Recipe Sunday

African Chicken The Main Course 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 pounds chicken pieces - skin on breasts, skinless legs and thighs
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 to 1 long red or green chili pepper, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1/2 cup condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons sherry or lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
hot white rice
In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, in batches; brown on all sides. Transfer to a crock pot.

Reduce heat to medium. to skillet, add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, chile pepper, curry, oregano, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce and bay leaf; bring to a boil.

Pour mixture over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork.

In a bowl, combine peanut butter and sherry. Add a little liquid; stir to blend. Add to crock pot along with bell pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 minutes, until bell pepper is tender. Discard bay leaf.

Serve over rice.




Bake Your Carrots

1 pound whole carrots                                            
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons finely crushed Ritz crackers
1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.

Cook carrots in boiling, salted water until tender. Save 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Cut carrots lengthwise into narrow strips. Place in prepared baking dish; set aside.

Mix 1/4 cup cooking liquid with mayonnaise, onion, horseradish, salt and pepper. Pour over carrots and sprinkle crumbs on top. Dot with butter. Bake for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Bread Pudding

1 (16 ounce) loaf sliced, firm-textured white bread, crusts removed
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
4 ounces light cream cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups low fat milk                                                 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Butter an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Cut bread in 1/2-inch cubes (makes about 7 cups).

In the prepared baking dish, layer half of the bread cubes and half the blueberries; sprinkle with all the cream cheese; cover with remaining bread cubes and blueberries.

In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon; pour over bread. Gently press bread down to absorb milk mixture; refrigerate, covered, at least 20 minutes or overnight.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered, until knife inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour; let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Slice in 8 rectangles. Serve with blueberry syrup, if desired.


Today's meal, and a great cup of coffee afterwards.