Chicken Pie

Chicken Pie

8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the mushrooms and onion in 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Put the chicken, mushrooms and onions in a lightly greased 2-quart casserole.
In a saucepan, whisk the broth and soup; bring to a boil and pour over chicken.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Stir in the buttermilk and melted butter. Pour over chicken. Don't stir, just smooth the top.
Bake till bubbly and brown, about 45 minutes.

Serves 4

Orange Snack Cake with Orange Glaze

Orange Snack Cake with Orange Glaze

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
Orange Glaze (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder; add butter, eggs, extracts, and zest. Beat until well blended using a hand held mixer. (Batter will be thick.) Spread batter into prepared pan, and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until ligth golden brown. Remove from oven, and pierce entire cake with a wooden pick. Pour Orange Glaze over warm cake. Cool and cut into squares.

Orange Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice
pinch of salt

In a small bowl, stir together confectioner's sugar, zest, orange juice and salt until smooth.

(This recipe was adapted from a recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes Magazine)

Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed and cut into 3-4 pieces each
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter), or butter
1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons red curry paste (use more or less...to your liking)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 medium carrots, diagonally sliced
3/4 cup green beans, cut into 2" pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or basil (optional)

Melt oil and ghee (or butter) over medium-high heat in a heavy large saucepan. Working in batches, saute' the chicken pieces until well browned. Remove from pan.
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add the curry paste, fish sauce, lime juice and zest. Stir well.
Add the coconut milk and stir to blend.
Return chicken to the pot; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for 40 minutes.
Add the carrots and green beans. Cook for 20 minutes or until carrots and beans are tender.
Add the bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.
Stir in the cilantro and serve over hot fluffy rice, if desired.

Option: Add 3 or 4 small red potatoes, diced (peeled or not) to the pot when you add the carrots and beans. Serve with or without rice.

Orange and Ginger Glazed Carrots

Orange and Ginger Glazed Carrots

4 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonaljuice of one naval orange, about 1/2 cup

1 teaspoon orange zest (1 to 2)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (1 to 2)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
salt and pepper, to taste

Steam the carrots until just tender; remove from heat.
In a medium saucepan, reduce the orange juice to about 2 tablespoons; stir in the orange zest and ginger. Add the carrots and toss to coat. Of the heat add the butter, swirling pan to melt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta e Fagioli

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck

1 small onion, diced
2 large carrots, julienned
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can dark red kidney beans, with liquid
1 15 ounce can great northern beans or cannellini beans, with liquid
12 ounces V-8® vegetable juice
1 cans low sodium beef broth, depends on how thick you like your soup (1 to 2)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 ounces ditalini pasta

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Drain off most of the fat. Turn heat down to medium; add onions, carrots, celery and garlic; saute for 10 minutes. In the meantime, put all remaining ingredients except pasta in a crock pot and turn to high heat. When meat and vegetables have cooked 10 minutes, add to crock pot; cover and cook for 4 hours on high or at low heat for 8. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in pasta. Cook till done.

Alternate cooking directions:
Prepare ground beef and vegetables as directed. Put the remaining ingredients except pasta into a soup pot and bring to a boil. Add beef mixture, lower heat and simmer 2 to 3 hours. Add pasta about 15 minutes before serving; cook till done.

Smoky and Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Smoky and Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ounce smoked sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1/2 jalepeno, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients well; chill. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables. This is especially tasty as a filling for celery stalks.

Shrimp Salad

Shrimp Salad

15 large boiled shrimp, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 shakes cayenne pepper
pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine the shrimp, celery, scallions, and bell pepper. In another small bowl combine the remaining ingredients; pour over shrimp, toss to mix. Chill well before serving.

New York Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake

5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 orange, zested

1/2 lemon, zested

5 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 graham cracker crust (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and zests with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, then vanilla, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated, scraping down bowl between additions.

Put springform pan with crust in a shallow foil-lined baking pan. Pour filling into crust (pan will be completely full) and bake in a baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven for 15 minutes, or until puffed. Reduce temperature to 200 degrees and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will stay slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about 2 hours more.

Run a knife around top edge of cake to loosen and cool completely in pan on a rack. Chill cake, loosely covered, at least 6 hours. Remove side of pan and transfer to a plate. Bring to room temperature before serving. Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.

　

Graham-cracker Crust:

1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) finely ground graham crackers

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press into bottom and one inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

Italian Burgers

Italian Burgers

3/4 pound ground chuck

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
few grinds of black pepper
1/4 cup marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought..and warmed slightly)
2 ounces mozzarella cheese
2 hamburger buns, lightly buttered and toasted

In a medium bowl, place the meat and the ingredients up to the ground pepper. Using two forks, carefully combine the ingredients without mashing them too much. Carefully form the mixture into two large burgers, pressing the centers of the burgers to make them thinner than the outside edges. (This will allow the burgers to cook evenly and be flat instead of fat and rounded after cooking).
Cook the burgers in a skillet over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side. Place one ounce of cheese on top of each burger, cover the pan for about a minute to melt the cheese.
Place the cooked burgers on the buns, and top each burger with the desired amount of marinara sauce

These burgers may also be grilled (saves a LOT of grease spatter clean up!)

Chicken Puttanesca

Chicken Puttanesca

2 ounce chicken cutlets, cut into 1/2" pieces (2 to 5)

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 olive oil packed anchovies, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon anchovy oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons capers
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
chopped parsley

Toss the chicken with the salt and pepper. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat the oils over medium heat. Saute the chicken and anchovies until the chicken turns white, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic, tomatoes, olives, capers and red pepper. Cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberry Pancakes

1 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (3/4 to 1)
blueberry sauce (recipe follows)
or
purchased blueberry syrup

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk and oil; add to dry ingredients stirring just until moistened. (Batter will be lumpy). Bake on a hot griddle. When the undersides of pancakes are nicely browned, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons drained blueberries over each cake. Turn to brown other side.
Makes about eight 4-inch pancakes.

Blueberry Sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

In a saucepan, blend the cornstarch and 1 tbsp water, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat until clear and thickened, stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until needed.
This sauce is delicious served chilled over cheesecake or warmed and served over pancakes, or waffles.

Sour Cream Pork Chops

Sour Cream Pork Chops

2 tablespoons oil, divided
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
4 1-inch thick pork chops
1 1/2 cups sliced onion, separated into rings
1 cup low sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (I used spicy brown)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
hot cooked rice
fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms until they give off their juices. Remove from pan to a small bowl. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the chops to the pan and cook for 2 minutes per side or until browned. Place onions evenly over pork chops.
In a small bowl, combine the broth, parsley, paprika, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour broth mixture over pork chops. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours (Add the mushrooms back to the pan about 15 minutes before cooking time ends.) Stir in sour cream, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through. Do not let boil. Serve over hot rice. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Fire and Ice Salad

Fire and Ice Salad

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half rounds

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Combine vegetables in a medium bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. Pour over vegetables and chill well, stirring a couple of times before serving.

Serves 4

Oyster Cracker Bites

Oyster Cracker Bites

2 bags oyster crackers

1 1/4 cups oil

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 tablespoons red pepper flakes

Pour oil over crackers in a large zip lock bag. Add remaining ingredients; seal and shake bag. Let sit overnight, flipping bag over every once in a while. Store in an airtight container.

Variation: Use1 teaspoon each of dill weed and lemon pepper in place of the pepper flakes.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1 pound cooked chicken, diced or shredded

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups shedded cabbage

1 chipotle chile canned in adobo, chopped

1 cup tomato sauce

3 scallions, sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

4 12" flour tortillas

8 ounces sharp cheddar, Jack, or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

3 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsly, chopped

1 vine ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine chicken, chili powder, cabbage, chipotle in adobo, tomato sauce, and scallions. Toss filling to combine; season with salt and pepper. Place tortillas in a kitchen towel and set in microwave. Microwave on high for 1 minute. To make chimichangas, place a generous handful of cheese near one edge of the tor tortilla. Pile 1/4 of the filling in the tortills. Tuck the sides up and roll tortilla tightly. Repeat to make 4 large stuffed tortilla wraps. Brush a baking pan with some oil and place wraps on pan. Brush the wraps with oil and bake until deep golden all over, 15-17 minutes. Serve with sour cream, cilantro or parsley, and tomato as garnishes.

Leftover Pot Roast Soup

Leftover Pot Roast Soup

1 28 ounce box low sodium beef stock

1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon beef base, available on the soup aisle next to boullion

1 cup water, or more if needed

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4"

1/4 large (about 6 ounces) cabbage, shredded thinly

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow squash, sliced 1/3" thick

1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/3" thick

1 can green beans, rinsed and drained (fresh or frozen may be used)

pepper, to taste

leftover pot roast with any leftover juices, chopped (I had about 1 1/2 pounds frozen that I used in this soup)

In a large crock pot set on high, combine all the ingredients except leftover roast and juices. Cover and allow to cook for 7 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Add the meat and juices to crock pot and cook another hour.

Alternately, simmer the vegetables in a large pot over low heat until the vegetables are tender. Proceed as directed.

Option: Use chicken broth in place of the beef broth. Just before serving, stir in 2 to 3 cups of diced cooked chicken and heat through.

Note: This is a lower carb version. Feel free to add potatoes if you'd like.