Rustic Roasted Chicken February 28, 2013

This recipe was a yummy one. I came across it here, on one of my favorite food blogs. Overall it required a bit of prep but after that it was put in the oven and forget it. I do think that the veggies needed more seasoning but that is the only thing I would change.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs (or a cut up fryer)
• 1 lb small potatoes
• 3 large carrots
• 2 big shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 bell pepper
• 4oz bacon
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
• 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• fresh sage
• pepper

Directions:

Combine 3 tbsp oil with the seasoned salt, paprika powder, loads of black pepper and dried thyme. Give it a good stir.

Place the chicken in a roasting tray.  Brush the chicken with the marinade.

Grab 2 shallots, peel them and cut them in half. Chop up your bell pepper.

Peel the carrot and cut it in coarse pieces. Don’t make the pieces too big, though. Cut your potatoes in small pieces. I leave the skins on since I enjoy them.

Place all the vegetable and potatoes around the chicken.

We’ll also be needing bacon and white wine. Cook the bacon ’til it’s brown. Pour in wine, crumble in 1 bouillon cube and season with a generous amount of pepper.

Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour the wine infused broth all over the vegetables. Careful not to pour it over the chicken or you’ll rinse off the marinade.

Add about 5 or 6 sage leaves and garlic. This should up the flavors alright. They’ll get charred, so you’ll have to remove them after roasting.

Roast the chicken and vegetables in a preheated oven at 400F (200C) for 55 to 60 minutes. depending on how big the vegetables and potatoes are, of course.

After half an hour has passed by, and the house is slowly filling itself with the scent of roasted chicken and onions, take the roasting tray out of the oven and drizzle some of juices lurking at the bottom over the chicken and vegetables. Put the oven tray back in the oven for another 30 minutes.

This really is comfort food deluxe. Serve and enjoy!

Autumn Stew Casserole February 26, 2013

This was an all day endeavor but it was so tasty that it was well worth the time and effort. I knew when I saw this recipe that it would be a favorite and I was right. We both had seconds and the house smelled awesome all day long.

Ingredients:

Beef Stew:

• 2 pounds beef stew, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tbsp grandma’s molasses
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp celery seed
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp thyme

Potato topping:

• 2 pound potatoes
• 1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 5 tbsp milk
• 2/3 tsp Lawry’s seasoned salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 to 3 oz sharp cheddar
• small handful panko
• sprinkling dried parsley

Directions:

Season the beef with (kosher) salt and black pepper. Heat some butter and brown the beef, in small batches. Transfer the meat to a plate and keep it warm. Cook the onions until slightly translucent and fragrant.

Add the garlic and cloves and cook for a minute before adding the beef again. Pour in the molasses. And add the beef stock, bay leaves and  dried herbs.

Simmer the stew on your stove top for 3 to 4 hours. Allow stew to cool down.

The fat will accumulate on top and is easy to remove with a spoon. Your arteries will thank you later.

Combine the cream of mushroom soup with the sour cream, milk, and seasonings listed under ‘Potato Topping’.

Warm up the beef stew. Whisk the cornstarch with some water and stir it into the beef stew to get a thick gravy. Add more if you need to.

Grate the cheddar.

Peel your potatoes and slice them in 3 to 4 mm slices.

Transfer the beef to the casserole.

Layer half of the potatoes on top of the beef, and spread half the soup mix on top of that. Top with the remaining potatoes and finish with the rest of the soup mix.

Sprinkle the grated cheddar all over.

To add a bit of crunch, I used panko breadcrumbs.

Sprinkled a small handful all over and used dried parsley for a bit of extra colour and flavour.

Cover the casserole with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350F° for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 45 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the potatoes are fully cooked.

 

Serve with veg and enjoy!

Thai Peanut Chicken – Crock Pot February 24, 2013

I have to admit, when mixing peanut butter and salsa together I was a bit grossed out. But this recipe turned out to be a winner. I used the full can of coconut milk because I hate using half but it was a bit liquidy so you may want to only use half a can.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup medium or hot salsa
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
• 1 can coconut milk
• cilantro (for garnish)
• chopped peanuts (for garnish)

 

Directions:

Place chicken breasts in a slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix salsa, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger root.

Pour mixture over chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. remove chicken from cooker and shred into large pieces. Return to crock pot. Add coconut milk and turn to warm setting for 15-20 minutes prior to serving.

Serve over rice or noodles. Top with cilantro and peanuts.

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast February 22, 2013

Despite the name, there is not an overpowering flavor of vinegar in this roast. The flavor turns sweet over the long cooking period. I used a London Broil since I like how it holds up when using a crock pot. Simple meal once the prep is done and a favorite with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 4 lb boneless chuck roast
• 2 tbsp steak rub
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water to deglaze pan
• 2 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
• 1 cup beef stock, reduced to 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce

 

Directions:

Trim as much fat as you can from roast, and cut if necessary to fit into Crockpot. Rub meat well with steak seasoning and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes; don’t rush the browning step.

While roast browns put 1 cup beef stock in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, then let cool slightly and mix in balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Peel onions and cut into thick slices. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water and add to sauce mixture.

Place onions in bottom of Crockpot. Put meat on top of onions.

Pour beef stock mixture over. Set Crockpot to low and cook 6-8 hours, until beef is tender.

The meat might be partly submerged in liquid after this much time. (If I am home, I might turn the meat once or twice).

Remove meat from crockpot and cover with foil to keep warm.

Drain liquid from Crockpot and remove as much of the fat as you can with fat separator or skimmer. Cook down liquid by about 1/3, and serve sauce with meat and onions.

Fiesta Chicken February 20, 2013

I just love a good one dish meal. After the success of the Italian Chicken Bake, I thought would try a Fiesta Chicken Bake. It was super tasty. We served ours over rice but it could also be sliced and eaten in a taco (I did that with the leftovers).

Ingredients:

• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 package grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 12 oz frozen corn
• 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 lb chicken thighs
• juice of one lime
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• Cilantro for garnish

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven safe pan, combine all ingredients except chicken, cheese and cilantro.

 

 

Place chicken on top and season with salt and pepper

 

Bake chicken for 35 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 20 minutes until cooked through

 

 

Serve topped with cilantro. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan February 18, 2013

I was skeptical of this recipe. Breaded and in the crock pot don’t normally go together. I tried it anyways and was pleasantly surprised. I knew there was breading so I was on the look out to see if it held up and it did pretty well. Simple to put together.

Ingredients:

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken cutlets
• 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• favorite jarred marinara sauce

Directions:

Spread the 1 tbso of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot.

Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl.

Mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish.

Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings.

Place the chicken breast pieces in the bottom of the crockpot.

Layer mozzarella cheese on top, depending on how much cheese you like.

Cover chicken and cheese with entire jar of marinara sauce.

Close lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3.

Serve with your favorite pasta.

Skillet Swedish Meatballs February 16, 2013

I love a one pan meal.  I also love Swedish Meatballs. I adapted this recipe for our tastes (and to use the cheese flavor that was on sale yum yum). The only thing I would change is cooking the wine a bit first to get rid of some of its strong flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbGround Beef
• 1 (5.2 Ounces) – Package Boursin Cheese
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• 1  Small Yellow Onion, Finely Chopped
• 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 3 1/2 Cups Low Sodium Beef Broth
• 8 Ounces  Egg Noodles
• 1/4 Cup  White Wine
• 1/4 Cup Fresh Chives, Finely Chopped

Instructions:

Combine beef, 5 tablespoons Boursin cheese, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in medium bowl and knead gently until combined. Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook meatballs until well browned all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer meatballs to plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

Cook onion in reserved fat until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute.

Add broth, noodles, and wine and bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring often, until pasta begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through and noodles are al dente, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining Boursin cheese and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Sausage and Vegetable Bake February 14, 2013

This was another super simple yet tasty meal. I came across it here and knew I had to try it. The veggies baked down and were crisp on the outside while being tender on the inside. I doubled it since it was a large group I was feeding. I also used reindeer sausage (as is common in AK) but any will work.

Ingredients:

• 4 sausages
• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/2 pound carrots
• 1/2 bell pepper
• 1 large onion
• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp oil
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

 

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Chop the vegetables and place them in an oven safe dish.

 

In a bowl, combine oil, seasoning and broth

 

 

Poor broth over veggies. Bake for 30 minutes covered in foil.

 

Remove from the oven, add the sausages and sprinkle with the vinegar.

 

Prick the sausages so they don’t burst and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian Chicken Bake February 12, 2013

 

 

 

 

This was so simple and it was so yummy. So little time to put together and the flavor is amazing. I came across the idea here and updated it for our tastes. Everyone commented on how tender the chicken remained. You can also use chicken breasts but you will have to watch out to make sure it doesn’t dry out.

Ingredients:

• 2lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 4 tomatoes
• 15oz can artichoke hearts
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1.5 cups mozzarella
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pasta

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Drain and chop artichoke hearts. Chop tomatoes and combine with artichoke hearts. Add in garlic, most of the Italian seasoning, vinegar and flour. Toss to coat.

 

Place mixture in a pan and top with chicken. Season chicken with remaining Italian seasoning as well as salt and pepper.

 

 

Bake for 35 minutes. Top with cheese and bake another 15 minutes until golden and chicken is cooked through. Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Crock Pot Coconut Pork Curry February 4, 2013

This recipe is what I normally hate in a crock pot recipe, cook first and then cook in the crock pot. BUT that being said everyone who ate it loved it (little kids included). The seasoning was awesome but not over powering. I adapted it from here. My only complaint is too much liquid which is a common issue with crock pot recipes. I even cut back on the original requested liquid.

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 can  unsweetened coconut milk
• 1.5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• Steamed rice, chopped cilantro (I used dried since thats all I had)and sliced scallions, for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the oil. I had fatty pork and a nonstick skillet so I didn’t use any oil and it turned out great.  Season the pork with salt and pepper. Add half of the pork to the skillet and brown it over moderately high heat, about 12 minutes. Transfer the pork to the slow cooker. Repeat with the remaining pork.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, curry, cumin and turmeric and cook over low heat, stirring, until fragrant and the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes and their juices, coconut milk and stock, cover and cook on high for 4 hours. When pouring the liquid in it won’t look good but don’t let that fool you!

Spoon off as much fat from the surface of the stew as possible. Serve the stew over rice in deep bowls, garnished with cilantro and scallions.