BIZZY BAKES

This week, I was the lucky lady to select the recipe we have cooked for our Eating With Ellie group.  I asked someone to pick up the ingredients, I needed but must have made some mistakes.  I found a package of stir fry vegetables and separated the snow peas, added some of the green beans and used them.  I rarely keep scallions in the house so I subbed in red pepper. I did not like the mushrooms in the soup although I usually like mushrooms.  This soup lends itself to many vegetables.  Broccoli or spinach would fit right in.  The bok choy was an excellent choice by Ellie. I would make this again with some different veggies. To find out what our other cooks thought of this soup, stop off at EwE . Full Plate  Thursday         This is How We Roll          F oodie Friday           Foodie Friends Friday                ...

I love to leave the chicken breasts plump and not flatten them for this particular recipe.  We end up getting this juicy and most chicken immersed in flavor.   Crusty Chicken  Cutlets with Maple­ Mustard Sauce  ( adapted from  Cooking Light ) Ingredients: 4  skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Cooking spray  2 tablespoons chopped red onion 6 tablespoons maple syrup 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon water 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill Breading: 2 cups gluten-free panko crumbs   Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium ­high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Combine remaining ingredients. Dip chicken in maple mustard sauce and then in panko crumbs. Add chicken to pan and cook on each side for a few minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and place...

   Margaret Selected  Asian Chicken and Vegetable in Foil Packets page 143  in Weeknight Wonders.  It is chicken cutlets topped with veggies and sauce made in aluminum foil packets.  I love the results but did not enjoy cooking in aluminum foil.  I think, it just made it messier.  I served this with rice and used some of the sauce and vegetables to mix in the rice. I would have enjoyed broccoli added to the vegetables or in place of the green bell pepper.  Actually, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, peas, beans or squash would be good additions to the recipe (not all of them),  I would like sweet potatoes on top of the chicken as well .  This lends itself to be a versatile dish. Check out E ating with Ellie  to see what the other members did with their Asian Chicken and Vegetables.  You might want to see what we are making in the near future and if it appeals to you, feel free to join us. Weekend Potluck   ...

This week was my turn to select a recipe and I chose a Maple Glazed Chicken.  I have cooked chicken with honey and/or maple syrup before and it was always good.  I made this weeks ago to beat the Passover rush.  It amazes me how quickly these weeks before Passover go by.  There is so much to do and we tend to jump from one phase to another and still run our lives as usual.  Looking back each year, I wonder how it is done.  Yet, no matter what, it appears we pull it off.  We have had deaths in the family a week before Pesach and we finished in time.  We had children getting married close to Pesach and we thankfully pulled it off.   You will find the recipe online as well as a video showing Donna making it.  To see what others have done with their chicken, check Wednesdays with Donna Hay. Our group welcomes new members so if you are a fan of Donna's and would like to join us, just jump right in. Linked to:   Waste Not Want...

Kayte chose Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry . I had thought about selecting this one also. I am a fan of chicken and coconut, only in certain forms. I do not like a cake with lots of coconut coating the frosting but I love using coconut milk in recipes or added shredded coconut to fruit salads. Chicken is good in almost any form with almost any seasonings. I did most of my cooking for Wednesdays with Donna Hay and Eating with Ellie ahead of time because of the oncoming Jewish holiday of Passover (Pesach). Ask any Jewish woman who keeps this holiday strictly how she feels the weeks before the holiday and I am betting , she will say, "Tired!!!!!!". I enjoy the work but I am exhausted and the blog has to take a backseat to other parts of my life. I did want to keep up as best as I could with the two groups mentioned ahead and I cooked whatever was possible ahead of time. I made this Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry, weeks ago and I don't remember the details bu...

This week, Eating with Ellie, presented a real problem for this kosher cook. The recipe called for Pork Tenderloin so I substituted chicken. I wanted to see how this dish came together. Fennel, grapes and chicken (or pork in everyone else's case) didn't sound right but I have learned that some of those dishes that sound odd to me are the very best. This recipe was chosen by Gaye The Eating with Ellie group made Pork Tenderloin with Fennel and Grapes, which is found on page 119 of Weeknight Wonders, You can see the recipe  here . I used chicken breast, olive oil, fennel bulb, vegetable broth, red grapes, lemon juice and a tiny bit of black pepper. This was a cinch to make and timewise was a dream. We are having it for dinner so I don't know how much we will like it or not but based on the other Ellie cooks, I am pretty sure, this will be a success. Check out our EwE page a nd see what others cooked and what is coming up in the future. We would love to have yo...

By now, you must know that I have found only success with the recipes in Joy Bauer's  book and those found on her website.    Although the recipes are online and that means we can and should make them, I believe in supporting those chefs that give my family such pleasure in eating.  Based on that I recommend her book, Slim and Scrumptious .  It is a wonderful addition to your cookbook library and I can always find a recipe that fits my needs and desires. C hicken and Vegetable Curry   adapted from Joy Bauer Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 head cauliflower cut into 1-inch florets, stem discarded or 1 large bag of frozen cauliflower 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, preferably no-salt-added Method...

This week, Margaret chose Hokkien Noodles with Sesame Chicken from New Food Fast by Donna Hay for out WwDH. Of course, I had no clue as to what Hokkien noodles were so I went to one of my favorite sites, Wise Geek, to find out. " Hokkien noodles are round egg noodles that are usually of medium thickness. Often packaged and sold in refrigerated packages in ethnic food shops and health food stores, these noodles are favorite options for inclusion in stir fried dishes as well as in several varieties of soups and entrees seasoned with mixtures of meats, fish, and vegetables. Dishes that make use of Hokkien noodles are found all over the world, with some of the most popular recipes originating in Malaysia, Singapore, and China." I have to admit that I used Sesame Chicken which I made for Friday night since the recipe was similar and I had it left over and it made no sense to duplicate my efforts.  Tonight, I altered the seasonings lightly, added broccoli and noodles and ...

I realized, I have put up only a few of the wonderful chicken recipes, I have made over the year.  I thought it was time to add at least one of them.  This is from the present summer and it took advantage of our barbecue. Hubby brought home a new outside grill a few weeks ago.   Despite this, we have only barbecued a few times and this is one of them.  I think it is due to our busy lives.   Hubby was excited about getting a new grill and brought it home and immediately set it up in anticipation of using it.  He doesn't usually talk about "things" but this time, he did.  A new grill was definitely a good addition.........even though we did not use it right away. This recipe came out nicely on the grill.  In a pan, I made the onions and yellow peppers which I served with the cutlets on top.   Grilled Chili Chicken Cutlets Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken cutlets 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chili sauce 1 yell...

Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges 1 thinly sliced red onion Spray olive oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided 4 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups) 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Method: Preheat oven to 425°. Toss together the sweet potatoes and onion on a parchment covered baking dish or cookie sheet with a rim. Sprinkle salt and pepper over vegetables.  Spray olive oil over vegetables lightly.  Roast 30 minutes or until tender. While potatoes are cooking, * grill chicken cutlets until cooked through. Toss the sweet potato–onion mixture with spinach and fresh lime juice. Serve warm with chicken. Note:  At the last minute, I wrapped the chicken with deli (because I had to use it up). * Unfortunately, I read this very informative article after the chicken was gri...

This recipe was supposed to Balsamic Chicken with Garlic Couscous.  Since couscous has gluten, I substituted rice and since hubby gets sick from garlic, I used some garden grown basil. I made a mistake when I planned the weekly menu forgetting WWDH.  I can't forget Donna and her recipes.  I enjoy them too much.  Margaret selected this week's dish and I am thinking, we all agree it is a wonderful choice. After marinating the chicken, it is cooked in a fry pan for a few minutes on both sides.  The rice is cooked in the soup and I added the basil.  Although, this has differences from Donna's recipe, it is a great dinner.  I served some baby spinach with it to finish out the plate. Please check out the ladies of our Donna Hay group and to see the results for this dish.  Margaret ,     Gaye and     Sarah .   Kayte is taking a break and I miss her already.   The recipe is online here . Linked to: Wednesday W...

Continuing the theme of using what I have on hand, I made this dish because I had a package of chicken cutlets, in the freezer and mushrooms in the refrigerator.  I bought the mushrooms without a plan, knowing I would adjust my cooking to use them.  Chicken cutlets are usually in the freezer.  I buy a family pack and break it down into several smaller packages with two - three cutlets in each. We used to eat chickens cut into quarters and suddenly our taste changed and we only like the cutlets.  I am not even sure how it happened.  Both ways provide versatility.  I guess the major difference is that the chicken pieces take longer to cook. I have made many changes in what I cook and what we eat since I began blogging.  I use fresh herbs when possible. I try new foods such as kale, leeks and purple sweet potatoes. We cut back on beef. We eat tons more vegetables. I became more aware of how much hubby does not like spice in recipes and d...

This is another Passover recipe, I have to share.  Passover is a funny holiday when it comes to food.  Some people feel deprived because we do not use many  of our normal choices. There are others and I count myself as part of this group who glory in what can be done with a more limited array of  ingredients.   When you think about it, there is one week, we eat without using flour and foods with gluten.  No pasta, no bread, no "normal" cake or cookies, no rice for Sefardic Jews, no beans as well.  It is different but I welcome it.  I think we eat as well if not better for this week than the entire year. Honey and Walnut-Crusted Chicken Ingredients: 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat  non stick cooking spray (olive oil) ½ cup honey ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 cup potato starch ¾ cup fine chopped nuts (I used walnuts but pecans would be better, in my opinion.) ...

We were excited to hear that Barilla is now selling gluten-free pasta but it has not arrived at our local stores.  Ronzoni has and tonight, I used their penne, for the first time.   Barillas has many shapes, as well.    I am not sure but I think that the Ronzoni penne which I used tonight is better than the brands, I have cooked with.  I want to make more dishes and also to use Barilla. I am not sure how to do a taste test using the four brands I have access to.  Too much eating.    Tonight, I cooked this dish using roasted red and orange peppers, penne pasta, roasted tomatoes, and shredded chicken.  The minimal sauce was made of oil, vinegar, tomato paste, oregano, basil, sugar, black pepper and salt.  I thought I would want additional sauce but it was fine, coating the pasta and nothing more.  Hubby and I both enjoyed this and hubby had seconds.  I would make this again. Check out the other Donn...

I have learned to love using coconut milk in recipes.  It has a subtle flavor that I like better than Rice Dream.  In the recipe below, I cut down on the tomato sauce I used.  It was too much and not necessary.  If you want to serve this with pasta, then the extra sauce, will come in handy. Curried Coconut Chicken adapted from All Recipes Yield ---- 2- 3 servings Ingredients:  1 pound chicken pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 onion, thinly sliced about 4 ounces of coconut milk 2/3 cup diced tomatoes  (either fresh or canned) 1/3 cup Marinara sauce 1 tablespoons brown sugar Method: Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and cook 1 minute more.  Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry and oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicke...

I was excited about this week's recipe from our Donna Hay group.  It was chosen by Gaye , and it sounded great except that it called for pork.  Chicken makes a good substitute (actually, I don't know that.  Does chicken taste like pork?)  Regardless, Gaye had made that suggestion and I took it and like it. I tried two supermarkets and neither had lemongrass so that was my second change.  I also omitted the mint since I just don't like mint in savory dishes.  Of course, my favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. I, also had no luck finding mung bean noodles so I used brown rice vermicelli.  I had to cook it differently from the book's unique directions but it still worked. The rest of the ingredients blended well to give a really nice flavor to the dish.  There was some brown sugar added to the mix and I always like a little sweet in my savory dishes.  I would gladly make this again. I am sure you will find the dishes made by G...

Chicken is the usual Friday night dish and like a good foodie, I attempt to make a different recipe, each week.  I have not cooked anything from Giada De Laurenttis, in a long time so I checked out her chicken recipes,  I came to this Chicken Milanese which I have never made this dish and was not sure what made it "Milanese".  I looked it up and found this out. Italian Cookery. a. (especially of meats) coated with flour or bread crumbs and browned in hot oil or butter. b.(especially of pasta) having a sauce of tomatoes, mushrooms, grated cheese, shredded meat, and truffles: spaghetti Milanese. As a Kosher, Gluten-Free cook, there is little that I cook, I don't have to change.  In this recipe, I had to sub for the bread crumbs and remove the cheese.  It is pretty automatic to me, making this adaptations but you may wonder, at times, why a major component is missing. Try a panini without bread or chicken Parmesan without cheese. One other issue was I h...

I had used Chicken cutlets for our Donna Hay recipe on Wednesday.  I had two left and no ideas as to what to do with them, a familiar situation.  I think, this is because I am a saver.  I want to know, I have what I will need, in the refrigerator, freezer or cabinets. As a result, I buy a little bit of "everything".  At almost any given time, you will find bok choy, onions, sweet potato, potato, spinach, zucchini, carrots, chopped chicken and chopped beef, chicken cutlets, organic soup, etc., in the house.  Of course that is besides the dairy products.  My basic cheese is Parmesan, Ricotta, Cream Cheese, Cheddar, Mexican shredded, Edam, Goat and some sliced cheese. My point is that I am usually ready with all the ingredients or a good substitute. I remember one day, I met a friend in the food store and she was literally begging me, to stop by and take an onion, she had with no plans for.  I bet her kitchen is more organized than mine.  I...