Thai Peanut Chicken

Peanut butter, chicken, and peppers come together for a nice Thai-flavored dish.

Ingredients:

- 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb), cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (any citrus can work ok)
- 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons oil, divided
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cups vegetables: bell peppers, cut into 2-inch-long strips and/or celery, carrots, broccoli, etc.
- 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom (or chicken or other) soup
- 1 cup milk (coconut milk is more traditional but other kinds work ok)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 2-4 T soy sauce
- can add a little honey for sweetness if desired
- hot cooked rice
-garnish with crushed peanuts

Directions:

Stir chicken, garlic, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon cilantro in a medium bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, add chicken mixture and cook until chicken is well-browned, stirring often. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers; cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

Stir the soup, milk, peanut butter, and soy sauce into the skillet; heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and heat through.

Serve with rice; sprinkle with remaining cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Autumn Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

- 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

- 3-4 green apples, peeled

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or fresh)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tablespoon flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 (or 350 for a dark pan). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.

For the topping: combine 1/2 to 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl. Mix with a pastry blender to form moist clusters. Mix in pecans. Set aside.

Cut the apples into 1/2-inch chunks or slices. Put them in the prepared pan.

Mix together the cranberries, maple syrup, and 1/2 tablespoon flour. Scatter over the apples. Then sprinkle the flour-sugar topping over the cranberry mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

- 4.5 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 3 cups chopped sweet red pepper
- 10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans

- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- dash of pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the last 3 ingredients until smooth.

Pour dressing over broccoli mixture; toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers

A nicely spiced mixture of Italian sausage and cheddar cheese is stuffed into bell peppers and baked.

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 lb ground sausage

- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, paprika)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup water

- 4 to 8 whole bell peppers, with tops, seeds, and ribs removed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saute pan on medium heat, saute canola oil, onion, and celery until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until caramelized (about 1 minute), being careful not to burn.

Add sausage; break into smaller pieces. Heat until cooked through (about 3 minutes).

Add bread crumbs, rosemary, thyme, seasoned salt, black pepper, 1 cup cheese, and water. Reduce heat to low; stir until cheese is melted.

Spoon mixture into prepared peppers, filling each pepper to the top. Trim the bottoms of the peppers if they will not stand on their own.

Top each pepper with 1/4 cup cheese, packing the cheese into the stuffing mixture.

Place peppers, with tops off and cheese side up, in a shallow baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

If desired, serve peppers with the tops set on top.