By request, (JanMary, you make this fledgling cook so happy – I love saying those words!), I am sharing the recipes I posted about this morning for the Chicken with Orange Glaze and the Apple Crisp.  

They both come from the Betty Crocker’s Cooking Basics cookbook that I posted about the other day.  I wish I had pictures to grace you with.  I love pictures with recipes.  Maybe next time, I’ll grab my camera.  Ha!  :)  Enjoy!  We sure did.

Chicken Breasts with Orange Glaze

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1/4 lb each)
1 tbs. margarine or butter
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp.  ground mustard (dry)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbs.  orange marmalade
1 tbs.  soy sauce

1.  Melt the margarine in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook chicken in margarine about 15 minutes, turning chicken once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink.

2.  While the chicken is cooking, mix the cornstarch and mustard in a small bowl.  Stir in the orange juice, orange marmalade and soy sauce, mixing well.

3.  Place the chicken on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.  Discard any juices left in the skillet.

4.  To make the glaze, pour the orange mixture into the same skillet.  Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened.  Pour the glaze over the chicken on the serving plate.  

(Forgive the basic instructions, it is a basic cookbook after all!  I even excluded the really basic stuff.  This was enough for our family, two servings, because our kids just take small bites of the chicken off our plates.  Easily doubled, obviously.)

Apple Crisp

Shortening (to grease the pan) (I used butter, shortening makes me squeamish.)
4 medium tart cooking apples (Granny Smith, Wealthy or Rome Beauty)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-pupose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup margarine or butter at room temperature
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Half-and-half or ice cream, if desired, to serve with

1.  Heat oven to 375.  Grease an 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pan.  

2.  Peel the apples if desired, then cut into thin slices.  You will need about 4 cups of apple slices.  Spread the slices in the grease pan.

3.  Mix the brown sugar, flour, oats, margarine, cinnamon and nutmeg with a fork.  The mixture will be crumbly.  Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the apples.

4.  Bake about 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.  Serve warm with half-and-half or ice cream. (We used vanilla.)