Spiced Beef Stew with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 (32-oz.) container beef broth
1 (3-lb.) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 sweet onions, cut into eighths
2 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 lb.)
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
2 celery ribs, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Preparation
1. Whisk together first 2 ingredients until smooth.
2. Sprinkle beef with flour, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
3. Cook beef, in batches, in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes or until browned. Place in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add sweet potatoes, next 8 ingredients, and broth mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 6 to 7 hours or until tender.

Comments
Published in Southern Living's NOVEMBER 2012 issue.
Texture is a little too gooey, but flavor is delicious. Maybe it's because I don't have a slow cooker?

Apple and Cabbage Oven Baked Chicken

Picture credit from The Healthy Foodie.
Serves 2.   Ready-in 1.5 hours

I N G R E D I E N T S
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small onion, thinly sliced
½ small Savoy cabbage, shredded
1 Red Delicious apple, thinly sliced
1 Golden Delicious apple, thinly sliced
½ cup all natural unsweetened apple juice
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

I N S T R U C T I O N S
Preheat oven to 375F

Prepare ahead

Thinly slice the onion and apples and shred the cabbage as finely as possible. The use of a mandolin is strongly recommended here.
In an oven safe dish (mine was about 7" x 7") add about 1/3 of the shredded cabbage, followed by ½ the onion and ½ the apples.
Continue layering by adding another 1/3 of the cabbage, the rest of the onions, the rest of the apple slices and finally, the rest of the cabbage. Set aside.
Place your chicken breasts on top of the cabbage and add another sprig of rosemary, if desired.

In a small mixing bowl, add apple juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix until well combined. Pour over chicken and cabbage mixture.
Cover with aluminum foil and cook in the oven for about an hour, until chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken breasts and slice them on a diagonal
Divide cabbage/apple mixture between 2 serving plates and place sliced chicken breasts on top.
Serve immediately.

N O T E S
*  Recipe from The Healthy Foodie.
*  I put my oven safe dish over a cookie sheet in the oven and covered with tinfoil and this led to a very slow cook. Recommend not using cookie sheet, and removing tinfoil for a few minutes.
*  Double-recipe quantity = 6 servings. Delic left overs, maybe make triple next time & freeze individual meal-sized portions.

Fried Rice with Shallots

I N G RE D I E N T S
3 tablespoons peanut oil, plus more for frying I used sesame oil as a substitute
3 shallots, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 1/2 cups cold cooked jasmine rice (see Note)
Salt
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
Lime wedges, for serving

D I R E C T I O N S
In a small skillet, heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil until shimmering. Add 1/4 cup of the sliced shallots and fry over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to drain.
In a wok or large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the turmeric and the remaining 1/2 cup of shallots and stir-fry over moderately high heat until the shallots are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Add the peas and stir-fry until the rice and peas are hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the fried shallots and season with salt. Transfer the rice to a bowl and serve with lime wedges.

N O T E S
Published in Food & Wine's October 2012 issue.
Total time: 25 minutes; Serves 4

Caramel Apple Muffins

Total time: 1 hr 30 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

Cinnamon Topping Ingredients:
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Muffin & Caramel Ingredients:
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (2 cups = 2 apples)
1 (14-oz.) package caramels
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup chopped lightly salted, roasted pecans
Wax paper
Food-safe twigs or craft sticks (if you grow mint in your backyard, twigs are perfect for this recipe)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare Cinnamon Topping as directed.
2. Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended.
3. Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. (Do not overmix.) Stir in diced apples. Spoon into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan, filling three-fourths full; sprinkle with Cinnamon Topping.
4. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely (about 30 minutes).
5. Microwave caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thick enough to coat muffins.
6. Quickly dip bottom three-fourths of each muffin into caramel mixture; roll bottom half of caramel-coated portion of muffin in chopped pecans, and place muffins, caramel sides up, on lightly greased wax paper. (If caramel mixture begins to harden before you've dipped all the muffins, microwave mixture a few seconds to soften.) Insert food-safe twigs or craft sticks into caramel-covered portions of muffins.

Comments:
Recipe from Southern Living, SEPTEMBER 2012. Find original post here.
Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot caramel.

Buttermilk Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 10; Marinate Time: 8 hours; 

Cook Time: 20 minutes; READY IN: 8.5 hours

Fried Chicken Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, each cut in half
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable oil

Salad Ingredients:
2-3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
ranch dressing, optional

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, onion, parsley, thyme, tarragon, paprika, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Mix together and submerge chicken breasts.  Cover and let sit in fridge for about 8 hours.

Remove chicken from buttermilk and set aside on a plate.

In a shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

Dredge chicken in flour mixture and coat well.  Set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil under medium high heat.  You'll know it's hot enough when a bit of flour sizzles quickly when added.

Add 2 chicken breast halves at a time and fry for about 7-9 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Place cooked chicken on paper towel-lined plate and cover with foil.  Repeat with remaining 2 chicken breast halves.

To assemble the salad, combine the romaine lettuce, tomato, and navel orange.  Toss well.  Slice up chicken and place atop lettuce.  Drizzle salad dressing.

Comments:
Recipe from my bf likes it so it must be good.
I like spicy salad dressing with this dish.