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In , on August 30, 2015 with No Comments

Honey Roasted Chicken

We raised chickens this year, for the first time in a few, and after the poultry/avian flu problem earlier this year, boy am I glad we did. These are meat chickens, and we’ll be getting some laying hens in a few weeks so I can stop paying $4 for a dozen eggs – and have tastier eggs to boot.

Now that we have all these chickens in the freezer, I’ve been on the hunt for different recipes. We love fried chicken and barbecue chicken, but you can only eat those so many times without never wanting to see a chicken again! I found a recipe on Oh, Sweet Basil for honey-roasted chicken, and I think I’ve found a new favorite! Not only is the recipe easy, but the accompanying sauce is tasty and complements the honey very nicely. The guys said I can definitely make this again.

 

 

 

Honey Roasted Chicken

1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), giblets discarded (or saved for another use)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and move the rack to the center position.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper and paprika. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, and rub the spice mixture under the skin and over the outside of each bird. Tuck the wings behind the back, and tie the legs together with kitchen twine to ensure even cooking.

Stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring the honey and 4 tablespoons of the cider vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the glaze. Return to a simmer, and cook for one minute. Set aside.

Arrange the chicken, breast side down, on a rack inside a roasting pan. Roast until the chicken is golden, about 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, and carefully flip the chicken so it is breast side up. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour 1 cup water and the chicken broth into the roasting pan. Return the pan to the oven, and roast until the thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, about 35 to 45 minutes. Brush the chicken evenly with a thick layer of the glaze, and continue to roast until the glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and brush with the remaining glaze. Let rest for 15 minutes.

While the chicken is resting, pour pan juices into a saucepan, and skim off any fat. Stir in the thyme. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve the chicken, and serve with the sauce.

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In , on April 11, 2015 with No Comments

Days of Casseroles: Day 8 – Sauerkraut and Pork Chops Casserole

We love pork chops, and we love sauerkraut, especially our homemade kraut that we make about every other year. Since we plant huge late-Dutch flat cabbages, we usually make a batch of kraut that lasts us 2 years. When I saw this recipe on Taste of Home, I knew I had to try it and give us another way of using up all that kraut.

 

Sauerkraut and Pork Chops

3 cups sauerkraut, well drained (I used home-canned kraut)
2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used Wildtree’s chicken broth)
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional if your kraut is fairly salty)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 pork chops, 1-inch thick (about 7 ounces each)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a large bowl, combine the sauerkraut, applesauce, broth, bacon, brown sugar and seasonings. Spoon into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil; drain. Place chops over sauerkraut mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Yield:  6 servings

I admit to liking a Bavarian-style sauerkraut, which is a little sweeter than traditional kraut. My family, however, does not. This recipe definitely tastes like a Bavarian kraut, so keep that in mind if your family prefers a tangy, sour sauerkraut.

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In , , on April 7, 2015 with No Comments

Days of Casseroles: Day 4 – Easy Shredded Chicken Mexican Lasagna

I have this huge list of different casserole recipes I’ve been wanting to try, so can you believe I’m stumped on day 4?? Well, not really. It’s just I’m refusing to go grocery shopping until I whittle away on a few things still in the freezer and cupboards. Once I get through what’s already here, I can go grocery shopping with a more focused idea of exactly what I need to get based on the recipes I’ll be making each week. I’m such a terrible grocery shopper – I buy what I see. Yes, I make a list and get what’s on it, but I always end up spending way more than I should on impulse purchases. I’m hoping this casserole-a-day experiment will help us save on our grocery bill by narrowing my shopping list down to EXACTLY what I have to have for my meals. I should have a better idea how this will work by the end of April. 🙂

For this recipe, I used what I had in my pantry. The sauce mix was an impulse buy, with me thinking I’d use the crockpot for an easy-to-fix meal. Since that didn’t happen and it’s still sitting in my cupboard, I’m using it in this recipe, although I definitely prefer to make my enchilada sauce from scratch.

 

 

Easy Shredded Chicken Mexican Lasagna

1 package flour tortilla shells
1 package Campbell’s Slow Cooker Mexican Red Chile Taco sauce***
1 1/2 pounds cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 package frozen corn, thawed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained well (I used home-canned grape tomatoes)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (I found a use for my home-canned black beans!)
Shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Sour cream, guacamole, chopped onions for garnish, optional

Combine the cooked chicken, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, black beans and corn in a large bowl. Mix until well combined.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Place one layer of the flour tortillas on the bottom of the baking pan. Layer half the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top of the meat mixture. Repeat layers. Pour the Campbell’s sauce over everything. Top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with foil.

Bake casserole in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for about 40 minutes. Uncover casserole and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, chopped onions if desired.

***If your family loves spicy food, you’ll love Campbell’s Slow Cooker Mexican Red Chile Taco sauce. My family said it was too spicy and asked that I remake this with my homemade mole sauce, which isn’t so spicy. They did like the casserole overall, though – so fair warning to those of you who like a milder taco dish 🙂

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In , , , , on April 5, 2015 with No Comments

Days of Casseroles: Day 2…Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole…Plus Easy Cherry Cheesecake

Kevin got in some garden today, as he planted kohlrabi, radishes, peas and some lettuce. He also got the rhubarb transplanted, so while I might be out a rhubarb crisp this year, next year I should have plenty of tasty stalks to pick 🙂

The chickens were moved to the coop this past week too. We lost another chick before that, so we’re down to 52 little peepers. The rest are looking great, so in a few weeks, we’ll be up to our necks butchering.

Today’s casserole is a great way to use up that leftover Easter ham, and it works well as a brunch or dinner main dish.

 

 

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

1 2-pound package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups chopped, cooked ham
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 8-ounce container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, ham, sour cream, chopped onion, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well. Place mixture in a greased 3-quart casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup melted butter and crushed cornflakes until the cornflakes are coated. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.

Bake covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

What’s an Easter dinner without dessert? While I generally make traditional cheesecakes, I was running short on time (as in the kids wanted to eat cheesecake today instead of letting it set overnight!). This is a good recipe when you’re in a hurry.

 

 

 

Easy Cherry Cheesecake

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling (or use your favorite flavor)

Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, and blend thoroughly. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into pie crust.

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, or until firm. Top with chilled pie filling before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

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In , , , , on April 4, 2015 with No Comments

Days of Casseroles-Day 1: Baked Spaghetti…Plus Basic Honey White Bread

I talked to Kevin about trying to do a casserole a day for a year, and I think he’s up for the challenge. I have so many different casserole recipes, both in my personal cookbooks and notebooks of recipes I’ve found over the years and from ones I’ve found on Pinterest and the Internet. I told him I’d mix it up, and not every casserole recipe will be a main dish for dinner. There will be side dishes and breakfast casseroles too. Either way, we’ll get to try a bunch of new recipes and find some new favorites along the way. 🙂

For today’s casserole recipe, I found this tasty one on Six Sisters’ Stuff….lots of great recipes on this blog!

 

 

 

Baked Spaghetti

1 16-ounce package spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 26-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce (I used homemade canned sauce)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt, optional
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups small-curd cottage cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and seasoned salt, if using. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain the spaghetti noodles. Add noodles to the egg mixture, and toss to coat.

Place half the spaghetti mixture in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Top with half the cottage cheese, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers. Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.

I haven’t made homemade bread in a while, and since the loaf on the table was pretty low, I figured it was time. Travis likes plain white bread the best, despite my attempts to convert him to whole wheat, but this recipe is a tasty one, even if it is white bread! I did use my bread machine, but I’ve included instructions if you want to make it the traditional way 🙂 P.S. The top looks “wet” as I always rub a stick of butter over the bread right when it comes out of the bread machine or oven.

 

 

Basic Honey White Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups bread flour**
2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons honey (I used local honey, unpasteurized)
1 1/4 cups warm water

If using a bread machine, add ingredients as directed by the machine manual. Select the basic/white setting, 2-pound setting. **When the bread is mixing, watch to make sure you don’t need to add more flour. I did, as the dough was really wanting to stick to the sides of the machine. Add flour by tablespoons until it pulls away from the sides and kneads as it should.

Conventional Instructions:

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a large stand mixer. Using a dough hook, mix and knead dough for 5 to 8 minutes.

Put a little olive oil in a large bowl, and add the dough, turning once to coat the dough with oil. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm place to double in size for about one hour.

Punch down the dough, and shape into a loaf. Place dough in a well-greased 9 x 5 x 4-inch loaf pan. Cover the pan, and place it in a warm place to allow the dough to double, which should take about 30 minutes.

Bake in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown in color.

Yield:  One loaf

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In , , , on July 17, 2014 with No Comments

Buffalo Chicken and Pasta Bake

I got my Wildtree Blazin’ Buffalo Blend yesterday, and, of course, I had to come up with a recipe to try it in. I had chicken. I had rotini pasta. I had cheese. A casserole was born!

This was really super simple to make, and it was delicious. Both Travis and Kevin loved it and said I could make it again. The recipe is actually formulated from the dip recipe that is on the side label of the blend bottle, but I just changed it up to make a sauce for my casserole.

 

 

Buffalo Chicken and Pasta Bake

1 package chicken tenders, cubed or shredded (your choice), cooked
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
1/4 cup Parmesan Romano cheese
2 Tablespoons Wildtree Blazin’ Buffalo Blend
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk (enough to make a creamy sauce)
1 16-ounce package rotini pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, combine 1 cup of the shredded cheese (reserving 1 cup) with all other ingredients. Add milk to the mixture until it reaches a sauce/soup consistency.

Drain the pasta when al dente and combine pasta with the sauce ingredients.

Place mixture into a greased 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 minutes. Top the casserole with the reserved 1 cup of shredded cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted.

Yield:  Approximately 6 to 8 servings

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In , on June 4, 2014 with No Comments

Making Homemade Pasta

I’ve always wanted to make homemade pasta. Any kind. My mother-in-law made homemade noodles. My sister-in-law makes homemade noodles. Our oldest son learned to make homemade noodles from my sister-in-law Eileen, and he makes pretty darn good ones. For Christmas one year, she and I each gave him a pasta roller machine (great minds think alike!), and I got myself the pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. That was over 5 years ago, and my attachment has been sitting on a shelf ever since. I’d let everyone else make the pasta, and I just enjoyed it.

Yesterday I decided the box had collected enough dust, so I dusted it off and tried my hand at making homemade spaghetti. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I didn’t realize that these probably aren’t the noodles to try on your first attempt at pasta making 🙂 But Kevin jumped in to help in the end, and all in all, it turned out edible. Travis, our youngest son, said it was actually pretty good, so I must have done something right!

I used Bob’s Red Mill basic pasta recipe using semolina flour. Really is an easy recipe to make, in my opinion anyway.

 

homemade-pasta

BOB’S BASIC PASTA RECIPE

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs, or 3 egg whites, beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 cups semolina pasta flour

Directions

Combine semolina and salt, add beaten eggs (or egg whites), water and oil. Mix to make a stiff dough. Knead 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Wrap dough in towel or place in plastic bag and let rest for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired.

To top of the homemade pasta, the sauce was definitely a shoot-from-the-hip recipe using what was hand in the cupboard plus some fresh spinach and herbs from the garden. I think it turned out yummy, and I’ll be making it again soon. While I’m listing a recipe for this sauce, please know that I generally cook as my grandmothers did: Add this and that, taste, and adjust until it is how you like it. Measurements and amounts really are approximate, as I didn’t measure anything exactly. Use your tastebuds and adjust the sauce to your liking…and if you make adjustments or additions, let me know what you did and how it turned out 🙂

Creamy Tomato Sauce For Pasta

1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 quart home-canned tomatoes (drained of liquid)
1/8 cup dry red wine
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
Chopped fresh baby spinach, approximately 1/2 cup
Fresh basil, chopped, approximately 3 tablespoons
Fresh oregano, approximately 2 tablespoons
Fresh thyme, approximately 1 tablespoon
Heavy cream, approximately 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese, approximately 1/4 cup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add in tomatoes, red wine, and mushrooms. Lower heat and let sauce reduce while you work on the pasta, stirring occasionally.

When you start cooking your fresh pasta, add in the chopped spinach and fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. When spinach and herbs have nicely wilted, add in cream and Parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer to keep warm, but don’t let sauce boil. Be sure to taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Serve hot over fresh pasta.

Overall the meal was tasty. There are some things I will do differently the next time I make homemade pasta, like make really big noodles or ravoli so that I don’t have to mess with tiny spaghetti noodles (at least until I get the hang of it!), but it was fun, and I’ll definitely do this again.

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In , , on June 3, 2014 with No Comments

Indian Lentils, Sourdough Bread, and Fresh Lettuce with Creamy Garlic Dressing

I think I went on a garlic overload tonight. I personally love garlic, and the more the merrier. Even so, I took into consideration that my family, while they do like garlic, aren’t the fanatics that I happen to be.

For dinner tonight, I decide to raid the cupboards and make something from whatever I found. I took inventory of the ingredients I had on hand and went surfing to find a recipe that would work with those ingredients. As I’m trying hard to eat more healthy meals, I wanted to do a vegetarian dinner, and in a house full of carnivores, that can be tough to do! I stumbled across two different recipes for lentils with an Indian-style theme. The first was from www.feedmephoebe.com and her Red Lentil and Spinach Masala. The other recipe was from www.wholenewmom.com and her Indian Red Lentils recipe. Of course, I had to make it my own, so I combined parts of each recipe, and I liked how it turned out.

 

 

Indian-Inspired Lentil Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 quart Roma tomatoes (home canned). Can substitute 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
Approximately 5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
Approximately 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large stockpot, cook onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, garam masala, cilantro, and turmeric. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, scraping up any of the brown bits that formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the lentils and coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to keep from sticking. Turn down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Right before serving, stir in the spinach and basil.

While I love Indian food, this was my first attempt at making it myself. I thought it was really good. This is a vegetarian dish, although it would be equally good with some shredded chicken breast and some chopped jalapenos for extra heat if you like a spicy dish. All in all, I’ll be making this again.

I made the Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread again to accompany this (see previous posts). This time I used only white whole wheat flour and baked it in a small cast iron Dutch oven. I really liked how the texture turned out when baking it this way, so I know it will be done this way a lot more in the future.

 

We also had tons of loose leaf lettuce from the garden to use in a salad tonight, and I wanted to make a creamy garlic salad dressing. This is where I think the garlic overload happened…again, I love garlic, but I was kindly told at dinner to cut back on the amount of garlic next time 🙂

Creamy Garlic Dressing

1 tablespoon loosely packed, minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip as I ran out of time to make homemade)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (fresh or from the green can is fine)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Smear the garlic and salt together with a chef knife to form a paste. In a blender, combine the garlic paste, mayo, sugar, pepper and Parmesan cheese together. Add in the vinegar and the olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

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