Homemade doughnuts

After eating very delicious homemade doughnuts at a friend's house this week, I really wanted to try making them myself. However all the recipes seemed like they would take a while (make the dough, shape the dough, let it rise) and let's be honest -- if I was going to pull this off for breakfast it needed to be alittle bit faster than that. So I went with the easier way -- I used pillsbury biscuit roll -- the kind in the tube. They were amazingly yummy. Simply cut out the donut hole, fry, turn when brown, and then dip in cinnamon sugar or glaze (powdered sugar, milk, vanilla). ''
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Orange Peel Shrimp (or chicken)

This was both easy and delicious. I had orange peel shrimp at PF Changs the other night and then came home talking about it. So I was surprised when the bottle of Yoshida's marinade sauce had a recipe for orange peel chicken. I followed it and it was perfect!


Prepare the orange peel marinade.
1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
the zest of one orange
1 cup of yoshida's marinade sauce

I did double this so that I would have it for both the chicken and the shrimp.

I marinated 4 raw chicken breasts in this for about a half an hour and then baked it at 350 for 30 minutes. I sliced the chicken into strips.

In a saucepan, I sauteed a bunch of frozen vegetables (from the costco stir fry bag) in just the Yoshida sauce. Once they were cooked I added the shrimp (which was already cooked and soaking in the orange marinade) to the pan to just warm it up.


Then I served it all over rice.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

This was seriously good. Lillian had been telling me how good Trader Joe's Enchilada sauce was and so I bought it. But I didn't really feel like making enchiladas. So I came up with this.


4 cans chicken broth
1 bottle Trader Joe's Enchilada Sauce
1 zuchinni diced
1 carrot diced
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1-2 cups cooked diced chicken breast

Simmer until the veggies are soft. Serve with strips of flour tortillas, grated cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, sour cream, avocado, and chips!

My new favorite salad

Lettuce
Grapes
Craisens
Pears
Gorgonzola cheese
Almonds (or any other nut)
Salad dressing --combine in blender
2 cups red wine vinegar
4 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs grey poupon mustard

Once well blended, turn blender to low and drizzle in
3/4 cup olive oil

(this dressing recipe easily makes 50 servings but it stores well in the fridge)

Week 24 -- Honey Butter

This is so simple and such a hit not only at our home, but everywhere I take it.

1 cup butter
1 cup creamed honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mix well in your mixer. Spread on bread, toast, cornbread, waffles and more.

Week -- 23 Yummy Salad Dressing

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil (I use olive)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. onion salt
mix it up and serve or refrigerate ( make sure to mix it up before you serve it, sometimes the sugar will settle to the bottom.)

This dressing was served with a salad with craisens, blue cheese, and mushrooms and it was delicious!

Week 22 - Apple Almond Pudding Cake with Nutmeg Sauce and Whipped Cream

The picture does not do this dessert justice.

From the New Canaan Ward Cookbook --

Pudding Cake:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped almonds (if desired)
4 cups grated apples (peel skins and grate or chop)

Preheat oven to 325. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs and combine well; set aside. Combine cinnamon, nutmeg, soda, salt and flour; add butter mixture. Fold in apples. Bake in 9x13 inch pan for 1 hour. To serve, crumble pudding cake and top with warm nutmeg sauce.

Nutmeg Sauce
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Stir sugar, butter and cream over low heat until butter melts and sauce is hot. Add vanilla and nutmeg.

Top it all with fresh whipped cream.

A delicious dessert for the fall!