The Recipe Box

This is a very easy, quick and tasty chicken recipe. that I came up with using what I had in the fridge. Ingredients 4 Chicken quarters 1 Can (8oz or 14oz) of Canned Tomatoes 1/2 cup Sherry 1 1/2 cup Chicken stock Parsley Thyme Rosemary Salt and pepper 1 Onion 2 garlic cloves Preparation Place the chicken quarters in a greased oven dish. Add the seasonings, onion and garlic. Pour tomatoes with juice, chicken stock and sherry on top. Bake in a 375 degrees preheated oven for about 1 hour. Serve with Rice and enjoy!

It is apple season so here is a classic recipe for a classic dessert: Ingredients: For the dough: 2 cups of flour 2/3 cup butter 1 tsp salt 5-6 tbsp of water For the filling 2 1/4 lbs apples (1kg) 3/4 cup raisins (washed and dried, 100g) (optional) 3/4 cup granulated sugar (40g) 2 teaspoons cinnamon (or more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (to taste) 2 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (or more to taste) 3 Tbsp flour or semonila Directions: For the dough:. Mix the flour and the salt in a bowl. Cut the butter or margarine into small cubes and add these to the flour mixture using a pastry cutter until the mixture look crumbly. Add the water in 1-2 Tbsp at a time and mixing it in with a fork. Using one hand, kneed it to form the dough - you should be able to form it into a ball. Put the ball of dough in the fridge wrapped in wax paper. For the filling: Peel the apples and slice them (allow the sizes to vary--it'll taste better). In a (large) bowl, combine apple, raisins (if using), sugar, cinn

Ingredients: Coffee Cake 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 large eggs 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup butter, softened 1 large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced Streusel Topping 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter, chilled Direction: Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. In a small bowl combine flour and baking powder. Beat eggs, milk and vanilla in another small bowl. In a large mixing bowl combine sugar and butter; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Alternately add flour mixture and egg mixture, beating well after each addition; end with flour mixture. Spread into prepared cake pan. Arrange apples on top, gently pressing into batter. Bake for 20 minutes. While the cake bakes, make the streusel topping by combining flour, powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small b

Ingredients 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup Quick Cooking Oat 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup margarine, softened 1 cup milk 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 2 egg 2 medium apples, chopped (2 cups) Oat Streusel: 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 cup quick-cooking oats or 1 cup old fashioned oats 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup chopped nuts Directions: Heat oven to 350°F degrees. Grease square pan, 9 × 9 × 2 inches. Prepare Oat Streusel; set aside. Beat remaining ingredients except apples in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in apples. Spread half of the batter in pan; sprinkle with half of the streusel. Top with remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining streusel. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted

Tis the season for apples, so here is my top ten recipes to make when you've got plenty of apples: 1. Apple Pie 2. Apple Crisp 3. Apple pudding 1 4. Apple pudding 2 5. Apple Coffee cak e 6. Apple pancakes 7. Apple muffin 8. Apple Dumpling or Fritters 9. Apple cake 10. Apple Sticky Buns And for more apple recipes check Apple recipe s post @ Finer Things.

Found this off the internet. SAUCE 2 TBSP unsalted butter 3 TBSP flour 1/8 tsp nutmeg salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste 2 cups milk, heated FOR THE PASTA 1 cup grated cheese: Parmesan, Pecorino, Cheddar, BelPaese, Swiss 1-2 cups cooked ham, chopped 1/4 cup butter salt and pepper to taste l4 oz short pasta (penne, ditali, maccheroni, ziti, mostaccioli, etc) FOR THE SAUCE: 1. MELT the butter in a saucepan over very low heat till liquified and just bubbling. 2. ADD the 1 T of flour to the butter, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon till smooth - then slowly add the rest of the flour and stir till smooth. 3. ADD the milk  1/4 cup at a time. When milk is absorbed by the butter-flour mixture, add a little more increasing quantities as you go along. 4. ADD nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and continue stirring with the sauce at a slow bubble till sauce has the consistency of heavy cream. You can add red pepper flakes as well according to taste. REMOVE from

This great recipe for Kaiser rolls comes from Taste of Home. If you like  bread and rolls, you got to try this, and if you have been looking for the perfect sandwich roll, this is it. Ingredients 2 packages (1/4 ounce  each ) active dry yeast 2 cups warm water (110° to 115°),  divided 4 tablespoons sugar,  divided 1/3 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons salt 6 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 egg white 2 teaspoons cold water Poppy  and/or sesame seeds Directions In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the oil, salt, remaining warm water and sugar and 4 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 16 piece

Here is a list of our go-to, quick dinner ideas: 1. Beef in Brown sauce with perrogies, pasta, or potatoes. 2. Chicken or beef or pork stir-fry -just through together veggies, meets and staples from my asian cooking list and have it with rice or noodles. 3. Baked chicken - just season chicken pieces with lots of spices (thyme, parsley, rosemary, garlic, onion, pepper, salt), splash some balsamic vinegar  et voila. 4. Beef or chicken enchiladas 5. Bakes pork chops -  throw together a sauce made of barbecue sauce, soy sauce, garlic, honey or brown sugar et voila 6. Ground beef, or chicken or sausage and pasta, baked or stove top. 7. Soup (potatoes, vegetable, zucchini, brocoli etc. . ) 8. Chili 9. Meatloaf 10. Ground beef patties

Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 1 lb asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces 2 medium onions, sliced 1 1/2 cups beef broth 1 cup tomato puree or stewed tomatoes 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil 3 tablespoons heavy cream 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional) 4 cups cooked farfalle pasta (bow-tie) Parmesan cheese Preparation: Saute the asparagus, onions in a tbsp of oil. Add 1 cup of beef broth; cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has almost evaporated; remove mixture from the skillet. Add beef to the skillet; stir/saute for about 2 minutes or until no longer pink. Return vegetable mixture to the skillet; add in the remaining broth and the next 4 ingredients; stir/saute and simmer while cooking the pasta. Cook the pasta. Add the pasta to the meat mixture and cook until well heated through Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

This is a very decadent dessert made with pear. Ingredients: 4 firm ripe pears vanilla or chocolate ice cream 7 oz chocolate 3 tbsp double cream (heavy cream) water 1/2 cup sugar whipped cream Preparation: 1. Peel the pears and stand them in a saucepan (it's ok if they do not stay standing. 2. Pour water and 1/2 cup sugar in the saucepan until 3/4 through the pear. 3. Simmer for 20 minutes. Let sit at room temperature , or in the fridge until ready to serve. 4. When ready to serve, melt the chocolate. 5. In a saucepan on the stove, mix 1/2 cup of the water mixture from the pear and the whipping cream and the melted chocolate, until desired consistency. 5. To serve, in a glass dish, or bowl, set a scoop of ice cream, put in a pear standing, add a scoop or 2 of whipped cream. Pour chocolate sauce over the whole assembly with special effort to cover the pear. Enjoy!

Muffins Waffles Pancakes Eggs and ham or bacon Frittatas Omelettes Coffe cakes Banana bread Cinnamon buns and Monkey bread Oatmeal For more Top Tens, visit OhAmanda blog .

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Ingredients: Filling: 12 oz cream cheese 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup sour cream 1 cup whipping cream 2 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 tbsp unflavored gelatin Crust: 1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup melted butter Topping: 2 1/2 cup blueberries 1 tbsp cornstartch 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 1/8 cup water 1/4 cup sugar Instructions: Prepare crust: Mix together graham crackers, sugar and butter. Press firmly into a springform pan or pie dish. Refrigerate. Prepare filling: Put cream cheese in a mixing bowl over boiling water until slightly warm and soft. Soften unflavored gelatin over 2 Tbsp of warm milk. Beat sugar in the cream cheese (off the heat). Add in the gelatin and mix well until well mixed and well dissolved. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add in the sour cream and whip for a few more minutes until well combined. Fold that mixture into the cream cheese, along with the vanilla, until well combined. Pour into crust, and r

This recipe comes from a book given to me the year we got married by some very good friends. I took it to our Not-Back-to-School picnic on Tuesday and it was a winner. Roman Apple Cake 1. Preheat oven to 350. 2. Combine in mixing bowl: 1 cup sugar 2 1/4 cups flour 1 /4 tsp. salt 3/8 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 3. Beat in: 2/3 cup shortening (you can use oil as well) 2 eggs 2/3 cups milk 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 4. Add: 3 cups raw apples, chopped small (with or without skin) Mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9x13" pan. 5. Cover with topping: Crumble together: 1 Tbsp. melted margarine or butter 2 tsp. cinnamon 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tsp. flour 1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut (optional) 1/4 cups rolled oats. 6. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Enjoy!

We just went blueberry picking last MOnday and I've got blueberries in the fridge and the freezer. These are sooooo good for you! I thought I'll share  a list of what I am planning to do with them: Blueberry Cheesecake (I just made one yesterday - the recipe is shortcoming) Blueberry muffins ( I am yet to post my 2 favorite ones) Blueberry coffecake Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cake Blueberry Coffee Crumb Cake Blueberry cobbler They are really good to add to smoothies, fruits salads, cereals, even plain drinks. Hope you got inspired . . .

My soon to be 5 year old absolutely loves Mac and Cheese. Now, I usually buy the Craft stuff because it's easy to prepare, but I have not have any in the house for a couple of months. Well, he misses it. Tonight, he really wanted some, so I decided to make my own. I was very happy with the result ,so I decided to share how I made it. Here then is my version of Mac and Cheese: Cook some pasta, drain and set aside. In the same pot, melt 1/4 cup of butter, add 2-3 tBS of flour and whisk together. Add 1/3-1/2 cup milk (or more depending on the amount of pasta you have) Mix well and add 1/2 mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of cheddar. Mix well until melted. Salt if desired Add pasta to the milk/cheese mixture. Mix in another 1/2 cup each of both cheese, as well as 1/4-1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Et voila, you have it, Your own Mac and Cheese. PS: I did not actually measure while I was making it, so you may have to adjust the amounts according to how cheesy and creamy you want

My Top Ten staples if I need to make an asian dish. Soy sauce Ginger Garlic Onion Oisin Sauce Oyster Sauce Sesame oil Cornstarch Rice vinegar Broth

Ingredients: 1 Tbs Chili (hot, or 2-4 of mild chili) 1 tsp Cumin 2 TBS Brown sugar 1/2 - 1  tsp cinnamon 2 tsp Oregano 2 garlic 1 onion chopped 1 lb of ground beef 1 can diced Tomatoes (15 oz) 1 can Tomatoe sauce (15 oz) 1 can beans with juice (15 oz) Preparation: Brown groung beef with onion and garlic. Add it to the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve with Grated cheese. Voila, enjoy!

Tonight I was looking for a dessert to make using strawberries and blueberries. I stumbled on a recipe, but I did not have all the ingredients so I use the idea and made my own dessert. It came out quite nice. Ingredients: 2 cups Strawberries 1 cup Blueberries 1 cup of sour cream 1 1/2 cup of milk 1 box of Vanilla pudding 1 tsp vanilla 2 tbsp sugar 1/2-3/4 cup Chocolate chips (optional) Directions: Mix the sour cream and the milks together. Add in the pudding and mix well. Add the vanilla and sugar. Slice the strawberries and lay it in a see through dish, add the chocolate chips if using and 1/2 of the blueberries. Pour the prepared cream over. Decorate with the remaining blueberries and some chocolate chips. Refrigerate. Then enjoy!

I do not usually use cream soup but once in a while these recipes are handy and quick. So here is a very easy and good weeknight recipe: 1b ground beef 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of celery soup or cream of asparagus soup 1 1/4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped Broccoli Black pepper 1/4 cup onions, chopped 1/4 cup green or redbell peppers, chopped spices like red flakes, thyme, parsley (1/2-1 tsp) Brown beef with onion (if using) and drain. Add rice, soup, water, broccoli, peppers (if using), salt and black pepper, and spices, mix well. Place in greased two-quart casserole dish and bake, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 degrees Enjoy! Directions:

I came across this list of meals for the freezer , check it out.

Chocolate Chips pie Ingredients 1 pie shell, pre-baked 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs, well-beaten 1 cup melted butter, cooled (2 sticks) 6 ounces Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips Direction: Pre-bake the pie shell. (Line the pie dish with pie crust, and then  line it with a double weight of foil. Bake at 425 for 8 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 3-5 minutes). Cool. In a large bowl mix the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs and melted, cooled butter. Mix in the chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Enjoy once cooled down. PS: It went so fast I did not get to take a pic, sorry.

Pie dough Crust Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 butter, or shorterning or Lard. Each will give you a different texture. Butter makes it somewhat flaky. 5-6 tbs of water Mix flour and salt and cut the butter in until the mixture becomes like peas. Add the water 1 tbsp at a time, and miz with a fork until the dough comes to together. Form in a ball and optionally knead about 25 strokes. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until ready to use. If the dough is kept in the fridge longer than 20-30 min, you may have to let it come to room temperature for about 5 min. Roll and use in your favorite pie recipe.

I recently found this in the What's Cooking Craft magazine. The kids love it so does the hubby). Here is the recipe: 2 cups pf boiling water 1 pkg  Jello Strawberry jelly powder 12-18 Strawberries 2/3 cup cool-Aid Strawberry sugar sweetened drink mix, or any red flavor. Add boiling water to jelly powder. Mix well. Cut strawberries in half and mash them with the drink mix in a large bowl. Stir in jelly. Pour into 8 (5oz) paper or plastic cups. Cover with foil, insert wooden pop stick into the center.  Freeze. Enjoy!

Ok, I am from a French island, and am supposed to be able to cook French foods. Well, not quite, only some. However, I do know how to make crepes, and my hubby and boys absolutely loooooooooooooove it when it is crepes for breakfast. Here is the recipe I use and how I do it without a crepe pan: 1 cup of flour 2 Tbsp sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 cup milk 1 tbsp oil Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well blended (a whisk works just fine). Heat up  a 9" skillet at medium temperature. Wipe the bottom with some butter (do this periodically as you make your way through the batter). Pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the skillet, tilting the skillet to spread the batter evenly all over the bottom. Wait 1-2 minutes till the bottom starts to brown. Flip the crepe over an cook for another 2 min. (or until brown at the bottom). Et voila. This recipe will give you about 12 crepes Enjoy!

Since I am always trying new recipe, here is a new Apple muffin recipe that I tried today and went over very well. I know it is another breakfast recipe, but we are big on breakfast here. Apple Muffin (courtesy of Recipezaar) 1 cup brown sugar, packed,divided 1/2 cup oil 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup apple, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup walnuts (optional) 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Grease muffin tins or use paper liners. In a large bowl, blend 3/4 cup brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in apple and buttermilk and mix thoroughly until combined well. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar with remaining in

I made these the other day and they are a real treat as well as very easy to make. Give it a try: Granny's Tea Biscuits Enjoy!

Sorry for the long silence. I was hoping to post much more during the holiday season, but I just could not keep up. Anyway, I hope I will catch up on all the recipes I want to share. Here is one of our breakfast staple: Taquitos: 8 Corn Tortillas 900 g Ground Beefor less (whatever amount you have)  Shredded Monterey Jack Cheeseor cheddar cheese  Garlic  Oregano  Ground Black Pepper Cumin ½ cups Chopped Tomatoes ½ cups Chopped Onions ½ cups Chopped Bell Peppers Salt to Taste 2-3 Tbsp salsa Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Then add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables start to