Good Looking Cooks

Delicious Dinner Rolls

2009-01-31T08:32:00.000-08:00

1 package yeast (Fleischmann's Rapid Rise)
1 cup warm (not hot) water
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in water and allow to proof (about 5 minutes).

Then add all other ingredients.

Keep adding flour and stir with wooden spoon as long as you can.

Knead until smooth and elastic, but not hard.

Place in greased bowl and allow to rise until double, about one hour. My house is usually cold so I use a casserole dish (with handles) for my greased bowl, then lower the casserole dish into a larger bowl or pot which has been 3/4 filled with very hot water. The handles keep the dish suspended over the hot water. I cover everything with two or three teatowels to lock in the heat and allow to stand for an hour.

Punch down and knead again.

Grease muffin pan. For each roll make three little balls and place side by side in one muffin cup. After filling pan(s), cover with teatowel and allow to rise for another hour.

Put in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.

Chicken with Lemon-Basil Sauce

2009-01-28T20:51:00.000-08:00

Yield: Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes Per side. Transfer chicken to platter; tent with foil.

Add lemon juice, garlic and lemon peel to same skillet. Stir over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth; boil until reduced to sauce consistency, about 8 minutes. Mix basil into sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.

Rhubarb Blueberry Cobbler with Pistachio Topping

2009-01-28T17:40:00.000-08:00

Pistachio Topping
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1/3 cup pistachios, finely chopped

Rhubarb Blueberry Cobbler
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups fresh or frozen chopped rhubarb
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar and brown sugar in a bowl and mix well. Cut in the unsalted butter until crumbly. Stir in the pistachios.

For the cobbler, combine the sugar and flour in a bowl and mix well. Add the rhubarb and blueberries and mix gently. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon the rhubarb mixture into a 2-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Squeeze the topping together a handful at a time coarsely crumble over the rhubarb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Serves 6 to 8.

Breakfast Quiche

2009-01-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

1 lb. sausage
1 onion sauteed
5 eggs (make into two cups with milk)
1 cup grated cheese
1 frozen pie crust

Heat oven to 325.

Brown sausage and place sausage and onion into pie crust. Pour egg mixture over the top. Spread cheese over top of all.

Bake at 325 for 30-40 minutes. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Mandarin Orange Cake

2009-01-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

1 (18.5 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix without pudding
1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, undrained
4 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 (15 1/4 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (9 oz.) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (3 3/4 oz.) pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix

Combine cake mix, mandarin oranges, eggs and oil; beat 2 minutes at highest speed of electric mixer. Reduce speed to low; beat 1 minute. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove layers from pans and let cool completely.

Combine remaining 3 ingredients; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer; let stand 5 minutes or until mixture is of spreading consistency. Spread pineapple mixture between layers and on top and sides of cake. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator. Yield 1 (3 layer) cake.

Magic Pizza

2009-01-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

You wouldn't believe how easy this is to make, and so delicious.

1 package (1 Tbsp) dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm (not hot!) water
2 Tablespoons sugar
5 to 6 cups of flour

In a large bowl, combine yeast, salt, water, sugar and 5 cups of the flour. Knead dough on a floured surface, adding flour until dough is elastic but not too dry.

Let rise in an oiled bowl until doubled. TIP: The best way to allow this dough to rise quickly is to place the dough in an oiled bowl, then place that bowl in an even larger bowl filled maybe 3/4 of the way with hot water. Cover with two teatowels and allow to set for approximately an hour. The dough should have risen up to the teatowels after an hour or so.

While you are allowing the dough to rise, preheat oven to 450 degrees because the oven should be very well heated for at least half an hour before the pizza is introduced.

After rolling out the pizza dough and adding the desired ingredients, bake the pizza for 10 minutes or until the crust edges are golden and the cheese looks well melted.

Yield: 2 pizzas.

If you choose to only make one pizza, you can put the remainder in Saran Wrap and freeze it until later. To thaw, set out in the refrigerator on the morning of the day you want to use it, and it will be ready to roll out and bake for that night's dinner.

Teriyaki Chicken Kabobs (Angie's recipe)

2009-01-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

1 pkg chicken breasts
1 can crushed pineapple
Veggies of choice (bell peppers, etc)
teriyaki sauce

Cube chicken and marinate in pineapple juice from the can of crushed pineapple. Skewer chicken and veggies. Brush with teriyaki sauce. Cook on grill, brushing on teriyaki sauce occasionally until chicken is done.

Enchiladas

2009-01-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion-diced
1 can green chiles or fresh cilantro
24-36 corn tortillas
olive or canola oil
2 large cans Old El Paso Enchilada sauce
1 can Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery soup
2-3 packages of shredded cheese

Brown ground beef with diced onion and green chiles/cilantro.

Soften tortillas in hot oil.

Stir Cream of Chicken/Celery soup into enchilada sauce with a whisk.

Roll a spoonful of beef, a spoonful of enchilada sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese into each corn tortilla. Place the rolled tortillas in casserole pan. Spoon enchilada sauce and sprinkle cheese over top of tortillas.

Bake at 350 until cheese is melted.

Makes two pans. I usually serve one and freeze one.

If you freeze a pan, still cook it at 350 degrees until the cheese melts. It will take 30-40 minutes.

Barbecue Meatloaf

2009-01-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

1 1/2- 2 lbs. ground beef
few crackers or bread crumbs
1 egg
BBQ sauce
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 350.

Knead egg and crackers/bread crumbs into ground beef. Add enough barbecue sauce to flavor meat but not enough to make it too wet to hold a shape. (probably about 1/4 cup of sauce) Salt and pepper to taste.

Form ground beef into mini-loaves. To do this, I scoop a handful of meat and form it into a loaf about the size of a medium potato. Place it in an oven-proof dish (brownie or casserole dish) or broiling pan and cook for 35-45 minutes. Baste with BBQ sauce, cook for 5-10 more minutes. Remove from oven.

Serve mini-loaves as individual servings.

Taco Soup

2009-01-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 pd ground meat
1 onion chopped
cook meat and onion until brown,
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can yellow Hominy(optional)
2 cans jalapeno Pinto beans
1 C water
1 pk taco seasoning
1 pk ranch dressing
cook on med-high for 20 min. and then simmer until you serve

Easy, Yummy Pancakes

2009-01-26T16:58:00.000-08:00

Dry ingredients
1 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
1 egg
1 Tbsp Oil (I use canola)
Milk to desired consistency

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Add egg and oil. Add milk to desired consistency (the thinner the batter, the thinner the pancakes will be).

Set electric griddle at 350 or heat pan to low-medium or medium heat. Pour individual pancakes. When the batter bubbles in the middle, they are ready to flip over.

Butter pancakes as they come out of the pan and serve hot.

Note: I triple this recipe when I make it. It feeds my family of four and there are also a few pancakes left over, which I reheat for the kids breakfast.

**If you double or triple the recipe, you don't have to add more eggs. One is sufficient.