Apricot Chicken

I have apricots growing out of my ears. I made jam until I could jam no more!!! So, what are the other options...well, there are the sweet treats, but I am trying to behave...and that is tough...so I decided I would do apricot chicken. I looked at this one by Rachael Ray, but added my own little flare.  It is not spectacular, but it will be, I think maybe adding a squeeze of citrus might liven it up. 

Apricot Chicken
Adapted from Rachael Ray
Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
• 2 pounds chicken tenderloins, cut in 1/2 across on an angle
• Salt and pepper, and cinnamon chipotle chicken rub (optional)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
dash of chili powder.
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons cider or white wine vinegar
• 12 fresh apricots, chopped
• 1 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup apricot all fruit spread or apricot preserves
Directions

Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Add oil and chicken. Season with salt and pepper and chicken rub (I like chipotle cinnamon). Cook the chicken until brown. Take out and let rest, add more oil to the pan and add onions. Cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and flour and stir to make a roux. Add vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add apricots and stock. When stock comes to a bubble, add preserves and dash of chili powder and stir to combine. Add Chicken, cover pan, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken.

Apricot Jam

Apricot Jam
About six 1 cup (250ml) jars

10 cups diced and cooked apricots
1/2 cup water
8 cups sugar
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
**to make it a mixed berry add equal amount of berries and 2 more cups of sugar and 1 package of pectin

1. Cut the apricots in half and extract the pits.

2. Place the apricots in a very large stockpot, and add the water. Cover the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the apricots are tender and cooked through.

3. Put a small plate in the freezer.

4. Add the sugar to the apricots and cook, uncovered, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. As the mixture thickens and reduces, stir frequently to make sure the jam isn’t burning on the bottom.

5. When the jam looks thick and is looks slightly-jelled, turn off the heat and put a small amount of jam on the chilled plate. Put back in the freezer for a few minutes, then do the nudge test: If the jam mounds and wrinkles (as shown in the photo), it’s done. If not, continue to cook, then re-test the jam until it reaches that consistency.

(You can use a candy thermometer if you wish. The finished jam will be about 220ºF, 104ºC.)

6. Once done, stir in the lemon juice, and ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until ready to use.

Storage: I find this jam will keep up to one year if refrigerated. If you wish to can it for long-term preservation, you can refer to the USDA Canning Guidelines for techniques.

Pizza!

Tonight, with a friend, we decided to tackle Tumamoc Hill, a lovely steep hill on the west side of town, that takes you up 700 feet in a mile and a half.  After an accomplishment like that, we needed to eat well.  We wanted to make pizza!  I am not so great at the whole pizza dough thing, but luckily Trader Joe's comes in and saves the day with their awesome dough.  We decided to do BBQ chicken and Margherita, which I had never made before, but I had fresh tomatoes from my mom's garden and fresh basil from my herb garden.  It is now my favorite, it was amazing!!  Happy Pizza-ing!!

Pizza Margherita

1/2 Trader Joe's Pizza dough
1 tomato sliced, or 2 small tomatoes
1/2 cup marinara (my marinara recipe is somewhere in this blog)
1/2 ball mozzarella sliced thin
6-7 basil leaves, chiffonade

Roll out the dough and cook in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.  This will help it from getting soggy in the middle.
After you get it out, add the marinara sauce, place the basil and tomatoes around the pizza, and then place the mozzarella slices on top of the pizza.  


Cook in the 450 degree oven for 12 more minutes.  

BBQ Chicken Pizza
1/2 Trader Joe's dough
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce
 6 mini peppers, sliced
1/4 of an onion, sliced and sauteed
3/4 cup shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
1/2 ball of mozzarella grated

Roll out the dough and cook in a 450 degree preheated oven for 10 minutes.  This will help it from getting soggy in the middle.
After you get it out, add the BBQ sauce, place the peppers, onions and chickens around the pizza, and then place the mozzarella on top of the pizza.  


Cook in the 450 degree oven for 12 more minutes. 

 and dessert was chocolate cheesecake bars (recipe on blog) and homemade chocolate mint ice cream...I would give you the recipe, but I kind of just threw it together without measuring.  :)

Spinach and Potato Sauté

mmmmmmm.....I am eating this while blogging it....it is really yummy, and so healthy.  I got the recipe from world's healthiest foods site, and modified the spices a bit to the ones that I like, and added fresh red potatoes from my parent's garden.  Really am loving it.  I paired it with brown rice mixed with quinoa, barley and buckwheat.  If feels satisfying, nourishing and warm.  So get you healthy on!!!

Spinach and Potato  Sauté 

Ingredients:

·                         1 medium onion, chopped

·                         4 medium cloves garlic, minced

·                         1 cup + 1 TBS chicken or vegetable broth

·                         Dash of ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, cumin, curry powder

·                         1 TBS fresh lemon juice

·                         2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

·                         ½ cup red potatoes, chopped

·                         2 cups fresh spinach

·                         2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

·                         salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop onions and mince garlic and let sit for 5 minutes to bring out their health-promoting benefits.
2. Heat 1 TBS broth in a large stainless steel skillet. Healthy Sauté onion in broth over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.
3. Add seasonings and lemon juice and stir to mix thoroughly. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Simmer covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Uncover to allow sauce to thicken and cook another couple minutes.
4. Press water out of spinach and add to sweet potatoes. Cook uncovered for a few more minutes to allow sauce to thicken. Add cilantro, salt, and pepper.

Crunchy Strawberry Spinach Salad

One of my fabulous relatives has a fantastic health blog.  She shares recipes, exercise and emotional heath tips that are wonderful.  Her name is Brooke Yool and her site is:  http://youcangetfit.wordpress.com/ 

She posted a recipe recently that I had to try.  So last night I made it for an after Sabino Canyon hike to share with my hiking friend.  This was a great recipe, and I changed it up a bit for me, and it was satisfying, tasty, and heathy.  Fantastic!  It includes ramen noodles, that sounds strange, but the sauteing of them help to change their consistency to a toasted crunchiness.  If I were to do this again, I would replace some of the sugar with honey and add a tablespoon of orange juice and a bit of grated rind.  So good salading!!!

Crunchy Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 3 oz package ramen (noodles only)
1 c almond slices
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 tbsp white sugar                                                                                                           
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp soy sauce

8 strawberries

fresh ground pepper
6 oz baby spinach
2 c sliced strawberries

1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Crumble ramen noodles (set seasoning packet aside for another use) into skillet. Add nuts. Stir frequently to toast nuts and noodles, toasting for 3-5 minutes. Keep them moving to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Make dressing: In a blender, place 1/4 c vegetable oil, sugar, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and a few turns of black pepper, and 8 strawberries.  Blend and place in container with a tight lid. 

3. Assemble salad: In large bowl, combine spinach and strawberry slices. Add cooled nuts and noodles; toss to combine. Top with dressing; toss to mix thoroughly. You are ready to serve!

Chewy, Chocolaty, Sweet, Amazing Brownie Temptation (aka bribery)

So, did you ever see that episode of Friends where Monica is trying to make Phoebe's grandmothers chocolate chip cookies, but can't replicate.  Finally, Phoebe tells here that it was from the French part of her family "nes le tool hous"  The friends then realize the recipe was from Nestle Tollhouse all along...ya, well, that is the recipe I use for chocolate chip cookies too, I have tried others, but I like those the best.  Well, guess what, their brownie recipe is amazing also.  I made these to bribe my supervisor for some extra days off, and to give to some of my co-workers, because it makes the guys hug me, and I like hugs and to feel the love :)  So here it is....enjoy!!!

Old School Fudge Brownies with walnuts and chocolate chunks 
adapted from Toll House by Joy the Baker

















1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's dark)                                                                             
3/4 cup butter
2 Tablespoons water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bar (oops 1/4 cup?  I used 1/2 a bag!!!) :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.  (or a 10-inch round cake pan.)
Combine butter and cocoa powder in a small bowl, and place over a pot of simmering water.  Make sure that the simmering water down not touch the bottom of the bowl.  Add the water and stir to melt the ingredients.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the eggs and the sugar.  Add the vanilla extract.  When the butter and chocolate have melted and come together, slowly stir the chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir to combine.  Fold in the nuts, saving a small handful for the top of the brownies if you like.
Pour the batter in the pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips or chocolate chunks and remaining nuts.  Bake for 18-25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cut into bars.

and the final Cinco de Mayo post...but, maybe the best....because it is the Sopapilla

Oh my goodness...not sure I can wait until my party to share this treat...it looks and smells AMAZING!!  So, make this, right now, and live happily ever after.  The End.


                                                                     

Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie

 

Original Recipe Yield 1 - 9x13 inch cheesecake

Ingredients

 

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
• 2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
• into 12 squares. 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey

Directions

1.                     Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2.                     Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.

3.                     Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.

4.                     Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting

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