Thursday, March 25, 2010

Not One Recipe, But Two! (Teriyaki Chicken/Chocolate Eclair Torte)

A couple weeks ago, I promised I would post the recipe I made for Steve’s parents when they were visiting. Yesterday, I got an email from Tracy R. who was writing to tactfully remind me that I hadn't posted the promised chicken recipe yet. (Nice to know that my readers are paying such close attention!)

So--here is the recipe, complete with pictures that I actually remembered to take in the midst of the Official Chicken Cooking Process. And because Tracy asked so nicely, I’m also including the Chocolate Éclair Torte recipe she asked about.

So. Wash your hands, don your chef’s hat, break out a bottle of bubbly (in my case, Diet Mountain Dew) and let’s get cookin’!

Teriyaki Chicken

2 T vegetable oil

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 Cup teriyaki sauce

1/2 Cup ranch dressing (lite is fine)

1 Cup shredded Cheddar

Bacon bits

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Put all the chicken in a large Ziploc bag (in one layer) and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken. Pound and pound. Then turn the bag over and pound and pound some more. This is a good opportunity to take out all your frustrations and also get back at the 3rd grade bully who always made your life so miserable.

Feel better now?

Okay. Good. (And by the way, do NOT skip the pounding step. It makes a big difference in how tender the chicken turns out.)

3. Heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, and sauté’ each side for 4-5 minutes until browned.

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I was so excited to take this picture because I’ve never used this particular utensil for much of anything until occurred to me that I could use it for flippin’ chicken. I felt very accomplished as a cook when I put it to such good use. (I realize it’s probably a salad server but you know me. I like finding uses for things that are completely illogical.)

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4. Place browned chicken in 9x13 baking dish. Brush with teriyaki sauce.

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5. Spoon on ranch dressing.

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6. Take picture of Helpful Assistant to the Cook Canine.IMG_1879

7. Sprinkle chicken with cheese and bacon bits.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until juices run clear.

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9. Serve. Eat. Say, “Yum.”

Then post a miscellaneous picture of your house, just because you found it on your computer in a random search.

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And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The CHOCOLATE recipe. Anyone who knows me very well knows that I love and adore any food that has to do with graham crackers. In fact, one of my favorite snacks is to break graham crackers into pieces, put them in a bowl and pour milk over them.

So you can see why this dessert is pretty high up on my list of wondrous creations.

Chocolate Éclair Torte

  • 2 packages of graham crackers
  • 2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting (or you can make your own)

1. Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with graham crackers.

2. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vanilla pudding according to directions on box. Fold in the whipped topping.

3. Spread a layer of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.

4. Alternate the graham cracker and pudding layers up to the top of the pan.

5. Cook the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute on half power. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 5-7 hours before serving.

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From the comments area:

Q. Kristin asked, “Was that a roll of tape hanging above the ironing board desk?”

A. Kristen, you get the award for having an eagle eye. Yes, that is actually some hemming tape I tried to use on an article of clothing. I kept on laying it down and misplacing it so I finally stuck it up there so I could keep an eye on it.

Maybe we could just call it a “decorative accent.”


Q. Jan asked, “So what do you iron on?”

A. Jan, fortunately the ironing board only serves as the Ironing Board Desk for a fairly brief amount of time each week. Since the ironing board is in the home office (with the desk and the printer) I carry my lap top in there and put it on the ironing board whenever I have to print anything. And since I deal with lots of pages of music each week for our church, I have found a long surface like that is perfect for sorting through things.

But once the printing and sorting are done? It’s back to being an ironing board!

Sue G. said, “Bed, Beth and Beyond?” A cousin of “Bed, Bath and Beyond?”

A. Trust Sue, the editor extraordinaire to catch me in the act of misspelling “Bath.” And yes, “Beth” and “Bath” ARE first cousins. At least when I’m doing the writing!

9 Had Something To Say (Just click here!):

Jan Reynolds said...

Okay since Sue G. pointed it out to begin with... it didn't say Bed, Beth and Beyond... It said Beth, Beth and Beyond! I thought maybe you had taken a pain pill or something since it was right after your biopsy...

Anonymous said...

I noticed the Beth, Beth and Beyond as well....and since there were two "Beths"..I figured there was a store I had just not heard of before, ...and not just a spelling mistake ! LOL :)
This is such a fun place to come.
~Kim

randybethmo said...

Ha! I was just feeling special by your using my name! ;) Good thing it was easy to translate, huh? Thanks for the recipes. I am looking forward to trying it out! Hope you have a great day -- still praying for your results too!

Sue G said...

Actually, you wrote that you wandered into "Beth, Beth and Beyond." So, in your rush to organize even names of major companies, you made both Bed and Bath Beth, thereby conserving energy and word usage.

Smart girl.

Anonymous said...

Hi! Just a quick question today.Is the WELCOME painted above the slider in the living room a new addition? Judy

Holly said...

Your house looks beautiful! You guys pulled it together much quicker than I could have!

Quick question about the chicken recipe....

It calls for 1/2 teriyaki sauce

1/2 ranch dressing (lite is fine)

is that cups or just equal amounts?

It looks delicious!

Kate said...

Re: Your last post! I LOVE the ironing board desk idea, actually. Maybe I'm just weird, but it seems so perfect for my apartment!!! Also, instead of egg cartons for my jewelry, I use an old thread-spool-holder-thinger. It's perfect! And besides, it's not like I was using it for sewing thread..... :)
-Kate in Iowa

Ann Martin said...

I make the chocolate eclair but use sugar free vanilla pudding, skim milk and sugar free chocolate pudding for the topping. That is a "Weight Watchers" adaption. It is great and people who can't have sugar can eat it. The taste is the same.

Michelle said...

Thank you for posting the recipes. I'm going to try them tonight. Hope you have a great weekend!!