Apple Honey Drumsticks

I found a new recipe, and tried it out on the family last night.  It was delicious!

Apple Honey Drumsticks

12 skin-on chicken drumsticks

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 c. apple juice

1/2 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 tsp. honey

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. sesame seeds

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.  Put the drumsticks on the rack and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.  Bake 30 minutes.  Flip and cook 30 minutes more until drumsticks are golden and crisp.  While the chicken is cooking make the sauce.  In a large skillet, combine apple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is very syrupy and reduced (20-25 minutes).  Stir the sesame seeds into the sauce.  Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl.  Add the sauce and butter and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Transfer the chicken to a platter, spooning sauce over the chicken.  

Zucchini, Carrot, and Apple Muffins

I made this using zucchini from our garden.

Zucchini, Carrot, and Apple Muffins

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. oil

3 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. shredded carrot

1 c. shredded apple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.  In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and oil.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.  The batter will be thick.  Mix in the zucchini, apple, and carrot.  Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and set.  

Squash Casserole

All the squash casserole recipes that I looked up seemed to be missing something.  So I combined elements from several recipes to make this squash casserole using squash from my garden.  

Squash Casserole

4 small yellow squash, sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. butter + 1 stick butter

1 cup of water

1 can cream of chicken soup

milk (use empty soup can and fill with milk) 

8 oz. sour cream 

8 oz. Mexican cheese

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dry powdered mustard

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers, crushed

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in pan over medium heat.  Add water, squash, and onion.  Cook until vegetables are tender.  In another sauce pan, combine soup, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dry mustard.  Cook until heated through.  Mix together squash, soup mixture, and cheese.  Pour into greased casserole dish.  Melt stick of butter and stir in crushed crackers until well mixed.  Sprinkle crushed crackers on top of casserole.  Bake in 350 degree oven until top is golden brown and casserole is bubbly.

Cajun Roux Peas

I learned to make this dish at my first cooking class.  This has my favorite side dish to make ever since.  Every time I make it I say, "The Malone house is smelling like New Orleans!"  All  of my friends and my daughter love my Cajun Roux Peas.  I hope it will become one of your favorites, too!

Cajun Roux Peas

8 oz. Andouille sausage, quartered and chopped

1 c. diced onion

1/2 c. chopped green onion

3/4 c. diced red bell pepper

3/4 c. diced celery

1/4 c. minced garlic

2 Tbsp flour

2 to 3 c. chicken stock

2 lb. field peas with snaps

sea salt, to taste

white pepper, to taste

Over medium heat, in a large pot, cook Andouille sausage, onion, green onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic until vegetables are done.  Add flour and stir for 5 minutes.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Add field peas with snaps and stir well.  Bring to a second boil and stir.  Put a lid on the pot, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook until peas are tender.  Season with sea salt and white pepper.  

Sausage, Bacon, and Cararmelized Onion Quiche

Our Donuts for Dads breakfast was at church this morning.  I combined elements of a quiche recipe and a vidalia onion pie recipe to make this recipe that I am calling "Sausage, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Quiche".  I made two of them, but the recipe that follows makes one quiche.

Sausage, Bacon, and Caramelized Onion Quiche
1 roll out refrigerated pie crust

1/2 lg. Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1/2 pack bacon, cut into lardons (very thin strips)

1/2 pkg. sausage

2 c. Cheddar cheese

3/4 c. Half and Half

6 eggs

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. powdered mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Crumble and cook the sausage; drain.  Fry bacon; drain.  Melt butter in a large fry pan and sauté onions until caramelized.  Place pie crust in 9-inch pie pan.  Make a thumbprint pattern with crust around the top of the pie plate.  Mix together cheese, sausage, bacon, and onions.  Sprinkle into pie crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, and powdered mustard.  Pour over meats and onions.  Bake in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Then decrease oven to 350 degrees and continue baking for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and set to touch.  

If top of crust starts to brown too much before quiche is done and set, make a tin foil ring and place over top edge of crust.  

Zucchini Bread

My garden is producing zucchini faster than I know what to do with them.  Tomorrow we are having breakfast at church in honor of Father's Day, so I made zucchini bread.  The recipe says to use loaf pans, but I used a bundt cake pan instead.

Zucchini Bread

2 c. flour                                                          ½ tsp. cinnamon

2 c. grated zucchini                                         ½ c. raisins

1 c. chopped pecans                                        3 eggs

2 c. sugar                                                         1 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat eggs until frothy; beat in sugar, oil, and vanilla extract.  Beat until mixture is thick and lemon colored.  Sift together flour and cinnamon.  Beat flour mixture with egg mixture; stir in grated zucchini.  Fold in nuts and raisins.  Pour into 2 greased and sugared loaf pans.  Cook at 350° for 1 hour.

Apple Dumplings

This is my go to dessert.  It is so easy to make and disappears very quickly!

Apple Dumplings

2 cans of crescent rolls                                   4 Granny Smith apples

½ c. butter                                                       1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ c. sugar                                                     1 (12 oz.) can of Mountain Dew

Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Peel and quarter the apples. Roll each quarter of apple in a crescent roll. Place in the pan. Melt the butter. Mix the sugar and cinnamon.  Add the sugar and cinnamon to the butter and mix. Crumble this mixture over the apple dumplings. Pour the can of Mountain Dew over the entire dessert. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.