July Challenge Recipes
July 1st, 2012 | 
Author: A new month already! This challenges us to dig into those recipes and cookbooks that have been lying around forever in our ‘going to try someday’ pile. If we try at least one a month, at least we will get some use out of them and be able to share with others too! Personally, I have a ton that fit into that category. I made this one last night, and it is a keeper!
Chicken in Basil Cream
(From a Taste of Home Prize Winning Recipes booklet)
(Contributed by Judy Baker, Craig, CO)
My changes in parenthesis. We really liked this a lot, and it will be a favorite around here from now on. DH said, “You can make this one again. Good!”
¼ c. milk
¼ c. dry bread crumbs (I used more, probably at least ½ c. plain crumbs)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, 4 oz. each (I used 3 large ones)
3 tbsp. butter (used 4 or 5)
½ c. chicken broth
1 c. heavy cream (didn’t have so used 1% milk and thickened it a little with gravy thickening)
1 jar (4 oz.) sliced pimentos, drained (didn’t have so used small slivers of red bell pepper)
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ c. minced fresh basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken in butter on both sides until juices run clear, about 10 minutes (breasts I used were large so it took about 15 minutes total. I also salted and peppered them). Remove and keep warm.
Add broth to skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat; stir to loosen browned bits. Stir in the cream and pimentos; boil and stir for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add the Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper; cook and stir until heated through. Pour over the chicken.
Yield: 4 servings
My Notes: The red bell pepper was really good, but I think the pimentos would be good too. DH wasn’t sure he would like the Parmesan in the sauce, so we used the Zyliss and grated the fresh on at the table as desired. We also like the fresh chicken better than the bags of flash frozen ones. They seem to be more moist to us.
Posted in * Recipe Requests
These were good!
Cocoa Brownies
Source of Recipe
Hershey’s
Recipe Introduction
The original recipe included coconut but I didn’t have any so left it out. The brownies were great without it.
List of Ingredients
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c sugar
1 tsp vailla
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c coconut, divided
Recipe
Preheat to 350. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl.
Add eggs and beat well with spoon.
Combine flour, cooca, baking powder and salt; add gradually to mixture and beat until well blended.
Add 3/4 c coconut.
S[read batter into prepared pan and top with remaining coconut.
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until the brownies pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool completely before cutting.
Makes 16 brownies.
Notes:
I used unsalted butter, largeeggs and omitted the coconut.
Baking time was 28 minutes.
Not sure where I got this recipe but they were good with just a light hint of chocolate flavor.
Red Velvet Pancakes
1 1/2 c flour
2 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp red food coloring
1/4 c butter, melted
Mix dry ingredients.
Add wet to dry and stir well.
Cook as you would any pancake.
This is in the oven right now, and boy does it smell good! 15 more minutes then cooling time. I’ve been wanting to try this ever since Yvonne posted it so long ago. If it’s half as good as it looks and smells, we’re in business! Wish I had bought some vanilla ice cream! Thank you Yvonne!
Yvonne’s Zucchini Pie
posted by Yvonne 07-06-107 7:21 AM
With zucchinis so abundant right now, I thought I would submit my mother’s recipe for zucchini pie. Mom passed away a month ago, but her zucchini pie, which is always mistaken for apple pie, is known by all in our family and area.
Zucchini Pie
4 c. zucchini
1 1/2 t. cream of tarter
dash of salt
2 T. flour
1 T. lemon juice
dash of nutmeg
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. butter
9 in. pie shell unbaked
Topping:
1 stick of margarine 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. flour
Peel zucchini. Cut lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Slice to resemble apple slices. Cook zucchini for 10 minutes in small amount of water, drain. Mix cream of tarter, salt, flour, lemon juice, nutmeg, sugar, and cinnamon with zucchini. Pour into unbaked pie shell dot with butter. Make topping by mixing margarine, sugar and flour and crumbling over ingredients in pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I only cook zucchini around 3 or 4 minutes.
This one is also a hit! DH didn’t even know it wasn’t apple pie and was quite surprised when I told him what it was. Notes I made: Used about 6 cups of zucchini to make a full 9-inch pie and didn’t change any other ingredients. It looked like it had a lot of liquid in it before baking which concerned me at the time, but it was fine. Not one drip spilled into the oven either. I also only cooked the zucchini only about 3 minutes. Why does the zucchini need cooked at all????? Good recipe and good way to use up some of the zucchini. Wonder if it would freeze well once baked???/
This was a new recipe to try this month. I made it in a 9×13″ pan and topped it with ganache. It was a good combination.
CHUNKY MONKEY CAKE (CD Kitchen)
3 ripe bananas
1 box yellow cake mix
1 1/3 cup water
3 whole eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
chocolate frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F. Spray 2 (9 inch size) round cake pans with cooking spray.
Peel 2 bananas and mash them up in a bowl. Add cake mix, water, eggs and oil. Beat on low speed of mixer until well combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes.
Chop remaining banana into 1/2 inch pieces. Using rubber spatula, fold bananas, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips into cake batter. Divide batter evenly between pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans about 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Frost cake with chocolate frosting, putting icing between layers.
More good ones! Off to see if I have a yellow cake mix to take to work day for one of our elders in the morning…she’s 93…thanks for the idea!