Shredded Chicken Sandwich and Guacamole

Tonight we had plans to gather with friends and play games.  I always like to have something in the Crock Pot when guests arrive so I don't have to worry about preparing food.  Shredded chicken sandwiches are always a crowd pleaser, but they do take some prep work.  If you don't like getting your hands dirty you may not like this recipe.

What you will need: 1 whole chicken fryer, salt, pepper, olive oil, celery, onion, chicken broth.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. The first step is to roast the chicken in the oven.  To prepare the chicken for roasting, take out the neck and innards that are in the cavity of the chicken. Dispose of them.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry.  Put chunks of onion and celery in the cavity.  Place the chicken on v-rack in a roasting pan.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken breast side up and roast for about 2 hours or until the thigh registers 180 degrees.

When the chicken is done roasting, let it cool for a bit.  Take all the meat off the and place in the Crock Pot.  Discard the skin and carcass.  Add chicken broth to the crock, about a cup depending on the size of your chicken.  Add salt, pepper, and sage leaves to taste.  Cook on low until ready to eat.  I  the chicken on rolls with pepper jack cheese. 

Note: If you want to roast a chicken for Sunday dinner, do it this way and serve with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and veggies.

Good Guacamole

Gauc is one of my all time favorite snacks and I think I make a mean guacamole
What you will need: 2 Avocados, 2 small tomatoes, half a red onion, 1 lime, salt and pepper

In a bowl combine avocados (cut in chunks), tomatoes (diced), onion (chopped).  Add a teaspoon of salt and a bit of pepper.  While stirring, the avocado will break down a bit; this is okay.  Roll the lime against your palm and counter top to get the juices flowing.  Cut in half and squirt half of the lime juice in the guacamole. Add a little more salt and stir. The avocado will start breaking down a bit more.  Continue to add lime juice and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: Make sure you save one of the pits from the avocado. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container with the pit; this keeps the avocado from browning.
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_and_peel_an_avocado/  (How to cut an avocado)

Easy Cheesy Potato Soup

If you claim you can't cook, think again.  Here is a soup recipe that is so quick and easy you can have it on the table in no time.

What you will need: 4 good size potatoes, 2 carrots, 1 stalk celery, 1/4 onion chopped, parsley, salt and pepper, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 1/2 lb Velveeta cheese

Peel and dice the potatoes and carrots.  Dice the celery and onion.  Place these items in a pot with 1 1/2 cup water and parsley. Boil until the potatoes are just tender, but not too soft.  Add the soup, milk and Velveeta.  Cook until the Velveeta is melted.  Season with salt and pepper.

Note: Make this a vegetarian soup by replacing the cream of chicken with cream of celery soup.

Tonight I jazzed it up just a bit by adding some bacon I had on hand and by floating goldfish crackers on top.  This soup is always a hit in my house and the little boys eat it up!  Enjoy:)

This one is for the KIDS!!

Homemade Chicken Strips

What you will need: 2 lbs chicken tenders or breast, salt and pepper, flour, 1 or 2 eggs, milk, 2 cups corn flakes, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 tbsp each or paprika, poultry seasoning, and McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1/4 cup veg. oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

If you're using chicken breast, you'll want to but them into strips.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Put about 1 cup of flour in a pie tin or shallow dish. Beat the egg(s) and add a splash of milk in another shallow dish. I usually start with one egg and add more if needed; I just hate to waste eggs. In the food processor (large Ziploc if you don't have a processor), place corn flakes, bread crumbs and seasonings.  Pulse until combined.  Gradually add in the oil until it comes together.  Dump this mixture in another shallow dish.

You'll want an assembly line set up for this.  Dip the chicken in the flour and coat, dredge in egg mixture an then in the breading.  Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with non-stick spray.  Bake all the tenders for 15-20 minutes. 

Serve these with your favorite condiments; my kids prefer ketchup.  I also whipped up some coleslaw, but won't share the recipe because I wasn't happy with how it turned out. 

Note:  Adults love these too!

Valentines Dinner

I am not a fan of Valentines Day, but I felt the need to make something special for dinner. The boys got Mac and Cheese (see recipe on the side of the Velveeta box) and for my darling husband I served up Tortellini in a Walnut Butter Sauce.

What you will need:  1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons honey, 6 tablespoons butter, sage leaves (preferably fresh, but I used dried), 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 pound tortellini, Parmesan and salt.

Combine the balsamic vinegar and honey over medium heat and cook until syrupy. Remove from heat and set aside.  Cook the tortellini according to the package. I bought the kind you get in the refrigerator section and chose chicken and prosciutto.  Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the sage leaves according to your taste and the walnuts.  Cook about 3 minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to the pan and cook until reduced by half.  After draining the tortellini, add to the pan and coat with the sauce.  Also add salt to taste and top with Parmesan.  Before serving drizzle with the balsamic reduction.

This dish was good, but nothing to write home about.  I doubt I will make it again.  It was quick and easy.

My Cloud of Dust

Don't ever be surprised if you enter my kitchen and find me in a cloud of dust.  It seems to happen often.  I like to cook, but I LOVE to bake.  On any given day when I have my mixer running, you may see a cloud of flour swirling above my head.  Typically I am in charge of baking birthday cakes for family members.

Most recently was my father-in-laws birthday.  The man loves chocolate more than anything so deciding on what kind of cake to make him was a no brainer.  It had to be chocolate.  I settled on a chocolate cake called Black-Out cake which apparently has it's origins in Brooklyn.  First you make a pudding and let it set up in the fridge.  After baking the cake and letting it cool, you cut both cakes in half horizontally so you have four thin cakes.  You crumble one cake up into crumbs and set it aside.  The pudding is used between the layers and as the frosting.  Finally the crumbs from the fourth cakes are pressed against the outside of the cake. 

The sad part is I never got that far.  My pudding didn't set up in the fridge.  My problem was that I didn't bring the mixture (unsweetened chocolate, half and half, whole milk, and sugar)  to boil long enough.  So Saturday morning I went looking for an alternative.  I decided on a chocolate sour cream filling and chocolate butter cream frosting.  It turned out perfectly.  The sour cream filling off set the sweetness of the cake and butter cream.

Next I was on a mission to make cut out sugar cookies.  I have to admit that I make one of the best sugar cookies in the world.  I use a recipe from my mom.  I have no idea where she got it, but it never fails.  NO, I will not give you the recipe.  I will never give it to anyone, however if you would like to buy cookies from me, I'd be happy to help you out;)  I top the cookies with butter cream.  In the spirit of Valentines Day I made hearts for friends and teachers.  They are always a hit and well loved.

Crab Cake Appetizer and Tuscan Soup

Sometimes I crave seafood, especially things like crab legs, crab cakes, and grilled shrimp.  When you live in Iowa it is nearly impossible to get fresh seafood.  When you grow up in Iowa you eat fish sticks and fried cod at the Friday night fish fry.  I had never eaten crab or shrimp before I met my husband at the age of 19.  Shocking, I know, but that's life in small town Iowa. 

It's the dead of winter here and I'm craving crab cakes.  Now, I could go to an upscale restaurant and pay $15 for two crab cakes or I could make them myself.  I had never made them before last night and they were good.

Crab Cakes

What you will need: 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, 1/4 cup mayo, 4 scallions(green part only), 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning, parsley flakes, salt and pepper, 2-4 tablespoons fine bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/2 cup flour, 6 tablespoons vegetable oil.

NOTE: I did not buy fresh crab for two reasons. 1.  It was $12.99/lb for crab legs, which you have to boil and pull the meat out. And do you think you get one pound of meat from one pound of crab legs?  I bought jumbo lump crab in a can.  I bought 2 -6oz cans, which I realize does not equal a pound. 2. I didn't want to splurge on fresh, expensive crab because this was the first time making the recipe.  What if it went horribly wrong and I spent all that $$?  The canned crab worked just fine!

Scallions, in case you don't know are green onions.  I didn't know this when I first started cooking so I thought I'd stick that little tidbit in here;)  I couldn't find Old Bay seasoning, so I used a seafood seasoning I had on hand.

Moving right along.  Open the crab meat and drain.  Put it in a medium bowl.  Gently mix in the scallions, seasoning, parsley, 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs and mayo.  Be careful not to break up the crab too much. Season with salt and pepper.  Carefully fold in the egg with a rubber spatula until the mixture clings together.  Add more crumbs is necessary.  Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. With a soup spoon, scoop up some of the mixture, form it into a cake and place on the baking sheet.  Do this for the rest of the mixture. I made 12 crab cakes.  Of course you can make them as small or large as you like.  Put the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
When you are ready to cook the cakes, heat the oil in a fry pan.  Put the flour in a pie plate and dredge the cakes in the flour, shaking off any excess flour.  Cook the cakes in the hot oil until both sides are browned.  When I was frying these, I had people standing around waiting to eat them so I plated them and handed them off.  You can also heat the oven to 200 degrees and keep them warm there until you have cooked them all.
I served these with mayo and sweet relish mix.

Ribollita

I received The Food Network Magazine as a Christmas gift and I am loving it!  I just got a new magazine this week so I am excited to test new recipes.  I came across Ribollita and had never heard of it before, but the picture looked good and it was a slow-cooker recipe so I thought I'd try it.  I went to the store to get everything I needed and got it all in the Crock pot and went about my day.  After a few hours as the smell started filling the house I began to think more about the soup and wondered where it came from. So, I googled Ribollita.  Turns out, it's a Tuscan peasant soup.  It is made with vegetable that aren't very expensive and dry beans.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribollita

What you will need: 3 medium carrots, 3 stalks of celery, 1/4 head small cabbage, 4 oz pancetta or bacon, 1 cup dried cannellini beans (also known as navy beans), 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, salt and pepper, slices of crusty bread, olive oil, 3 garlic cloves

Roughly chop carrots and celery. Slice the cabbage so it's in long strips, dice the bacon (I use kitchen shears to cut the bacon). Put all this and the dry beans, tomato paste in a large Crock pot. Top with seven cups of water. Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low. Leave one slice of bread out on the counter so it can get good and dry.
Before serving, add the stale bread. Cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes.  Stir the soup well and then add the grated Parmesan and parsley.  Salt and pepper to taste. Heat three tbsp of olive oil and cook the sliced garlic cloves until brown. Swirl this in the soup.  Serve with good bread (recipe below)

I loved this soup because it was so easy. If you are a working person, it is simple to throw all this in the crock and let it cook away while you are at work.

For the bread, I bought an Italian loaf at the store. I brush the slices with olive oil, rub them with a garlic clove and top with Parmesan.  Put in a 425 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take out when it's nice and brown.

In the morning, we'll have WAFFLES!

Being a stay at home mom has it's perks.  Perks for Mom, but perks for the rest of the family as well.  Do you think my kids and husband got waffles on a weekday when I was working?  The answer is no.  I'm considering going back to work this fall so they better get their waffles while they can!

What you will need:  1 3/4 cup flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 eggs, 1 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, vanilla

Plug in your waffle iron before you start mixing the ingredients.  Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Create a well in the middle.  In a separate bowl slightly beat the eggs with a fork or whisk. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla.  Pour the wet ingredients in the 'well' and mix all together. I like to use a whisk, but a spoon or fork will work.  It's okay if the batter is a bit lumpy too.  Before pouring on the waffle iron spray it with cooking spray so the waffles don't stick.  Use a soup ladle; fill the bowl of the ladle with batter and pour into the middle of the waffle iron.  Before closing the lid, let it spread out and sit a bit; until it bubbles.  Close the lid and let the iron do it's magic.  I can't tell you exactly how many minutes to cook it. I just peek and see if the waffle is getting brown. Maybe 2-3 minutes.  Take out and top with your favorite toppings.

Note:  these can be made on weekdays or weekends!!!  Also great for dinner with sausages and eggs.

Roast Pork Loin with Spicy Honey Glaze

If you read my blog yesterday and were looking forward to Pork Marsala, I apologized.  With children zooming cars around my feet I didn't feel much like putting the time and effort into Pork Marsala.  I already had the pork loin out so I thought I'd roast it in the oven.  The name of this recipe might sound complicated, but it's not.  It is simple and delicious.

What you will need: 1.5-2 lb pork roast, salt, pepper, olive oil, 3/4 cup honey, 1/3 cup lime juice, 2 chilies in adobe sauce, cumin

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour yourself a glass of wine;)  Start by pouring some (two-three turns around the pan) olive oil in a large skillet and heat.  Pat the pork roast dry with paper towels.  Salt and pepper all sides of the roast.  Once the oil is hot (you can tell by flicking a little water into the pan; it will sizzle) place the roast in the pan.  Brown all sides of the roast.  When you remove the nicely browned roast place it in a 9x13 baking dish and place in the oven for 50-70 minutes; until the thickest part registers 135 degrees.  Meanwhile, mince the chillies and put in a small bowl with the cumin, honey, and lime juice.  Now I didn't have lime juice on hand.  I always forget to keep lemons and limes on hand.  However, I did have some Lawry's Havana Garlic and Lime marinade.  I looked at the ingredients and it pretty much had lime and lemon juice with garlic and spices so I thought that would work. Mix all that up really well and then pour into the pan that you browned the pork in. The idea is to scrape all those brown bits up and mix them in with the glaze.  You want to simmer this until it thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.  You want to brush the glaze on the roast in the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. So when the roast registers 110 degrees with the thermometer you can brush it one.  I use a long handled silicon brush.
Once the roast registers at 135 degrees, remove from the oven and cover with foil.  Let it rest for 10-15 minutes until the internal temp is 145-150.

The pork turned out nicely.  It had a little kick from the glaze, but wasn't overbearing. So if you like things spicy use one or two more chillies.

My side dishes with this were a box of Au gratin potatoes (I'm embarrassed to tell you that, but I need to go shopping really bad) and cooked spinach.  My family eats a lot of spinach. I usually buy it in the bags in the produce section.  When it reaches or passes it's 'use by date' I cook it by putting a little olive oil in a skillet along with a couple tablespoons of chicken broth.  Add salt and pepper and cook it down until it's nice and wilted. Serve hot or it's not very good.

The Perfect Scone

If you hadn't notice Auntie Em's url is www.theperfectscone.blogspot.com  I chose the name because when I quit my real estate business to stay home and figure out what I wanted to do next I decided I wanted to find the recipe for the perfect scone. I tested my first scone recipe last week and it was mediocre.  The taste a bit bland and texture too 'biscuity'.  This recipe came from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook.  I intend to continue testing recipes until I can make the perfect scone.  However, it may be awhile as I don't think my waist needs the butter or heavy cream that most recipes call for.  My goal is to try a new recipe every two or three weeks.

Tonight I am testing a new recipe, Pork Marsala.  Similar to chicken Marsala and I just happen to have a bottle of Marsala in the fridge.  Marsala is a red wine.  I don't think it taste very good, but it is used in cooking. http://wineintro.com/types/marsala.html

I will let you know how it goes.

Time in the Kitchen

I like to take my time in the kitchen.  There's just something about pouring yourself a glass of wine and taking your time to prepare a meal.  Cutting and chopping may feel tedious and time consuming to some, but I get great joy out of feeling the knife slide back and forth on the cutting board.  Sure I have one of those fancy chopper things, but I rarely finds it's way out of the cupboard.

If you're reading this and you are a mom of young children I realize there isn't always time to spend in the kitchen.  We all have days when there is no time to plan ahead or we have to whip something up quick.  Last week I tried a recipe from Rachael Ray's 365 cookbook.  It was similar to a recipe I love, but quicker (30 minute meals is the name of the game with Rachael).

Ricotta Pasta with Sausage

What you will need: 1 pound penne, kosher salt, 2 cups ricotta cheese,  2Tbsp butter, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 pound Italian sausage, parsley

Get your pasta water boiling and cook pasta according to package.  Cook the sausage and onions together.  In a large bowl, mix ricotta, butter (cut into small pieces), and Parmesan cheese.  Once pasta is done, drain and rinse.  Pour the pasta into the bowl; on top of the cheese and butter.  Mix well until the butter is melted.  Add in sausage and onions; sprinkle with parsley and salt.  Toss and serve.

A very quick and easy dish.  I felt the ricotta was too pasty, so if I make this again I might add a little pasta water to the bowl as well.  My boys didn't like the texture of the ricotta at all. So, although it is an easy dish, it may not be a good one to make for the kiddos.

Here is the dish I would have made if I had extra time. I love this dish!  It came from Giada De Laurentiis, but I changed it quite a bit.

Orzo with Sausage and Peppers

What you will need:  2 red bell peppers, 1 pound orzo pasta, 3 cups chicken broth, 3 cups water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, 1 clove garlic, 1 small can mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes until charred. Place the charred peppers in a medium bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam for 20 minutes. Under running water, peel away the charred skins from the peppers. Pat them dry. Remove stem and seeds and cut into pieces.
2. In a medium pan, bring the chicken broth, water, and salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until no pink shows. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and red pepper flake if using. Cook until heated through.
4. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the liquid. Transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with parsley, salt and pepper. Toss to combine and drizzle remaining liquid over the top. Crumble the feta on top and serve hot.

This recipe takes a little more time because you have to roast the peppers, but it definitely makes a difference when it comes to taste. 

Almost every time I take a short cut in the kitchen or neglect planning weekly meals, I regret it.  The meal  never comes out as I wanted.  Take the time to plan your meals, shop for the right ingredients, pour yourself a glass of wine and I guarantee you'll sit down to a perfect meal!