Waldorf Chicken Salad

All I have to say about this is... BEST CHICKEN SALAD EVER!!! (Yes, I am yelling at you via Internet speak, and if I were actually with you, I would probably be enthusiastically smacking your leg or patting your arm for emphasis.) Here's the recipe:

Waldorf Chicken Salad

2 c. prepared chicken, cut up
1 medium sweet apple, diced with peel (Red or Golden Delicious)
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 c. seedless red grapes, quartered
1 c. walnuts or pecans, diced (you may toast these first)
1 c. mayonnaise

Cut prepared chicken into bite-sized chunks and place into mixing bowl. Chop apple, celery, grapes and nuts, and add to chicken. Add mayonnaise and stir gently until well-combined. Serve as a sandwich spread or as a topper for crackers. This is especially elegant when served on croissants.

To Prepare Chicken:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and take approximately one large chicken breast or three leg quarters--with skin--and place on baking sheet. (Be sure to first rinse chicken with water and pat dry with a paper towel.) Season chicken on all sides with a generous sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is done.  After chicken has cooled, remove and discard skin. Remove all usable meat from the bone and set aside.

Though baking the chicken is my favorite way to prepare it (it holds more flavor this way), you may also boil it, or if you're in a real hurry, you can used canned chicken instead. However, taking the extra time and effort to bake it first is well worth it, in my opinion!

A key to this dish is using a good mayonnaise--you want to use one that has flavor to it and doesn't just taste greasy; however, I don't recommend using Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip) in place of mayonnaise--it will not taste at all the same. If you are concerned about calories, try using a low fat mayonnaise instead (I will warn you, though--the low fat won't be as yummy as the real deal.) I am currently a fan of Portmann's brand mayonnaise.

Spaghetti Pie

This isn't really a "recipe" but I thought I would share this dish with you all just in case it had never occurred to you to try it.  If you're like me, then spaghetti is one of your household staples. My husband loves it; it's cheap; it's relatively good for you; and it's fast. However, in order to break up the monotony of spaghetti (even though I often fix it different ways to keep the flavors lively), I sometimes make what I call spaghetti pie.

 

This was a little over-browned (woops!) but still tasty!

It's essentially spaghetti, but it's baked in a pie plate and is generously interspersed with Italian cheeses. To make it, prepare the same amount of spaghetti noodles as you normally would, then drain them and drizzle with olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to one another. (I've also read that adding olive oil to your spaghetti helps your body absorb lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant found in tomatoes.) The rest is just layering and baking.  Very easy and something different than everyday spaghetti!

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Noodles (prepared)

Spaghetti Sauce (prepared)
Blended Italian cheeses
Parmesan cheese

In a pie plate or square baking dish, layer above ingredients making sure to generously coat the spaghetti noodles with sauce. (Using a meat sauce will increase the heartiness of the meal.)  Finish layering with cheeses and place in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 30 minutes or until cheese is well-browned.
Serve with garlic bread/toast and salad.

Enchiladas

Hi, everyone! I've not been feeling well lately and have been super busy, thus my lack of blogging.  However, things are settling down somewhat, and I thought I would share one of my new favorite meals with you guys--turkey enchiladas (which go great with Spanish rice).  I know what you're thinking....and yes, I meant to write "turkey."  Of course, if you're not hip with using turkey in place of ground beef, you could always use it instead (or even shredded chicken or pork for that matter).  I have been buying it lately for two reasons: it is cheaper than ground beef/chuck, and it's better for you.  If you're not confident that the rest of your family will happily swallow turkey enchiladas, then do what I did---don't tell them it's turkey! Haha! The first time I made this, my husband had no idea that it wasn't ground beef and he loved them. It wasn't until later in the grocery that he spotted me buying turkey and then proclaimed that he would not be eating anything I made with it...that's when I confessed to my little switcheroo, and he had to eat his words. (Cheesy, I know, but I had to say it...Haha!)

Enchiladas

1 lb. ground turkey or beef
1 package of McCormick Enchilada Sauce Seasoning
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. water
8 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
1-2 c. Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, make enchilada sauce according to package directions. (1 package seasoning + 1 1/2 c. water + 8 oz. tomato sauce).  Brown the ground turkey or beef in a hot skillet and drain any fat. Transfer 1/2 c. of enchilada sauce to ground turkey or beef.  Take each tortilla, and dip into enchilada sauce to thoroughly coat.  Transfer to baking dish.  Lay tortilla flat, and place two generous spoonfuls of turkey or beef onto center, then roll up, leaving the tortilla edge on the bottom.  Repeat with remaining tortillas.  Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, being sure to generously coat them.  Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve hot with Spanish rice or refried beans.

Yummy is all I've got to say about these babies!



Homemade Pineapple & Ham Pizza

Pineapple and ham--my favorite!

I hope you all like my new layout as much as I do.  It isn't that I didn't like the other one, but I just wasn't satisfied with it somehow or other. I couldn't ever really put my finger on what it was that I thought wasn't just quite right; I really love this one, though!

This evening for supper I made pizza.  Pizza is one of my go-to meals, because I always have the ingredients on hand, and it doesn't take long to make. It's also cheaper (and better!) than the frozen ones which I usually try to keep on-hand for whenever I really just don't feel like making anything.  Of course, you could always substitute your favorite toppings (i.e. green peppers, pepperoni, hamburger, onions, black olives, mushrooms, sausage, etc.)  in place of the pineapple and ham if you aren't a fan of it.  We, however, like to mix it up now and then so that "pizza" doesn't just mean cheese and pepperoni. This is  how I make my pineapple and ham pizza:

Pizza Crust

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. or 1 pkg. rapid rise yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. oil
3/4 -1 c. hot tap water

Combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar in mixing bowl.  Add oil and hot tap water; beat well. (Add 3/4 c. water at first, then more if needed to thin the dough.) Dough should be soft, but be able to hold its shape.  Cover with a towel and let rest 10 minutes.  Punch down, turn-out on generously floured surface and knead about 1 minute or until dough is firm.  Pat out into greased pan(s).  Bake at 350 degrees until crust is just set, but not browned.  Spread with favorite toppings and bake at 425 degrees for about 17-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is slightly browned.  Cut and serve hot.  (My mom uses this recipe for two crusts; I prefer a thicker crust, so I use this for only one pizza.)

Pizza Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can of tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 T. sugar
pinch of garlic powder
1tsp. basil
1-1 1/2 tsp. oregano

Combine all ingredients in small bowl and spread on prepared pizza crust.  Top with cheese and topping of choice. (Since I was making a pineapple and ham pizza, I added an additional 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to my sauce to sweeten it up a bit.)

Toppings

3 c. shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
1 (8 oz.) can diced or crushed pineapple (without juice)
6 pieces of Canadian bacon, sliced
Parmesean cheese

Spread cheese evenly on top of prepared crust. Then distribute pineapple and Canadian bacon evenly on top of cheese.  Cover with additional shredded cheese if desired, and sprinkle Parmesean on top of this.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 17-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is browned.

Also: Try making individual, deep-dish pizzas in cast iron skillets sometime! They make for an extremely good crust.

Dough is mixed-up; now resting for 10 minutes before kneading.

 Dough has baked for about 6 minutes at 350 degrees until set.
Now we can top it!

Hot, cut and ready to eat!

 Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! =)

Caribbean Jerk Grilled Trout

It's spring, everybody! (And about time!!) Warmer weather means one important thing for me when it comes to cooking: grilling out.  We do a lot of grilling during the spring and summer, which is nice for a variety of reasons: enjoying being outdoors, no messy kitchen to clean-up, tasty food, and hubby is top chef! We don't have one of those  $1,000 + intimidating, stainless steel contraptions, rather a simple charcoal grill, which I prefer to gas anyway. I like grilling with charcoal because: 1) It gives more flavor to the food; 2) I have a gas stove, so why wouldn't I just use it instead of a gas grill? and 3) it makes your general vicinity smell like summer! 

 

Rainbow Trout

One of my absolute favorite things to fix on the grill is fish. Of course, you probably have to be a like-er of fish to even think about grilling(or at least be some what adventurous) unless it's something you're already accustomed to. Unfortunately, it seems that many Americans who eat fish tend to stick to the panko-breaded, battered, deep-fried crunchy stuff a la Long John Silvers.  Not that I'm knockin' on that, because I enjoy a crispy, golden fillet (and crunchies! ) from time to time myself.  However, the best fish, in my humble opinion, is always grilled.  In fact, as much as I love a great prime rib, I would opt for good, grilled fish over steak any day.  I would also have to admit that many of the best meals I've ever had consisted of fish as the main course: grouper in Florida, mahi mahi in Hawaii, trout from the Bonefish Grill, sea bass prepared by a local acquaintance and whole tilapia made by my friend's mother. All of these, by the way, were grilled or baked--a coincidence? I think not.   





There is so much to be said of fish that is properly prepared: it's tender, it's moist, it's flavorful, it's delicate, and...it's even good for you! (Well, the grilled kind is good for you; the deep-fried, batter-clad catfish we love so much probably isn't...) So the next time you fire up the grill, think about trading some of those hotdogs and hamburgers in for some grilled fish and shrimp.  One of my favorite methods of preparation happens to be one of the easiest: open a bottle of marinade and let your fish/shrimp marinate for at least 30 minutes before throwing it on the grill.  Fortunately, there are about as many kinds of marinade available as there are ways to use it.  Find one that has a flavor you like (i.e. Caribbean Jerk, Teriyaki, etc.) and try it out!  It's also great over grilled veggies, especially peppers, mushrooms, squash and zucchini.  My favorite marinade is currently KC Masterpiece's Spiced Caribbean Jerk 30 Minute Marinade. It's soo good...sweet and spicy! (Just like me--haha!)

Caribbean Jerk Grilled Trout 

Fresh trout (frozen will do, but fresh is much better)

KC Masterpiece Spiced Caribbean Jerk 30 Minute Marinade

(Hot grill)

Place trout in a shallow dish, skin-side down.  Spoon marinade onto fish, applying liberally.  Turn fish over so that skin faces upward, and generously apply marinade to skin as well.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.  Place on preheated grill, skin-side down, and close grill lid.  Allow to cook for about 7 minutes, then begin testing for doneness.  (Cooking time will vary based on thickness of fish and grill temperature.)  Fish is done when easily flaked with a fork and juices are clear.  Serve hot.



Trout is such a beautiful fish--so appetizing to the eye!



Marinate for at least 30 minutes

 You can also marinate shrimp the same way

Hot off the grill and ready to eat!

Not exactly the most appetizing of pictures (Hubby won't eat the skin for some reason...),
but you can see how the flesh is tender and flaky--just perfect!

Happy spring, everyone!

(P.S. Cream Puffs tomorrow to celebrate my dad's birthday...can't wait for those!)

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Waffles

I first heard about chicken and waffles in one of my favorite novels, Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain, one of the great noir masters. (You may have seen the 1945 film by the same name with Oscar-winner Joan Crawford--also one of my favorite film noirs.)  In the novel, Mildred opens her own restaurant and works her way up the social and financial ladder by specializing in selling chicken and waffles.  Ever since reading this, I've been intrigued by the idea.  After doing some more research, I learned that this seemingly-odd combination is actually pretty common fare in the South, and is also frequently prepared in other parts of the country as creamed chicken and waffles.  I figured it was worth a try, and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.  Of course, nothing was new about the fried chicken, and nothing especially new about fixing waffles; however, these are cornbread waffles, so in that respect they are very different from any you would normally eat.  I also found in doing my research that many people actually make regular, breakfast-style waffles (which I have yet to try with this dish), but I do think the cornbread waffles are a nice change-up from the typical cornbread that I would otherwise make.

Nothing says "South" like chicken frying
in a cast iron skillet!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

1 frying chicken, cut up
buttermilk (about 4-6 cups)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 T. salt
1 1/2 T. paprika
dash of pepper
about 2/3 c. oil for frying

Place chicken in container where all sides of each piece can be covered with buttermilk.  The amount of buttermilk needed will depend on the size of the chicken and the container in which it is placed. Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinate at least 4 hours.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl (or bag) mix flour, salt, paprika and pepper.  Place each piece of buttermilk-coated chicken in flour mixture and coat generously, being sure to cover entire surface.  In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, until hot enough so that drops of water will sizzle when sprinkled onto it.  Place dredged chicken in hot oil, one piece at a time, making sure that no piece directly touches another. Do not overcrowd skillet. You will most likely have to fry the chicken in two or three batches.  Fry on each side about 5-6 minutes, or until golden and crispy, then transfer onto foil-lined baking sheet.  When all chicken has been browned and transferred onto baking sheet, place in oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Cornmeal Waffles

3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. butter, melted (or use oil from skillet in which chicken was fried)
1 egg
2/3 c. milk

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.  Add butter or oil, egg and milk.  Stir until combined (batter will be lumpy).  Pour into hot, greased waffle iron, and bake until done.  Serve hot.

Buttermilk fried chicken, cornmeal waffles and green beans...welcome to the South!

Chicken and Rice Soup

We went to the grocery store yesterday, and chicken was on sale, so I (of course) stocked up on it.  Needless to say, we will be eating a lot of chicken dishes in the near future! (Although, most of what I bought I went ahead and put in the freezer, because I always try to have some on-hand to use for whatever.)  Since we are both still somewhat sick, I thought it would be good to have some chicken soup of some kind. However, I made Chicken Noodle Soup not long ago, so I thought it would be nice to make some chicken and rice soup for a change.

  

A change from traditional Chicken Noodle

Chicken and Rice Soup

2 T. butter

2 large ribs of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 chicken leg quarters or 1 large breast (with skin)
4 chicken bouillons
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. rice (white or wild)
1 tsp. dried parsley
6 c. water

Prepare vegetables as indicated. In a large cooker, melt butter, and add celery, carrots and onion. Saute until tender, but do not brown. Add water and chicken.  Cover with lid, and cook for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  Remove chicken from stock, and transfer to cutting board. Check stock for any solid pieces that may have formed during cooking and discard. As soon as chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin, and pick meat from bones, discarding any unused parts. Cut chicken into pieces of desirable size, and transfer back to stock. Add chicken bouillons, rice, salt, pepper and parsley.  Cook covered for about 20 more minutes until rice is tender (wild rice may take longer). Serve hot with crackers or grilled cheese sandwiches.

In making this soup for us, I dice the celery very fine because my husband wouldn't want to eat it if he could see it! (Anyone else have this problem..?) Otherwise, you would be able to see the sliced celery in there.

Goes great with hot, grilled cheese sandwiches!

Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup

  

Hot and ready to serve with crackers, cornbread  or grilled cheese.



Anytime that we get sick (like now), and I start thinking about what to make for supper, soup is naturally the thing that comes to mind. If you've been reading my blog, you know that chicken noodle soup is my first go-to, but since I already shared that recipe, I thought I would make vegetable soup (my second favorite) and share it with you guys. Once again, the recipe is really only a guide; feel free to add to or take away from it as you see fit. Also, this recipe makes a large cooker full, so if you're cooking for only 2-3, you will probably want to half this.

Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup

2 celery ribs, diced, plus tops
2/3 c. onion (or just less than 1/2 medium onion), diced
2 small carrots, split and cut into uniform pieces about 1/4" long
2 T. oil
4 medium potatoes, cut into small, uniform cubes, about 1/2" wide
1/2 small head of cabbage, shredded
2 1/2 c. frozen vegetables (choose whatever you like, but I suggest at least including peas and corn)
24 oz. tomato sauce (3 c. or 3-8 oz. cans)
4 c. water
4 beef bouillons
1/2 T. sugar
7-8 dashes Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 T.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 tsp.dried parsley

Prepare and cut all vegetables as indicated.  Heat the oil in a large cooker, and saute celery, onions and carrots until tender, but not browned. (Reserve celery tops.)  Add all other vegetables and tomato sauce.  Dissolve beef bouillons in water, then add to cooker. Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Place reserved celery tops on top of soup, cover with lid, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove celery tops before serving, and serve hot with crackers, cornbread or grilled cheese.

After all ingredients have been combined, add celery tops, cover with lid, and simmer
for 30 minutes.
(Don't you just love those colors!?)

 This is how it should look after cooking for 30 minutes.  Notice the color isn't as
brilliant due to the vegetables having cooked into the broth.

Homemade Pot Roast

Like many basic dishes, there are about a gazillion ways to make a roast. Every cook has her own way of doing it, and chances are, she will change just a little something every time she makes it.  Like many others, I hardly ever make one the exact same way twice.  However, this is a good recipe from which you can take away or build on as you see fit:

Pot Roast

3-4 lb. roast (bottom round)
4 medium potatoes, cut into about 1x1" pieces
4 medium carrots, split and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium celery rib, cut in half
1 medium onion, sliced into about 12 equal portions
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 bay leaf
6-7 dashes of Worcestershire sauce (about 1/2 Tablespoon)
1 can of French Onion soup
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 T. oil
1/2 c. of water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of pepper over all sides of roast. In a large, oven-proof Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.  Place roast in Dutch oven, and brown on all sides (about 6-9 minutes). Combine potatoes and carrots in separate mixing bowl, and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and remaining 1/2 tsp. pepper. Mix to season potatoes and carrots. Place onions on top of roast, then add potatoes, carrots and garlic.  Pour French Onion soup directly over meat and vegetables, add Worcestershire sauce and water. Sprinkle with parsley, add bay leaf, and place celery on top. Cover with lid and place in oven.  Cook for about 1 1/2 hrs, removing lid for last 30 minutes of cooking.  Remove bay leaf before serving and serve hot.

Homemade Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Here we are; another cold day. (I am soo ready for Spring!)  Cold days = hot meals.  I had some ground beef  I wanted to use, so thought I would make spaghetti and meatballs for supper.  I do make quite a bit of spaghetti (in a multitude of variations).  It's a great, hearty meal and it's pretty quick.  As we know, there are only about a bazillion ways to make spaghetti, but I reserve spaghetti and meatballs for when I want to make the meal just a little more special.  Now, I also know that there are as many ways to make meatballs are there are to make spaghetti sauce, but I really like this recipe which comes from my grandmother.

Spaghetti and Meatballs 

 Sauce

3/4 c. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. oil
2 (1 lb/16 oz.) cans of crushed tomatoes
2 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1 c. water
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 T. oregano

Meatballs

4 slices dry bread
1 lb. ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 c. grated Romano cheese
2 T. chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 T. oregano
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
2 T. oil

For Sauce:  Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender, but not brown.  Add next 8 ingredients.  Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.  Add meat balls and continue cooking for about 30 minutes.

For Meatballs: Soak bread in water until wet, then squeeze out moisture.  Combine with remaining ingredients (except oil) in large bowl and mix well. (It is easiest and most efficient to do this with your hand.) Form into balls of desirable size.  Brown in hot oil; drain on a paper towel, then place into sauce.  Cook in sauce for the final 30 minutes of cooking time.

Serve over hot spaghetti and top with Parmesan cheese if desired.



As it is just two of us, I made 1/2 this recipe and there was still some left over! Also, if you don't want to take the time to make your own sauce,  you could always substitute with a good, store-bought one.



Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Cold, rainy days like these just scream soup for supper.  So, after I decided to make chicken noodle soup, it occurred to me that I could just take some pictures and jot down what I do, then post it on my recipe blog.  Usually, I just throw things together and don't measure anything when it comes to makimg soups and other similar things.  Making it this time was different because I went ahead and eye-balled my ingredients as usual, then stopped and measured before adding them. That being said, this is easily my #1 go-to soup.  We both like it; it's easy; it's really good, and it's pretty cheap (and I almost always have all the ingredients on-hand).  I totally understand that it's much easier (and faster) to go pop open a can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup than to make it from scratch, but trust me-- the homemade stuff is so much better!  After you try this, you won't mind taking the extra time to make it from scratch!



Chicken Noodle Soup

2 chicken leg quarters with skin (thigh and leg)  

2 medium celery ribs,diced, plus tops (about 1/2 c.)

1/3 of a medium yellow onion, diced (about 1/2 c.)

2 medium-large carrots, diced (about 1 c.)

4 chicken bouillons

1 1/2 c. small pasta shells

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pepper to taste

1 T. butter

water

Place chicken quarters (with skin) in a large dutch oven.  Fill with water until chicken is covered with about 1/2 inch of water.  Cover with lid, and cook chicken until done (about 25 minutes).  Meanwhile, prepare and dice carrots, onion, and celery.  Melt butter in a medium saucepan and saute diced vegetables until onions and celery are translucent.  Remove from heat. After chicken has cooked, carefully remove it from the stock (it will want to fall apart; I recommend using a large slotted spoon), and place on a sizable cutting board.  Check the broth for any solids that may have formed and stuck to the sides of the pot, and discard. Place sauteed vegetables, salt, pepper and chicken bouillons into broth and return to a boil. Add celery tops. As soon as chicken is cool enough to work with, remove and discard skin and clean meat off the bones.  Cut chicken into pieces of desirable size and return to stock. Add pasta shells and cook until al dente (about 7 minutes).  Remove celery tops,  add parsley, and spoon into serving dishes.  Serve with crackers or grilled cheese sandwiches.  Enjoy!

   

Sauteeing carrots, onions and celery



Feel free to use any part of the chicken you like. I like the leg quarters because they help produce a nice broth and provide the perfect amount of meat. Also, leg quarters are cheap. (I think you can get an 8-10 pound bag of frozen leg quarters for about $5-6.) You don't have to use frozen chicken, but the fact that you can is an added element of convenience since you can stock-up when it's on sale.

  



I also like to use small pasta shells instead of traditional flat noodles because they are easier to eat and have a great texture.  However, if you prefer traditional noodles, you can use linguine or fettuccine noodles instead: just break them into pieces of desirable size and cook them for about 11 minutes instead of 7.