CHICKEN WINGS For the Super Bowl!

From Sunny on the Food Network

1 habanero, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
7 pounds chicken wings
Directions
In a food processor, blend together all the ingredients but the chicken until smooth. Reserve 1 cup of marinade. Place chicken wings into a large resealable plastic bag and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. Remove chicken from bag and place on the baking sheets. Bake 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan bring reserved marinade to a boil. Reduce by 1/3 until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove chicken from oven. Brush chicken with the glaze. Raise the heat to 400 degrees F and cook chicken until cooked through, another 20 minutes.

Ultimate Chicken (From the Marzetti salad dressing site)

This recie caught my eye! It looks so yummy that I'm making it for dinner tonight and decided to share it with you!
(There is a coupon in the Sunday's newspaper for a Dollar off of any Marzetti Dressing)
http://www.marzetti.com/

Marzetti Ingredients
3/4 cup Marzetti® The Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing - GLUTEN-FREE

Other Ingredients
salt & black pepper
4 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 large Granny Smith Apple, cored & sliced
1 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup sliced shallots or red onion
8 oz clean baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preparation:
Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sear both sides of chicken. Continue to cook medium heat until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In same skillet, heat remaining oil and saute apples, celery and shallots until tender. Gently heat Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressings in a saucepan, do not bring to a boil. Arrange spinach on plates, top with hot vegetables, apples and chicken. Spoon warm Marzetti Ultimate Blue Cheese Dressing over all and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve.

Chicken Salad Croissants

Our Favorite Chicken Salad Croissants


INGREDIENTS
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt (to taste)
1 purple onion
3 cups purple and green grapes combined, cut in half
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
2-3 cans of mandarin oranges
1 package slivered almonds
1 package oriental noodles
1 pint sour cream
1 pre-made 2 cup package buttermilk ranch dressing
(meaning 2 cups mayo and 2 cups buttermilk)
1 package Costco croissants

INSTRUCTIONS
Salt and boil chicken breast until well cooked. Refrigerate until cooled and break into pieces. Combine onion, grapes, celery, mandarin oranges, almonds, sour cream and ranch dressing in a large bowl. Just before serving add oriental noodles. Serve on croissants. Can also be served on lettuce, rolls, or cream puffs! This makes a lot of salad and it never goes to waste!!

Rich Cocoa Brownies

The children and I made BROWNIES today!! I took a favorite recipe and did some experimenting...The brownies turned out splendidly...rich, chocolaty, gooey, spectacular!!

I made two versions, this one with chocolate chips!This is the one without chocolate chips.

Both were very tasty!!

Rich Cocoa Brownies Ala Mindy

1 c unsalted butter (room temp)
2 c granulated sugar
4 eggs (room temp)
2 t pure vanilla extract
1 t salt
1/3 c plus 2 T cocoa
1 1/2 c flour
powder sugar for garnish
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all wet ingredients, then add cocoa and flour. Place batter in two 8x8 pans and bake for 30 minutes. Optional: remove one pan from oven after 20 minutes and sprinkle with chocolate chips, then bake additional 10 minutes. Remove Brownies and sprinkle with powder sugar. Serve warm!! They are rich and gooey inside, with a fantastic crisp crust!!
D I V I N E

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cheesecake Filling and Chocolate Ganache Frosting

These cupcakes are Heavenly!!

For the cake batter:
2 1/4 c flour
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c white sugar
3/8 c cocoa
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c boiling water
1/2 c canola oil
1 1/2 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 T pure vanilla extract

For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 c powder sugar
1 egg
1 t pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the glaze:
2/3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 c butter
1/8 cup corn syrup
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.

To make filling: cream everything together except chocolate until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips.

To make cupcakes: mix dry ingredients. Whisk wet ingredients together. Make a well in center of dry ingredients and pour liquid in and mix well. Fill each paper cupcake liner 1/4 full of batter and top with heaping T of filling. Divide evenly and use it all. Top filling with remaining batter. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes.

To make ganache: combine ingredients in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for one minute. Remove and stir until smooth. If needed, continue to microwave for 30 second intervals.

Remove cupcakes and let cool. Dip top of each cupcake in the chocolate ganache and let cool in fridge. These are also delicious with cream cheese/buttercream frosting. I hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as me and my family do!

KUNG FU - Chinese Casserole

Chinese Casserole (KUNG FU)

This recipe is one of our family favorites clear back from when I was at home in the 70's! At the time "Kung Fu" was a popular show and we watched it every week. So whenever we were hungry for this casserole we would ask our mom to make us "the Kung Fu casserole!" The name just stuck!


INGREDIENTS
4 cups water
1 envelope Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup
½ cup rice
½ cup salad macaroni
½ cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced green pepper
3 tbsp butter
½ lb hamburger Or ( 1 lb Sausage and no hamburger which is what we prefer.)
½ lb sausage
1 heaping tbsp soy sauce
1 large can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 bag Chinese Chow Mein Noodles

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water, Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup, rice and macaroni for 15 minutes and set aside. Cook onion, celery and green pepper in butter on low heat until clear. (About 5-10 minutes). Cook hamburger and sausage until well done and drain. Add soy sauce, Cream of Mushroom Soup, vegetables, and chicken noodle soup mixture to hamburger and mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with Chinese noodles. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Yummy Healthy New Year's Cabbage Salad!

1 Head cabbage chopped/sliced thin (Can use Nappa Cabbage but it is more expensive)
1 bunch green onions sliced

Saute in 1-2 Tbsp Butter
1 cup cashews
1 package sliced almonds
2 Tbsp sesame seeds

then add 1 pkg of ramen noodles broken into peices and set aside

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Mix and refrigerate

Pour dressing mixture over salad and nuts right before serving.