Fried Chicken with Mushroom Gravy

Gravy is amazing, but this stuff is especially good.

What You'll Need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp Bisquick, divided

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 egg

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tbsp sliced green onion

1 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

How to Make It:

Between pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper, place each chicken breast smooth side down; gently pound until about 1/4 inch thick (this would be called a "paillard".) In a shallow dish, stir 1/2 up Bisquick and garlic powder. In another shallow dish, beat the egg. Dip the chicken in the egg, then coat each piece with the Bisquick mixture. In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the chicken. Cook three minutes or until golden brown. Turn the chicken; cover and cook 4-6 minutes longer until done. Remove the chicken to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes until browned. Add the remaining Bisquick and onions; cook and stir until mixed. Stir in the milk and the soy sauce. Cook the gravy until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Serve the gravy over the chicken.

Black Beans and Rice

These are so yummy!

What You'll Need:

4 standard-sized cans black beans

1/2 yellow onion

6 cloves garlic

1 bunch cilantro

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

2 cups whole grain brown rice

Diced avocados, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

Tortilla chips, for serving

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the black beans over medium-high heat (drain very little of the juice.) Chop the onion and cilantro, mince the garlic, and place these in a small saucepan and saute. After the beans have been heated for about 20 minutes, stir the sauteed ingredients into the black beans. In a separate pot, begin preparing the rice according to package instructions. Pour the beans into a 13x9 baking dish and top with the shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve the black beans and rice with avocado (if you're into that), sour cream, and tortilla chips.

Parmesan-Dijon Chicken

There are so many different ways to fix chicken, which is good, because it's pretty much the only meat we eat around here. This recipe serves 6.

What You'll Need:

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup butter, melted

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large zip-top plastic bag, mix bread crumbs and cheese. In a shallow dish, stir the mustard into the melted butter until well mixed. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; dip one piece of chicken in the butter mixture, then place in the bag, seal it and shake the bag to coat the chicken with the crumb mixture. Place the chicken in a single layer in a 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes, turning chicken once with tongs, until the chicken is done and its juices run clear.

Peanut Butter Frosting

This may be the first peanut butter frosting recipe I've posted, but it won't be the last, I'm sure. I'm always on the lookout for new recipes for this treat. Sometimes I improvise and make a tiny amount of peanut butter frosting just to eat for fun. The stuff is so good! It's candy in a bowl.

What You'll Need:

6 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup heavy cream

How to Make It:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy. Add the salt and peanut butter, and beat to combine. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, beat or whisk the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks form when you pull the beaters away from the cream (with the mixer turned off, of course.) Fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture. Use the frosting immediately, or refrigerate, covered tightly, for up to 2 days. Bring the frosting to room temperature before using, and stir it with a rubber spatula until smooth.

PB&J Cupcakes

This recipe is adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart. It yields about 24 cupcakes.

What You'll Need:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature

3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted, roasted peanuts

Peanut Butter Frosting (recipe found here)

1/2 cup strawberry jelly or jam

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line standard-size muffin tins with paper liners*. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Mix in peanut butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture, a little at a time, beating after just combined. Do not overbeat the mixture- just beat it until everything is incorporated. Beat in the sour cream, then fold in the peanuts with a spatula. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (it will be pretty thick and fluffy, almost like cookie dough), filling them about 3/4 full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking time, for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in one of the cupcakes comes out clean.

To finish, frost the cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting. Leave a little well in the middle of the frosting (an indentation about the size of your thumbprint. Drop about one teaspoon of jam into each well. Store these cupcakes in the refrigerator, but they are best brought to room temperature before serving.

*I recommend using white cupcake liners or foil liners for this recipe. Peanut butter has an oily/greasy quality about it, and when I used bright pink and purple liners, the peanut butter oil caused the liners to stain my dark, nonstick pans slightly. So go with foil or white liners on this one.

Taco Seasoning

I am experimenting. This one is pretty good, although it has a little bit more heat than the prepackaged stuff, I think. Use this recipe for 1.5-2 lbs ground beef or turkey.

What You'll Need:

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cayenne or red pepper

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

How to Make It:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Add to cooked ground beef or ground turkey while the meat is still in the skillet. Add about 1/3 cup water and stir to coat meat completely with the spice mixture. Cook on low heat until the mixture is thickened slightly.