Rustic Round Herb Bread

(Hmmm. This picture didn't look so blurry before.)

Good bread. Good with soup, and just 'cuz. Its another easy one, and if your good at that type of thing, change the herbs to suit your tastes.

Rustic Round Herb Bread

2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dill weed

3 Tbsp.cold butter

1 egg

1/2 c. plain yogurt ( I've subbed sour cream, works great)

1/2 c. milk

In a large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients; mix well. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In another bowl, whisk the egg, yogurt, and milk. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Spoon into a greased 9 inch round baking pan. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

So easy, so fantastic, and if you're good, a One Arm Wonder. (my term for meals that can be made whilst holding a baby.)
This recipe is presented for 2, but I double it, do what you need to.
You will love it. Allot.

Chicken with Lemon Sauce
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour divided
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. salt divided
1/2 tsp. pepper divided
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. butter divided
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. apple juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley

Flatten chicken to 1/4" thickness. (Yeah, I never do this, so suit yourself. unnecessary step in my opinion.)
In a shallow bowl, combine 4 Tbsp. flour, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. In another bowl, beat eggs. Dip chicken in eggs, the coat with flour mixture. In a large skillet, cook chicken in 1 Tbsp. butter, an the oil over medium heat until juices run clear, turning as necessary.
Remove and keep warm.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining flour, salt and pepper; stir in broth until smooth. Add apple juice to skillet, stirring to loosten any browned bits. Stir broth mixture and add to pan. Bring to a boil;cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in lemon juice, cook for 1 minute. Add parsley and remaining butter; cook and stir until butter is melted. Serve over chicken.
Serves:2

Swiss Meat Loaf

We are not really meatloaf people. B., actually really hates it, and I usually don't like it. Mostly because for both of us, we think of dried up, sticky, goopy, nasty, ketchup slathered over the top. Yuck.

Not so with this one, oh no, no ketchup in sight. This one is decadent, the Swiss cheese picks up the bacon flavor and absolutely MELTS in your mouth. Give it a go, even if your not sure about meatloaf yourself, and please, no ketchup on it.

Swiss Meat Loaf

1 egg

1/2 c. evaporated milk (I tend to follow recipes exact the first time around, and actually, I've only made this once, so I don't know about using regular old milk. I say try it.)

1 tsp. rubbed sage

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I used venison)

1 c. cracker crumbs (Ritz type- about 24 made one cup)

3/4 c. grated Swiss cheese (or more, you know, whatever)

1/4 c. finely chopped onion

2-3 strips bacon, cut into 1" pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add milk, sage, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add beef, crumbs, 1/2 c. of the cheese, and the onion; mix well with hands. (Gross, yes, but it works the best.) Form into a loaf, and place in a 2 qt. rectangular baking dish. (That's fancy talk for a 9x13 baking dish.) Arrange bacon pieces on top of the loaf. Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and bake 10 minutes longer.

Serves:6

Baked Chicken

All the grease in this picture should clue you in to the yumminess of this recipe. I love it because you can use half frozen chicken, and still have dinner on the table in just over an hour!

Chicken pieces- I leave the kind and amount up to you. I use thighs and/or legs, depending on what was on sale. Leave the skin on, that's half the joy.
Spray a baking pan with non stick spray. ( it may not need it but I tend to be cautious) and arrange chicken pieces. Sprinkle with:
Poultry seasoning, garlic salt, and paprika. Don't be shy with the spices, but don't go overboard either. Especially with the garlic salt.
Bake at 375 about 45 minutes for thawed chicken, and maybe an hour and 15 minutes for half frozen. Or until golden and crispy.
Wonderfully tender and flavorful, one of B.'s favorites!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Even if you don't think you like spinach and artichoke dip, make it for someone who does and then try it. It is absolutely divine, and horribly addictive. So go try it, right now.
Also, I've made the "full fat" version, and its just as good.

2 c. grated mozzarella cheese, divided

1/2 c. fat free sour cream

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (8 oz.) block Neufchatel

1 (8 oz.) block fat free cream cheese

1/2 a box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry.

Tortilla chips or crackers

Preheat oven to 350. Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, pepper, garlic artichokes, Neufchatel, cream cheese, and spinach. Combine well. Spoon into a 1 1/2 qt. baking dish (I PAM mine to be on the safe side) Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or till golden brown. Serve with chip or crackers.

Yield:5 1/2 cups

Garlic Romano Italian Bread

This bread is a meal in itself. I love it so! The loaves are kinda skinny, just to let you know.

1 pkg. (or 1 tbsp. bulk) active dry yeast

1 1/4 c. warm water (110-115)

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 c. grated Romano cheese (Parmesan is a tasty substitute)

3- 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Cornmeal for dusting

In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt, garlic salt, cheese, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes ( I do all this in my kitchen aid). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; divide in half. Shape into two 14 inch loaves. Place on an ungreased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Brush loaves with water. Make 3 diagonal slashes with a sharp knife about 1/2" deep in each loaf. Fill a 9x13 pan with about 1 inch of water, and place on bottom baking rack in oven. (this part is important!)

Preheat to 400. Bake loaves for 20-25 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Leftovers make great croutons!

Corn Chowder

Fall has been making an early appearance, so I decided to pull out an old favorite for dinner last night. This soup is so easy, and freezes and re-heats wonderfully. Mix up a batch for a nice cozy supper!

1 bacon strip

1medium onion, diced

1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth ( I use 2 cups of water and 2 bouillon cubes)

2 cups water

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced ( I don't peel 'em, to much work)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained ( I use frozen , and eyeball it)

1 c. milk, divided

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

In a 3 qt. saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. ( if you have will power, you will save and crumble the bacon as a garnish for the soup. If you're like me, you'll just eat the bacon) Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add broth, water and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper, mix well. Add corn and 3/4 c. milk. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; add to soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Garnish with bacon and chives.

Serves 6