Misadventures with Tori

This recipe came courtesy of a Detroit Knottie friend… the lovely Shelly aka McVayDesigns. 

She got it from her obsession with  allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (we did 2 breasts and cut ours into bite sized pieces.)

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, thyme, cayenne pepper, and ground black pepper. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of this seasoning mixture for the chicken; store the remainder in an airtight container for later use (for seasoning fish, meats, or vegetables).
Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Rub some of the reserved 3 tablespoons of seasoning onto both sides of the chicken breasts.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Warnings!!!
This is HOT!!! I did 1TBSP cayenne instead of the recommended 2 and my DH STILL thought it was hot. I’m a total wimp, so I skipped it and ate leftovers instead
 We used 2 chicken breasts and we had about 1/3 the spice mixture left. I’d make sure to save about 1/2 before you contaminate it with the chicken. You can always add more!  

Here’s some TacoBake for you!
Enjoy! 

mmmm another Detroit favorite. This one’s from the mother of IHeartKeith.

DH and I love it! I split it into two pans- one with dairy for DH, one without for me.

Taco Bake

1 lb. ground round (you can also use ground chicken, ground turkey or tofu!)
1 package taco seasoning
15 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. seashell pasta (we use whatever we have- we like the wheel shape :))
8 oz package cream cheese (softened in microwave)
1/2 c. sour cream
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef, drain.
Add taco seasoning and tomato sauce.
Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook pasta according to directions. Drain.

Mix softened cream cheese and sour cream in separate bowl.
Spray bottom of 9 x 13 pan with Pam.
Put pasta in bottom of pan.
Spread cream cheese mixture over pasta. (This is kind of hard to do. Just dollop spoonfuls of the mixture about an inch apart and spread the best you can.)
Spoon ground beef mixture over this.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.
Cool about 15 - 20 minutes before serving.

This is a favorite of the Detroit Knotties… MIL and I made it for New Year’s - we loved it! Very easy to do!

Apple Love Cake

2 cups sugar 
2 large eggs 
3 cups peeled, diced apples (approximately 1 inch chunks are recommended, we used frozen sliced apples.) 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 
1 ½ cups vegetable oil 
2 teaspoons vanilla 
1 teaspoon cinnamon 
3 cups flour 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 cup chopped nuts (optional- we skipped them) 

(This works best with a kitchen aid) 
Mix all ingredients until batter is smooth. (We put the mixer on the lowest setting and added each ingredient one at a time, then let all mix for approximately 2-3 minutes.) 

Bake in greased (Pam works well) 13×9×2 cake pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes-use toothpick test. 

Caramel Icing

5 tablespoons butter 
1 cup brown sugar-firmly packed 
½ cup milk 

Bring up to simmer. Cook 3 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature, and add: 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 cup powdered sugar 
1 cup chopped nuts (optional- again, we skipped them) 

Beat until smooth. Spread. (It will be THIN, but it ends up being the perfect amount!)