Jenn’s Cook Book

2 tbsp Teriyaki or Szechwan sauce*
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1/2 can pineapple rings, cut into quarters**
8 oz fresh water chestnuts, drained
3-4 cups steamed broccoli
Fresh ground black pepper

*If serving with a Chicken dish, use the same marinade/sauce as is used on the chicken.
**pineapple chunks or tidbits can also be used, usually about 1 cup. Pineapple rings can make for better garnishes, as half of the can will be left over. Or fresh pineapple can be used, canned pineapple makes it easier to get pineapple juice for the sauce.

Steam broccoli and keep warm. Combine sauce, garlic, basil, thyme, salt, lemon juice, and pineapple juice in a small bowl and stir well. Heat water chestnuts and pineapple in a large skillet on low heat for 2 to 3 minutes (these should be juicy enough not to require oil in the skillet). Add broccoli and sauce mixture, stirring well to coat entire skillet. Keep on low to medium heat until water chestnuts and pineapple are heated thoroughly. Top with fresh ground black pepper.

1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp dry sherry (optional)
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs, lightly beaten
fresh ground black pepper

Combine water, chicken broth, sherry (if using), sugar and ginger in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly drizzle egg into soup, stirring constantly with a fork. Reduce heat to low and cook an addition 1 minute, stirring constantly. Ladle into individual soup bowls and top with fresh ground black pepper.

Yield: 2 servings

Veggie variety:
Add an additional 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 to 2 cups sliced mushrooms, carrots, onions and/or fresh spinach leaves
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Main Dish: Sweet Cherry Teriyaki Chicken

This uses a marinade/sauce bought at Hermann’s Boy, a locally-owned store in Rockford. Another Teriyaki or Szechwan marinade could be used instead. Cover 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in marinade and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until done. Baste or reapply marinade halfway through baking. Another option is to marinade chicken 30 minutes prior to baking if time permits.

Side Dish: Broccoli w/ Water Chestnuts & Pineapple (Jenn Original Recipe)
Side Dish: Brown rice tossed with butter and salt
Soup: Simple Egg Drop Soup (Jenn Original Recipe)
Beverage: Hot tea

Suggested tea servings (all from the Republic of Tea):
Spring Cherry Green Tea
Earl Greyer Black Tea
Ginger Peach Black Tea
Beginner’s Green Tea

Serve tea by heating a full kettle of water and placing on table with a potholder or tivet. Allow guests to choose flavor of tea, serve with lemon wedges, honey and/or sugar.

Dessert: Dove dark chocolate squares and vanilla wafers*

*Traditional Chinese dishes are served with orange wedges and cookies as dessert. Apparently, the cookies are meant to cleanse the teeth and the palate. I would not recommend oranges with this menu as the other dishes already have cherry and pineapple in them (although leftover pineapple rings would make good garnishes or dessert treats).

These were delicious! I skipped the Cinnamon Maple Syrup, the Orange Honey Butter serves as a syrup. I served these with fresh blueberries, banana slices and orange wedges. Yum!

Blue Corn Pancakes with Orange Honey Butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blue cornmeal
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
2 to 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
1 orange, cut into wedges
Orange-Honey Butter, recipe follows

Preheat a nonstick griddle. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk in a medium bowl until combined, then stir in the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. If the batter seems too thick, add some of the remaining milk.

Ladle approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the bottom is light golden brown, flip, and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Remove to an ovenproof plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Serve 3 pancakes per person with a dollop of orange-honey butter, cinnamon maple syrup, and bananas. Garnish with blueberries dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Orange-Honey Butter:

3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch salt

Place orange juice in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 3 tablespoons. Place butter in a bowl and add the orange syrup, honey, and salt; mix until combined. Scoop into a large ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Reheat slightly before serving.

This is a very easy way to make a favorite Italian classic, with some help from Campbell’s Soup 1-2-3 Cooking:

1 pkg italian seasoned boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 pkg fettuccine or other choice of pasta
1 pkg pre-cut broccoli (that can be steamed in the microwave)
1 8 oz pkg pre-cut, pre-wash mushrooms
olive oil
1 can Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom w/ roasted garlic soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare chicken to be baked. Coat baking pan in olive oil and place chicken in a single layer. Bake 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in pasta of choice and prepare per package directions. Begin boiling water just after chicken has been placed in oven.

Saute mushrooms in a large skillet using as much or as little olive oil as desired. Cover and set aside. Combine soup, milk and parmesan cheese in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring frequently. Once thoroughly heated, combine with mushrooms in large skillet, set aside and keep warm.

Drain pasta when tender and combine in skillet with mushroom sauce. Mix well, coating pasta completely. Sprinkle the top with fresh ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon).

Prepare broccoli in microwave as package directs. Either add to pasta and sauce or serve on the side with butter.

Remove chicken from oven and place a chicken breast on each plate and serve with pasta, sauce and broccoli.

Additions/Substitutions:

Since all shapes of pasta taste the same, ANY kind of pasta can be used. Some shapes to try: angel hair, spiral, or bow tie. For a vegetarian options, skip the chicken and add some cheese-stuffed tortellini (prepare according to package directions and add into sauce once cooked).

Other vegetables can be added or substituted as desired, such as peas, green beans, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers or carrots.

Regular condensed mushroom soup can be used instead of the roasted garlic variety, or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic can be added to mushroom soup to create the same effect.

Low-sodium varieties of soup with fat-free milk and light parmesan cheese can turn this alfredo sauce into a healthy meal. Try using part-skim mozzarella cheese, just make sure it melts thoroughly into sauce.

Italian seasoning can be added to the sauce to give it an extra kick, especially if italian seasoned chicken isn’t available. Try two tablespoons of italian seasoning, or a half-teaspoon of each of the following: basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary.

New varieties to try with with this Nestle’s Best Loved Recipe:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup (5 fluid oz can) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk (2% low-fat can be used)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (9 oz) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels*
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil. TIP: To line a pan with foil, turn over and shape foil using the bottom of the pan. This will give the perfect mold to fit inside the pan (no, I didn’t think of this myself but I can’t remember where I heard it to give credit).

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts (if using) and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan, remove foil and cut into pieces.

*Alternatives:

These have all been tried & tested with good results.

Butterscotch Fudge: Substitute an 11 oz package of Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Morsels.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: Substitute an 11 oz package of Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels.

Peanut Butter Fudge: Substitute a 10 oz package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips.

Mint Chocolate Fudge: Substitute a 10 oz package of Hershey’s Mint Chocolate Chips.

Dark Chocolate Fudge: Substitute a 10 oz package of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips.

From Hershey’s Kitchens:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cups (10 oz package) Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat butter, brown sugar and granulate sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour and baking soda, beating well.

Stir in cinnamon chips, mixing completely with batter. Add quick oats and mix well. Add raisins if using and mix well. Batter will be stiff.

Spread batter into a lightly greased 13×9 inch baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and cut into bars (makes about 3 dozen).

Okay, I haven’t actual made this dish yet, but I saw it on an episode of the Food Network’s Boy Meets Grill with Bobby Flay and have been wanting to try it since. Maybe this weekend…

Blue Corn Pancakes with Orange Honey Butter and Cinnamon Maple Syrup

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blue cornmeal
Pinch salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 1/2 to 2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for garnish
2 to 3 bananas, peeled and sliced
Orange-Honey Butter, recipe follows
Cinnamon Maple Syrup, recipe follows
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

Preheat a nonstick griddle. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat the eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk in a medium bowl until combined, then stir in the melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. If the batter seems too thick, add some of the remaining milk.

Ladle approximately 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until the bottom is light golden brown, flip, and continue cooking for about 30 seconds. Remove to an ovenproof plate and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Serve 3 pancakes per person with a dollop of orange-honey butter, cinnamon maple syrup, and bananas. Garnish with blueberries dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Orange-Honey Butter:
3 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch salt
Place orange juice in a small non-reactive saucepan over high heat and reduce to 3 tablespoons. Place butter in a bowl and add the orange syrup, honey, and salt; mix until combined. Scoop into a large ramekin, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Cinnamon Maple Syrup:
2 cups pure maple syrup
2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
Heat syrup and cinnamon sticks over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and let steep for 1 hour. Remove sticks and pour into a small pitcher.

This is a Jenn Original Recipe! It’s not very complicated but it’s gotten good reviews:

3-4 large red-skinned potatoes
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper

Boil a large pot of water. Halve or quarter potatoes and boil until tender (usually when the skin begins to separate from the flesh of the potato) and drain.

In a large mixing bowl, mash potatoes with an electric mixer (don’t turn the mixer on, just use the beaters to smash the potato pieces). Add milk, cheese, butter, seasoning, garlic and salt. Beat on medium speed until ingredients are mixed and potatoes are to desired consistency (some like potatoes very smooth, I prefer to have some lumps). Serve topped with fresh ground black pepper.

When reheating, add a splash of milk and a nice pat of butter to the potatoes before putting in microwave.

The original recipe came from my Campell’s soup cookbook, with some slight modifications.

4 chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 can condensed tomato soup (low sodium)
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
dash salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

Trim fat off chicken breasts. Coat the bottom of a baking pan with olive oil. Arrange chicken in a single layer.

Combine tomato soup, milk, parmesan cheese, basil, garlic and a generous sprinkling of salt in a small bowl. Mix well and pour over chicken, covering it completely. Top each piece with fresh ground black pepper.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until chicken is done. Baste chicken once or twice with tomato mixture while cooking. Serve on top of penne pasta tossed in olive oil and italian seasoning.

*Begin boiling water for pasta once chicken is in the oven and pasta should be cooked by the time the chicken is ready.

Recommended sides: steamed broccoli, red-skinned mashed potatoes, or sauteed green beans and mushrooms (swap vinegar/soy sauce for parmesan cheese).