January 2009 - Posts
*******UPDATE*******
I have updated this post with a recipe. Please see bottom of page for recipe.
Since I was a little girl my dad has made chicken and rice casserole. A warm and comforting concoction of rice, chicken and veggies wrapped in a creamy sauce and topped with gooey delicious cheese. There are tons of recipes out there ranging from using wild rice and those nasty bagged square veggies to pre-cooking everything or just throwing it all in the crockpot to simmer away all day. Makes my heart flutter to just think about it. Luckily I don't have to just think about it anymore since I convinced dad to share his recipe with me after a Thanksgiving visit to see them. I'm sorry it has taken me this long to roll it out to you, this time of year is Extremely busy for me. But now you don't have to sit around tapping your fingers on the desk waiting for another dinner idea from me, because I am going to share it with you. So if you are wondering what to fix tonight, consider this easy and filling dish for your family. Check it out.
The ingredients: Boneless, skinless chicken breast, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, onion, frozen peas, celery, carrot, white rice and cheddar cheese.
First put your rice on to cook. But slightly undercook it, cause it will cook for just a short time more in the oven.
Then saute up onions and celery.
Then add the carrot.
Then add the diced chicken and cook till it is opaque. Then add the cream of chicken, chicken broth, and frozen peas.
Stir to combine, and season to taste.
After it has simmered for a few minutes I add in the cooked rice and some more chicken broth to make it kinda soupy like. I don't have the exact measurements since we just pour until it looks right to us. Then I pour it all into a pan and cover it with aged sharp cheddar and pop it into the oven.
After allowing it to bake for 30-40 minutes the cheese gets all bubbly and gooey. Pull it out of the oven and dig in! Allow it to cool first, don't want ya to burn your mouth!
Let me say I'm sorry for not having a cut and dry recipe for you. I will work on the measurements and get back to you with them soon.
Stevie's Chicken and Rice
Serves approx 6-8
2 whole chicken breasts cut into bite size
2 Cans Cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 Lg package of Fiesta cheese (or cheese you like)
1 Box Chicken Broth
2 Cans Veg-all 303 (I used fresh carrot and celery diced up small)
1/2 medium size onion, diced
3 cups instant rice, cooked in chicken broth not water
Cook rice then set aside. In a large pan, saute onion and chicken until chicken is opaque and completely cooked. Add Cream of chicken soup and Veg all.
Simmer until thickened. Mix in 3/4 of cheese. Place rice in 13x9 baking dish pour chicken mixture over top and mix in. Top with rest of shredded cheese.
Bake covered at 350 for about 15 minutes then uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, cool slightly and serve.
I know the New Year is supposed to be a time for change. For starting over and making life better, easier and more manageable. Most of us will make resolutions to do just that. We will burst with energy to walk off the weight, watch our tongue, help in the community, spend more time with our family or leave work AT work! But round about the second or third week of struggling to keep up, some of us are going to fall off the resolution wagon. Just remember, no matter how hard or far you fall, you only need to pick yourself up and climb back up there on that uncomfortable, unpredictable wagon and try again.
Today isn't that day. Well, at least it isn't for me. It might be for strong, respectable you! And if that is the case, MORE POWER TO YA! But you might want to just skim over this post and try again on a day when I haven't given in to temptation. (Good luck on that)
If you remember, I baked lots of goodies for Christmas and shipped them or handed them out to friends and family. However, a very dear friend of mine had to make a unexpected trip to California for a family emergency and missed out on her box. So I promised to make more and send them when she was back home and settled. She called me on that promise this week. I spent all day baking yesterday and sent them to her this morning. And just when she is in need of some good ol' comfort food. One of the items included was Double Chocolate Fudge. It is decadent and delicious. And super simple to make. Let me show you.
Here we have sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla extract, milk chocolate and heavy cream.
Pour the chips in a microwave safe bowl.
Add the heavy cream.
And the sweetened condensed milk.
Stir it all together. Then pop in your microwave and set it for 2 minutes at 70% power.
Take it out and stir. Keep stirring. Stir some more; until everything is combined and smooth. If it isn't smooth, return it to the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring throughly after each.
Then add the vanilla.
And stir again! Untill all the chocolate is melted and it is smooth and shiny; like this.
Pour into your prepared pan smoothing it down to make it even all over. Let cool on your counter then in fridge for 2 hours or overnight; until firm.
Lift out of pan using overlapped foil; remove foil. Cut into squares. Serve. Enjoy! And make sure to hide them from your kids! Since the pieces are so small they think they can have two or three, but don't understand the consequences of soooo much chocolate! Have a great day!
Double Chocolate Fudge
1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tblsp cream or milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Nuts are optional
Prepare 8-in square pan with foil, set aside. In a microwave safe bowl put both kinds of chips, sweetened condensed milk, and cream. Microwave for 2 min at 70% power. Stir. If there are chunks, put back in microwave for at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, till mixture is smooth and shiny. Add vanilla and nuts, if using, and mix completely. Spread evenly into pan. Let cool on counter for about 30 min then in fridge for 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board; peel off foil and cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Makes about 2 1/2 pounds.
Let me start by saying I'm sorry the above picture is so dark. By the time I had finished making these and let them set it was dark outside. So I know it sounds odd to make marshmallows at home when they are so cheap at the store. But when you want to make something special out of them or cut them into an interesting shape it is hard to do with those perfectly symetrical qooey things in a bag. And you're lucky if you find a bag that doesn't have at least part of them impossibly melded together. So this year for Christmas I wanted to dip some in chocolate and sprinkle them with crushed peppermint. There are numerous recipes out there for producing these puffy pieces of perfection, and you can tint or flavor them anyway you want.
And in this case I wanted them to be slightly vanilla flavored but not overwhelmingly so. To start, put 1/2 cup water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top. Allow it to dissolve and soften.
In a heavy bottom pan, add sugar, 1/3 cup water and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and insert candy thermometer.
While the sugar is cooking, place egg whites in bowl of mixer and beat till frothy. Add a pinch of salt and check that sugar syrup. When it reaches 210-220 degrees increase the speed of the mixer till the egg whites are are thick and puffy. When the syrup reaches 245 degrees, slowly pour the syrup down onto the egg whites while the mixer is still beating. Take care not to allow it to drip directly on the beater as it will get thrown onto the sides of the bowl and not down into the carefully beaten whites.
Once the syrup is all out, dump the gelatin into the pan and the residual heat will melt it. Pour the gelatin into the egg whites, then the vanilla. Beat for 5 more minutes.
You should already have a pan sprayed, lined with parchment and dusted with confectioners sugar. Now pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and smooth with a wet spatula. Dust with more confectioners sugar and allow to set for a few hours or overnight.
Turn them out onto a powdered sugar dusted counter or sheet pan.
Use a sharp knife, scissors, or pizza cutting wheel to cut them into even squares. Then dust sides more powdered sugar so they don't stick together.
Now pop one in your mouth, purely for research purposes of course. Then I dipped half of each into melted chocolate and sprinkled some crushed peppermint on top. Boy were they good. Just the right amount of fluff, perfectly sweet and the crisp crunch of the peppermint made them the perfect treat and gift. Try them yourself. It will be worth it, trust me!
MMMMM Gooey cheese. Warm pork and ham. Crunchy pickles. Crisp bread. The beginning of a glorious friendship. Ever since season 3 of Top Chef when they had the late night snack wagon challenge and Howie tried to do his version of a cuban sandwich and royally screwed it up, have I wanted to make one myself. Now I'm not Cuban. I don't think I know anyone who is Cuban, and I've never been to Cuba. So I knew I needed to find a recipe that was authentic but could be adapted to my very rural surroundings. Living so far north of Cuba and wayyyyy out in the country means you don't get a good variety of specialty foods. Heck we don't even get a variety! So I was lucky to find a recipe that told me some of the things that could be substituted and still keep within the spirit of a good cuban sandwich.
Here we have a loaf of French Bread (not a baguette), sliced roast pork, sliced pickles, smoked provolone, butter and mustard.
And some sliced ham. We are lucky to have this succulent Kentucky ham at our local store so I sliced some up for mine.
Now most recipes call for the sandwich to be weighted down with a brick on a griddle. However, I don't have a brick, but I do have this nifty panini press. So I plugged it in so it would be hot when I was ready.
I cut the loaf in half crosswise, then those halfs horizontally. Then spread the insides of both with butter.
First go the pickles, then the pork and ham. Be generous.
Then top with cheese and mustard, if you desire.
Then place the whole thing on your press or griddle (with weight) and start to squish. And keep applying gentle pressure till all the cheese is melted, the meat is warmed through and the bread is crispy.
Remove to a cutting board and slice. Serve with chips, or pasta salad or whatever you choose. I ate mine alone. Better to savor all the flavors without muddling it up with superfluous nonsense. So if you live in or near a Big City, first count yourself lucky, then go out and buy the ingredients to make this quick and delicious sandwich tonight.
Enjoy!
Cuban Sandwich
Serves 2
Small loaf french bread
1/2 lb roast pork, sliced
4 slices good cooked ham
1 sliced pickle, such as Vlasic Stackers
6 slices provolone or swiss cheese
butter
mustard (optional)
Cut bread in half, then slice horizontal. Butter the insides. Layer pickle, pork, ham, and cheese. Squirt with mustard. Top with other half of bread. Place on griddle or panini press and squish till cheese is melted, meat is warmed through and bread is crisp. Slice and enjoy.
*** Update***
I had an opportunity to make this again when the temperatures dipped to just above zero this week. And this time I tried my hand at making it lower in fat. So I made some substitutions. For the Ricotta I used low fat cottage cheese. For the Heavy Cream I used 2% milk. It worked out really well and was thinner than the original making it closer to what I experienced at Olive Garden without the addition of chicken broth. However, I noticed the broth was more grainy, or "broken". So I am going to have to tinker more to get it just like I want. But overall I was satisfied and full!
A few weeks before Christmas I met with one of my step-daughters to do some shopping. After a few hours spent waiting in line and navigating through bumper to bumper traffic we were starving. And since I don't get to the Big City often I wanted to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, Olive Garden. I had to twist and pull her arm to agree with me (yea, right) but she finally did and I was giddy with excitment. It may not sound like much to those of you who have a Starbucks on every corner, but for us way out here in the boondocks it is cause for joy! It was a cool day and I didn't want to weigh myself down with a heavy lunch and make myself miserable for the trip back home, so I ordered soup and salad. I usually get their pasta e fagioli but another dish caught my eye. It was the Chicken Gnocchi Veronese. It included little puffy clouds of potato gnocchi smothered in a creamy chicken broth. I was sold!
So one of the first things I wanted to do when I got home was look for a recipe, which I found at Olive Garden's own website. After a bit of tweeking, I thought I could make it on my own. So I sat about to see what I could accomplish. I had to start with the chicken marinade and the gnocchi since they take the longest. I was most initimidated by the gnocchi. From what I've read it can be hard to get tender gnocchi. If you overcook the potato it can get too dry and fall apart. If not cooked enough it will be too hard to mash and the end result will be dense..
Most recipes called for baking the potatoes, but I didn't have time for that. So I decided to use my trusty microwave. I put four red skinned potatoes in a microwave safe bowl with about an inch of water in the bottom. After 9 minutes they were cooked perfectly. So I slightly cooled and then peeled them. Now it would be good to use a ricer or a food mill to get the potatoes into the fine pieces you need, but I didn't have one (are you listening Santa?). And using my food processor was out of the question cause it would turn the potatoes into a glumpy gluey mess! So I had to use my trusty potato masher which, aside from a few small lumps, worked perfectly.
After adding the flour, egg and salt and mixing it just until it comes together, I turned it out onto my floured counter top and rolled it into snake rolls about 1/2 in thick. Then I cut it into bite size pieces and rolled the tines of a fork along it to make the tell-tell gnocchi ridges. Now those ridges aren't just for pretty sake, they are there to help hold whatever kind of sauce you choose to use. Form AND function, I love it!
So then I put them on a lightly floured tray to wait for the water to boil and the soup to be at the right stage for them to be added. During this time I also sliced and marinated the chicken for two hours in a ziplock baggy in my fridge. The marinade is easy, just lemon juice, garlic and a couple rosemary branches.
So with the chicken marinated and the gnocchi ready to cook, I got everything together to finish off the soup. I was thinking, this sure does seem like a lot of work for just soup. But remembering how euphoric that first bite made me feel, I was willing to go the extra mile. You see here I have sliced leeks, parmesan cheese, the marinated chicken, heavy cream, ricotta cheese, a pepper, chicken broth and olive oil.
First I sliced and rinsed the leeks. Leeks harbor a lot of sand from the soil they are grown in. If you've never had or heard of a leek, their flavor is a mix between a mild onion and a cucumber. They are in the same family of Allium's as onions and garlic. They have a milder flavor than shallots but still, IMHO, tastes and smell like sweet onions. Instead of growing into a tight ball like onions, they grow tall stalks of thin layers. If you haven't ever tried a leek search your local produce market and pick you up a couple. Subsitute them for onions in your next meal or salad. Or better yet, try this soup!
OK, so the leeks are rinsed and drained, the chicken is marinated and the ingredients are all at standby! We're ready! First I mixed the Ricotta, cream and parmesan together and set it aside.
Then I put the leeks and peppers in a large pan with olive oil to saute till they were translucent. I drained some of the juice from the chicken and took out the rosemary, just cause I'm not a big fan of large pieces of herbs in my teeth, and added it to the pan. I also put a pot of water on to boil for the gnocchi.
Then I remembered I had some leftover broccoli in my fridge and decided it wouldn't hurt to add a little extra veg to an otherwise mostly unhealthy dish! So I chopped it into small pieces and added it to the end of the chicken's cooking time.
At this point we were go for takeoff. I added the cream sauce mixture to the chicken and the gnocchi to the pot of boiling water.
When they float to the top they are done. So I added them to the chicken and cream.
After stirring them in I noticed the soup was a bit thick, so I added about 1-2 cups of chicken broth and stirred to combine everyting together. Then added salt and pepper to taste.
After letting it simmer for about 12-15 minutes I couldn't wait any longer. So I laddled some up for hubby and me with a nice dose of fresh ground pepper on top
and served it along side some cheesy garlic bread. And let me tell you, that first bite transported me back to Olive Garden and to that euphoric place once more. This is definitely going on my list of indulgent foods. I am, however, going to find ways to lighten it up a bit. All that heavy cream and ricotta is bound to land somewhere close to my hips and that is the LAST place I need or want it! So look for the lower fat version sometime in the near future.
Meanwhile, here is the full fat recipe with my tweeks! ENJOY!
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Prep Time: 30 min - 2 hrs, 30 m
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, sliced and rinsed
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Salt to taste
3 chicken breasts, sliced in ½” strips
2 small branches rosemary
1 garlic clove, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
Sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup ricotta cheese
14 fl oz heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
Gnocchi
1 1/2 qt water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs yolks
1 1/2 lbs potatoes
2 tsp salt
OR
1 lb frozen gnocchi (potato dumplings), cooked according to package directions
Directions:
FIRST: Combine garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a zip bag. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.
For the Gnocchi
Wash potatoes and place in microwave safe bowl with 1 inch water. Cook potatoes until soft (cook time will depend on size of potatoes) approx 9 min. Run potatoes under cool water for a few minutes till easier to handle, but still warm. Peel the cooled potatoes and push them through a fine grater (ricer) until mashed; do not over-mash potatoes or they will get tough. Combine potatoes, flour and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix well until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed).
Divide dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope about a 1/2 in thick. Cut each rope into 1/2 inch pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance. Put them on a lightly floured sheet pan to rest. Bring water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in gnocchi in batches and cook until they float. Strain out and set aside.
Chicken & Sauce
Combine the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese,heavy cream and chicken broth in a mixing bowl and set aside. Heat a large pan on medium high then add extra virgin olive oil, leeks and bell pepper. Saute until leeks are translucent (do not brown). Add the marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.
Drain cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to combine. Let simmer for 15-20 min.
Serve topped with extra Parmesan cheese and garlic bread.
I do so hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Years. Mine was turbulent at best. My baby was very sick and in turn gave it to my husband and me. Luckily the other two children were spared. So it was a good thing I got started in the kichen early. During Christmas time I do a lot of baking and cooking and candy making to give as gifts to friends and family. I usually over think everything and try to make way more than time or my small kitchen will allow. And I usually pick recipes I haven't tried before but sounds simple enough. I picked seven recipes to make and out of all of them only one didn't turn out. I was quite proud of myself. This sugary nut concoction turned out great though and, although I was worried about it about the middle of the way through, it was quite easy to make and required very few ingredients.
With only sugar, raw peanuts, and perserverance you can be munching on these while watching tv, or take them with you to your local highschool football game. Or, perhaps if you felt so generous, you could even share them if you dare. But once your friends get a taste of these babies you will be asked to make them again and again. It will be just between you and me how simple they are.
Pour everyone in the pool. See that candy thermometer, forget it, you don't need it. And one thing I forgot to add was the cinnamon or chili powder if you want to.
Then stir it all around to coat all the nuts. And keep stirring frequently for about the next 5 to 8 min. This is when I said, "oh crap". Cause I wasn't sure what I had done wrong. I didn't know if I got the amounts wrong, or if I put the ingredients in in the wrong order. But after re-reading the recipe I realized it was normal and everything was going according to plan. The water evaporates and the sugar gets sandy and starts to coat the nuts.
If you keep folding the nuts over on themselves you will see there is a syrup that starts to form at the bottom of the pan. It is important to keep the nuts stirred frequently so that neither the sugar nor the nuts get scorched. After a little while you will be rewarded with beautiful golden nuts.
They will be crunchy and deep brown. At this time you can add the cinnamon or chili powder whichever you wish.
Then pour them out onto a tray to cool. Break up any clumps and try to resist popping one in your mouth. They are still quite hot and the sugar can burn your mouth. But it should be quite alright to try them in a few minutes. They would be great to munch on while watching TV or maybe take some to the local highschool football game to keep you nurished during the cold evening. If you wish, you may gift some to friends or relatives. But beware! They may start asking you to make them more often, and that can be dangerous to your waistline! You can store them in an airtight container where they will keep up to about 1 week. IF they last that long!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Caramelized Peanuts
4 cups raw peanuts (or almonds)
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
a good pinch of coarse sea salt
1 Tbls ground cinnamon or chili powder (optional)
Place first 3 ingredients in heavy duty pan on medium heat. Stir frequently until the mixture seizes up and turns sandy. Keep stirring and scraping up the syrup forming at the bottom of the pan and fold over the top of the nuts. The nuts will start to turn brown and golden. Keep stirring and remove from heat if it starts to smoke. When it has reached the desired color remove from heat and pour out into a pan to cool. Break up any clumps and serve when cool. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.