Peach Cobbler

Adapted from Allrecipes

Cobbler mix:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

6 T unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup boiling water

Topping:

3 T white sugar

1 t ground cinnamon

I used these frozen peaches plus 1 t cornstarch and 1/4 t ground cinnamon

or use:

8 fresh peaches; peeled, pitted and sliced

1/4 c while sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1 t fresh lemon juice

2 t cornstarch

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl, combine peaches, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Toss to coat evenly, and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Blend in butter with your fingertips, or a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in water until just combined.
4. Remove peaches from oven, and drop spoonfuls of topping over them. Sprinkle entire cobbler with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake until topping is golden, about 30 minutes.

*I just used the cobbler mix and cooked it on some peaches I had frozen in juice. It seems so good cooking! Jeff said it was his favorite!

Andy's Spicy Green Chile Pork

From Allrecipes

Ingredients:
1 white onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
1 (16 ounce) jar green salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Serrano chile peppers, or to taste (I used some banana peppers from my garden)


Directions:
1.  Layer the chopped onion into the bottom of a slow cooker.  Season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper; place atop the chopped onion.  Pour the green salsa over the pork.  Sprinkle the cilantro over the salsa and pork.  Drop the Serrano chile peppers into the slow cooker.
2.  Cook on low until the meal falls apart easily, about 8 hours.  Gently remove the pork to a cutting board.  Strain and discard about half the remaining liquid from the slow cooker, reserving the rest.  Discard the onions, peppers, and cilantro if desired.
3.  Shred the pork shoulder with a pair of forks.  Mix the pork with the reserved liquid from the slow cooker to serve.

*This was tasty and simple.  A good one to add to the rotation.

Applesauce

Directions here

I only used one kind of apple, golden delicious (which I think has a very high-content of water).  Jacob loved it!

Chicken Divan

2-3 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
½ frozen bag of broccoli (can use fresh), cooked slightly
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup grated cheese
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 Tbs melted butter
2 Tbs lemon juice

Arrange chicken in bottom of greased 8 x 8 pan.  Place broccoli on top of chicken. Combine soup, mayo, cheese, lemon juice and heat until cheese melts and everything is smooth. Pour over chicken and broccoli.  Mix melted butter and bread crumbs together. Sprinkle over the top. Bake, covered with tinfoil at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

*I had some leftover grilled chicken from the other night and a bunch of fresh broccoli that I wanted to use so we thought we'd give this a try.  It was simple and easy--at first my 6 year old wasn't too eager to try it, but with the first bite in his mouth he said, "Yummmm."  This went together fast.  The only change I would make is less bread crumbs--maybe 1/4 of a cup.  Be sure to serve with potatoes and fruit or another filler to offset the richness of this meal.  I didn't cook the broccoli beforehand or cover with tinfoil and it turned out just fine.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Adapted from This Week for Dinner

*These were good, but not as simple as the other Chicken Enchiladas I've made.  Great with Cilantro Lime Rice.


Ingredients:
2 C chicken, cooked & shredded
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic crushed
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 t salt
3 C heavy cream (I used half and half, less calories)
5 bouillon cubes – chicken
8 tortillas
1 1/2 C monterey jack grated cheese
1 large onion
1/4 t sugar

Directions:
1.  Sautee onion in 2 T oil until translucent. Stir in garlic, tomato sauce, salt, sugar and chicken. Cover and simmer 5 mins. In a large saucepan heat cream. Dissolve bouillon in cream – don’t heat too hot. Set aside. 2.  Dip tortilla in cream mixture, add about 1/4 c chicken mixture and roll up. Place rolled tortilla seam side down in 9X13 baking dish.
3.  Pour any remaining sauce over enchiladas. Cover with grated cheese. Bake 350 25-30 mins.

Fish Tacos with Creamy Cilantro & Green Chile Sauce

From Cookin' Canuck

*I thought these were so good, though better the second day.  The corn tortillas doubled-up were a bit much for me, but if you fry them for just a few minutes and use only 1 instead of 2, they are a perfect compliment to the delicate fish.  Honestly, my kids didn't really go for the tacos, but they ate the fish!  I really liked the creamy sauce...I must.
  

• Sauce:
  1/3 cup light mayonnaise
  1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  2 tbsp skim milk
  2 oz. canned diced green chiles
  2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  1/2 tsp ground cumin
  1/4 tsp kosher salt
  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  Fish:
  3/4 tsp chili powder
  3/4 tsp ground cumin
  1/4 tsp kosher salt
  4 fillets (4 oz. each) firm white fish, such as Mahi Mahi or halibut
  1 tbsp canola oil
  16 corn tortillas
  3 oz. Cotija or queso fresco cheese, crumbled
  1/2 small green cabbage, cut into shreds
  2 medium tomatoes, diced
  Sauce:
  In the bowl of a food processor, puree mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, diced chiles, lime juice, cumin and salt until smooth. Add cilantro and pulse until just combined.
  Fish:
  In a small bowl, mix chili powder, cumin and salt. Pat the fish fillets with paper towel to remove excess moisture. Rub both sides of each fish fillet with spice mixture.
  Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add fish fillets and cook on both sides until fish is just opaque. The time will vary depending on thickness of the fillets.  The halibut fillets I used took about 4 minutes per side.
  Remove fish from skillet, let cool slightly and gently pull apart with your hands to form strips.
  Wrap tortillas in foil and warm on lowest setting of the oven. Using 2 corn tortillas for each taco, fill with fish, cheese, cabbage, tomato and desired amount of sauce. Serve.
  Makes 8 tacos (2 per person).

Orange Pecan French Toast

From Allrecipes

*Yummm, like sticky buns.  I used a baguette that was a day too old and I didn't let it soak in the eggs as long as suggested, but it was still good.  Make sure you balance the sweetness with some protein or fruit.

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/3 cup butter, melted
  2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used walnuts)
  12 (3/4 inch thick) slices French bread
  1 teaspoon grated orange zest
  1 cup fresh orange juice
  1/2 cup 2% milk
  3 tablespoons white sugar
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  3 egg whites
  2 eggs
  1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting
  
  
  Directions:
  1. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, melted butter, and corn syrup. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish, and spread evenly. Sprinkle pecans over the sugar mixture. Arrange the bread slices in the bottom of the dish so they are in a snug single layer.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, egg whites, and eggs. Pour this mixture over the bread, pressing on the bread slices to help absorb the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the cover from the baking dish, and let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.
  4. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.