Gail's Recipe Station

Spinach and Mushroom Smothered Chicken (TNT ) Servings: 2 to 3 (depending on how large the chicken breasts are before slicing) 2 cups fresh baby spinach 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 1/3 cup finely chopped onion 2 tbs. chopped pecans 1 tsp. olive oil 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 1/2 tsp. Penzeys 4/S Special Seasoned Sea Salt (or to taste) 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup shredded mozzella/provolone cheese mix In a large skillet, sauté the spinach, mushrooms, onions and pecans in oil until mushrooms are tender. Set aside and keep warm. Slice across chicken breasts into two thin patties. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning and pepper. Cook chicken breasts in same pan used for the spinach (add a little extra olive oil if you need to), until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through (~4 to 5 minutes per side). Top with cheese. Cover pan and saute another 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Before serving, top each chicken breast with  ...

Zia's Sweet Italian Dressing (TNT/Copycat Recipe) 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Balsamic Glaze ( optional; De Nigris is the brand I use ) 1 oz Water 1/2 Package of Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix (roughly 1 TBS) Heat vinegar and water. Add sugar to dissolve. Let cool (I put mine in the freezer for about 15 minutes--worked just fine to cool it down).  Once it is cool, add the olive oil, balsamic glaze (optional), and dressing mix.  Shake well and refrigerate for about an hour before serving. Gail's Notes:  This is my version of Zia's Sweet Italian Dressing that I just made and it is absolutely WONDERFUL!!! It is based on a recipe found here .  Note that I cut the ingredients in half (from the original recipe) because I wanted to make sure it tastes as good as it looks and man, it really does taste like Zia's Sweet Italian Dressing!  I will definitely keep this recipe handy (as I use Zia's dressi...

Sticky Chicken Drumsticks – Slow Cooker (Not yet TNT via Gail) Ingredients 1/2 cup local honey 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 2 teaspoons sriracha (or other hot pepper sauce) black pepper 10 chicken drumsticks, skin removed and discarded cilantro toasted sesame seeds Instructions In a sauce pan add the honey, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sriracha and season to taste with black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugars have dissolved and the sauce is beginning to thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. In the bowl of a slow cooker, add the skinned chicken drumsticks and pour the sauce over. Move the chicken around a bit with tongs to coat completely. Put the lid on and cook on high for 4 hours, flipping chicken...

Gail's French Onion Soup for One (TNT) 1 tablespoon butter 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar 12 ounces liquid chicken broth 4 ounces liquid beef broth 2 tablespoons red wine (I used Dry Sherry) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 thick slice of French bread 2 slices (slim) of Swiss cheese, cut into small squares, room temperature Directions: Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt, sweet onion slices, and brown sugar. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are caramelized and almost syrupy. Mix chicken broth, beef broth, red wine Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and bay leaf into pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, mix in balsamic vinegar then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep ove...

Cheeseburger Quiche (TNT) 1 lb ground beef 1/2 onion, chopped 4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup pre-sauteed, thin sliced mushrooms (I use baby Portabella mushrooms) 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese  3 eggs 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese 1/2 cup half-and-half a pinch of Penzey 's Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken and Fish Seasoning Preheat oven to 350*. Brown ground beef in skillet with onion and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Drain off fat and mix in crisp crumbled bacon.  Mix well to break up any large clumps.  Press this mixture in the bottom of a deep dish pan or plate.  Sprinkle cheese over beef crust mixture. Combine eggs, mayo, parm cheese, half and half and mix well.  Pour egg mixture over the beef mixture.  Sprinkle a pinch of Penzey 's Ruth Ann's Muskego Ave Chicken and Fish Seasoning over the top of the egg mixture (trust me--this really kicks it up a ...

Scotch Shortbread Cookies (TNT) 1/2 LB (i.e., 2 sticks) Butter at room temperature (do NOT replace butter with margarine!) 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar 1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract Parchment Paper for baking Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, vanilla extract, and sugar in a mixer until well combined. Add flour, mix well.  Roll out and cut into desired shapes.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Place cookies on the parchment paper (I usually leave about 1/2 inch between each cookie). Bake in oven for about 12 to 15 minutes (cookies are done when they are pale gold in color). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Gail's Note: I used a heavy duty mixer to mix this dough and it worked just fine. These are really, really good and taste terrific with a hot cup of tea or coffee. I also recommend adding Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips (about 1/3 cup should do) mixed into the dough before baking--trust me, they ta...

Sweet and Gooey Chicken Wings (TNT) Prep Time: 4 Hours 5 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes Ready In: 5 Hours 40 Minutes Servings: 4 "Sweet and gooey chicken wings prepared with common ingredients, very tender." Ingredients: 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil    1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/2 pounds chicken wings Directions: 1.     In a 9x13 inch casserole, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, ginger, and garlic powder. Mix until brown sugar completely dissolves into the mixture. Place the chicken wings in the dish and turn them over until they are all well coated. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Turn the chicken again, after 2 hours. 2.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 3.     Bake chicken at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), covered, for 45 minutes. Turn the chicken wings, and spoo...