Recipes

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Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

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These Enchiladas are not your typical enchiladas.  No tomato or enchilada sauces at all.  They have this creamy, full of flavor sour cream sauce.  ( I should be know as the Saucy Gal-I love sauces).  I made these so many times over the Holidays for Dinner Parties and for quick dinners.  The quick dinners happened because I always doubled the recipe to have some for the freezer.  Even for the Dinner Parties I made them ahead so I could be out of the kitchen enjoying my guest.  They come out of the oven so beautifully browned and people just ooh and aah over them.  But when they taste them the accolades really start.   And of course, you have told them  “They are the Best I Ever Made”.  Win, Win!!!   Enjoy!

 

Melt butter with flour- to form a paste.
Roll up tortillas with chicken mixture spread down the middle.
Pour sour cream mixture into bottom of baking dish sprayed with Pam
Pour sour cream mixture into bottom of baking dish sprayed with Cooking Spray
Place rolled tortillas in baking dish

 

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream

Creamy, flavor filled chicken enchiladas with a sour cream sauce
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups 4 cheese Mexican- shredded
  • 1 cup mild cheddar cheese – shredded
  • 2 cans green chilies – diced 4 oz. size
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder (more if you want it spicer)
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tortillas

Method
 

  1. Melt butter add flour to form a paste. Mix well making a paste
  2. Slowly add broth and cook until bubbly
  3. Add sour cream mixing well and set aside
  4. Mix together chicken, onion, green chilies, cumin, chili powder, salt and 4 cheese Mexican cheese. Mix well
  5. Pour enough sour cream sauce in a 9 X 13 pan to cover the bottom
  6. Spread out tortillas and evenly distribute chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla
  7. Roll up each tortilla and place in prepared baking dish
  8. Pour remaining sauce over tortillas, spreading to cover
  9. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly on top
  10. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly

Notes

Make a complete Mexican dinner by serving with re-fried beans, Mexican rice, chips and salsa.
To Freeze:  Bake without cheddar cheese.  Cool completely and wrap tightly in foil.
To cook frozen:   Bake as directions above, but adding additional time.  When bubbly, top with cheddar cheese and continue to bake till cheese is melted. 
This dish freezes well; you wouldn’t think so with sour cream but it does.  Your family will love this creamy, yummy twist on a Mexican dinner.  Enjoy!
It will be “The Best You Ever Made”
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Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

It is so cold here in Atlanta 6 degrees. I am a “Southern Girl” and not liking this. So to warm up I am having hot tea and soup. I am stepping out and trying a new recipe and I urge you to do the same. It is sometimes hard to do because we love what we love in food and just like in restaurants I know I tend to order the same thing and I also tend to cook the same dishes over and over. I hope you will join me in making something new and tasty, shake up the country club or your kitchen table. I always teach the students in my cooking classes to say “It is the Best I Have Ever Made”. So when you make it for the first time it will be “The Best You Have Ever Made”. By doing this you you set the stage for people to really enjoy your dish without any negative thoughts. Nothing worse than the host saying “this did not turn out quite right” and right away you start wondering well what is right, what should it be like! No more of that!!! So I present this Coconut Lime Soup to you as “The Best I Have Ever Made”. Enjoy and stay warm. PS: This soup is delish year round.

Bowl of soup

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

Tasty and filling rich hearty soup
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 8
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 Carrot shredded, (I use 1/2 bag of shredded carrots)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
  • 1 large can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 Deli-roasted chicken breast from grocery store (Can also use 6 frozen chicken tenders boiled till done and shredded)
  • 1 cup previously cooked rice (I use Trader Joes frozen brown rice)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice (juice of 2 limes)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Extra Cilantro for garnish (optional)
Thai Seasonings
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method
 

  1. Place a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the butter, carrots and Thai Seasoning and cook until carrots become soft about 10 minutes.
  3. Finely chop the cilantro add to pot
  4. Add the chicken broth to pot
  5. Add the coconut milk, shredded chicken, rice, juice from the limes and soy sauce
  6. Bring to a low boil and boil 10 minutes
  7. If desired, serve topped with extra cilantro and lime wedges

Notes

I find that simmering the soup longer than 10 minutes enriches the flavors.  It is also so delish the next day.
As always, I encourage you to make a double recipe and freeze some.  It freezes great.
 
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Graham Cracker Cookies with a Pecan on Top

Plateful of Yum!!! Great for passing at a dinner party even when having another dessert
Plateful of Yum!!!  Tidbit Tip: Great for passing at a dinner party even when having another dessert. We did this last night and everyone could not resist eating several.  Bet you can’t either!

Hey Everybody, finally I am posting my famous Graham Cracker Cookies.  So many of you have waited for this post.  I have made these cookies for so many years I have lost count. I am known for them and every Christmas they are my  “Joyful Gift from my Kitchen”.   I love them because they are low in sugar and so very delish!!!  You can also make them without the pecans.  One batch makes around 44 cookies so you can get almost 4 dozen in one baking. (Lots of goodness and joy to share, and if you bag 11 cookies to a bag you will have 4 gifts in one baking)  They also keep well so you can make them weeks ahead.  I package them in clear plastic bags with pretty ribbons but this year I embroidered some snowflakes on my embroidery machine and used them to add to the bag.  The snowflakes also serve as a gift to hang on the tree that will bring back memories year after year.  I hope you will make these.  Follow the instructions below then package them in bags or tins.  Be creative and please leave comments on how you packaged them for gifting and with whom you shared them.   We can learn new ideas from each other.   Of course, they are not just for Holiday Time – they are year round cookies.   If you don’t have a recipe that you are known for and one that you spread joy with by sharing – these Graham Cracker Cookies could be the one.

Cookies on sheet
Graham Cracker Cookies on cookie sheet topped with pecans. Notice broken edges on some. It is harder and harder to break them evenly. All good though!!! Tidbit Tip: Use cookie sheet with sides but not too deep.                
Butter and sugar melting. When it start to boil: boil for 3 minutes - Tidbit Tip: Use a non-stick pot.
Butter and sugar melting. When it starts to boil: boil for 3 minutes – Tidbit Tip: Use a non-stick pot.


Cookies with boiled sugar and butter poured over - Ready to go in oven for 12 minutes at 325 degrees. Tidbit Tip: Don't worry if they are not evenly covered. They bubble up in the oven and spread over the cookies. Make sure there is some topping on the pecan to hold it in place.

Cookies covered with the boiled sugar and butter. – Ready to go in oven for 12 minutes at 325 degrees. Tidbit Tip: Don’t worry if they are not evenly covered. They bubble up in the oven and the mixture will spread over the cookies.  Make sure there is some mixture on the pecans to hold them in place.

 

Tidbit Tip: Do this for easier clean up: While cookies are baking prepare your counter top.   Place a layer of paper towels and then cover with wax paper.  I use masking tape to secure the wax paper to the counter top. I then place a hot pad on top of wax paper for the hot cookie sheet.  Tidbit Tip: Spray the spatula with cooking spray 

 

 

 

Using spatula to remove cookies from cookie sheet to place on wax paper for cooling.
Using spatula to remove cookies from cookie sheet to place on wax paper for cooling.
Cookie before trimming the edges.
Cookie before trimming the edges.
Cookies packaged to give as a treat. I love this bowl. It makes me smile. A Bowl full of Joy!!!

Graham Cracker Cookies

Toffee flavored, you can't eat just one, yummy cookies
Print Recipe
Servings: 3 Dozen
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sticks butter, make sure it is salted
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 Package Original Nabisco Grahams Crackers
  • Pecan halves

Method
 

  1. Use cookie sheet with sides. Spray with Pam.
  2. Line bottom of pan with crackers.
  3. Place pecan half on each cracker.
  4. Melt butter, add sugar. Bring to boil and boil exactly 3 minutes.
  5. Pour or spoon over crackers.
  6. Bake for 12 minutes in a pre-heated 325 degree oven.
  7. Remove cookies with a spatula and place on wax paper

Notes

Tidbit Tips:
Nabisco Grahams work best.
It’s important to cook the correct amount of time.  If you don’t cookies will be too chewy.
For easier clean up:   Line your counter top with paper towels and place wax paper on top.   I usually tape it all down with blue painters tape. 
 Let cookies rest on wax paper for a few minutes, then lift off and then let them cool completely.   If you lift them too soon the cracker will break and if you leave too long, they tend to stick to the wax paper. 
After cooling trim the edges. 
 I know this sounds like a lot, but after the first time, it’s really quite easy.   They will be “The Best You Ever Made”   Let me know how you like them. 
 

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