Week in Review

Each Saturday I'll recap the recipes featured each day from that week. So if you missed any and aren't sure how to look back, you can just check Saturday's post! Also featured today are any new photos that were submitted by our readers!

This Week in Review:

Blueberry Square Cake
Microwave Spanish Rice and Turkey
Coca Cola Steak
Honey Lemon Muffins
Mango Smoothies

New Images Submitted This Week:

You can submit images on any of the recipes that you make from Annie's! Just go to that recipe and click Upload Your Own Image. Here are the most recently added images:

Soft Amish Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 lg. eggs
1/2 c. milk
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda (place in the milk)
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips or butterscotch chips

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and milk with soda. Mix together and add baking powder. Gradually add flour and stir well. Stir in chocolate chips or butterscotch chips. Place on a greased cookie sheet about 1 teaspoon of dough. Bake at 400 degrees until the edge is lightly brown.

Photo submitted by Barb S

Comments from Barb
The cookies came out soft, light and chocolaty. The batter was more like a cake batter than a cookie batter--very fluffy and light. Bake time was not given in the recipe but I baked them for 8 minutes for a golden-brown edge. The recipe yielded 4 dozen cookies. I will make this recipe again but I will add some vanilla extract next time, as the cookies had a bland flavor. I thought they needed a little something extra. But "as is" they are quite good and they'd be great as ice-cream sandwiches with coffee or chocolate ice cream.


Santa Fe Chicken

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 1/4 oz) cans whole kernel corn, drained
1 cup bottles thick and chunky salsa
5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3 and a half or 4 quart electric crockpot mix together the beans, corn and half cup salsa. Top with chicken breasts then pour the remaining cup of salsa over the chicken.

Cover and cook on the high heat setting for 2 and a half to 3 hours or until the chicken is tender and white throughout. Do not overcook or the chicken will toughen. Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover and cook just until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Serve with chopped scallions, tomatoes and tortilla chips on the side.

Photo submitted by Afton


Amish Pot Roast

3-4 lb. beef roast (sirloin tip, rump, English cut)
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 c. coffee
2 bay leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 onions, sliced

Sear roast in 1 tablespoon oil on all sides in heavy Dutch oven. Pour sauce over meat. Put half of onions on meat, the other half in sauce. Cover and roast 4-5 hours at 325 degrees.

Photo submitted by Crafty Amanda

Comments from Crafty Amanda
Absolutely delicious!


Almond Cake Bars

1 pkg. yellow pudding cake mix (2 layer)
1/3 c. margarine, softened
1 c. ground or finely chopped almonds
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
4 egg whites
1/2 c. chopped almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan. In large bowl, combine cake mix and margarine at low speed until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup crumbs for topping. Press remaining crumbs in bottom of prepared pan. In same large bowl, beat ground almonds, powdered sugar, almond extract and egg whites on highest speed for 4 minutes. Pour evenly over crumbs. Combine 1/2 cup reserved crumbs and chopped almonds; sprinkle over egg white mixture. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool. Cut into bars.

Photo submitted by Crafty Amanda

Comments from Crafty Amanda
I just made these and they are delicious! I bought whole almonds and used the food processor to chop them up. The recipe used the whole bag - 6 oz. Bakes for 28 minutes to perfection :)


Cashew Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup ground cashews
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

In mixing bowl combine flour, ground nuts, sugar and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Form mixture into ball and knead until smooth. On lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into 1 1/2 inch circles. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle with additional sugar. Then lightly press a whole nut in center of each cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Photo submitted by Crafty Amanda

Comments from Amanda
These are very tasty! I used my food processor to chop the nuts, then I added the dry ingredients and pulsed to combine, then I cut up cold butter into small bits and pulsed that in till crumbly. Then I continued to pulse, on and off, until the dough was totally combined and soft. I did not roll out the dough. Instead I used my cookie scoop to form balls, dipped the tops in turbinado sugar and then pressed a cashew into the top. They have a bit of a pasty texture, probably because of the addition of nuts and no other wet ingredients besides the butter (no egg, milk, vanilla, etc) but the flavor is really great! Didn't stop me from eating several LOL I give this 4 out of 5 stars, but only because of the pasty texture. :)


Mostaccioli with Chicken, Peas and Peppers

8 oz mostacciolo
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup frozen green peas
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup green onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken pieces until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add onions and peppers and saute until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add peas, cream, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cream is reduced. Stir in Parmesan cheese and toss sauce with cooked pasta.

Photo submitted by Crafty Amanda

Comments from Amanda
This was delicious. I prepared the ingredients ahead of time (cut up the chicken and chopped the veggies, measured everything out) and kept them in the fridge until ready to make. it came together in only a few minutes after the pasta cooked and tasted wonderful!


Almond Chocolate Chip Bread

1 C. plus 2 T. water
2 T. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 C. bread flour
3/4 C. semisweet chocolate chips
3 T. sugar
1 T. dry milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast
1/3 C. sliced almonds

Select Basic/White cycle, medium or light crust (I use light). Do not use delay cycles. Remove when done and cool on rack.

Drizzle this glaze over top:
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 -2 tsp. milk

Photo submitted by Crafty Amanda

Comments from Amanda
I just sliced off a piece and my first reaction was "ewww!" However, I've eaten two pieces now, one slathered with peanut butter LOL! Funny thing about this bread. From the title you would think it was a quick bread like banana bread or zucchini, but it's not. It's an actual yeast bread. There's no visible signs of the chocolate chips, they melted in the bread maker, but it colored the bread a wonderfully rich dark brown. You can really sense the chewy slivered almonds too. This is actually more of a sandwich bread as it's not sweet at all, that's why I had the initial reaction that I did. I was expecting a sweet bread. This will actually make really nice sandwiches or will be perfect with peanut butter or just butter. So overall, yes this is good! I think the title definitely makes you expect something different though, this is not a dessert but rather an accompaniment. Also, I did not make them glaze. After tasting the bread it didn't make sense.


Coca Cola Barbeque Chicken

1 chicken, cut up
1 to 1-1/2 lg. onions
10 to 12 oz. Coca Cola
10 to 12 oz. ketchup

Lay chicken in baking dish. Slice onion, onto chicken. Mix cake and ketchup and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Photo submitted by Jodi Stone

Comments from Jodi:
This is one of those recipes that you think, "ok, this is either going to rock, or its going to be blah". Rocked! I put the ingredients in my slow cooker for 8 hours and then kept it on warm until dinner time. (at which time I added a smidge of sea salt) I chose this recipe out of desperation. The cupboard was bare. When my Dad came down for breakfast, it had been cooking for an hour and his mouth was watering all day! If you are down to bare bones and need supper - try it.


Two Layer Pineapple Upside Down Cake

4 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
2 (15 1/4 oz.) cans sliced pineapple
22 maraschino cherries
1 (18 1/2 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix

Divide the butter and place in 2 (8") round microwave safe cake pans. Microwave one pan at a time on high until butter melts.

Blend half of the brown sugar with the butter in each pan. Spread mixture evenly over bottom. Drain pineapple into measuring cup.

Reserve juice. Arrange pineapple slices and cherries over the brown sugar mixture. Prepare cake mix according to package directions using pineapple juice as part of liquid. Add water to bring level up to the amount called for on package. Pour half of the batter over pineapple slices in one pan; repeat with other half of batter in other pan. Microwave one pan at a time on high for 8 to 10 minutes, turning pan after 2 minutes. Invert 1 layer onto serving plate. Invert the second layer on top of the first. Serve warm.

Can be used as 2 (1 layer) cakes.

Photo submitted by Minny

Comments from Minny:

It's the first time I ever baked one in a microwave. I just ate a peice of it & it is really good. It didn't get brown like in a regular oven, but still good.

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More scrumptious daily recipes coming next week! Visit Annie's Recipes if you just can't wait until then ;)