Crock Pot BBQ Chicken

© "So Easy, So Delicious"
 
2 chickens, cut into quarters (8 pieces)
1 onion, sliced
18 oz BBQ sauce of your choice

Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Cover with onion slices and sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until tender.

Hint: This easy and delicious recipe is very healthy, especially if you use all chicken breasts and remove the skin before cooking. The gravy is wonderful over rice or pasta.

Chocolate Candy Pizza

© "So Easy, So Delicious"
 
12 oz (2 C) chocolate chips
9 oz white chocolate, divided
2 C miniature marshmallows
1 C crispy rice cereal
1 C unsalted peanuts
1/3 C flaked coconut
1 tsp oil

Microwave chocolate chips and 6 ounces of the white chocolate in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until completely melted and smooth. Fold in marshmallows, cereal and peanuts. Pour onto a greased 12-inch pizza pan. Top with coconut. Microwave remaining 3 ounces white chocolate and oil on high for 30 to 40 seconds. Stir. Microwave for an additional 30 to 40 seconds, or until smooth. Drizzle over top of pizza. Refrigerate for at least 40 minutes, or until firm. To serve, slice into wedges.

Hint: To make this more festive, especially at Christmas, sprinkle drained and halved red and green maraschino cherries over top before sprinkling with coconut and drizzling with white chocolate. Colored mini-marshmallows could be substituted for white ones. Other Christmas variations would be to use red and green M&Ms instead of cherries. For Hanukkah, you can use yellow and blue M&Ms.

Nicole's Cooking "Farewell" Party

"Thanks for the wonderful cooking party on Friday. The cooking was simple, fun and tasty! Everyone had a fabulous time."

C. H., Lexington, Massachusetts

"We had a great time learning to cook the recipes with you! Everyone loved all the food we prepared! Thanks again and a big thanks to Ching for hosting such a fun party again!"

Nicole L., Lexington, Massachusetts

Simple Chickpea Salad

 
Salad:
15½ oz can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

Place in a bowl.
 
Dressing:
2 to 3 T olive oil
2 T wine vinegar
Oregano, to taste
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, stirring occasionally..

Hint: Other beans may be substituted for the chickpeas.

Southwestern Barley Bake

 
1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 medium onion, diced
15 oz tomato sauce
1 C water
1/2 C barley
1/4 C olives, sliced (optional)
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded

Garnishes:
● Avocado slices
● Sliced olives
● Chopped tomatoes

In a fry pan, sauté ground beef, turkey or chicken with onion until onion is soft. Drain. Add tomato sauce, water, barley, olives, sugar and chili powder. Pour into a greased 7”x11” baking pan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes, or until barley is tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.
don’t have time to make this bread when your bananas are overripe, peel and freeze them for a later date. Before using, defrost and discard most of the accumulated banana juices.

Gingerbread Pancakes

 
1⅓ C flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
Dash salt
1 egg
1½ C milk
1/4 C molasses
1 T canola oil
Oil for frying pancakes

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, beat egg, milk, molasses and oil. Add milk mixture to dry mixture and stir just until combined. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Using a ¼-cup measure or ladle, drop batter onto a hot and lightly greased skillet or griddle. When bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes, turn over and cook until edges are golden. Serve immediately.

Yield: 17 or 18 pancakes

Hint: These are delicious garnished with whipped cream and/or strawberries.

Framingham Public Library

"Thank you for your program last week. I thought it was wonderful. I know all who came enjoyed it thoroughly. We look forward to more programs in the future.

Happy Holidays!”

Nancy S., Framingham Public Library, Massachusetts

Super Nachos

 
15-16 oz can refried beans
3/4 to 1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
Taco seasoning, to taste
4 oz can seeded and chopped chilies (mild or hot)
2 C Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
12 to 14 oz salsa
1/2 C scallions, diced
1 C black olives, sliced

Garnish:
1 C sour cream
1 C guacamole
Nacho chips

Spread refried beans evenly over the bottom of a greased 9”x13” pan or (2) 9-inch pie plates. Brown beef and onion in a skillet, adding taco seasoning, to taste. Spread meat mixture over refried beans. Top with layers of chilies, cheese and salsa. Bake at 400° for 15 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with scallions and olives. Garnish with sour cream and guacamole. Scoop up mixture with nachos.

Hint: To reduce the fat in this recipe, use fat free refried beans, lean ground beef, chicken or turkey and low fat cheese and low fat sour cream. Vary the spiciness of the chilies and salsa to suit your palate.

Apple and Butternut Squash Bisque

© "From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours"
 
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small (1 lb) butternut squash, unpeeled, seeded and cut in half
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
Pinch rosemary
Pinch thyme
1 qt chicken broth
2 slices white or whole wheat bread, trimmed and cubed
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 C light or medium cream

Combine everything except cream in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Scoop out the squash pulp and discard the skin. Return the squash pulp to the pan. Purée the entire mixture in a food processor or blender. Return the puree to the saucepan. Add the cream and then heat, but do not boil.

Hint: If desired, pre-cook the squash in the microwave. Wash the squash and prick it all over with the tines of a fork. Cook on high for 10 minutes. Cool and cut open. Remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh and put it in the saucepan with all the other ingredients. Reduce simmering time to 35 minutes. This soup is perfect for a tailgate picnic on a brisk fall day. It can easily be kept hot in a thermos and served in mugs. Bread sticks or croutons are a good accompaniment.

Complimentary cooking program

Meet Ellie

 

"Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen"
November 30th

Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.

Renewal by Andersen in Northborough
call # below to register

30 Forbes Rd
Northborough, MA  01532
(508) 351-2236

Joy & Jake's cooking lesson

"We definitely enjoyed the fruits (or meats!) of our labors. That salmon - yum!

It was a pleasure."

Joy L., Westford, Massachusetts

Kid's cooking birthday party

"We had Chef Ellie run our daughter’s 9th birthday party. All the kids loved cooking her creative and delicious menu. It was a fun and different way to celebrate a birthday.”

Jessica B., Lexington, Massachusetts

Cranberry Apple Sauce

© "From Ellie's Kitchen to Yours"
 
1 T butter or margarine
1 lb cranberries, fresh or frozen
6 small or 3 large apples peeled and cubed
1½ C brown sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves (optional)

Melt butter or margarine, add cranberries and apples. Sauté until half done. Mix sugar, cornstarch and spices and pour over fruit. Mix well and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes or until berries pop and apples are tender.
Microwave: Place all ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap which has one hole poked in it. Cook on high, stirring once, for approximately 8 minutes or until fruit is tender.

Hint: You can serve this sauce for dessert or use it as an accompaniment to turkey, chicken or pork.

Pumpkin Muffins

 
1½ C flour
1/2 C sugar, plus extra for topping
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C milk
1/2 C pumpkin
1/2 C butter or margarine, melted or canola oil
1 egg
1/2 C raisins

Mix all ingredients by hand just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon sugar over batter in each cup. Bake at 400° for 17 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan.

Yield: 12 pumpkin muffins

Hint: These muffins are equally delicious with fresh or canned pumpkin. They freeze well.

Curried Honey Chicken

© "So Easy, So Delicious"
 
3 to 4 lbs chicken, cut into quarters or eighths
2 T butter or margarine
1/2 C honey
1/4 C prepared mustard
Salt, to taste
1 to 2 tsp curry powder
1/2 C almonds, toasted and chopped

Wash and dry chicken. Melt butter or margarine and whisk in remaining ingredients. Roll chicken pieces in mixture to coat both sides. Arrange chicken, meaty side up, in a single layer in a baking pan. Bake at 375° for 1 hour, turning and basting occasionally, until chicken is tender and richly glazed.

Hint: This is one of my family's favorite chicken dishes. Leftovers, served hot or cold, are delicious. To toast almonds, bake at 350° for 3 to 4 minutes.