Some good recipes in here. I'll have to try some.
I enjoy cooking and I like to think I'm good at it. I've come up with a recipe or two in my day. These two aren't original, though. But they are good.
One year, the Mother's Club at my high school sponsored the publication of an excellent cookbook. I got one of my favorite recipes ever out of it. It was contributed by one of our priests, who was passing it on from his grandmother, who I believe was the original chef.
I usually use only skinless, boneless breasts, and halve the baking time. I also use bowtie pasta instead of spaghetti.
Mazie's Sicilian Chicken with Pasta
olive oil
chicken parts
2 medium red potatoes
butter
6 small canned whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cup chopped celery with leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
oregano
salt
cracked black pepper
Romano cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup water
cooked spaghetti or noodles
On the bottom of a baking pan, spread about 1/2 cup olive oil. Arrange chicken parts (breasts, legs and thighs) in pan in single layer.
Slice 2 medium size red potatoes into 3/4 inch wedges and distribute on pan bottom between chicken. Put dab of butter on each of the potato wedges. Arrange about 6 small canned tomatoes on top for accent and color. Sprinkle on one chopped medium size onion, about a cup and a half of chopped celery (with leaves if possible), oregano, salt and cracked pepper. Finally, sprinkle generously a mixture of grated Romano and Parmesan cheese over the contents of the pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and put in about a half a cup of water.
Cover with aluminum foil with a few slits in it. Put in a 350 degree [Fahrenheit, obviously] oven for 1 1/2 hours. After the first half hour take off the foil. When finished, remove most of chicken to serving plate and add cooked spaghetti or noodles to pan. Mix with pan juices; sprinkle with some of the Romano and Parmesan cheese mixture and serve.
- Rev. F. Joseph Michini, S.J.
I found this recipe in some kids' magazine years ago. They called it "Peanut Butter Bites", but I felt that name didn't do it justice.
Peanut Butter Crack
18 oz peanut butter
2 sticks (1 cup) margarine, softened
1 lb confectioner's sugar (a.k.a. powdered sugar)
1 1/2 cups finely crumbled graham cracker crumbs
12 oz chocolate (I always use chocolate chips, but I suppose any sweetened chocolate will do)
Combine all ingredients except chocolate, mix until homogenous (as much as possible, anyway). Spread in a 9-inch x 12-inch pan. Melt chocolate (I use a double-boiler to avoid burning) and spread over peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cut into squares and serve.
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The what mentioned above is total fiction. Please don't take it seriously!