Applesauce and Raisin Cake – an Homage to the Bundt Queen

Posted on February 14, 2012 | 1 comment

I always call my friend Susan the Queen of the Bundt Cake. It certainly seems to be her calling, as she is always coming up with new and delicious Bundt Cakes for all of us to try. I just hope I do her justice in trying to duplicate it. She made this cake for everyone on New Years, and I have been wanting to try it ever since.  I had to change one of the ingredients because I bought chunky applesauce instead of plain applesauce. Of course, if you’re so inclined you can make your own applesauce (I wasn’t so inclined today!).  The original recipe hails from The Silver Palate, and I have to say this is one cookbook you don’t want to be without. There are so very many wonderful recipes in it. Our kids are on their way out to Colorado so I woke up early, had all the ingredients ready, and had someone to bake it for. I hope it comes out as good as Susan’s cake did, because hers was delicious. It has a slightly spicy flavoring, and is just so darn good. Am very happy to report that this cake came out awesome! Super Delicious with the chunky applesauce. Very moist and delicious, cooked perfectly at 1 hour and 10 minutes. Thanks Suki and the Silver Palate!

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing the pan (Butter should be at room temperature.  I woke up early and didn’t have time to let it sit so I just put it in microwave to soften for 15 seconds.)

*if baking for the Jewish Holidays and don’t want to use butter you can use margarine

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs (at room temperature)

2 cups applesauce (I used Chunky because probably didn’t have reading glasses in market and grabbed it.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or 1 teaspoon freshly grated

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup raisins

Lemon/Orange Icing ingredients:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl (electric mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the applesauce and vanilla.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda together then add to applesauce mixture. Next, sprinkle in the raisins, and blend gently but thoroughly.

Pour the batter into the tube pan and set on a rack in the center of the oven. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. 1 hour and 10 – 15 minutes. I cooked it 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes (I will leave it all day as I go out hiking, and turn it over when it is completely cool when I return.)  When it is completely cool, I will make the icing and drizzle over the top. A little trick is to poke little holes in the cake (on top, with cake tester or toothpick) and pour icing over the cake and it will go into cake and infuse some of the lemon/orange directly into cake.

Instructions for icing:

Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon into a small bowl.

Dribble in the juices, stirring constantly until the icing is smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.

*should be enough icing for 1 Applesauce Raisin Cake

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Happy Valentines Day Brownies – Chocolatey and Fudgey

Posted on February 10, 2012 | 1 comment

 

This is a delicious easy to make Chocolate Fudgy Brownie. Perfect for Valentines Day , as it is such a Chocolatey Holiday. I have always had a  rather large sweet tooth and  Valentines Day always meant candy, chocolate, dessert of one kind or another and it was always up there with my other favorite , Halloween for pretty much the same reasons. How can you not like a holiday that has so much sweetness?  Make this brownie  anytime and  top with ice cream and chocolate sauce for an incredibly killer dessert. I personally cut them up into small pieces and don’t feel as guilty when I eat them. I came in today from being out all day and saw them on the cake stand and because I had cut them up so small, I indulged in two pieces and it just hit the spot!!! Make no mistake these are the real deal, and I never really understand why anyone would use a mix when this is so easy and all the ingredients are so readily available.  And you have bragging rights for Homemade. Just make sure you use an 8 x 8 baking dish, this really does make a difference. Enjoy and Happy V-Day!!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped ( when you buy the box, the chocolate comes in squares, each square is an ounce)

1/8 tsp. salt (regular table salt)

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup Cake flour (make sure you use Cake Flour not regular Flour)

1 cup semi- sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I used chopped pecans , but chopped walnuts are good as well)

*extra unsalted butter for greasing the pan, I admit to using butter but you can spray with baking spray. (Pam)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square baking dish with unsalted butter ( or spray with Baking Pam)  In a saucepan melt the stick of butter and then when it is melted add the chopped unsweetened chocolate on low heat. Stir often until all the chocolate has been melted. Add the sugar in and let cool for at least 10 minutes.  Once it has sufficiently cooled off , take out another bowl and add beaten eggs and vanilla, and mix well and stir in chocolate mixture. Blend in cake flour ,salt and mix, do not  over mix, just mix till blended. Then add in chocolate chips, and nuts if you’re using them.

Pour batter into greased baking dish and spread evenly. Tap the pan on countertop to get rid of any air bubbles, about 3 or 4 times ought to do it.

Bake the Brownies for 30 minutes ( it’s exactly how long I did)  insert a cake tester or toothpick and it should come out almost clean. Be careful not to over bake.

Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing into squares.

I actually took out of oven and let it sit out covered almost all day, so by the time I cut into them they were completely cool. I used a knife and wet it, so it would cut cleanly.

So yummy!:) Served with an ice cold glass of milk, perfection.

Also can sprinkle a little sifted confectioners sugar on top of cooled brownies before serving if you’d like.

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Mushroom Barley Soup (can be vegetarian)

Posted on February 9, 2012 | 1 comment

I have the funniest story about me and this soup. The first time I made it, I received the recipe from a friend. I didn’t see that it said .5 lbs. of mushrooms and I thought it was 5 lbs! So you can only imagine how much chopping I was doing. I had never seen a recipe say .5 instead of 1/2 lb! Joel happened to be in the kitchen and he kept saying that is an awful lot of mushrooms, and until I looked at it carefully I hadn’t seen that it said .5 . Who writes .5 ? Well, we had enough mushroom barley soup for the whole winter and then some–it expanded to a huge amount, and I had to keep adding liquid, it was hysterical. Once I realized what I had done, I had a good laugh, but the soup was still pretty tasty. I will write it it the way it should be and I doubt you’ll be making that same mistake any time soon. This is a very tasty , deeply robust soup, very healthy rendition of Mushroom Barley Soup. (and I always wear my reading glasses when I read a recipe now because you never know when you really need to see the difference between .5 and 5! )

Ingredients: 

1/3 cup dried mushrooms, like porcini

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

12 medium carrots, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 lb. of white mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of shitake, cremini, portabello or other mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 lb. of whole barley( I had to use pearl barley because that’s what I had in house, it’s fine) I just used 1/2 a bag. Don’t worry over exact measurements here, just eyeball it. If you have a scale, you can measre it exactly, I just halved the bag.

6 cups of beef broth (vegetarians can use vegetable broth)  and you will need the other 2 cups in the box if you are using boxed broth. You will need 8 cups total, just start out with 6.

3 tablespoons sherry

* 1 tablespoon sherry wine vinegar – I like this and add it before I serve it. It’s no biggie if you don’t want to use or don’t have it.

Directions:

Cover dried mushrooms with 1 cup of  hot water and set aside for 20 minutes. Reserve the liquid and finely chop mushrooms.

Heat oil in heavy bottom pot (Le Creuset).

Saute onions and carrots over medium heat until onions begin to turn golden and transparent. Add garlic and saute for a minute. I always throw a bit of kosher salt and pepper in while veggies saute. Just a bit, you’ll taste for Salt and Pepper later.

Add fresh mushrooms(dried ones as well)  and saute for about 5 minutes until mushrooms release their water. Raise the heat and add the barley. Saute until barley begins to color. Add broth and sherry. Add mushroom soaking liquid to pot. Add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Soup will start to naturally thicken as barley plumps up, if you need to add more liquid either water or broth will be just fine.  Simmer for about an hour, you will probably need more liquid, I always add the other 2 cups of broth, and I add water then if it is still too thick, play it by ear. I also add additional Salt and Pepper at this point, you will have to adjust to your own personal taste.  Add vinegar right before serving, if you are using it.  Serve with nice crusty bread! Enjoy!

This makes for a delightful lunch meal with a salad and bread. I also make this in the morning , put whole pot in fridge ( once it cools down) and right before dinner heat it up. This gives flavors time to meld together, and then if you need to add more liquid  you will add water since you’ve already added the additional 2 cups of broth. Freezes up beautifully, and exactly what I will do, because whole family will be coming to visit at the end of week, Yeah!!!! 🙂 🙂

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Spinach and Artichoke Dip – Game Day Dip

Posted on February 4, 2012 | 1 comment

Game Day is finally here, it’s one day away. If you’re looking for a delicious dip , this is it. This recipe belongs to my daughter Jenn, she always makes it and it is always delicious. It goes perfectly with any kind of chip , or you can toast pita bread and cut into triangles. I know it’s fattening, but what the hell ? Superbowl comes but once a year right? This is a Super Snack, and if you like you can use Lite Mayo and Lite Sour Cream, just not fat free, it won’t work out well at all. This is just a great dip to make anytime of the year, and ingredients are super easy to obtain. Just make sure you squeeze out the excess water from the spinach.

Ingredients:

1 box or bag of frozen chopped spinach * (defrosted)  drained and squeezed out of all liquid, this is the most important thing here is to get the spinach as dry as possible.

1 Can Artichokes drained and coarsley chopped ( if you can buy them quartered already do so)

1 1/2 cups Mayonnaise ( Lite is fine)

3/4 cup Sour Cream ( Lite is fine)

3/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese (not grated)

* In order to get spinach as dry as possible, I put it in colander to defrost, or leave it out for a few hours. I then literally squeeze it out to get all the liquid out of it, you don’t want it wet, the liquid will ruin the dip. So first defrost, then drain it, then wring it out with your clean hands.

Directions:

Mix together all ingredients and put in a nice oven proof dish that you’ll want to serve it in and bake at 350 degrees till brown and bubbly , about 30 – 35 minutes.

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Minestrone Soup

Posted on February 4, 2012 | 1 comment

The definition of minestrone is “big soup.” It is a hearty vegetable soup and how it’s made varies from region to region in Italy. It varies mainly because of the availability of vegetables from each region. This is my favorite combination, but really any vegetable can be added. I actually made it in the slow cooker the other day just to see how it would come out. I find that it’s best to saute the onions and garlic first, so it really doesn’t matter which pot you’re going to make it in. The pot on the stove needs to be watched, and either way, you will be using 2 pots. I did the saute on the stove top and then I put it all in the slow cooker on low for 6 hours. I also added ditalini, which I cooked and then added right before serving so it was al dente and not over cooked. I will explain the steps in the directions. This is very tasty and very healthy.

Ingredients: 

2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 small (or 1 large) potato, cubed (You can also add more potatoes if you like.)

1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes with the juice (I used the chef’s cut)

3 cups broth (can be vegetable or chicken)

1 cup shredded cabbage, kale, or spinach (this time I used kale)

1 cup cooked beans, cannellini or any other white bean (I used a 15 oz. can of drained and rinsed white northern beans, because I didn’t have time to soak the beans overnight. Use whichever you’d like.)

1/2 cup small pasta (I used ditalini. You can also use spaghetti broken into small pieces.)

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated parmesan cheese if you’d like when you serve

Directions:

Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil. Use a heavy large pot (Le Creuset.) When onions are golden and translucent, add the carrots, celery and potatoes, and toss for a few minutes just to coat the vegetables with the oil.

If you are using the slow cooker, as I did, just put everything into slow cooker at this point. Add the tomatoes, beans and the broth. I cooked on low for 6 hours, but it can cook up to 8 hours. You can also cook on high for 3 – 4 hours.

About 1/2 hour before you want to serve soup, add the spinach, kale, or cabbage. I had 2 small zucchini in the house and I put them in when I added the cabbage.  I then prepare the pasta and put it in each bowl before serving. (I did this because I didn’t want to freeze the soup with the pasta in it. I find that pasta gets very mushy when you freeze it.)  Next, remove bay leaves, and season to taste, with salt and pepper.

*this soup freezes beautifully, I just cook up more pasta for it while I reheat the soup when I serve it again

Sprinkle with cheese as you serve it.

* if you are cooking in a pot on the stove, cook uncovered for about an hour on a low simmer. The vegetables should be tender and the soup thick. You may or may not need to add more liquid (I find 3 cups usually does it.)

* if you like you can add pasta right to the soup on the stove top method. I just find that the pasta gets very soft, so I prefer doing it separately.

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Red Chili with Turkey or Beef

Posted on February 1, 2012 | 1 comment

Superbowl time and the food that always comes to mind is chili. I have already posted my white bean chili, which I love but this is a more common version. Chili is not an exact science and you can feel free to make substitutions where you like. Obviously the toppings are optional and at your own discretion. Chili is just so easy to make. It sits on the stove or your slow cooker and when you’re ready to eat it, it’s all done. I like chips or taco shells with this. I love fresh jalapeno on the side chopped up, guacamole, refried beans, etc. If you don’t want beef, make it with turkey instead. I usually make it with turkey but this time out I made it with ground beef because I couldn’t get the turkey. We just landed in Aspen and the small market by the airport only had ground beef so it will have to do. I usually make this one day ahead for a special event. This allows the flavors to all meld together and then I just reheat–couldn’t be easier.

A little trick I learned a while back was to add a little Masa flour. It is usually available in the section with Mexican foods. I stumbled upon it quite by accident, and sneak it in with this recipe. I use about 1/8 a cup of Masa flour to about 1/2 cup very hot water. I add it during the first 1/2 hour and see how it thickens up. I probably use about 2/3 of the flour in the end, and it adds a corn flavor and thickens up the chili. (Directions are below.)

Have a fun Superbowl, and let’s go Giants!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (12 – 14 oz) tomato sauce, and then about 1 –  2 cans of water

1 can (Ro-tel) diced tomatoes and chilies

1 can (15 oz.)red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/8  cup masa harina (corn flour) found in the Mexican food section of the supermarket (Mix flour with about 1/2 cup very hot water. It will be quite thick. Drop in by spoonfuls and mix well to incorporate. I probably used 2/3 of the flour mixture. This is optional but ever since I discovered it, I’ve been using it.)

1 can yellow corn (optional, but I always like to add it in. I use a small 8 oz. can)

1 small can (4 oz.) poblano green chilis, cut up or diced (also in Mexican aisle)

1 teaspoon ground oregano (I use Mexican oregano. Use it if you can get it. If not, regular is fine.)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I like the heat. This is optional. You can also take down to 1/4 teaspoon.)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (then you will taste for additional salt. I added 1/4 teaspoon more at the end.)

Grated shredded cheddar or jack cheese for serving

diced red onion and diced fresh jalapeno for serving

Tortilla chips, guacamole, sour cream and salsa for serving

*cilantro for topping (I love cilantro so I chop it up and leave it out for individual garnish.)

Directions:

Place the ground beef or turkey in a large stock pot (Le Creuset) and put in the garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add in the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and cayenne. Stir together well, and reduce heat to low. I use the 15 oz. can of tomato sauce as a measuring cup and add 1 -2 cups of water (this time out I used 1 1/2 cans of water.) Let simmer for an hour or so, covered, occasionally stirring, and adding water, if necessary.

Place the masa harina in a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and stir together with a fork. Add masa mixture to the chili and stir together and taste for seasonings. Add more water if needed. Add the beans, corn, and chilis. I usually add salt at this point. Simmer for another 1/2 hour or so covered. It can simmer for a long while, if you so desire. Or, turn off heat, and just heat up 1/2 hour before serving.  You should check for thickness. During the last 1/2 hour, I added a bit more water .

Serve with assorted toppings I’ve listed. Cheese, jalapenos, chips, guacamole, salsa, chopped onions, sour cream  and cilantro.

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My Superbowl Menu–Go Giants!

Posted on February 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

I am not even sure what we are doing this Superbowl. We have been out of town and will just be getting back. I may not even be doing it, but this is what I did last year except for the shrimp, but shrimp is always a good idea for cold appetizers . I usually make the shrimp, dressing, cookies and macaroni and cheese a day ahead. I make the chili a day or two ahead. The salami can be ready to put in the oven, the nuts I make sometimes a week in advance. The idea is to enjoy the day and enjoy your friends. Last year we had 10 people so this is perfect for 10 – 12 people. Have to admit that last year I brought in wings. Sometimes it’s just easier to pick and choose what you know you want to make  and order in what you don’t want to make (in my case the wings!) These are just some suggestions for the day. Mostly enjoy the day and Let’s Go Giants!

Appetizers:

cold shrimp with cocktail sauce

sweet and spicy nuts (2 recipes on my site)

baked salami (also 2 recipes on my site)

bbq wings which I brought in , sometimes it’s just the way to roll

Dinner:

Macaroni and Cheese (recipe on my site)

Green salad with one of my salad dressings

Red or white chili , whichever you prefer

Dessert:

Cherry chocolate cookies (recipe on my site)

assortment of ice cream is always nice along with the cookies

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Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker – Cooking in your Pajamas

Posted on January 29, 2012 | 2 comments

Short Ribs being seasoned

I like to think of slow cooking as backwards cooking or pajama cooking. I wake up , am having my coffee in my pajamas and chopping vegetables and searing meat first thing in the morning. The good news is that it’s all pretty much done at the end of the day at the time that you’re usually making a mess and just beginning to prepare dinner. The aroma that fills your house is so amazingly delicious. It’s an awesome way to return from your day to dinner cooking and all the prep out of the way. Although, I have to say looking a short rib in the eye first thing in the morning is not always fun.   I  purchased the short ribs, and wanted to cook them Sunday for dinner. I love this recipe,  the ribs literally fall off the bone, they cook for 8 full hours. I put everything in to the slow cooker by 9 a.m. and by 5 p.m they were ready. I do de-fat the gravy so if I am eating the ribs that night, I do this. Sometimes you can make a day ahead and skim the fat the next day. When you sear the ribs, a lot of the fat comes out (  rendered). However after sitting in this sauce for 8 hours a lot more fat is rendered out of the ribs. I use this very easy to use gravy seperator that can be purchased in any home goods store. It makes it so simple to do. I recommend cooking ribs, then letting them cool off a bit, I remove insert from slow cooker and let sit for about an hour or so. I know it’s a drag to use another pot, but it’s the only way to really do this. I take out ribs, and with a slotted spoon remove most of the vegetables and solids. I throw away bones that have come away from meat at this point. I then put the remaing gravy in the gravy seperator and pour back the gravy without the fat on ribs . Heat it up when we’re ready to eat, and that’s it. . The meat falls off the bone, and is so delicious and soft. I served alongside Orzo . A nice green salad is perfect with this.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil ( to cook short ribs in)

app. 8 short ribs ( bought 2 packages in Supermarket) app. 2 1/2 lbs. uncooked

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground black Pepper

6 long carrots peeled and cut into large chunks

2 stalks of celery thickly sliced

1 large white onion, thickly sliced ( Spanish Onion)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup red wine

1 small can Tomato Sauce

2 Tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon dry thyme

1/2 box ( 2 cups) Beef Stock

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan ( I actually use my Le Creuset and work in batches, I like to sear in a large cast iron pot)  I pat ribs dry, lay them out on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, I am generous with the salt and pepper here, cover all sides. When oil is very hot, with tongs I place short ribs in pot, and sear on all sides until a crust forms, don’t play around with the meat let it sear before turning, it’s at least a few minutes on every side, they will get browned and caramelized. I then remove to a plate , I use tongs and let fat and oil drip off a bit.

In the bottom of a 5 quart slow cooker, place the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. I then add the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper, and thyme. Pour in wine and beef stock, and tomato sauce, and worchestershire sauce. Place short ribs, meat side up on top of the vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 8 hours.

As I said , when slow cooker was over , I turned it off, mine goes right into keep warm mode, but I wanted to strain and de-fat the cooking liquid (gravy). I removed insert and let it sit to cool off for easier handling. I then took out my Le Creuset and placed ribs in there, using slotted spoon removed vegetables and placed on top of ribs. I then used the gravy seperator to skim fat. You may want to taste for salt and pepper, but I didn’t need feel it needed anymore.  Poured gravy back over meat and heated it up . We ate it with the orzo and a green salad. So heartwarming, and delicious.

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Salmon Done Simply in Foil

Posted on January 26, 2012 | 4 comments

Again, I need to thank my friend Drew for finding this recipe. It is so good, it’s restaurant worthy. The oregano, lemon and tomatoes give it a mediterranean flavor. It is healthful, simple and very delicious. Joel decided to try to eat more healthfully in 2012 (incorporate more fish, etc.) Usually he doesn’t like to eat fish and if I make it he is disappointed.  But for this, he gave me the green light and the next night I made it. Drew had also tried it, after he came across the recipe from Giada de Laurentis. Really easy and really yummy, this one’s a keeper.  Thanks Drew and thanks Giada!

Ingredients: 

4 (approx. 5 oz. each) salmon fillets (I used 3 6 oz. for the two of us and we finished it all.)

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus another 2 tablespoons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tomatoes, chopped (I used about 2/3 of the container of the small plum tomatoes; it’s not an exact count but you can eyeball it.)

2 shallots, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil and a little salt and pepper. In a bowl, stir together the tomatoes, shallots, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper to blend.

Place each salmon fillet on a piece of aluminum foil (make it large enough to wrap ends and tent.)  Spoon the tomato mixture over salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the fish and tomato mixture, covering completely, then seal the packets closed. Place the foil packet on a baking sheet. (Do whatever works for you, I sort of spiraled the ends, and then folded up the top. As long as aluminum foil piece is large enough to cover it won’t be a problem.) Repeat this step with each piece . Place each individual piece on the baking sheet. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, about 25 minutes. (That was the perfect amount of time for each piece for me. If your pieces are on the thinner side, you may want to remove before 25 minutes.) At the store, ask for salmon filets from the center; this will be the right size. Using a metal spatula, place the salmon on plate, and make sure to get all the sauce. Delicious! I served with rice pilaf and string beans. Of course, Joel ate the salmon and rice, not the string beans, but that’s okay as it was a very healthy meal.

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Maple Syrup and Mustard Glazed Chicken Breasts

Posted on January 24, 2012 | Leave a comment

Always on the prowl for new ways to cook chicken, I came across this recipe that I had never made before. Not only was it delicious, it was easy to prepare and pretty healthy and low in fat. This doesn’t usually happen that it is so tasty and so healthy for you. No cheese, very little fat and very tasty. Cooks in 1/2 hour, perfect! I love browning in a skillet and with this meal it’s all in the one pan, stove top to oven to stove top. Really anything with maple syrup is a hands down winner for me, how can it be bad???  I made it with chicken breasts, but would be perfectly delicious with chicken thighs or pork. I served with rice pilaf and a salad. Any green vegetable would be a perfect accompaniment. I’m thinking haricots verts or brussel sprouts.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

4 chicken breasts ( not the very thin ones, just regular size chicken breasts) the thin ones will cook too quickly and dry out

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Kosher Salt

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 medium garlic cloves , thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 heaping tablespoon stone-ground mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil, swirl to coat whole pan. I pat my chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, I then lay them out on paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. I am generous here , use as much or as little salt and pepper as you like. After a while you’ll know how much to use. Salt and Pepper both sides. When oil is hot, add chicken to pan, saute for a few minutes on each side. Let it get browned. Then remove chicken from pan and put on a plate. Add broth , syrup, thyme, and garlic to pan, bring to a boil, scraping up any brown bits . Cook for a few minutes, then add the mustard and vinegar and cook for another minute or so, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan, spoon some of the mustard mixture over the chicken . Place Pan right in the oven for 10 minutes.* I then let it sit for about 5 minutes, when the rice was ready, I just heated up pan for a minute or so, liquid became a little syrupy , and I poured it over chicken and rice.

Perfectly delicious.

*you can cut a little into chicken if you’re not sure it’s done, but I left it in pan checked for readiness and it was perfect. You just don’t want to dry it out. Nothing worse than dried out chicken.

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