Some of My Favorite Recipes

When I was a kid, coming home after school was always a special treat as my mom would have cookies and milk ready for my afternoon snack.

Christmas was also special with turkey and all the trimmings followed by my grandmother's English pudding. I think I probably loved the hard sauce that was served with the pudding more!

For my birthday mom always made a cake and every Easter dinner there was a ham which was often served with scalloped potatoes.

On a cold winter morning, mom's hot oatmeal sent me off to school with a full stomach. I still love to have oatmeal for breakfast during the winter months.

I have so many memories of good old-fashioned home cooking.

Here are some of my favorite recipes. Bon appetit!

Nutty Sunny Granola
3 cups rolled oats
½ cup wheat or oat bran
½ cup wheat germ
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup raisins
½ cup chopped dates
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup pure Maple Syrup

Preheat oven to 275 degree F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, bran, wheat germ, walnuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds and stir together.

Spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Stir the mixture and again spread it out evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Transfer the toasted mixture to a large bowl. Immediately add the raisins, dates, cinnamon and stir together.

Slowly pour in the Maple Syrup and stir to distribute evenly.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Quesadillas for Lunch
1 cup of your favorite salsa
1 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed
1 zucchini, shredded
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine salsa, beans, and zucchini.

Spread ¼ of the mixture over each of the 4 tortillas.

Top each portion with 3 tbsp cheese; cover each with another tortilla.

Using a non-stick cookie sheet place the quesadilla in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Turn the quesadillas over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Cut each quesadilla into quarters; serve immediately. Serves 4.

Sherry’s Muffins
¾ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
½ cup fruit-sweetened orange marmalade
1/3 cup canola oil
¼ cup pure maple syrup
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add oil, maple syrup, orange juice, and orange rind, stirring just until combined.

Spoon into greased non-stick muffin tins. Bake in 3500 F oven for 20 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch.

Makes 12 small or 9 large muffins.

Chicken and Tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth, divided
¼ cup seasoned flour
4 (4-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
(flour mixed with a dash of salt and pepper)
1 can (16 oz) stewed tomatoes
3-4 scallions, chopped

Pour ½ cup of the broth into a wide bowl; place the flour mixture on a plate. Dip each chicken breast in broth, then flour, turning to coat all sides.

Spray 10 or 12-inch non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray; cook chicken over medium heat, turning once until browned on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Add any remaining flour to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly until browned. Slowly stir in ¼ cup of the broth; cook until thickened. Gradually stir in remaining broth; cook, stirring constantly until slightly thickened.

Add tomatoes and scallions to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; return chicken to skillet and simmer until cooked through about 10 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Serve with your favorite rice or noodle recipe with steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, beans, etc).