Salsa Verde Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice

This recipe was adapted from Shari Goodman and Randi Parks

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar salsa verde
1 can black beans, rinsed

Place chicken in crock pot.
Pour salsa verde and black beans over chicken.
Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 6-8 hours
When finished, use two forks to shred chicken in large pieces.
Serve over cilantro lime rice  (rice cooked and then tossed with chopped fresh cilantro, juice from one lime and salt to taste).

Vegetable Quinoa Chili

This recipe is adapted from Shari Goodman and Randi Parks
This recipe can easily be vegetarian or vegan

1 cup cooked quinoa
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
4 cloves minced garlic
1 t dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Place and mix all ingredients in crock pot.
Cook on high 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Can be cooked in oven in a dutch oven at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, cubed avocado and chopped cilantro on top if desired.

Chicken Pot Pie

1 (8 oz) bag frozen mixed vegetables

2 refrigerated pie crusts (or see Perfect Pie Crust recipe)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 375^oF.

Defrost the vegetables in a microwave for about 3 minutes.

Cut 2 pie crusts into quarters, to yield 8 equal pieces.

Coat the inside of 4 small aluminum-foil pans or 4 ramekins with vegetable cooking spray.

Line the bottom of each with a quarter of crust, molding it with your fingers to fit.

In a large bowl, stir together the soup and milk.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Spoon about 2/3 cup of the mixture into each pan or ramekin. 

Top each with a piecrust quarter. 

Pinch the edges together and cut vents in the top.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Perfect Pie Crust recipe:
http://sittinonthecoucheatinbonbons.blogspot.com/2015/11/perfect-pie-crust.html

Tri-Tip

Tri-Tip

Take a tri-tip and rub onion powder, salt and pepper all over the outside of it and place it in a 9 x 13 pan.

Bake it at 400^oF for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350^oF and using a meat thermometer, bake the meat until the internal temperature reaches 145^oF (usually another 30-45 minutes).

Let it rest with a foil tent for 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock Pot Lasagna

1-2 lb ground beef

lasagna noodles

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 pint cottage cheese

2 pkgs shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown ground beef and drain.

Spoon 1 cup spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 4 qt crock pot. 

Mix remaining sauce with meat.

Break lasagna noodles and layer over sauce. 

Spread 1/4 of the meat mixture over noodles.

Then 1/2 of the cottage cheese and1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers, leaving enough meat sauce to cover, then the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

(use all cottage cheese in first 2 layers)

Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low for 4 hours. 

Do not cook any longer.

Tuscan Soup

Matt's Zupa Tuscan Soup

4 cups (or 3 cans) chicken broth 

2 cups water

3-4 cups whipping cream

1 small onion, chopped

4 cups kale, chopped into small pieces

1 lb country sausage

3 large potatoes, sliced and quartered

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced, and quartered

salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage and onion until done. Drain on paper towels.

Put sausage mixture in large stockpot.

Add broth, water, and potatoes. 

Cook on medium-high heat for 30 minutes, until potatoes are almost done.

Add sweet potatoes and cook till tender.

Add chopped kale.

Cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Add cream and cook (I thicken with corn starch)

Season with salt and pepper.

Southern Mac and Cheese

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

4 cups dried macaroni

1 whole egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tsp (heaping) dry mustard, more if desired

1 lb cheese, grated

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp seasoned salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain. 

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. 

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking  constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. 

Add in cheese and stir to melt. 

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! Don't undersalt!

Pour in undrained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake at 350^oF for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) package spaghetti noodles, prepared

1 Tb sugar

3 cups grated cheese

1 lb ground beef; browned, seasoned, and drained

1 small can sliced mushrooms

1 (10 1/2 oz) can tomato soup

1/2 cup milk

1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce

In a medium bowl, mix tomato soup, milk, and spaghetti sauce. Set aside. 

Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam.

Layer ingredients as follows:

1/2 the noodles

1/2 the sugar

1/2 the cheese (save a little for the top)

1/2 the meat

1/2 the mushrooms

1/2 the sauce

REPEAT

Top with the extra cheese

Bake for 1 hour at 350^oF, until bubbly.

Lasagna

Add:

1 lb ground beef

1 cup onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 (6 oz) tomato paste

1/2 lb mushrooms

1 Tb Worcstershire sauce

4 cup tomato juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tb parsley

1 tsp oregano

Simmer for 30 minutes in sauce pan.

Layer a casserole pan with lasagna noodles, Ramono cheese, Parmesean cheese, and simmered mixture. Layer ingredients. 

Cover pan with foil.

Cook at 350^oF for 40 minutes.

Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes. 

Let it cool for 20 minutes before serving. 

Judy's Chicken Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

8 crescent rolls

2 cups (or cans) chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cups cheese

2 cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

Mix together the cubed chicken, cheese, and cream of chicken soup. 

Fill crescent rolls with chicken mixture and place rolls in casserole pan. 

Top with: 

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

Sprinkle with grated cheese on top.

Cover pan with foil. Bake at 350^oF for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake again for 20 more minutes.

French Toast Souffle

Ingredients:

8 slices French bread

12 eggs

1/3 cup syrup

2 cup milk

Cut the French bread into cubes and put in 13 x 9 pan. 

Beat eggs, syrup, and milk together. Pour mixture over bread.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350^oF for 45 minutes.

Italian Vegetable-Chicken Stew

In a large soup pan, saute these ingredients in oil for 5-10 minutes (until mostly soft):

1-2 Tb olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup yellow squash, thinly sliced

Add the following 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes:

1 Tb dried Italian seasoning

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans chicken broth

1 pkg fresh pre-sliced mushrooms

1 6 oz can tomato paste

After letting simmer for 30 minutes, add these ingredients and let cook 5-10 more minutes until desired temperature. 

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can corn niblets, drained

1 can green beans or Italian cut green beans, drained

2 chicken breast, boiled and shredded

1/4 cup fresh or dried parsley, chopped

Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tb butter

5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup water

1 Tb chicken base

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup flour

3 cup milk

Saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, salt, water, and soup base. 

Cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

In separate bowl, blend cream cheese and flour until smooth. 

Add cream cheese mixture to potato mixture and stir quickly until smooth (no lumps).

Add milk, then heat until boiling (stirring constantly).

Add extra soup base to taste, as well as salt and pepper. 

Turkey Brine

For two 21 pound turkeys I did the following:

In a large stock pot, place:

6 qts. vegetable broth

4 cups sea salt (you could get away with 3 cups)

4 T crushed dried rosemary

4 T dried sage

4 T dried thyme

3 T dried savory

1 cup brown sugar

Boil until salt and sugar dissolve.

Let cool to room temperature.

After removing innards and giblets, wash turkeys thoroughly.

Place each turkey in separate large Williams-Sonoma Brining Bag.

Ladle boiled broth over turkey in bags dividing evenly between the two turkeys.

Add 2 qts. vegetable broth (room temp) and 1 gallon ice water to each bag, seal bags and

mix broth by kneading the bags.

Make sure the turkeys are covered and the brine has filled each turkey cavity.

If the turkey isn't completely covered, you will need to flip the turkey 1/2 way through

the brining process.  This amount covered my turkeys just fine.

Put bags in roasting pan for stabilization and put in the fridge for 12-24 hours.  I did 18 and

it was fine.

Cooking:

Remove turkeys from brine and rinse thoroughly inside and out.  Pat dry with paper towels.

Stuff each bird with 1 onion cut up, 4 stalks of celery cut up, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Use a skewer to hold flap of skin closed on neck end and tie/bind legs together at the other end.

Rub entire turkey with thick coat of butter.

Place on roasting rack in a roasting pan and cover with a foil tent allowing space in between

turkey and foil.

Pre-heat oven to 325^oF.  Insert thermometer in thickest part of thigh without touching the bone.

Place in oven.

Notes:

We put our turkeys in the oven at 7:30a.m. for a 1:00p.m. luncheon.  I had to raise the temperature to 350 a few times to speed cooking.  The turkeys weren't done until 1:15.  We should have put them in at 6:30 - 7:00a.m.  Let them cook until the temperature reads 170 (not 165 like everyone says) degrees.

Let turkey rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Baked Sandwiches

Baked Sandwiches

These little bundles are requested several times a week and taken to school the next day cold....

24 small dinner rolls - our favorite is Sweet Hawaiian

24 slices deli ham

12 slices provolone cheese

mayo or half mayo/half Miracle Whip

1/4 cup butter melted

1  T Poppy Seeds

1 1/2 T mustard

1 T honey

1/2 t. worscestershire sauce

Cut open the rolls, spread with mayo, fold one ham slice in half twice and 

add to the bottom half of rolls and put 1/2 slice provolone, folded in half on top of ham.

Put top half of roll on top of cheese.  Line on jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) in rows of four.

Add poppy seeds, mustard, honey and worcestershire sauce to melted butter

and whisk.  Let sit about 10 minutes to solidify a little.

Using a spoon, ladle sauce over the top of each sandwich.  It should be solid enough

to mostly stay on top, but runny enough to drip down slowly.

At this point you can cover and keep in the fridge until 20 minutes before eating or

bake immediately.

Bake, covered in foil, at 350^oF for 12 minutes.

Uncover and bake another 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Baked Ziti

This has become a family favorite and all the credit goes to Stephanie!

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta ( I use Penne too!)

1/2 onion chopped

1 pound mild italian sausage

2 26 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce

6 ounces sliced provolone cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons grated parmesean cheese

1. Cook pasta until al dente; drain.

2. In a large skillet brown sausage.  Add onion the last 5 minutes to brown.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350^oF.  Butter a 9X13 dish and layer the following:

1/2 pasta

provolone cheese

sour cream

1/2 sauce mixture

remaining pasta

mozzarella cheese

remaining sauce mixture

parmesean cheese

4.  Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheeses are melted and bubbling.

Lasagna Chicken

This is my current favorite chicken dish.  The prep takes a little time, but is worth it!  Serve with steamed vegetables and a great roll or breadstick - my kids love it!  My recipe is very low fat and so I can have it whenever I want!

Lasagna Chicken

10 chicken breasts

1 15 oz. carton non-fat ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozarella cheese

Frozen, chopped spinach that is thawed 

(I buy a 10 oz. box and only use 1/4 of it - you can add more)

Classico Tomato and Basil spaghetti sauce

Mix the three cheeses and egg together in a bowl.  Squeeze spinach in hand to drain 

excess liquid before adding to cheese mixture.  Set aside.

Pound chicken breasts with tenderizer mallot or bottom of a glass until about 1/2 inch thick.  I put the meat in between 2 pieces of Press and Seal Saran Wrap to keep the mess at bay.

Add a heaping spoonful (flatware tablespoon) of cheese mixture to middle of breast.  Fold in each side and secure with a wooden toothpick.

Place in glass or stone casserole dish.  Spoon spaghetti sauce onto top of each chicken roll.

Bake at 350^oF for 60 minutes.  Drain juice from dish before serving.

Pizza Dough

Probably once a week I make pizza for dinner.

I can make it faster than it can be delivered

and it costs cents to make.  

Pizza Crust

Make a single batch for thin crust or

double batch for thick...

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 425^oF.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  Add more flour if needed

until dough pulls cleanly away from the side of the bowl.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.

Press onto greased round pizza pan.

If making thick crust, bake crust without toppings for 

10 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with favorite toppings

and return to oven for another 8 - 10 minutes.

For thin crust, there is no need to pre-bake.  Just top uncooked
crust and bake for about 15 minutes.

Bread Bowls

"Bread Bowls"

2 packages active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups warm water

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

7 cups all-purpose flour

1/8 cup cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour.  Mix well.

Continue to add flour until dough pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6 minutes 

OR continue to knead in mixer for 5 - 6 minutes.

Lightly oil large plastic bowl,  place dough in bowl and turn to coat with oil.

Cover and let rise in draft free area until doubled in size, about 40 - 60 minutes.

Turn on oven to lowest temperature for 5 minutes then turn off.

Punch dough down, divide into 4 equal portions for large bowls or 6 for small bowls (I do 4).

Shape into round balls and place on lightly greased 

baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal.

Let rise in warmed oven with door half-way opened 

until balls double in size, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 400^oF for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown.

To make bowls, carve top of bread like a pumpkin, 

with knife pointed down and at an angle.  

Remove cone-shaped lid and scoop out hole to be a little wider.

Fill bread bowls with soup and serve with lid on side.

Italian Chicken

This week I did a luncheon for the Cox staff for Authorfest.  I have done their luncheons for years and I love this school and staff!  This is the second time I have served Italian Chicken, a recipe from my dear friend Karen Rose.  Each time I've had several requests for the recipe.  

"Italian Chicken"

In a crock pot dump:

1  5lb. bag of frozen chicken tenderloins (skinless, boneless)

1  16oz. bottle Fat Free Italian Dressing

1  15oz. can Italian Stewed Tomatoes 
(with juice)

1  4oz. can sliced mushrooms 
(with juice)

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Cook on Hight for 4-5 hours or Low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over white rice.

Enjoy!