Sweet and Sour Chicken

On those days when you want something decent for dinner, but don't really have a lot of time or energy to pull it off, this very easy sweet and sour chicken recipe will do the trick.  You can make it in a crock pot or bake it in the oven... you choose.  The ingredients make a great sauce that is superb on white rice.  Fix a salad or vegetable to go with it and voila...you have dinner!

- Nanette

Ingredients:

- one small bottle of Russian salad dressing

- one small jar of apricot preserves (I used homemade--you may use store bought)

- one packet of dry french onion soup mix

Mix all of this together and pour over 4-6 boneless chicken breasts.  Either put this in a rectangular baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes OR place everything in a crock pot and cook 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked all the way through.  Serve over white rice.

Sauce ingredients   

Finished product!

Oven Pancake

Oven Pancake  

As the long hot summer wears on, you may be looking for something yummy to fix indoors--grilling is still great but far less attractive in 90+ degree heat.  Make this tasty oven pancake for a great weekend treat.  It puffs up light and fluffy.  It is an easy yet exotic twist on the old garden variety pancake.  Try it!

--Nanette

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 eggs

1/2  cup all-purpose flour

1/2  cup milk

1/4  teaspoon salt

1/4  teaspoon butter, almond, or vanilla extract (Olivia used all three when she made this!)

• 1 Heat oven to 400°F. In 9-inch glass pie plate, melt butter in oven; brush butter over bottom and side of pie plate.
• 2 In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, milk and salt just until mixed (do not overbeat). Pour into pie plate.
• 3 Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve pancake immediately.

Here is what the batter looks when it's added to the hot, melted butter:

The oven pancake looks so delicate when it comes out of the oven:

Here is a slice of the oven pancake with sausage.  Pair this with fruit and you have a breakfast fit for a king!

Lazy Cake Cookies:

Even though it is summer and you may not be baking as much as you might in the fall and winter, this is a great, quick, easy and scrumptious bar cookie recipe.  Experiment with the type of cake you use or the candies you use to make your own unique creation.  Sit down and relax with a bar cookie and a cool glass of tea or lemonade.  Olivia made these and they were great!
- Nanette

1 box yellow or white cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 T melted butter
2 C M&M's or mini chocolate chips  (Olivia used a combination of Reese's Pieces and peanut butter chips!)

Mix together, put in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 min!

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

During the summer months, everyone seems to be looking for a good snack that travels well.  Look no further.  These delicious almonds are super easy to make, pack just the right amount of flavorful punch, and are great to take hiking, driving, to work, etc.  Almonds are a delightfully healthy nut. Olivia put together this tasty concoction.  Enjoy a few and let us know what you think!
-Nanette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups unblanched whole almonds

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Add almonds; toss to coat. Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.
• Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 cups.

Chicken Caesar Pita Pizza

Chicken Caesar Pita Pizza

This post is all chicken, all the time.This is a winner for those hot summer evenings when you want something yummy, but light.  Olivia is not a fan of anchovies (but boy her mom sure is--I could eat a whole can in one sitting--and have) so she chooses to use one third tube of anchovy paste.  This way you get all of the fishy goodness without facing what some call --the hairy fish!  Either way it will be delicious.

Another way to "summerize" this recipe is to heat your pitas on the grill after brushing them with garlic infused oil instead of firing up the oven.  Try this out and let us know what you think!  Also check out below a quick tip for making summer chicken salad without the mayo!
-Nanette

Ingredients

Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry, minced, optional
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper

Pita:

• 1 (8-ounce) package white pita bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cups shredded fontina
• 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• Leftover chicken

Directions

For the dressing: Put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

For the pita: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Place the pitas on the prepared baking sheets. Brush each pita evenly with olive oil. Bake for 5 minutes. Top each evenly with fontina. Bake until the cheese is melted and the pita is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss the lettuce with Caesar dressing. Top each pita pizza with desired amount of salad, tomatoes, and chicken.

QUICK KITCHEN TIP:  Good Seasons salad dressings come in a packet and have a glass cruet that has marked what proportions of water, oil, and vinegar you are supposed to use.  When making the Italian dressing, try using pomegranate red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.  This makes a scrumptious dressing that can be used on just about any salad including the one below.

Place in a bowl shredded cooked chicken breast or canned chicken will do also.  Add slivered almonds or pecan pieces.  Also add either dried cranberries or golden raisins.  Then add a thinly sliced green onion.  Pour over just enough Good Seasons Italian dressing to moisten everything.  Stir and chill.  Let it stay in the frig just long enough for the flavors to swap howdies and get acquainted.  Serve on  your favorite bread or roll.