Buttermilk Baked Chicken

I made a variation of this recipe last night. I made several changes, like we didn't have any hot sauce so I used southwest seasoning instead, plus I eliminated the thyme. Oh, and I didn't add any salt because I figured the cheese and breadcrumbs had enough sodium. It took longer than 35 minutes for the thighs to cook (more like 50 minutes, but maybe because I overcrowded the pan). But all in all, I'd recommend this. I baked it on my PC (Pampered Chef) bar pan and it browned really nicely and didn't stick at all. I'll need to try this dish again a few times before I come up with my own variation of the recipe and publish it here.

Japanese Steak Sauce

AKA Japanese Shrimp Sauce. There's a whole website about this elusive sauce. How is it that there are so many fans of this sauce, yet I can't remember ever tasting this? I've eaten at formal and informal Japanese restaurants both here in the US (and in several states) and in Asia. I've had homemade Japanese meals. I've never seen this sauce. Maybe I'm just not ordering the right food?

Now, if you can find me a recipe for Dynamite (a baked seafood dish in a mayonnaise sauce, sort of like an au gratin), I'd be forever grateful. Hey, I wonder if I could use the white sauce and bake with that? Hmmmmm.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is an easy way to use up leftover chicken. I usually try to cook some extra chicken whenever I'm baking or boiling chicken to make salads, quesadillas, or casseroles like this.

My version is a variation of this recipe.

Ingredients
2 to 3 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
1 can chicken broth (1 1/2 cups)
4-5 carrots, choppped
1 1/2 to 2 cups frozen green peas or any frozen mixed veggies
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups baking mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dried parsley, optional
paprika, optional

Directions
1. In a saucepan bring chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, and carrots to a boil. (If using all frozen veggies, add in step 2 instead.)
2. Add frozen veggies and pepper to soup mix; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine biscuit mix, milk, garlic powder, and parsley (mixture will be thin). If you don't like a lot of garlic, leave this out or decrease the amount. The garlic aroma is stronger during the baking than the taste when you eat this dish.
4. Pour hot chicken mixture into 9x13 greased oven proof dish.
5. Immediately spoon biscuit mixture evenly over the top of chicken mixture. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired.
6. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Serves 6-8.

Cook's notes: Don't add too many more veggies than above. Otherwise the mixture won't fit in a standard 9x13 Pyrex dish. Or even if it does fit, the biscuit mixture won't.

Oatmeal-Cranberry Cookies

from Redbook magazine, October 2006

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 14 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture; stir in oats, cranberries, walnuts, and coconut.

3. Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Press each into a 2 1/2 inch circle. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let stand 2 minutes on baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 14 cookies.

cook's notes: For more flavor, toast the walnuts. You can make the cookies a little smaller so you get more cookies. This recipe is easily doubled.

Peruvian Chicken Cilantro soup

Recently, I made Peruvian chicken cilantro soup. It was a mix of this recipe and this
one.

Based on what I learned from my first attempt, here's my version

Peruvian Chicken and Cilantro Soup
Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 to 2 1/2 lbs chicken quarters
3 medium peeled potatoes, diced (6 pieces each)
6 T rice, washed and strained
1 celery stalk
1 T fresh chopped garlic (you definitely need this much)
1 tsp salt or to taste
8 C water
1/2 bunch cilantro blended in a 1/2 cup of water
1 to 1 1/2 cups veggies (a mix of diced green beans, diced carrots, corn, and peas; can use fresh or frozen veggies)
lime wedges

Directions:
Place water, chicken, potatoes, rice, celery and garlic into a 5 qt pot and bring to boil over heat; once boiling, reduce to medium heat for 20-30 minutes (or until chicken is tender), stirring occasionally.
Add the cilantro mixture, green beans, carrot, corn and green peas.
Remove the celery stalk and chicken. Discard the celery. Separate the chicken from the bones and shred into chunks. Place back into the pot.
Let simmer for 5 more minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with a piece of lime on the side.