Heather Hickman's spaghetti sauce with chicken and meatballs

Betsey says to make a double batch of the recipe since it takes so long to make and then freeze part of it. 

1/2 cup oil
3 medium onions chopped
2 bunches parsley chopped
6 bay leaves
6 gloves garlic chopped
2 bunches shallots or green onions chopped including tops
1/2 tsp red peppers seeds
2 tbsp salt

1 Tbsp pepper

2 (6oz) cans of tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts canned tomatoes
2/3 cups sugar
3 cups water

4-6 uncooked chicken breasts cubed

1 lb hamburger 

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Simmer the oil, onions, parsley, bay leaves, garlic, shallots or green onion, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper together for 1 hour (stir to avoid burning and use a large pot).

Then add tomato paste and cook for 15 minutes

Add canned tomatoes, sugar, and water and cook for another hour.

Make meatballs by mixing the hamburger, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese together in a separate bowl. Start with a 1/4 cup each of the cheese and bread crumbs and add more if you think it needs it. You need enough that it will hold your meat together. Roll into little meatballs that are the size of the tip of your thumb where your thumbnail is and carefully drop them into the simmering sauce along with the uncooked cubed chicken breast and cook for another hour or until all of the meat is cooked.

The last time I made this I skimped on the meatballs and chicken and it was a little disappointing. 

Enjoy!

Portugese Chicken

1 large frying chicken (3 pounds or more)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons salt
pepper to taste

Wash whole chicken and dry well inside and out with paper towels. Mix all of the spices, garlic, salt, pepper and cooking oil together. Smear over chicken inside and out. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 - 1 1/2 hours basting frequently. Serve over rice.

*We like to take all of the remaining juices after you have cooked the chicken and skim as much oil off of the top as possible and then pour remaining juices over the rice and mix it.

Chicken Marbella

From The Silver Palate
Serves 10-12

4 chickens, 2 1/2 lbs each, quartered (or a bunch of chicken breasts or tenders)
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed (or just minced)
1/4 cup dried oregano
course salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup Spanish green olives
1/2 cup capers with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves

Mix the above ingredients together and cover and let marinade, refrigerated, overnight. You can marinade in a bowl, bag, or the casserole dish that you will be baking this in.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white wine (or apple cider or white grape juice)
1/4 cup Italian parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Arrange the chicken in a single layer in one or two shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine or cider around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices.

We love this with JoAnn's noodles and nuts, recipe below. Or it is delicious with Allison's carnival rice that she needs to post along with comments and side notes for this recipe. This is a great dish to make for a crowd!

Noodles and Nuts (from Singleness of Heart)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup poppy seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces krinkle noodles

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add almonds and saute until the nuts are golden brown. Stir in poppy seeds and salt. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Pour nut mixture over noodles. Serves 12.

Thai Soup

I had a slight obsession with Thai Ruby's, I believe, Tom Ka Gi and decided to recreate it for a lot less. Here it is the "off the top of my head" list without specific brands which I will get at the grocery store later.

Red Curry Paste or Green Curry Paste (depends on personal preference) teaspoon to tablespoon (depends on spiciness and your taste preference)

Fish Sauce (tablespoon or two to taste)- I know it sounds scary to use but it is a key flavor, if you don't believe me try it before you put in the fish sauce and after- just don't try the fish sauce by itself. And it can just sit in your fridge until you use it up.

brown sugar (tablespoon or two to taste)

chicken stock (1/2 a can or more depending on how much you want to make)

Small can of pineapple chunks or tidbits (in between is best I think chunks are to big but tidbits to small)

Frozen peas

chicken breast (you can either precook in oven and then shred or slice thin and cook in sauce)- a whole breast of chicken is a lot, I recommend half

cilantro

sliced tomatoe

lime juice

Start by making the sauce. Add your coconut milk, chicken stock, curry paste, fish sauce and brown sugar and heat. I start with less and add more as I go based on what tastes good to me. If you are going to cook the chicken in the sauce, do it now or else add as much of the other ingredients above as you would like. You don't need to cook any of the vegetables or fruits they just need a minute to get warm. I then add a little cilantro and some fresh squeezed lime and wahla!

I like to add a little rice to a bowl and then spoon soup over! If you would like to make this more of a meal I recommend buying the Taste of Thai Pad Thai (that includes noodles and sauce) and then just adding the other half of your chicken breast, bean sprouts and a squirt of lime and cilantro. Otherwise the soup is a quick, easy, and healthy meal.

Chicken Enchiladas (Jeanne Picket)

Every time we go to jeanne's house we come home with another great recipe.

4 chicken breasts, baked and shredded

(Bake at 350, 25 min.)

2 Tbs butter

1 onion diced

brown onion in butter and add:

1 16 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomatoe sauce

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1 Tbs. minced garlic

Divide sauce in half and in one half add:

shredded chicken

1 can black beans, rinsed

Other half add:

3/4 cup sour crean

1 can green chillies

1 Tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

In a 9x13 baking pan fill:

8 tortillas with chicken mixture and

2 cups monteray jack cheese and cheddar chesse, shredded

Top with remaining:

sauce and cheese

If you want to make a casserole: tear tortillas into strips and add both chicken mixture, remaining sauce and top with cheese.

Bake covered at 350 for 45 min. till hot. Serve with shredded lettuce and tomatoes. Serves 8

Zesty Lemon Chicken (Melissa Hickman)

6 whole boneless skinless chicken breats
2 cups fresh lemon juice (9-10 lemons
1 cup all purpose lemons
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup oil ( I use canola oil)
2 tbl grated lemon peel
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 lemons, sliced
minced parsley

In large zip-lock bag, combine chicken breasts and lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight, turning once

Remove chicken, reserving 2tbl of marinade, and pat dry. Put flour, salt paprika and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake until well mixed. Put chicken breasts in bag, one at a time, and shake to coat evenly. In large skillet, heat oil and fry breasts, a few at a time, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Arrange chicken in a single layer in large baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with lemon peel and brown sugar. Mix chicken broth with reserved 2 tbl of marinade and pour around chicken. Place a thin lemon slice on top of each breast and sprinkle with minced parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until tender

This is for "Larsee dotes", I got it out of the Creme de' Colorado, this makes a perfect picnic dish and is great cold!!!

Quick Chicken (Melissa Hickman)

Ok, here is my first contribution to the ''What are we having for dinner" blog......

Chicken breast bone in, skin on....
3 Garlic cloves pressed
Olive Oil
Pepper
Onion Salt

Heat oven to 450

Your are going to brine the chicken in 2 qts of water, 4 TB of Salt and 4TBL of sugar for one hour. Place the chicken in the fridge, when ready to use rinse and pat chicken dry. DO NOT put extra salt on the chicken, the brine adds enough for the entire recipe.

Pour Olive Oil on chicken, don't ask how much, not too much and not too little, you're not going to deep fry them. Sprinkle with garlic, onion salt and pepper. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until internal temp is 160.

DO NOT skip the brining, it makes the chicken super moist!!!

Really its a simple receipe and so good!

Enjoy!!