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Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Martha's Craft of the Day-Bunny Ears

If your feeling talented and want to try something cute for the kids than look no further.
Martha has this adorable and easy craft all laid out for you. In less than 30 minutes this easy craft can be resting upon your sweet child's head.
For those of us that missed the craft bus, Big lots and the Family Dollar stores both have similar versions for just a dollar.
No matter how you choose to decorate your child's head this Easter, I'm sure they will be the hit of the Easter parade in their new bunny ears.

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Thursday, March 06, 2008

All-bran loaf March 6, 2008 by T & N
1 large mug Kellogg's All-Bran
1 large mug currants or mixed fruit
1 large mug milk
A generous half-mug caster or light brown sugar (I used the light brown)
1 large mug of Self-Raising flour


In a large bowl, add the All-Bran, Currants, Milk and Sugar. Leave to stand for 1 hour. (Be warned - it now does not look very nice!)
After an hour, preheat oven to 160 deg Celsius and add the SR flour to the sloppy mixture. Stir well.
Grease and strip-line a standard sized loaf tin.
Bake in oven for an hour and a half or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

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CP-Italian Sausage Soup
Original recipe from
http://cometothetable.blogspot.com/

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cans sliced carrots
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 bay leaf; ground
1 tsp dried oregano, crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
42 oz water
3 Chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup dried macaroni
Parmesan cheese for serving

In a skillet, cook meat, onion, and garlic over medium heat until beef is brown.
In crock pot, add carrots and sausage mixture. In bowl, combine tomatoes, sauce, and spices. Pour tomato mix , water and bouillon cubes over sausage mixture.
Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Top with Parmesan.

Add some garlic cheese bread and enjoy!

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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Shipwreck Casserole
An old-fashioned "hamburger hot dish" from an old newspaper clipping.

1 cup chopped onion
2 medium potatoes, sliced
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
salt and pepper
paprika
1 can tomato soup
1 cup boiling water

Butter a 2-quart casserole. Layer with onions, potatoes, ground beef, rice, carrots, and celery, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper, and paprika. Combine soup with boiling water; pour over all. Bake at 300° for 3 hours.
Shipwreck casserole serves 4.

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Sausage Appetizer
Makes :4 logs

Ingredients
1 lb (.5 kg). sausage (any flavor)
1 8oz. block cream cheese
2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
garlic powder
poppy seeds

Preparation

Fry sausage, crumbling it as it cooks; drain well.
Mix sausage and cream cheese in a bowl until well incorporated.
Take rolls out but only separate them into large rectangles, pressing
triangle seams together. You should end up with 2 rectangles per package.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over all 4 rectangles.
Sprinkle each lightly with garlic powder.
Roll each into a log.
Slightly moisten top of each roll with water.
Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Freeze logs until firm enough to slice (about 15 minutes).
Slice logs into about 3/4" pieces.
Place on cookie sheet (poppy seeds up).
Bake at 350 degrees (175 C.) for about 15 to 20 minutes or until browned.
Enjoy!

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Greek Pastitsio Me Crema - Serves 6
Published in: Winston-Salem Journal

Ingredients

1 pounds elbow macaroni
1/2 pounds butter -- divided use (2 sticks)
1 small onion -- finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3 ounces) tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/4 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cream Sauce (recipe below)

Instructions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions and drain. Heat oven
to 350
degrees.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium to medium-high
heat. Add onions and cook until soft. Add meat and brown. Add tomato
paste
and a little bit of water (2 to 4 tablespoons) . Simmer for about 3
minutes.
Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic salt and oregano. Add salt and pepper
to
taste and simmer about 5 minutes until flavors are blended.

3. Melt remaining butter (2 sticks minus 1 tablespoon) and pour over the
macaroni. Toss well. Spread half the macaroni in the bottom of a
10-by-15-inch baking pan. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the Parmesan over
the
macaroni. Then evenly spread all of the meat mixture. Top with remaining
macaroni, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on top.

4. Evenly pour the cream over the casserole and bake 30 to 40 minutes,
or
until cream sauce is slightly browned. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Opa by Liz Lazarides White.

Cream Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
5 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in milk,
salt,
beaten egg yolks and cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, until
thickened.

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Pecan Crusted Chicken Cutlets - Serves 8
Recipe By: Cook's Country

Ingredients

2 large eggs
4 teaspoon dijon mustard
3 clove garlic minced
2 teaspoon tarragon dried
salt and pepper
4 med chicken breasts skinless -- bonelss, halved horizontally
2 cup pecans
2 slice white sandwich bread -- torn in half
4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250F. Line
rimmed baking sheet with wire rack.

Whisk eggs, mustard, garlic, tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2
teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Add chicken, coat well, cover with
plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing nut mixture.

2. Pulse pecans in food processor until finely chopped, with some
pebble sized pieces. Transfer to pie plate or shallow rimmed dish.
Pulse bread in food processor until finely ground. Add bread crumbs to
nuts and stir in cornstarch, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4
teaspoon salt and cinnamon.

3. Working one at a time, remove cutlets from egg mixture, letting
excess drop back into bowl. Thoroughly coat chicken with nut mixture,
pressing on coating to help it adhere, and transfer to large plate.

4. Heat 1/2 cup oil in large nonstick skillet over medium high heat
until shimmering. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook until golden
brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side (lower heat if crust is
browning too quickly).
Transfer chicken to rack on baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
Discard oil and solids from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and
cutlets.
Season cutlets with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Chicken breasts are too thick to use in this recipe (the outside would
burn long before the meat cooks through), and packaged cutlets are
often too thin (the meat overcooks before the coating browns), for
crisp, browned cutlets that are perfectly cooked through, it's best to
buy chicken breasts and cut them in half yourself. Each breast should
yield two pieces that are about 1/2 in thick.

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Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup - Serves 6
Published in: America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Whole chicken (about 4 pounds) -- breast removed and split,
remaining chicken cut into 2-inch pieces
2 med onions -- cut into medium dice
2 quart boiling water
Table salt
2 bay leaves
1 large carrot -- peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 med rib celery -- sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cup egg noodles (3 ounces) -- preferably wide
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large soup kettle. When oil shimmers and starts to
smoke, add chicken breast halves; sauté until brown on both sides,
about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add half of chopped onions to
kettle; sauté until colored and softened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer to medium bowl; set aside. Add half of chicken pieces; sauté
until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with onions.
Sauté remaining chicken pieces. Return onions and chicken pieces
(excluding breasts) to kettle. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer
until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to
high; add boiling water along with both breast halves, 2 teaspoons
salt, and bay leaves. Return to simmer, then cover and barely simmer
until chicken breasts are cooked and broth is rich and flavorful,
about 20 minutes.

2. Remove chicken breasts from kettle; set aside. When cool enough to
handle, remove skin from breasts, then remove meat from bones and
shred into bite-size pieces; discard skin and bone. Strain broth;
discard bones. Skim fat from broth, reserving 2 tablespoons. (Broth
and meat can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

3. Return soup kettle to medium-high heat. Add reserved chicken fat.
Add remaining onions, along with carrot and celery; sauté until
softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, along with broth and chicken;
simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld, 10 to 15 minutes.
Add noodles and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Adjust
seasonings, stir in parsley, and serve.

Recipe Notes

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 6 to 8

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High Protein Diet Bread
1 1/2 pound loaf

This is a healthier bread that has wonderful flavor. This bread makes great
toast. I used the dough cycle and then let this rise in the bread pan and
then baked at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. If you bake this bread in the oven
be sure to let it rise enough as it does not have a lot of oven rise. I got
this recipe from another group and it was submitted by John Ross.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 1/4 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup soy flour
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup water

Place all ingredients in your machines fully assembled pan and in the order
specified by your machines manufacturer. Select the Basic or White cycle
and press start. After the first 10 minutes of kneading check the dough and
make any necessary adjustments.

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Cheesy Sausage Gravy
Quick Cooking

P.J. Prusia of Raymore, Missouri appreciates the make-ahead convenience
of this breakfast dish shared by a friend many years ago. "I've served
this to overnight guests, and they never fail to ask for the recipe."

SERVINGS: 8
CATEGORY: Condiment
METHOD: Slow Cooker
TIME: Prep: 15 min. Cook: 7 hours

Ingredients:
1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2-1/2 cups milk
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 jar (4-1/2 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
Warm biscuits

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink;
drain and remove sausage. In the same skillet, melt butter. Stir in
flour and pepper until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil;
cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
Stir in soup until blended. Stir in eggs, mushrooms and sausage.
Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
Stir; serve over biscuits. Yield: 8 servings.

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Low Fat Microwave Potato Chips

4 medium potatoes (russet, yellow gold, or red potatoes)
your choice spices or herbs (granulated garlic powder, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, dried dill weed)
butter flavored cooking spray
If potatoes are old, peel and slice thin, 1/16" in thickness, slicing across the potato. If the potatoes are new
or good skins, do not peel; just scrub well, then slice them 1/16" in thickness, slicing across the potato.

If you have a microwave bacon tray, lightly spray it with cooking spray and place the sliced potatoes flat on
the tray in a single layer. If you do not have a bacon tray, do the same with a microwave safe casserole dish.
Lightly spray the top of the potatoes. Sprinkle with your choice of spices or herbs or just leave them plain.
Cover with a microwavable, round heavy plastic cover or a couple of paper towels. Microwave on HIGH
(full power) for 7 to 8 minutes. Cooking time could vary slightly, depending on the wattage of your microwave.
Continue to microwave the remainder of sliced potatoes as noted above.

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Sweet Cinnamon Muffins
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Stir
in cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, combine milk, oil and egg; beat with fork to
mix.
Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients. Stir quickly with fork just until dry
ingredients are moistened. Pour into muffin cups.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins.


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Double Layered Chocolate Pie
9-inch pie

The is a very rich and delicious pie. I used fat free cool whip and fat
free cream cheese and it was very good. I got the recipe from a Cool Whip
lid.

Ingredients:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk or half-and-half
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tub (12 ounces) Cool Whip, thawed
1 6 ounce chocolate flavor crumb crust, prepared
1 1/2 cups cold milk or half-and-half
2 packages Chocolate instant pudding and pie filling

Mix cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk
until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of the whipped topping. Spread on
bottom of crust. Pour 1 1/2 cups milk into bowl. Add pudding mixes. Beat
with wire whisk 1 minute. (Mixture will be thick.) Stir in 2 cups of the
whipped topping. Spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 4 hours or
until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping, Store leftover pie in
refrigerator.

NOTE: Use the 4 serving size package of pudding and pie filling.

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Breast of Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Ginger - Serves 8
Recipe By: Betty Rosbottom
Published in: Cooking School Cookbook
Publish Date: 02/22/04

Ingredients

Spinach Stuffing
20 ounces spinach -- fresh
1/2 pound bacon
1 cup shallot -- finely chopped
4 teaspoons garlic -- finely chopped
4 teaspoons ginger -- finely chopped
salt and pepper -- to taste
Chicken and Sauce
8 boned and skinned chicken breast halves -- 7 or 8 oz
salt and pepper -- to taste
4 ounces butter -- unsalted
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot
2 cups creme fraiche
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
16 whole spinach leaves -- for garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the stuffing, first trim the spinach, removing the stems.
Rinse it well, dry it, and coarsely chop. If you are using frozen
spinach (2 1 1/2 10 oz packages), squeeze out as much water as you
can. Set the spinach aside.
2. Cut the bacon into 1/4 inch cubes. Saute it in a heavy 10 inch
skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted
spoon, and reserve.
3. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet and
reheat over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, 1 to 2
minutes. Then add the spinach and stir until the spinach is just
wilted, 1 to 2 minutes more. taste, and season as needed. Set aside.
4. To prepare the chicken, lay a chicken breast smooth (skin) side
down on a work surface. Remove the two small filets with the white
veins (save them for another use, such as a stir fry dish). Pound the
breast to a thickness of 1/4 to 1/3 inch. Salt and pepper the breast
well. Then spread 1/4 cut of the Spinach Stuffing on one half of the
breast. fold the other half over the stuffing and secure with
toothpicks.
Repeat with the other breasts.
5.Heat the butter and oil over medium high heat in a heavy skillet
large enough to hold the breasts in one layer. If necessary, divide
the ingredients between two skillets. When it is hot, add the chicken
breasts and brown until golden on both sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour
off any remaining int e skillet. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock and
bring to a simmer. Place a lid slightly ajar on the skillet, and
simmer for about 10 minutes more. Test for doneness by piercing the
chicken with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, the meat is done.
6 Remove the chicken to a warm platter and keep warm. Reduce the
liquid in the skillet over high heat by half. Mix together the
arrowroot and the remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock until the arrowroot
is dissolved. Reduce the heat under the skillet to low, and whisk in
the arrowroot mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce
begins to thicken. then add the creme fraiche and mustard and cook,
stirring for 2 minutes more. Taste, and add salt and pepper as
desired. (The chicken and sauce can be made several hours in advance.
Keep each covered and refrigerated until needed. when ready to use,
reheat the chicken by placing the breasts in a baking dish and
sprinkling with the additional 1/2 cup chicken stock. Drape aluminum
foil loosely over the dish and place in a preheated 300F oven to heat
through, 10 minutes or longer. (Reheat the sauce over low heat.)
7. To serve, arrange each piece of chicken on two spinach leaves on a
serving plate. Ladle sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle it with the
reserved bacon cubes. Pass any remaining sauce separately.

Recipe Notes

: I added sauteed mushrooms to add to the sauce.{}

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Oriental Chicken
From: Christine W.
From the T-Fal Pressure Cooker cookbook.

2 tbs. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 chicken pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup medium dry sherry
1 10-ounce can tomatoes
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. soy sauce
2 oranges peeled and sectioned
salt and pepper to taste

To finish:
2 tbs. cornstarch
orange slices Heat butter in cooker. Saute onion and chicken until
light golden. Add
remaining ingredients. Stir well to remove any browned bits from base of
cooker.
Close cooker. Bring up to pressure on high heat, then reduce heat to low
and cook 6 minutes.
Reduce pressure slowly by removing from heat and waiting until steam
escaping from valve has stopped, then remove valve. Let all steam
escape. Open lid, remove chicken to serving dish, keep warm. Mix
cornstarch with a little water until smooth. Return open
cooker to heat and stir in cornstarch. Cook, stirring constantly, until
thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken. Garnish with orange slices.
Makes 4 servings.

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