Hash Brown Waffles

Monday was International Waffle Day.  Who knew, right?  I decided to celebrate by making a twist on the classic waffle--Hash Brown Waffles!  Indeed, they're nothing like a traditional waffle other than the shape.  The recipe could not be simpler.  Start by heating your waffle iron.  Mine is round and divided into four sections.  It's not a Belgian waffle maker, though.  The holes in the waffles are the normal size for a waffle.  Once the iron is heated, coat the top and bottom lightly with cooking spray and add your hash browns.  I used frozen ones and didn't thaw them beforehand.  I'm sure using freshly shredded potatoes would work just as well.  I used about a cup and a half for my waffle iron.  You want to make sure your "waffle" is thick enough or it will be difficult to remove when it's done.

Dollop with a little butter or bacon fat.  I used bacon fat because I happened to have some on hand!  Press the top down and apply firm pressure for about 30 seconds or until the potatoes have softened enough for it to close.  Cook for 4-6 minutes or until crispy on the outside and lightly browned.  Keep a close on them so they don't burn. 

I decided to top mine with two eggs, over easy.  The best part was when the middles broke and the yolk flowed into the holes of the hashbrown waffle.  So delicious...and practical.  Ha!

Hash Brown Waffles

1.5 cups frozen hash browns
Cooking spray
Butter or bacon fat

Heat waffle iron on the highest setting.  Coat the top and bottom of iron with cooking spray and add hash browns to the iron.  Dollop with butter or bacon fat.

Close the lid and hold firmly until the potatoes begin to soften.  Let cook 4-6 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.

Acorn Squash

Until trying this recipe several weeks ago, I had never eaten acorn squash.  I've tried (and, for the most part, liked) just about every other type of squash, but never acorn.  A friend recommended it and suggested roasting it with brown sugar and butter in the hollowed out part.  I tried it and loved it!  We've had it several times since then and it's a perfect side dish for when you already have your oven going for another dish, like meatloaf or a casserole.  I'm not sure of the proper way to eat it, but we just eat it as pictured above, scooping the flesh out with a fork.  One squash makes 2 generous servings.

Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
4 t. butter
4 t. brown sugar
cinnamon (optional)

Cut an acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place each half flesh side down in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Flip the halves over and add 2 t. butter and 2 t. brown sugar to the middle of each.  Sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired.  Return to oven and bake an additional 30-45 minutes until very tender. 

I like to score mine and then swirl them to better distribute the butter and brown sugar after baking.  So delicious!

Roast Sticky Chicken

This is one of the first recipes I ever made from allrecipes.com .  I love LOVE rotisserie chicken, both on its own and for the convenience of using it in recipes.  It's so much cheaper to roast your own chicken, though, and you get to control the ingredients.  I like this recipe because it's simple to throw together at the last minute, but it's also good to let the chicken marinate ahead of time, as the recipe suggests.  Either way, it's a wholesome, versatile chicken recipe.  I usually roast two birds at once to make better use of having the oven turned on for five hours.  I like to shred the extra meat and use it in casseroles, soups, sandwiches, or to freeze.  It's so juicy and flavorful, not to mention easy!

Roast Sticky Chicken Rotisserie Style
allrecipes.com

4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 onions, quartered

2 (4 pound)whole chickens

In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Remove and discard giblets from chicken. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place 1 onion into the cavity of each chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours (optional).

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

Place chickens in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!  I wanted to share a few pictures of my girls.  We did this photo shoot a few weeks ago and the girls looked so cute.  Clara was reluctant to get too close to Alice for a picture, though.  In the one of them together, I had to bribe her with Smarties to get her to sit for it.   Alice kept drooling on her and Clara was freaking out, thinking it would get on her.  She definitely doesn't like for Alice to get too close to her.  Hopefully that will change, though! 

I've found a new place in my house to set up for a photo shoot.  I've been trying to find rooms with the best light and I think Alice's nursery is actually the best spot with the most room.  That's where we took these.  They're done with all natural light which was a challenge this day because the sun kept moving in and out of the clouds.  We had fun, though, and the girls were adorable!

Chicken with Pineapple Fried Rice

I came across this recipe on The Pioneer Woman Cooks a while back and made it that week.  The idea of pineapple fried rice sounded so yummy, with the sweet and salty combination.  The original recipe is actually for pork chops, but I had chicken on hand to use up.  The sauce for the chicken is  delicious, but pretty salty, so be careful how much you actually ladle over your rice.  Fresh pineapple is a must and I think grilling it adds a nice, subtle flavor to the rice. 

Chicken with Pineapple Fried Rice

adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

 

½ whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered

2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved and pounded thin

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

1 whole Large Onion, Sliced

6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce

Salt To Taste

3 cloves Minced Garlic

2 whole Eggs

1-½ cup Frozen Peas

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Slice, then set aside.
(Note: soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the chicken to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chicken breasts. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes. When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, and hot sauce. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the chicken is completely cooked and the sauce is thicker.

Remove the chicken to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the chicken. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a chicken breast half and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Chicken, Green Beans and Potatoes

I've seen this recipe on a few different blogs and finally got around to making it the other night.  I've actually made it twice now and the whole family really likes it.  The first time through, I used frozen green beans.  While that was fine, it was much better with fresh green beans.  I also used a mix of white and red potatoes because that's what I happened to have on hand.  They both came out great, so I think you could use either...or both!  Now I need to look for a recipe to make my own Italian Dressing Mix.  I did cut back on the amount of butter from the original recipe (1/2 cup down to 1/4 cup) and I thought it was plenty.  Enjoy this comforting, one pot meal!

Green Beans, Chicken and Potatoes
adapted from Julie's Eats & Treats

4 medium potatoes, cut
2 c. green beans, cut
1 lb chicken breasts
1/4 c. butter
1 package Italian dressing mix

Cut green beans up. Fill half of the pan with green beans.
Cut potatoes up. Fill the other half of the pan with the potatoes.
Cover the vegetables with the chicken breasts.
Cut butter up and layer over the green beans, potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle Italian dressing over the entire pan. Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr.

 

Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

I had been enjoying my Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal recipe for several weeks when it occurred to me to try a new flavor.  I adapted the recipe to make a Banana Blueberry version and I have to say, it blew the other recipe out of the water!  They're both excellent, but this new version reminds me so much of banana bread.  I love the pop you get from the blueberries, too.  Of course, use over ripe bananas for this to get a sweeter flavor.  I think it would also be good to replace the blueberries with raisins, but I probably won't.  I love blueberries too much to do that.  Anyway, here's the recipe.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

3 c. Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
2 mashed (very ripe) bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
12 oz. blueberries (I used frozen berries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg, bananas and vanilla and stir well. Combine with blueberries (do not thaw if using frozen berries). Place in an 8x8 baking dish and bake, covered, for one hour. Yields 6-8 servings.