Heavenly Potatoes

Boil, then shred 8-10 medium potatoes, mix with
Cream of chicken
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream

Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 30 minutes at 350.  Add cheese on top if desired.

Easy Fried Rice

2 cups leftover rice
2 eggs, beat
1 cup mixed veggies
Garlic, ginger, soy sauce

Sauté vegetables, ginger and garlic until cooked.  Move to the side.  Pour in eggs with a little soy sauce and scramble.  Move to the side.  Pour in rice with a little more soy sauce.  Mix all together and cook until it's fried and warmed the way you want it.

I usually make two batches of this-one in each of my frying pans.

Apple Pie Filling

Paula Deen's apple pie recipe turned out the tastiest apple pie I've ever made.  I shouldn't be surprised!  I only used her recipe for the filling.

7 apples, peeled and sliced thin
Lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat worked)
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Nutmeg (I just sprinkled some in)
3 tablespoons butter
Egg wash
Sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Mix the apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, flour and spices.  Put in pie shell.  For with butter.  Lattice on the top crust, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 450 for 45 minutes.  I cooked my pie longer than 45 minutes because I don't like the apples crunchy, so I loosely put foil over it and tested it every now and then until it was done.

Pie Crust

The only whole wheat pie crust I've had luck with...the next time I make it I should try butter.

For one crust, cut 1/2 cup palm shortening into 1 1/3 cups soft white whole wheat flour and 3/4 tsp salt.  Add 3-4 tablespoons cold water until it easily sticks together.  Roll it (with flour to prevent stickiness) and assemble.  If you need to bake it, prick it with a fork and stick it in at 425 for about 7 minutes.

Lazy White Bean Chicken Chili

Not guaranteed the tastiest but I like it for when I don't have chicken broth and when I want to do minimal work.

1.5 lbs chicken
1/2 cup onion, chopped
Few cloves minced garlic
4 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans white beans (or a few cups home-cooked)

Throw chicken in the bottom of the crockpot.  Sauté onions and garlic until cooked, then put those over the chicken.  Pour in the water and spices.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Shred the chicken.  A little before serving through in the white beans.  You can blend up some of the beans with the liquid if you want it "creamy."  Serve alone or with chips, avocado, sour cream, lime, cilantro, cheese (duh), tortilla strips, etc.

Serves 6.

Simple Pretzels or Breadsticks

The Friend magazine published a recipe for "CTR Pretzels" in the January 2012 issue.  The recipe may not be my favorite for soft pretzels, but it was so simple, fast and easy that I want to keep it on hand.  Under-cooked pretzels reminded me of the texture of Olive Garden Breadsticks.  If you cook them to be nice and browned, their skin will seem more that of a soft pretzel.

Throw all these ingredients into your Kitchenaid and mix away:

1 tsp salt
2.5-3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp sugar

When your dough has been sufficiently kneaded, let rise for an hour or more.  Shape the dough, put on greased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Whole Wheat Calzone

This is straight from sugarfreemom.com but I never remember where it is when I want it!
http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/chicken-spinach-alfredo-whole-wheat-calzone/

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Whole Wheat Calzone

For the dough:

• 3 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
•  1 cup water plus 4 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 4  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1.  In your stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dough.
2. In a separate small bowl mix oil, honey, warm water.  Add yeast but don’t stir it and let it sit for about 10 minutes until you see some foam form from the yeast.
3. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined at setting 2 for about 2-3 minutes.
4. Once combined change to your dough hook and keep setting at 2 and let the machine go for about 10 minutes or knead by hand for 10 minutes.
5. Remove your dough and place into a bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover with a towel and let rise for at least half an hour, but an hour is better.
6. Once risen, knead by hand for a minute or so and spread dough by hand onto a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray or use a rolling pin.

For the stuffing:

• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
•  1/2 cup cream cheese, light
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, reduced fat
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat the oil in a saute pan , add garlic and spinach and saute until wilted.
3. Add the chicken and cream cheese and mix until combined well.
4. Add the mozzarella and cook until melted throughout.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble:
Spread the mixture over the entire dough.Starting on the longest side of the dough, start rolling the dough over until you reach the end. Make sure seam side is down on the pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.