Comforting Chicken Casserole

Not quite a year ago Sumner called me and asked what I thought about starting a Book Club. I love to read and to discuss books, so I was very excited thought it was a great idea! Sure enough there were several other people who felt the same way and shortly thereafter the Edgewood Book Club was underway. (It is an open Book Club, so new members are welcome anytime. If you are interested in joining just email me.) About every six weeks we get together at one of the members homes and eat, drink a glass of wine, and discuss the most recent book. I have really enjoyed the camaraderie and reading books that I may not have picked out on my own.

This week it was my turn to host and therefore I was responsible for the main course. We have been really busy lately and I had the Bachelorette on Monday and a meeting on Tuesday night, so I needed a dish that could be made ahead and wouldn’t take a lot of time or work to make. Russ suggested Chicken Tetrazzini which can be made ahead of time, but is still a fair amount of work and a little time consuming. I talked to Mom and she mentioned one of her casseroles, Chicken Spectacular. I don’t tend to make a lot of casseroles, so I tend to forget that my Mother has lots of wonderful casserole recipes that I grew up eating and find just as yummy and comforting now as I did then. Sometime soon I need to go copy more of Mom’s casserole recipes down and give them a try.

To make Mom’s Chicken Spectacular you start by boiling chicken breasts (I used bone in, skin on breasts) in water until they are just cooked through. Then remove them from the water, let them cool, and shred the chicken. Next cook the curry rice by using the chicken stock from cooking the chicken instead of water. Once the rice is cooked, combine the chicken and other ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined. Then spread the mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes to one hour or until warm all the way through.

The Chicken Spectacular was wonderful! It not only worked well for my hectic schedule this week, but it was tasty, filling, warm and true comfort food. Everyone at book club seemed to enjoy it and Russ and I plan to polish off the leftovers for lunch this week. The combination of rice, chicken and green beans is excellent and the curry from the rice gives the dish a real warmth and depth to it. Be sure and include the water chestnuts as the crunch they add really balances out the soft texture of the dish. The only change I would make next time is to add one more can of green beans. I don’t think you have to, but I would prefer a few more beans in it. This may require additional cream of celery or mayonnaise to be added to keep the consistency and prevent it from being too dry. This was very yummy and it would be great to make ahead and freeze if you want to stock your freezer. Russ rates the casserole a 9.

Mom’s Chicken Spectacular

Ingredients:
Chicken (3 to 4 breasts depending on the size), cooked and shredded
1 can Del Monte seasoned French green beans, drained (I plan to use 2 cans next time)
1 small box of curried rice
1 can of water chestnuts, sliced and cut into quarters
3 to 5 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 can of cream of celery soup
¾ to 1 cup of mayonnaise
1 medium size jar of pimento, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the chicken in water. Once it is cooked, remove it from the water, allow to cool, and shred. Use the water from cooking the chicken to cook the rice following the directions on the package (just replacing water with the chicken stock). Once the rice is cooked, combine all ingredients, and mix until they are combined. Spread the mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes to one hour or until it is warm all the way through. Bake uncovered, however, check it periodically and if it is getting too brown on top then cover the dish with aluminum foil for the remaining baking time.

A Tasty Repeat in Telluride

If you have been reading this blog since it started then you may remember that last March I went with Russ and his family out to Telluride, Colorado to go skiing. This year we were blessed to be able to all go again (plus a few newer significant others). I did not grow up in a skiing family, so last year was my first time ever to go skiing. Since I am still new to skiing I am still learning lots about how to ski and the skiing lifestyle. One thing that struck me odd was that despite it being after daylight savings that the lifts close at 4 pm. It stays light for several hours after 4 pm and while I know that certain things have to happen after the lifts close such as ski patrol making a last run and the snow “cats” grooming the runs it still seemed like they would at least run until 5 pm. Well, by the second day I was thankful that they did close at 4 pm. Skiing is a lot of fun, but it is totally exhausting and by 4 pm each day I was ready to take off my ski boots and find a cold beer.

I was especially happy to have the lifts close at 4 pm on the night that Russ and I cooked dinner for everyone. Last year and again this year each of the four Chambliss “kids” and their respective significant other take one night to cook for everyone. Last year Russ and I did a Mexican theme with tortilla soup and tacos, here. This year I debated about what to make… Being a planner I wanted to know what we were going to make before we went, so this meant I wanted to stay away from dishes that I thought might be prepared by the other siblings in order to not duplicate. I finally decided on a simple, yet hearty dish that makes a great presentation and everyone loves – Chicken Vegetable Braid. It is a repeat on the blog that Russ and I made once before here.

The Chicken Vegetable Braid is pretty when it is whole like a present all wrapped up. Once you cut into it you see all the bright and pretty colors of the vegetables. It is a delicious and filling meal. I really like how all the flavors and textures play together in this dish. Russ and I were especially pleased that everyone seemed to enjoy it! Russ rates it a 9.

Chicken and Vegetable Braid (Mom from Pampered Chef)

1 cup broccoli, diced

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/3 cup red pepper, diced

4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp. dill mix
½ cup mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)

¼ tsp. salt

2 packages crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 375 F.Mix everything except the crescent rolls together in a bowl (this can be done the night before if you want). Then roll out the rolls and cut slices. Put the mixture in the middle and then wrap the slices cris crossing at the top (to form the braid). Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes. (My notes: To serve 10 I made two braids and did a little more than double the chicken / veggie mixture.)

The Good Roast

Just a few weeks ago I spoke of my bone to pick with the weather and how I had decided to wait until it turned colder to make a pot roast. Well, I have been dying to make a pot roast, but since it needs to cook for a minimum of three hours then I really need to do it a weekend so we don’t eat at nine o’clock at night. It finally turned cooler, but our weekends just haven’t allowed time for a pot roast. So, today I decided that come hell or high water I was going to make a pot roast and not just any pot roast, but The Good Roast. My Mother has two pot roast recipes which I have dubbed The Good Roast and The Bad Roast. I’ll be honest The Bad Roast is not actually bad it just doesn’t compare at all to the flavor and vegetable gravy of The Good Roast. I have never made The Bad Roast, but apparently it is easier and takes less time than The Good Roast which is why Mom has two pot roast recipes. Today I finally make it to the grocery store to get the ingredients around five or so… and by the time I get the roast in the oven and cook it we still end up eating at nine o’clock… Luckily it turned out delicious and was worth the wait and late dinner.

The pot roast was moist and flavorful and the vegetable gravy that it cooks in just makes this dish. I served it with green beans and mashed red potatoes. It is definitely a favorite winter time comfort food of mine and Russ will never turn down a meat and potatoes meal. It was delicious and I look forward to using the leftovers in a couple different ways in the coming days… so stay tuned. Russ rates The Good Roast a 9.

The Good Roast is a family recipe that I have been asked not to post on the blog which I respect. However, if you are family and would like a copy of the recipe then you are more than welcome to submit a blood sample, appropriate paper work (including a marriage certificate if you are related by marriage), and a formal letter requesting the recipe… or just email me.

Christmas Morning Bread

One of the things I love about the holidays is the foods that to me just say Christmas. I love how families eat the same meal every Christmas year after year and when someone suggests a change it always ends up that everyone really wants the same meal as last year. Well one food tradition in my family growing up was eating homemade Cinnamon Swirl Bread every Christmas morning. Our parents would give us a certain time that we were allowed to go downstairs and look in our stockings. Shortly after we pulled everything out of our stockings our parents would come downstairs and see what Santa brought and start a pot of coffee for my Dad. We would eventually all sit down at the kitchen table to a breakfast of eggs, fruit and the most wonderful warm cinnamon swirl bread. It was one of the best times of the morning as we were all right there together and enjoying Christmas morning. Now we all have our own homes and consequently our own Christmas morning traditions. I know Russ and I look forward to Christmas morning with just the two of us and Cash as our time together to share presents, sit by the fire, and enjoy a quiet morning together in our pajamas. As much as I love our Christmas morning together I still miss the cinnamon swirl bread, so this year I have decided to bridge the old and new traditions and make small loaves of it for everyone.

To make the bread be sure and allow ample time for rising. The dough rises three separate times during the process. Aside from that it is a fairly straight forward yeast bread. I happen to love yeast breads and this is my favorite. The combination of cinnamon and sugar with the yummy yeast bread is just perfect. It is great at room temperature, warm, or toasted. Russ rates the bread a 9.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, based on a recipe from Better Homes and Garden cookbook
(makes 2 large loaves or 6 small loaves)

1 pack active dry yeast
2 cups milk, scalded
½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening (Crisco)
2 t. salt
7 and ½ cups sifted all purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten

Filling:
¾ cup sugar
1 and ½ T. cinnamon
Soft butter

Active yeast in warm water. Pour scalded milk over ½ cup sugar. Add shortening and salt. Stir to dissolve and then cool to lukewarm.

Add 3 cups of flour and mix well. Stir in the softened yeast and beaten eggs. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Let dough rest 10 minutes. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly greased bowl, let rise until doubled. Then push down and let rise again. Punch down and divide dough in half (if making two large loaves). Let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half into a rectangle and spread soft butter on dough. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon / sugar mixture on each and sprinkle with water. Roll up and place seam edge down in greased loaf pan. Sprinkle top with cinnamon / sugar and let rise until doubled (covered, in a warm place). Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes.

Better Neighbors...

While it isn’t quite the new year and I do have a few more days I have not decided what resolutions I am going to make for 2008 yet. In fact I am not sure what my 2007 resolutions were… Anyway, one that I am considering for 2008 is being a better neighbor. Russ and I love our house and our street and we know the neighbors around us and speak to them when we see them and there are a few others down the way that we say hi to when we see them and others we wave to in passing, but we don’t really know that many of them. We are not looking to find new best friends in our neighbors, but I feel like we should know a few more than we do. It is not that Russ and I aren’t great neighbors because we really are in the sense that we keep our house and yard up and Cash is friendly and not a barker, but we don’t really go out of way to meet new neighbors or go see any of the approximate million new babies that have been born on the street since we moved in almost two years ago. This is mainly because Russ and I are both relatively shy especially around people we don’t know or don’t know well. We have broken out of shells to go to the annual Halloween street party the last two years, but it is hard to meet neighbors who are all chasing their toddlers and tending to crying infants and the only neighbors who come to the street party besides us are those who have toddlers or crying infants. I am not exactly sure how we will try and become better neighbors, but I thought a good start would be to deliver a small holiday baked good to the neighbors on either side of us and across the street. So, I made small loaves of my mother in law’s recipe for pumpkin bread and Russ sweetly delivered them only to discover that the neighbors on either side were out of town and the one across the street who was at home and appreciated the bread is also trying to sell their house and will probably be gone soon anyway… Oh well, at least we are trying, right?

I am not posting the pumpkin bread recipe as this is a family recipe that may well be put to good use one day when Jane opens a restaurant or café or writes a cookbook. It is very yummy and the perfect blend of pumpkin and spice. Russ rates it a 9.

A Frozen Gift

I am sure many of you can almost impossible to buy gifts for my Mother. She always says she doesn’t need or want anything and she truly doesn’t want any “stuff” for the house or clothes for her closet. So, as December rolled around this year Jessica, Will, and I were back to trying to figure out what to get Mom for Christmas. The only things that Mom ever needs are more hours in the day or more energy to get through them. Since we can’t exactly give her either of these we decided we would go out on a limb and try a new gift idea for her – homemade frozen food. She and my Dad both love home cooked meals, but some days it is hard for Mom to find the time or energy to make them. This way she will be able to have a few stored up in the freezer for days when she wants a break, but doesn’t want to pick up Chinese food or go out to eat. After running the idea past our Dad and Mom’s sister, Aunt Judy, we decided to make one frozen meal each for her and then supply her with coupons for more meals at later dates.

For my frozen meal I decided to make a version of my mother in law’s Beef and Vegetable Soup. To make the soup you use either leftover roast beef or brown ground beef with some onions. You then add any mix of vegetables (canned, frozen, leftovers from the week, fresh), some canned tomatoes, a can of Rotel, salt, pepper, and a little Tony’s and let is simmer away. You can also add rice or pasta if you like. I used ground beef and a mix of frozen and fresh vegetables. Russ and I did a taste test and thought it was yummy and would make a great gift for Mom. I divided it into three containers and froze them. (This is pretty much the recipe, but I'll post the full recipe shortly.)

Mom loved our new gift idea and will hopefully love the soup when she tries it in the near future! The soup is hearty and filled with lots of yummy different flavors from the various vegetables. I really like the vary the sizes of the vegetables which not only gives the soup a good look, but a nice variety of textures. We served it with a piece of cheese toast per Russ' request. It is delicious for lunch or dinner and freezes and reheats very well. Russ rates the soup a 10. (I didn't get a picture of Mom from Christmas, so instead I included one of her favorite child, Bernie.)

Holiday Cookie Baking

In elementary school I would each invite all the girls in my class over for a Gingerbread House and Cookie Decorating party every December. Mom made gingerbread houses out of graham crackers using a melted sugar mixture as glue and sugar cookies in different holiday shapes in advance. Each child would get their own house to ice and decorate with colored hard candies, gum drops, and candy canes. We would also ice and decorate sugar cookies with different colors of icing and sprinkles. This was a holiday tradition in our house for years that not only I participated in, but also Jessica and Will and there classmates. After elementary school we no longer had the individual parties or decorated gingerbread houses. However, my Mother would still make her holiday sugar cookies along with her fudge and my Dad would make his famous peanut brittle and Aunt Bill’s (a candy similar to blonde fudge). As the years passed and we all went to college and moved out of the house many of these traditions became a thing of the past. A couple years ago Jessica and I decided to begin a new family tradition of having a Saturday in December dedicated to holiday baking. For the past few years we collect different cookie recipes and narrow it down to a select few to try. The past two years Dad has joined us to help make his famous holiday candies. It has become a day that Jess and I both look forward to and enjoy spending together. From what we hear it sounds like our family and friends who are recipients of some of the goods enjoy it too!

This year we decided on three cookie recipes and two candy recipes. Apparently we were being a little overzealous as we didn’t end up having time to make one of the candies. In order to have plenty to share we tripled one cookie recipe and doubled all the others. We really put Jess’ Kitchen Aid mixer to the test this year, so next year we plan to use both our mixers to accommodate the larger quantities. The selections this year were Linzer Cookies, Chocolate Butter Cookies, Nut Crescents, and Dad’s Peanut Brittle.

Russ gave me an early Christmas gift of a Christmas Linzer Cookie set. It had a recipe that came with it that looked really yummy with only four ingredients including orange extract. The dough did require lots of chilling in the fridge at different stages, so despite the few ingredients it took a while to have it ready to roll out. Once they were baked we decided that we probably should have rolled it a little thinner. The flavor with the hint of orange and the buttery texture were wonderful. We used apricot (homemade by Elizabeth) and raspberry jam in between the two cookies which added both great color and fantastic flavor that worked with the hint of orange. I love the beautiful look of linzer cookies with their window effect and the color of the jam contrasting with the dusting of powder sugar – picture perfect!

Both the Chocolate Butter Cookies and the Nut Crescents came from the holiday baking issue of Cooks’ Illustrated. The Chocolate Butter Cookies started out well with the dark dough coming together and forming easily into smaller portions to chill in the fridge. When the dough came out we rolled it out attempting to get it to be 3/16 of an inch thick. The problem is that the dough is very difficult to work with and has to stay cool in order for you to cut the cookies out and move them to the baking tray. As you roll it out in order to get it that thin the dough warms up too much and becomes very sticky and soft. It was quite an ordeal, but in the end we rolled them slightly thicker, cut them out, put them back in the fridge to chill again and then removed them and placed them on the baking sheet. Once they were baking we had two trays with silpats and two with parchment paper (the recipe calls for parchment paper). Well, the cookies on the parchment paper burned on the bottom making them inedible…. So, we only baked them on the silpats from then on and were thankful we had doubled the recipe since we had to throw out the burned ones. The next night we go to decorate these with melted white chocolate. Let’s just say that turned into a sticky mess, so we opted for undecorated cookies. The flavor was delicious with a distinct chocolate and espresso flavors and the texture was perfect from the butter. All in all these cookies were a huge hassle and consequently we won’t be making them again which is a shame as they were quite tasty. On the other hand the Nut Crescents (usually called Mexican Wedding Cookies) came together without any trouble. We used pecans in our batter and then formed the dough into rings instead of crescent shapes. They baked up perfectly and looked pretty with their powder sugar dusting. If I don’t say so myself I think this may be the best Nut Crescent style cookie I have ever tasted. They were not dry at all as I sometimes find this kind of cookie. They had a wonderful somewhat crumbly texture that was still moist and full of flavor from the pecans. These are definitely a recipe to be repeated! So, Cooks’ Illustrated is currently 1 for 1 which means we’ll probably still seek out their holiday baking issue next year, but we’ll keep an eye out for pesky recipes!

Dad has been our guest chef for two years in a row now and we love having him join us. This year he came and made his homemade Peanut Brittle which is his Dad’s recipe. It is a fairly simple recipe with only a few ingredients, but it comes out with a great crunchy texture and tons of yummy peanuts! He hasn’t made it in several years now, but it tasted just as we remembered it.

Russ gives the Peanut Brittle a 10, the Nut Crescents and Chocolate Butter Cookies 8s and the Linzer cookies a 9. It was a very fun afternoon and a tradition that I look forward to each holiday season.

Linzer Cookie Recipe

1 cup butter
2 cups sifted Cake Flour
1 tsp. Orange Extract
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1 jar Raspberry or Apricot Jam

Mix butter, orange extract and sugar. Stir in 1 cup of flour at a time, mixing well. Chill the dough at least 2 hours. Roll out 1/2 the dough on cookie sheet to 1/4 inch thick and chill 30 more minutes. Cut with the Linzer Cutter without an insert. Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350F for 12 minutes. Roll out the other half of dough on a second cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Cut with the Linzer Cutter with your choice of the 6 inserts in place. Remove excess dough and bake immediately at 350F for 12 minutes. Cool completely. Dust tops with powdered sugar. Spread 2 teaspoons jam on each cookie bottom. Place tops over bottoms to create the sandwich effect. Makes 10 - 12 cookies.

Other recipes and more pictures are coming soon. The pictures above are not great since my regular photographer was out of town duck hunting. The good news is he brought home duck... so stay tuned for my first attempt at cooking duck!

Family Recipes

The best thing about living in Birmingham for Russ and me is our family. Our parents, all our siblings, and Russ’ grandfather all currently live within ten minutes of us and we love it! Not a week goes by when we don’t see at least one or more family member. Just this past week Jess, Scott and Hugo came over for dinner, we ate lunch with my Dad, and we hung out in Tuscaloosa at the Alabama game with all of Russ’ siblings. Our families have lots of things in common including a love of food and sharing meals together. Not long after I started this blog I realized I needed a category for family recipes. Maybe I am a sap, but there is something really special to me about making a recipe that I remember my Mom or Dad making when I was younger or learning a family recipe from Russ’ Mom. Both our families have recipes that go back several generations and that is an incredible gift to have. When it comes to family recipes I always ask if I can put the recipe up on my blog. Usually the answer is yes, but sometimes like tonight’s dinner the answer is I’d rather keep this one in the family. I can appreciate that some family recipes are just that recipes for the family. Its not that Mom is worried that someone might go make a million dollars off of her Stroganoff, but there is something special about keeping some recipes just in the family.

For Bachelor Night tonight Russ and I hosted and served Mom’s Beef Stroganoff over egg noodles. Elizabeth and Seth brought a Cesar salad and bread and Emily and Dowe brought cheese and crackers and chocolate chip cookie bars. Everything was yummy! Russ rates the stroganoff a 10.

Since I didn't post on Halloween and there have been a few requests I am posting a picture of Russ and me in our costumes (Mario and Princess Peach) from last weekend.

Comfort Food - My Spaghetti Sauce

This week our schedule is up in the air where meal planning is not going to work very well. However, I don’t want to end up eating out every night for dinner and I would like something that we can share with family, so I decided to make a large batch of spaghetti that we can eat off of the nights we are at home this week and share and freeze the rest. I don’t have a recipe that I really follow for my spaghetti sauce, but it is loosely based off of my Mother’s version which also doesn’t have a recipe. I am going to try and put a recipe to my version, but just know that if you try it you can play with it by adding to it or removing anything you don’t about it.

To start I sauté the onions, peppers, and mushrooms in olive oil with a little salt and pepper and dried Italian seasonings. Once these are soft I add the ground beef to it and sauté until the meat is cooked through. I then drain it to get the grease out of it. I then start adding the different tomatoes and tomato sauces. I also add the black olives and more of the dried Italian seasoning. I’ll let it simmer for a while and then will check it to adjust the seasoning as necessary. Usually it will need more spices, salt and pepper. Let is simmer for approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Serve with hot cooked spaghetti.

The spaghetti served it purpose this week by filling in meals for us and allowing us to share some with Russ' family. I like the variety of vegetables in it and the flavor and textures they add to it. This is a thicker, hearty sauce that for me is yummy comfort food. You can also make it anyway you want and it will still be yummy. If you don't like olives then leave them out, if you have other veggies around then throw them in, if you don't want red meat then try it with ground turkey and so forth and so on. It also freezes and shares very well, so whenever I do make spaghetti sauce I make a lot of it. Russ rates the spaghetti sauce a 9.

Waffles... Just like Dad made...

Most of my cooking memories from growing up are from my Mom cooking dinner. However, some of my more special memories are of all the baking and cooking for the holidays and the occasional special treats we would make with my parents sometimes such as doughnuts, popcorn balls, gingerbread houses, Aunt Bill's Candy, peanut brittle, funnel cakes, and more. As I mentioned in my post from last weekend my Saturday cooking memory from growing up is of my Dad making waffles for three of us. I don't know the last time that I had Dad's waffles, but I remember watching Dad making them, how wonderful they tasted, and eating them half at a time so that they would stay hot. So, I was eager to give it a try this morning and let Russ experience my Dad's waffles for the first time.

To make Dad's waffles you mix together the dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls and then combine them. The dry ingredients include flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. The wet ingredients are 1 egg (lightly whisked), milk, and vegetable oil. Once you combine the wet and dry separately you will want to stir them each separately and then combine. Dad said that he usually adds a little more flour once he combines them to get the consistency he likes. I did the same adding about 1/8 a cup more flour. You then heat your waffle iron, spray it with Pam, and cook your waffles.

The waffles turned out wonderful and tasted just like I remembered. Russ really liked them too and said he thought they were even better than last week's waffles. Dad's waffles are nothing fancy, but they are the perfect classic waffle. Russ and I ate them with a little butter and syrup. Russ rates the waffles a 10!

Now that Russ has tried my childhood Saturday breakfast I am wondering when he is going to make his Dad's Saturday morning pancakes for me.... Apparently music is the key ingredient to the pancakes, so I am anxious to give them a try.

Dad's Waffles
(Makes 2 to 3 waffles)

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 tablespoon sugar

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg, whisked
1 cup of milk (we used skim)
1/4 cup of vegetable oil

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and stir just to mix them together. In a separate bowl add the egg and whisk it lightly, then add the milk and oil and stir to combine. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix them together. You may need to add about 1/8 of a cup more of flour in order to make sure the mixture is not too runny.

Heat your waffle iron and spray with Pam. Then add the batter and cook. Serve with butter and syrup.

Mom's Chicken and Pasta

Tonight Russ and I wanted to get a few things done around the house, but we also wanted to eat at home. So, I decided to make one of Mom’s recipes that is both quick, easy, and yummy. It is her Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes.

To make this recipe you cook the chicken first. You can cook it in water or sauté it on the stove. I tend to cook it in water as it stays moist and doesn’t form any type of a crust on the outside. The down side to cooking it in water is that it doesn’t flavor the chicken. So, to solve this you can add to the water to flavor the chicken (which is optional as the dish will still taste great if you don’t flavor the water). This time I added some pepper, onion (large chunks), and some garlic cloves. Bring the water to a boil with the pepper and veggies and then add the chicken. I usually boil it for a few minutes with the lid off and then turn it off and put the lid on and leave it until it is cooked through. If you would rather sauté the chicken you can do it with olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Once the chicken is cooked and cooling you sauté the chopped garlic in a little olive oil. You then add the canned tomatoes, V-8 juice, salt, pepper, and basil. While this starts to simmer you cut the chicken up into chunks and add it to the dish. Cook this all covered over low heat for 20 – 30 minutes. While the sauce simmers you cook the angel hair pasta and when they are both done you toss them together and serve.

This pasta to me is very tasty with a comfort food feel to it rather than a complex flavor. One of my favorite things about it is that I almost always have all the ingredients on hand in my pantry and freezer. It is a great dish for when you are about to go out of town or just coming back in from being away. I really like how simple and quick it is to put together. Russ also loves this dish and rates it a 9.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Tomatoes
Mom’s recipes (with a few of my changes)

1 (12 oz) package of angel hair pasta (you could use spaghetti or linguine instead if you prefer)
2 medium / large chicken breasts cooked, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 – 4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes (I use either the one with Italian seasonings or with garlic and onion - do not use the petite diced)
1 tablespoon of dried basil (may need more, I also usually also add some dried Italian seasonings)
2 cans V-8 juice (5.5 oz) (I use the spicy kind, but either works well)
Salt and pepper, to taste (only if needed)

1 small onion and 3 cloves garlic (optional if you want to include them when cooking the chicken in water)

Cook the chicken and let cool (see notes in 2nd paragraph about options for cooking the chicken).

Sauté the garlic and onion in the olive oil until tender. Add the dried basil and cook over low heat with the garlic and onions for a little less than a minute. Add the tomatoes (undrained), V-8 juice, and basil let it simmer covered over low heat. Cut the chicken into chunks and add to the sauce. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed with salt, pepper, basil or Italian seasoning. Let the sauce continue to simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. I usually uncover it for the last 10 minutes or so.

Cook the pasta according to package directions.

Once the sauce and pasta are done then toss them together and serve.

Mom's Simple One Dish Meal

It seems like Russ and I have had a non-stop schedule lately, so we wanted a meal for tonight that would allow us lots of time to relax and catch up on laundry instead of spending most of our time cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. We also wanted something that would have enough for leftovers for tomorrow night since we are going to Thirsty Thursday (yes, dollar beer night at the Baron's), but want to eat at home beforehand. I did some thinking and thought of one of my Mother's recipes that I used to make a lot in grad school when I had little time for cooking, but have not made it since. It is her Italian Chicken and Rice.

This dish is super simple to put together and almost all of the ingredients are ones that I already have on hand. You add the water, rice, tomatoes, seasonings, onion, and mozzarella cheese to a casserole dish and mix it all up. You then place the chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture. Lastly, you add the cheese and seasoning mixture to the top and bake it. What makes this super simple is that the rice and chicken go in uncooked. You basically just dump and layer the ingredients and then bake it. If need be you can put it all together earlier in the day and then bake it later on.

As I mentioned before Russ hasn't had this dish before and he really liked it. He loves comfort food and this definitely falls in that category. The rice and chicken are moist from the water and juice from the tomatoes and the cheese and Italian seasonings give it good flavor. This is a great meal for anyone who is does not enjoy spending time cooking, is new to cooking, doesn't have much time on their hands, or just likes comfort food. It is a very hearty meal, so I served it with just steamed broccoli. Russ rates the meal a 8.

Italian Chicken and Rice (Mom's Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of water
1 cup long grain white rice (uncooked)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup (2 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can chopped tomatoes with garlic and herbs, undrained

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (uncooked)

½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
½ cup mozzarella cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine water through canned tomatoes in a 2 quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray.
Arrange chicken on top and push down into the rice mixture.
Sprinkle the top with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
Uncover and cook for 15 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the cheese on top is a little brown.

A little something for lunch and dessert...

This weekend Russ and I did no cooking or baking at all. We had a lazy weekend and ate out or picked up something for every meal including breakfast. That’s right we didn’t even brew our own coffee. While I enjoyed the break I was anxious to get back into the kitchen, so on Sunday night I started working on two things for today / tonight.

We have been trying to eat at home most weekdays for lunch and while I have tried to keep things varied I think we are both tired of turkey sandwiches. So, I decided to make a batch of Russ’ Mom’s chicken salad for our lunch the next couple days. It is really tasty and simple to make. You boil chicken in a pot with green pepper, onion, celery and pepper. Once the chicken is done and has cooled you pull it and add mayonnaise, a little lemon juice, salt, pepper and chopped celery. You can eat it in a sandwich, by itself, or on top of a bed of lettuce. I have watched his Mom make it several times and have made it myself a few times, but Russ and I both thought this batch was the best I’ve made. Russ and I both really enjoyed the chicken salad and the break from turkey sandwiches!

Tonight was Bachelor Night and Emily and Dowe hosted. Russ and I were in charge of the appetizer, bread, and dessert. Russ had an idea recently of doing an antipasti platter for an appetizer using some of the goodies that our new Whole Foods has including olives, roasted tomatoes, stuffed grape leaves, prosciutto, spelt etc. Since we weren’t really making anything for the appetizer and just bought a baguette for the bread I decided to make the dessert. I went with Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Icing. I made the cupcakes last night and then made the frosting tonight. They are not too complicated to put together and I always have fun using my Kitchen Aid mixer (one of my favorite wedding gifts!). The cupcake batter does have several steps, but the result is a rich, chocolate, fluffy batter. The icing comes together quickly using the KA mixer and spreads well over the cupcakes. The icing is wonderful and tastes like a Tag Along (Girl Scout Cookie)! The only change I made was to omit the chopped peanuts on top. Russ doesn’t really like nuts on things and I wasn’t sure I wanted a crunch to my cupcake. While we really liked the cupcakes I think the icing is what makes them, so next time I plan to either make mini cupcakes to have less cake or to pipe some icing in the center of each cupcake in addition to having it on top.

Emily made her Mom's corn flake chicken which was really moist and tasty. Elizabeth was in charge of the sides and made stuffed, baked onions and a yummy salad out of the new CL. It is one I had marked to try, so I was excited when she said she planned to bring it. It is the Asparagus-Apple Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette. It was wonderful! I always like fruit in salads, but I really liked the addition of asparagus in this one. I think I will be giving this one a try soon.

Russ rates the chicken salad a 9 and the cupcakes a 8. Tomorrow night Allen is coming over for dinner and he and Russ will be bottling the beer. I am planning to make a salmon dish of Ina Garten's... I think there may be a trend in the recipes for this week....

Birthday Lasagna

Tonight was the Bachelor night and Russ, Cash and I hosted. This means we were responsible for the entrée. This weekend I was trying to decide what to make, but I was not coming up with any great ideas. So Russ suggested I try making my Mother’s lasagna. Growing up we could always pick what we wanted for dinner on our birthday. Jessica always picked fondue, Dad picked fried chicken, Will usually picked turkey, Mom picked a restaurant, and I always picked lasagna. My Mom has lots of wonderful dishes, but this is by far my favorite. I have watched her make it for years and helped a couple times, but this is the first time I have made it all on my own.

It is fairly time consuming to make, but not too difficult and is fun and relaxing when you have the time. You basically have three parts, the meat / tomato mixture, cheese mixture, and the noodles. There are not exact amounts for the seasoning or some of the other ingredients, so you have to base it on taste, texture etc. So yesterday afternoon while Russ and Allen brewed beer outside I cooked inside. Allen and Russ served as tasters for the meat / tomato mixture once the beer was done. Once all the parts are done then you layer them in the dish starting with the noodles, then the meat, then the cheese and repeat.

Mom always made lots when she made it because it freezes so well and is a good dish to share with others. So, I did the same and made a lot including a large dish for tonight, a smaller one for the freezer, and a small one for Allen. I thought it turned out well for my first try, but it is not quite as good as when Mom makes it. Emily brought a great salad and loaf of french bread and Seth and Elizabeth brought an artichoke dip for an appetizer and bananas foster for dessert. All the puppies came and they had a blast playing together! Cash was pretty disappointed when Wag and Chester left, but he will sleep really well tonight. Russ rates the lasagna a 9, but I think it is more of an 8 since there is room for improvement.


Mom’s Lasagna
(approximate quantities are based on what I used)

Meat and Tomato Mixture:

3 lbs. ground chuck or ground round
1 chopped large onion
4 cloves of garlic, minced
Dried basil, to taste
Dried Italian seasoning, to taste
Salt and pepper, both to taste
Dried parsley, to taste
2 bay leaves
¾ of a small can of tomato paste
2 cans (14.5 oz each) of diced tomatoes (I used one regular and one with Italian seasonings)
1 (14.5 oz) can of tomato sauce
Water, if needed add a little water to the sauce

Cheese Mixture and Other Cheese:

1 large carton of cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup or a little more of sour cream
1 bunch of green onions chopped

1.5 bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Noodles:
1 to 2 packages of lasagna noodles (I used one full package and a little of the 2nd)

For the meat mixture you brown the meat and drain the oil from it. Then add the onion and garlic and sauté for a couples minutes. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 45 minutes. Periodically taste it to check for seasonings and adjust as needed.

For the cheese mixture beat the eggs with a fork and then add the cottage cheese, sour cream, and chopped green onions.

Boil the noodles and then rinse with cold water once they are done.

To assemble spray the pan with Pam and then put a layer of noodles on the bottom. Then cover with a layer of meat sauce. Then put spoonfuls of the cheese mixture all over and spread them with the back of a spoon to cover. Then sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan all over. Top with noodles and repeat. You end with noodles on the top and before you back it you put toothpicks in to keep the noodles from curling up too much. Bake at 350F for 45 to 60 minutes. Bake it uncovered for the first half and then cover it with foil for the remaining time. When it is hot throughout and bubbly it is done.

The Mason's Come for Dinner

For those of you who read yesterday's entry I know you are just dying with suspense as to who was coming to dinner tonight. I will finally end the suspense for you and say that we had Russ' grandparents, The Mason's, over for dinner. They are so sweet and tons of fun to have over. They are also wonderful to cook for as they love everything we serve and always clean their plates!

In planning for tonight I tried to think of something that would different than what they are served at Somerby. I decided on one of my Mother's recipes called a Chicken Vegetable Braid. She got the recipe several years ago from a Pampered Chef home show and I love it because it is yummy, makes a great presentation, and the filling can be made in advance.

The inside is filled with diced chicken. cheese, dill seasoning, a little mayonnaise, and chopped veggies including broccoli, red and green peppers. You then use two rolls of Pillsbury's low-fat crescent rolls for the outside (the braid). You pop the containers and lay them flat on a baking sheet. You then make slits on each side leaving room in the center for the filling. Once you spoon the filling in the center you then take a slit from each side and pull them together and twist. It sounds somewhat complicated from my directions (only because it is hard to put into writing), but it is actually very easy. It makes for a great presentation after it is baked! I thought that tonight's turned out well except that I think I should have baked it a little longer as the center was not as hot as I would have liked. There were no complaints from anyone though, so I guess it turned out pretty well. Since it is a fairly hearty dish I just served it with a simple salad.

We hope to have them over again soon and plan to cook out next time since Russ has not had an opportunity to cook for them on his new Egg (grill). Russ rates this dish a 8.


Chicken and Vegetable Braid

(Mom from Pampered Chef)

1 cup broccoli, diced
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/3 cup red pepper, diced
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp. dill mix
½ cup mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)
¼ tsp. salt
2 packages crescent rolls (I use reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Mix everything except the crescent rolls together in a bowl (this can be done the night before if you want). Then roll out the rolls and cut slices. Put the mixture in the middle and then wrap the slices cris crossing at the top (to form the braid). Bake at 375 F for 25 minutes.