Chicken-Chutney Stir-Fry

1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup chutney
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package (16 oz) frozen cauliflower, carrots and snap peas pods, thawed
Hot cooked rice or noodles, if desired
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

1. Mix cornstarch, soy sauce, and chutney.
2. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and vegetables; stir-fry 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
3. Stir in chutney mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Source: Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook

Try #1 - March 1, 2011
This was yummy. I used fresh veggies (carrots, broccoli, snap peas, red pepper), which I think made it yummier. Of course, that took some of the "ease" out of this meal, but it was still relatively fast and easy.

Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

Vegetable oil
1 can (2 cups) pinto beans
1/4 to 1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 packages (3 tsp) Sazon seasoning (or make your own)
3 "big spoon" scoops of Sofrito
4 cups uncooked white rice
5 cups water (less if adding liquid from beans, about 4/12 cups)
Adobo seasoning (can buy at the store or make your own)
Salt

1. Put enough vegetable oil in pot to just cover bottom. Add Sofrito, Sazon, beans, and tomato sauce. Cook a few minutes.
2. Stir in rice. Add water. Add Adobo seasoning and salt (5-6 shakes of each). Bring to a boil. Put lid on pot, slightly uncovered. Cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Stir once or twice until liquid is absorbed. Stir rice once more. Cover completely and put on low heat for about 10 minutes. Taste to see if it's cooked.

Sofrito: Cut into chunks 3 onions, 2 green peppers, 1 red pepper, 1 head of garlic, 1 small bunch of cilantro, stems removed. Put 1 Tbsp water in a blender and blend. Add and mix in 1 Tbsp olive oil.

Source: Melissa

Note: Can use leftover beans/tomato sauce from Tomato Red Beans and Rice.

Try #1 - March 6, 2011
I was worried about soggy rice, but this came out great! I actually slightly burned the rice, so I will probably turn the heat down a little bit next time. Good compliments to this dish are sour cream, cilantro, and a side of corn.

Try #3 - June 3, 2012
I've made this three times now, and each time I manage to burn the rice to the bottom of the pan during the second step... this time I even turned the heat down to medium.  I wonder if I cooked it in the kazan if it would work better.  Either that, or turn the heat way down.  Regardless, it's still yummy!

Groundnut Stew

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground red pepper
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for at least 4 hours or until chicken and beef are cooked through. Stir. Serve over cooked brown rice with a side of mashed sweet potatoes.

Note: Can also be cooked on the stove top.

Source: Rachel Gough, MOPS Newsletter, Feb. 2011

Try #1 - March 15, 2011
This was awesome! I used all chicken (combined breasts and thighs). I wasn't sure if I should add the salt, since my peanut butter had salt in it, but 1 tsp salt was just right. I only used 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, because I didn't want to make it too spicy for the kids... this gave it the tiniest hint of spice, and I think I could add a little more next time (although it wouldn't be necessary - it was still delicious!) I served it with a side of mashed sweet potatoes, which was a BRILLIANT suggestion, and I will make it this way every time.

Here's the way I made my mashed sweet potatoes: Peel and cook whole sweet potatoes (I did 5) in the microwave. When cooked, mash and add 1 Tbsp butter and 1/4 cup milk. Perfect!

Pumpkin Bread (with yeast)

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2/3 cup pumpkin (canned), or any winter squash cooked and mashed (acorn, butternut, etc.)
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Bake on basic cycle, medium loaf.

Source: Melissa (originally from The Bread Machine Cookbook)

Note: Can omit allspice and increase cinnamon to 1 1/4 tsp and cloves to 1/2 tsp.

Try #?? - February 21, 2011
I've made this bread several times already, with amazing results (delicious and a crowd pleaser!), and this time I played with the flour a little bit - 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. It came out great, rose just as well, and we couldn't tell a difference in the taste.

I've so far only used fresh pumpkin (cooked and mashed, freezes well) to make this bread, and it's come out awesome every time. Also, this bread is especially delicious toasted and with butter.

Moroccan Tagine

SPICE BLEND:
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

TAGINE:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch triangles
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or a 15-oz. can, rinsed and drained)
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 dried apricots, quartered
1/2 cup dry-cured black olives, optional
2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

To make Spice Blend: combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

To make Tagine:
1. Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add leek and bell pepper; saute 3 minutes.
2. Add potatoes, chickpeas, garlic, and spice blend; cook 30 seconds.
3. Stir in apricots, olives, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Serve over quinoa, brown rice, or bulgar and sprinkled with cilantro.

Source: Let's Eat!

Try #1 - March 8, 2010
This was very tasty - good flavor but not spicy. William loved it! We served it over quinoa. Next time I would cut the potatoes a little smaller so they cook faster (it took longer than 20 minutes with the big chunks). I would also add more apricots.

Zone Chili

My mother-in-law makes this tasty and healthy chili. Topped with cottage cheese, it's absolutely delicious!

1 pound ground turkey
4 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 cup celery (2 large ribs)
4 cloves minced garlic, or more to taste
2 cups green pepper (2 large)
1 1/2 cup kidney beans, rinsed (14 oz)
3 cups chopped canned tomatoes with liquid (28 oz)
1 small can tomato paste (8 oz)
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (14 oz)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried basil
4 tsp chili powder, or more to taste
Cottage cheese

1. Brown turkey in a large frying pan. Add vegetables, and cook until slightly tender. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer about 20-25 minutes.
-OR- Add browned turkey and all other ingredients to a crockpot. Stir to combine. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-6 hours.
2. Serve with cottage cheese on top!

Zairian Chicken with Peanut Sauce

2 Tbsp oil
3 lb chicken, cut up, or chicken pieces
1 large onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic
1 cup tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/4 cup tomato paste (50 ml)
1/2 cup peanuts, ground in blender, or chunky peanut butter
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp celery or celery leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt
Peanuts (optional, for garnish)

1. Heat oil in saucepan. Fry chicken. Add additional oil if needed to keep chicken from sticking. Set chicken aside.
2. Saute onion and garlic in remaining oil. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and peanuts.
3. Add water gradually and stir to make a smooth sauce. Add bay leaf, celery, and salt. Cook a few minutes, stirring constantly. Return chicken to sauce. Stir to coat pieces well. Cover and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. If too thick, add a little water. Serve over rice and garnish with peanuts.

Source: Extending the Table

Try #1 - February 7, 2011
This was good! At first I thought it would be too bland, but it had a good flavor. I do think it could use a little spice, so next time I might add a little red pepper flakes or something to give it a little kick. One word of warning: this is very filling! The peanut butter makes the sauce thick and filling - not overly rich, but it's easy to eat too much.

Crockpot Boston Baked Beans

3 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 medium onions, chopped finely, or 2 T dried minced onion (I used one sweet onion)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried mustard (I used 1+ tsp spicy mustard)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 pound of bacon, or equivalent (ex. chicken and apple sausage) - optional

1. Drain and rinse your beans, and add them to the crockpot. Add onion and brown sugar. Pour in the molasses and ketchup. Add spices. Stir to combine.
2. Lay slices of uncooked bacon over the top of the beans, or slice chicken and apple sausage and lay it over the top.
3. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or high for about 4. Discard the bacon after cooking, or mix in the sausage.

Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Try #1 - February 6, 2011
These were great! I used dried pinto beans. After soaking the beans for about 6 hours, I cooked the them on Low in the crockpot overnight. In the morning, I drained the water and then added the other ingredients (except bacon - I made it vegetarian). It definitely didn't need the full 5-7 hours... I cooked it on Low for 2-3 hours, and then switched it to Warm to make sure the beans didn't get dried out.