Chicken Tenderloins with Craisin Mustard Sauce

Reheated in the microwave the second night - Yum!

Cranberries add a great zing to foods!  The dried cranberries, Craisins, are also very delicious.  Maybe I also enjoy them because I live in MA and cranberries are harvested here in autumn.  While traveling past cranberry bogs when we were at the Cape two weeks ago I kept thinking about a recipe that I had bookmarked on the Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. website.  Chicken!  Craisins! Yellow Mustard! And Wine!  My DH & I enjoy so many dishes where chicken is a main ingredient, so adding the tangy Craisins + spicy Yellow Mustard just sounded wonderful. This recipe makes four servings, so we enjoyed it for two evenings.  This sure is not a meal that I would put in the "leftover" category.  This is one delicious colorful chicken dish bursting with flavor!

Chicken Tenderloins with Cranberry Mustard Sauce

Adapted from Ocean Spray Cranberries

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Craisins
1/2 Cup cold water
*******
1 Lb. Chicken Tenderloins
1/2 Cup Flour
1-2 shakes from my Pepper shaker
2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (Cooking & Sauteing)
2/3 Cup Dry White Wine
2/3 Cup Chicken Broth
3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch

Method:

1. Place Craisins in small bowl and cover with 1/2 Cup Cold Water.
2. Combine Flour + Pepper in Ziploc bag.
3. Rinse Chicken Tenderloins under cold water and place in Ziploc Bag containing Flour/Pepper.
4. Close bag and coat Chicken.
5. Place 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil in large saute pan, heat over Medium heat.
6. Add Flour coated Chicken.
7. Cook Chicken about 2 minutes on each side, until Chicken is cooked.
8. Place cooked Chicken on a large dish.
9. Remove saute pan from heat.
10. Using about 2 Tablespoons of the measured Chicken Broth, dissolve Cornstarch in small cup.
11. Place remaining Chicken Broth in saute pan.  Stir around scraping up browned bits.  Add Wine + Yellow Mustard, stir together.  Turn on heat.  Add Cornstarch mixture and stir.
12. Stir mixture and bring to a boil.  Boil 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.  Add drained Craisins and cook 1 minute longer while stirring.
13. Add browned Chicken to sauce and heat until Chicken is hot.
14. Serve with Rice. 

The ingredients for this tasty dish are usually found in my kitchen.  I can picture a cold dark winter evening with the snow falling quickly while the aroma of mustard, Craisins and wine float from my kitchen.  This is one quick, delicious way to prepare chicken.  So happy I stopped in to visit the Ocean Spray website. Thank you Ocean Spray!   :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Freezing Green Peppers Strips

History is fascinating and the state where I live is filled with the early history of our glorious country!  Last week my DH & I spent a few days at one of our fave places - the Cape (Cape Cod).  After the torrential downpours on the east coast, the Cape did not offer sunny beach weather, rather overcast skies.  That is the perfect time to enjoy a bit of history.  Coast Guard Beach in Eastham is beautiful and also filled with history.  As school children we all learned that in 1620 the Pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower and settled in Plymouth, MA.  Quite often we do not realize that their journey was not a direct route to Plymouth.



Click Photo to Enlarge
Photo Taken at Coast Guard Beach



Click Photo to Enlarge
Photo Taken at Coast Guard Beach

There's always time for a little Culture and for a little History!
 
There's also always time to purchase local produce to store for the colder months.  Slices of Green Peppers can be stored so easily.  Now in September, the local fresh vegetables are still found at roadside stands or in the grocery stores.  It's the perfect time to purchase these fresh firm veggies, prep & freeze them in strips. 

The process is very simple!  First, the Green Peppers are washed in cool water and dried.  Then, cut each pepper into strips.  Discard seeds and tops.  For me, one handful is placed in a plastic sandwich bag.  Then, the sandwich bags are closed and placed in a Ziploc Freezer bag, labelled and placed in the freezer. 

In the colder months whenever a recipe calls for Green Pepper, the frozen strips are at my fingertips.  They defrost quickly.  No need to purchase the costly vegetable that is out of season.  The 6 Green Peppers that were purchased today are waiting in my fridge.  Tomorrow, they will be prepped & packed away to join the other two Ziploc Freezer bags filled with locally grown Green Pepper strips.  WooHoo!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

  

Grilling the Swordfish

So often we think back and say, "What a difference a week makes!"  This surely has been the case on the east coast of our country this past week!  Irene changed a bit while moving up and sure left her mark!  Our neighbors to the west and to the north here in MA are dealing with washed out roads and flooding.  Our relatives in CT are still without power.  The national news is covering the affected states.  It's been a most challenging year of weather and one we will not easily forget!

Continually our outdoor grill is used.  Tonight, Grilled Swordfish made for an easy and delicious dinner!  Our local grocery store, Big Y, has a wonderful fresh Seafood Dept.  There's a special on fresh Swordfish this week, so it was an obvious choice for dinner.  Local Green Beans and a microwaved "Baked Potato" also tasted yummy! 

This fish hold its own while grilling, so no grilling basket is needed.  No fancy sauce (with added calories) accenting the fish is needed, either!  Plain, simple and delicious! 

Grilled Swordfish

Ingredients:
1 lb. Swordfish Steak
Olive Oil
Paprika - about 2 shakes from the bottle.

Method:

1. Preheat outdoor grill.
2. Pour about 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil on a large dish.
3. Sprinkle a little Paprika on top of Olive Oil.
4. Rinse Swordfish Steak under cold running water.
5. Place on Olive Oil/Paprika in dish.
6. Turn Swordfish over to coat other side.
7. Place on heated grill and put grill cover down.
8. Grill for 7 minutes and 30 seconds.  The fish is turned over one time while grilling.
9. Grill other side for 7 minutes and 30 seconds.

*** The amount of needed grilling time depends on the size of the piece of Swordfish Steak and the grill.  Using our gas grill turned up 3/4 heat a 1 lb. piece requires 7 minutes and 30 seconds on each side.  The cover is down while grilling.

Grilled fish tastes great!  Before we know it the season will change and the grill will not be used.  I'll be baking fish for dinner and the variety will change.   :)

Enjoy!
Yummy!

     

Yummy Blueberry Muffins

What a gorgeous day we had in MA today!  The comfy temps and the bright sunshine made it a perfect day to visit Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, MA.  Admission to this outdoor (1830's era) living history museum with original buildings was free courtesy of the Highland Street Foundation.  Today was the last Friday of FREE FUN FRIDAYS 2011 sponsored by this generous foundation.  Families enjoyed their visit and everyone learned while having fun!  What a great place to visit and the large number of visitors all lived in another century for the day!

It has been a day filled with fun!  Tomorrow, we will finish preparing for Irene who will be visiting us in MA on Sunday.  Tomorrow, lawn chairs and planters will be stored and drains cleaned.  Yes, staple foods have already  been purchased and we'll hunker down.

A couple of weeks ago I had baked Yummy Blueberry Muffins.  One batch yields 22 muffins.  Sometimes, there is enough batter for that one extra muffin.  :)  These muffins are delicious and also freeze very well, so some were stored in our freezer for another day.  Sunday will be that day!  Tomorrow the last remaining 6 pack of Yummy Blueberry Muffins will defrosted.  WooHoo!

Yummy Blueberry Muffins - printable recipe card

Oven Temperature:  375°F
Time:  26 Minutes
Yield:  22 Muffins

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter/Margarine
1 and 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Whole Egg + 2 Egg Whites
2 Cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon (optional, but a wonderful addition)
1/2 Cup Milk (can be Soy Milk)
2 - 2 and 1/2 Cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen that have been defrosted)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place paper liners in muffin tins.
3. In large bowl cream butter/margarine with Sugar and beat until light.
4. Add Egg + 2 Egg Whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add Baking Powder, Salt, Cinnamon and 1/2 of Flour.  Beat.
6. Add 1/2 of Milk, beat.
7. Add remaining Flour, beat.
8. Then, add remaining Milk, beat.
9. Gently add in Blueberries.  Stir in with Spatula or large Spoon.
10. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
11. Bake 26 Minutes or until muffins are lightly browned.

It's always wonderful to reach into the freezer and locate a bag of these delicious muffins filled with Blueberries!  Do you freeze muffins to enjoy later?

Enjoy!
Yummy!
Stay safe this weekend, my Friends!

     

~Cucumber Salad~

The hard bound red Treasured Polish Recipes For Americans cookbook is located in my large collection of cookbooks.  It's a cherished gift that I received in 1973.  In this red cookbook are many delicious recipes that my fam has enjoyed.  My notes on the Babka include "excellent".  It requires two risings and five egg yolks, so I haven't baked it in a few years.  

 Last week we had purchased two cucumbers at a local roadside stand and they had found a home in the veggie bin in our fridge.  Now in this cookbook is a recipe for Cucumber Salad.  My sons were not fond of this type of salad, so I haven't prepared it in a number of years.  Time marches on...  Guess what delicious salad was prepared one night this past week?  My DH & I enjoyed it!  Thinly sliced fresh cucumber pieces were covered with sour cream (fat free) that contained bits of fresh chives, a little salt and a bit of sugar.  I used less salt & sugar.  Yes, there are specific directions, but it is a tasty crunchy salad!

Cucumber Salad adapted from Treasured Polish Recipes For Americans

Ingredients:
(2) Cucumbers
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (Fat Free)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
Ground Black Pepper (a sprinkle)
1 Tablespoon Chives, chopped

Method:

1. Wash & dry cucumbers.
2. Peel cucumbers.
3. Cut into very thin slices.
4. Place very thin cucumber slices in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
5. Let stand 10 minutes.
6. Drain.
7. Plunge cucumber slices into cold water and drain.
8. Place drained cucumbers in fridge for 30 minutes.
9. In a small bowl combine Sour Cream, Salt, Sugar, Ground Pepper & chopped Chives.
10. Before serving combine dressing with cucumber slices.  

This week we will enjoy it again.  Three or four Cherry or Grape Tomatoes will be added on top.  Fresh local tomatoes are also abundant and taste delicious!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

             

Summer Chicken

Summer is great!  There is so much color in our gardens.  In our front cut-out perennials and annuals flow together.  Overnight there can be a change as blossoms appear.  This just may be the last season of our current Zinnias.  Every summer I save seeds from the current year's gorgeous blossoms.  After drying the seeds and storing them during the winter they are planted in the spring.  It was a little "iffy" as to how the Zinnias would fare this year, because this is the fourth year that seeds were saved and planted from the original purchased seeds.  But all is well!  More buds are ready to blossom.

One hot afternoon this week we had a craving for Grilled Sockeye Salmon.  Well, a reasonably priced nice piece of "wild caught" Sockeye Salmon was not in the cards.  Breaded Sauteed Chicken Tenderloins quickly found their place on our dinner table that evening.  Now, there were quite a few extra pieces of tenderloins after dinner.  Needless to say, into the fridge they went.  At this time of year there usually is a large green Pepper visible every time I open our fridge's door.  The ingredients for another quick & easy colorful delicious dinner were at hand! WooHoo!

Summer Chicken

Ingredients:

About 1 Cup cut up cooked Chicken Tenderloins/Chicken

1 large Green Pepper cut into strips

2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

(1) can Plum Tomatoes (1 lb., 12 oz. can)

1/8 teaspoon each dried Oregano, Sweet Basil & Garlic Powder

Method:

1. Wash Green Pepper.  Cut into strips.
2. Saute in Olive Oil in skillet about 4-5 Minutes.
3. Add drained Plum Tomatoes that have been cut in half.
4. Cut cooked Chicken Tenderloins into pieces and add to skillet.
5. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon Oregano, Sweet Basil & Garlic Powder over ingredients in skillet.
6. Heat about 6-8 Minutes, until hot.  Stir occasionally.

The Chicken Tenderloins I used had been coated with Bread Crumbs and sauteed.  As the juicy Plum Tomatoes heated, the Bread Crumbs on the Chicken pieces absorbed the juice.  Dinner was so yummy!    

Today we purchased the Sockeye Salmon.  I noticed the "special" in our Big Y's store flyer on Thursday.  :)

Enjoy!

Yummy!

       

Pudding Pops

Pleasingly plain Pudding Pops!  On a warm ... o.k.... hot day opening the freezer door and locating refreshing Vanilla Pudding Pops even sounds like a cool idea.  It sure is an easy idea.  My Tupperware molds, 1 box of Cook & Serve Jell-O Pudding and 2 Cups Milk were located and I was on my way.  After the pudding was prepared and it cooled a few minutes, I poured it into the molds.  Snap on the tops and place in the molds' tray.  After a few hours in the freezer a refreshingly cold dessert awaits!

This summer I've seen "pop molds" in the kitchen depts. of various stores.  Mine were purchased years ago.  They sure do come in handy.  (Grape Juice makes yummy purple pops!)

I use Jell-O brand Cook & Serve pudding for a simple reason - when using this brand I do not burn any pudding in the pot.  No need for that for me.  :) 

Time to make more Pudding Pops!  Maybe chocolate! 
Enjoy!
Yummy!