Honey Mustard Curry Chicken

I love this recipe because it's very versatile and very easy, and my family loves it.   It's kind of a recipe I've arrived at after combining various versions of honey mustard chicken.   It can be made ahead in the crock pot or just bake in the oven for around an hour.  If I do it in the crock pot, I sometimes double the sauce- can never have too much sauce.  Sometimes when I buy boneless/skinless chicken breasts, I'll go ahead and cut them into pieces or strips and put them in a freezer bag in this sauce.  I take them out in the morning or the night before cooking and they marinate as they thaw. 


Honey Mustard Chicken Curry

chicken (one recipe said 3 lbs- I usually just use what I have; can use chicken pieces or breasts.  If I use breasts I cut them into strips or pieces because they get more tender)
 4 TBSP butter
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup dijon mustard (can use plain mustard, but we prefer the dijon)
1 tsp salt (I think I omit this- not needed)
1 tsp curry

Melt butter and combine with other ingredients.  Coat chicken.  Cook in  350 degree oven (covered first 45 minutes) for one hour or in crock pot all day.  Serve over rice. 

Quick and Easy Dinner Rolls

This recipe is not anything super special (great way to start, right?), but if you're wanting a quick and easy dinner roll to go with just about anything, this is it.  I usually add spices to the basic recipe depending on what we are having for the main dish.  Things like fresh basil or rosemary, garlic salt, parmesan..

Nice and Easy Rolls

2 cups self rising flour (add 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt per cup of all-purpose flour)

1/4 cup mayo (Kendra, Alex will never know...)

1 cup milk

Heat oven to 425.  Grease 12 muffin cups.  Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Stir just until moistened.  Divide into 12 equal portions in muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minute.

Summer Pasta Salad

I think you would all agree that it is just TOO hot to cook in the summer- here and maybe anywhere this year!  I"m actually going to put two pasta salad recipes on here- both family favorites for us.  I"ll also put the recipe for the balsamic vineger salad dressing  that I use on pretty much everything- from my fave blue cheese, pear and lettuce salad to this pasta salad to using it as a dip for zataar manaeeche.  It's just plain yummy.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 TBSP Dijon mustard (regular is fine too)
3 TBSP honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup olive oil

Whisk together first 7 ingredients and gradually whisk in olive oil

Summer Pasta Salad

I found this great article on the all recipes site and kind of came up with my own creation using our favorite things and this was the result.

1 pound whole wheat noodles- shape of your choice (I used spiral)
salt to taste (I used a lot as mentioned in the article)
chopped zuchini, carrots, red peppers (any other veggies you like)
chopped onion
sauteed pine nuts
olives
shredded chicken
salad dressing of choice

Boil pasta in large pot with 2 TBSP of salt.  During last two minutes of cooking add chopped zuchini, carrots and peppers.  Drain all.  Toss in onion, pine nuts, olives, shredded chicken and toss with your favorite salad dressing.
 
Garlic Chicken Pasta Salad

Below you'll see this recipe exactly as is in the cookbook, but I have gradually changed in over the years to suit our tastes, but I kind of do it differently every time.  For example, I usually use a lot more of the garlic dressing than it calls for.  I also sometimes stir in ranch dressing instead of mayonaise, and usually once it's all put together, I stir in some of my favorite balsamic vinegar dressing because I almost can't have a salad without it....


Garlic Dressing
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 cloves garlic, split
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup olive oil
Prepare dressing at least one day ahead.  Combine first 5 ingredients and gradually whisk in olive oil

Salad
1/2 lb vermicelli (cooked al dente and drained)
1/3 cup Garlic Salad dressing
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken (I usually use a rotiserrie)
2 cans artichoke hearts (I've never used this)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
sliced black olives to taste
1 cup mayonaise
4 TBSP parsley
cherry tomatoes
sliced avocadoes

In large bowl, combine pasta and garlic dressing and toss well.  Cool completely and refrigerate several hours or overnight.  When ready to serve, add chicken, artichoke, green onions and olives.  Add mayo and toss gently.  Toss with parsley and cherry tomatoes just before serving and top with avocado slices.

Banana goodness

 Let me start this post by saying that I am somewhat picky about bananas.  I like them plain (or with peanut butter because there is very little that doesn't go well with PB).  I like banana bread and banana muffins.  I do NOT like banana flavored candies, gum, milkshake, ice cream.  I love banana pudding (recipe to follow) but I like it oh so much better without bananas.  So, as Maddie said, "Mom, you don't like banana pudding.  You like vanilla pudding with lots of mushed up cookies and whipped cream on top."- true.  All that to say that when I first saw the below recipe, I wasn't all that excited about it, because it looked like it would fall in the camp of things I don't like with bananas in them.  Oh how wrong I was!  This has got to be one of the best pies I have ever made and it was oh so easy to make.  Oh, and I got this out of Kelly Minter's Bible Study book on Ruth- WONDERFUL if you haven't done it!


Who in the world knew (a lot of people apparently besides me- according to my mom this technique has been around a while).  Anyway, who knew that you could take this....

and do this....  (boiling water )

and three hours later come out with this...

Yummy!

 Maddie helped me layer the toffee and bananas (I used VERY thin slices of banana given my history with bananas in desserts...)

The combination of the vanilla and instant coffee in the whipped cream was divine. And of course, I opted for the chocolate on top- is there ever a choice when chocolate is the option??

 The only thing that I"m not sure about on this pie (the taste was by far one of the best desserts I've had in a long time) is the consistancy of the toffee.  Would it have gotten thicker if I boiled the cans longer.  Should I have let it set in the freezer and then moved it to the frig?  It was just very soupy and runny, but if I kept it in the freezer, the whipped cream got too hard- any thoughts? 

Banoffi Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
10 TBSP butter, melted
2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
3 large bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp powdered instant coffee
freshly ground coffee or chocolate shavings

Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and press mixture into 9" pie plate.  Bake for 5-8 minutes.  Cool.   Immerse unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk in a deep pan of boiling water.  Cover and boil for 3 hours, making sure the cans remain covered with water (add water as needed).  Remove the cans from the water; allow to cool completely before opening.  Whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee until thick and smooth.  Spread 1/3 of the toffee over the base of the crust, slice the bananas and lay them on the toffee.  Spoon another 1/3 of toffee over the bananas.  Layer more bananas and more toffee.  Finally, spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle with the freshly ground coffee or chocolate shavings.

A few weeks ago I made homemade banana pudding and layered it in a trifle dish.  Sadly, I forgot to take a picture- it was beautiful and oh so good.  This banana pudding recipe came from Jason's Pappaw's mother.  It's as basic as they come.  I layered it in the trifle dish with digestif cookies (similar to graham crackers, but better- can't get nilla wafers here), followed by the pudding, a thin layer of bananas, repeat all layers and top with whipped cream.  Yummy!


Mamaw's Banana Pudding

6 egg yolks
3 c. sugar
3 c. milk (I used whole-not looking for low fat here...)
6 TBSP flour
8 TBSP butter
3 tsp vanilla

Beat egg yolks with milk.  Add sugar, flour and butter and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickens (15-20 minutes).  Add vanilla and let cool.