Garlic Honey Baked Chicken With Rice

We make Garlic Honey Baked Chicken With Rice often at our house. It is an easy dish to prepare and very economical on the budget as well. The tender chicken is sweet and savory with a garlic and honey baste, served over flavorful rice.  

Ingredients

6 chicken thighs or chicken fryer pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. honey
1 1/2 Tbs. vinegar
2 Tbs. mustard
1 Tbs. Olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, diced
2 c. chicken broth
1 c. rice
1 c. peas (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place chicken pieces in a baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix together, butter, garlic cloves, honey, vinegar and mustard. Pour over chicken thighs. 

Cover and bake for 45 minutes, basting every 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over to make sure both sides get a coating of the sauce. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, or until chicken is done or tests done at 165°.

During the last 30 minutes of the chicken baking time, begin cooking the rice.

In a medium saucepan or pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and sweet pepper.  Sauté until the onion and sweet pepper are starting to wilt. It takes about 2 minutes. 

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook according to package directions. Remove from heat and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the peas and heat until the peas are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the garlic honey chicken over the top of the rice.

You can also make extra sauce to serve along with the chicken.

 Beef Vegetable Soup

This is a recipe from my childhood. I will admit, I never liked vegetable soup when I was a kid. However, after a while, I found that it was good when I put the vegetables on a cracker and ate it that way.

Now that I am grown up, I find that this is a fantastic tasting soup on its own, without the crackers. My mom would always use beef roast meat cut into cubes. She did not buy stew meat because that was always more expensive than just a regular roast. Beef stew meat is still expensive, and I don’t mind cutting up the roast myself.

The recipe calls for simmering for 1 hour, but I have found that if you put a lid on the pot and simmer for most of the day, you will get a much better tasting soup. It gives the flavors a chance to marry and the meat to become tender.

Ingredients

2 lbs. hamburger or beef roast meat
1 large onion chopped
3 c. tomatoes, diced
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 c. cubed potatoes
1/2 c. diced celery
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. rice
Pepper to taste
1 or 2 bay leaves (Optional)
8 c. water

Directions

Brown hamburger or cut up beef roast, onions and sweet pepper together in a cast iron skillet. Season with salt, and pepper. You can also use garlic and onion powder as well.

In a large sauce pot, combine tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, salt, rice, pepper and water. Begin heating while the hamburger or roast cooks.

When the meat is done, drain off excess grease. Add the hamburger, or roast, onions and sweet peppers to the pot of vegetables.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour. You can also make this in a crock-pot.

Serve with bread or crackers. Remove the bay leaves as these are not edible.

 Layer Date Bars

Dates are so good and they are healthy for you as well.  They are rich in protein, vitamins, and iron. They strengthen your nervous system, lowers cholesterol, improves bone health, promotes digestion and improves your skin.  Of course, eat them in moderation and sometimes that is hard to do. 

My grandfather used to buy me dates to eat as a treat and I really enjoyed eating them. I never knew they were good for me. I just knew they tasted delicious.  We still eat dates for a snack, but we also make this wonderful, tasty Layer Date Bars.

Ingredients

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 3/4 c. quick cooking oatmeal
1 lb. dates, pitted and cut
1 c. sugar
1 c. water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large sauce pan, cook the dates, sugar and water until it is the consistency of jam. Set aside to cool a bit.

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add salt, soda, flour, and oatmeal. Mix until crumbly. Pat half of the mixture in prepared pan. Do not pack it down hard or the layer will be hard.

Spread the date filling over the crumbly mixture in the pan.

Sprinkle the remaining half of the crumbly mixture over the dates. Again, only pat the top layer down so it is evenly spread over the top. 

Bake for 30 minutes.

Makes about 20 bars.

Pfeffernusse Cookies

 Pfeffernuse Cookies. My great aunt used to make these every year for Christmas. She was a German lady who cooked and baked so many delicious things.  Her food was simple, yet she knew how to make things memorable. These cookies are traditional Christmas cookies made with black pepper and anise for a unique flavor. We make these at our house as well and they are a huge hit. 

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter, room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. anise extract, or vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp. cardamon
2 1/4 c. flour
1 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Pour in the molasses and mix in thoroughly. 

Add the egg and anise or vanilla extract, beating until combined. Scrape the bowl occasionally so everything gets mixed in.

Turn the mixer to low speed. Gradually add the baking soda, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, salt, cloves, cardamon, and finally the flour. Mix until just combined.

Remove the dough and place in a plastic bag. Refrigerate for 3 hours so the flavors can mingle. 

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease or spray them.

Place the powdered sugar in a bowl or in a bag and set aside

Scoop out about a tablespoon of dough.  Roll the dough between the palms of your hands into a ball about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Place the balls on the prepared cookie sheet, about 2-inches apart. If the dough is too stiff to handle, or it crumbles apart, allow the dough to stand at room temperature for a while.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are set and there are cracks in the tops of the cookies. Remove from the oven and let them cool just a bit. While the cookies are slightly warm, roll them in the powdered sugar. You can dip them twice in the powdered sugar for extra coating if you like.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container

 

 Salted Nut Roll

Salted Nut Rolls are so good when you make them at home. You don't have to worry how long  they have been on the shelf and whether the peanuts are any good or if they turned rancid.

Ingredients

1 stick butter
4 c. marshmallows
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Caramel Coating

1 lb. caramel, or about 55 caramels, with wrappers removed
4 tbs. butter
1 (14) oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. peanuts

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, combine butter, marshmallows, vanilla and salt.  Cook and stir until smooth or until the marshmallows are melted over medium heat.  This takes about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Stir in powdered sugar until completely blended. Allow to cool slightly or until you can safely handle the candy with your hands. 

When the candy is cool enough to handle, turn it out on your counter top or cutting board that has been lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

Lightly butter your hands and then begin knead the candy until it is shiny.

Divide the candy into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 4-inch log. Place the logs on the parchment paper and set in the refrigerator until firm. 

Meanwhile, prepare the peanuts and make the caramel coating.  

Coarsely chop the peanuts. You can do this in a food processor or chop them with a knife. Place the chopped peanuts in a shallow plate or pan.

In a large saucepan, combine the caramels, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth. 

Set aside to cool slightly or until cool enough to handle without getting burning your hands or melting the nougat logs.

Remove the nougat logs from the refrigerator. Dip the logs, one at a time in the caramel mixture, making sure the entire surface is coated. Then, roll the caramel coated log in the peanuts.  Place the caramel, peanut coated logs back on the parchment paper on the baking sheet. 

Chill for at least an hour or until firm. When ready to serve, cut the logs into pieces and enjoy.

 

 

Gingerbread Cookies

Everyone loves these Gingerbread Cookies. They are soft in the center with crisp edges. We love cutting out Gingerbread cookies in different shapes. The dough smells wonderful with the spices.

Ingredients

2/3 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2/3 c. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. cinnamon
1 Tbs. ginger
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. flour

Directions

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until combined.

Pour in the molasses and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 2 minutes. Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.

Turn the mixer to low and add the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix in the flour until it is thoroughly blended into the dough..

Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or longer. You can put the dough in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours, but you need to let the cookie dough come to room temperature before using.

Preheat oven to 325° to 350°. Grease or line the cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Lightly flour the surface where you will be rolling out your cookie dough. Take one half of the dough and place it on the floured surface. sprinkle some flour over the top and on your rolling pin. Begin rolling out the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick.  Rotate the cookie dough and lightly flour underneath if it begins to stick. Also lightly dust with flour on top it the rolling pin begins sticking there.

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.  You can also put the cookie cutter in flour so the cookie dough does not stick to the sides of the cutter. 

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Watch the cookies so they don't burn or bake too long. If you bake them too long, the crunchier and harder they will be. To tell when the gingerbread cookies are done, look at the tops. Do they have a glossy sheen on top? If so, they are not quite done. You will want to remove them from the oven right after the shininess is gone.  You can also press the edge of the cookie with your finger, being very careful to not burn yourself. If it shows an indention, you will need to bake the cookies a little longer. If the edge does not fall inwards, then they are done.

Allow cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before removing. Place on cooling racks until completely cool.  Frost or decorate as desired.

If you want crisp cookies, roll the dough out very thin. If you want softer cookies, leave the cookie dough thicker.

 Peanut Brittle

It's getting close to Christmas time and that means delicious candies to make for the holiday. Peanut brittle is one of those candies that we make every year for Christmas. However, it is good any time of the year, not just for Christmas.. This recipe is easy to make and so much better then the kind you buy at the grocery store.

Ingredients

2 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. peanuts, (shells removed if using the kind pictured above)
1 Tbs. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

Directions

Butter the bottom of a heavy baking pan or cookie sheet. Set aside. You can also line it with parchment paper.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt and water. Over medium heat, stir until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture comes to a full boil.   

Add the butter to the mixture. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking until the mixture reaches 280°.

Stir in the peanuts, salt, and vanilla. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 300°.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda.  Be careful at this stage, because the baking soda will cause the mixture to foam up rapidly. 

Immediately pour the hot mixture into the prepared cookie sheet. Working quickly spread the peanut brittle evenly across baking sheet. Allow to cool.

When cool, break into pieces. Store in an air-tight container.