Category: RECIPES

KARAAGE AMAZU? AMASU? Chicken I’ll just call it TANGY YUMMY Fried Chicken

I have a small piece of a note that says AMASU Chicken on it from an old folded recipe in an antique box I found in an antique store. I have no idea when or even when I found it. I started researching it and came up with a few recipes that sounded interesting, but none of them sounded interesting enough by themself to be worth trying in my book. So, I piece mealed the bits and pieces of all of them into a recipe we like.

Karaage is basically a Japanese term/technique for deep frying in oil. It is most often used for chicken. The meat is usually coated in a corn or potato starch dredge before frying.

Amasu – means “leave over” in Japanese
Amaza – means “ no one knows everything” in Zulu

Karaage Amazu? Amasu? Chicken I’ll just call it TANGY YUMMY Fried Chicken Serves: 4-6 people
3 pounds chicken thighs (cut into bite size) OR chicken wings
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1/2 cup Mirin
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
1/4 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup water
1 small can crushed pineapple (DO NOT DRAIN)
1/4 cup ketchup (Jalapeno ketchup adds a bit of a kick!)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (1 LARGE lemon)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon FRESH, FINELY chopped cilantro coriander
1 teaspoon red chili flakes (or more if you like more heat)
Chopped green onions for garnish

  • Marinate the chicken pieces with liquid aminos and set aside.
  • Combine mirin, rice wine vinegar, water, pineapple, salt and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium and cook until the liquid thickens.
  • Completely cool the mixture.
  • Whisk in lemon juice, cilantro and red chili flakes, to taste.
  • In a large ziploc bag coat chicken in cornstarch, shaking to coat well. Tap off excess cornstarch before frying.
  • Heat oil to 350° and fry until crispy and cooked through.
  • Add chicken to large bowl.
  • Pour sauce over and toss to coat.
  • Plate, garnish and serve hot.

ONION SALISBURY STEAK

SALISBURY STEAK adapted adapted from the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2-1 pound FRESH mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon creamy horseradish
2 tablespoons jalapeno ketchup
1 packet LIPTON French onion soup mix
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon WONDRA flour
1/4 cup cream sherry
1 1/2 cups beef broth
FRESH parsley leaves as garnish

  • Combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon of the ketchup, horseradish, 1 tablespoon of the soup mix and some salt and pepper in a bowl and knead until well combined.
  • Form into 4 oval patties, and using the side of your hand, make lines across the patties to give them a “steak” appearance.
  • Place a HEAVY skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium high heat and add the butter.
  • Add mushrooms, cooking until caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add oil and more butter if necessary.
  • Fry the patties about 5 minutes per side until no longer pink in the middle.
  • Remove from the skillet and pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease.
  • Sprinkle the flour remaining grease and let cook for a minute.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat and deglaze with the sherry, scraping up all the little bits from the bottom to release all the flavor.
  • Return to the heat and add the beef broth, remaining ketchup and remaining soup mix. Bring to a boil and let thicken, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Fold mushrooms into gravy, stirring a minute or two to reheat mushrooms.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat.
  • Return the patties to the gravy, spooning a little gravy over each.
  • Garnish with the parsley.

 

LEMON HERB BAKED SALMON

LEMON HERB BAKED SALMON

2 pound boneless salmon (preferably 1 inch thick) – skin on or off, wild caught if possible (or fillets)
5 sprigs FRESH chopped tarragon or thyme rosemary
2 small lemons, 1 cut into thin slices, the other juiced
2 tablespoons avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped green onions or parsley for garnish
Lemon slices for garnish

  • Let salmon stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with a large piece of aluminum foil.
  • Lightly coat the foil with baking spay.
  • Arrange half the lemon slices in the center of the foil.
  • Top lemon slices with half the chopped herbs.
  • Drizzle the salmon with avocado oil and generously season with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper. Gently rub the oil and seasonings into the fillets.
  • Lay salmon over sliced lemons and herbs. If using fillets, nestle them closely together.
  • Scatter the remaining herbs and lemon slices on top of the salmon.
  • Scatter the garlic over the top.
  • Pour lemon juice over top.
  • Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the top completely enclosing the salmon, but tenting the foil a bit.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until the salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part and it flakes easily.
  • Remove the salmon from the oven and carefully open the foil so that the top of the fish is completely uncovered, but be careful of hot steam.
  • Change the oven setting to broil, then return the fish to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes – WATCH CLOSELY SO IT DOES NOT BURN.
  • Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs and top with a squeeze of lemon.

BACON GREEN BEANS

BACON GREEN BEANS

Total: 40 minutes Active: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings

1 pound green beans, trimmed
3 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons bacon grease
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, SMALL chopped
1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped mini red bell pepper
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Cooked bacon JUST until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. If you don’t have 2 tablespoons supplement with salted butter.
  • Add garlic and onions, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the green beans and cook 1 minute until the beans turn bright green.
  • Add chicken broth, chopped red pepper, salt and pepper to taste.
  • Reduce heat to low and cover, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape.
  • Cook 20-30 minutes until the liquid evaporates and the beans are fairly soft, yet still tender crisp. You may need to add more chicken broth during the cooking process, but don’t be afraid to let it all cook away so the onions and peppers can start to caramelize.
  • Stir in bacon pieces.
  • Serve immediately.

ALL DAY MEATBALLS with CHERRY SAUCE or WHISKEY SOUR JELLY SAUCE

If you are anything like me, you have a drawer or even a box full of recipes from newspapers, magazines, old maiden aunts, grandmothers, friends and every potluck you ever went to and said I have to have that recipe! I originally started making this recipe (and posted it too) about 15 years ago. I haven’t made many changes since that initial time – it’s just that good!

While I usually keep the combination of ingredients, spices and seasonings somewhat intact, I do make changes to those recipes to make them more palatable to my family. So I always keep a list of likes, dislikes and allergies and am constantly altering recipes to fly by the seat of my pants.

These recipes have been floating around so long in the box that I have no idea where they actually originated, but one looks like a page from an old, and I mean OLD magazine and the other is handwritten. I have them stapled together with a note to combine them together.

I’m like that – whatever works for my family. I had a girlfriend in college who loved fashion but was on such a strict budget there wasn’t room for the things she eyed the most. I remember Julie borrowing a fancy designer dress from a Joann, a girlfriend of ours for an event and then later that night she took it apart, made a pattern and made her own dress before putting Joann’s dress back together. To my knowledge Joann never knew. Now I can’t do that with recipes literally, but I do do it in my mind while I’m reading the recipe(s) as if I’m eating a particularly tasty tidbit. Some days I feel like an archaeologist unearthing pieces to make a whole from.

This is one of our particularly favorites recipes from my archaeology days of recipe hunting. It’s also versatile in that you can easily change the sauce to whatever your tastebuds crave that day whether it’s one of the ones I have listed or one you make up to fit your family. Serve it with salad, in a pasta dish or even on a sandwich!

ALL DAY MEATBALLS
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup Panko read crumbs
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup garlic salt
FRESH ground tricolor pepper, to taste
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped fine
2 LARGE eggs

  • In a large bowl combine the quick cooking oats, milk, eggs, onion and garlic salt.
  • Crumble the beef over top and then mix in well.
  • Shape into 1-2 inch balls.
  • Place in slow cooker.
  • Pour sauce of choice over meatballs. If using my whiskey sour sauce, save sauce until serving.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the meat is no longer pink.

CHERRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons QUALITY vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup tart cherry jam (or jam flavor of choice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup jalapeno ketchup

  • Mix together the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, jam and brown sugar

NOTE: Cherry, raspberry and apricot pineapple jams work extremely well with this recipe.

WHISKEY SOUR JELLY SAUCE
3 limes, juiced (6 tablespoons)
2 lemons, juiced (6 tablespoons)
1 orange, sliced, rind removed, each slice quartered
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup bourbon
3 ounces liquid pectin (1/2 of a foil pouch)
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, quartered

  • In a heavy saucepan stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, water and bourbon.
  • Bring to a FULL rolling boil, boiling hard for a full minute, stirring constantly.
  • Quickly stir in pectin.
  • Return to boil, boiling hard for a full minute more, stirring constantly.
  • Fold in oranges slices and cherry pieces.
  • Pour over meatballs before serving.

NOTE – Make a LARGE batch of sauce and use it for pretty gifts. Add an orange slice and maraschino cherry before ladle into sterilized jars. Water bath to seal.

BAKED TOMATOES with PARMESAN BROCCOLI STUFFING

BAKED TOMATOES with PARMESAN BROCCOLI STUFFING Serves 4

4 LARGE tomatoes
2 cups minced broccoli florets
¼ cup FINELY shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons FINELY minced onion
2 tablespoons chopped FRESH basil
Juice from 1 LARGE lemon
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Cut tomatoes in half crosswise.
  • Using a spoon, scoop out pulp.
  • Chop tomato pulp, place in medium bowl and add broccoli, cheeses, garlic, onion, basil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
  • Arrange tomato halves, cut sides up, on baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt then evenly fill with stuffing mixture.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until tomatoes are tender and heated through.

NOTES & HINTS:

  • Tomatoes can be assembled a day ahead, covered and stored on a baking sheet in refrigerator.
  • A grapefruit spoon with serrated edges works well for cleaning out the tomatoes from their pulp.

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS 4-6 servings

This is a super simple weeknight meal – it can even be prepared in advance and be all the better for it as the flavors meld to make deep and rich sauce!

So why are they called “PORCUPINE”? As the meatballs bake in the incredible sauce and the rice bakes it plumps up and starts sticking out the sides just like porcupine quills. 😀

1 pound QUALITY 80/20 ground beef
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon chopped FRESH parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
FRESH ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons avocado oil
One 28-ounce can tomato puree
1/4 cup jalapeno ketchup

  • Preheat the oven to 350°.
  • Use your hands to mix together the ground beef, egg, onion, rice, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning, half the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
  • Roll the meat mixture into 24 golf ball sized meatballs.
  • Heat the avocado oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium high heat.
    Once shimmering, add the meatballs and cooking 1-2 minutes  on each side until lightly browned all over.
  • Reduce the heat to medium.
  • Whisk together the tomato puree, ketchup, remaining Italian seasoning, remaining garlic, FRESH ground sea salt and pepper to taste.
  • Stir into pan, simmering until the  sauce is WELL combined and meatballs are WELL coated.
  • Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink, the rice is tender and poking out and the sauce has reduced slightly.
  • Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve.

PINEAPPLE PEACH BREAD PUDDING

PINEAPPLE PEACH BREAD PUDDING is a summer dessert that’s bursting with pineapple and peach flavor, but can be easily converted to just about any flavor you want for any time of the year! Small wild blueberries are a winter favorite. 

😀 You can serve it with or without caramel sauce and ice cream 😀

8 cups bread, cubed
3 LARGE eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup pineapple yogurt
1 cup WHOLE milk
2 cups Sugar
1 SMALL can pineapple, WELL drained
1 1/2 cups FRESH peaches, peeled, pitted and diced *(see note)
½ cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl beat 3 eggs, add melted butter, yogurt and milk. Add 2 cups sugar slowly, stirring until it is dissolved. Add peaches and bread, mixing well.
  • Allow mixture to soak into bread 30 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
  • Pour the bread mixture into 9×13 baking dish, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover loosely with buttered foil and Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil, sprinkle with the pecans and bake until the top is golden and the center is set, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

CARAMEL SAUCE
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup brown sugar

  • In a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar, bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to low, simmer until the sauce thickens, for about 5 minutes.
  • Pour over individual bread pudding servings.
  • Top with vanilla ice cream.

NOTE: You can use canned peaches or even frozen peaches. If using canned peaches be sure to drain them EXTRA well. If I use these I start the draining the night before and just cover them in the fridge over night. If using frozen, thaw them overnight and the drain well.

ZESTY CREAMED CHICKEN

There is almost no prep time for this recipe, it is so so versatile and the slow cooker actually does all the work! The whole family will be licking their plates when this creamy angel chicken recipe is on the menu. Serve it over a bed of angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes, biscuits, or rice. It’s one of our favorite weeknight recipes.

ZESTY CREAMED CHICKEN

1.5 pounds chicken breast, boneless and skinless
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cream of chicken soup** (see notes)
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup Philadelphia cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
Prepared pasta, jasmine rice or mashed potatoes for serving
chopped herbs, for garnish

  • Spray the inside of the crockpot with non stick cooking spray.
  • Add the chicken breasts in a single layer if possible.
  • Soften the butter and cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until melted enough to stir together smoothly.
  • Whisk in the undiluted cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing mix, minced garlic and chicken stock until well mixed.
  • Pour over the chicken breasts.
  • Turn chicken breast to coat in sauce.
  • Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
  • Shred chicken into sauce using 2 forks.
  • Serve the chicken over pasta, jasmine rice or mashed potatoes

NOTES**

  • Cream of just about any flavor (celery, nacho cheese, mushroom, etc…) works with this recipe.
  • You can substitute white wine for the chicken broth.
  • You can also substitute a flavored cream cheese.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP CARAMEL PUDDING COOKIES

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CHOCOLATE CHIP PUDDING COOKIES

Yields 2-3 dozen cookies – Do your own experimenting with pudding flavors and/or chip flavors!  Adapted from Life in the Loft House

1 cup salted butter softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 – 3.7 ounce box GODIVA instant caramel chocolate pudding mix
2 LARGE eggs
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 – 11 ounce package QUALITY milk chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheets with parchment.
  • Sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, or stand-mixer, combine the butter, sugars, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla.
  • Beat on medium speed until creamy and combined.
  • Gradually add in the flour and baking soda to the mixture, beating on low speed until just combined.
  • Stir in the chocolate chips.
  • Drop batter by tablespoons on un-greased cookie sheets.
  • Bake for only 9 to 10 minutes. They may not seemed fully baked, BUT THEY ARE! DO NOT OVER BAKE!
  • Remove from oven and let cookies rest and cool on the cookie sheets. There is no need to transfer them to wire racks, but be sure to cool them completely before putting them in the cookie jar.
  • Enjoy these delicious devils by dunking them in milk! ♥

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN

2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 + 1 tablespoons butter
1 Poblano pepper. stemmed, seeds removed and sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced thin
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
¼ cup Cornstarch
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 +/- teaspoons Chipotle chile paste
¼ cup FRESH cilantro FINELY chopped
1 tablespoon QUALITY honey
Prepared white rice, mashed potatoes or pasta
2 tablespoons grated Cotija cheese

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, 1 teaspoon of warm water, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be – set aside until needed.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon butter in non stick skillet.
  • Add onions and peppers, sautéing 3-5 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize.
  • Season chicken pieces with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Coat chicken pieces with cornstarch, shaking off excess.
  • Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet.
  • When butter is melted add chicken pieces in a single layer cooking 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides.
  • Pour reserved sauce over chicken, stirring to coat well.
  • Garnish with Cotija cheese and cilantro. Cilantro is also good added to rice, pasta or potatoes.

ORANGE RASPBERRY BUTTER CAKE

ORANGE RASPBERRY BUTTER CAKE Yield 2 9inch layers, 12-16 serving(s)
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 LARGE eggs
3 LARGE egg yolks
1 tablespoon PURE vanilla
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup WHOLE milk
1/4 cup orange liqueur (raspberry liqueur or rum also work well)

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
  • In mixer bowl, on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar 4-5 minutes until fluffy.
  • Add eggs, then yolks, one a time, beating well after each, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
  • Beat in vanilla.
  • In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
  • Mix in about a third of flour mixture into butter mixture.
  • Stir in half the milk and liqueur, just until blended.
  • Stir in another third of flour mixture,.
  • Add the remaining milk and liqueur and then the rest of the flour mixture.
  • Spread batter equally into the cake pans.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Cool on racks in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto racks and remove pans.
  • Cool completely before frosting.

NOTE: This cake is good with or without frosting or glaze.