Yogurt Chicken

I thought my first contribution to this blog would be something more 'gourmet'. We had an old favorite last night for dinner and I realized I forgot how much my kids and I enjoy this dish. I didn't have plain yogurt, so I substituted sour cream, it was still delicious.

4-6 Chicken Breasts (we like them sliced thin or pounded out)
1-2 C. Unflavored Yogurt
3/4 tsp. Garlic (powder works)
3 C. Ritz Crackers, crushed
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4-1/2 C. Melted Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix Crackers, Garlic, and Cheese together.
Put half of melted butter in a baking dish (9x13).
Coat chicken with yogurt and then roll in cracker mixtures.
Place in baking dish and drizzle with remaining butter.

Bake covered 30-45 minutes (depending on thickness of chicken breasts),
then continue to bake uncovered 10-15 minutes.

This chicken goes with any side, we had wild rice pilaf and veggies.

Pork Tenderloin Chile Rub

If you add the Black Bean Salad as a side dish to this pork, you'll have a dinner so good, you'd swear it was full of allergens. The original version of this recipe from Bobby Flay has been taken off the Food Network website, but he used like 3 different kinds of chile powder and added the brown sugar after the pork had been grilling for a while. I like adding the sugar right off; it creates a lovely caramelization and a crunchy crust.

3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chile powder
2 t cinnamon
2 t allspice
2 tablespoons brown sugar

2-3 pounds pork tenderloin

Mix all spices and sugar together. Rub all over pork and grill.

The Peterson Shrimp Brick

I don't know who came up with this delightful recipe, but I know that it's not a family party unless there's a shrimp brick.

I haven't figured out a way to make the shrimp brick look really appetizing. I think my cousin-in-law, Laurie, has the right idea, though. Putting the sauce first and then, the shrimp makes it look better, but I always forget to do that (see picture).

Really, not a looker, but delightfully (did I just use a form of "delightful" twice?) easy and delicious. And de-lovely...

Peterson Shrimp Brick

1 block of cream cheese
1 can of tiny shrimp deveining them is a pain, but I think well worth it
1 bottle of cocktail sauce

Put cream cheese on serving plate. Press tiny shrimp into cream cheese block (or you can put them on after). And, pour about 1/2 the bottle of cocktail sauce over it. Serve with crackers.

Lemonade Pie

My MIL and I did a wonderfully easy Easter dinner this year, and I'll have to get her recipe for the main course (asparagus and cheese rolled up in ham, warmed in the oven, and served with a lemony hollandaise sauce--del.ic.ious). The only things I made were a salad and yes, another Kate H recipe, lemonade pie, which I'll forewarn you: if you come to my house sometime this summer, this will be the dessert we'll have. You gotta love a dessert that is made up of ingredients that are so very non-perishable.

LEMONADE PIE
Belle Fillmore Stewart

1( 6-oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 small package Cool Whip
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix ingredients and pour into graham cracker crust. Chill. I found this a little sweet for my taste (really, I never thought I would type such words!), so I added 3 heaping tablespoons of plain yogurt. I think some freshly whipped cream would be a wonderful addition, too.

Graham cracker crust
7 double graham crackers (preferably Nabisco Original GrahamCrackers), ground into crumbs
2 1/2 Tbs butter, melted
1 Tbs powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Creamy Tuna Twist

This is the time of year when I start to try to minimize turning on the stove or oven for dinner. It feels wasteful to me to be cooking as my air conditioner plugs away, ever diligently, to keep the house at 80 degrees. This recipe was a staple in our Arizona house growing up; in fact, my sister, Rachel, is sick of it. But, I still love it for all its deliciously 1970's/1980's flavors (frozen peas, egg noodles, dill).

1 C mayo I used "Vegannaise" to make it Asher-safe; the strong flavors of tuna, dill, and red onion covered any soy aftertaste
2 T cider vinegar
dash pepper
10-12 oz twist macaroni, cooked
1 can tuna, drained, flaked
1 C cooked peas
1 C sliced celery
½ c chopped red onion
¼ c fresh snipped dill or 1 T dried trust me, spring for the fresh dill
salt to taste

in large bowl stir together first 3 ingredients until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, toss to coat, well. Cover, chill. Serves 4.

My Mom's Banana Bread

I took this banana bread to the Claremont Conference and shared it with some friends.
I love it because it's so moist, and it's delicious with or without nuts.

Ingredients:
Cream:
2 C sugar
1 C butter

Add one at a time:
4 large eggs

Add:
5-6 large mashed bananas (I put my overripe ones in the freezer, then let them thaw a little before mixing them in)

Sift then add:
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 C + 4 Tbs flour
1 tsp salt

Add:
1 C nuts (optional)

Grease then flour 2 large or six small bread pans.

Bake 45 min- 1hr on 350. (for large pans)
Loaves are done when toothpick comes out clean in center.

Chewy Chocolate Cake

If I didn't trust my MIL's taste completely, I wouldn't have believed her when she told me there's a delicious egg, dairy, soy free chocolate cake I could make. Then, I saw this recipe in Kate's cookbook (and who's recipes are making up the bulk of my posts lately) and heard an NPR piece on this cake and how its popularity ebbs and flows (sorry, couldn't find the link to the story). An easy and economical keeper!

from In the Sweet Kitchen

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1/4 c natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

6 Tb canola oil
1 Tb white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c cool water

Oven to 350. Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Mix in wet ingredients until most of the lumps are smoothed out, but do not overbeat. Bake in 8x8 pan for 30 minutes (9x9 pan for 23-25). Cool completely—this extremely moist cake will fall apart if removed from the pan too soon. I like to serve it topped with ganache or chocolate sauce, although it’s even good topped with only a sprinkle of powdered sugar.