Category: RECIPES

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

I usually make salmon on Fridays and this past Friday, was no different. I want to make a new recipe each week and this is a new recipe but it didn’t end up they way I had planned.

It was supposed to be grilled. I baked it. It was to have chili sauce. I used chili powder. Otherwise, I stayed true to this recipe from All Recipes.
We love salmon and it could be plain but the additions, each week, are a surprise and it has become fun to see what salmon comes out of the kitchen, this Friday.

If you have any good salmon recipes, please link them up. If you don’t, link whatever recipe you would like. We love new recipes.

Sweet and Spicy Salmon

Ingredients:

2 pieces of salmon

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 scallions, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place salmon in a baking pan to fit.
In medium size bowl, mix soy sauce, chili powder, ginger and garlic.
Pour sauce over salmon.
Sprinkle chopped scallions over salmon.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serve, spooning juice over salmon.
I added about a quarter of inch of water to the bottom of the pan to avoid it drying out and burning.

Navy Bean & Ham Soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I guess I’ll be the bad guy that breaks the chain of puff pastry recipes, but I have to. Soup is one of my favorite foods and well of course I also love the breads that we eat with soups! I went to buy some black eyed peas to make for the new year and was confronted with a bean dilemma if you will. In front of me were not only the black eyed peas, but also Navy beans and great northern beans which also intrigued me. More about those later though. I bought all 3, started with the Black Eyed Peas for Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar and now on with the Navy beans.

According to Wisegeek, Navy beans are pea sized white beans which can be used in a variety of dishes. These very common beans are known by a variety of alternate names, including haricot beans, Boston beans, pea beans, and Yankee beans, and they are closely related to larger white beans such as Great Northern and cannelloni beans. Most markets carry navy beans, typically in both dried and canned form, and they are also very easy to grow in the garden, if you have a little bit of room.

The flavor of navy beans is fairly mild, and the texture of the beans tends to be fairly dense. The common name “navy bean” is a reference to the fact that the beans were once widely included among the staple supplies of the United States Navy, since dried beans do not go bad, and they provide an excellent source of nutrition. Many classic American bean dishes call for navy beans as a result, since they were so widespread and well known; Boston baked beans, for example, are made with navy beans. So of course I am now researching these recipes to replace my current BBQ bean recipe and get away from using canned products.

My recipe was developed from what I had on hand along with childhood memories of navy beans and ham hocks cooking on the stove. Min from the Bad Girl’s Kitchen recently ran a recipe for Ham & Bean soup that is most similar to what my family cooked when I was young. I developed this biscuit recipe after I fell in love with the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits.


NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

1 ham bone with meat on it
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

  • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
  • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
  • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
  • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Chicken Bundles – What Did You Bake Today?

I did an inventory of the outside fridge and found two rolls of Pillsbury Crescent sheets. I feel ashamed to be using these store bought puffy pastries after Dave’s amazing post about homemade puffed pastries, but I am too frugal not to use what I have…next time, Dave, they will be homemade all the way….just wait.
I digress…Anyway, to use them up, I decided to make the old stand-by, Chicken Bundles. I also ended up creating something new that I will share below.
Chicken Bundles:
3 cups cooked chicken
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1 small jar pimentos
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 packages crescent rolls or sheets

Mix chicken with cream cheese, pimentos and green onions. Spread out the cresent sheets. If you are using the rolls, pinch them together to form one giant rectangle. Cut each big rectangle into 4 pieces. Place about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture onto one half of each piece. Fold the other half of the crescent piece over the chicken mixture. Using a fork, seal the edges. Bake 400 degrees 15 minutes.
If, like me, you happen to have a lot of chicken mixture left over and you realize that you need more dinner to feed your crew, get out a box of chicken flavored Stove Top and make it up really quick….Place the chicken mixture on the bottom of a microwave safe bowl and top with the Stove Top. Heat for 5 minutes in the microwave and Voila! you have a new and surprisingly delicious main dish.
Don’t forget about the Oatmeal challenge….link up your recipes using Oatmeal on January 29th.
What Did You Bake Today?

Banana Cream Cheesecake ~ Be SURE and Save Room for Dessert

Hi everyone, Tamy from 3 Sides of Crazy here filling in for Joy this morning. I’m not sure what she had planned, but I just made this scrumptious Banana Cream Cheesecake that I couldn’t resist sharing with you

BANANA CREAM CHEESECAKE

CRUST
20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies
1/4 cup butter, melted

FILLING
3-8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
3/4 cup finely mashed banana (2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract

  • Use a blender to finely chop the cookies.
  • Add butter and blend until they are well blended.
  • Press mixture into the bottom of a 10″ springform pan and smooth it out.
  • Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
  • Beat cream cheese until creamy.
  • Add in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs one at a time.
  • Beat in the bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
  • Pour mixture into crust.
  • Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake an additional 75 minutes, or until center is almost set.
  • Allow to cool completely before removing sides. Before removing the pan, run warm water over a knife and slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate the cake from the pan cleanly.
  • Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, at least 6 hours.
  • Serve with sliced fresh bananas, Caramel Sauce, Hot Fudge Sauce and fresh whipped cream.

I originally made this recipe for I CAN COOK THAT! and What Did You Bake Today? Be sure and stop back by for both.

I can Cook that! badge
hosted by Dave at OuR KrAzY KiTcHeN
hosted by Kristen at OuR kRaZy KiTcHeN

My favorite all time cheesecake is the Banana Cream at the Cheesecake factory with gooey hot fudge, caramel, fresh sliced bananas and fresh whipped cream. We recently took my mom for her birthday and I was reminded that I had yet to duplicate that recipe. Well it bugged me enough that I believe I have finally developed a recipe that compares with the Cheesecake Factory. I do like my square spring foam pan though – makes for easier slicing.
aprons 3

Crispy Potato Cakes

I just had to share these here because they are crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside and are a delightful treat for the taste buds. They are also easy to make and can be used as a side dish or an appetizer.

Ingredients:
Five medium potatoes
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg beater
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of black pepper or more to taste
salt to taste
Canola oil for frying

Method:

Peel and cut potatoes into small pieces.

Boil potatoes until soft enough to be mashed.
Shred cheese.
Cut scallions into small pieces.
In a large bowl, mash potatoes.
Add cornmeal, egg, cheese, seasonings and sour cream. Continue mashing until they are mixed together.

Add cornmeal.

Add cheese & scallions.

Add sour cream.
Form patties. I made them a few sizes until I found that the two inch size was good for my purpose. I also did not flatten them very much. I was tempted to make them in muffin tins and I am going to do so, in the future. I wanted little potato cakes and not patties. I got both.
In a large skillet, in oil that has been heated, drop in the shaped patties and cook on medium heat until browned.
Flip them over and cook other side until browned and crispy. (Not too dark.) (A few minutes on each side)
I served them plain since they had enough calories but they would be a delicious with some sour cream, on the side.

Sausage Pasta Casserole ~ Cooking with Chaya

My husband said, this was interesting which meant to me, he did not like it, but then I watched him take three servings. He liked it. The truth is it is an interesting recipe because it is not a combination I have ever used and you, very likely, have not used, either. It worked though, it worked very well, blending flavors.

This has some of my favorite food, sausage, pasta, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes. For me, it had to be good and it was. If you make this, you can substitute in every area. You could use chopped meat or meat balls instead of the sausage. You could use another vegetable in place of the sprouts, (green beans, broccoli, cauliflower or even spinach. I would leave the pasta and tomatoes in place but choose any pasta you want.

Sausage-Pasta Casserole (two servings)

Ingredients:
2 large sausages, cut into about 8 pieces each
1/2 pound pasta of choice – I used penne (gluten free)
10 ounces Brussels sprouts
1 medium onion, sliced
6 tomatoes, bigger than cherry tomatoes, smaller than a full size one, in eighths
1 red pepper, sliced
4 tablespoons crushed tomatoes (canned)
Spray cooking oil
Method:
Put up water to boil and while browning, cook the pasta according to directions.
Microwave or boil Brussels sprouts.
Spray a large skillet with cooking oil and fry sausages in it until they are lightly browned.
Remove sausage. Do not clean skillet.

Fry red pepper and onion until slightly browned.

Add fresh tomatoes.

Add pasta and Brussels sprouts.

Add crushed tomatoes. If you need more crushed tomatoes, add what is necessary. There is also juice from the fresh tomatoes for the sauce.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Mix all ingredients gently together. I put these in a casserole and heated them in the oven for twenty minutes on 300 degrees.

Italian BBQ Chicken & Corn Casserole

With the big move I was reaching for recipes that would work around the things I had on hand. I came up with this recipe and it was a huge hit and sooooooooo easy, not that I’ll let hubby know that LOL.


ITALIAN BBQ CHICKEN and CORN CASSEROLE
2 pounds chicken tenders
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained well
salt & pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup Classico sun-dried tomato pesto

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Arrange chicken tenders in the bottom of a buttered glass baking dish.*
  • Salt and pepper well.
  • Spread corn over chicken.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter until frothy.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook a few minutes until translucent.
  • Whisk in the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium high heat until thickens.
  • Pour over the chicken and corn.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes.
  • Serve with Beer Bread for a yummy cold night meal.

*If you want to cut down baking time, brown the chicken first and decrease baking time by 30 minutes.

Let’s Make Magical Mondays

You must be wondering who is this Chaya who has been granted the honor and fun of hosting Mondays with Cooking With Chaya. Some of you may know me from my blogs, Chaya’s Comfy Cook and Sweet and Savory Says it All. I hope the rest of you will get to know me and I will get to know you.

I am Chaya, a woman who is finding herself as a cook and baker. I want to cook or bake everything but everything is too much. Time and error keep me from reaching close to achieving a fraction of what I would like. I make my share of mistakes and I am willing to share them with you. Some have been shocked that I did share my burnt creations but I believe we learn from our mistakes. Of course, I hope there are many more successes to talk about. I would like you to come along with me on my journey, finding out who Chaya the Cook is. Hopefully, we will have fun doing this and come up with some good eating to put on our tables. Please, leave your recipes for all of us to try. Click on If you have another version of what I made, please add your comments. I want to learn from you. Together, we can make Magical Mondays.

I had no idea what recipe to start with and changed my mind a dozen times. Finally, I decided, I would share the last thing I made and stop agonizing. Here it is.

Candied Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

I have made candied sweet potatoes for years but not like this and never with the butternut squash. I actually made the recipe, in the morning, with just sweet potatoes but found a lonely butternut squash in the refrigerator and decided to up the recipe with this delicious vegetable. I am presenting the recipe as baked together.

Ingredients:
Spray cooking oil
4 medium sweet potatoes

1 butternut squash
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Method:
Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Spray a medium size to large baking dish.
If you have a microwave, microwave the butternut squash for a few minutes to make it easier to peel.
Peel both the sweet potatoes and squash and cut into chunks about an inch and one half in size.
Sprinkle these with salt and pepper.
Bake in over for 30 minutes.
While the vegetables are baking, make the marinade by mixing all ingredients together.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and cover them with the marinade.
Make sure each piece is well coated.
Put back in oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
With a large spoon, once again, spoon the marinade from the pan onto the sweet potatoes and squash. If it has all been incorporated into the glaze on the vegetables, skip this step.
My sweet potatoes held the glaze better than the squash did.
This is the kind of dish you can serve with meat, fish and poultry. Its sweetness sets off other flavors.

Parsley Herb Noodles OR Linguini & Clams ~ Cooking with Chaya at OuR KrAzY kItChEn

PARSLEY HERB NOODLES / LINGUINI & CLAMS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound linguini, cooked and drained well, reserving pasta water as needed
4-6 cloves minced garlic
(2) 7 1/2 ounce cans minced clams, drained well, but retaining 8 ounces of the juice
1 cup white wine
1 shallot, minced
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan
salt & pepper to taste

  • Heat butter and oil together.
  • Add shallot, green onions and garlic cooking until golden and fragrant.
  • Add clam juice and white wine and simmer uncovered 10 minutes.
  • Add clams, parsley, salt and pepper, to taste and most of the Parmesan cheese,  heating until cheese is melted.
  • Toss with the linguini.
  • Serve with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.

ORIGINALLY POSTED 12-21-2009 for my FIL’s birthday

BANANA CREAM PIE ~ SIMPLY DELICIOUS SUNDAY



BANANA CREAM PIE
CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water
  • In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.
  • Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball.
  • Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for several hours. Overnight is better.
  • Preheat oven 350°.
  • Roll dough.
  • Place crust in 9 inch pie plate.
  • Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.
  • Flute the edges with a fork.
  • Bake 12-15 minutes until flaky and JUST golden. It will finish baking after you have filled it.
  • Cool.

FILLING
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups whole milk
3 Jumbo egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 just ripe bananas, sliced
1 extra ripe small banana, pureed

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a medium saucepan heat milk slowly.
  • Sift together the sugar, flour and salt.
  • Add the flour mixture gradually while stirring gently.
  • Add in banana puree.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.
  • Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture back into the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Remove the mixture from the stove immediately adding the butter, lemon juice, maple and vanilla extracts stirring constantly until a smooth consistency is reached. (Do not cool for too long before pouring over the sliced bananas.)
  • Slice the bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell.
  • Top immediately with pudding mixture.
  • Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Chill for several hours before serving. Overnight is best.
  • Top with whipped cream.

TOPPING
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

  • In a large bowl (I use my copper one and pre-chill it and my whisk in the freezer), whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks are just about to form.
  • Beat in maple extract, vanilla powder and powdered sugar until peaks form, making sure not to over-beat.