Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

- Michelle Pankratz & Marj Barge

3 lb chicken

1 1/2 c water

1/2 c dry sherry

3/4 t salt

1/4 t curry powder

1 small onion

1/4 c sliced celery

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms

1/4 c butter, melted

1 (6-oz) pkg long grained wild rice (1 cup)

1 c sour cream

1 c cream of mushroom soup

Place chicken in a deep kettle. Add water, sherry, salt, curry, onion, and celery. Bring to a boil covered tightly. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken from bones. Save liquid to make rice according to the package. Add water to liquid if needed. Combine chicken, rice, and mushrooms in a casserole dish. Blend soup, butter, and sour cream. Add to chicken mixture. Bake covered at 350 degrees F for one hour. Toasted almonds may be added to the top of the casserole. 

Overnight Chicken Marinade

Made this tonight from food.com (http://www.food.com/recipe/amazing-chicken-marinade-29598), and can't pin it, but I want to keep track of it.

We grilled the chicken and it had great flavor and was moist and tender.

Overnight Chicken Marinade

1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 T whole grain mustard
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced,
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 t kosher salt
6 T olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and pour over 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.
Marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Snow!

We FINALLY got some snow. Even though I keep seeing pictures of folks back home who are buried in snow, it's been pretty dry around here.

So, we enjoyed getting some of the white stuff today. It's been snowing all day...7 inches and counting.

We enjoyed a snow day today. We slept in, leisurely ate a yummy breakfast, and watched a movie.

Then it was time to get outside! I walked to the store to get a little exercise and return the movie...and while I was there, found out that we get another day off school tomorrow! :)

No pics of Tyler. He and I pretty much just threw snowballs at each other so the phone was safely put away when he was around. :)

I got a turn getting swung in circles by Wayne.

The munchkin on one of her turns. I think she looks like a smooshed marshmallow in her puffy clothes.

This afternoon, I tried a couple of new recipes. This pretzel roll recipe  to go with this pulled pork. The rolls are sooo good, AND they were easy. :) The pulled pork is delicious. I'd say it was easy too...except the pulling part. ;)

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2013/04/06/high-fiber-pretzel-rolls-health-with-stealth/

Zucchini Lasagna

Zucchini has long been out of season in my garden. But, did that stop me from making a zucchini lasagna? Nope. I've been craving comfort food. I made chicken and noodles last night. Lasagna tonight. I have a great recipe for a completely from-scratch lasagna that takes several hours to make. This, on the other hand, is quick. It uses a store-bought sauce that you just doctor up a bit. Replacing the noodles with zucchini is a nice way to add vegetables and leaves you feeling less heavy than when using noodles. Sadly, my children have caught on to my scheme...I'll have to find a way to hide the vegetables better. (I suppose peeling the zucchini would be one way). But, Wayne and I really like this, and I like having leftovers for quick lunches throughout the week. So, it all works out. :)

 

Zucchini Lasagna

Adapted from dashingdish.com

 

 

(I know, not the greatest picture, but you get the idea...I couldn't wait to take a picture until after we had already eaten).

 

 

1 onion, finely chopped

1.25 lb ground beef (or sausage, turkey)

1 jar (25 oz) spaghetti sauce

2 cups frozen spinach, optional

2 garlic cloves

Salt, pepper, seasoning (Italian, etc)

16-oz cottage cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 tsp dried parsley

3 zucchini, sliced into 1/8" pieces 

    (or 1 home-grown zucchini) OR eggplant OR lasagna noodles

8 oz shredded mozzarella (at least)

 

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange zucchini slices and lightly season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 minutes per side. Then remove from onion. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

2. Saute onion in a little oil. Add ground beef and brown. Drain.

3. Add spaghetti sauce, spinach, garlic, and seasonings. Simmer for at least 10 minutes.

4. Mix cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan, and parsley. Set aside.

5. In a 9x13 casserole dish, spread meat sauce to cover the bottom. Next a layer of zucchini, then a layer of cottage cheese mixture. (Optional: sprinkle a layer of mozzarella on top). Continue to layer until all ingredients are gone and casserole is full. Top with mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil.

6. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

7. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

8. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

 

Bierocks

Bierocks are a food that I had never heard of until I attended Hesston College. It's a filling of cabbage, onion and hamburger wrapped in a roll dough and baked until golden brown.

After I moved away from Hesston, I wanted to make bierocks and had been using the More with Less bierock recipe, until now. Sue had gone to a cooking class a couple of years ago and had passed along this recipe, but I had not gotten around to trying it. I made them for the first time about a month ago. We all liked them. A lot. The dough crisps up on the outside, and the filling is so good. I think the combination of adding sauerkraut and mozzarella makes a big difference. I could make a  meal of just the filling. As soon as the first batch was gone, Wayne sheepishly asked if I could make another. He loves to douse them in Sriracha. This time, I doubled the dough recipe (which is how I wrote it below). This was just about perfect, with enough dough to make 3 pizza filling bierocks for Tyler. So, here you go. Enjoy - Happy fall baking!

 

 

Bierocks

-Meta and Barry West

(Enough filling for about 3 dozen large bierocks)

 

1 large onion, finely chopped + oil for sauteing

3 1/2-4 pounds lean ground beef (optional: use part sausage)

1 head cabbage, finely chopped (3-5 cups per 1 lb of ground meat)

1 tablespoon salt

pepper, to taste

1 can of sauerkraut (regular or large depending on your preference), optional...but I believe

     essential :)

(Recipe suggested 2-4 T flour to thicken. I used 8-16 oz shredded mozzarella instead)

***

1 batch roll dough (recipe follows or use your favorite bread dough recipe)

 

Saute onion in dutch oven in a little oil. Add meat and cook until browned; drain excess fat. Add chopped cabbage, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and steam until cabbage is tender. Add sauerkraut and cheese.

 

(Other options - add grated carrots, green pepper or potato with the cabbage, a teaspoon of other seasoning, cream cheese, etc. We made a pizza filling with some leftover dough - sauce, cheese, pepperoni - this is Tyler's favorite. Or ham and cheese, etc).

 

Rapidmix Cool Rise Roll Dough

(for 1 batch bierocks or 6 dozen dinner rolls)

10-12 cups all-purpose flour

4 packages or scant 1/4 cup yeast (active, dry instant)

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons salt

2 sticks butter, softened cut into pieces

3 cups hot water

4 large eggs

cooking oil

 

Combine 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir well to blend. Add butter and hot water. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and 4 cups more flour. Beat with electric mixer at high speed for 2 minutes or until thick and elastic. Gradually add just enough remaining flour with wooden spoon (or dough hook of mixer) to make a soft dough which leaves sides of bowl. Dough should be very soft and pliable without being sticky; too much flour will yield a tough dough that is hard to form and resists sealing when formed into a bierock). Knead until smooth and elastic - 5-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top.

 

Cover, let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Dough may be used now or placed in a refrigerator (oiled and covered with plastic wrap) for 2-24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 10-15 minutes before proceeding with recipe.

 

Punch down dough. Pinch off dough balls about the size of a small orange and roll flat, about 1/8" thick. Edges should be thin to avoid a wad of dough at the closing point. The round is about 6-7" in diameter. Put around 1/3-1/2 cup filling in the center. Pull the sides up and pinch the sides together to seal. Place on baking sheets sprayed with cooking oil. Bake in a preheated oven set at 375-400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  

 

(Can be frozen and reheated).

Fall Treats

Cooking and baking are a hobby for me, and a stress reliever. I'm still trying to limit my sugar/naughty foods, but these are a few treats I've made in the last week (or two) that I would recommend you make soon. :)

 

"Perfect" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Click on title to link to the recipe

I don't know if they are perfect, but they are good. They kept a nice chewy texture on the inside and slight crunch on the outside, even after being frozen and defrosted to serve again last night at Trunk or Treat.

 

 

 

Almond Butter Sugar Cookies & Cream Cheese Frosting

Click on title to link to the recipe

I avoid making sugar cookies, even though I love how they taste, because of the work of rolling them out, cutting shapes, etc. With this recipe, you make drop cookies, frost and put on sprinkles. Easy peasy. I used orange and brown for the frosting and fall sprinkles (from the Target dollar section) as a treat for Trunk or Treat.

 

Pioneer Woman's Chex Mix

Click on title to link to the recipe



Wayne loves Chex mix. The Pioneer Woman adds fresh garlic and Tabasco to spice it up a little. I didn't have Tabasco on hand, so I used Sriracha. I really liked the slight heat the garlic and Sriracha added. This was another snack for last night...and before and after last night...

Halloween Puppy Chow

Click on title to link to the recipe

 

Tyler's class party is Wednesday, for Halloween of course. I gave him some options for our contribution for a snack, and this was his pick. It's a mix of white chocolate, semi sweet chocolate with the addition of Reese's Pieces. It's pretty yummy. But what Puppy Chow isn't?



Pioneer Woman's Supreme Pizza Burgers

Click on title to link to the recipe

I made these burgers a couple of weeks ago. My modification was to use 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage and made it into 7 patties instead of 4. They were still plenty big for us. I just need to get the ingredients on hand again so we can make more. They are delicious!

Happy Birthday, Sue!

Last night, Ted and Sue came over so we could celebrate Sue's birthday.

We had chicken tikka masala, naan, and apple pie. We even got to skype with Hollins, Rachel, Jillian and Reid. It was pretty low-key, but it's nice to be able to be together. Happy Birthday, Sue!

Quiche

Last week held full, stressful days at school, so on Thursday when I came home to supper already baking, it was a nice treat.

I was amused that Wayne had documented his progress.

But, I'm glad he did. It was delicious. We finished the entire thing!

Quiche



Unbaked pie crust  dough (1 cup flour, 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/4 cup cold water, 1/2 tsp salt). Mix and press into ungreased 9-inch pie plate.

8-oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cups diced ham (instead, Wayne used a mixture of broccoli-sauteed until softened, ham and salami)

1/4 tsp salt

dash pepper

Toss cheese and flour in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Pour into crust. Bake at 350* for 1 hour, or until golden brown and set.

Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili

I ran across this recipe and since I had a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce sitting around I decided to try it. I like it. But, I am a sucker for that smoky flavor. It's a bit spicy for my kids, so you may want to take the seeds out of your chiles. I also read a tip today suggesting that you freeze your chiles, making them easier to chop up without the mess - and also keeping them from spoiling before you can use them.

Smoky Beef and Black Bean Chili

-Adapted from Cooking Pleasures/Melanie Barnard

1 pound ground beef chuck

1 large onion, chopped

1 large orange bell pepper, finely chopped

2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons adobo sauce

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 30-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

3 cups water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cook beef, onion and bell pepper over medium heat until the beef is browned. Drain off any excess fat. Stir in chiles, chili powder, adobo sauce and cumin; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in beans, tomatoes and water; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer at least 10-15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro.

Garnish with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream if desired. I served it with mini cornbread muffins and broccoli in cheese sauce.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Today was rainy and cool and called for a simmering pot of soup. We started making this soup last winter, and it quickly became a favorite of Wayne and mine, and I'm surprised to see that I haven't shared it yet. If you like it a little less spicy, you can omit the red pepper flakes and use a less spicy sausage.

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Adapted from Heather Gingerich/Siloam Fellowship cookbook

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced and casing removed
1 T oil
2 carrots, diced
1 lg onion, chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 stalks celery, diced

In a stock pot, brown the sausage, then remove from the pan. Add a little oil, about 1 T, to the pan. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Saute until tender. Add the sausage to the vegetables.
Add:
8 c chicken broth
2 large cans (28-oz) petit diced tomatoes
2 c dried lentils (rinsed and drained)
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf

Simmer until lentils are tender, 30-45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Remove 1/3 of the soup and puree it, then return it to the pot. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Carnitas

We've been eating a lot of Mexican food around here. Mostly taco/fajita salads. When we go out to eat, I usually order carnitas as my meat, and this spring, decided that I'd like to try to make it.

I found a recipe on epicurious.com that I've tweaked a bit and Wayne and I both love it. If you also like carnitas, give this a try.

Carnitas
4 pounds pork shoulder/butt  (Discard large pieces of fat that are easily removed).
3 cups water
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup lime juice (or one whole lime halved - if you use this, remove after 1 1/2 hours of simmering)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk (or substitute with 1 tablespoon
  cream and 1 tablespoon honey)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons table salt
Put all the ingredients in a wide 6-to 7-quart heavy pot and bring the water to a boil, skimming the surface as necessary. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pork is fork-tender and the liquid has completely evaporated. (Epicurious says to simmer vigorously 1 1/2-2 hours). However, I have found that letting it slowly simmer for a lot longer (all afternoon, for example) helps the fat to separate, the meat falls off the bone eliminating the laborious task of cutting the meat into small pieces.  Discard the bay leaves.

Crockpot: Put in all ingredients except water. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Transfer the pork to a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and lightly spray with cooking oil. Brown the pork, uncovered, for approximately 15-20 minutes. There's no need to stir.

Enjoy!

Tamale Pie

I had not had Tamale Pie until I tried this Taste of Home recipe last week. We all loved it. The heat is balanced by the sweet cornbread and cool sour cream which makes for a nicely balanced flavor combination. It's warm and comforting, perfect for dreary fall days. I even ate it as leftovers twice, which I normally cannot do. (Normally: Leftovers once = fine. Leftovers twice = ewww). We're making it again this weekend. It is so easy and so tasty. :)

Slow Cooker Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp pepper
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ½ oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained (I used about 1 ½ cups frozen white corn)
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
2 green onions, chopped
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
1 pkg (8 ½ oz) corn bread/muffin mix
2 eggs
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend
Sour cream and additional minced fresh cilantro, optional (but recommended) ;)


In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper. Transfer to a slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired. (Which, I thought was a pretty tasty addition but I love both sour cream and cilantro)!

Grilled Pizza

Last evening, we grilled pizzas. A couple of weeks ago, for our first attempt at grilling pizzas, we had used pre-made pita flat breads, which worked well. This time, I didn't want to run to the store just for the crust, so I found a recipe on epicurious.com. Wayne thought these were a step up, so I thought I'd share it. If you decide to try it, it is easy, but just know that you'll want to start the dough several hours before dinner time. (It took mine about 1 1/2 hours to rise, then an additional hour to chill). And, if you have a favorite recipe for grilled pizza dough, or favorite toppings, I would love to hear about it!

Grilled Pizza Dough
- Adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com

Makes 4 10-inch pizzas

2/3 cup warm water
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons oil
1 3/4 - 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons kosher salt

To make pizza dough:
In a large bowl, mix together the warm water, yeast and sugar and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in oil, 1 3/4 cups flour, cornmeal and salt and blend until the mixture forms a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. You may need to add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. I did not add additional flour, and ended up adding about another teaspoon of water instead. Spray cooking spray in a large bowl, put dough in the bowl and spray it with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise, about an hour, until doubled in size. Punch down and divide into four balls.

To roll out dough for pizzas:
Spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Roll out one ball of dough into a 10-inch circle. Transfer to the baking sheet and cover completely with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough balls and stack the rolled out pieces on top of each other with plastic wrap between. (I sprayed each layer with cooking spray so that they wouldn't stick - I'm not sure whether this is essential or not). Be sure that the entire stack is well covered with plastic wrap. Chill in the freezer for at least 1 hour, up to 4 hours.

To make pizzas:
Take one rolled out pizza crust. (Keep the crusts you are not working with in the freezer - they are much easier to work with when they are firm). Spray one side with cooking spray. Carefully transfer it, oiled side down, onto your pre-heated grill. Grill until it is golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Take the crust off the grill, flip it over and placed the toppings on the grilled side. Then, carefully place it back on the grill until the under side is golden brown, and the cheese is bubbly.

It really is less intimidating than it may sound.

And, I must include a couple of pictures of Aubrey. Because she is a little more stable when it comes to sitting...

She ate in her high chair for the first time last night. Doesn't she look impressed? ;) I don't blame her. I don't think oatmeal is as tasty as pizza either.

Strawberry Pie

I got more done than I had anticipated today, with the beautiful spring weather and a cooperative family. So, I'm tired. But, before I head to bed, I wanted to share the recipe for this Cream Cheese-Strawberry pie. (I left off the coconut - it just wasn't what I had in mind). I'm not much of a pie-baker, so ignore the ugliness of my crust (it did taste good, promise)! :)

CREAM CHEESE - STRAWBERRY PIE

ONE 9-INCH PIE: 1 prebaked 9-inch pastry shell OR Graham Cracker shell 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 1/2 c. powdered sugar STRAWBERRY FILLING: 1 box fresh strawberries 1/4 c. water 2/3 c. granulated sugar 4 tsp. cornstarch Whipped cream 1. Use a store-bought pastry shell or prepare and bake your own according to your own recipe. Cool.2. Blend cream cheese and powdered sugar. Spread in bottom of pastry shell. 3. Rinse berries, hull and sort, reserving largest and best berries. Crush enough remaining berries to make 1 cup. 4. In small saucepan, mix water, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Add crushed berries. Bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes or until thick and clear. Cool. 5. Press whole berries, tips up, into cream cheese. Spoon cooled strawberry mixture evenly over berries. 6. Chill for 3 to 4 hours. 7. When ready to serve, top pie with whipped cream or serve cream alongside.

Chicken Pot Pie

After a week of too much eating out, I finally went to the grocery store. Wayne requested that I make chicken pot pies, which I've never done before. I found this recipe on Food Network's website, and we agreed that it's a winner. I couldn't find the frozen small whole onions, so we didn't have those. They would have been good, but it was still great without. The only thing I'll change next time is to leave off the sea salt on the crust - it's just a little too salty with it.

Chicken Pot Pie, Ina Garten

Serves:
4 individual pot pies (We couldn't finish two of them between the three of us).

Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. (I used my Chantal bowls - they are 5 1/4" by 2 1/2" and hold 2 3/4 cups). Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Beef Stew

We've had a few days of beautiful spring weather. Of course, these have also happened to be the days that I haven't felt well. On Friday, Wayne took Tyler to the park.

Today was a dreary, yet warm day. This evening, the rain really poured. As we enjoyed listening to the rain, I was kind of bummed thinking about the forecast for cooler days this week. And, I was reminded of a recipe I've been meaning to share. Last weekend, we made a simple beef stew. We started with the Absent Cook Stew and an Irish beef stew and made our own adaptation. Of course, we adjusted seasonings at the end, and you'd want to do that too. We served it over mashed potatoes. Add a green salad and some dinner rolls and you're set.

Beef Stew

2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
10 ¾ oz can tomato soup
3 bay leaves
¾ cup Guinness stout
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Either add a thickener (flour or cornstarch/water) or 3 large potatoes, chopped.

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.

French Chicken in a Pot

I made this for lunch today. It was juicy and delicious (and easy).

French Chicken in a Pot - America's Test Kitchen

4 ½-5 pound whole fryer chicken, giblets removed
1 small onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
Rosemary sprig (I used close to a tablespoon of dried rosemary)
1 bay leaf
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Pepper

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Prepare the chicken – tuck wings back and remove fatty bits from the cavity. Place breast side down in the Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, rosemary, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, or until lightly browned. Turn over onto the back and cook for eight minutes. Turn heat off. Cover with foil and lid. Place in a 250 degree oven and bake for between 1 hour 20 minutes and 1 hour 50 minutes or until the breast side reaches 160-165 degrees and dark meat side reaches 170-175 degrees. Remove from pot (do not discard the juice). Rest the chicken 20 minutes then carve. Meanwhile, strain juices and warm in a saucepan on the stove. Add a little lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve on the side with the chicken.

Enchiladas Con Pollo

There's something about cold weather that makes me want to stay home and cook! However, between working on leftovers and eating out a couple of times, I haven't gotten to make all of the recipes that I was planning on this week. I still plan to make them in the next few days. I won't give you a blow by blow of our daily meals, and I don't have all of the recipes written down. But in case anyone else likes finding new recipes to try, read on.

We have made the Absent Cook Stew twice now (only once this week), inspired by my second-cousin, Kim. We used her additions as well as mushrooms and a little sherry. Wayne really loves this recipe and is now finding more crock pot recipes to try.

Another night, I made Enchiladas Con Pollo from the Women of Great Taste cookbook (Junior League of Wichita). I love just about anything with green chilies!

Enchiladas Con Pollo
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) green chilies
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (I think I added 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas (At 10 tortillas, I ran out of filling and my pan was full, so I stopped there).
4 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
4 cups (16 ounces) grated Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (I didn't have these, but it would have been good)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 13x9-inch casserole dish. Melt butter, add flour, stir until smooth and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened. Stir in sour cream, green chilies, salt and pepper. Pour half the sauce in the bottom of prepared pan. Soften tortillas in microwave for ten seconds. Combine chicken, 2 cups cheese and 1/2 cup onions. Place 1/2 cup of chicken mixture on each tortilla. Roll up and place in baking dish seam side down. (Good luck with not dropping a little of the filling on the way to the pan as I seemed to do with every one). Pour remaining sauce over top. Bake uncovered for 2o minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions. Bake for 5 minutes.
Serves 8-10.

French Onion Soup

Today's weather was gorgeous. But, this weekend's rain and wind put me in the mood for some fall cooking. I must admit, before tonight, I had never made French Onion Soup. But it just sounds like fall. I remember my Mom making it when we were growing up. I always thought of it as "hard to eat" soup. Those croutons and stringy Swiss cheese just got in my way. But, Wayne had told me of his love for French Onion Soup and I wanted to give it a try. And, I must admit, eating it tonight, I appreciated the stringy Swiss cheese and loved the crunchy salty bits of the croutons. But even better was the delicious, comforting onion broth! Enjoy! (Just make sure you have several hours to make it before you want to eat it). :)


French Onion Soup with Shaved Swiss Cheese
Emeril Lagasse

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
3 pounds yellow onions, peeled and julienned
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
2 quarts beef stock
1 quart chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup freshly grated Swiss cheese

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add half of the onions and cook, stirring, until dark golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until a deep caramel color, about 1 hour. (I turned down the heat - on my stove, that would have been too hot).

Add the bourbon and cook, stirring occasionally, until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the cheese, and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and fragrant, about 1 hour. (I then added a little more salt and a little sugar, to taste).

Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
To serve, sprinkle each portion with grated Swiss cheese. (I also made some croutons and sprinkled them on top).

Chili's Fajitas & Puff Pastry with Caramel Sauce

Tyler trying out his new Super Soaker. He was really enjoying it. Now he just needs a friend to have a water fight with. (Because Mommy is bowing out).

Friday evening we had Matt and Michelle over for dinner. It has been way too long since they've been to our house - the last would have probably been April or early May. Yikes!

Michelle showing her trampoline skills.

We made fajitas - the recipe was courtesy my cousin, Sheldon, and his wife, Tisha. They made this recipe for us once and we love it. I think everyone should have it because it is so simple and SO delicious!

Chili's Fajitas

1/4 cup lime juice

2 T olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp liquid barbecue smoke

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb sirloin steak or 1 lb chicken breasts

Combine above ingredients in a Tupperware container; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. (Or longer - I let it marinate 2 days).

Discard marinade. Grill meat over medium flame 4-5 minutes per side. Cut meat into thin strips. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, combine:

2 T water

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp lime juice

dash salt

dash black pepper

Saute the following ingredients until brown. (Instead, I sauteed on lower heat until the onions were soft, but the peppers were still slightly firm).

1 T olive oil

1 lg Spanish onion, thinly sliced

1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

(Or be a cheapskate like me and only get 1 green pepper and no other peppers because the others cost $2.38 each)

Combine onion/pepper mixture with sauce mixture. Combine meat with onions/peppers.

Serve with flour tortillas, cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

Finally, I tried to make an imitation dessert of what we had at the Downtown Sampler, a relative's restaurant in Hutchinson. We'll call it Puff Pastry with Caramel Sauce??

Puff Pastry with Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Thaw 1 sheet puff pastry. I cut it into thirds along the creased lines. Melt butter and spread on one side of the pastry. Sprinkle lots of cinnamon and sugar on the butter. Place sugared sides together. (The third strip I cut in half lengthwise, then put one on top of the other). Cut into 1-inch strips. (1"x3") Bake until golden brown. Serve warm, drizzled with caramel sauce and a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.