Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken Recipe

Roast Chicken

3 lb. chicken

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp minced thyme

unsalted butter to taste

Dijon mustard to taste

*note - I brined my chicken before cooking

Preheat oven to 450.  Rinse the chicken and dry with paper towels.  Slat and pepper the cavity.  Salt the chicken with about 1 tbsp of salt.   Place the chicken in a saute pan or roasting pan and when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven.  Leave it alone, don't baste.  Roast for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the juices run clear.  Remove it from the oven and add the thyme.  Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes.

shrimp and pineapple salsa

Shrimp and Pineapple Salsa
The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup pineapple preserves
1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
2 egg whites
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

Directions
Combine lime juice, jalapeno pepper, and pineapple preserves in a small bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl beat egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
Place cornstarch and coconut on two separate plates. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip and coat the shrimp with cornstarch. Next, dip the shrimp in the egg whites and finally in the coconut coating well.
Place shrimp on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until coconut is a golden brown. Make sure to turn it once halfway through (around 8 minutes into cooking time) to make sure both sides brown.
Serve with pineapple dipping sauce.

Cheesecake Factory's Spicy Cashew Chicken...Kind of

I recently saw on a friend's blog that she had made Cheesecake Factory's Spicy Cashew Chicken. I've never eaten their cashew chicken because I never deviate from my usual fish tacos and oreo cheesecake when I go there. However, the chicken looked good enough for me to try at home.

The recipe is a little extensive and in typical form, I didn't read through everything before skipping off to the store to do by usual uninformed shopping trip. So, of course when I got home and actually had to read the recipe, I only had half of the ingredients. I made it anyway...officially making it nothing like Cheesecake Factory's spicy cashew chicken.

The other problem I had was, this recipe is made per serving. The recipe kept calling for the measurement "FZ". I have no idea what that is. I had to estimate and make enough for my whole family.

Even with half of the ingredients, and skipping one major step, this chicken was fabulous! I couldn't keep my kids out of it long enough to get it served on the rice and set on the table. They absolutely loved it.

So, if you are brave enough to try this rather time consuming recipe, feel free to try my remade, shortened version or stick to Cheesecake's original version. I will definately be remaking this at some point, the right way.

The recipe called for spicy soy sherry sauce. I didn't notice the little star next to the ingredient which indicated that I had to make this sauce from scratch. I spent a long time browsing bottles of soy sauce for a spicy sherry version. I finally settled on this sesame soy.

Spicy Cashew Chicken

2 fz peanut oil (I just poured enough oil in my skillet to cook a bunch of chicken)

6 oz. chicken breast, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used 6 chicken breasts, keeping in mind you will have to adjust some of your measurements. I just guessed. This ended up being enough to feed my family and another family of 5.)

3 Tbs. seasoned rice flour *

4 fz rice flour batter *

5 fz spicy soy sherry sauce *

2 oz. cashews, roasted and unsalted

1 oz green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted (I didn't toast)

1/2 tsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

10 oz steamed rice

Seasoned Rice Flour

(I doubled this and used all of it instead of the 3 Tbs that is called for, to coat the chicken)

1/4 lb. rice flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. bkg. powder

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix together until evenly combined.

Rice Flour Batter

(I completely skipped this step..on accident and all was fine)

1 lb. rice flour

1/4 lb. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 qt. water (ice cold)

Place all of the the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together until evenly combined. Add the ice cold water into the bowl and stir the ingredients together until thoroughly and evenly combined. This batter must be held on ice or in the refrigerator at all times.

Spicy Soy Sherry Sauce

4 c. hoisin sauce (this is the ingredient I didn't buy and instead used the whole bottle of sesame soy)

1 c. soy sauce

1 c. sherry wine

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. chili garlic paste (I also left this out)

1 c. granulated sugar (I used about 1/4 c.)

1/2 lb. fresh garlic minced

1 tsp. crushed red chili flakes

Place hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry wine, red wine vinegar and chili garlic paste into a mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients together until evenly blended. Add the sugar, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes into the bowl. Continue to stir the mix until the sugar has dissolved and all the ingredients are thoroughly and evenly combined.

Now for the chicken:

Place a wok or a saute pan (or just a skillet), on medium/high heat. Add peanut oil and allow to heat.

While oil is heating, place the chicken pieces into a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle the seasoned rice flour over the chicken. Gently toss the flour and chicken together until each piece of chicken is evenly coated with the flour. (Remember, I just coated the chicken with this rice flour, skipping the next step completely).

Ladle the rice flour batter into the bowl with the chicken. Using a small rubber spatula, gently fold the ingredients together until each piece of chicken is evenly coated with the batter.

Add the batter coated chicken pieces (a little at a time) into the skillet. Spread the chicken out so that they are not too close together. Allow chickn to cook undisturbed for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until it has turned golden brown and crispy on the bottom side. Carefully turn the chicken pieces over. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until chicken has again become golden brown, crispy and is cooked all the way through. Seperate pieces of chicken if necessary while they are cooking.

Add the spicy hoisin sauce and cashews into the skillet. Stir and toss all the ingredients together until each peace of chicken is evenly coated with the sauce. Add chopped green onions into skillet. Stir and toss all of the ingredients together until evenly combined and the sauce is thickened slightly.

Place the steamed white rice into a serving bowl. Pour the spicy chicken cashew into the bowl and over the rice. Garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped parsley.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I'm always looking for a good baked macaroni and I think I finally found a really good one, maybe even my favorite...and it's even light! My kids even loved it.

Lighter Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Gina's Weight Watchers
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Points: 6 ww ptsCalories: 296.67 • Fat: 9.7 g • Protein: 15.8 g • Carb: 34.5 g • Fiber: 5.3 g

12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp light butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cups skim milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth
8 oz Sargento 2% reduced fat mild cheddar
salt and pepper
4 cups baby spinach
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
Pam butter flavored spray

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Spray a baking dish with buttered flavor Pam. Preheat oven to 375°.In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add onion and cook another 2 minutes. Add milk and chicken broth and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and baby spinach. Pour into baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more buttered flavor Pam on top.Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden

Chicken Enchiladas

Whoever knew you could have healthy enchiladas? And bonus! These are some of the best, most flavorful ones I've ever made. They were a little on the spicy side so, I would recommend cutting back a little of the chili powder if you are concerned about kids. But, other than that, they were fabulous! Gina is a miracle worker with these diet foods!

Chicken Enchiladas

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 enchiladas • Calories: 342 • Points: 6 ww pts

For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the chicken:
1 tsp vegetable oil
8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup diced onion
2 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
kosher salt
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
8 (6-inch) reduced carb whole wheat flour tortillas
1 cup shredded low fat Mexican cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Add chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it. Place on baking dish seam side down. Top with sauce and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with low fat sour cream or scallions if you wish. (Extra points) Makes 8 enchiladas.

Enchiladas

I can not say enough about these enchiladas by Pioneer Woman. I made the chicken ones a couple of weeks ago. They were so good that I couldn't wait to try the beef ones. Equally fabulous. I've decided the key and most important step to making enchiladas, is the frying of the shells. It may not be the healthiest way but, all thoughts of that go out the window after the first bite.

Simple, Perfect Enchiladas
3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page Print

Prep Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6

Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
_____
For The Meat:
1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies
½ teaspoons Salt
_____
For The Tortillas:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
½ cups Canola Oil
_____
TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cups Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions
Step #1 – The SauceIn a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.
Step #2 – The MeatBrown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.
Step #3 – TortillasHeat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.
Step #4 – AssemblyPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving

Tina's White Chili

We had friends over the other day for lunch to celebrate and hour 1/2 less church time than normal due to the ward splitting. We ended up changing it into a farewell for one of our favorite families that got put into the new ward. It's the second ward split since we've lived in Katy. Katy 4th ward...unbelievable!

Tina brought this white chili to share and it was the first thing to disappear. It was so good, that I had to make it again two days later because by the time I got around to trying it, there was only a spoonful left.

White Chili

7 chicken breasts
1 medium onion
3 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. oil
4-6 cans great northern beans
28 oz. chicken broth
2 cans chopped green chilies (can add more if you like them)
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 c. sour cream
1 c. whipping cream
tortilla chips
cheese

Cut up chicken and brown with chopped onion, garlic powder and oil. Add everything except the creams and boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and add creams. Serve over chips and top with chopped cilantro and cheese.

* I actually added everything except the creams in the crock pot. Cooked until the chicken shredded and add the creams right before serving.

* This is the doubled version of the recipe. Can easily be halved for smaller portions.

Brisket With BBQ Sauce

With the exception of an actual smoked brisket, this is my favorite recipe for a brisket. I got this from a woman I met in the baseball stands, years ago when Ford was somewhat (not really) interested in playing baseball. Sadly, I can't even remember her name. It's a pretty easy recipe and always super moist. It makes a ton so, great for serving company or parties.

Brisket with BBQ Sauce

2 1/2 lb. market trimmed brisket
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. beef bullion
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Sauce:
1/2 c. reserved sauce
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. butter

For cooking liquid: combine water, Worcestershire, vinegar, beef bullion, dry mustard, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid for sauce. Cook brisket in crock pot with cooking liquid on low for 10-12 hours.
For brisket sauce: combine 1/2 cup reserved liquid with ketchup, brown sugar and butter. Warm on stove. Serve over cooked brisket.

Empanadas

Empanadas are one of my favorite meals. My friend Penny taught me how to make these years ago. She had to learn from her Panamanian husband. I used to love to show up at her house on empanada day. I chose not to fry them and baked them instead. Of course this does kill some of the fabulousness but, they are still good baked and maybe I'll live a day longer.

First of all, you will have to make a trip to Fiesta. When I go, I stock up on the shells and the Sofrito. I asked Penny about 20 times what Sofrito was the first time I went. I then walked around Fiesta on the cell phone telling her to tell me again. I just didn't get it. I think I gave up and had to go get a visual at her house in order to finally find the stuff. Sofrito and empanada shells are sold together in the freezer section. And sorry but, this is not an exact recipe.

Empanadas

Penny Burns

Sofrito

Empanada Shells

1 lb. Hamburger meat

Potatoes

frozen peas

frozen corn

pretty much anything that you think would be good in an empanada

Start by peeling and boiling some potatoes. While they are cooking, brown your hamburger meat and add Sofrito. I used about half the container for 1 lb. of meat. Add some peas and corn and diced potatoes to the meat mixture. Place a spoonful into the shell and fold in half. Press sides together to seal.

Have one of your fro-headed kids crimp the sides with a fork to make them look fancy.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until they start to brown.

Cafe Rio Pork Roast

This is a really good roast. I'm still trying to figure out the whole Cafe Rio craze and while this is good, I think what gets me is the roast itself. Roast is for carrots and potatoes. Roast is for barbeque. Roast is not for tortilla shells. Fajita meat has already perfected that role. Do I really need to remind anyone of Lupe's Tortilla? And, let's be honest here, between the rootbeer, brown sugar and honey, this is really more of a dessert. Of course, that being said, dessert for dinner never hurt anyone and it is still good. I will keep cooking it and serving it in my tortillas. But, please people, if you want to talk good Mexican food, lets keep it in the state where it was intended. Let's keep it Tex-mex and let's keep it fajita.

Café Rio Pork
4 lbs. pork roast
4 cups root beer
5 cans tomato sauce
2-4 Tb molasses or honey
3 tsp. pressed garlic
½ tsp. salt
1 1/2 - 3 cups brown sugar
pepper to taste
4 tsp. cumin

Cook pork roast in crock pot 8 hours in a little water. In the morning pull apart with fork and drain all the water. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook another 4 hours in crockpot.

For salads serve in the following order:

tortillas (I warm mine in foil pans like cafe rio in the oven with cheese)

cheese

black or pinto beans

lime rice

shredded chicken or pork

red and green leaf lettuce, shredded

sprinkle crunched corn strips on top

grated Parmesan cheese

sides of:

pico de gallo

guacamole

fresh cilantro

fresh lime slice

tomatillo dressing

Durning House Chicken and Rice

This is another favorite recipe I got from the Durning House. It's easy and I always have the ingredients. I make it a lot when we have company or need to bring a meal to someone. It's one of my kids and my husbands favorite meals.

Creamy Chicken And Rice
4 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. butter or margarine, divided
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 to 5 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
12 oz. process American cheese, cubed
2 c. sour cream (16 oz.)
1 1/4 c. butter-flavored crackers, crushed (about 32)

Spread rice into a greased, shallow, 3 qt. or 9x13 inch baking dish; set aside. In a saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon, seasoned salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; add chicken, cheese and sour cream; stir until the cheese is melted. Pour over rice. Melt the remaining butter; toss with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Taquitos

I saw these on My Kitchen Cafe, tried them and we all loved them. Brock kept asking for more burritos. They were really easy to make which is always a bonus. I started the chicken earlier in the day, in the crock pot. I served them with a green salsa verde. I did forget to add the kosher salt on the top, didn't even notice until doing this blog. I will definately be making these again and soon to see if the salt makes a big difference.

Baked Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Our Best Bites
Makes 14-16 taquitos

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, sliced finely (white and green parts to equal about 2 tablespoons)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated monterey jack cheese (use pepperjack if you like a little heat)
small yellow or white corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, mix softened cream cheese, green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge. Working with a few tortillas at a time, place 3-4 between two damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until tortillas are soft and pliable and don't crack while rolling. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on the lower third of a soft tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. Then roll it up as tight as you can. (A few of mine wanted to rebel and come unrolled so I stuck a toothpick through them to keep them right and tight.) Place filled taquitos seam side down on the baking sheet, making sure they don't touch each other. When ready to bake, spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and lightly sprinkle some kosher (coarse) salt on top. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Serve immediately. Taquitos can be dipped in in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other combination you can dream up.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is one of my children's favorite meals. I had this at a party that York and I went to years ago, before the children even came to be. I've been making it for years and I'm sure it is a pretty well known recipe. I made this for Darby's 14th birthday Luau party.

Hawaiian Haystacks

1 Chicken

4 Tbs. margarine

6 Tbs. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

salt & pepper

rice

Boil chicken until it's falling off bones. Debone (I just use chicken breasts, deboning chicken is gross). Save 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, set aside.

In separate pot, melt margarine. Using wire whisk, whisk in flour until flour and margarine make a paste. Whisk in milk slowly, then whisk in broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. When gravy gets a little thick tear chicken into small pieces and add to gravy.

Serve over rice and top with toppings: crushed pineapple, chow mein noodles, grated cheese, coconut, diced celery, green onions and chives.

I have all of the toppings in separate dishes and people can pick and choose which toppings they want.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

We loved these enchiladas! I found the recipe on the Girl Who Ate Everything but, it looks like she got it off of the Sister's Cafe. They didn't have the usual enchilada taste and were a little sweet so, I wasn't sure at first but, we cleared two pans so, something was right. Brock, my favorite critic, even said they were yummy and said he was even eating them without drinking his milk. Translation, he didn't have to wash away his usual gag reflux over my cooking. Ford, who does not like enchiladas (or basically anything that has any form of sauce) even ate them with out complaining. This after complaining that we always have enchiladas on Tuesday. I didn't realize we did, pure coincidence but, my kids now call it Enchilada Tuesday. Ford must go to scouts starving every week.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
by the Sister's Cafe

5 T. honey
5 T. lime juice
1 T. chili powder (use a little less for a milder version)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I put some chicken in the crockpot. You can save time by using a store bought rotisserie chicken. If you like a lot of filling in your enchiladas, I would recommend doubling this.)
8-10 flour tortillas (I used Guerrero's and cooked them first before filling them)
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (or a salsa verde )
1 cup heavy cream (She recommended using 1/2 cup because it would be too rich, I didn't see that until after I'd added the full cup. I didn't think it was too rich.)

Mix the honey (their tip: spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey), lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a Ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours). Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Maple Brown Sugar Ham

I found this recipe on "My Kitchen Cafe". Aside from the fact that I obviously have no idea how to carve a ham, I thought that for my very first attempt at cooking one, it turned out pretty good. I was a little grossed out at the thought of cooking a ham in the crock pot for some reason but, it was super easy and now, I will probably never try it any other way.

Maple Brown Sugar Ham in the Slow Cooker
adapted slightly from Year of Crockpotting

7-8 pound bone-in spiral-cut ham
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all natural maple syrup (yes, please use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup)
2 cups pineapple juice

Use a 6-7 quart slow cooker. Unwrap the ham and discard flavor packet. Place the ham into the slow cooker stoneware, flat-side down. Rub brown sugar on all sides. Pour on maple syrup and pineapple juice. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. An hour before serving, baste ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker. When cooking is done, remove carefully and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before carving.

Milanesa

My neighbor, Cynthia made this one time for me and we love it and it is usually one of those quick, easy fall back meals for me. Cynthia is from Monteray, Mexico. Her dad owned several different restaurants and she now owns her own taco grill. Not a shabby reference when recommending recipes. My family loves this. I don't think Brock claimed to be allergic once tonight. Ford is not a fan of the salsa on top so, substitues it for barbeque sauce. I have no idea if that is good or not but, considering he adds barbeque sauce to everything he eats, I wouldn't recommend it.

Milanesa is actually a cut of meat. You can ask for the cut at your local grocery store's meat department. If you are lucky, which I have been on occasion, they will know what you are talking about and be able to do it. If you live near an H.E.B., they actually have them pre-breaded and ready to cook (at least mine does). They are pretty inexpensive. I can buy a package of 3 for approximately $7. 3 is plenty for my whole family. We usually cut them in half.

If you don't have an H.E.B. you need a really thin cut (milanesa cut) piece of steak. Bread the steak however you like. Cynthia used crackers. Fry the meat in a little oil. It will cook pretty fast becuase it is so thin. Now, the yummy part, which seems weird and I was so unsure of at first...Salsa, mine of course! Spread a little salsa on top and squirt some lemon juice on top of the salsa. Delicious!

Sarah's Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from my friend Sarah. She tutors my son, Ford and it used to kill me when I'd walk into her house and smell this baking. I finally got up the nerve to make it, always assuming it would be too much work. It's not! Brock spent the entire time I was baking this proclaiming profusely that he was allergic to pies. Once he tried it, he said "I like this Sam I Am! I want pie every night." The good news is, it makes enough for two pies. Great for those nights when you have to cook for someone else also. I froze my extras this time, we'll see how that works.

I've gotten a couple of recipes from Sarah that are my all time favorites....one of them a bacon wrapped meatball that I'll have to make soon because, just thinking about it has my mouth watering!

Sarah took a combination of several recipes to come up with this version so, the directions are not exactly step by step. Basically, cut up your vegetables and cook until tender (or use frozen like I did this time).

Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie

3 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken

1 cup sliced cooked carrots (I actually substituted corn this time)

1 cup cubed, cooked potatoes

1 cup frozen green peas

1 medium onion, diced and cooked

6 TBS. butter or margarine

1/2 cup flour

2 TBS. chicken bouillon granules (Sarah uses chicken base because she likes it better, I've done it both ways)

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 cups milk

2 pie shells (I use Pillsburys pie crust, I think they are the best...even better than my mom's. Sorry mom!)

In a large sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour, salt(I realize salt is not in the above ingredients, I just threw some in) bouillon, and pepper. Over medium heat, gradually add milk. Cook and stir with a wire whisk until mixture thickens and bouillon has dissolved. Combine vegetables, chicken, and sauce. Pour into prepared pie shell. Cover with remaining pie shell. Be sure to cut vents in top pie shell. Bake 40 minutes until golden.

Creamy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Several years ago, I visited my cousin Jenny in Dallas. While there, we ate at a restaurant called the Durning House. I loved it and they sold their recipes...bonus! It has been one of my favorite cook books over the years. I ordered one for my mom and a good friend of mine ordered several for herself and family. One of my favorite Young Women requested these enchiladas the other day so, here they are. Wish I was cooking them for you, Heather! They are pretty easy and very forgiving. There are so many different cheeses in them that if I leave out a couple of things, it doesn't matter at all! Anything is good with cheese on it right? Today I left out the green chilies because as usual, I was out. I'm pretty much always out of something or other.

Creamy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

1/2 can green chilies, chopped

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 can green chilies

1 tsp. coriander

1/2 c. onion, chopped

4 c. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 pkg. flour tortillas (I always use Guerreros)

1 c. each: monteray jack and cheddar cheeses, grated

1/2 tsp. cilantro

1 (8 oz) ctn. sour cream

Topping: Heat cream of chicken soup, 1/2 can green chilies, coriander adn cilantro, jack and cheddar cheeses, and sour cream in double broiler (I just use a pot...I have no idea what a double broiler even is), until hot. Do not boil.

Filling: Mix 1/2 can green chilies, chopped onion, chicken and cream cheese well, and fill flour tortillas with this mixture. Top with topping and place in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes. Add 10 minutes to oven time if it was refrigerated. Makes 6 to 8 servings.