Easy Chicken Recipe

Erin Mueller sent this to me and said that this is her "go to" recipe when she has guests over. I am sure some of you still have family in town, so enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4 chicken breasts
3 T flour
1 egg
Dried bread crumbs - seasoned
2T olive oil

mix: 2T melted butter, 2T olive oil, 1T lemon juice, 1/2t salt, 1/2t basil, 1/2t oregano, 1/4 t garlic butter

Dredge chicken in fluor, then egg, and then the breadcrumbs
Heat olive oil and brown chicken until coating is golden
Put in baking pan
Pour sauce over top of chicken and bake for 30 minutes

Serve with wild rice.

Delicious Fudge

Hello all - Here is another easy recipe to cart along to your holiday parties. It is a variation of a Rachael Ray recipe and she makes her fudge into a pretty wreath and adds a few more ingredients. http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=824

This is how I prefer to make it. I think for tomorrow's family party, I am going to put some green and red m&ms on top!

1 12oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 oz of butterscotch chips
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz of the chopped walnuts

Combine the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and condensed milk in a pot on low heat on the stove. Keep stirring the mixture slowly until it is melted; make sure to not cook it too fast or else it will burn! Stir in the vanilla and then the chopped walnuts and remove from the heat. Pour fudge into any size container and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Cut and serve!

If you want to add the festive red and green m&ms, place them on top of the fudge after you pour it in the container and before you put it in the fridge. I am going to put enough m&ms on top so that each piece of fudge, once cut, has one m&m on top.

Happy Holidays!

Sorry, I've been a little lazy lately with the cooking blog. But, I want to wish you happy holidays and pass on two easy recipes for the holiday season. Make these to take to your holiday parties.



Garbanzo Bean Cake

This is from the lovely, bride-to-be Jennifer Leist. And, it is Gluten Free!



1 1/2 cups of semisett chocolate chips

1 19 oz can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

4 eggs

3/4 cups white sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

Place the choclate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.

Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, pulse to blend. Pur the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure that the chocolate is completely blended in. Transfer the batter to the cake pans.

Bake for 40 minutes or until you can stick the fork in and it comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a cooling rack before putting on a serving plate.

YUMMY FROSTING

1/2 cup of butter

4 tablespoons of cocoa powder

4 cups of confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons skim milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt margarine over low heat. Gradually beat in the other ingredients and mix well.

Strawberry and Brie Tarlets

This is from the Christmas-party Queen, Amber Hausenfluck. These are really delicious and so simple!

1 8 oz can of crescent rolls

1/4 cup of strawberry preserves

1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (you can buy them already chopped, to make it super easy!)

1 8 oz Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into 24 chunks

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Unroll dough and cut into 24 squares. Put the squares into two mini-muffin pans.

Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of preserves into each mini muffin cup. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of nuts into each cup and put a chunk of brie in there as well.

Bake 16 to 19 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Cook in pan for 5 minutes and then remove from pan.

Garnish each with a slice of fresh strawberry.