Easy Chicken in Wine

Another one we grew up eating.

This is much healthier if you take the skin off the chicken.

I never do that. It's much more delicious with it on. It might be the best part. :)

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breast quarters

1 cup burgandy wine

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 tsp. crushed oregano

2 TBL water

1 garlic clove sliced in quarters

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 TBL brown sugar

Directions:

Wash and drain chicken quarters. Place in shallow baking dish. Combine all other ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover with foil. Refrigerate if there is time to do ahead. If so, spoon sauce over chicken several times.

Bake chicken covered about one hour at 375 degrees. Uncover and cook about 10-15 minutes longer and baste with wine sauce for futher browning.

Use gravy separater to separate oil from sauce if desired.

Bake some baking potatoes at the same time you bake the chicken. Use the sauce on the potatoes too, very good, especially if the skin on the potatoes is crunchy too.

Mom's German Apple Cake

For all of you who went apple picking this fall...

I have no idea what makes this German, but it's a recipe I grew up on (again.)

I specifically remember making it with my brother and my dad the one time I ever remember my mom being sick.  We made it to surprise her.

Enjoy!



Ingredients:
3 c. chopped or shredded apples
1 c. oil
2 c. flour
1/2 c. choc. chips (or a few more if you love 'em!)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together by hand in large bowl.
Grease and flour bundt pan.
Pour batter into pan.

Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool 1/2 hr. before removing from the pan.

Apricot Chicken

The Red Rooster Restaurant used to be in North Kingstown and Norman LeClair was the chef there. He put out a few good cookbooks, but of all his recipes this was my favorite.

2 whole chicken breasts (I usually use a bunch of boneless, skinless tenders instead, enough for my family)

If using the whole chicken breasts, they should be skinned, boned, halved and flattened with excess fat removed.

1/2 cup flavored bread crumbs (I use plain)

4 mushroom caps, stems removed (if I don't have mushrooms I skip this step it's not crucial)

2 tsp. butter

Glaze:

1/2 c. apricot jelly

 2 garlic cloves minced

1/8 tsp ground ginger

Pinch of crushed red pepper (I skip this)

1 Tablespoon white vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

In a flat dish, press crumbs into chicken on both sides. Reserve.

Mix well in bowl: apricot jelly, ginger, garlic, red pepper, vinegar, soy sauce.  Reserve.

Using 1/2 of butter, butter one oven proof dish (I just spray the dish with cooking spray.)

Lay out chicken in the dish.

Top with mushrooms if using.

Spoon glaze on chicken and mushrooms.

Dot with butter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

Remove to serving plates and spoon remaining glaze on chicken.

I serve this over white rice.



Mom's Plum Crunch

This is one of my favorite fall desserts. I absolutely love it. It's such an easy dessert to make. The prune plums when split in half fit the baking dish perfectly.

3 cups halved and pitted Italian prune plums (18)

3 TBL. Brown Sugar

5 TBL. Sugar

1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Topping:

One egg well beaten

1 c. flour

1 c. sugar and 1/2 to 3/4 oatmeal

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

Spray 7x12 pan with no stick spray.

Put prepared plums, cut side up, on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the two sugars and nutmeg together and sprinkle over fruit.

Beat the egg in a bowl, then add the dry ingredients together.

Mix until crumbly.  Sprinkle over crumbs.

Pour melted butter over all.

Bake in 375 oven for 35 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Grandma Rose Cerbo's Tuna and Spaghetti

Everyone who first hears of this recipe thinks it sounds like such an odd combination, but those who have dared to try it have loved it. I've never known anyone who has not! It's a favorite meal of ours any time of year, especially at the annual Princess Avenue Cookout each Labor Day weekend.

One 28 oz. can Kitchen Read Tomatoes (we use Pastene)

One 6 1/2 oz Bumble Bee Tuna in oil (chunk or Italian)

1 clove garlic

1 Tbl. Olive Oil

salt, pepper, basil, oregano to taste

1 cup water

Use 2qt. sauce pan to brown garlic and oil.

Remove garlic.

Add tomatoes, using cover of pan angled over pan, to avoid splashing.

Add 1 c. water, salt, pepper, oregano and basil.

Cook on low heat for a half hour.

Add tuna, including oil in the can and continue to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve over spaghetti.