LEMON CREAM CHICKEN

When I first started blogging it was about home renovations that were forced on us when we bought some investment property.  Soon after though I realized that my favorite blogs to read and the women I met were those of the foodie genre.  Since then I have made more recipes from the scraps of paper I collected over the years.  Some were real duds, but some shone brightly.

Tonight the Lemon Cream Chicken shined the brightest of all recent recipes I’ve tried. So, I’m going to share it with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

LEMON CREAM CHICKEN
1/3 cup WONDRA flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves**
3 tablespoons butter
1 KNORR chicken homestyle stock tub
3/4 cup hot water
1 cup whipping cream
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

  • Wash and dry chicken pieces.

  • Generously salt and pepper each side.

  • Dredge in the flour, pressing to coat well.

  • In a large skillet, melt butter.

  • Add chicken pieces and brown on each side.  Remove chicken and keep warm.

  • Add KNORR stock and hot water, whisking into drippings until well blended.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat and simmer about 10 minutes until reduced by half.

  • Whisk in the lemon juice and whipping cream until well blended.  

  • Reduce heat and add mushrooms cooking about 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

  • Simmer to desired consistency.

  • Pour over chicken and mashed potatoes.

**I use thinly sliced chicken steaks which are basically chicken breasts that are sliced at least once and many times 3 times.  This helps for portion control and works wonders!  Since my last surgery and for medical reasons I’m supposed to eat less each meal and eat more meals.  This it happens allows me to try even more recipes as long as I adjust them to feed 2.

SMOTHERED CHOPPED STEAKS

SMOTHERED CHOPPED STEAKS

2 pounds ground sirloin
1 sleeve Keebler club crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 Jumbo eggs
1 tablespoon liquid Smoke – MYSTERY ingredient
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped,
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced thin
large shred cheddar cheese
  • Combine all the hamburger steak ingredients until well mixed. Form six steaks.
  • In a well seasoned cast iron grill, sear steaks on both sides.  About 4-5 minutes each side should leave you with medium steaks.
  • In a large skillet melt the butter. Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and caramelized.
  • Top steaks with onions, tomatoes and cheese.

ROLLS OF SHARON aka CINNAMON RAISIN ROLLS

ROLLS OF SHARON aka CINNAMON RAISIN BUNS
ROLLS
2 packages Fleischman’s Rapid Rise Yeast
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup WARM water
1 cup scalded milk (2 minutes in the microwave)
1/2 cup Crisco stick
5 cups flour, divided
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon salt

  • In a small bowl combine the warm water, 2 teaspoons of sugar and both packages of yeast until well blended. Set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, Crisco stick, 1/2 cup sugar and salt. Blend well.
  • Add yeast mixture and blend well.
  • Add the well beaten eggs and half the flour. Mix until well blended.
  • Add the remaining flour (a little more if too sticky) and mix well until dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic.
  • With vegetable oil, wipe the inside of another bowl.
  • Place dough in bowl and turn once.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rest in a warm place until double in size.
  • Punch down and divide into 2 balls.
  • Put one on the pastry board and one back in the bowl.
  • Let rest 10 minutes.
  • While resting prepare the filling ingredients.
  • Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness in a rectangle about 18×24 inches.
  • Spread half the melted butter over the dough and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar.
  • Spread half the raisins over that.
  • Roll tightly jelly roll style and cut into 18 rolls.
  • Place rolls in greased pans 1/4 to 1/2 inches apart.
  • Cover with wax paper and a towel.
  • Let rise again until double in size.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • While baking prepare the icing.
  • When rolls come out the oven, put globs of icing on each one. Return to the oven for a minute or two to melt icing all over the rolls.

FILLING
1 stick melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins

  • Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon until well blended.

ICING
1 stick butter, softened
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered vanilla
4-6 tablespoons milk

  • Mix all together until smooth.

When re-heating rolls, put a pad of butter on top of roll before microwaving.
These freeze really well.

DISCLOSURE

While every caution has been taken to provide my readers with the most accurate information and my honest analysis, please use your discretion before taking any decisions based on the information in this blog. I will not compensate you in any way whatsoever if you ever happen to suffer a loss, inconvenience and/or damage because of making use of information in this blog. I may keep updating old posts on a regular basis and am not bound to explicitly state all corrections made… I blog for pleasure and enjoyment and don’t currently have commercial interest in blogging at this moment and may not accept invitations/requests of certain type which I deem inappropriate.

I do not receive monetary compensation for their reviews. I may be sent a complimentary item in exchange for my honest opinions and receiving a free product does not influence my review posts. All opinions and thoughts are my own, and different people may have different opinions. We are not responsible for those who purchase these items and experience different results. Occasionally, the company provides a product to give away as well.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE – PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS MORNING

This is a BIG family favorite and the recipe varies depending on who in the family is preparing it. Some people use Jimmy Dean’s HOT sausage, some use bacon, some use all ham… some use cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom… some use Monterey Jack cheese or a combo of lots of cheeses… some like plain white bread or wheat… There are so many possibilities!


1 package Jimmy Dean Bulk Sausage
1 cup diced ham
6 slices sourdough bread
2 cups milk
1 can cream of celery soup
7 eggs
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

  • Spray he bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with PURE.
  • Brown sausage and drain fat.
  • Scatter sausage and ham along the bottom.
  • Layer bread evenly over meat.
  • Whisk together the soup, milk, eggs and seasonings.
  • Pour over bread layer.
  • Top with cheese.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

*For Christmas morning I make this ahead a few weeks, but do not bake it. On the evening of the 23rd I take it from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it defrost. When we get up on Christmas morning I preheat the oven and pop it in. When we’re ready, so is brunch!

PICKLED EGGS

I used to make these for our VFW and they were a favorite!

PICKLED EGGS
1 dozen JUMBO eggs
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1 whole dried chile pepper

  • Hard boil the eggs.
  • Drain and fill with cold water. Allow eggs to sit in cold water for 20 minutes.
  • Peel the eggs and place in a glass jar, alternating with the onion rings. Add the red pepper.
  • In a medium saucepan combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
  • Pour the hot vinegar solution over the eggs. Cover tightly and let stand in refrigerator for several days before serving.

BAKED APPLES

before & after – I change to a serving bowl as the baking bowl gets pretty sticky.

BAKED APPLES
per apple:
1/2 cup sugar
scant tablespoon small bead tapioca
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup apricot pineapple jam
1-2 tablespoons golden raisins

  • Wash and core apples (slice off bottom if need be so apple sits flat.
  • In a small saucepan combine other ingredients and bring to a boil.
  • Pour evenly over apples.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Cool slightly.
  • Best served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

LEMON APPLE CRISP

LEMON APPLE CRISP

CRISP
2-3 large Granny Smith apples (4 Cups)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup apple juice

TOPPING
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 small box Cook & Serve Lemon Pudding (NOT instant)

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large mixing bowl combine all CRISP ingredients and mix well. Pour into an un-greased stoneware pan.
In a mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.
Bake 45-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and golden.
Serve warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.

Anyone remember the HELM’S BAKERY?




Photos from the This Site
Barbara and I were chatting about cream puffs and eclairs and maple bars tonight and the whole topic evoked a childhood food memory for me of the Helm’s Bakery. As a young child growing up in southern California, the Helm’s Bakery truck and his ‘toot toot’ horn were as familiar as the ice cream man and his music. He was the pied piper of pastries, we would follow him anywhere and sometimes did. He had long pull out drawers full of eclairs, maple bars – real pastries, donuts, cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, fresh baked breads sometimes still warm from the oven… He catered to the SAHMs or ‘housewives’ of yesteryear before supermarkets at a time when the family car had been driven to work by dad. Shortly after I remember him appearing in our neighborhood he was gone.

I decided to do a little research and was surprised to find they had gone out of business just shortly after I discovered them as a young girl, but more importantly had been the bread supplier to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, created an athletic hall of fame in 1936 that became a model for many of today’s hall of fames and even supplied bread to the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

I went on about their maple bars for so long Barbara has now challenged me to recreate their recipe. I’m no pastry chef, but welcome the challenge. I can taste them and smell them already.

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S POTATO CASSEROLE

Remember when I found this thrift store find?  Well, here is the first recipe and it was a resounding success. 
When I actually made this recipe I realized it really was my grandmother’s recipe.  One that was undoubtedly passed around bymany women at neighborhood coffee clatches, tupperware parties and PTA meetings.  I did update it a bit and hubby can’t seem to get enough of it.
POTATO CASSEROLE
2 pound package frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken celery soup
1 teaspoon garlic salt 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint 8 ounces sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

12 tablespoons butter, melted, divided 8 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons
2 cups corn flakes Special K original
2 cups 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt  1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon parsley
  • Preheat oven 325 degrees.
  • Rub the inside of a 2 quart casserole with butter or spray with PURE.
  • Whisk together the sour cream, soup, 1/2 cup melted butter and seasonings.
  • In a large bowl toss the frozen hash browns with the wet ingredients and 1/2 the cheese until well blended.
  • Arrange the hash brown mixture in the prepared baking dish.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Top with the Special K.
  • Pour remaining butter evenly over top.
  • Bake 1 hour on lowest shelf in oven.
Better the next day and the next and the next…

GRUMPY GUY SALAD & GARLIC CHEESE BREAD

GRUMPY GUY SALAD
1 head romaine salad, cut into bite sized pieces & washed

1 orange, peeled, sectioned and cut into pieces
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped.
1 small bunch scallions, sliced thin
1 ripe pear, chopped
1 small bunch asparagus, blanched and cut into bite sized pieces
1 cup snap peas, cleaned & halved
1/3 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste

  • Wash and prep fruit and veggies.
  • Place in a large salad bowl.
  • Whisk together the peanut oil, champagne vinegar, sugar, salt & pepper until well blended.
  • Pour over salad and toss well.
  • Serve with Garlic cheese bread

GARLIC CHEESE BREAD
1/2 cup salted butter
3 cloves garlic
dash of white pepper
3/4 cup grated aged cheddar cheese
sourdough bread

  • Melt butter in a small sauce pan.
  • Mash garlic cloves.
  • Add garlic and cook until golden.
  • Add cheese, salt and pepper whisking until well blended.
  • Spread on sourdough bread.
  • Broil until golden.