CRUNCHY CHICKEN CRESCENTS

3 C. CHOPPED COOKED CHICKEN
6 OZ. CREAM CHEESE W/CHIVES
2 T. BUTTER
1 8-COUNT PKG. CRESCENT DINNER ROLLS, SEPARATED
1 C. SEASONED STUFFING MIX
3/4 C. MELTED BUTTER

CREAM 2 T. BUTTER AND CREAM CHEESE. ADD CHICKEN AND MIX WELL.
SPOON 1/4 C. CHICKEN MIXTURE ONTO EACH ROLL, ROLL TO ENCLOSE
FILLING, SEAL EDGES WELL. DIP ROLLS INTO MELTED BUTTER AND
COAT IN STUFFING MIX. PLACE ON BAKING DISH.
BAKE AT 375 DEGREES FOR 20 MINUTES.

These are really yummy. We had fresh green beans and cranberry sauce with them!!

Batter Fried Chicken

This is super delicious. So good in fact that I ate all four pieces I cooked in one sitting, instead of leaving some for leftovers.

You'll Need:

1 Chicken - Cut into pieces - or your favorite chicken parts

Vegetable Oil - (I used corn oil)

1 egg

1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. chili powder

2 tbs minced garlic (I used around 7 cloves)

Salt and Pepper

A pan to fry in, with a lid

Beat the egg with the broth, add the seasonings and the garlic, don't be afraid to be generous with the salt and pepper. Slowly add the flour until everything is mixed into a batter. It should be pretty thick and kinda sticky, but not really really sticky. You can add a little water if you need too but be conservative.

Let the batter sit while you heat 1/2 inch of oil in your pan on medium high. Dry off your chicken pieces with paper towels.

Once the oil is hot - (about 350 - or you can drop a tiny bit of batter in to see if it begins to fry) - turn the heat to high, dip each chicken piece into the batter until it's coated and place into the pan with enough room so nothing is touching. Cook in batches if necessary.

Cover, wait a minute for the oil to heat back up, then adjust back down to medium high. After 7 minutes, take the lid off, flip the chicken, and cook another 7 minutes. After that time is up, cook about another 5 minutes, turning the chicken to make sure both sides are good and brown.

Make sure you give it time to cool off, nothing sucks more than burning your mouth before a good meal.

spinach and tomato soup with rice

this is the new soup i'm going to try. 

(it's from New York Times: Fitness & Nutrition)

2 pounds spinach (1 or 2 generous bunches)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped, with juice, or 2 good-sized tomatoes, chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

5 cups water

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (more to taste)

1/4 cup rice

Salt to taste

1. Stem and wash the spinach, keeping the stems and leaves separate. Trim off the ends of the stems and discard. Cut the stems into 1/2-inch lengths. Coarsely chop half the leaves, or stack and cut into strips. Refrigerate the remaining leaves to use elsewhere. Set the chopped leaves aside.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan, a soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until it begins to smell fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and paprika. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add the spinach stems, water and lemon juice, and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and add the rice and salt to taste. Simmer uncovered until the rice is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach, simmer one minute, remove from the heat and serve.

DOROTHY LYNCH DRESSNG

1 c. oil
1 can tomato soup
1 t. salt
1/8 t. garlic powder
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. vinegar
1 t. pepper
1 T. celery seed

Mix all ingredients toghether and blend in blender 10-15 minutes.

I think I reduced the amount of celery seed when made this before.

Never Buy Taco Seasoning Again!

ok. that might be a bit dramatic, but here's a simple recipe for taco seasoning.

(this recipe makes about four packets)

Mild Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper (optional)

Free-Form Fruit Tarts

These are super easy to make, and easy to improvise. When Sis and I made them we used blueberries and apples, since then I've used apples and a lot of cinnamon, and the next time I'm thinking of blackberries and raspberries. The crust only takes a few minutes to make so you can mix it, then chill it while you're eating, and after dinner fill them with your choice of fruit, and by the time the dishes are done you'll have tarts to eat!

Sweet Tart Crust:

1 1/4 cups of flour, plus a bit more for rolling
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
10 tbsp. butter frozen or cold unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp. ice water

Filling:

2 lbs. of pitted, peeled and sliced ripe stone fruit like peaches, plums, or nectarines.

Or peeled, cored, thinly sliced apples or pears.

Or about 3 cups of berries.

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Making the Dough -

Combine the flour, salt and sugar. Stir a couple of times. Add all of the butter and mix (or pulse in a food processor if you have one) until the mixture is uniform but don't over do it. Add the egg yolk and mix a little bit more.

Add the ice water, and mix with your hands until you can make the dough into a ball. If it's still crumbly you can add more ice water. If you add too much water, add a little more flour. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Or if you're in a hurry stick it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Baking -

When you're ready, heat the oven to 425, then roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness, either all in once piece or in smaller amounts for individual tarts.

Place the filling in the center, leaving about 1-2 inches of crust around the outside. You can also put a layer of crushed nuts on the bottom, mix some cinnamon with the fruit, or brush the fruit with a mixture of honey and butter.

Fold up the edges of the dough leaving the middle of the filling exposed. Crimp the edges so they stay in place. Brush the dough with a little melted butter, and brush the top of the fruit as well. If you want, after brushing on the butter you can sprinkle on some granulated sugar and some cinnamon on the top as well.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Let cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.