Chicken, Olive and Lemon Tagine

Today was the first day I felt that wonderful Fall chill in 

the air!  The feeling that makes you want to cook up some 

soup or a pot of chili.  Since I had chicken on hand, I decided to make 

some chicken stew. A big bowl with steaming rice and then lots 

of savory spicy flavors poured over the top was just the 

thing I was wanting for dinner. 

I love baking a tagine with the Mediterranean flavors

of olives and preserved lemons. Lots of fresh parsley to 

balance out all the other spices. 

It is that time of year to cook up something warm and delicious.

The type of food that gives a permeating scent in the house of 

all that is good in the kitchen. 

Go pull out your Dutch oven and get started!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Saveur

Ingredients

3 tbsp. olive oil

6 whole chicken legs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 large yellow onions, sliced

2 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground white pepper

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground turmeric

¹⁄₂ tsp. crushed saffron threads

1 ¹⁄₂ cups chicken stock

6 oz. green olives, cracked

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley

2 tsp. finely chopped cilantro

2 jarred preserved lemons, cut into slices

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. Heat oil in an 8–qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; add to pot and cook, turning, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add onions to pot; cook until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add spices; cook for 2 minutes. Return chicken to pot with stock; boil. Bake chicken, covered, until tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Stir in olives, butter, parsley, cilantro, and lemons into pot, and cook for 6 minutes. Serve with rice or flatbread.

Pumpkin-Apple Butter Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Using the gingery dough, create beautiful leaf shapes

to decorate the pie.


As most of my family and  friends know, I love to bake pie!
I am always trying new recipes, because there are so many
wonderful ones to choose from, and we all want a taste! RIGHT!

This recipe comes from a long ago collection of Bon Appetit
recipes that I have saved from their Thanksgiving issues.
I was lucky to have all the ingredients on hand, as this was a last minute
decision to create this pie.

I love the use of decoratively cut pastry leaves to enhance the
simple pumpkin pie to something a bit more elegant!

I hope you enjoy this as much as those who ate it!
I received a big, Yummmmmy!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: Bon Appetit November 1996

Sweet Potato and Pecan Bread with Brown Sugar Streusel

Beautiful crumb topping to enrich the moist interior!

Just before going into the oven. 

Sprinkle a generous amount  of streusel 

over the top of the batter.  Do not overfill 

the loaf pans, because as the bread rises, you want to capture 

the topping, not loose it in the oven.



This bread comes from my favorite quick bread recipe, that I have had since
high school.  It is A to Z bread( featured on November 2, 2015).

In this recipe I used 2 cups of sweet potato and 1 cup of pecans,
topped with a lovely brown sugar streusel.

As Always,

ENJOY!

A to Z bread recipe 

BROWN SUGAR STREUSEL

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

5 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. salt

    Stir dry ingredients together, and drizzle melted butter over the top, gently folding together, to form small dry clumps.

Mixed Berry Crisp

The perfect re-purposing!

These little aluminum containers are meant for

mini bread loaves.  Here I have used them for making 

small berry crisps.  The size perfect for  2-3 servings.

What a perfect bake sale item!

Again.....  find that pretty ribbon or twine and 

add a pretty tag.  You will tempt everyone

to purchase your baked goods at your church bake sale.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Gourmet Brownies Tied Up With String

How to elevate a delicious brownie to the level

of the most sophisticated bake sale shopper?

Cut them precisely to fit in a small box, tie it with ribbon, or

red and white baker's twine, and add a pretty tag.

They look great for display and they are easy to carry home!

Here I used a few stationary boxes that I lined with parchment paper.

Cover the box with plastic wrap, or if your lucky, the box

may have had a nice clear plastic lid!

Now your twine and tag.

Viola!  Awesome bake sale item!

This brownie recipe it posted on August 17,2017.

The Saveur Ultimate Fudgy Brownie.

As Always,

ENJOY!

Sugar and Spice Nuts

Having a party?

Looking for a homemade snack to gift?

This is just the item!

This recipe really layers on the flavor!  

I think of them as sweet, spicy and salty nuts.

They are quick and easy to make, they store well, 

they are an easy do ahead item, and all your friends

will love them.

The recipe calls for cashews and almonds, but

select the type of nuts that you prefer best.

In this particular batch, I added almonds,cashews,

macadamia, walnuts and pecans!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Recipe Source: FoodandWine December 2012

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg white
• 2 cups raw cashews (9 ounces)
• 2 cups raw almonds (9 ounces)
• Preheat the oven to 300°. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the salt, chile powder, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. In a large bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Add the cashews, almonds and spiced sugar and toss. Spread out the nuts on the prepared baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring once, until browned. Let the nuts cool on the baking sheet, stirring occasionally.
  
  

Parish Fair Bake Sale

Every year my church has a big fair, 

and what can you always find at a church fair?

A bake sale of course!

Requests are made weeks in advance for folks to make goodies

to be dropped off and sold.

I usually start my preparations for this event in the summer.

I cook up a batch of jam, sealed with pretty lids.

This year it was jam made with heirloom japanese plums.

In the box and ready to go, with its red and white baker's twine

and a pretty brown craft paper tag, are a few of the other items.

Hazelnut cookies(recipe posted Oct. 19,2015) which I make every year, since

they are one of my friend's favorites.

Chikki, my Indian Almond Sesame Brittle, and 

Sweet,Spicy and Salty mixed nuts.

There were two other boxes laden with goodies,

bownies, and berry crisp and Texas pecan pie.

Load the car and off we go!!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Naked Brownie Wedding Cake

This cake holds lots of firsts!

My first wedding cake!

My first naked cake!

My first brownie cake!

My first cinnamon frosting filling!

and

 My first cake to be assembled on location!

My niece was married on October 14th

and this is the cake she requested!

Along with all the brownies I prepared(17 dozen), 

to be served in a brownie ice cream sundae bar.

It was so much fun, and everything turned out delicious!

Cheers! to special occasions and family!

As Always,

ENJOY!

Sweet Potato Toast

Very carefully, cut thin slices of the sweet potato.

Put the slices in the toaster!

Toast on a medium heat setting.

For those folks who are gluten free, here is a fun and delicious way

to have some toast!  Wash and dry the sweet potato.  Cut into very thin slices.  Be careful when doing this, since raw sweet potatoes are very hard to cut, use good knife safety. Slip those slices into the toaster, on medium heat.  It  will take 3-4 toastings.  Don't put it on high heat, or you will burn the outside before the potato is actually cooked.  Simply butter it once browned, or spread

it with your favorite topping... avocado, peanut butter, hummus,

cream cheese, or your favorite jam.

As Always,

ENJOY!