Awesome Peach Salsa

I made a great meal Monday night. For me it was the peach salsa that made the meal. Now, I don't normally call condiments part of the meal, but it was the sauce for the chicken.

We weren't going to have marinated chicken breasts with peach salsa because I had planned on making high roasted chicken with lemon and garlic. Alas, I pulled the whole chicken out of the freezer at 10pm and when I went to bake it the next morning (so as not to heat up the house in the warm part of the day), it was still frozen. SOLID. So, I opted for chicken breasts, marinated in this quick marinate.

Quick Chicken Marinate
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Marinade chicken in this for 30 minutes.

The Peach Salsa was easy, too!

Peach Salsa
4 peaches, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. grated ginger
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cilantro

Mix together and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

We had the Marinated Chicken Breasts with Peach Salsa along with roasted garlic bread, Caprese salad, fresh fruit, blanched sugar snap peas and for dessert, Strawberry Dream Torte. I had a run as a Pampered Chef consultant from 1999 to 2001. I got lots of great cookware and tools at a discount, but didn't make very much money because I had a new baby at home. Here's the delicious dessert recipe.

Strawberry Dream Torte
1 Devil's Food Cake, prepared according to directions (either in a 9x13 or in 8 or 9" round pans)
1 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
1 tub of cool whip
1/2 c. sugar
Strawberry Syrup or Strawberry Jam
fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half (the amount depends on you!)

Whip the softened cream cheese with the sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy. Fold in the Cool Whip. Level cakes if using layers and feed the cake humps to the kids (or eat them yourself, if you want.) If using a 9x13 pan, poke the top with a fork for strawberry jam or syrup to penetrate. Spread strawberry jam on top of the bottom layer of the cake (layered version) or top of cake (if 9x13)or drizzle with strawberry syrup. For layered cake, spread 1/2 of the topping on top, not on sides. Top with next layer. Spread jam or drizzle syrup on top layer. Spread remaining frosting on cake. For 9x13, spread all the frosting on the cake. Top with strawberries sliced in half. I like putting them on the entire cake. You can just make a circle on the top with the strawberries.

Enjoy!

Peasant Bread

I have been working on my own combination of ingredients that work well using the ABI5MAD. Here's a new favorite. It's a combination of the Olive Oil Bread and European Peasant Bread, with more whole grains.

Peasant Bread
1/4 c. olive oil
2 3/4 c. warm water
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
1 TBSP salt
1 1/2 c. freshly milled whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. freshly milled rye flour
3 c. bread flour (or 3 1/2 c. all purpose flour)

You mix this like all ABI5MAD breads:
Combine oil, water, yeast and salt. Stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add flour and mix until all the flour is incorporated. Rise on counter, covered for 2 hours. Then, prep in the ABI5MAD method.

I served this for dinner when we had weekend company along with a "lighter" version (read more white flour) and it turned out very well. I made another batch to serve at a mom's night out last night with spinach dip on the side. Here's the dip recipe:

Spinach Dip
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed of excess water
1 can water chestnuts, diced
16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Combine and allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with bread or crackers.

Blueberry Boy Bait

In 1954, a 15-year-old girl won second prize in the junior division of a Pillsbury baking contest with a moist and tender blueberry cake that was named after the effect it had on teenage boys--one bite and they were hooked. The boys (and girls) at my house are hooked now, too!

Blueberry Boy Bait
Adapted to be ALMOST dairy free (except the butter)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9"x13" pan. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add:
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. cold butter, cut into 1 tbsp. pats
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Pulse in 10 1 second pulses until butter is the size of small peas. (Alternatively, you could use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter.) Open processor and reserve 3/4 c. of the flour mixture for topping. Close top again. To the remaining mixture add through the feed tube:
2 egg yolks
1 c. coconut milk (yes, you can use real milk)

Run for approximately 30-60 seconds or until well beaten.
(Alternatively, you could mix with a hand mixer for 3 minutes - until smooth and silky looking.)

In a glass mixing bowl, add:
2 egg whites

Beat until stiff peaks form. Pour batter from food processor bowl into egg whites. GENTLY fold until egg whites are incorporated. Pour batter into pan. Sprinkle on top:
1 cup fresh blueberries
Reserved flour mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes (until center springs back when gently touched). Serve warm or cold. Makes a great desert and even better coffee cake for breakfast!

Chili Lime Chicken

Mom - this is what you asked me for on the phone yesterday.

We needed something quick for dinner on Sunday night. We were tired and hungry. This is a REALLY quick, zippy and delicious meal.

Chili Lime Chicken (adapted from a Cook's Country Recipe)

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 c. chicken broth
1 can Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilis (You can sub 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 diced jalapeno pepper -seeds and ribs removed)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat pan over medium high heat with 1 Tbsp Olive Oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts. Cook 3-4 minutes or until browned. Turn and cook other sides for 3 minutes. Remove from pan to plate. Cover chicken breasts with foil. Add the other tablespoon of oil. Saute' garlic about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and scrape brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Rotel tomatoes. Simmer on Medium until reduced (about 10 minutes). Take pan off heat. Add any juices from the chicken plate. Stir in lime juice. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time so the sauce doesn't break. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous.

Erin's Soaking Wheat in the Breadmaker Experiment

Erin's experiment ended with a lovely looking wheat loaf that should be very digestible for those with difficulty eating whole grains. She did a fabulous job of experimenting where I couldn't go as I do not have a bread machine. Kudos go out to her! She's one of the folks that tipped me off on soaking the grains. She's done it for a long time with her pancakes, waffles and muffins, but not with bread.

As for me, with a new baby in the house, we're eating ABI5MAD (light wheat or European peasant loaf - which has rye and whole wheat) regularly and my honey oatmeal bread which I made ahead of the baby and froze in the new deep freeze. I also milled about 10 lbs of berries while Mom was here and that is in the deep freeze as well. I'm waiting because my dad is coming from Montana in a couple of weeks. He just started making bread (Wonder Bread) and has been pretty pleased with his results. I'm proud of him for trying as he had never had success with bread in the past. I hope to enlighten him to the ABI5MAD method while he's here visiting.

Ellie's Debut

I know I've been MIA, but life is busy (but wonderful) here. I will be next linking you to Erin's Wheat Soaking in the Bread Machine Experiments. You won't be disappointed. She's a chemist and she knows how to run an experiment! You might like her weight loss blogging, too!

She's here!

Eleanor (Ellie) Margaret made her debut today at 3:18pm. She weighed 8lb 11.8oz and was 21.5" long. She's beautiful with long dark hair and very sweet face. I will post pictures later!