Thursday, June 3, 2010

Supper in a Second—Apricot Chicken

RileyAdamsFoodBlogPostpic_thumb_thumb Oh, life has been sooo crazy lately. I know—no one can be too sympathetic because we’re all in the same boat! Most people have something to make life crazy—busy workplace, hectic afterschool schedule, big family.

Sometimes you just need to have something on standby…something that’s tasty, inexpensive, and simple to prepare.

I offer you---Apricot Chicken!

What if you’re not an apricot fan? Make it with whole cranberry sauce.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it’s made with only a few ingredients. And you could buy them when they’re on sale and they’ll keep for a long while in your pantry—pull them out whenever you need a quick dinner.

006 Apricot Chicken

12 chicken thighs (but I used chicken breasts—about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 cup apricot preserves (can use whole cranberry sauce instead, if you like)
1 cup French dressing
1 package dry onion soup mix
pineapple chunks (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine
the preserves, French dressing, and dry soup mix in a bowl.
Put the chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with apricot mixture.
Cook uncovered for 50 minutes. Add pineapple chunks (if you like) and cook for 10 more minutes.

Really, it doesn’t get too much simpler than this for a weeknight meal, even if you’ve had a stressful day. And it’s healthier and less expensive than takeout! :)

Riley/Elizabeth
Delicious and Suspicious (July 6 2010) Riley Adams
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com

Julie's Contest!

Remember, you’ve got through June 5th to enter Julie’s release contest!

Julie’s first book in The Manor House Mystery series, Grace Under Pressure (starred review in Publishers Weekly!), debuted June 1.

To help launch the book and to celebrate its release, she's running a very special contest: Pre-order Grace Under Pressure, and you're eligible to win one of two $25 gift certificates from Mystery Lovers Bookshop! (and if you've already pre-ordered, you just need to let Julie know!)

No receipts required. Just email Julie at JulieHyzy@gmail.com with the date that you pre-ordered and the name of the bookstore you ordered it from, and your name goes in! (Put "CONTEST" in the subject header!)

And Julie's provided a few helpful links to get you started:

Independent Bookstore List: here

- Mystery Lovers Bookshop (free shipping on book orders over $10!)
- Centuries & Sleuths (Julie's local mystery bookstore)

-Barnes & Noble

- Amazon.com

9 comments:

  1. That looks delicious! I am ready to grab a fork
    and dig in(I love apricots). Thanks for the quick and healthy recipe, Riley/E!

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  2. Wow, that is easy and looks yummy. I would have never thought about putting apricots and French dressing together. Add a couple of new items to my grocery list today, thanks.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  3. Such a summery recipe! And the fact that it's easy is best of all. Believe it or not, I usually keep apricot preserves on hand, so I can make this any day of the week. Wonderful!

    Julie

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  4. I have to tell you - this recipe reminds me of something you said last week...

    Riley: "In the South, we like things sweet. Sweet tea is a must. We frequently call family members 'sweetie.' And something naturally sweet, like peaches, gets even sweeter in recipes like this one for peach crisps." (To get Riley's Peach Crisps recipe just click here.)

    You see where I'm going? This is one sweet chicken dish! I do love apricots, but I like your (dare I say Yankee) option of swapping in the cranberry sauce, too. :) Nice, easy dinner for hectic days.

    ~ Cleo
    Coffeehouse Mystery.com
    Cleo Coyle on Twitter

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  5. This sounds delicious, and so easy that I think even I could make it :-). I wonder whether this could be adapted to be made with "fake" chicken for vegetarians.

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  6. Sounds delicious, Elizabeth. I love fruit with meat, especially in the summer, and apples in the fall, and cranberries in the winter . . . okay, all year 'round!

    I also keep apricot preserves on hand. Such a versatile ingredient. It can really kick up a dish!

    ~ Krista

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  7. I love that we can just have the items in the pantry and toss it together in a second. Great suggestion!
    ~Avery

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  8. Don't use my oven in the summer - wonder if this could be converted to the crockpot.
    And apricot jam is one of our staples - combined with soy sauce and oregano into a delicious sweet and sour sauce.

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  9. Jenn--You're so welcome! Enjoy. :)

    Mason--Hope you'll enjoy it!

    Julie--It's an easy dish to pull together in a hurry.

    Cleo--Thanks for the link to my peach crisps! And you're so right...the sweeter the better! I'm not sure if I've ever posted something here that wasn't sweet. :)

    I've had it with the cranberries and it's *really* tasty!

    Ingrid--I bet it could! And this is definitely a recipe that's easy...I think I'm going to have my daughter make it next time. She loves to cook and this is a perfect one for a child to make. :)

    Krista--Fruit and meat is a great combination, isn't it? I love it, too!

    Avery--Sometimes it's nice just to know they're in the pantry and ready to go!

    Cindy--Oooh...I like the idea of the oregano! And yes, I'm sure this would be easy to do in the crockpot. I love my slow cooker! And I know what you mean about not wanting to turn the oven on...it's starting to get really hot here in NC!

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