Peanut Butter Cornflake Balls

What's not to love about sugar, peanut butter and cereal? These are super easy and super yummy!

1 1/2 cups light Karo syrup
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
5 cups Cornflakes or Rice Krispies

Melt the Karo Syrup and sugar on the stove until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. When creamy and smooth, mix in with cereal. Form into balls and place on greased pan (or wax paper). They will harden quickly. Enjoy!

Pan Sauteed Lemon Chicken and Potato Bundles

This dinner was so yummy and easy! I found both recipes on blogs that I read often.

Potato Bundles
Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:
6 whole Russet Potatoes
½ whole Yellow Onion, Diced
1 stick Butter
½ cups Heavy Cream
Kosher Salt To Taste
Paprika To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 2 tablespoons butter. Splash on cream. Then sprinkle on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle minced parsley over the top.

Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Serve bundles right on the dinner plate. Serves 8.

Pan Sauteed Lemon Chicken
Source: Elly Says Opa

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled and slightly smashed (I omitted this)
1 lemon, halved
1 egg
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. romano or parmesan cheese (I used both)
1/2 tsp. chopped rosemary (I used parsley and basil)
2 chicken breast halves, pounded to about 1/3 – 1/2″ thickness

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and soft, about 7 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, and keep the oil in the pan. (I omitted the garlic)

Zest half the lemon into a dish or bowl, and to it add the breadcrumbs, cheese, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste.

Crush the browned garlic cloves and whisk in a separate shallow bowl/dish along with the egg and juice from half the lemon.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, and then dredge into the breadcrumb mixture.

Heat the garlic oil over medium heat and once hot, add the chicken. Cook until done, about 2.5 minutes per side. Serve with slices or wedges of the remaining half lemon.

Chicken Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
1 container of sliced mushrooms
1 head of broccoli crowns
1 purple onion, sliced
2 garlic gloves, diced
Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped basil
salt and pepper
Rotini pasta, cooked and drained

Heat olive oil in a large pot, add broccoli and cook for a few minutes. Add onion and mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper. Once veggies become soft, add garlic and basil. Add cooked pasta, toss. Add sliced chicken and top with Parmesan cheese.

Strawberry Crepes

Crepes:
2 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs, add flour. Slowly add other ingredients and beat until smooth. Grease a skillet with cooking spray and add about 1/4 a cup of batter. Swirl the pan around quickly to spread the batter. Cook until the edges start to crisp, then flip.

Filling:
1 block of cream cheese, softened
1 pint strawberries
1/4 cup sugar

Chop about 6 of the strawberries into small pieces. Mix with the cream cheese and add sugar.

Put a spoonful of the filling into each crepe and roll tightly. Place seam side down and top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

Spinach Balls

16 ounces frozen spinach, cooked and drained

2/3 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheese (I used a fiesta blend)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup onion

2 cloves of garlic

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

extra parmesean cheese for rolling

Heat oven to 375. Saute onions and garlic in butter until soft. Combine with cooked spinach, eggs, bread crumbs and cheeses. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Form mixture into small balls and roll in parmesean cheese. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping over halfway through.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake (Reese's Cake)

I made this for my brother-in-law's birthday this past weekend. I didn't eat any, but everyone said it was delicious! The hardest part was not eating all of the Reese's Cups as I made it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

For the cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (optional)

For decorating
1 ½ – 2 batches peanut butter frosting
Miniature Reese’s cups, halved and/or chopped (I put them in the freezer for about half an hour to make it easier to cut)

Directions
1. For the cake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 9×2” round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper. Place the pans on a baking sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until thoroughly blended into the butter. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk; add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the buttermilk in 2 (beginning and ending with the dry ingredients). Mix each addition only until it is blended into the batter. Scrape down the bowl and add the melted chocolate, if using, folding it in with a spatula. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. 4. Bake for 26-30 minutes or until the cakes feel springy to the touch and start to pull away from the sides of the pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.
5. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cardboard circle covered in foil. Spread peanut butter frosting on top of the cake layer. (If desired, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s cups.) Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and outside of the cake with remaining peanut butter frosting. Decorate with halved and chopped Reese’s cups as desired.

Baked Catfish

There is a local seafood restaurant that we have been going to for years that has the BEST seafood. I worked there for 6 years and enjoyed trying all of their unique dishes. This was a favorite, a baked fish called The Howard. In the restaurant they use black drum or snapper and cook it in the skin. We had some catfish laying around, so I decided to try it that way. It was soooo delicious.

The Howard
source: Mike Anderson's Seafood and Other South Louisiana Favorites

Howard Sauce:
1 1/4 cups olive oil
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons Season All
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic

Mix all ingredients together. Marinate fish overnight in some of the sauce, reserving some for spooning over fish before serving.

Baked Fillet:
1 stick margarine or butter, melted I cut this down to half a stick
6-8 fresh fish fillets (skin and scales left on) I used catfish with no skin and scales
salt
pepper

Pour butter into a baking dish, add fish (reserving marinade). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spoon 2 tablespoons of marinade on top of each piece of fish. Bake for 30 minutes at 450. Spoon reserved marinade (not used to marinate overnight) on each piece before serving.