Cranberry Chicken

We're having cranberry chicken for dinner tonight. It's delicious. You can find the recipe here, courtesy of my friend Alyssa. Try it, it's yummy!

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

This is actually the first Bundt cake I've made. Go me, right?

What You'll Need:

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 cups peeled, finely chopped cooking apple (I ran four peeled and cored Granny Smiths through my food processor. You could also use a box grater.)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

A handful of raisins (optional)

For the Glaze:

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp evaporated milk

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a bowl at medium speed until creamy. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon with a whisk; add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, beating well. Stir in the apple and pecans (and raisins, if using.) Pour the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a serving platter on the pan, and turn the whole thing upside down to remove the cake. Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, for about two minutes or until the butter is melted. Drizzle the glaze over the cake (it will be a heavy drizzle!)

Garlic-Parmesan Chicken

I made this a week or two ago with some spaghetti and pasta sauce. It was quite yummy.

What You'll Need:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded flat

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl, blend the olive oil and garlic. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken piece in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture (roll the chicken around in the crumbs to ensure that it's well coated.) Arrange the chicken in the prepared baking dish, and, if you like, sprinkle with some of the remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink and its juices run clear.

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.