Friday, June 21, 2013

June 21, 2013

A whirlwind of a week, to be sure!  We tried a lot of new dishes, discovered 2 keepers, caught up with dear friends we hadn't seen in a while, and topped it off with a quick trip to the ER for IV fluids for our youngest.  In between those things there were about a million other activities, and now here we are to Friday again!

As for those keepers - banana muffins, and balsamic chicken thighs.  Both recipes have fabulous flavor.  We were originally introduced to the muffins through my nephews when they slept over, and they were so great, I had to get the recipe, and we made them this week!  My kids love bananas and love muffins, so it certainly wasn't a stretch to think that these would be rated keeper.  And the balsamic thighs were from (More) Don't Panic Dinner's in the Freezer.  The kids loves these, and next time I will have to make more.  It called for bone in chicken thighs, which I used, but you could easily do this with bone-in or boneless chicken breasts.

You might wonder how often I re-make recipes we rate keepers.  Quite often!  This week alone we made chocolate chip cookies, angel food cake (had to use the egg whites that I had from the ice cream recipe that was not given keeper status), pizza, hurry up ham, pasta with sun dried tomatoes,  and waffles.  So many of the keepers have been made numerous times.  I know if we add one of the recipes from the archive to our weekly meal plan it will be eaten and enjoyed.

What recipes have you found here that have become regulars in your kitchen?

Happy Cooking!

New Recipes
Banana Muffins
Balsamic Chicken Thighs

Balsamic Chicken Thighs


Ingredients
* 6 bone-in chicken thighs
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients except the chicken together in a freezer bag.  Add chicken thighs.  Coat the chicken, then freeze.
2. Thaw the chicken and marinade (place in the fridge the night before you want to make this)
3. Pour the chicken and marinade in a prepared 9x13 baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Notes
My kids loved these!  Ryan was out the night we had these, but I know he would have enjoyed it.  I think the marinade could have handled 8 or so, instead of just 6 thighs, so feel free to pop a few more in your freezer bag for your family.

Banana Muffins




Ingredients
* 4 ripe bananas
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1 large egg
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan, regular or mini, with paper liners.
2. Peel four bananas, and place them in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until mashed, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, oil, and egg; beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until combined.
3. Fill muffin liners three-quarters full. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for regular muffins and 20 for mini, rotating pan halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store, covered, at room temperature.