Sticky Chicky

Last week, it seemed that I was reaching the end of each day and wondering what to make for dinner.  It wasn't that I didn't have ideas.  I got busy doing something else, (or something came up), and suddenly, Ryan was coming home in 45 min.  And, most of my dinner ideas needed about an hour.  (You know, 30 min., plus time to feed the baby, break up arguments, wipe off the table from lunch, rotate a load of laundry, etc.)  So, I grabbed my Taste of Home magazines and started scanning the index page.  When I got to the May/June 2009 issue, I found a quick and yummy recipe that I actually had all most of the ingredients for.  (And, yes, the picture is one of the worst so far--there is only so much sunlight we get here in WA!)

Sticky Chicky
8 servings

16 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (use your favorite kind)
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbl. chili powder
1 Tbl. Dijon mustard
1 Tbl. grated gingerroot
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbl. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 9x13 in. baking pan with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken thighs in pan in single layer.

In medium bowl, whisk together remaning ingredients except cornstarch.  Pour evenly over chicken.  Turn pieces to coat both sides  Bake, uncovered, for about 40 min. or until chicken is no longer pink in the center.

Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.  Carefully pour sauce into small saucepan.  Bring to boil over med-high heat.  Combine cornstarch with 1 Tbl. water; mix until smooth.  Add to sauce.  Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 min.  Serve hot chicken with sauce on top.

NOTES:  When I grabbed my Dijon mustard from the fridge, the bottle was pretty much empty.  So, I swapped it for some ground mustard.  And, Ryan is NOT a fan of ginger--so I used a small amount of powdered ginger instead.  Also, I used a mixture of thighs and breasts--and the thighs were much better.  Then again, thighs are my favorte part of the chicken, so I'm probably biased on that one.

Hummin' for Hummus: UPDATED!

When I was pregnant with C, one of my frequent craves was hummus with those multi-grain chips from Costco.  A couple of months ago, I started feeling the crave sneaking back in and this time, I decided to make it myself. 

The first batch was, well, alright.  I think the store-bought stuff I had during my pregnancy was much better.  At this point, I decided that experimenting with different flavors might be fun, so I tried sweet potato hummus, black bean hummus, and roasted garlic and rosemary hummus.  While it was also jsut alright, the sweet potato flavor didn't do much for me.  The black bean hummus simply tasted like a creamy bean dip.  And, the roasted garlic and rosemary was good--but certainly not to-die-for.  However, experimenting with these flavors firmed up my position as a hummus purist.  I am a fan of plain jane, garbanzo bean hummus.

So, I searched for a recipe better than the first batch.  I found one on allrecipes that was really quite good.  And then, while gawking at foodgawker a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for "The Best Hummus You Will Ever Eat" (that's really the title of the recipe) at Edible Moments.  I thought, "Sure. Why not?" and filed it into my internet favorites. 

Well, today, it came out of the "Try It Out" folder...and will head straight into the "Favorite Foods" folder.  This hummus really is the BEST I've ever tasted!  So much tastier than previous recipes and SO much better than purchased hummus.  If you've never tried hummus and even if you have, you need to give this recipe a try!  It will make you hum for hummus.

The Best Hummus You Will Ever Eat
(Adapted from Edible Moments)

3 Tbls cup tahini (sesame paste)
3 Tbls fresh lemon juice
3 Tbls olive oil
2 or 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree. Place in bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika.  Serve with multigrain chips, corn chips, pita wedges, and/or chopped veggies.  (Or really, serve with anything you want.  It's GOOD stuff!)

NOTES: I am a fan of garlic, so I tend to add the max amount.  I used 3 LARGE cloves of garlic.  I also added in some extra olive oil (maybe 1/2 Tbls.) and extra lemon juice (maybe 1/2 tsp.) to loosen up the texture a little.  Also, I didn't measure the hot sauce, just splashed some in.

Extras Notes: (July 6, 2010) After playing with this recipe a few times, I updated the amounts of ingredients to reflect the changes I make when I make this hummus.  (I make it a few times a week now...)  That's the beauty of recipes--a few tweaks make them more personal.

Peanutty Candy Bars

I have a confession to make.  I love food magazines.  First of all, I love getting fun mail--you know, the things that aren't bills or personalized ads.  And, I love reading magazines.  Magazines have short enough articles that I can usually read them before being interrupted by one of the three littles.  After several years of receiving "Simple and Delicious," some of the recipes started to look the same.  So, I let my subscription end.  I thought I wouldn't miss it.  Turns out that I did.  So, I decided to try "Taste of Home" instead.  While I've really enjoyed receiving the magazine regularly, I haven't used as many of the recipes as I would have liked.  (Chalk up one more reason for this blog.)  So, I've pulled out my back issues and have been trying a little here and a little there.

Thursday afternoon was rainy and dreary.  I needed something fun to do with my girls, so I decided to give this recipe a try.  I figured all the oats had to make it ever so slightly healthy.  We LOVED it--and if you like chocolate and peanut butter, you'll love it too! 

Peanutty Candy Bars
Yeild: 2 Doz.

4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2/3 cup peanut butter, divided
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg. (11 oz.) butterscotch chips
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup salted chopped peanuts

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, corn syrup, and vanilla.  Press into a greased 9x13 in. pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 min. or until mixture is bubbly around the edges. 
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butterscotch and chocolate chips; stir until smooth.  Stir in peanuts and remaining peanut butter; spread over the oat mixture.  Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting.

NOTES: The note in the magazine says that low-fat or generic brands of peanut butter don't work in this recipe.  I used Adam's Peanut Butter, which is the kind that doesn't have sugar and has to be refrigerated after opening--and, as you can see, mine turned out fine.  Also, I had to make a few substitutions--white sugar for the brown sugar (forgot I didn't have the brown) and peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips (because that's what I had in my freezer).  I made a 1/2 recipe and put it in an 8x8 pan, which worked just great.

Hamburger Supper

Years ago, I received a gift subscription to "Quick Cooking" magazine.  I was newly married and definitely excited to cook for my husband every day!  These days, the shine has worn off a bit, but I kept a few years' worth of Quick Cooking, (which was later changed to Simple and Delicious).  And, I'm glad I did.  Hamburger Supper has become a favorite at our house.  It's one of the few recipes that I have made repeatedly.  It's incredibly easy and very tasty.  Give it a try!

Hamburger Supper

Serves 4

1 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 medium carrot, sliced
2 medium potatoes, sliced
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in water, poultry seasoning, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in gravy mix.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Arrange onion, carrot, and potatoes over beef.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 min., or until vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and cook 3-5 min. longer or until cheese is melted.

NOTES: It seems I'm always adjusting recipes to deal with something at the last minute.  This recipe is no exception.  I stopped purchasing the individual packets of brown gravy mix a while ago.  Instead, I bought a Costco sized container of it.  (It's great to have on hand.)  I use 3 Tablespoons of mix in this recipe.  Also, if I don't have an onion on hand, I use about 1/3 cup of dehydrated onions and add them with a little extra water when the water is added to the beef.  I was out of onions this time around, so that's why you don't see beautiful rings of onion in the picture.

Back in Business

We have successfully made it through our move!  The kitchen has been reassembled and I'm excited to really get cooking again.  I did have a chance to try a few new things, but just didn't take pics.  At this point, I will apologize beforehand for the lack of beautiful pictures.  Sure, there will be pictures--they just may not be amazing.  Watch for recipes to appear this week!