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.

Magloobeh (Arabic upside down rice)

Even though we live in a place with some of the most amazing food in the world, I confess that I really don't cook Lebanese that much- it's just so time consuming!  I decided to give it a shot with the family here though and it was yummy.  This is not actually even a Lebanese dish, but it's definitely very Arab.  It's called "upside down" because you basically flip the pot that you've cooked it in onto the serving platter.  There are many variations of this popular dish.  I combined what I've had and liked best at various friends home with a recipe I found in my Lebanon cookbook and it turned out great.

Magloobeh

2 lbs cauliflower
olive oil for frying
1 rotisserie chicken cut up
extra thin Arabic flat bread
1 cup minced onion
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1 cup pine nuts (I actually used a combo of pine nuts and pistachios and I've had it with cashews as well)
1/4-1/2 cup butter
2 cups rice, rinsed
4 cups (maybe more) chicken broth
1 tsp Arabic 7 spice mix (can use nutmeg and cinnamon in place of this)
Salt to taste
More cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
raisins (optional)

Fry the cauliflower in olive oil until browned and drain on paper towels (I used enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but didn't submerge the cauliflower in the oil)

Tear up pieces of pita bread and fry in remaining oil

Melt butter in saucepan and saute onions and garlic.  After a few minutes add the pine nuts and pistachios along with the spices and cook a little more.  Stir in 2 cups of rice that has been rinsed.  Combine mixture well and set aside.  In a large saucepan layer half of the cauliflower then half of the chicken that is torn in pieces.  Top with half of the fried pita, then half of the rice mixture.  Can also sprinkle raisins in between the layers.  Repeat layers.  Cover all with chicken broth (enough to cover).  Cook over medium heat until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done (30-40 minutes).  Turn the pot over onto a serving platter.

Serve with yogurt and flat bread.  Enjoy!

Yogurt Sauce

labneh (natural yogurt)- 2-3 cups

salt to taste

3-4 mashed garlic cloves

mint (optional)

chopped cucumbers (optional)

Peach Cobbler (or cherry...)

Cobbler of any kind is one of my all time favorite recipes.  Topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or ice cream- just can't beat it!  My Memommy made this peach cobbler last summer when we were in the states and I just HAD to have the recipe.  It's simply divine and for those of you in the good old US of A, quite easy as it calls for store bought pie crusts.  I don't have that convenience so I used my fave recipe (see below) for a double crust pie and doubled it.  You actually probably need about three crusts because I had some dough left over that I froze.  Here's the recipe:

Perfectly Delicious Pie Crust (for double crust pie)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 TBSP sugar'
1/3 cup Crisco
1/3 cup + 2 TBSP butter
\5 TBSP ice water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in large bowl.  Add Crisco and 1Tbsp butter and cut into flour mixture with pastry cutter until it resembles "pill size" consistency.  Add the rest of the butter and blend the same way.  Handle the dough as little as possible. (the less it's handled, the flakier it will be) Add 5 TBSP ice water and blend with knife.  Roll out into two 8 inch crust or whatever you need for your recipe.

Peach Cobbler

4-6 cups fresh peaches, chunked
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/8 t salt
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 TBSP melted margarine
(I also added cinnamon this time and it was yummy)

Put peaches in large bowl and stir in sugar, flour and salt.  Add almond extract, margarine and cinnamon if desired.  Line large casserole dish with pastry (I shaped two pie crusts into bottom of dish).  Pour peaches into pastry and then top with pastry strips or solid pastry.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and bake about 45 more minutes until browned.

Top with cream or ice cream and enjoy!

One glory of living in Lebanon is the fresh fruit and veggies we can find year round.  I think early summer is my favorite though when the cherries and apricots are in season.  The cherries here are like none I've ever had before.  I LOVE cherry cobbler but don't love the mess it makes to pit all those cherries.  Thankfully I have a Maddie who loves all things messy and all things cooking so it makes cherry cobbler so much more enjoyable to make...

I don't have a picture of a finished cherry cobbler but here is the filling recipe I use.  I've tried several different crusts and I think the way I made the peach cobbler above is all around the best with any fruit, especially cherries...   Here's the cherry filling recipe:]

Cherry Cobbler Filling:

6 cups fresh pitted cherries
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 TBSP cornstarch
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp almond extract

Mix all and let stand for 10 minutes.  Cook in saucepan until thickened and bubbly and add to favorite cobbler crust.

Veggie Kabobs

These have become one of our favorite summer meals.  I especially love them because Jason is the master behind them and they require very little work on my part.  :)  Jason takes whatever veggies we want- usually some combination of red and green pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, zuchini, mushrooms- and puts them on skewers along with chunks of Halloum cheese- a Lebanese cheese that is beyond yummy on the grill.  It has a very spongy consistency (maybe like tofu just because I can't think of anything better to compare it to) and it's absolutely yummy with the veggies.  We've also started doing sausage kabobs because we can now get the butterball (or healthy choice) polish style sausage in one of our grocery stores that imports a lot (yah!).  (I'm still waiting for Jimmy Dean sausage to appear but I"m not counting on it).  Anyway I make a marinade of balsamic vinegar and olive oil along with garlic and some fresh herbs, Jason works his magic, and there you have it...