Chicken Pot Pie

I was tinkering around in the kitchen last night with some extra veggies I had which I needed to use up, and I came up with what may be the most perfect chicken pot pie recipe I've ever eaten.

Ingredients:
2-3 cups shredded chicken
2 large leeks finely chopped
3 carrots, shredded
3-4 pieces of celery finely chopped
1/2 stick butter
3 Tbsp. corn starch
2-3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
Double crust for a deep-dish pie (I just bought Pillsbury in the refrigerator section at the grocery store)
Red Wine Vinegar

Instructions:
Mix the leeks, celery, carrots, and butter in a large pan and sautee' with the butter. If you want to throwin in some peas or potatoes that would work as well, although I didn't have any on hand last night so I didn't include them.
When everything is cooked, whisk the corn starch with a small ammount of chicken broth to get rid of any lumps, and then add the mixture plus all of the additional chicken broth to the sauteed veggies. Simmer on low to medium heat until the whole thing thickens, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
Meanwhile, prepare a deep dish pie pan by spreading the bottom pie crust evenly in the pan.
In a large bowl, mix the thickened veggie/gravy mixture with the shredded chicken. Drizzle with Red Wine Vinegar to taste. I like the balance of the sour vinegar with the sweet veggies and chicken, and I think this is really what made the recipe stand out for me. I only added a quarter cup or less, but trust me, it works. Pour the finished filling into the pie crust, and cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges, trim the crust, cut a few vents to let out the steam, then brush with a mixture of 1 egg beaten with 3 tbsp. water (it makes your crust shiny and goldeny brown).
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until the crust looks flaky and golden.
Cool, serve, and enjoy
This was so good that we barely had any leftovers, and since the veggies were sliced up so small even my veggie-phobic 7 year old gulped his down. I had the rest for lunck today and I drizzled a little more vinegar over it. It was divine.

Chicken Masala

This is a hybrid of two recipes, one from Bon Appetit magazine, one from Allrecipes.com.  I ate so much it made my belly hurt. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garam masala*
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 1 large garlic clove, pressed
• 3 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 small onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slice
•  
  Sauce
  1 tablespoon butter
  1 clove garlic, minced
  2 teaspoons ground cumin
  2 teaspoons paprika
  3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  1 cup heavy cream
   
  Mix yogurt, chopped cilantro, olive oil, garam masala, salt, and garlic in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add chicken to marinade, 1 piece at a time, coating all sides. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
  Position racks in top third and bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Arrange onions in thin layer on large rimmed baking sheet to form bed for chicken. Top with chicken pieces in single layer, spacing apart for even roasting (chicken will still be coated with marinade). Discard remaining marinade.  Roast chicken on top rack until cooked through and juices run clear when thickest portion of thigh is pierced with knife, about 35 mins.
  Meanwhile, melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  Serve with chicken over rice.

 

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Ingredients

6 large potatoes, rinsed, peeled (unless using Yukon golds where you can leave skin on) quartered
Salt
3 tablespoons butter, divided, 2 tablespoons kept chilled
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 pound raw ground turkey
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup beef or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme


1. Put the potato chunks in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, add a teaspoon or so of salt, and cook until tender but not waterlogged, 10-15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the potatoes. Return them to the pot and cook over low heat for a minute to remove excess water. Then mash with a potato masher, adding the cooking water along with 1 tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste. Beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium-low flame. When hot, add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.
3. Increase the heat to medium and add the meat. Cook raw meat for about 10 minutes, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon; brown leftover meat for about 5 minutes, stirring for even coloration. Spoon off any fat. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the stock, herbs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
4. Spread the meat in a 9-inch pie plate or baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top, making irregular peaks with the tines of a fork. Chop the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter into small pieces and scatter over the top. Bake in the preheated oven until browned and heated all the way through, 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving in the baking dish.

Note: When using a gas oven, I usually have to cover with tin foil until the last ten minutes or else the tips burn.

Brownie Pudding Cake

I used to make a similar recipe but lost it a while ago.  After being struck with a major craving for it the other day, I found this recipe through Google on another cooking blog.  It is seriously DIVINE!  Same basic concept as the one I used to make- but SO much better.  The cinnamon is such an awesome touch!  It is super easy, but decadent and impressive.  It's a bittersweet cake, so definitely serve it with powdered sugar or ice cream on top .  Love it!

*Recipe and photo courtesy Sara's Kitchen

Brownie Pudding Cake

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

----

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1/4 cup cocoa

----

powdered sugar, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch square baking dish or round souffle dish. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and 1/3 cup cocoa in medium bowl. Add milk, butter and vanilla, stir until just blended. Spoon the batter into the prepared dish.

Combine brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa in small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Pour boiling water over entire mixture; do not stir.

Bake 35 to 38 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the top layer comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Garlic and Parmesan Mashed Red Potatoes

These are SO delicious and So easy!  They are going to be my new go-to mashed potatoes.  They're just like you get at a nice restaurant.  And I can imagine they're super versatile- add more herbs and spices, different kinds of cheese, whatever.  YUM!

Recipe by Valerie Mitchell - Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 8 medium red potatoes, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk, warmed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Drain well. Add the butter, milk and salt; mash. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

*Okay- I only had 6 medium red potatoes, so I used a little less garlic and cheese.  I also combined the Parmesan with some leftover Pecorino cheese I had, so I didn't add much salt.  Then I forgot I was reducing and still added the 1/2 cup of milk- but I loved how creamy they turned out.  I added the garlic cloves to the water like the recipe says to do, but I sliced them in half first. I'll try mincing them next time and adding after the boil to see how that changes the flavor.  As you can see- it's a forgiving recipe!  Play with it and make it perfect for your taste!

Carrot Cake

Laurie's Amazing Carrot Cake

6 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups raisins
4 1/2 cups grated carrots
3 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 1/4 tsp salt
3 teaspoons soda
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Prepare pans:
2- 9 inch round cake pans

Beat the eggs, oil and buttermilk together in a large bowl. Grind the pecans and raisins in a food processor with a metal blade. Pulse until chopped into very small pieces. Mix in grated carrots. Add all of the dry ingredients, including the nuts and raisins to the wet ingredients. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour into greased and floured pans, lined with parchment or wax paper. Only fill pans 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour if using 10 inch Spring form pans, about 45 minutes for round pans. Test with toothpick to see if done before removing from oven. After removing from oven, wrap each layer individually with saran wrap and place in freezer while still warm. Remove after cake is cooled and frozen, and apply one layer of frosting. Layer the cake on a platter. Return to freezer. Let cake refreeze until frosting is firm. Remove and frost outer sides and top of cake again. At this point you can either place back in freezer until ready to use, or let sit out to thaw. If making the cake in advance, cover when frosting is hardened and store in freezer. On day of serving, remove cake from freezer at least three hours before serving. You may decorate with lemon leaves around base of cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cube butter, not margarine
8 oz. cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice instead)
pinch salt
about 6 cups powdered sugar
cream or milk to thin, about 3 tablespoons

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add flavoring, salt and about 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix well. Add rest of powdered sugar and milk or cream to desired consistency. Frost as directed. If you are making 4 layers, I 1/2 this recipe again so you will have enough to frost all four cakes. If making either 2 -10 inch spring form cakes, or just frosting 2- 9 inch cakes, and keeping the smaller 8 inch cakes in the freezer for later use, one batch of frosting is enough.

Chicken Thai Sate Wraps

Quick, easy and a healthy dinner that can be served warm for dinner and cold for tomorrows lunch.

1 c. matchstick carrots
1/3 c. chopped scallions
2/3 c. coconut milk
1 +  T. soy sauce
1 + T. rice vinegar
3 T. peanut butter
1 t. curry powder
1/8 t. red pepper
2 c. shredded or cubed chicken, cooked
tortillas
finely chopped cabbage or angel hair slaw

Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat & coat in cooking spray. Add carrots and scallions; saute 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and next 5 ingredients. Cook for 1 minute. Add and coat chicken. Serve on tortilla's with cabbage.
Can be served hot or cold.

** This is the original recipe but I am always adding a little more or less of the vinegar, milk soy sauce, and peanut butter. So make it to your taste! If you follow the recipe it turns out wonderful too!

sweet and sour chicken

... from simplerecipes.com

This recipe is great! Super easy and healthy.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
• 1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
• 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Method

1 In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
2 In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
3 Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates. Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot. Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle. Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
4 Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute. Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce. Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.
Serves 4.

wonderful tortilla soup

Tonight I made a delicious soup that tasted so wonderful! It was so nice to eat a healthy, light and fresh meal after all the holiday calories! Bryan loved it too ... so it got put in the recipe box :)

Delicious Tortilla Soup from simplerecipes.com

• 6 (6-inch) corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil, peanut oil, other high smoke-point oil
• 1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 medium Anaheim, poblano or jalapeño chile, seeded, veins removed, chopped (Depending on the hotness and flavor desired. You can also mix chiles - 1 Anaheim and a half jalapeño.) **
• 4 cups chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (recommended Muir Glen fire-roasted)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 ripe medium avocado
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 oz) (or other mild, melting cheese)
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

1 If you are starting with somewhat old, dried out tortillas, great. If not and you are starting with relatively fresh tortillas, put them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 200°F for 10-15 minutes to dry them out a bit. It is best to start with tortillas that don't have a lot of moisture in them. Cut tortillas in half; cut halves into 1/4-inch strips. In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Fry strips in oil, 1/3 at a time, until light brown and crisp. Remove from pan; drain on paper towels. Reserve.
2 Heat oil remaining in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and chile; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth, tomatoes and salt. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add chicken; heat until hot.
3 To serve, peel and pit the avocado. Cut into 1-inch slices. Divide half of tortilla strips among 4 individual serving bowls; ladle in soup. Top with avocado and cheese; garnish with remaining tortilla strips and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Serves 4.

** Bryan and I do not like hot soups so instead of using a real chile, I just bought a can of the Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with chiles. It brought a perfect amount of spice to the soup. I would recommend the Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes ... they just taste so much better than regular "del monte" tomoatoes in this soup! Also, I didn't have time to make my own tortilla strips so I just used a hearty tortilla chip and it was great!

I love new recipes and finding a recipe that I can use again! This will turn into a staple dish for me :)

My Dad's Taco Casserole

I remember one very distinct time that my dad made this. I must have been about 4 years old; my dad, brother and I were living in condo in Orem and we were having someone over for dinner. The casserole went around the table and everyone helped themselves. When it came to my turn, I dished some of the casserole onto my plate then promptly stuck the serving spoon into my mouth, not wanting to miss out on the good stuff that was left on it. I then received a very stern lecture from my dad on why we do not put the serving spoons in our mouths. My dad left the table to get a clean serving spoon for our guest. I felt pretty silly, needless to say. Anyway, I really enjoy this casserole and hope that your family likes it as well.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp crushed garlic

18 5 1/2 in round corn tortillas

1 bag frozen corn

2 cups shredded cheese (I use either cheddar, colby jack, or Monterey jack. If you want some heat, pepper jack would be good.)

Chopped tomotoes

Shredded lettuce

Salsa

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook the ground beef with the spices and garlic until cooked through. Drain Add the two cans of tomato sauce and re-season if necessary.

Spoon a little of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Lay down 6 tortillas on the top of the sauce (they will overlap). Add about 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top of the tortillas, sprinkle on some frozen corn and cheese and the next layer of 6 tortillas. Add another 1/3 of the sauce, more corn and cheese and a final layer of tortillas. Cover the top layer with the remaining sauce and cheese and put it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite taco toppings, and don’t lick the serving spoon.

This recipe could easily feed 8-10 people. I always cook too much. So, if you don’t need that much, just cut it in half and put the casserole together in a smaller dish.

Deconstructed Chicken and Rice

My Love-Hate Relationship with Chicken & Rice

I love Chicken & Rice; creamy rice with perfectly seasoned chicken all cooked together in a savory casserole. Done right, it is yummy comfort food that can satisfy the most ferocious hunger. The key phrase here is “done right”. I’ve made some version of chicken and rice more times than I care to count, and maybe, just maybe, it’s turned out perfectly one or two times. Part of the rice gets over cooked and mushy; some of the rice is still crunchy and hard. If by some miracle, I managed to get the rice cooked just right, the chicken is still raw! AARRRGH!!!

So, instead of putting uncooked rice, mushroom soup and chicken all together to bake. I’ve deconstructed the dish and it always turns out (finally)!

Baked Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Chicken Cream Sauce

Serves 6-8

4 large chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

Kosher Salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

onion powder

Italian Seasoning

Cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

2 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped into half circles

4 cups of water

4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon

Drippings from baked chicken

Flour

Milk

Chicken bouillon

Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a baking pan with aluminum foil if desired. Rinse the chicken and pat dry; place in baking pan and season with salt, pepper,onion powder, Italian seasoning, and a dash of cayenne pepper (if desired).

Bake at 375 for about 30-45 minutes or until done.

While the chicken is baking away in the oven, place the oil, onion, celery and carrots in a pot and saute vegetables until the onions begin to become transparent. Add the rice and stir well. Dissolve the chicken bouillon in the water and add to the rice and vegetables, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to low. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until there is no more water in the pot and the rice is tender.

Once the chicken is done, place it on a cutting board or plate and cover with foil. Drain all the juices and fat out of the baking dish into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce and add enough flour to make a thin paste. Slowly, add cold milk to the flour mixture all little at a time and stir constantly. The sauce will thicken, as it does, slowly add more milk until the sauce reaches desired consistency. Add chicken bouillon and pepper to taste.

Uncover the chicken, and carve off the bone.

To serve, place rice on a place, top with chicken and smother in sauce.