Hearty Chicken Stroganoff

With Spring here the days are still cool for a while and so are the nights. But this is light enough even for late spring and early summer. Pair it with a green salad with a vinaigrette dressing and it would be a perfect dinner. 

Ingredients:

8 ounces wide noodles

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins

4 tablespoons butter, divided

6 medium mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon ketchup

Step-by-step:

1. Cook the noodles using the package directions; drain well. Cover to keep warm.
2. Mix 4 tablespoons flour with the salt and black pepper in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat until melted. Cook chicken in the butter, stirring frequently, until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes. Remove chicken and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve pan juices in skillet.
4. Add remaining flour and butter and the dry mustard to reserved pan juices and mix well. Gradually stir in broth. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and ketchup.
5. Return chicken and vegetables to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through; do not boil. Place noodles on a heated serving platter. Spoon chicken mixture over the noodles.

Old Fashion Gingersnaps

• Ingredients:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 teaspoons vinegar

Step-by-Step:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 4 baking sheets. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a large bowl; mix well.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer set at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs, molasses and vinegar; beat well.
3. Add flour mixture to molasses mixture; mix until a stiff dough forms. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place dough balls 11/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
4. Bake cookies until edges are slightly browned, about 10 minutes for chewy cookies or 13 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets until slightly firm

Tuna Noodle Casserole

• Servings: 6
• Ingredients:

6 ounces corkscrew pasta
1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 (12 1/4-ounce) can tuna, drained
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 (2-ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Step-by-step:

1. Cook corkscrew pasta according to package directions. Drain; cover. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
3. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onion; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Using wire whisk, stir together chicken broth, milk and flour in small bowl until well blended. Stir into mushroom mixture; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to medium.
5. Stir in tuna, peas, pimientos and thyme. Add pasta to tuna mixture and stir.
6. Spread pasta mixture evenly in prepared casserole. Bake until bubbly and heated through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Lemonade Cupcakes

This is a great cupcake....if you like lemon that is. I decided to try these for Easter this year. 

CUPCAKES
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup prepared lemonade

FROSTING
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 to 4 tablespoons prepared lemonade
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
5 to 6 drops yellow food coloring
1/4 cup sparkling white sugar

Step-by-step
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 36 mini muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

2. Beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until blended and lighter in color. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. At low speed, beat in lemon peel and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in two parts alternately with 1/3 cup lemonade until blended and smooth, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fill each muffin cup with scant 1 1/2 tablespoons batter.

3. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes; cool completely on wire rack.

4. Beat 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons of the lemonade and 1 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl at medium speed 1 minute or until creamy. At low speed, slowly beat in powdered sugar, adding additional lemonade 1 teaspoon at a time, if necessary, for desired consistency. Beat in food coloring. Spread frosting over cupcakes; sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

**Want them pink instead?????? For pink lemonade cupcakes, use pink lemonade for the liquid and tint the frosting with 2 or 3 drops of red food coloring instead of yellow.

Peppered Pork Chop with Sauce (Dinner for Two)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons three peppercorn blend, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 bone-in center-cut rib pork chops (3/4 to 1 inch thick), patted dry
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Step-by-step:
1. Combine flour, peppercorns and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt on large plate. Pat pork chops in flour mixture, pressing to adhere.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook pork chops 6 to 8 minutes or until done, turning once. Remove pork; cover loosely with foil.

3. Add shallot to skillet; cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until soft, stirring frequently. Add broth; boil 1 to 2 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in cream; boil 3 minutes or until reduced by half and slightly thickened. Stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; serve over pork.

Honey Nut Chicken Sticks

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time:15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 pounds chicken tenders
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
A splash milk
2 cups honey nut flavored cereal (recommended: Honey Nut Corn Flakes)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Seasoning)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, eyeball it

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Place flour in a large shallow dish. Coat chicken in flour. Beat eggs and milk in a shallow dish. Combine cereal, bread crumbs, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning and vegetable oil in food processor. Transfer breading to a shallow dish. Place a nonstick baking sheet near chicken breading station. In batches, take flour coated chicken and coat in eggs then in breading and place on nonstick cookie sheet. When all the chicken has been coated, transfer to oven and bake 15 minutes, until evenly brown and cooked through. Cool and serve, or pack up for a picnic! This chicken may be served hot or cold.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_30951_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html?oc=linkback

Spinach Flat-bread with Goat Cheese, Red Pepper and Olives

Servings 24 pieces


Ingredients:


Dough:
3 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
1 tablespoon fast-acting dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100F)


Topping:
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. baby spinach or baby kale
8 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt


Step-by-Step:
1. Combine flour, yeast and 2 teaspoons salt in large bowl. Add water, stir until moistened. With spoon, beat 40 strokes until soft sticky dough forms, scraping bottom and sides of bowl. Cover; let rise in warm place 2 hours or until dough has doubled in size and  has a sponge-like appearance.
2. Oil large baking sheet. Working quickly with floured hands and handling dough as little as possible, pat out dough over baking sheet, lightly sprinkling with flour if it begins to stick (dough should feel soft and smooth but not sticky). Over with clean towel; let stand in warm place 40 minutes or until dough is slightly puffy (dough won't rise much but will continue rising in oven).
3. Place oven rack in bottom position; heat oven to 450F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the oil and garlic in large bowl. Add spinach; toss to coat. Pile spinach over dough (the spinach will cook down). Sprinkle with cheese, bell peppers and olives; drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. Bake on bottom oven rack 20 to 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into 24 pieces; serve warm or at room temperature.