Bruschetta Chicken

My pastor's wife made this tonight and I got the recipe. It's incredible!!

4 Servings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in flour,
then in eggs; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over chicken. Loosely cover baking dish with foil. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon
over the chicken. Return to the oven for 3-5 minutes or until tomato mixture is heated through.

Yield: 4 servings.

Crumb Topped Cranberry Cake

I made this for my mom's birthday and since we are both October birthdays, I typically like to do something that says "Hello, October; so glad you are here." I've done pumpkin cakes, gingerbread cake, spice cake and this year decided to try one from Taste of Home. Winner. Home run. 5 stars. Try it and love it.

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, divided
2 eggs
3/4 cups 2% milk
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

Topping
6 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cold butter

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; cut in 3 ounces cream cheese until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In another bowl, whisk 1 egg, milk and oil; stir into crumb mixture until moistened. Spread batter into a greased and floured 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

2. In a small bowl; beat the remaining cream cheese. Beat in vanilla and remaining egg; carefully spread over batter. Sprinkle with coconut. Dollop with cranberry sauce. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over top.

3. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Store in refrigerator.

Yield- 12 servings

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

This is a super fast, easy, delicious fall meal! The apples were a perfect compliment to the pork!

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples, Cooking Light


Sweet spices coat lean pork tenderloin, while apples get a savory treatment with shallots and thyme. Serve with a spinach salad.

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into 12 pieces
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced unpeeled Braeburn or Gala apple
1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Combine first 5 ingredients; sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove pork from pan; keep warm.

2. Melt butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add apple slices, 1/3 cup shallots, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; sauté 4 minutes or until apple starts to brown. Add apple cider to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until apple is crisp-tender. Stir in thyme leaves. Serve apple mixture with the pork.

Best Coffee Cake

From Better Homes and Gardens
Guaranteed to make you the MVT (Most Valuable Teacher) at school on a Monday morning.

1 recipe Pecan struesel
4 eggs
6 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1, 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Pecan Struesel:
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Prepare Pecan Struesel. Preheat oven to 325 F. Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Generously butter the inside of a 10-in tube pan or a 10-inch fluted tube pan using as much of the 6 Tablespoons butter as possible. Coat the inside of the pan with the pecans, pressing the nuts into the butter as necessary; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the 3/4 cup butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla. Beat 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 10-20 seconds after each addition and scraping bowl down well. Beat in flour mixture, one third at a time, until just combined.

5. Spoon one third to one half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with half of the Pecan Struesel. Spoon the remaining batter over the Pecan Struesel, spreading evenly. Sprinkle evenly with remaining Pecan Struesel.

6. Bake in a preheated oven for 65-70 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and top springs back when lightly touched and/or a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan. Turn upright and cool completely on rack. Makes 12 servings.

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

Banana Chocolate Chip Walnut Bread

Katie's notes: I used 3/4 cup of organic whole wheat pastry flour and 3/4 cup of white flour. I didn't have ground flax seed, but I just used the whole flax seeds that I had. They are small enough, like the size of a sesame seed, so it's just extra crunch. I didn't add the chocolate drizzle, but this turned out great!

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips, divided
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons fat-free milk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add sugars; beat until blended.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended.

4. Fold 1/3 cup minichips and nuts into batter; pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Combine remaining 1/3 cup minichips and milk in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH for 30 seconds, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

Engagement Party Updates

Just in case you were wondering...and I'm sure you were...I ended up nixing cupcakes all together. I made a double batch of the Peanut Butter Cream Topped Brownies. (GREAT!!), the Pumpkin Poundcake (made with fresh from dad's garden, organic pumpkin puree) and a double batch of Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I also made this recipe for breakfast on Saturday. If you like green chile, this is a great one!

Green Chile and Corn Muffins (Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor)

1 package (8.5 oz) corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 can (8.25 oz) cream style corn
1 can (4.5 oz.) chopped green chile (I doubled this because I have fresh green chile that was just roasted)
1 large egg
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (You can really use anything...Pepper Jack, etc...)
1 fresh jalepeno, seeded and chopped (I omitted this because I had doubled the green chile)

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 F. Mist the bottom of a 12 muffin cup pan. Set pan aside.

Place the muffin mix in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Place the corn, chiles, egg, cheese and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Stir to combine and break up the egg yolk. Pour the corn mixture into the well of the muffin mix. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon until just combined (20 strokes). Batter will be lumpy. Spoon or scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling it 3/4 of the way full. Place pans in the oven.

Bake muffins until they are lightly golden and just spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 17-20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place them on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the muffins, lift them up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Homemade Cinnamon Bread

Usually I'm too impatient to make yeast breads and end up with a lead loaf because I haven't given it enough time to rise.
Fortunately this weekend, I'm in self induced hibernation to finish a lit review that is due on Wednesday.
I have all the time in the world...I'll post the final product. But, here is the recipe. Thanks Pioneer Woman!

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
• 2 whole Eggs
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 3-½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
• Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.

Yummy!