Dec. 4, 2012: Catalina Cranberry Orange Chicken, Roasted Parmesan Asparagus, Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Cups

TODAY'S MENU

Catalina Cranberry Chicken with Jasmine Rice, Roasted Parmesan Asparagus,
 and Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Cups

 

 

Main Entrée

 

CATALINA CRANBERRY CHICKEN

 

I had a bag of fresh cranberries that I hadn't used for Thanksgiving and so I searched for an interesting chicken recipe. I found a couple of different variations that were all slightly similar. I found a lot of rave reviews for a simple one that was just chicken, Catalina salad dressing, a packet of dry onion soup and canned cranberries. I decided to try a variation of this with fresh cranberries and since I didn't have a bottle of Catalina dressing to search for a recipe of it and make that myself. So here goes!

CATALINA CRANBERRY CHICKEN

Ingredients:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen)

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 bag fresh whole cranberries

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

3 very finely chopped celery stalks

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

2/3 c. ketchup

1/2 c. oil

 

I just put the chicken (still frozen) in the crockpot, poured all the remaining ingredients on top, stirred it up slightly, put the lid on and put the crockpot on LOW for just under 9 hours.

 

When I was going to serve it, the sauce seemed thin. So I thickened it with about 1/3 c. cornstarch.

 

I served it over jasmine rice.



Side Dish
ROASTED PARMESAN ASPARAGUS

 

ROASTED PARMESAN ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

3lbs. asparagus

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

3/4 c. fresh grated Parmesan

paprika for sprinkling

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop bottom 1- 1 1/2 inches of the bottom of the stalks. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle the olive oil over them all and sprinkle the salt and pepper over. Place in oven to roast for 15-20 minutes - just until asparagus is fork tender. Then place the asparagus in a casserole dish and cover the middle portion with parmesan and then sprinkle paprika over. Put casserole dish in oven until parmesan is just melted (should only take a couple of minutes or so.)

Dessert

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Cups

 

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookie Cups

Ingredients:

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 3/4 c. flour

28-36 Andes Peppermint Bark chocolate pieces

can of chocolate fudge frosting

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix margarine and sugars in bowl of electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg, mix well. Add vanilla and mix well. Add salt, baking soda and flour, mix until combined. Grease 24-36 tins of mini muffin pans. Fill muffin tins with the dough and press thumb into center of each one. Bake for 8-9 minutes (don't overcook). While they bake, unwrap as many candies as tins you filled with dough. After they are done, let them cool about 5 minutes then set a candy in the center of each one, take them out of the tins and place them close together on a tray. Open the frosting and microwave it for about 15 seconds or so. Then fill a pastry bag with a small round tip or use a ziplock sandwich bag and snip off the corner. Drizzle the frosting in a zig zag pattern over all the cookies at once. Let set before serving.