Tasty Tuesday, Easy Chicken Curry Soup

Time to take a break from the craziness on Facebook and share a delicious recipe schemed up by me yesterday. I'm a hobbling, babbling crazy woman due to pain and meds right now, so I will not be held accountable for telling all people to back off of Ann Romney and get a life.  For now, let's take a look at a recipe perfect for rainy Spring days.

Chicken Curry Soup
 1 chicken hind quarter
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup each diced or chopped onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, and baby bok choy.
1 3 inch cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp or to taste of curry powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 whole allspice
tsp. peppercorns
I 10 oz. can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup each jasmine rice and barley
Season to taste.

In a large pot toss in your chicken, onion, carrots, celery along with the broth and spices. Simmer for an hour or until chicken is tender and ready to fall off the bones. Take chicken out and add rice and barley. Simmer until just done, about 30 minutes, and add soup, zucchini and bok choy. Take chicken off the bones and discard fat and skin, then add to pot. Fish out the cinnamon stick and other large spice pieces. This is so easy, and makes enough for 6 to 8 servings. Enjoy! Now go hug someone and tell them you love them. Taa taa. :-)

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Salad Sandwich Filling...

 Yesterday we went berry picking so I threw together some chicken salad sandwich filling that got rave reviews. Let's see what you think. I started with 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, simmered in a small pot with just enough water to cover. I added 2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning, and 1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt. I simmered until just tender. The house smelled heavenly!

 I chopped the chicken up after letting it cool. Save the broth the chicken left behind, it will make delicious soup. I then took 1/4 cup freeze dried celery and reconstituted it. My source is a company by the name of Shelf Reliance. They have awesome products so check them out. Anyhew...I then crumbled three slices of crisply cooked bacon, and added 1/2 cup Craisins. Don't you love Craisins?
I also added 1/2 cup minced sweet onion, 1/2 minced apple, 1/2 cup each plain yogurt and mayonnaise, 2 tsp. creamy horseradish, 1/2 tsp Lawry's, 1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper.

Stir well, but gently. Serve on any good bread. You might consider adding walnuts or pecans, chopped to the mix, but I didn't due to not knowing if anyone had allergies or not. This makes enough for 8 nicely filled sandwiches. Enjoy!
Chicken Salad Sandwich Spread
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts simmered in a small pot with 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, and 1 tsp Lawry's Seasoning salt, chopped
1/2 cup each, Craisins, minced sweet onion, minced apple, mayonnaise, and plain yogurt
1/4 cup Thrive celery reconstituted, or 1/2 cup minced celery
3 slices bacon, cooked til crisp, crumbled
2 tsp lemon pepper, creamy horseradish
1/2 tsp Lawry's

Chili Green Beans

You read right, Chili Green Beans is a wonderful concoction Mom came up with when we had an over abundance of green beans one year. I don't often have fresh green beans so I haven't made this much over the years, but we had a few in our Oregon garden and bought some from our favorite produce stand on the way back to Utah last week. Kent was a bit leery of the whole idea, we were too when Mom first served them to us, but he ate 4 bowls of it and wanted more. I loved it when Mom made it, but have had to come up with my own version as we don't have her recipes. So here's my version. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chili Green Beans

1 lb. burger
2 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 c. fresh green beans, cut into bite size pieces
2 t. each seasoning salt and cumin powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. each italian seasoning and dried basil
3 T. mild chili powder
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pint canned tomatoes
1 pint tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 c. water
1 chopped jalepeno, if desired

Brown burger and then add chopped onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, saute until soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and bring to bubbling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn down to a simmer and let cook until green beans are done. Serve with corn bread.

Tasty Sides - Nancy's Green Bean Cucumber Salad

My mom was one of the best cooks I know. Oh yes, you can't beat her cooking, I know you can't! She had a variety of dishes that I've never seen anyone else serve, so I wonder if she created these herself, or found them somewhere that will never be revealed in this life. One of my all time favorites, and my oldest daughters as well is Mom's Green Bean Cucumber Salad. This was just one of the ways she used green beans. Another one of my favorites is Chili Green Beans but I will save that one for later in the summer when I have fresh green beans. I use Romaine lettuce in this recipe because it stands up better than other lettuces and has a nice crisp crunch. Mom did use iceberg, probably because is was the least expensive and most readily available when I was growing up. I don't really remember any other kind until I was in my teens.

Nancy's Green Bean Cucumber Salad
1 15 oz. can cut green beans, drained well
1/2 head romaine lettuce rinsed, dried and torn
1 cup thinly sliced and quartered red onion
1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
 Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 T. cider vinegar
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. course ground pepper
1/2 t. salt
Combine all salad ingredients together.  Toss lightly. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and gently stir into salad. Serve immediately. Yield 6-8 servings

Foodie Friday - Rosemary Citrus Chicken & Couscous Italian

For me it's time to lighten up our dinners and try something different. So I pulled out some ingredients I had on hand and pulled together a dinner my husband says is a keeper. This is a great dinner for two for any occasion, but it would make a wonderful candlelight dinner.

ROSEMARY CITRUS CHICKEN WITH COUSCOUS ITALIAN
2 chicken breasts with rib meat attached, skinned
1 T. each butter and EV olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. freshly grated orange rind
freshly grated rind of one lime
1/4 c. fresh rosemary, minced
1 t. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t. coarse ground pepper,
1/2 orange cut in half. Section half, membrane removed
1 T. honey 
3 green onions chopped
In a large frying pan place butter and oil. Heat to medium low and add garlic, citrus zest, rosemary and old bay seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds and add skinned chicken breasts and orange sections, turning heat up to medium. Over top drizzle honey and cover pan. After 10 minutes turn chicken over. Do this again every 10 minutes until chicken is done, about 30 minutes or until no longer pink in the center. If you like take the pan juices and pour in blender and puree. Use as sauce for the chicken and sprinkle green onions over all.


COUSCOUS ITALIAN
1 c. couscous
Juice from the other half of the orange and the zested lime plus enough water to equal 1 cup liquid
1 small zucchini, cubed
3/4 c. chopped onion
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 T each butter and EV olive oil
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. course ground pepper
In a medium pot saute onion and Zucchini in butter and oil. Add liquid and bullion cubes and bring to a boil, making sure the bullion has dissolved. Take off of the burner and add the couscous and basil stirring to mix thoroughly. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve with chicken and side salad. So yummy! If you like you can cut back on the oil and butter, but not much. Enjoy!





 

Warm Wishes & Cranberry Butterscotch Ring

As I left the apartment early this morning the mist over the desert had me feeling I'd been transported to Oregon. The light filtered through the wet moist air in soft shades of pastels like a sugary fairy land. The excitement of Christmas is coming back as we end the week and know that we have a couple of weeks to re-group and rest.
For my internet friends I want to share a wonderful recipe that's been sitting in my recipe file for many years as my Happy Holidays gift. I tried this for the first time this last week at the prompting of a radio show host who shared some of her rules for the season:
1. Don't count calories from December 1 to January 2nd.
2. Try a new holiday recipe.
3. Be a secret Santa or do the 12 days of Christmas for someone new this year. ( Okay the last one is mine, but for the life of me I can't remember the rest of her list...lol) So here's one new recipe to try!
Here's to a Merry Christmas for my Christian friends. Happy Hanukkah to my Jewish friends, and best wishes to all of you. May you be blessed with all the good things that have been put on this earth for our happiness. May the love you send out be returned an 100 fold.

This recipe has been changed as usual... :-). It was originally Cherry Butterscotch Ring but I didn't have any candied cherries so I substituted Craisins, yummy! Oh, and I substituted canola oil instead of shortening. It makes for a moist breakfast cake that stays moist. Enjoy!

CRANBERRY BUTTERSCOTCH RING

1/3 cup of butter or margarine (I used butter)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 cup of pecan or walnuts
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 pkg.active dry yeast or 1 scant tablespoon
3/4 cup warm water[105 -115 degrees F.]
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2-1/4 cups of flour
1 egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
Melt butter,brown sugar,and corn syrup.Pour into a 6 cup ring mold or baking pan 9x9x2. Sprinkle nuts and cranberries over mixture.In a bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in granulated sugar, salt, and half the flour. Beat 2 min. Add egg and oil. Beat in remaining flour until smooth.Drop dough by small spoonfuls over nuts and cherries in pan.Cover;let rise in warm place until double. 40-60 min. Heat oven to 375 degrees[F].Bake 30-35 min.or till brown.Watch as it may brown quickly. If so place a sheet of foil over the top until done. Immediately invert on to a serving platter.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Creamy Sage Gravy

I have to start this by saying how pleased I am with my husband! The other day we found out our neighbor upstairs had the back window smashed out of his car. This is the second time he has had his car vandalized. We've had a few problems with this man, and he hasn't been the nicest person to anyone here in town. He likes to bag on our religion when he's at work and makes it uncomfortable for anyone to be in the teachers lounge because of his anti-Mormon stance. In spite of all his orneriness my darling husband went to him and offered $50 towards a reward to find out who did this. I'm proud of my husband for being able to look beyond the sour demeanor this person has, and offer to help.
As an aside , we probably already know who did this, as the teacher had a run in with a certain student who has become a punk. It's sad because this young man is smarter than most of the adults around him, and could really make something of himself if he had a good male role model in his life. Don't know where the dad is, but he's not in the picture, and there's no other men in his family circle to pick up the ball and run with it.
On a happier note, I was watching Sandra Lee yesterday and she had a recipe for stuffed chicken thighs. I happened to have some very nice thick pork chops out ready to prep for dinner so I decided to stuff them. As I always do I added a couple of things to my recipe and the pork chops turned out great! My husband was so happy with dinner that the recipe will definitely go in the must have again file. This recipe is for two, but you could double or triple it for your family's needs.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Creamy Sage Gravy Serves 2

2 inch thick lean pork chops
1/3 c. each minced apple, onion and celery
I clove garlic, minced
1 cup dried bread cubes, coarsely chopped
1/4 t. seasoning salt
1 sprig of Rosemary, stripped of half it's leaves
parsley
3-4 leaves fresh sage or 1/2 to 1 t. dried if not available
2 +2+2-3T. olive oil or bacon grease
splash of juice or water.
1 1/2 - 2 cups milk
In a frying pan saute onions and celery for 5 minutes in fat of your choice. Add apples and saute 5 minutes more. Add herbs and seasoning salt and a dash or two of black pepper. Toss in your bread cubes and add a splash of juice or water to moisten slightly. Stir.
Butterfly cut your pork chops so that it creates two flat pieces still attached on one edge. Spoon in as much stuffing as you can on one side, fold over other side and toothpick in place. You may have a bit left over. Save that.
Add 2 T. olive oil to your pan, and turn up to medium. After oil gets hot add your chops. Cook for about 10 minutes on each side, until they are golden. Remove and place on a plate. Put in the oven and turn to 225 degrees to keep warm.
Add 3 T. fat to your frying pan and 2-3 T. flour, to make a thick mixture. Brown lightly, stirring occasionally. Add a chicken bullion cube and sage. Then add milk 1/2 a cup at a time stirring and letting thicken. Only add as much milk as will make a nice creamy gravy. Season with a dash of seasoning salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoying the fruits of the season

What could be better than fresh bread warm from the oven? A nice big pot of creamy soup to go with it!
It's cooled down a bit here, which inspires me to come up with some cool weather dishes. We had some dutch oven chicken left over from a dinner last week, but not enough to take care of the both of us. So I took a boneless, skinless chicken breast and threw it in a 2 qt. pot with some fresh Rosemary, Sage, and 1 1/2 quarts of water, along with 1 cup of wild rice mix. I let that simmer while I sauteed 1 chopped onion in 3 T. butter and 1 of oil in a large soup pot. I also took half each of one very large green, and one very large orange bell pepper and roasted them in the oven. After the onion was nice and caramelized, I added the mixture in the small pot, as well as 2 more quarts of water. I cut up one large carrot, and cut the kernels from one ear of fresh sweet corn. I added 2 chicken bullion cubes, and one small can of diced green chilies. I seasoned with 2 tsps of seasoning salt, and 1/2 t. garlic powder. Then I added 1/2 tsp thyme as well as 1 tsp course ground pepper. One bay leaf went in as well. This simmers until the rice was done. I turned down the burner and pulled out the chicken to cut up. I added the leftover dutch oven chicken from last week, and that gave the soup a nice creamy consistency. I also chopped up and added the roasted bell peppers at this point. For anyone who would like to try this or a variation, I would add a can of either cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup since you probably won't have dutch oven chicken sitting around. I would also use 2 chicken breasts, plus 2 carrots.

The bread was a variation on my Italian bread recipe. I'll make this easier to follow here. The one thing I noticed about this bread is that it is so soft and delicious. I think it may be because we used actual best for bread flour instead of unbleached flour. My husband raved about it.
Place in mixing bowl of mixer fitted with a dough hook:
1 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
1 t. sugar
Let sit in bowl to proof or get foamy. Add:
3 T. oil
1 t. salt
1/4 c. corn meal
1/2 c. oats
3 cups of Best for Bread flour
Mix well. Gradually add more flour, 1/4 of a cup at a time, until dough forms a nice smooth ball.
Place in well oiled baking dish or casserole. Let rise until doubled and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

This bread is not only great for soups, but makes a fabulous french toast for breakfast. As an added healthy topping for our french toast this morning I took about 1/2 cup of maple syrup and warmed it up in a small pot, added a small chopped, unpeeled, granny smith apple, and a handful of walnut pieces. This was so wonderful over the french toast, you should really give it a try!

Robins and things.....

As I stand at my easel painting this robin is busy gathering food for little ones. Sometimes he will come sit under my window, cock his head and look up at me, trying to figure out what I'm doing I suppose. I should give him what for for waking me up every morning at 4 am. Have you ever noticed that this time of year the birds all rise at 4am and start their chirping in tandem? It starts with one, then another and all of a sudden it sounds as if every robin on the planet is right outside the window. It's like airplanes taking off or trains passing by though, you do get used to the noise.
Here's a recipe for all you chicken salad lovers. It's probably a bit to yuppie for my hubby, but Annie loved it so it's a keeper.

Bowtie Pasta Chicken Salad
1 c. cooked, cubed chicken, preferably smoked.
1 small apple, chopped
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. fresh chives, snipped
1/2 5 oz container gorgonzola cheese
3/4 c. each plain non fat yogurt and mayonnaise
2 T. honey dijon mustard
2 c. uncooked mini bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions
Combine all ingredients. Season to taste. Enjoy!