Chicken Tenders & Pretzel Rolls

Menu:
** Homemade Chicken Tenders
** Pretzel Rolls
** Salad

This meal felt fun - kinda reminding me of a county fair or something - but still maintained a healthy stance too. I actually had another veggie prepared, but forgot to serve it so that one will appear in tomorrow's post. The pretzel rolls were a blast to make, but do take a while. The chicken tenders are really easy, throw together at the last minute, kind of dish.

Pretzel Rolls – From TastyKitchen.com

1 ½ cup Water, hot (110 degrees)

1 package (1/4 ounce size) Active Dry Yeast – do not use Quick Rise Yeast

2 tsp Sugar

4 ½ cups Flour

2 tsp Salt

4 Tbsp Butter, melted

¼ cup Baking Soda

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Pretzel Salt

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Dough Hook

Parchment Paper

Stainless Steel Saucepan

Pastry Brush

1. In a mixing bowl (easiest if using a stand mixer) combine the Water and Yeast and let rest for 5 minutes.

2. Add in Sugar, Flour, Salt, and Butter

3. Use a Dough Hook to combine

4. Let rise in a warm place – or in an oven at 150 degrees – for 1 hour or until doubled in size

5. Line two – three baking sheets with parchment paper

6. Separate Dough into 18 different pieces

7. Shape into balls by pulling the sides to the center and pinching to seal

8. Place pinched side down while lightly cupping it to smooth the sides on the baking sheet

9. Allow to rise for an additional 30 minutes

10. Preheat oven to 425 degrees with oven racks at lowest and middle positions

11. In a large stainless steel saucepan bring 2 quarts of water to boil

12. Add the Baking Soda – be prepared for the brief chemical reaction

13. Reduce to a simmer

14. Place rolls one or two at a time in the poaching liquid allowing to poach for 1 minute

15. Remove with a slotted spoon and return to the baking sheet

16. Using a pastry brush, glaze each roll with the lightly beaten Egg being sure the entire roll is coated

17. Sprinkle Pretzel Salt over each roll

18. Using a sharp knife, cut an X on the top of each roll

19. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes

20. Serve with mustard

*** I baked mine for 7 minutes on the bottom rack and then 7 minutes on the higher rack. My oven is cranky though

Chicken Strips – From Pioneer Woman.com

Chicken Tenders

Buttermilk

2 cups Flour

3 tsp Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

Canola Oil

1. Clean your Chicken

2. Submerge in the Buttermilk for a minimum of 20 minutes

3. Combine the Flour and Seasoned Salt

4. Heat the Oil in a frying pan with sides

5. Coat the Chicken with the Flour mixture

6. Cook the chicken on a medium-low heat for a minute and a half per side or until browned.

Homemade Alfredo Pasta

This is a super easy pasta recipe that you can feel proud of for having created the sauce yourself. Any kind of pasta can be used, but angel hair pasta is what is pictured. This meal is nicely paired with a green vegetable or a salad and some garlic bread. It also reheats really well.

Alfredo Pasta: From Kraft Foods.com

½ lb Pasta, cooked and drained

1 ¼ cups Chicken Broth (I use the little cubes that disintegrate in water, easiest to store)

4 tsp Flour

4 ounces Neufchatel Cheese, cubed

    - ½ of a 8 ounce block

    - You’ll find this next to the cream cheese, they look identical

3 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese

    - You can use the Kraft variety in the green container, it doesn’t have to be a fresh block

¼ tsp Garlic Powder

¼ tsp Pepper

1. Cook Pasta as directed on packaging

2. Mix Chicken Broth and Flour in a skillet with high sides over medium heat

3. Whisk constantly until lumps are gone

4. Add in the Neufchatel, Parmesan, Garlic Powder, and Pepper

5. Cook 2 minutes or until fully combined and bubbling

6. Pour over cooked Pasta

** You can also add Chicken into this recipe. Cook it before the alfredo sauce, doubling up on the pan use. Add it back into the sauce before pouring over the pasta.

** Other options: Sprinkle with Parsley before serving, use whole wheat pasta for a healthier result, or stir in cooked broccoli once finished cooking. 

Remember, as always, if anyone has any questions or recipe requests, please don't hesitate to comment or ask!!!

A Hearty Steak Dinner

Tonight's Menu: 

** New York Strip Steak served with a Horseradish Chive Sauce
** Parmesan Potatoes
** Baked Corn

Baked Corn is one of my husband's favorite side dishes. The Parmesan Potatoes are my favorite side dish. So favorite that I asked my mom to make them for my birthday meal for many years in a row. Now that I'm all grown up I can make them as often as my stomach desires. Sometimes it is really fun to grow up.

This meal flows really easily in the kitchen. Preheat your oven. Make your potatoes and pop them in the oven. Make your corn and pop that in too. Clean up and set the table. Heat up your Cast Iron Skillet with a little oil. Season your steaks lightly with Olive Oil and Salt and Pepper on both sides and then sear on a medium to high heat for 2 minutes per side to get a medium well result. Allow steaks to rest in the skillet after they are cooked while you move the other two dishes from the oven to the table. Serve the steaks. Call hungry family members. I didn't end up making a salad for this meal although I think it would have been a healthy addition.

Horseradish Chive Sauce: From Cooking Light magazine

2/3 cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp Chives, chopped

3 Tbsp Prepared Horseradish

1 tsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/8 tsp Salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until fully combined.

2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Parmesan Potatoes: From the Weavertown School Cookbook

6 medium Potatoes, sliced into small round chunks

1/3 cup Butter, melted

¼ cup Flour

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Italian Seasoning

**Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Slice Potatoes into the small round chunks

2. Melt the Butter and pour into a baking dish

3. In a plastic bag, combine: Flour, Cheese, Salt, and Pepper

4. Add the Potatoes to the bag and shake to coat

5. Place Potatoes in a single layer in the butter

6. Allow the rest of the flour mixture that isn’t affixed to the potatoes to fall into the dish as well

7. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tender

Baked Corn: From the Mennonite Community Cookbook

2 cups Corn- can be fresh, frozen, or canned

2 Tbsp Crisco

1 ½ Tbsp Flour

1 cup Milk

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

2 Eggs

½ cup Buttered Crumbs

** Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Melt the Crisco in a saucepan and then add the flour

2. Whisk or Stir to get the lumps worked out

3. Add the Milk gradually and bring to a boiling point while stirring constantly

4. Add the Corn, Sugar, Salt, and Pepper and heat thoroughly

5. Remove from heat and add the Eggs

6. Pour into a greased baking dish

7. Sprinkle with the Bread Cumbs

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

Peach Smoothies & Malted Milk Chocolate Cookies -- Yes, Please!

I have been obsessed with canning these past two weeks. (A post to come about that later on). Needless to say canning is hot, sweaty, and unrelenting work. You also frequently get burned. So at the end of the day yesterday I was not interested in food whatsoever, but I did have an urge for a fresh, cold smoothie. I had peaches on hand and this is what resulted from my food urge.

Peach Yogurt Smoothie – From Food.com

4 Peaches, peeled, pitted, and quartered

2/3 cup Vanilla Yogurt

½ cup Milk

1 ½ Tbsp Brown Sugar

Dash of Ground Nutmeg

6 – 10 Ice Cubes

1.  Blend first five ingredients in blend until fully processed

2.  Add Ice Cubes a few at a time to achieve desired thickness

3.  Pour into glass and enjoy. Extra can be refrigerated for a day or two. 

I never did get into the mood to make supper, so we just got some take out once the little one was in bed. I did, however, pause our movie to make a quick dessert. 

Another homemade ice cream sandwich - but this recipe just uses malted milk chocolate chip cookies as the sides to the ice cream. A lot easier to make on the spur of the moment than the previously posted banana split ice cream sandwiches. I had made the cookies the day before and just put them to this use for a little movie night snack. 

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies – From Tasty Kitchen.com

2 stick Butter, at room temperature

¾ cup Brown Sugar

¾ cup White Sugar

2 Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

½ cup Malted Milk Powder

2 cups Flour

1 ¼ Baking Soda

1 ¼ Salt

Milk Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream Butter, then add the Sugars and cream again until fluffy

3. Add Eggs, beat slightly, add Vanilla Extract and beat until combined

4. Add Malted Milk Powder and beat until combined

5. Combine Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt. Combine with Butter mixture

6. Stir in Chocolate Chips

7. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. 

** I adjusted the cooking temperature and time of this recipe because mine initially came out way too crispy and almost burnt. So I do 350 degrees for 7 minutes – but I split the seven minutes with 3 minutes being cooked on the bottom rack of the oven and then the remaining 4 minutes being cooked on the higher rack. When you take them out they may still look a little pale, but they finish cooking and browning while still on the tray out of the oven.

** I feel it is hard to call these cookies. They are exceedingly thin, practically wafer-like, and they are really chewy if not over-cooked. They work splendidly as the shells for homemade ice cream sandwiches.

** I ended up ordering the Malt Powder online. On Amazon.com I saw that it looks like it could be found in the creamer section of a larger grocery store, but I hadn’t checked there. So it is possible that it could be found in your local store. 

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I doubt whether the world holds for anyone a more soul-stirring surprise 

than the first adventure with ice cream.  

~Heywood Broun

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