Roasted Chicken Legs with Caramelized Onion Sauce

Roasted Chicken Legs with Caramelized Onion Sauce

1. Melt only a 1/2 stick butter (for about 20 legs) and mix in 1 Tablespoon of Paula Deen's House Seasoning (House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months).

2. Cut the skin off the legs (to eliminate some fat) and place legs on broiler pan, brush with butter mixture and sprinkle more seasoning on top of the legs. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

3. Pull out legs and rebrush tops with butter. Broil for about 10 minutes until brown.

4. Pull out legs again, flip them over and brush bottoms with butter and sprinkle with seasoning and broil for 10 more minutes.

While the legs were acookin', start Ashley's Caramelized Onion mixture from this delicious recipe she published on her blog. Follow her directions (sans chicken), and add about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of chicken broth in step 2, then reduce. Turned off heat and set aside.

When the chicken legs are out of the oven, put about 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 legs into the caramelized onion mixture and heat through. Set aside the rest of the chicken legs you baked for a future meal (in our case, we are making Chicken Enchiladas tonight and possibly Chicken Pot Pie another night).

Ashley's Cheesy Orzo Recipe

Make it! It is awesome and a HUGE kid hit! I have to admit I burn the bottom every time, but I am blaming it on my electric range (I prefer gas). I am going to start adding stuff to it. I think it would be good with some frozen green peas mixed in and maybe some mushrooms.

Mixed Green & Toasted Walnut Salad with a Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
Adapted from Cooking Light magazine (December 2005).

I made 1/2 this dressing recipe and still had entirely too much.

Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves in juice, undrained
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Real Bacon Bits and a dash of ground red pepper

1. Drain pears, reserving 1/3 cup pear juice.
2. Combine pears, juice, vinegar, and remaining ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

~~~~~~~~~~~

1 cup vertically sliced red onion
2 (10-ounce) packages Mediterranean-style salad
2/3 cup Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

To prepare salad, combine onion and lettuce mix in a large bowl. Add Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette, and toss well. Sprinkle with walnuts.

I am not a baker. I do not bake, nor do I make dessert on a regular basis. But this cake is easy, fast and fortified with pecans for good health. I first made this recipe on Christmas morning, 2007, and the hubby loved it. He does not usually eat dessert and does not have a sweet tooth. So for him to rave over it...it is worth making again.

Fake Birthday Cake (aka: Sour Cream Cinnamon Breakfast Cake)I got this recipe off some lady's blog. She said it came from The Bridge Street Inn Bed and Breakfast in Charlevoix, Michigan.

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T cinnamon

1. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar and beat again. Blend in cake mix, sour cream, oil and nuts.

2. Pour 1/2 batter into greased bunt pan.

3. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over batter. Swirl lightly with a knife.

4. Pour remaining batter on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.Tonight we are having Cream Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas. They are so easy! I'll be back with that recipe later!