the suggestion of some other people)
5 c. peaches (or any fresh fruit), skins removed and sliced

2 tbsp. brown sugar(or granulated, if preferred)
sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar (omitting 2 tbsp. brown sugar), baking powder, and salt. Whisk together.

Put butter in a 9x13" pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven.

Whisk together dry mixture and milk to form a smooth batter. Add vanilla. Pour into pan over butter, then scatter fruit over the top of batter. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bake in oven for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired (of course it is desired!)

Veg-Chic-Rice

I want to start a cookbook for people who bargain shop or for people who only have a few staples in the cupboards. I LOVE to have full cupboards, but with moving I don't have the stocked cupboards I am used to having. This being said, I am improvising... a lot. When that happens, this recipe happens. I got the "Natural" Rice-a-Roni (not the healthiest, but it is the San Francisco treat) on sale for 88 cents and I wanted to use it. Anything could be substituted, but I happened to have these ingredients. Everyone seemed to like it. The girls even asked for seconds on the veggies. Score!

Veg-Chic-Rice

2 packages Rice-a-Roni (any flavor would work, I believe. I used Italian Parmesan)
3 c. milk (used for this specific flavor of Rice-a-Roni. You may not need it for others)
Dash of olive oil (it calls for 2 tbsp. or tsp. but I never that much and it tastes fine. You can omit it as well)

1 precooked chicken breast (can add more, again what I had), diced
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 large (or two small) zucchini, diced


salt and pepper to taste
herbs to taste (I used basil)

Cook rice according to package directions.
Prepare veggies and chicken. Season and steam zucchini, broccoli, and chicken (I added the chicken only to warm it. It should be precooked) in separate pot until tender or preference. When rice is ready, combine rice and veggies/chicken and stir. Serve and eat.

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have tried several chocolate chip recipes and this is by far my favorite. I used to use the one off the back of the chocolate chip bag, but for some reason this one just tastes better. I think it is the extra brown sugar and vanilla. Always delicious and comforting. (This is mostly for me because even though I practically have this recipe memorized, I tend to doubt myself and have to go searching for it. Now I will know where it is).

1 c. butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (I always add around three cups. I don't know if it is an altitude thing, but it always makes the cookies a little fluffier. It took me years to figure this out)
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 bag of chocolate chips (I usually only use one bag and it is fine. I sometimes add butterscotch chips or whatever I have left over)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

Combine the two. Mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop cookies onto cookie sheet or spread out to make bars (easier and takes less time). Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes for cookies or 20 minutes for bars. Be sure to check your cookies from time to time. I know most people know how to make cookies and you have probably made these cookies a bizillion times, but I have noticed all ovens are different.

Kitchen Sink Frittata

It hardly ever looks as good as it tastes

I have a ton of fresh veggies in my fridge and needed to use them up. I got a recipe for spinach and potato frittata and just added more to it. You can pretty much add veggie you like to this dish. My kids really loved it.

4 potatoes sliced (the recipe calls for red potatoes, but I didn't have any)
1 c. diced zucchini
1/2 red pepper, chopped
salt/pepper to taste
dried basil to taste
dried parsley to taste
enough extra virgin olive oil to coat veggies

3/4 c. green onion, chopped (I used four and it worked out just fine)
3/4 to 1 c. tomatoes, chopped (I used grape tomatoes and just quartered them)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. spinach, roughly chopped

9 eggs (I used four eggs and five egg whites. You can use less if you want. I had a lot of veggies in there so I used more eggs)
1/3 c. milk

1-1 1/2 c. cheese grated

Place chopped/sliced potatoes, pepper, and zucchini in a bowl. Drizzle enough olive oil over to coat. Add salt, pepper, basil, and parsley. Toss and let sit for a few minutes.

Heat LARGE skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes, zucchini, and peppers in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk (I added salt and pepper to these as well). Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Let cook over heat for at least 6 minutes. Place skillet in oven under broiler at highest rack setting for two minutes or until eggs are set.

I am a Copy Cat!

So I am taking my cousin Teresa's idea and creating my own recipe blog.I am creating this blog in order to help me remember the recipes I like as I am told I rarely make the same thing twice. Maybe if I put this up here, I can quit keeping pages of recipes in my email and I will use the same one more than once! I will be "borrowing" these recipes from everywhere. I might even make a couple up! I usually tweak things a bit anyway, so I will add my changes. I hope it's good!