Get Yo' Man Chicken

Get Yo' Man Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cut-up chicken (breast, thigh, leg & wing)
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon lemon-pepper
Hot buttered rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken, meat-side down first, and turning once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate to reserve.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add onion to the pan and saute until tender, roughly 3 minutes. Add the stock and wine and stir, scrapping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to high and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the dried herbs and lemon pepper. Add the chicken thighs back in. Cover and cook on medium low for 40 minutes.

Remove chicken from liquid and serve on hot buttered rice. Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Adapted from Food TV's "Downhome With The Neely's". This was OK but that's about all I can say for it.

Brownies with Caramel Kahlua Frosting

Brownies with Caramel Kahula Frosting

1 pkg Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Decadence Brownie mix
2 eggs
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp Kahlua
1 cup sifted confectioners's sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Prepare brownie mix as directed on package using eggs, water, and oil. Bake for 35 minutes at 350^ F. in an 8x8" square pan. Remove from oven and cool in pan.

Melt the butter, light and dark brown sugars and the cream over medium high heat until sugar dissolve. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and Kahlua will well combined. Beat in confectioners' sugar and cinnamon until smooth and spreadable. Immediately from the brownies.

Cut into squares to serve.

My recipe. I LOVED the frosting...but this particular flavor Brownie mix was a little too much for it. I have to find something else to frost with this though! Like, maybe, some Spicy Cupcakes!

Pork Chunks and Onion Gravy

Pork Chunks and Onion Gravy

1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
Garlic Salt & Pepper
1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 packet Brown gravy mix
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups water

Heat the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork chunks, seasoned with garlic salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown a bit. Stir in the gravy mix, wine and water and stir to scrape the browned bits loose from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until pork is completely cooked and tender. Serve with rice.

My recipe...quick, easy and delicious! John loves it.

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole

Slow Cooker Chicken Creole

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning, to taste
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1 red onion, diced
1 tbsp chopped pickled jalapeno
15-oz can stewed tomatoes

Season chicken liberally with creole seasoning and place in crock pot. Top with remaining ingredients and cook on high for 5-6 hours. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

Good and easy.

Bacon Swiss Salad

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 pkg mixed salad greens
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup Fresh Gourmet Crispy Onions (french fried onions)

Combine the frist 5 ingredients in a salad cruet, shake until well combined and refrigerate until ready to serve. Combine the greens, tomato, bacon, swiss and crispy onions. Shake the dressing and serve with the salad. Adapted from allrecipe.com's "That Good Salad".

OK...the dressing was some of the NASTIEST stuff I've ever tried on a salad. Thankfully, I tried it before I ruined my salad with it. I was going to use bottled dressing, but John said he could "fix it". He added apple cider vinegar, honey and some Blackberry Brandy which definitely improved the flavor.

The actual salad was very good, but I'll use another dressing next time. I really loved those Crispy Onions in it!

Marinated Strip Steaks

Marinated Strip Steaks

2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 3/4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp dried basil
3/4 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 dash Tabasco sauce
2 New York Strip steaks, about 1-inch thick

Combine first 8 ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well mixed. Pour over steaks in a ziploc bag, seal and refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Grill steaks until of desired doneness and serve hot. Adapted from allrecipe.com's "Best Steak Marinade in Existence".

When will I stop ruining a perfectly good steak with marinades? I didn't like this AT ALL. And the steaks were beautiful. If I'd only grilled them with a little salt and pepper dinner would have been perfect....but NO! I fell for another raved about recipe and ruined my steaks! Blech.

Wagonwheel Skillet

Wagonwheel Skillet

1.5 lb ground chuck
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp onion flakes
2 1/2 tbsp Mexene chili powder
1 heaping tsp Chipotle chili powder
2 tsp roasted ground cumin
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15-oz can tomato sauce
8-oz thick & chunky taco sauce
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
16 oz hot, cooked wagonwheel pasta

Crumble the ground chuck in a large skillet with the garlic salt, pepper, water and onion flakes until the meat is nearly cooked through. Stir in the chili powders and cumin and continue to cook until done. Add the black beans, tomato sauce, taco sauce and corn and simmer while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and stir into skillet. Serve hot.

This is also very good topped with shredded Mexican blend cheese and crushed corn chips and baked in a casserole dish until the cheese melts. Serve with a dab of sour cream.

My recipe...been making it for years and years.