Jaime Oliver's Crispy Garlic Chicken

Yummy, light and simple. Both husband and child ate this one.

Ingredients

• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 lemon
• 6 cream or plain crackers, such as Jacob's
• 2 tablespoon(s) butter
• 4 sprig(s) fresh Italian parsley
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, preferably free-range or organic
• 2 skinless chicken breast fillets, preferably free-range or organic
• Olive oil

Directions

1. To prepare your chicken: Peel the garlic and zest the lemon.
2. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate.
3. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork.
4. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit.
5. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs onto the chicken breasts so they stick — you want the meat to be totally coated.
6. To cook your chicken: You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475 degrees), place your chicken on a sheet pan, and cook for 15 minutes.
7. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil, and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden, and crisp.
8. To serve your chicken: Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.

Jaime Oliver's Baked Camembert Pasta

(picture adapted from flickr)

This was quite tasty. Very simple, and exquisite. The can be baked in its box, which I purchased at Target. The flavors can be played around with too. Don't feel like you need to commit to rigatoni, either. Use whatever pasta you like.

Ingredients
(serves 4-6)

- a box of Camembert Cheese (250g)
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off the woody stalk
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil
- 100g grated parmesan cheese
- 400g dried rigatoni
- 150g fresh spinach

Directions

1. Open the box of cheese and unwrap it. Place it back to the wooden container (Note: mine did not come in a wooden container so I placed it in a oven safe dish like what you see in the photo).
2. Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.
3. Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle some pepper and drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil.
4. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil.
5. Bake the cheese in a preheated oven of 180C (350F) for about 25 minutes, until golden and melted.
6. When the cheese has 10 minutes left to cook, add the pasta to the pan and cook according to packet instructions.
7. When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach to the pan – it only needs cooking for 10 seconds or so.
8. Drain the pasta and spinach to the pan and let it wilt.
9. Drizzle with a couple of good lugs of extra virgin olive oil and add the grated Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick for you, add a splash of reserved cooking water to thin out a bit. Season with salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
10. Remove the cheese from the oven. Divide the pasta between your serving bowls. Either drizzle the melted Camembert on top or pop cheese on the table and let everyone help themselves to a lovely, gooey spoonful.

Honey Lime Chicken

I am a bad blogger today since this post will not contain a picture of my own, but trust me, I was too busy gobbling these recipes down to think of taking a picture!
Monday night, I had a whole pack of chicken breasts in my fridge that were nearing expiration. I decided to throw them all in the crockpot on low with a much of mexican spices (cumin, chili powder, garlic, onion powder, cilantro, oregano, etc.) until I could decide what to do with the chicken. Then, I found this yummy recipe on the Sister's Cafe site for Honey Lime enchiladas. We made it for dinner following the recipe posted and they were delicious! The best part was that I had a lot of leftover chicken that I had already put honey and lime juice in. So, a few days later, they became Honey Lime Shredded Chicken Tacos. Yum! So, whatever your family craves, give this tasty shredded chicken a try in your favorite Mexican recipe.

Honey Lime Chicken

You can follow the direction from the Sister's Cafe if you are a measuring type of cook, but I rarely measure, so I just adjusted the amounts of the following ingredients:

Honey
Lime Juice
Garlic Powder
Chili Powder
salt and pepper

Mix in with your hot shredded chicken straight from the crockpot. Adjust the amounts to your personal tastes (we used more lime and less honey). Yum!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed
3-4 chopped Roma tomatoes
1/2 can corn, drained
1/2 yellow onion minced
1/2 a bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 TBS minced garlic

Toss to combine. Add a few sprinkles of salt, a few squirts of lime juice, and a teaspoon of both chili powder and cumin to the mix. Let it chill until ready to use.

Then, take a nice crispy corn tortilla, add the salsa with the chicken, garnish with cilantro, cheese, and sour cream, and enjoy!

Pasta with Goat Cheese and Roasted Asparagus

I've had a block of goat cheese sitting in my fridge ever since I made beet and goat cheese risotto (sorry, didn't take pictures of that recipe, which I kind of made up as I went along). I haven't really known what to do with the cheese until I got my semi weekly email from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" with a dozen spring pasta recipes.
I tried it. I liked it.

• 2 bunches asparagus (2 pounds total), tough ends removed
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 12 ounces cavatappi or other short pasta
• 1 small log soft goat cheese (5 ounces), crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Place asparagus on a large rimmed baking sheet; dot with 1 tablespoon butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, tossing occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes; cut into 2-inch lengths.
2. While asparagus is roasting, generously salt boiling water. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Set aside 1 1/2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
3. In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 cup pasta water. Season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth. Add goat-cheese mixture and asparagus to pasta; toss to combine, adding more pasta water if necessary for sauce to coat pasta. Serve pasta garnished with chives.

I didn't have chives so I used green onion. Chives would be better, but whatever.

Jaime Oliver's Crackin Burger

I didn't used to be a burger fan. Then I went to Five Guys, and became burger picky. Ever since then I haven't found a burger to surpass it. That being said, if I can't get myself a Little Cheeseburger at Five Guys, this is the burger I'd turn to next. It was really good and I was surprised..

Crackin Burger

1 lb lean ground beef, preferably organic

12 Cream crackers (I used "Cabaret" crackers)

1 egg

2 T dijon mustard

1/2 C parsley torn to pieces

salt & pepper

Burger Buns

Butterhead lettuce

Good quality cheddar (I prefer the UTAH made "Full Moon Cheddar")

Condiments of your choice (I used mayo and A1)

Mix your ground beef up with the smashed crackers, egg, mustard and parsley. Then add salt and pepper. Form into 6, 1/4" thick patties. Put in refrigerator to firm.

Heat up a grill or frying pan and bring to hot, then turn down to medium. Cook your patties for 3-4 min on each side, depending on preference. Serve with cheese on top and dress your burger nicely. Serve with salt and vinegar chips. Yum.

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

Recipe adapted from ourbestbites.com (such a great site...probably 1/2 my dinners come from here)

These are a fun twist on pizza that the kids will love! You can "personalize" them with any toppings of your choice and dip them in either alfredo or marinara sauce. I've even made them with chicken/bacon/cheese and dipped them in ranch dressing for an appetizer. Gotta love the versatility folks!

The first time I made these I just used a store bought dough sheet/or pizza dough like the ones in the pillsbury cans. This time, I made a delicious homemade pizza dough. YUM.

Pizza Dough

1 tblsp. yeast

1 c. warm water

3 c. flour

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. sugar

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

1/4 c. olive oil

Combine yeast and warm water in mixer, let stand 5 minutes. Slowly add the flour, salt, sugar, thyme, cheese and oil. Mix on low until blended. Scrape down sides of bowl if necessary (maybe add a tblsp or two of water if it's too dry). Place dough in large bowl greased with tblsp of oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Punch down and roll into crusts over floured surface.

Pizza Rolls

1 batch homemade pizza dough (or 2 store bought refrigerated pizza dough cans)

2 tblsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 tblsp. melted butter

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

mozzarella cheese

marinara or alfredo sauce

pizza toppings: pepperoni, ham, pineapple, sausage, etc...

Combine garlic powder and Italian seasoning in small bowl and set aside.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface into a rectangle. Cut into squares using a pizza cutter; you should end up with about 18-24 squares depending on how big or small you cut them. Place cheese and desired toppings in middle of squares. Fold up by grabbing corners then pinching together and making a ball (see photos above). Dip smooth side in melted butter and place seam side down on baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoning mix and then parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm with marinara or alfredo sauce.

Jaime Oliver's Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

This was from the book I posted about earlier. I have been having a lot of fun with these. Mainly, because I'm starting with the 30 minutes meals, so they are fast and easy. So far, I've enjoyed each recipe. This stroganoff is surprisingly tasty. It's tangy, creamy and savory all at the same time. My husband acted on instinct, and said "he may not be able to eat all of it, and save some for later"... but once he tasted it he finished it all off.

Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup long-grain or Basmatti Rice (I used short brown rice)

1 large leek

big handful of mushrooms (I used cremini)

2 chicken breasts

olive oil

a knob of butter

a glass of good, tasty white wine

a bunch of fresh parsley

1 1/2 cups heavy cream*

Cook your rice according to the packet instructions in salted boiling water.

Cut both ends off the leek, quarter lengthways and then slice across thinly, then wash well under running water. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the Chicken Breasts into finger size pieces.

Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a good lug of olive oil and the knob of butter.

Add the leek to the pan with the white wine and a small glass of water and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes loosely covered with a piece of foil.

Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, stalks and all. Remove the foil and add the chicken strips, most of the parsley, the cream and the mushrooms.

Stir, and bring back to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.

Just before serving, cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the stroganoff. Season to taste. Spoon rice onto each plate, and top with the stroganoff. Scatter with the remainder of the chopped parsley.

Crab Quiche

This is a recipe I've made over and over again. I got it from my mom. It's quiche -- crustless quiche which I like because crust packs loads of fat and it's the innards that are the best part anyway right? Well, in this recipe they are.

Easter morning my roommates and I had some friends over for breakfast. These are my two lovely roommates right here eating. Maybe they're finished, I don't know.

Mandi is the dark haired beauty. She made honey wheat pancakes -- sorry, waffles. Dangit. If she reads this I'm going to hear about that. THEY LOOKED LIKE PANCAKES! Anyway. I made blueberry muffins and quiche. The blueberry muffins are from Everyday Food. You can get the recipe here. I love them. They have cornmeal.

Moving on. This quiche is great if you like crab and mushrooms and swiss cheese. That's basically it. So something possessed me to buy a ginormous thinger of dried mushrooms at Costco. Have you seen that thing? $15.00. I bought it. If you need mushrooms I can hook you up.

They're super easy because you just run hot water over them until they're reconstituted. I hope to use them in soups and more quiche and other stuff. But seriously, if you want some mushrooms...

Here's the recipe:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 can crabmeat, drained
1 cup sliced mushrooms (saute if you want)
2 cups grated swiss cheese

Mix first 6 ingredients; beat until smooth. Stir in crab, mushrooms and swiss cheese. Pour into pie plate. Sprinkle with paprika, cook for 40 minutes at 350.

Peanut Butter Tartlets (from Confessions of a Bake-a-holic)

One of my most favorite combinations in this world besides lime and ginger ale, is chocolate and peanut butter. These little bites of heaven are the perfect size to satisfy your CPB cravings, multiple times.

Recipe credit to Confessions of a Bake-a-holic.

Peanut Butter Tartlets

About 40 (13-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from candies. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy in large bowl. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place one in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup onto each cookie. Let cool 5 minutes in muffin pan, then carefully remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 40 cookies.

Recipe adapted from Hershey.com.

Jaime Oliver's Food Revolution

I have been following this show, and if you have not- watch it on Hulu.com.

Jaime Oliver, (also known as the Naked Chef) is on a mission to permanently change the food system in schools in America. Upon arrival at a school in Huntington, the most obese city in the United States, he discovered that all kids eat is processed or frozen foods. When asking the students what they had for dinner the night before, half said "pizza" and half said "chicken nuggets." Not only are the schools failing to help the future health of these children, but the parents are failing as well.

I fear for the future of my child, not only in school, but in my own hands. The amount of chicken nuggets, hot dogs and pizza that I have fed my child is disgusting. And now that I know what chicken nuggets that you buy frozen or the ones you get at McDonald's are made of.... I have no desire to ever put them on my kid's plate EVER again.

Jaime went into one of the classrooms and showed them a number of vegetables. These children couldn't identify them. Not even a potato. He expressed concern that if kids don't know what something is, they won't eat it.

I so bought the book, and I'm keeping up on his escapade in Huntington, West Virginia. I'm hoping to learn a lot, completely change the way myself and my family eat, and pass it on.

I will definitely be using some of his recipes to post up here.

Homemade Delicious Chili

This recipe came courtesy of my mother.

Homemade Chili

1 lb of ground beef, or ground turkey (I used turkey in my attempt to be healthier)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 small onion chopped

salt and pepper

1/2-1 tsp chili powder

Brown the meat with the onion, garlic and seasonings till fully cooked. Add to a large pot filled with:

1 can of kidney beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can black beans

1 can white beans

1 BIG fat can of stewed tomatoes

2 small cans of tomato sauce (I used Hunts "basil, garlic and oregano" flavored sauce)

1/2 c of Worchestershire sauce

a touch of red wine

1 small green pepper, chopped

Bring to a boil then simmer for a few hours for the best flavor.

Serve with toppings such as cheese, sour cream and frito's.

EASY. YUMMY. Makes GREAT leftovers.

Gourmet Pigs in a Blanket

I spruced these suckers up a few years ago and they are a family favorite. It's pretty easy- and if you want, you can spruce it up even more using the buttermilk rolls instead of refrigerated ready ones.

Gourmet Pigs in a Blanket

Hot Dogs

1 package crescent rolls (8 count)

Cheese

Topping:

1 egg

1 T Miracle Whip

1 T Mustard (it's BEST to use the nice mustard, the kind with the mustard seeds in it)

Salt

Dash of curry

Slice 4 hot dogs in half, then cut a slit in them lengthwise for cheese. Wrap them in the crescent rolls and then whisk together the topping, and baste the piggies.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes on a GREASED or FOILED and greased pan.

Compost Cookies (You're just going to have to trust me)

I heard about this recipe during Valentine's Week on Regis and Kelly. Kelly would go from one funky little place to another in NYC learning how to make tasty treats, then bring the recipe back to the show and teach Regis how to make them. One of them was Compost Cookies from Momofuku, and it was very strange...but turned out pretty good. In fact, these are SO satisfying, that you want to eat nothing else- for quite a while afterwards because all your cravings have been met.

Compost Cookies

1 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 3/4 cups AP Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 1/2 cups Your favorite baking ingredients!
(Kelly used mini chocolate chips, raisinettes, rollos & cocoa krispies)
1 1/2 cups Your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc)
(Kelly used goldfish, ritz, & fritos)*

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

On same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

Using a 6oz ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheetpan.

Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to 1 week.

DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape.

Heat the conventional oven to 400F. (350F in a convection oven)

When the oven reads 400F, arrange your chilled cookie dough balls on a parchment or silpat-lined sheetpan a minimum of 4" apart in any direction.

Bake 9-11 min. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread.

At 9 min the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies stills seem pale and doughy on the surface.

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh 5 days. In the freezer, cookies will keep fresh 1 month.

Yield: 15 6oz cookies

*I used 1 1/2 c. of combined Frito's, Goldfish and Ritz, and 1 1/2 c. combined chocolate chips, raisinettes and rolo's.

Baking them is tricky, it says 400, but I ended up doing 350 for about 12-13 min. So do understand there will possible be a trial run. And make sure there are lots of people around to eat them.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

This is not your Campbell's out-of-the-can soup. This is SO good, and comforting. My sister made this soup when we were younger and finally found the recipe for me. It did not disappoint. I don't care if you don't like mushrooms- this soup is fantastic.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

6 T butter
half of one onion
2 cloves garlic
6 T flour
2 cans chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/8 t thyme
salt and pepper

4 cups mushrooms (sauteed)
carrots
potatoes
parsley
chives
1/2 cup cream

Saute onion and garlic in 6 T butter until limp.
Add flour and cook 3 minutes
Stir in broth
Add seasonings and mushrooms
Add vegetables and cook 20 min
Remove bay leaf and add cream
Simmer 5 min

Garnish with parsley and chives.

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cake

My favorite thing about this cake is the cardamom. It gives it a unique and flowery flavor. Not quite sure what I mean by flowery. The cake doesn't taste like flowers. Not really.

Anyway, I love a good bundt cake. Here's the recipe:

1 stick melted butter

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups applesauce

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cardamom

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix well. Fold in however many chocolate chips you want.

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Spoon batter into the pan and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I dusted it with powdered sugar to make it pretty.

Healthy, and Delicious Spaghetti

I know- I died off there for awhile. But I'm back, and I hope you are all still there, still reading, and still posting! I started working out today. I ran 2 miles on the treadmill and swam some laps. I realized how out of shade I was when I got so exhausted hiking to the trailhead of Mt. Olympus. When 6 years ago, I summited the thing. So in efforts to "Get healthier" I thought I should put good food into my body.

I made this spaghetti up- and it was really good. Husband approved.

1 lb ground turkey

2 c. spinach

1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

1/4 white minced onion

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

dash of pepper

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 T Italian seasonings (the dried kind, sitting in your spice cabinet)

1 can Hunts tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes

Spaghetti noodles

While you boil the water for the noodles, saute the onions, mushrooms and garlic with a dab of butter. After they have browned and simmered, move them to a separate bowl. In another pot of water, steam spinach. Put the ground turkey in the saute pan, and brown. Add the mushroom mixture and italian seasonings, along with salt and pepper. Drain the spinach, and stir it into pieces and add it to the saute pan. Pour in the tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes and let simmer so flavors can develop.

Drain spaghetti, and top with the healthy, delicious sauce.

Yum.

Jumbalaya

This is a tried and true favorite at our household. A real New Orleans style jumbalaya would have all kinds of nasty ingredients, many of which would make me sick to think of eating, so maybe I should call this modified jumbalaya. In any case, it is good and my husband wants to eat it several times a month. And he gets mad if I eat the leftovers before he can get to them. Try it for yourself!

Jumbalaya

serves 4-6

1 can chicken broth
1 cup rice
1 TBS chopped garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use the diced tomatoes with green chiles variety for a good spicy flavor)
1 yellow onion chopped
1 green/yellow bell pepper diced in large pieces
1 smoked rope sausage (like the one pictured below) cut into slices and then in half (so you have lots of half moon shaped pieces)
And season with this:

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onions, and garlic in a little butter or olive oil. When onions are softening, add in peppers and sausage. Add in dry rice and stir until rice begins to turn golden. Add in the broth and tomatoes, cover with a tight lid, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer covered until rice is cooked (around 30-40 minutes). Taste and add more Tony's seasoning if needed. Yum!

Chicken Pillows

Ahh... comfort food. I've had these at three, completely separate homes before. They are the real thing. What's great about them is how alternative they are, and the recipe can catered to your specific likes and dislikes.

Chicken Pillows

1 pkg of Pillsbury crescents, or 8 defrosted Rhodes rolls

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 C. cooked, diced chicken

1 C. diced or canned mushrooms

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

dash of salt and pepper

melted butter, bread crumbs, and parmesan to top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix the chicken, cream cheese, mushrooms and seasonings together. Then divide the mixture amongst the dough and pull the sides of the dough up over the mixture, and pinch the edges closed. Place them equally apart on a greased pan, top with melted butter and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

(Some serve with gravy- some don't. I don't have the gravy recipe. Cue: Lyndsey's 'post comment' with the gravy recipe.)

Orange Rolls

I do NOT like oranges. Never have, never will. But I LOVE these orange rolls! I know, I'm weird. I think the reason why is because the "orange" part of these rolls doesn't even come into play until the glaze, which I have complete control over how much "orange" I use. I think I ate at least 5, just today! Also, I am not a great bread maker. Some people just have the knack....I don't. So if I can make these rolls, all of you can too!

ORANGE ROLLS
(recipe given to me years ago by Paula LeSueur)

First: scald 2 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, and 1/2 cup shortening in a saucepan over medium heat. Set aside and let cool completely.

Second: in an electric mixer with a dough hook place 1 cup warm water, 2 tblsp sugar, and 2 tblsp yeast. Let dissolve, then add the cooled milk mixture and mix well.

Third: Add 4 beaten eggs and then 9 cups of flour, one at a time until well mixed and sides of bowl start to come clean.

Cover and place in fridge overnight. Roll out dough at least 3 hours before baking.
****I actually just make the dough in the morning, then shape the rolls a few hours later****

Fourth: roll out the dough into a large rectangle on a buttered surface! (yes butter, NOT flour... and don't be afraid to use butter all over your hands too, it helps you work with the dough.)
Spread more butter all over the rectangle then roll it up like you would for cinnamon rolls. Slice the big roll in 1/2, then each of those halves in 1/2. Then cut each of the 4 sections into 12 slices. Place in greased muffins pans and let rise for 2-3 hours. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Another option: once you have it rolled into a large rectangle, cut it horizontally in the middle, then slice it vertically into several strips (see photo above). Use these strips to tie knots with the dough. Place on greased cookie sheet and let rise/bake just as above. A fun variation in shape that the kids love!

Orange Glaze:
2 tblsp. orange juice concentrate, melted (I use a little less)
2 tblsp. softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
grated orange rind and juice from an orange to desired consistency

Mix all the above together and spread on warm rolls.
(I actually half the roll recipe and keep the glaze amounts the same. So double the glaze for a full batch of rolls if you like them well frosted!)

Cafe Rio anyone??

(note: some pictures and recipes are my own; others came from favfamilyrecipes.com and 365daysofcrockpot.blogspot.com)

OK, I'll admit it. If an AA group for Cafe Rio lovers existed, I'd be a member. I just can't get enough of it. Thus began my search for the perfect Cafe Rio "copycat" menu items. Some of the following recipes come pretty dang close, while others are a little different but still taste great. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Cafe Rio Pork

3-5 pound pork roast (or boneless ribs)
18 ounces Coke (not diet)
1 cup brown sugar
1 (7 oz.) can chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce (discard chilies, only use sauce)
1 heaping tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. minced garlic

Place pork roast in bottom of crock pot. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the roast. Cook on LOW for 7-9 hours, or until it shreds easily. Shred the pork meat 1 hour before the total cook time is up so it can cook in the sauce for the remaining time. Make sense?


Cafe Rio Chicken
5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. Zesty Italian dressing
1 tblsp. chili powder
1 tblsp. cumin
3 tsp. minced garlic

Place chicken in the bottom of a greased crock pot. Mix all other ingredients together and pour of chicken. (If you like lots of sauce you can double the recipe so it covers the chicken). Cook on LOW for 3-5 hours then shred with a fork. Again, shred the meat before the total cooking time is up so it can cook longer in the sauce!


Use the pork or chicken to make tacos, burritos, salads, tostadas, etc....be sure to use the tortillas you can cook in a pan for just a few minutes, NOT pre-cooked ones)

Also serve with the following recipes:

Cafe Rio Lime Rice
2 tblsp. butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 tsp. minced garlic
6 2/3 cup water
7 chicken bullion cubes
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. cumin
1 tblsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups long grain rice

Saute butter, onion, and garlic then set aside. Bring all other ingredients, except rice, to a boil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic, then add rice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender.


Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
1 package Hidden Valley buttermilk ranch dressing
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups mayo
2 tomatillos, remove outer husk
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. lime juice (or more!)
1 small jalapeno, seeds removed (keep seeds if you like things spicy)

Mix all ingredients in a blender. If you want the dressing thicker, add a bit more mayo. Refrigerate a few hours before serving.

Cafe Rio Pico de Gallo
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all the above ingredients and ENJOY!