Cuban-Spiced Chicken

I almost said "no" when I was offered a copy of The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb. The book is from The American Diabetes Association, which is a fine organization. But I don't review a lot of books based on special diets.

But I knew someone who was a recipe tester for this book (small world!) and she absolutely raved about it. I asked if it had any weird ingredients like fake sugars or .... just odd stuff. And she said no, it's normal food that's okay for diabetics.

So I decided to give it a try.

She was right. The recipes were normal.

The book is arranged by season, but I have to say that the ingredients for the majority of the recipes are probably available all year long. And if not, there are options. For example, in a recipe that calls for corn kernels, its says that fresh, canned, or frozen would be fine.

Still, there are some recipes that make sense for serving at specific times of the year. Hearty soups and stews are great for winter, for example.

The Cuban-spiced chicken that I made was in the summer section, but it would work at any time of the year. There are instructions for baking (which I did) and an option for slow-cooking, which is nice in warm weather.

The spices should also be great on chicken that you put on the grill. Or other a pork roast. Or steak.

Cuban-Spiced Chicken
Adapted from The Six O'Clock Scramble by Aviva Goldfarb

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I didn't do this - I made a bean and pepper salad instead)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees unless you're going to marinate the chicken first. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, thyme, oregano, and salt.

Toss the chicken with the lime juice, then coat with the spices. you can continue cooking from here, or let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Transfer the chicken to the baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through in the center of the largest piece.

When the chicken is almost done, warm the beans. Serve immediately.

Easy Cheesy Jalfrezi Chicken

I got a really positive response to my last quick 'n easy chicken recipe (or at least no one skewered me for using *gasp* a can of soup), so I figured I'd post this one too.

This time around, I used a jar of Seeds of Change jalfrezi cooking sauce. I got some samples from them a while back, but I've gone back and bought more of the jalfrezi. The best way I can describe it is that it's curry for people who aren't sure they like curry. It's got a teeny bit of heat and hints of typical Indian flavors, but it's not in-your-face.

What it is, though, is really, really tasty. Flavorful. Scrumptious.

And then I added a can of (gasp!) cheddar cheese soup.

My first experience with canned cheddar cheese soup was when my mom invite me over for dinner and she was giggling with delight about her new cheese sauce recipe that she used on the broccoli.

Prior to that, she generally didn't put cheese sauce on vegetables. Sometimes she'd sprinkle a little cheese on top of hot broccoli or cauliflower and let it melt, but she never made a sauce.

Until this one time. She gloated. She cooed. She rubbed her hands with glee. She was over-the-moon about her recipe and she waited until dinner was over and she asked me to guess what was in the sauce. And finally she announced that it was nothing but undiluted canned cheddar cheese soup.

Well, how about that.

Once I wrapped my head around the fact that it was nothing but canned soup, I had to admit that it totally worked.

These days, I don't use a lot of canned soup, but lately I've been using it in some slow cooker recipes. Because ... hey, why not?

Easy Cheesy Jalfrezi Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 pounds)
1 onion, diced or chopped
1 orange or red bell pepper, cored, and diced or chopped
1 jar Seeds of Change Jalfrezi sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 teaspoon salt*
1 bag frozen broccoli florets (about 14 ounces, depending on brand)

If you have a slow cooker with a browning feature, heat the olive oil in the cooker and brown the chicken, skin-side down. You might need to do this in batches. If your slow cooker doesn't have a browning feature, brown the chicken in a pan on the stove, then transfer to the slow cooker. If there's a lot of fat in the slow cooker, drain most of it before continuing.

Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for a few minutes in the pan or slow cooker, stirring as needed.

Add the  jalfrezi sauce, cheese soup, and salt. Stir to mix it all together. If you like, you can mix them prior to added to the slow cooker - depending on whether you think washing a bowl is easier, or trying to stir stuff in a fairly full slow cooker.

Cook on high heat until the chicken and vegetables are cooked through - 2-3 hours on high, depending on your slow cooker. Add the broccoli, stir to combine, and continue cooking until the broccoli is done to your liking. It will be crisp-tender and warm in about 15 minutes. If you prefer it cooked until tender, plan for another 15 minutes.

Serve hot. I served it with rice to soak up the sauce.

*Before you point out that canned soup is salty, I totally agree. It's salty - for soup. But for my taste, it's not quite salty enough for 4 pounds of chicken and another pound or so of vegetables. If you don't believe me (which is fine - I don't always believe me!) then leave the salt out until the chicken is cooked and give it a taste. Keep in mind that the broccoli is going in the pool, too. And adjust the saltiness to your taste.

Cherry Danish (from a Lunatic)

Hi folks.

You want this, don't you? Yes, you do!

First I would like to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Kim and I blog at Cravings of a Lunatic. My food is, let's say, indulgent most days. The blog has everything from Krispie Treats to Slow Cooker meals and everything in between. I would go out on a limb and say I tend to excel at quick and easy meals. I

've been a stay at home mom for 24 years and with 2 very busy kids I've picked up a thing or two about whipping up great food fast. Otherwise we would never eat. Or it would have been tons of take-out. And let's face it, who can afford take-out all the time.

I am pleased as punch to be guest posting for Donna today. I just adore this woman and wanted to help out in some small way. Since I'm really far away the best I could do it offer my guest post services. It's not much but I know when I'm busy having someone guest post on my blog helps out so much.

Life throws curves balls at all of us and the best thing we can do is try to help each other out when the need is there. I think that is what I love so much about the food blogging community, the people just all rally around each other to show support when life gets complicated.

Initially I wanted to make some bread for today. Then I realized that bringing bread to "The Queen of Bread" was sort of odd. And I am odd, but that one didn't even make sense to me after I thought about it. Then I considered some long drawn out meal. But then I realized Donna doesn't have time in her life right now for long drawn out meal prep if she wanted to make it herself. So I put my thinking cap on and remember seeing this amazing dish in a cookbook I bought not long ago. I did a search online and the recipe is also on the web at Kraft Philadelphia site.

It occurred to me that this might be a recipe Donna could whip up quick to take to the hospital. Or maybe one of her friends could whip it up for them. It's super easy and delicious. The only downside is it's a bit messy to photograph. If you are a food blogger the best advice I can give you is take the photos after this has cooled. While its way better to eat hot, it's super tricky to take nice photos when it's all ooey and gooey. If you are not a food blogger then my best advice it to make this and scarf it down while it's piping hot. Trust me, you'll thank me.

Cherry Danish Dessert:

Ingredients:
2 can (8 oz size) of crescent dinner rolls, divided
2 packages (8 oz size) of cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cherry extract (vanilla if you don't have cherry)
1 can (20 oz) size of cherry pie filling
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick spray.

Unroll 1 package of the crescent rolls and press into the bottom of the pan. Make sure you smooth any seams. The original recipe does not call for it but go ahead and stick this is the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes. I find it helps keep the next step from making this soggy which no one wants. Almost like prebaking a pie crust before adding the wet part.

While that's baking you want to combine the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar (remember you divided this, half of it now and half is for later), egg white and extract  in your mixer and whisk till well blended.

Remove the crescent rolls and spread the cream cheese/sugar mixture over top. The heat of the pan will also help this spread beautifully.

Now pour the cherry pie filling over top and smooth out.

Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place them over top. Make sure you smooth the seams as best you can. Press it as far to the edge as possible.

Stick it back in the oven and cook for another 20 to 28 minutes, depending on your stove and how brown you like the top of your pastries. Just lightly golden is nice in my opinion but everyone has a personal preference.

Remove from oven and let stand.

Mix remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar with the mix using a whisk. You can adjust the thickness to your own taste. I tend to like mine thick so I'll add a little more powdered sugar. Now drizzle this glaze over top while it's still warm.

Cut into squares.

Serve with a big old cherry smile!

Thank you so much to Donna for letting me take over today. My heart goes out to you and your hubby for all that they've been through and continue to go through. You are one brave lady and I admire you for your courage. Your grace under pressure is impressive.

I wanted to do something else for Donna so since I was drawing names for my fudge giveaway I decided to ask Donna if she would send me her address so I can send her some as well. I'll be whipping up fudge all weekend long and cannot wait to pop some in the mail for Donna and Bob. I sure hope they like it.

Toodles and smoochies! xx

   

Slightly Tipsy Mac and Cheese with Peas

The alternate title for this post could have been: What I Made for Dinner When I Came Home From the Hospital Way Too Hungry and Hadn't Planned Better.

But that was sort of long.

It all started with fondue cheese. You see, I got chosen to receive some cheese tools from Boska for review (not for this blog, although I might talk about one or two, anyway) and in order to properly test the tools, I got cheese from Emmi that I could use with those tools. Good deal, right?

I like cheese. It's good for snacking and sandwiches and more snacking ... and salads and snacking ...

Among the wedges and bricks and wheels, I had this package of fondue cheese from Emmi staring at me. The idea is that it's got everything you need, so you just heat it up and start dipping bread in. But it's just under a pound of cheese, and I'm living alone while my husband is in the hospital.

So when I came home late from the hospital, I thought it was time to do something with that cheese. But I wasn't in a fondue mood. Comfort food, on the other hand, sounded really good. Since the fondue cheese was formulated to melt smoothly, I figured it would make good mac and cheese.

Yep, I'm wild and crazy, right?

Since the cheese includes a bit of alcohol (as you would if you were making your own fondue recipe) the mac and cheese had a slightly "adult" flavor. Not overpowering, though.

I didn't measure any of this, but it's so simple ... and it tasted pretty good.

I used:

Elbow Macaroni
Emmi Fondue Cheese
Milk
Frozen Peas

I cooked the macaroni in boiling salted water until it was done (a little al dente), then drained it and added some of the fondue cheese, let it melt, and added a bit more until it was cheesy enough. Then I added milk to make it creamy enough. Your idea of cheesy enough and creamy enough might be different than mine, but that's fine, too.

Then I added a couple hand fulls of the frozen peas and mixed them in - not too long on the stove, because I like them best when they're still crisp.

And that's it. The only thing that took any time was cooking the noodles - once they were done, it was a minute or two to finish it.

I don't know if I'd buy the fondue cheese just to make mac and cheese, but if I had leftover cheese from fondue, this is a great way to use it up.

I used the original fondue cheese but there's also a Gorgonzola one - I'm thinking that would also make a good mac and cheese, or maybe a sauce ... for steak, maybe?

By the way, this reheats well, but it needed just a little extra milk to get the sauce creamy again.