Easy Butter Chicken

From Allrecipes.com

* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 cup butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and tarragon; drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside.
3. Place an oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and melt the butter. Place the chicken in the dish, turning to coat both sides. Cover the chicken with a sheet of parchment paper, and then cover with a lid.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.


**I was looking for a simple, basic way to make chicken - and this is it! Of course it's buttery so probably not the healthiest, but it came out so tender & juicy. Dahlia (age 2) absolutely LOVED this chicken. Yay!

Cream Cheese Sausage Puffs

from the Jimmy Dean website

1 pkg Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
1 C. finely chopped mushrooms
1 bunch thinly sliced green onions (about 1 cup)
2 pkgs (3oz each) cream cheese, softened
salt & black pepper to taste
3 cans (8.5oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tsp water

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large skillet, cook sausage & mushrooms over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until meat is thoroughly cooked & no longer pink. Remove from heat; allow to cool slightly. Stir in green onions & cream cheese season to taste with salt & pepper (I usually skip this). Unroll the cans of dough; separate crescent rolls into 24 triangles; cut each triangle in half lengthwise to make 48 triangles. Place 2 tsp of filling near the wide edge at base of triangle; form into a small log shape. Roll dough & meat towards the point of the triangle, enclosing the filling (filling will be visible at the sides). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush egg mixture on top of each puff. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Discard any remaining egg mixture.

Makes 48 puffs.

**One of my favorite "party" foods. I love these. They are rich but delicious!! I usually skip the mushrooms (because I don't usually have them). Tonight I didn't split the triangles & made giant ones for super. YUMMY!

Swiss Vegetable Medley

From "A Dish to Pass" - the First United Methodist Church, Austin, MN cookbook from 1993

1 16oz bag frozen broccoli, carrots & cauliflower - thawed & drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 C. sour cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1 jar (4oz) chopped pimento, drained (optional)
1 can french fried onions

Combine vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, pepper & pimento & 1/2 can onions. Pour into 1-quart casserole. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese & onions. Bake uncovered for 5 minutes longer

**Who still uses pimentos? Blech!**

Awesome Homemade PIzza

Serves 6

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg (1/4 oz) dry yeast
1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp olive oil
1 C lukewarm water
3/4 C pizza sauce
12 oz sliced mozzarella
Whatever toppings you like...
dried seasonings (I use basil, but you could use oregano, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 12x9 inch baking sheet. Sift the flour & salt into a large bowl. Stir in yeast. Make a well in the center & add olive oil & 1 cup lukewarm water. Mix until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface & knead gently for 5 minutes.

2. Roll our dough & press into prepared baking sheet. Cover & allow to rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, then bake for 5-7 minutes.

3. Remove the crust from the oven & spread pizza sauce on top, leaving a 3/4 inch border. Arrange the mozzarella on top & then the pepperoni (or canadian bacon or whatever). Sprinkle with spices & drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Nutritional Info:
Per Serving:
Calories 483
Fat 23.9g (Sat. fat 9.9g)
Carbs 45.4g

*We make this ALL THE TIME. It's yummy & easy. Enjoy!

Hashed Brussel Sprouts

From my Mother-in-Law, via her sister, via a restaurant on Longboat Key in Florida....

Hashed Brussel Sprouts

2 oz olive oil
1 lb Brussels sprouts shredded
1 tsp poppy seeds
½ of a lemon
1 Tbsp roasted garlic puree
2 Tbsp butter
Kosher salt and pepper

In a sauté pan on high heat, add olive oil and when it starts to smoke add the sprouts, toss in pan to start browning, add the poppy seeds, salt and pepper, butter, lemon juice, and roasted garlic. Serve immediately.

**I finally used the shredder attachment on my food processor - boy was that fun! :) I didn't measure how many sprouts I used...I just used what I had purchased from the store. I also didn't have the lemon, so skipped that. Instead of the roasted garlic puree, I minced & sauteed the garlic beforehand (Cub was out of the puree & I was too lazy/busy to roast & puree my own!). The poppy seeds give this a nice nutty flavor. Steve really loved this recipe. It was one he told me to "write down" which is a good sign!

Deceptively Delicious Banana Bread

From Deceptively Delicious



Prep: 10 Minutes
Total: 70 minutes
Makes a 9x5 inch loaf or 2 mini loaves

Nonstick cooking spary
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/2 C. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 C. canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups banana puree (about 3-4 med bananas)
1/2 C. cauliflower puree
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x5 inch loaf pan, or 2 mini pans, with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl or zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt & cinnamon, if using. Set aside.

3. In large mixing bowl, mix the sugar & oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, banana & cauliflower purees, & vanilla. Add the flour mixture & mix just until combined.

4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf, 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn the bread out of the pan to cool before serving.

**I didn't have whole wheat flour, so I just used my regular flour. I baked for about 58 minutes, but the inside is still a bit gushy - even though I checked with a toothpick. Oh well, it still tastes good & is pretty healthy too!