Curried Chicken With Carrots, Rice & Lime

This is a recipe (my friend Ruth got me addicted to it) from Everyday Food, which is one of my very favorite cooking shows/magazines. It's on PBS, but it is really hard to catch. It comes on in the middle of the day and I think only once a week. Everything that I've ever made from it is delicious. And this recipe in particular is very good with only a few ingredients. love it.

3 lbs of chicken (thighs and legs)
1 T Curry Powder
2 lbs Carrots, cut into 2 inch lengths, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups brown or white basmati or jasmine rice (i used brown jasmine)
1 lime- zest and squeeze juice...put to the side (btw, the original recipe called for 2 limes, but 1 was plenty and i like lime)

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place chicken in a 13X9 baking dish. Season with curry powder, salt & pepper. Scatter carrots around the chicken. Roast, occasionally brushing chicken and carrots with pan drippings until chicken is cooked through...about 35-45 minutes.
2. Cook Rice. Remove from heat and scatter lime zest over rice. Cover pan and let steam 5-10 minutes.
3. Transfer chicken to plate. Sprinkle lime juice over carrots (still in baking dish) toss. Serve carrots and chicken over rice with any extra juice over top of it all.

Homemade Applesauce

My mom made this for us in the fall when I was growing up. I LOVE it. It doesn't even compare to store bought. She also couldn't give me a concrete recipe - just a general process. So here goes.

1. Peel a whole bunch of apples and slice them very thinly.
2. Put a very tiny amount of water in a large stock pot. By tiny, i mean 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
3. Put apples in pan.
4. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat so water is simmering. Keep them covered.
5. Check on apples every 5 minutes to make sure there is still water in the bottom. If there is not any, add more, 1 TBSP at a time.
6. Stir apples every 10 minutes.
7. Cook apples for anywhere from 25 - 40 minutes. They are done when you pierce them with a fork and they are very tender.
8. In batches, process apples in a blender.
9. When it is all done, season with sugar and cinnamon to taste. Go easy on the sugar, it doesn't need much.

Sausage n' Spinach Pasta Bake

Hi girls. Sorry I've neglected you lately. I could give you a list of excuses, but you probably won't think they are good ones since you could probably use the same ones but you've posted. Here is something I found in a grocery store add. Max and the boys loved it. I would post a picture with it, but we ate it all already. I'll have to remember to take the photo before we sit down to dinner next time.

8 ounces rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained (I think next time I would barely undercook it)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 (8 oz ) container chive and onion or garden cream cheese
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3/4 sweet italian sausage, cooked and drained (this is the ground sausage, not in a link)
1 jar pasta sauce (choose what you like)
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 shredded mozzarella cheese (I only had monterrey jack and it was still good)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oil in the bottom of an 8x10 inch baking dish. Add onion in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add cream cheese adn mix well. Drain chopped spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels. Stir pasta, spinach, sausage, pasta sauce, and salt and pepper together with onion and cream cheese mixture. Spoon mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until bubbly.

Hot Hammies

I don't think these were originally called hot hammies, but that is what we call them now. They are super easy. You are going to hate me because I don't really know exact quantities, but it won't matter. Everyone I've ever made these for raves about them.

Rhoades rolls, thawed out. (seems like it takes this about 3 or so hours, but directions are on package)
Thinly sliced deli ham(10-15 slices)
Sliced swiss cheese(10 slices)

Flatten out each roll into as big of a circle as you can. Place 1/2 slice ham, and 1/4 to 1/2 slice of swiss cheese in the center. Wrap dough around meat and cheese and seal.

Then melt 1/2 cup of butter, and in a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/2 TBSP dried parsley and 1/2 tsp garlic powder.

Roll each roll in butter, then in Parmesan mixture, then place on greased pan. Cover rolls in plastic wrap and let rise until doubled - about 1 hour. Bake according to directions on Rhoades package which is I think 350 for 20 minutes. But watch them to make sure they don't burn.

*If you thaw the rolls in the Rhoades bag, they become kind of one big dough ball. That is totally fine -- you just rip off what you need.

Thai Beef Salad (Beef Waterfalls)

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Kristy. It's a cold salad, and it is very yummy and fresh tasting, I love it!

1 lb steak (1 inch thickness or less)
1 large cucumber, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
6 green onions, diced
1/2 medium white onion, sliced very thinly
1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Sauce:
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/8 cup fish sauce
juice of 1 lime
1-3 Thai chili peppers (green or red)....i could not find these here in Ohio. However, I was able to find them at several grocery stores out in Utah. You can substitute 1/4 - 1 Tblspn Thai Chili paste...depending on how spicy you like it. 1/4 T being lightly spicy...1 T being very spicy.

1. Cook the beef (grill, boil, pan fry)Don't overcook! Then, cut into thin slices while still slightly pink.
2. Add all veggies to the beef.
3. Combine all sauce ingredients and pour sauce over salad.
4. Chill Salad.
Serve over warm Jasmine Rice. (I actually found a brown jasmine rice that was quite nice).