Carrots with Ginger-Honey Glaze

It makes a lot! But it's very tasty.

Bon Appetit, October 2008

6 Servings

2 1/2 lbs. baby carrots, peeled, or large carrots, peeled, cut into 3-inch lengths, quartered lengthwise
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp(1/4 stick) butter
1 tbsp finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Cook carrots in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Stir honey, butter, fresh ginger, and ground ginger in large skillet over low heat until blended. Mix in carrots.
Cook carrots over medium-high heat until glaze thickens enough to coat, tossing occasionally, about 5 mins. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl.

Easy Plum Crumble

Tastes like an apple crisp!

Good Housekeeping, October 2008

Total Time: 48 Minutes plus cooling
6 Servings

2 1/2 lbs. plums, each pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. butter or margarine

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In shallow 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish, toss plums with lemon juice. In cup, mix cornstarch and 1/3 c. sugar. Toss with plums until evenly coated.
2. In medium bowl, mix remaining 1/3 c. sugar with oats, flour, and cinnamon. With fingertips, blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle oat topping over plum mixture.
3. Bake crumble 25-30 mins. or until plums are tender and topping is slightly browned. Cool on wire rack 10 mins to serve warm, or cool completely to serve later. Reheat if desired.

Roasted Chicken Pieces with Pears & Green Onions

The different flavors worked really well together. I used a couple large skinless, boneless chicken breasts instead of a cut-up chicken.

Good Housekeeping, October 2008

Total Time: 45 Minutes
4 Servings

2 lemons
1 bunch green onions
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 (4 lb.) cut-up chicken (8 pieces), skin removed from all but wings
3 ripe but firm Bosc pears, each cored and cut into 4 wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 15 1/2" by 10 1/2 " jelly-roll pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. From 1 lemon, grate 2 teaspoons peel and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice. Cut remaining lemon into wedges. Cut white and light-green portion of green onions into 2-inch pieces; thinly slice dark-green tops. Set aside lemon juice, lemon wedges, and sliced green onion tops.
3. In large bowl, stir together lemon peel, oil, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken, pears, and white and light-green onion pieces, and toss until coated.
4. Arrange chicken mixture in prepared pan. Roast 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear when thickest part of chicken is pierced with tip of knife and pears are fork-tender. Transfer chicken mixture to warm platter; drizzle with lemon juice, and sprinkle with green onion tops. Serve with pan juices and lemon wedges.

Chicken Corn Tortilla Soup

This recipe is a favorite back home. It has been requested for many a birthday dinner. The great thing about it is that it doesn't take very long to make. Fresh corn muffins go great on the side. Mom recommends using more tortillas and a lot more corn.

6 Servings

8 corn tortillas halved and cut crosswise into thin strips

1 small onion coarsely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken broth

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground pepper

2 large chicken breast halves

1 1/2 cups corn

sour cream, radishes, cilantro, chopped red onion

Pour oil into skillet to 1/2" or so and heat to 350. Fry tortilla strips in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towels.

Transfer 1 tbsp of oil to soup pot. Add onion and saute about 5 min. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and bay leaf. Saute 1 min. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt, sugar and pepper and bring to a boil. Add chicken. Cover pot and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 15 min.

Transfer chicken to plate and cool slightly. Cut into pieces. Add 1 1/4 cups corn to soup and simmer about 5 min. Add chicken pieces back in and simmer for another minute.

Serve and pass the sour cream, onion, cilantro, and radishes with the tortilla strips and extra corn.

Serves 6.