Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

*Found via Pinterest from Bubble Crumb.

Serves: 6
Prep: 6 hours (hands-on time: 20 minutes)

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp dried parsley
pepper, to taste
2 cans flaky refrigerated biscuits

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine all ingredients except biscuits in a crock pot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or until chicken begins to fall apart. Shred chicken with a fork.
2. Flatten biscuits and cut into smaller pieces. Add biscuits to the crock pot and cook for another 30 minutes to an hour.
3. Add more chicken broth, milk, or flour to adjust consistency to your liking.

Other suggestions: you could add celery, carrots, or peas if desired.

Chicken Breasts with Lime Sauce

*From allrecipes.com here.

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lime, juiced
6 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced fresh chives
1/2 tsp dried dill weeds

DIRECTIONS
1. Coat chicken breasts with egg, and dip in bread crumbs. Place on a wire rack and allow to dry for 10 minutes.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and fry to 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter, and keep warm.
3. Drain grease from the skillet, and squeeze in lime juice. Cook over low heat until it boils. Add butter, and stir until melted. Season with chives and dill. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve immediately.

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Shells

* From Real Simple magazine, May 2010--found online here.

PREP: hands-on 20 minutes, total time 45 minutes

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-oz box)

1 24-oz jar marinara sauce

2 15-oz containers ricotta (I used one low fat and one part skim)

2 cups baby spinach, chopped (I used closer to 3 cups and could have used more)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz)

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 cup grated mozzarella (4 oz)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and run under cold water until cool. (The shells I made were too soft, so next time I'll cook them for 1-2 minutes less than recommended so they're more al dente.)

2. Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large broilerproof baking dish. (I used a glass casserole dish.)

3. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10-15 minutes.

4. Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until the cheese begins to brown, 2 to 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions: a leafy green salad

Andrea's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

PREP: 10 minutes
SERVES: 12-18

INGREDIENTS:
1 box (15 oz.) spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
2 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Combine dry cake mix and pumpkin and mix well. Add chocolate chips and mix. Spoon mixture into paper-lined muffin tins. If you're making 18 muffins, fill to about 2/3 full. If you're making 12 muffins, fill just above the top. If you're making 4 dozen mini-muffins, use a scoop like this one--one scoop per muffin cup. The batter is very thick and doesn't settle, so you may want to smooth out the tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Classic Barbecue Spareribs

*From Real Simple magazine, June 2010--found online here.

PREP: hands-on 30 minutes, total cooking time 3 hours
SERVES: 4 (ours actually made 6 servings of 4-5 ribs per person)

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground coffee
1 tsp ground cumin
4 Tbsp brown sugar, divided
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 lbs spareribs (2 racks), trimmed of excess fat
3/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, coffee, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp of the cayenne, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper.

2. Place the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Rub the ribs with the spice mixture and tightly cover the baking sheet with foil. Bake until tender and the meal easily pulls away from the bone, 2-1/2 to 3 hours. (I baked mine for 2 hrs 45 min and they were great!)

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a saucepan, combine the ketchup, vinegar, molasses, tomato paste, the remaining 2 Tbsp of brown sugar and 1/4 tsp of cayenne, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup of the sauce into a small bowl for serving.

4. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the ribs, basting with the remaining sauce and turning occasionally, until just beginning to char, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve with the reserved sauce. (I broiled my ribs at 500 degrees in the oven for the same amount of time and they turned out wonderfully.)


Serving Suggestions: baked sweet potatoes, corn bread muffins, or a salad.

French Toast

*From startcooking.com.

PREP: 20 minutes
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
8 slices bread, preferably stale
2/3 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together all ingredients in a shallow bowl. Dunk bread slices into egg mixture, coating both sides. Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter in a skillet and cook bread until both sides are golden brown, flipping once. Serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar or syrup.

Grilled Mojo Chicken

*Adapted from the book, Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast: Weeknight. You can view it online here.

PREP: 40 minutes
SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:
1 orange
2 limes
2 Tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup olive oil
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
salt and freshly-ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grate 2 tsp zest form the orange and squeeze 1/3 cup juice. Grate 1 tsp zest from the limes and squeeze 1/4 cup juice. In a shallow dish or zip-top plastic bag, combine the zests and juices, parsley, oregano, thyme, garlic, cumin, and oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to marinade; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours, or freeze to cook at a later time.
2. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct-heat grilling over medium-high heat and oil the grill rack. Or, preheat a broiler. (I used the broiler.) When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade, discarding the marinade. Place on the grill rack, or put on a broiling rack under the broiler. Cook, turning once, until opaque throughout, 10-14 minutes.