• Another Chicken and Dumplings

    January 31, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    This chicken and dumpling recipe is really tasty.  I found a recipe at the Dish on Delish that sounded good, but then adapted it to our tastes, and the end result was really yummy.

    Ingredients:

    • 3 TBSP butter
    • 1 medium onion, large dice
    • 4 medium carrots, large dice
    • 2 tsp. dried thyme
    • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning
    • 1 c. (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour, divided
    • 8-9 c. chicken broth
    • Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, for seasoning, if desired
    • 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
    • 1 tsp. dried dill weed
    • 1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/2 c. plus 2 TBSP milk
    • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, cooked

    Directions:

    1. In a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, thyme, and poultry seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 c. flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
    2. Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 TBSP milk if too thick.) Set aside.
    3. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes.  Stir cooked peas into pot. Serve.

    Chicken and Dumplings:

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  • Chicken Enchilada Soup

    January 22, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    This soup is so hearty and so yummy, and both kiddos liked it a lot…major accomplishment!  It’s an extremely tasty crock pot meal and it’s so easy…definitely company worthy!

    You can leave the chicken out and stir in some leftover chicken just before serving and then continue cooking to heat chicken through.
    Ingredients:

    • 1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
    • 1 1/2 c. frozen corn
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 1 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce
    • 1 can low sodium cream of chicken soup
    • 2 cups milk (I used 2% because that’s what I had)
    • 2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1 tsp. oregano
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1 lb. chicken, cut into bite size pieces
    • Tortilla chips
    • Lime, quartered
    • Shredded cheese
    • Chipotle sour cream (sour cream mixed with chopped chipotles)
    • Avocado, diced

    Directions:

    1. Combine black beans through salt in your slow cooker.  Mix to combine; then add the chicken.
    2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.
    3. Place some tortilla chips into a bowl and ladle soup on top of the chips, squeeze a lime quarter into each bowl of soup, top with cheese, sour cream and avocado.

    Chicken Enchilada Soup:

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  • Huevos Rancheros

    January 20, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    I just love huevos rancheros.  I’ll eat them for any meal, and this recipe is so easy to make!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 small can (10 oz) of red enchilada sauce
    • 1 small can (10 oz) of diced tomatoes with chiles (such as Rotel)
    • Juice of 1 lime
    • 1/2 c. chopped cilantro, divided
    • Tortillas
    • Refried beans
    • Eggs

    Directions:

    1. Sauce: combine enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes with chiles, and lime juice in a saucepan.  Simmer until ready to serve.  Just before serving add 1/4 c. cilantro and mix to combine.
    2. Meanwhile, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, add some butter and cook your eggs.  I prefer over easy, but you could certainly use scrambled eggs or any type of eggs you like.
    3. Heat refried beans.
    4. Assembly: take a tortilla, spread some refried beans on top, add your eggs, ladle sauce over eggs, and sprinkle with cilantro.

    Huevos Rancheros:

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  • Chicken Shawarma

    January 20, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    Chicken shawarma is so good.  If you’ve never tried it, seek out your nearest middle eastern restaurant and try some.  If you’re like us and live somewhere where there are no middle eastern restaurants, this recipe comes close to some of the yummiest shawarma sandwiches I’ve ever had (be mindful that bad shawarma is just that, bad.)

    I sauted the chicken until all the liquid was cooked off, then let the chicken get a nice golden crust.  This crust simulates real shawarma taken right off the rotisserie spit, so I would definitely do this step.

    Recipe adapted from the July 2008 issue of Cooking Light.

    What you need:

    • Chicken marinade, below
    • Garlic sauce, below
    • Pitas, warmed
    • Pickles, optional
    • Lettuce and tomatoes, optional

    Chicken Marinade:

    • Juice of one juicy lemon
    • 1 tsp. curry powder
    • 2 tsp. olive oil
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

    Directions:

    1. Add lemon juice, curry powder, 2 tsp. olive oil, salt, cumin and garlic in a zip top bag.
    2. If chicken is frozen, allow to thaw just a bit so you can slice nice thin strips of chicken.  If your chicken is already thawed, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so until it’s frozen enough to make nice thin strips.
    3. Add chicken to marinade, and let marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
    4. Heat nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken mixture and saute.  It won’t take the chicken much time to cook, but continue cooking until all liquid as cooked off and the chicken begins to get a crispy brown crust.

    Garlic Sauce:

    • 1/2 c. plain yogurt
    • 2 TBSP tahini
    • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced

    Directions:

    1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

    Assembly:

    • Take a warm pita, put chicken, garlic sauce and any toppings on (pickles, lettuce, and/or tomatoes).  Enjoy!

    Chicken Shawarma:

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  • Sesame Peanut Noodles

    January 13, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    I wanted to to try something new and Asian, so I looked at my spicy soba noodles recipe, and created a whole new recipe that was delicious!  You can keep this dish vegetarian and add tofu or use leftover chicken and just cook up some chicken.  Either way it will be tasty and satisfying…you’ll want more and more!

    Ingredients:

    • 2/3 c. peanut butter
    • 2 inch piece of ginger, grated
    • 1 garlic clove, pressed
    • 5 TBSP soy sauce
    • 1 TBSP sesame oil
    • 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar
    • 1/4 c. honey
    • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (more or less to your liking)
    • 1 c. of carrot matchsticks (you can buy a bag of them at the grocery store)
    • 1 c. sugar snap peas
    • 1 c. red bell peppers, sliced thinly
    • Protein: Leftover chicken or 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (poached or grilled), or extra firm tofu cooked to your liking
    • 16 oz. soba noodles, whole wheat thin spaghetti, thin spaghetti, or pasta of your choice
    • 1/2 c. sliced green onions
    • 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
    • 6 TBSP chopped unsalted dry roasted peanuts

    Directions:

    1. Sauce: Combine peanut butter through crushed red pepper in a bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth.
    2. Cook pasta according to package.
    3. Cook chicken or tofu if using.
    4. In a large serving bowl add the carrots and snap peas and then add the hot pasta on top; let the hot pasta sit on the veggies to soften slightly.  Then add the sauce and toss to combine  Top with chicken or tofu, red peppers, green onions, cilantro, and peanuts, and toss to combine.
    5. Serve immediately or refrigerate until 1 hour prior to serving and let the sesame noodles come to room temperature.

    Sesame Peanut Noodles:

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  • Coconut Beef Curry

    January 13, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    Not a great picture, but are there really any good pictures of Indian curry dishes?  Despite the picture, this is an excellent Indian inspired crock pot beef curry.  I don’t say this often, especially with regards to a crock pot meal, but this dish is company worthy…especially if the company loves a deliciously spicy (or not if you choose not to add the spice) curry.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 can of light coconut milk
    • 1 lime, juiced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 inch pieces of ginger, grated
    • 2 tsp. brown sugar
    • 2 tsp. curry powder
    • 2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1 tsp. ground coriander
    • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (or less if desired)
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 1 onion, roughly chopped
    • 2 potatoes, 1 inch cubes
    • 1 lb. very lean stew meat
    • 1 c. peas
    • Hot rice, peanuts, and cilantro

    Directions:

    1. Combine coconut milk through salt in the crock pot; then add onion, potatoes, and stew meat and toss to coat.
    2. Cook on Low for 4 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.
    3. Add cooked peas.
    4. Serve over rice and garnish with peanuts and cilantro.

    Coconut Beef Curry:

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  • Falafel

    January 7, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    Falafel is so darn good, and these are really delicious.  Don’t fear the ingredient list…even though there are a lot of ingredients, it is not hard to prepare these. We did find it much easier to fry them as discs instead of balls.  The recipe is adapted from Marlena Spieler’s Complete Guide to Traditional Jewish Cooking.

    One of the best Middle Eastern restaurants I have ever been to is Fadi’s in Houston, and that’s where I learned that pickles are absolutely yummy on a falafel sandwich and a schwarma sandwich. Trust me it’s good…go on and give it a try!

    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/3 c. dried chickpeas
    • 4 c. water (enough to cover the chickpeas)
    • 8 TBSP bulgar
    • 1 large onion, finely chopped
    • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 5 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
    • 5 TBSP cilantro, chopped
    • 3 TBSP ground cumin
    • 1 TBSP ground coriander
    • 1 tsp. baking powder
    • 2 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
    • 1 tsp. curry powder
    • 3 TBSP water
    • 6 TBSP flour
    • Vegetable oil for frying
    • Pitta bread
    • Top with Grecian sauce, below, and pickles

    Grecian Sauce (I call it this, because it reminds me of the Grecian Sauce at Albasha’s in Baton Rouge, LA. This recipe is adapted from The Spanish, Middle Eastern, & African Cookbook:

    • 1/2 cucumber, finely chopped
    • 1 small onion, finely chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1/4 c. parsley, finely chopped
    • 2 c. plain yogurt
    • 1/4 tsp. paprika
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • fresh mint, optional
    • Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl then top falafel

    Directions:

    1. Place chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water; let soak overnight.
    2. Drain chickpeas and grind in a food processor.  Put ground chickpeas in a bowl and stir in bulgar, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, ground cumin and coriander, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and curry powder.  Add the water and let stand for about 45 minutes.
    3. Stir the flour into the falafel batter (add more flour if too thin and add more water if too thick).
    4. Heat oil in a deep pot for frying the falafel.
    5. Using wet hands shape falafel into discs.  Add the falafel to the hot oil in small batches (no more than 2 to 3 in the pot) for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove the cooked falafel and let drain on paper towels.
    6. Take a pita bread, place falafel in pita, add some pickles and Grecian Sauce.

    Falafel:

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  • Favorite Tortilla Soup

    January 7, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    Sorry it’s not the prettiest picture of this most delicious soup.  We love this tortilla soup, and have been making it for years. You choose your toppings and make it your own, and yes the toppings are important!  Adapted from Emeril’s Favorite Tortilla Soup.
    Ingredients:

    • 2 TBSP olive oil
    • 1 c. chopped onions
    • 2 tsp. chopped garlic
    • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
    • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
    • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
    • 1 TBSP tomato paste
    • 6 c. chicken stock
    • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    • Toppings: 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 lime quartered; Tortilla chips; 1 avocado, slice; shredded cheese; chipotle crema, see below

    Chipotle Crema:

    • 1/2 c. sour cream
    • 1 tsp. (or more or less to your liking) of chipotle in adobo sauce

    Directions:

    1. In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, salt, cumin, and coriander for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the cilantro and lime juice, and stir well.
    2. Combine sour cream and chipotles in a bowl; set aside.
    3. Ladle soup in bowls, top with tortilla chips, cilantro, lime juice, avocado, shredded cheese, and/or chipotle crema.

    Tortilla Soup:

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  • Oatmeal Scotchies

    January 5, 2009 Author: Rachel
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    -s loves oatmeal scotchies.  He whipped up a batch this afternoon, and the cookies are delicious, with the added bonus of making the house smell heavenly…kind of like one of those really yummy smelling candles.  The recipe is courtesy of Nestle.

    ***If you are making a double recipe do one recipe at a time, because there is too much dough for the mixer to handle a double all at once***
    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
    • 3/4 c. sugar
    • 3/4 c. brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 3 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
    • 1 2/3 c. (11 oz. package) butterscotch morsels

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375.
    2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats and morsels.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
    3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

    Oatmeal Scotchies:

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