Karen's Chicken Masala

We share New Year's Eve with my sister, Karen & her family, and my daughter pointed out that her aunt has made this recipe almost every year, and she likes it SO much, she decided it needs to be an official tradition! Karen simplified an original recipe, making it a lot less time consuming, and still oh, so yummy! We usually triple or quadruple the recipe for our large group, but use less chicken.

2 pounds chicken breasts (about 3-4 chicken breasts)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup blanched whole almonds
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala (if you don’t want to buy this spice blend, google “make your own garam masala” to check out some homemade versions, or try this one)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
16-ounce can tomato sauce
Pinch of sugar
1 cup heavy cream (or milk)

Optional Garnish: Lots of fresh cilantro

Toast almonds in a toaster oven OR cook in a small amount of oil in a large enameled cast-iron dutch oven or a large pot until fragrant and just starts to split. Remove the almonds and let cool, then grind them in a food processor or blender until fine. 

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garam masala, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the tomato sauce and the sugar or honey. Season with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5-10 minutes. Ladle half the mixture into a food processer or mixer and puree.* Repeat with the other half. Then return to heat. 

While the mixture begins to simmer, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Throw the chicken into the pot of simmering tomato sauce. Continue simmering/cooking the chicken, partially covered, for an additional 10-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and thickened just slightly. Add the cream and ground almonds* and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes longer. Serve with lots of fresh cilantro over hot, steamed rice and naan bread!

*We simplified even further and just added the almonds in the puree process...tasted great!

Find the original time-consuming recipe complete with "wasteful, overnight marinading" instructions here. Hey, we're busy moms, who like good food, but take shortcuts where warranted, especially where the difference isn't that great!

Mousse Parfait

A favorite at our house, and we often will make this with sugar free jello pudding, and light cream cheese and whipped topping to make it a bit lower fat/sugar for us, and set some aside without the graham crackers for the diabetic. Mmm!

4 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 C milk
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
4 oz whipped topping (1/2 8 oz tub)
1 pkg graham crackers (16 crackers)

Gradually whip softened cream cheese with milk until smooth. Add pudding powder until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Roughly break crackers into 1" size pieces. To assemble, place 1/8 cup crackers in parfait dishes, top with 1/2 cup mousse then repeat. Use remaining cracker crumbs to garnish tops as well as chocolate shavings from a candy bar if you wish. The entire dessert can also be made in a 9" square baking dish, making 2-3 layers. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 6.

May use homemade whipped cream...

Whipped cream

1 C COLD heavy cream
Small pinch salt

Mix in a COLD bowl, and halfway through the mixing, add:
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla


Alternative recipe

Dissolve 1/2 C nonfat dry milk, in 1/3 C COLD water, chill well.

Whip to soft peaks. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Whip to peaks again. Beat 2-4 Tbsp sugar in lightly.

Chicken and Dumpling Soup

1 chicken, 3 lbs, cut up (or several whicken breasts)
6 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
6 peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 can chicken broth
1 can each cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1 onion chopped
2 cups chopped potatoes
1 bayleaf
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp seasoned salt

Place chicken, water, bouillon, peppercorns and cloves in large kettle, cook until tender. Cool, skim off fat. Cut meat into chunks. Strain broth and add soups, broth, chicken and remaining ingredients. Cover & simmer on low heat until tender. About 30 minutes before serving add the dumplings*.

Dumplings:
2 C flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg, well beaten
2/3 C milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Add egg melted butter & enough milk to moisten stiff batter. Drop by teaspoons into boiling liquid. Cook covered without "peeking" for 18-20 minutes or until done.

Makes 10-12 servings.

*I have a note on my recipe to try Mom Howlett's Homemade Egg Noodles instead of the dumplings. I think the dumplings just seemed a bit too much.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

A DELICIOUS recipe from the kitchen of LaNae Callahan* 

2 medium heads of cauliflower cut up small (or broccoli)

1/2 cup butter

1 to 1 1/3 cup chopped onion chopped fine

4 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

1 quart half & half

1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce (I usually put in a couple of tablespoons because I think

it really gives it great flavor)

1 teaspoon salt

1 lb. Velveeta cheese (grated or cut up)

Cook cauliflower or broccoli in boiling salted water. Do not overcook. Drain, reserve the liquid. Melt butter in sauce pan. Add onion and cook till soft. Blend in flour and cook for about 1 minute or so to get rid of the raw flour taste. Add chicken broth slowly and then bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add liquid from cauliflower (2 cups) If it doesn't measure out to be two cups then add extra water. Add half & half, worchestershire sauce and salt. Bring to a boil. Add cheese a little at a time so it melts smoothly. Blend in cauliflower or broccoli carefully so not to make it mushy.

(*My cousin Warren Whitford's MIL - served at one of their baby's blessing celebrations)

Semi-Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

jillee’s family’s favorite semi-homemade hot chocolate mix

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 cups powdered milk
• 21.8 oz box Nestle Nesquik (you could substitute the homemade Nesquik, I just haven’t tried it yet.)
• 16 oz instant coffee creamer
• 1 cup powdered sugar (you can adjust this to taste. I like it a little less sweet and this amount is perfect).

Mix all of this together in a big bowl. (Trust me on this one!) Pour into a storage jar or canister. To make a mug of cocoa, fill it with water or milk and heat in the microwave. Add 3-5 heaping tablespoons of mix to the cup and stir well.

Got this recipe from here.

NO PECTIN STRAWBERRY JAM

Combine in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil TWO minutes.
4 c. crushed fruit
2 T. apple cider vinegar
Then add:
4 c. sugar
Stir and bring to a boil. Boil TEN minutes
Put into hot jars that have been prepared for canning. Fill to within ½ inch of the top. Put hot lids on clean jar surface. Screw on rings. Turn jars upside down for 15 minutes and then turn them right side up again. If a jar does not seal by morning, use it first.

I found this recipe on facebook, and I wanted to document it so I can try it someday when we have lots of strawberries again, like this last spring! Mmm! (Melissa Howlett's fb page.)

Davidson's Sticky Popcorn

Put 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a glass dish and microwave for two minutes.  Stir in 1 cup mini marshmallows. Microwave for one minute. Stir again. Pour mixture over 2 quarts (or 2 bags) popcorn in a large bowl and mix in 2 more cups mini marshmallows.

Yum!!

(Brianna Davidson submitted this as her favorite FHE treat at least ten years ago! It was a quick favorite, even for this person who doesn't like caramel corn!)

Recipes I'm trying soon:

Three recipes from Skinny Crockpot that I will be trying soon:

Easy Roasted Rosemary Chicken
Herb Roasted Chicken
Lemony Chicken And Rice

And other to try soon:
MEXICAN CHICKEN 
Chicken Adobo Filipino Stew

Lemon Zucchini Bread
If I really like it, I'll post it on this blog!

Quick Orange Chicken (Lower Sugar!)

Got this recipe from Best Recipes Diabetic Cooking magazine, the May/June 2004 issue.

2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp no sugar-added orange marmalade
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (abt 1 lb)
1/2 C fresh orange sections
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Microwave Directions

1. For sauce, combine juice concentrate, marmalade, mustard and salt in 8-inch shallow round microwavable dish until juice concentrate is thawed.

2. Add chicken, coating both sides with sauce. Arrange chicken around edge of dish without overlapping. Cover with vented plastic wrap.  Microwave at HIGH (100%) 3 minutes; turn chicken over. Microwave at MEDIUM-HIGH (70% power) 4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.

3. Remove chicken to serving plate. Microwave remaining sauce at HIGH (100%) 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened.

4. To serve, spoon sauce over chicken; top with orange sections and parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Dietary exchanges:
3 lean meat, 1/2 fruit

Nutrients per serving:
Cal - 157
Total Fat - 2 g
Carb - 8 g
Chol - 65 mg
Fiber - <1 g
Cal from fat - 16%
Sat fat <1 g
Protein - 26 g
Sodium - 234 mg

Southwest Pork & Sauce

To use some pork I had for a Sunday dinner, and since we'd had one of the old standby's recently and I wasn't in the mood to hunt up a recipe..I made one up. (I do that periodically - sometimes it works, sometimes not so much!) Since it was such a hit with the family, I had to write this one down.

Pork carnitas or boneless ribs (about 2 lbs?)
1 tbsp cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 C chopped cilantro (I had some in the freezer*)
1 can cream of chicken soup,  (or use some from the mix recipe like I did)
Salt & pepper to taste
(Oh, I did add about 1/2 tsp Knorr's Tomato bouillon

Place in slow cooker and cook for 4 hours on high. We served it over brown rice, with veggies & salad on the side, and everybody raved over it...mmmm! Successful Sunday dinner!

*Got that idea from my friend's blog, Frieda Loves Bread.

Cranberry Apple Muffins Recipe

My sister introduced these to me when our family visited them recently. I'm including it here, because I couldn't risk losing this recipe - it was SO good, and I had a bit of trouble finding it on the internet. Here's the recipe link where I finally found it. I included the byline from Esther Bowers, because she was the name of the original recipe creator, according to my sister's recipe. 

We did make it with 2/3 parts whole wheat flour and only 1 cup sugar to lighten it up a bit. We could have tried applesauce instead of oil, but we haven't yet. Oh, and I wouldn't make this without using fresh/frozen cranberries - they are the best part!



It's sometimes difficult to get our daughter to eat healthy foods, but she gobbles up these fruit-filled muffins. Although these are a "must" around the holidays, I keep cranberries in the freezer so I can whip up a batch any time of year. —Esther Bowers, Westland, Michigan

• Prep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min.
• Yield: 18 Servings

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Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded peeled apples
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a bowl, combine apples and sugar; let stand for 10 minutes. Add cranberries, carrots, nuts, eggs and oil; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, coriander if desired and salt; stir into apple mixture just until moistened. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
• Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 each) equals 241 calories, 11 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 24 mg cholesterol, 282 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

You may never fry chicken again after tasting this baked crispy chicken.



2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts 
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter

Crush crackers. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

(Couldn't add this to my Pinterest account, because the recipe was on facebook only. Here's that link.) 

Homemade Granola (Low Sugar Version)

(Original recipe was one of my favorite recipes from Jil Abegg's "How to Save Big Money Grocery and Household Shopping Savers' Seminar", and Marie Rick's homemaking class)

6 c. regular oats

½ - 1 c. toasted wheat germ

1 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

1 c. unsweetened ribbon coconut

1/4 c. sesame seeds

1 c. chopped nuts

½ c. shelled sunflower seeds

1-2 tsp. cinnamon

¼- ½ tsp. nutmeg

1 c. vegetable oil

¼- ½ c. honey (regular recipe called for 1 C)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. raisins (optional)

METHOD

Pour honey, oil and vanilla mixture over oat mixture, and stir until well mixed. Turn onto lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake in 300° oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown, turning over occasionally. May stir in one cup raisins and bake for an additional five minutes.

Bisquick's Coffee Cake

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

⅔ cup milk or water

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

Streusel topping (below)

Heat oven to 375°. Grease round pan, 9X1½. Stir all ingredients except Streusel Topping in medium bowl until blended. Spread in pan. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping. Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. 10 servings.

Streusel Topping:

⅓ cup Bisquick baking mix

⅓ cup packed brown sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp firm margarine, butter or 65% veg oil spread

Mix all ingredients in small bowl until crumbly.

Homemade Bisquick Mix recipe here.

Chicken Delight

(From the Gourmet Pantry, 13^th and Lighthouse in Monterey, California.)

Lay vegetables on bottom of casserole dish. (Frozen broccoli, mixed veges, fresh cut veges, or whatever you like.)

Boil one chicken with ½ to 1 teaspoon each: allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg. Debone and shred chicken and lay it on top of the vegetables.

Whip together topping: 1 can cream of mushroom soup, equal amount mayonnaise, (NOT salad dressing), 1 t curry, 3 t lemon juice.

Spread topping over vegetables and chicken, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake in 350° oven for 30 to 60 minutes. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Hamburger Pie

Heat together: Ground beef, onions, undrained green beans, can of tomato soup, and salt and pepper.

Drop mashed potatoes (mixed with an egg) atop meat mixture in casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered in 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4-6 servings.

Pizza Dough

(From my Betty Crocker Cookbook, 1983 edition.)

1 pkg active dry yeast or 1½ tsp Saf-Insant yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2½ cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water (if it’s active.) Stir in remaining ingredients; beat vigorously 20 strokes. Let rest about 5 minutes.  (I've started adding italian spices to the dough, 1 tsp each garlic, basil, oregano, for added flavor - mmm!)

For pizza - Roll out on pizza pan and top with favorite pizza toppings or make bread sticks. Bake for about 18 mins in 425° oven.

For deep dish pizza - See the recipe here.

My addition: For bread sticks - Spread with melted butter, grated mozzarella cheese and little salt, bake 10+ minutes at 425°.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies (Crisco)

(This recipe is from Crisco, find the original here.)

15 min
20 min
3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening (we always use butter flavored shortening)
• OR 3/4 stick Crisco® Baking Sticks Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening
• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (6 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 375ºF.


2. COMBINE shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.


3. DROP by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.


4. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool completely.


5. * If nuts are omitted, [you may] add an additional 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.
   
   
   VARIATIONS

1. BAR COOKIES
   HEAT oven to 375ºF. Follow recipe above to prepare dough. Spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray. Spread dough evenly in pan. BAKE 19 to 21 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and center feels slightly firm to the touch. Cool completely before cutting into bars.


2. LARGE ROUNDS
   HEAT oven to 375ºF. Follow recipe above to prepare dough. Spray small area in center of baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray. Cover with 12-inch square of foil. PLACE one-fourth of dough in center of foil. Form into a small circle with spatula or rubber scraper. Spray 12-inch square of wax paper with no-stick cooking spray. Place sprayed side down on top of dough. Flatten with round cake pan or pie pan to form a 7-inch circle. Remove wax paper.  BAKE 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden color. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet on a cooling rack. Remove to rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.


3. CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE OR DIP
   DRIZZLE: Melt 1 cup semi-sweet or white chocolate pieces with 1 teaspoon shortening over very low heat. Stir well. If too thick to drizzle, add 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon more shortening to thin. Drizzle from end of spoon back and forth over cookie. Sprinkle with nuts before chocolate hardens. To harden chocolate quickly, place in refrigerator for a few minutes.
   DIP: Spoon melted chocolate into custard cup. Dip one end of cooled cookie halfway up in chocolate. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts before chocolate hardens, or drizzle with contrasting white or dark chocolate. Place on wax paper.