Carrot Bread

I found this old recipe I got from one of my aunt's cookbooks and thought I would give it a try with some marginal carrots in the vegetable drawer. It was good, but I think next time I will decrease the oil to 3/4 cup and bake it as muffins instead of a loaf.  It wasn't done at the end of the 60 minutes and by the time I got it out of the oven it was rather crusty around the edges.

2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup (or less) oil (I used coconut oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups carrots, finely grated
3 eggs
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins

Sift flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and sugar together.  Make a well in the dry ingredients.  Add nuts, oil, vanilla, carrots, raisins and coconut and stir until well mixed.  Pour into greased loaf pan or muffin pans.  Let stand 20 minutes before baking. (I forgot that step!) Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.

Chicken Tetrazzini

from Once A Month Cooking

This is from one of my favorite cookbooks!  All the recipes are created to prepare ahead and freeze. It is by the same authors as Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer. 

8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 T butter
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
5 1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken
4 cups grated Monterrey Jack cheese
2 10 3/4 oz. cans cream of mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper to taste

Break spaghetti in half and cook as directed on package until al dente; drain.  Saute onions in butter. Thoroughly mix onions and remaining ingredients with spaghetti in a large bowl.  (Mixture may be frozen at this point. Thaw before using.)

Put in a baking dish and bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven until bubbly--about 30 - 40 minutes.  Makes 12 servings.

Grilled Stuffed Mushrooms

from the Char-Broil cookbook

Cooking time 12-15 minutes
Grill: medium fire
Yield: 6 servings of 4 mushrooms each

24 mushrooms, stems removed
2 T butter
2 tsp dried minced onion
3/4 c grated cheese
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/3 c bread crumbs
2 T parsley 

Stuff mushrooms with mixture of remaining ingredients.  Cut 6 squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Wrap 4 mushrooms in each square, seal and place on grill over medium fire.  Grill 12 - 15 minutes- do not turn packets.

Lemon Glazed Chicken

(adapted from a recipe in Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or thighs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 t pepper

glaze:

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 T soy sauce

Pound chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.  Mix flour and pepper together.  Dredge chicken through flour mixture and place in a baking dish. Mix glaze with the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to one hour.  Glaze thickens as it cooks.

I made this in a Pampered Chef stone baker and was really glad I did.  The glaze was pretty burned at the end of an hour.  I wish I had checked it earlier and used a spoon to baste the chicken a few times through the cooking process, but WOW it was good!  I used the juice of a whole lemon and (oops) forgot the soy sauce.  I didn't notice the lack.

Mexican Cornbread

2 eggs, beaten
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup oil (I used refined coconut oil)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cream style corn
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup corn meal
1 small can whole green chiles
1 cup grated cheese ( I used cojack)

Mix all ingredients together except chiles and cheese.  Pour 1/2 the batter into a greased 8X8 baking pan.  Lay chiles in strips on top of batter and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.  Pour/spread remaining batter on top and sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.  Makes 9 servings.
*can be made gluten free if you make with GF corn meal and cream style corn.

Tomato Basil Soup

1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 large (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup 1/2 and 1/2
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1 tsp. blackstrap molasses (to add LOTS of minerals)
1 tsp. baking soda (to neutralize the acid in the tomatoes)

Mix it all together in large saucepan and heat through, but do not boil.  We served it with Town House Italian Flavored flat bread crackers.  Yum, yum!

Roasted Chicken with peppers and onions

In deep dish stoneware baker:
Drizzle about 1 Tbsp. olive oil over bottom of baker to keep from sticking. Place chicken parts on top of oil. I used 2 thin-sliced breasts and six thighs.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, thyme, marjoram, poultry seasoning and about 1 tsp. Kosher salt.

Slice 1/2 to 1 whole onion and place over top of seasoned chicken. Slice 1 red pepper and put on top of that. Drizzle about 1/2 tsp. black strap molasses and 1 T olive oil over vegetables.  Cover with lid and bake at 350 45-50 minutes- until chicken is done.