Yummy Sunday

One of my unofficial efforts for 2012 is to eat at home more and to do so cost-effectively.  This recipe could probably be pricey if ingredients weren't on-hand so I'd look for other recipes with common ingredients if you try this one.

I loved it - Aamir thought it was good but not as great as I did (he said the flavors weren't quite bold enough).  It's a great savory/sweet combination...and kept the chicken really moist.  I'm going to write the recipe the way I made it, and the recipe name is hyperlinked to the original I worked from. I actually doubled the sauce recipe because I super duper love sauces of any kind and because I plan on having this again later in the week while Aamir is gone for work.  The recipe below is a single batch.

Double Plum Baked Chicken

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup diced shallots

2 teaspoons garlic paste

1/2 cup Riesling

3/4 cup chicken broth (I used fat-free, lower sodium)

1 teaspoon sauce from a can of adobo chili peppers

1 teaspoon hot mustard (Chinese hot mustard)

9 prunes, halved

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup diced green onion

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425° 
2. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. 
3. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl. 
4. Add shallots and ginger; sauté 1 minute. 
5. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute. 
6. Add broth, chili sauce, and mustard; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 8 minutes). 
7. Stir in plums. Remove from heat.
8. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; swirl. 
9. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. 
10. Add chicken to pan, and sauté for 3 minutes. 
11. Turn chicken over; pour plum mixture over chicken. 
12. Bake at 425° for 6 minutes or until done. 
13. Let chicken stand 5 minutes. 
14. Sprinkle with green onions.

Oh, and after you pull the 425° skillet out of the oven, I do not recommend reaching across it to grab the green onions, thereby laying your wrist directly across the handle of the skillet. *sizzle*. Ouch. 

Another recipe I tried this week was thanks to a cookie cookbook given to me recently by one of Aamir's aunties. This is another recipe that could run up your grocery bill if you don't have some of the ingredients on-hand, but if you do - worth making them!

Cranberry Cashew Cookies

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cup white chocolate chips (I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips because that's what I had on-hand)

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup coarsely chopped cashews

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt - set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, granulated and brown sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and creamy - about 3 minutes.
4. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. 
5. With a wooden spoon, fold in chocolate chips, cranberries and cashews.
6. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet - about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 8-12 minutes or until golden.
8. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a each to cool completely.

These cookies won rave reviews by Aamir and my friend, Cathy.

Did I mention I need to hit the treadmill in the morning? Yes, clearly I do.