Slow Cooker Orange Hoisin Chicken

Crock pot recipe? Check. Simple prep? Check. Delicious? Check.

Orange Hoisin Chicken
from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 slices peeled fresh ginger, finely minced, or 1 tsp powdered ginger
3 cloves garlice, finely minced
1 T sesame oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1.5 to 2 lbs.)
2 T cornstarch
2 T water
2 T sesame seeds
chopped green onions for garnish

In the crock of your slow cooker, whisk together orange juice concentrate, honey, soy sauce (I used the low sodium variety and the dish was plenty salty for me, so if you are using regular soy sauce I would start with half the amount to start and add the rest at the end if you still want it.), hoisin, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Add chicken and lightly stir to coat. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until chicken is cooked through and tender. Five hours was about right for me.

Remove chicken and transfer to a plate. Turn slow cooker to HIGH. Whisk together cornstarch and water. Whisk into the sauce and cook until thickened, stirring frequently (keep the lid on your slow cooker as much as possible so it heats up enough to thicken the sauce.). Shred the chicken and return to the thickened sauce.

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Chocolate Crinkles

The best thing about these cookies is that they are soft and chewy.

Chocolate Crinkles
From the Lion House Cookbook

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream together shortening, cocoa, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well mixed. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Dough will be sticky and almost runny. Refrigerate dough for at least 3 hours and up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 350. Drop and gently roll dough by tablespoonfuls in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 9-11 minutes. They will spread a little so don't crowd the cookie sheet. Do not overbake. Let cool on sheet for 4 or 5 minutes then move cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Easy Chicken Biryani

The most complicated thing about this tasty skillet meal is deciding how to say "Biryani."

Easy Chicken Biryani
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 bay leaf
3/4 tsp EACH cinnamon, garam masala, turmeric, and kosher salt
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp to 1 T curry paste, to taste
1/2 cup raisins, currants, or dried cherries
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Soak rice in warm water for 10 minutes, then rinse in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well. (Look at this little trick. It worked great)

While rice is soaking, heat butter in a 4 to 5 quart casserole or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaf; cook until soft, 5-10 minutes. Stir in the spices, chicken, and curry paste and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in rice, raisins, and broth. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is done and rice is cooked, 12-18 minutes. Uncover and cook off any remaining liquid (I had none), then turn off heat, replace lid, and let stand for 10 min.

Gently stir in peas, cilantro, and almonds. Remove bay leaf. Serves 6. We topped ours with plain greek yogurt and it was so good.

A note on turmeric: Turmeric is what gives this dish its beautiful yellow color. That in mind, it will turn EVERYTHING yellow. Wear an apron and store leftovers in your least favorite tupperware.

Snickerdoodles

This is my Grandma Barratt's recipe, and is therefore the most entirely delicious cookie I have ever consumed.

Snickerdoodles

2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, shortening, sugar, eggs. Add flour, soda, salt, cream of tartar.
Roll dough into little balls, and roll in the cinnamon and sugar (mix them together in a little bowl). Bake on greased cookie sheet (Of course, I use parchment) for 8-11 minutes. Let cool for 3 or 4 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

Apple Cake

There's certain foods that must be eaten in the fall- pumpkin, squash, anything with cinnamon, and apple desserts. This one belongs to the last category.

Apple Cake
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
4 large baking (tart) apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Spray a 10 inch cake pan with nonstick spray (I used a springform pan and it worked very well- I recommend it).

In a large bowl, mix 2 T of flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and all of the cinnamon. Add apples and toss to combine.

In a second bowl, mix remaining sugar, remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, oil, butter, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat batter until smooth.

Pour half of the batter (about 2 cups) into prepared pan. Top with half of apple mixture. Carefully spoon remaining batter over apples, then top with remaining apples. (Take an extra second and fan them out pretty. It will look so nice.) Keep the apples about 1/4" away from the edge of the pan.

Bake for 60-80 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes before removing sides of pan. You can also prepare this in a bundt pan and invert it to serve. Top with powdered sugar, whipping cream, or vanilla ice cream.