Naan
1/2 cup warm water
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 large egg
melted butter or oil, for frying
In a large bowl, stir together the water, yeast and sugar and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
Stir in the flour, salt, oil, yogurt and egg and stir, then knead until you have a soft, pliable dough. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to double in size (about 1 hour).
Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces and on a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a thin circle or oval.
Cook each naan in a nice hot skillet drizzled with oil (I use our griddle and brush it with melted butter -- that way I can make a few at a time) until blistered and cooked, flipping as necessary (when the surface has big blisters and is golden on the bottom, flip it over and cook until golden on the other side).
Honey Curry Chicken
6 chicken thighs
4 chicken breasts ( I used all boneless breasts, but you have to be careful about the cooking time so that the chicken does not become dry.)
1 cup of honey
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
2 tsp of curry powder
Mix the last three ingredients to make your sauce. Put the chicken in a 9x13 and pour sauce over the top. over and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, turning the chicken over after 30 minutes.
I did make this in a crock pot on low heat, but again, you have to be very careful with the boneless chicken so it does not become dry.
For extra spice, add a TBSP from of a jar of curry paste. You can find all different varieties in the ethnic food section of your grocery store.
I served this over basmati rice with a side veggies and naan bread. MMMmmmm!
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
2 c. raisins, chopped
2 c. boiling water
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. chopped walnuts
Place raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream shortening, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts and raisins.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped lightly in flour. Bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Wait 5 minutes and remove to cooling racks.
Golden Clam Chowder
from Taste of Home magazine
2 celery ribs, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 tsp. butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cans (6 1/2 oz. each) minced clams, undrained
1 bottle (8 oz.) clam juice
1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. water, divided
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
In a Dutch oven, saute vegetables in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, clams, clam juice, 1 c. water, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in milk; heat through. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into chowder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bacon and serve.
Cauliflower Gratin
from Everyday Food
1 large head of cauliflower
1 c. heavy cream (I use 3/4 c. low-fat milk)
1 Tbl. flour
1 c. grated Parmesan/Pecorino Romano
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I love using Panko breadcrumbs with this)
Butter
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine cauliflower, cored and cut into florets, cream or milk, flour, and 3/4 c of cheese. Season with salt and pepper, tossing to combine. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart baking dish , cover tightly with foil, and bake 30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over cauliflower. Dot with 1 Tbl. butter, cut into small pieces, and bake, uncovered, until topping is golden brown and cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, 10 - 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
A few bunches of fresh broccoli, washed and trimmed into florets
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper (freshly ground is best)
1-2 Tbl. lemon juice
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan (or...wait for it...Pecorino Romano, my personal favorite)
Heat oven to 425. "Blanch" broccoli (I usually put it in a covered dish with a bit of water and microwave it for a couple of minutes -- you don't want it completely cooked) and then toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sliced garlic, salt, and pepper. Place on a half-sheet pan or cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes, just until the tips start to brown. Immediately toss with lemon juice and Parmesan and serve.
Lemon Twisted Cheesecake
I had a can of lemon pie filling sitting in my cupboard for-ev-er. I’ve been trying to use up stuff I have on hand so when I saw this recipe for cheesecake on the back of the can I thought “Bingo!” So, I made this for Valentine’s day. It was easy and delicious. It made two pies so we have another one to eat tonight.
2 graham cracker pie crusts (you can make your own but I often just buy the cheap store brand ones)
Filling:
3 8oz packages cream cheese (I used Neufchatel), softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 21oz can lemon cream pie filling (I used Lucky Leaf Lemon Creme)
1 tsp lemon extract (I left this out—you could also substitute lemon juice and lemon zest)
Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Slowly add eggs to creamed mixture while mixer is running. Mix for two minutes or until smooth. Add pie filling and extract and mix thoroughly. Pour into two graham cracker crusts and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. Cool completely and then chill. (Center will not set until cooled). Serve chilled with a spoonful of cherry pie filling and a dollop of sweetened whipped cream if desired. Fantastic!
