German-Style Peach Kuchen

Another recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. You'll be seeing a lot of these, as we are going to try just about every recipe in this book. Today, we went for the German-Style Peach Kuchen.

---

2	cups	peaches, peeled and sliced
1-1/2	cups	all-purpose flour
3/4	cup	granulated sugar
2	tsp	baking powder
1/4	tsp	ground nutmeg
1/4	cup	butter
1		egg, slightly beaten
1/2	cup	milk
1/3	cup	packed brown sugar
1	TBSP	light-colored corn syrup
1	TBSP	butter
1	tsp	lemon juice
1/4	tsp	ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pat peaches dry with paper towels. Set aside. For crust: In medium bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine egg and milk; add to crumb mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spread batter in prepared tart pan. Arrange peaches in single layer on top of batter. For topping: In small saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, 1 TBSP butter, lemon juice, and the other 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Bring to boiling. Quickly drizzle over peach slices. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove side of pan. Sprinkle kuchen with additional granulated sugar. Serve warm. Yield: 10 servings

---

Food Guys says: I didn't like this when I took my first bite. The nutmeg sort of overwhelmed everything and was just about the only thing you could taste. But, it was a little bit sticky and a very nice texture, so I couldn't stop after one slice. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: The kuchen (German for cake per Food Guy) was interesting. It had a good texture, and the honey added a nice carmely texture when I ate it. Like food guy I thought the ntmeg overpowered it. I would vote for more peaches and less/no nutmeg. The texture was addicting though. I rate this dish:

Strawberry Pancaked, Redux

We tried the Strawberry Pancakes for a second time. This time, we tried Food Guy's suggestion to back the pancake for a short time before adding the strawberries.

---

Food Guys says: Last time, I complained that it was too soggy, so I decided to try and pre-bake the pancake. Doing that only made it so the strawberries were more of a topping rather than an integrated part of the pancake. I liked it better the other way I rank this one:

Food Gal says: It was better the original way...this way the strawberries didn't really meld well...still good, but not as good as the first time. I rank this:

Cider-Basted Chicken

This recipe comes from Ann Arbor's Cookin' II. This is a cookbook that Food Guy picked up while he was in college. The recipe for Cider Basted Chicken actually comes from Weber's Inn, which is a restaurant and hotel in Ann Arbor. The recipe below is enough marinade for 4 chicken breasts, but we only made one.

---

4	lb	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2	cup	apple cider
1/4	cup	brown sugar
1/8	cup	soy sauce
1/2	TBSP	Worcestershire sauce
1/2	tsp	ground ginger
1/2	clove	garlic, minced
		juice from 1/4 lemon
1/2	cup	olive oil
1/2	cup	chopped parsley
1		bay leaf
		salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients, but chicken in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Place chicken in mixture. Marinate overnight. Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove chicken from mixture. Cook on grill about 5 minutes. Turn chicken and brush with marinade. Grill another 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Discard excess marinade. Yield: 4 breasts (8 servings according to Food Guy and Gal)

---

Food Guys says: This chicken is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It's easy to make; just marinate overnight and grill the next day. It is also quite on the tasty side. Grill it if you can, as broiling it turned out a little overdone. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: This is the second time we had this chicken...it is easy to make and pretty good. Food Guy ran out of gas on the grill so it ended up being broiled instead. The marinade is light yet flavorful. I rank this:

Peach-a-Berry Cobbler

One day, Food Gal feel for one of the supermarket checkout lane dessert cookbooks. This one actually seems like we will try most of the recipes in it. This specific cookbook came from Better Homes and GardensBetter Homes and Gardens. We went for the Peach-a-Berry Cobbler.

---

Food Guys says: Mmmmmm, dessert. That is what I thought as the Food Gal was making this. Hmmmmm, just OK is what I thought as I was eating this. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: Peeling peaches can be a lot of work...Food Guy had a trick that didn't really work. The topping on this dish was very fluffy. This was a good dessert, but not outstanding. I didn't end up saving the recipe opting to try a different berry cobbler recipe at a later date. I rate this dish:

Zucchini Bread

Ann Arbor's Cookin' II brought us this recipe. Our garden blessed us with some huge zucchini and we had to find somewhere to put it to use. We did use the raisins in our bread, but we left out the nuts. In our opinion, bread (and brownies, for that matter) should be smooth, not crunchy.

---

3		eggs, lightly beaten
2-1/2	cups	sugar
1	cup	oil
3	cups	flour
3	tsp	ground cinnamon
1	tsp	salt
1	tsp	baking soda
1	tsp	baking powder
3	tsp	vanilla
2	cups	grated zucchini
1	cup	raisins (optional)
1/2	cup	chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together eggs, sugar, and oil. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Fold in zucchini, vanilla, raisins, and nuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Back for 1 hour (or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean). Yield: 2 loaves

---

Food Guys says: As a general rule, I enjoy all sweet breads. To me, this one was just ok. Nothing spectacular, but something that will get eaten if left on the counter for a couple of days. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: Pretty good as far as zuchinni bread goes. The bread itself was very moist. It was good, but not a stellar dessert. I rank this:

White Chicken Chili

This White Chicken Chili also came from our Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook. This time, however, we followed the recipe as it appeared.

---

1	TBSP	olive oil
1/2	lb.	boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1		medium onion, chopped
1		garlic clove, minced
1/2	cup	chicken broth
1	15.5-oz. can	white northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2	tsp	dry mustard
1/2	tsp	ground cumin
1/4	tsp	salt
	dash	black pepper
2	cups	tortilla chips
1/4	cup	cheddar cheese
Warm oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and place in slow cooker. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Add broth, beans, mustard powerd, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cover. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve over tortilla chips and sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with sour cream, if desired. Yield: 4 servings

---

Food Guys says: This was fairly tasty. A lot of beans and only a little bit of spice. The crunch of the chips made for some good texture, and you can never go wrong with cheese. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: I liked the tortilla chips on the bottom, and the cheese on top. I found the chili itself to be just OK. Plus I don't get using a crock pot for a recipe if you have to use the stove anyway. I rank this:

Strawberry Pancakes

This recipe comes from the Hadassah Jewish Holiday Cookbook. The Food Gal picked up the recipe somewhere and stowed it away for us to try sometime. It is a sweet, little breakfast dish that ends up being a big, puffy, baked pancake.

---

2	TBSP	unsalted butter, divided
4		eggs, separated
1	cup	milk
1	cup	all-purpose flour
2	TBSP	sugar
1/2	tsp	vanilla extract
1	pint	fresh strawberries, hulled and quarterd
1	TBSP	confectioners' sugar
Heat oven to 425 F. Place 1 tablespoon butter in each of 2 deep, 9-inch pie plates. Put in oven. Beat egg whites until stiff. Beat egg yolks with milk, flour, sugar, and vanilla. Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Remove pie plates from oven and pour half of batter into each. Arrange berries decoratively on top. Back 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and serve. Yield: 4 servings

Note: Don't leave the pans with just butter in the oven, too long. Food Guy did this and burnt the butter and had to clean the pans before baking.

---

Food Guys says: This was another tasty dessert. The pancake portion was big and fluffy and sweet and the strawberries added even more tasty goodness. Next time, I am going to try baking the pancake for 10 minutes before adding the berries, because the middle came out all soggy. (Editor's Note: Don't do this, we tried it and it wasn't as good) I rank this one:

Food Gal says: Tasty, and it seemed like the recipe was pretty easy. It was a little soggy, but still a tasty combo. Like Peach French Toast, something I would expec to find at a restaurant specializing in breakfast. I rank this:

Peach French Toast

Time for another recipe from Real Simple. The Peach French Toast that we made was fairly easy and ends up being french toast sandwiches, as you can see in the picture on the link. Food Guy didn't have any cream on hand, so he just used skim milk for the egg mixture and some Redi-Whip for the topping. Be careful when you are cooking the batches after the first one. Food Guy got lazy and burnt the second two french toasts.

---

Food Guys says: I really enjoyed these french toasts. With the sugar sprinkled over the top and some whip cream, it was like eating dessert. I rank this one:

Food Gal says: Yum, this was a tasty treat! I do like peaches and french toast, and this was a good blend. A unique french toast I would expect to find at a restaurant known for breakfast. I rate this dish: