Had this last night, and it was quite good. I couldn't find any smoked tofu and didn't get any other kind - which was a bad choice. I think this recipe would've been great with it. Also, I couldn't find Swiss Chard so I subbed in spinach instead - which was quite tasty.
For this recipe, you either need tofu of some kind (try a more firm tofu, soft tofu will be useless and just become a pasty coating from my experience) or some chicken or something. You could probably bolster up the butternut amount some to help if you don't have tofu, but really, this would be way good with it.
A note to those having to sub chard with spinach (or kale). First, spinach is not quite as thick so it takes less time to cook. Second, when I put my 3/4 bunch of spinach in I thought, "Holy cow, that's a ton! It'll drown out everything else." How silly of me. I should've remember that spinach cooks down... way down. Go with a full bunch. If you love spinach, try a bunch and a half. It adds a great taste.
Lactose Intolerant and Japan: I think you can leave out the Parmesan and still be happy. I will tell you that I noticed the cheese taste and it was a great flavor in the mix. However, I think it will still be good even without it.
Japan eaters will you let me know if butternut squash can be located over there? I never tried to look for it, so I have no idea if it's available or not. If not, let me know and I will remove this label. Thanks.
Penne with Braised Squash and Greens
2 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounce(s) cubed smoked tofu
1 medium onion, chopped
3 clove(s) garlic, minced
crushed red pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
1 pound(s) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (3 cups)
1 bunch(es) Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounce(s) whole-wheat penne, rigatoni or fusilli
1/2 cup(s) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add onion to the pan; cook, stirring often, until softened and golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
5. Return the tofu to the pan, add broth and squash; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Start cooking the pasta until just tender, according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
7. Add chard to squash mixture and stir to immerse. Cover and cook until the squash and chard are tender, about 5 minutes.
8. Add the squash mixture, Parmesan, salt and pepper to the pot of drained noodles. Toss to coat.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
You can actually google this name and probably find the site that has this recipe. I got this from a sister-in-law who got it from a sister-in-law. They are delicious. The one down side is that the dough isn't as good raw. For some people, that may be a plus.
Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 c. All purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 c. Butter, softened
3/4 c. Packed brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
3 oz package instant, sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. Chocolate chips (or a variety of flavors)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
3. Blend in pudding mix.
4. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
5. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.*
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Drop small, rounded spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 9 minutes in oven.
*Technically, one is suppose to sift these four ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add in. I don't do this, and I'm not sure why I should as it still turns out well. Therefore, I don't do the extra step with the extra dish.
Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/4 c. All purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 c. Butter, softened
3/4 c. Packed brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
3 oz package instant, sugar-free, fat-free vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. Chocolate chips (or a variety of flavors)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
3. Blend in pudding mix.
4. Stir in eggs and vanilla.
5. Blend in flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.*
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Drop small, rounded spoonfuls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 9 minutes in oven.
*Technically, one is suppose to sift these four ingredients together in a separate bowl and then add in. I don't do this, and I'm not sure why I should as it still turns out well. Therefore, I don't do the extra step with the extra dish.
Salsa
This is an excellent recipe. Very tasty and fresh. Salsa from the store has become rather pale in comparison to the salsa made from our garden. Thank you to my friend for sharing this wonderful recipe (and your backyard!) with me . All of the comments in this recipe are from her as she explained what to do. She's amazing at eyeballing and improvising food. Her big thing with the salsa was variety.
You can add cumin to this. My friend and I were visiting one of her friends who had done this. It was described as having a bit of a smokey flavor. I didn't love it as much as this recipe, but it wasn't bad either. So, if you have a thing for cumin, you might want to try adding it in.
For my Japan friends: If you don't have banana peppers, don't worry. Just use some shishitos. Jalapenos were harder to find if I remember, so research some hot Japanese or chinese peppers. You could probably use shishitos in lieu of jalapenos, but then you won't have any kick whatsoever. I believe the name of the store I got my bottled jalapenos at was Pu-ro. They have some really good prices there and I think that's where I got my cheap shredded mozarella. Good memories.
Anyway, if you can find a fresh, hot version of an Asian pepper, that'll probably be best. Also, I can't for the life of me remember if cilantro is available to you. If it is, you can make this without too much trouble. If not, then please post and let me know so I remove the tag. Thanks.
Salsa o' Doom
* If you decide you want it hotter, keep the seeds.
** Japan friends, use yellow. They're sweeter, and I noticed my Japan green bell peppers were different from the States.
You can add cumin to this. My friend and I were visiting one of her friends who had done this. It was described as having a bit of a smokey flavor. I didn't love it as much as this recipe, but it wasn't bad either. So, if you have a thing for cumin, you might want to try adding it in.
For my Japan friends: If you don't have banana peppers, don't worry. Just use some shishitos. Jalapenos were harder to find if I remember, so research some hot Japanese or chinese peppers. You could probably use shishitos in lieu of jalapenos, but then you won't have any kick whatsoever. I believe the name of the store I got my bottled jalapenos at was Pu-ro. They have some really good prices there and I think that's where I got my cheap shredded mozarella. Good memories.
Anyway, if you can find a fresh, hot version of an Asian pepper, that'll probably be best. Also, I can't for the life of me remember if cilantro is available to you. If it is, you can make this without too much trouble. If not, then please post and let me know so I remove the tag. Thanks.
Salsa o' Doom
8 tomatoes (I used a combination of Beefsteak, Roma, and Celebrities I believe, but any will do)
6 jalapenos. Half with the seeds, half without*
1 banana pepper (no seeds)
1 bell pepper (no seeds) (I used green but I prefer yellow for the color)**
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Juice from 2 limes
Salt to taste (this baby is loaded with sodium)
Directions:
1. Dice 5 tomatoes.
2. Dice the onion and cilantro.
3. Everything else including 3 tomatoes were chopped in my mini food processor but can be hand chopped.
4. Mix all ingredients and add salt to taste.
1. Dice 5 tomatoes.
2. Dice the onion and cilantro.
3. Everything else including 3 tomatoes were chopped in my mini food processor but can be hand chopped.
4. Mix all ingredients and add salt to taste.
* If you decide you want it hotter, keep the seeds.
** Japan friends, use yellow. They're sweeter, and I noticed my Japan green bell peppers were different from the States.
Eggplant Sandwiches
This is a great recipe! The sad thing is that I've waited so long to write about it that the tweaks I wanted to make have escaped me. I'll probably have to send out an update when we make this again.
What I do remember:
1. Even doubling this recipe, there wasn't enough for six people. So I'm guessing without extras to really buff this up, you're looking at an involved appetizer or feeding just two, maybe three people. With sides, you could maybe bump that up to three or four depending on how bulky your sides are.
2. The bread crumb coating mixture - 1:2. It worked for two batches without doubling. If you make one batch, I would recommend halving the recipe for this.
3. The egg dip - 1:1. Double the amount if you double the recipe.
4. Cheese Mixture - 1:1. As I recall, you have to double it if you double the recipe.
5. Pomegranate Molasses. There is a substitute for it at the bottom. Also, I served it on the side so people could choose whether they wanted it or not.
Eggplant Sandwiches
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 large long eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses*
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the panko crumbs, salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Place the flour in a third bowl. Coat each slice of eggplant with flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg, and finally coat with panko crumbs. Place on the oiled baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over the slices and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly, but leave the oven on.
4. While the eggplant is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until almost tender, then add the garlic. Cook for just about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese, provolone cheese, parsley and basil. Season with pepper.
5. Divide the cheese mixture among 8 slices of the eggplant (half). Spread to cover, then top with remaining eggplant slices, pressing to compact. Return to the baking sheets.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is crisp, about 15 minutes. Place two sandwiches onto each serving plate, and drizzle with pomegranate molasses.
*Pomegrante molasses substitute: 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp mild molasses, and 1 tsp honey
What I do remember:
1. Even doubling this recipe, there wasn't enough for six people. So I'm guessing without extras to really buff this up, you're looking at an involved appetizer or feeding just two, maybe three people. With sides, you could maybe bump that up to three or four depending on how bulky your sides are.
2. The bread crumb coating mixture - 1:2. It worked for two batches without doubling. If you make one batch, I would recommend halving the recipe for this.
3. The egg dip - 1:1. Double the amount if you double the recipe.
4. Cheese Mixture - 1:1. As I recall, you have to double it if you double the recipe.
5. Pomegranate Molasses. There is a substitute for it at the bottom. Also, I served it on the side so people could choose whether they wanted it or not.
Eggplant Sandwiches
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 large long eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
1 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses*
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Coat two large baking sheets with olive oil.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the panko crumbs, salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In another bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Place the flour in a third bowl. Coat each slice of eggplant with flour, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg, and finally coat with panko crumbs. Place on the oiled baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over the slices and bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly, but leave the oven on.
4. While the eggplant is baking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion; cook and stir until almost tender, then add the garlic. Cook for just about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese, provolone cheese, parsley and basil. Season with pepper.
5. Divide the cheese mixture among 8 slices of the eggplant (half). Spread to cover, then top with remaining eggplant slices, pressing to compact. Return to the baking sheets.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is crisp, about 15 minutes. Place two sandwiches onto each serving plate, and drizzle with pomegranate molasses.
*Pomegrante molasses substitute: 3 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 Tbsp mild molasses, and 1 tsp honey
Eggplant Curry
Oishi desu!
I got this recipe from a wonderful friend in Japan. What I'm relaying is totally from memory as I can't locate the recipe she wrote for us. It's sad because she has beautiful writing and her pictures are great! It's probably the reason I can remember anything. If it doesn't taste great, you'll probably have to blame it on my faulty memory. I still look for that recipe from time to time.
The key to this is getting a hold of Japanese curry. I don't have a recipe for making it from scratch. When we learned our Japanese recipes, curry was so cheap to get no one bothered to give us recipes for making it. If you go to buy some, I would recommend House brand and then S&B, but that's just me.
The packages we have are two parts of four to six squares each. We use half of one of these packages. If you get a small package with only four or six squares, use the whole thing for this recipe. For the friends with a double package like ours, remember to cut the water in half.
Eggplant Curry
150 grams of hamburger (1/3 lb)
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced*
3 medium onions
3-4 eggplants, chopped**
Japanese curry
1 square from a Hershey bar**
Directions:
1. However you make rice, work on getting that set up.
2. Cook the hamburger. Drain off the fat. Keep off to the side.
3. Cook the onions and garlic.
4. Add the amount of water specified by the curry. Then put in the eggplant and cook until barely softened.
5. Add the hamburger and curry. Stir and heat until simmering. When the eggplant is soft and the curry dissolved, add the chocolate.
6. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
* We tend to like a lot of garlic, so we go with 4 - 6 minced cloves.
** Yes, it really is that little, but it makes all the difference in the world, so don't forget it. just one little part of a full bar.
I got this recipe from a wonderful friend in Japan. What I'm relaying is totally from memory as I can't locate the recipe she wrote for us. It's sad because she has beautiful writing and her pictures are great! It's probably the reason I can remember anything. If it doesn't taste great, you'll probably have to blame it on my faulty memory. I still look for that recipe from time to time.
The key to this is getting a hold of Japanese curry. I don't have a recipe for making it from scratch. When we learned our Japanese recipes, curry was so cheap to get no one bothered to give us recipes for making it. If you go to buy some, I would recommend House brand and then S&B, but that's just me.
The packages we have are two parts of four to six squares each. We use half of one of these packages. If you get a small package with only four or six squares, use the whole thing for this recipe. For the friends with a double package like ours, remember to cut the water in half.
Eggplant Curry
150 grams of hamburger (1/3 lb)
3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced*
3 medium onions
3-4 eggplants, chopped**
Japanese curry
1 square from a Hershey bar**
Directions:
1. However you make rice, work on getting that set up.
2. Cook the hamburger. Drain off the fat. Keep off to the side.
3. Cook the onions and garlic.
4. Add the amount of water specified by the curry. Then put in the eggplant and cook until barely softened.
5. Add the hamburger and curry. Stir and heat until simmering. When the eggplant is soft and the curry dissolved, add the chocolate.
6. Remove from heat and serve over rice.
* We tend to like a lot of garlic, so we go with 4 - 6 minced cloves.
** Yes, it really is that little, but it makes all the difference in the world, so don't forget it. just one little part of a full bar.
Angel Lush
My first dessert but hopefully it won't be the last! Good and simple recipe if you like angel food cake.
Angel Lush
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg (3.4 oz) of vanilla flavored, instant pudding
1 cup thawed cool whip
1 pkg (10oz) round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers
Seasonal Berries
Directions:
1. Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping.
2. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with your favorite seasonal berries.
Angel Lush
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg (3.4 oz) of vanilla flavored, instant pudding
1 cup thawed cool whip
1 pkg (10oz) round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers
Seasonal Berries
Directions:
1. Mix pineapple and dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Gently stir in whipped topping.
2. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with your favorite seasonal berries.
Asian Pork Wraps
Very tasty. It's been a long time since we ate this, but I do remember we enjoyed it. This is saying something as my spouse is not a fan of pork. Also, it makes a lot of food. I would imagine this would be quite good with the Lime Cilantro rice.
It should be pretty easy for those that are in Japan to utilize this recipe, assuming you can discern the labels in the stores. I might recommend trying to mix this with rice in lieu of tortillas. My other suggestion is to make them.
Asian Pork Wraps
Meat:
2.5 - 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast
2/3 c. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. Minced garlic
1 tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp. Chinese five spice powder
Wrap:
10 – 16 tortillas
Sliced green onion
Mandarin oranges
Toasted, slivered almonds
Shredded Lettuce
1. Grease crock pot.
2. Place roast in 3.5 – 5 quart slow cooker.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread over top.
4. Cover and cook on low heat 6 – 8 hours.
5. Shred roast with two forks.
6. Serve on warm whole tortillas with sliced green onion, mandarin oranges, toasted slivered almonds, and shredded lettuce.
It should be pretty easy for those that are in Japan to utilize this recipe, assuming you can discern the labels in the stores. I might recommend trying to mix this with rice in lieu of tortillas. My other suggestion is to make them.
Asian Pork Wraps
Meat:
2.5 - 3 lbs boneless pork loin roast
2/3 c. hoisin sauce
2 tsp. Minced garlic
1 tsp. Ground ginger
½ tsp. Chinese five spice powder
Wrap:
10 – 16 tortillas
Sliced green onion
Mandarin oranges
Toasted, slivered almonds
Shredded Lettuce
1. Grease crock pot.
2. Place roast in 3.5 – 5 quart slow cooker.
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread over top.
4. Cover and cook on low heat 6 – 8 hours.
5. Shred roast with two forks.
6. Serve on warm whole tortillas with sliced green onion, mandarin oranges, toasted slivered almonds, and shredded lettuce.
Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
I found this recipe on this website. It is so good! Absolutely love and enjoy this recipe. I recommend upping the amount of asparagus (because it tastes so good) to 1.5 - 2 lbs, but if you don't, it's still wonderful.
One thing. When I got to the step to reduce the vinegar I was so mad and thought, "You should've had me doing this at the beginning, it'll take so long to reduce it by that much!" Vinegar, for those that did not know, will reduce quickly. You can do it earlier, but it shouldn't slow you down too much in the order they direct.
This recipe fed three adults without sides and we all felt full. With sides, this should feed four to six people.
One last note. For my lactose intolerant friends, just remove the cheese. It's not a fundamental taste of the overall food. Leaving it out won't change it too much. Also, I'm guessing you probably have a substitute for butter/margarine. If not, then look for margarine labelled "pareve".
Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
1 pound asparagus*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon(s) brown sugar
1 pound(s) penne
1/4 pound(s) butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F and start your penne water boiling.
2. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them.** Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.*** Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt.
Serve with additional Parmesan.
Variations:
Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter: When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes.
Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter: Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.
Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Balsamic Butter, and Chicken: Just cut up some chicken (1 - 2 breasts) and cook it in salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Blends very nicely.
* I love asparagus. I'd recommend upping the amount to 1.5 - 2 lbs.
**To snap off the hard ends, just break it where it naturally tends to break. Really, I looked it up in a couple of places. I tried it and it worked beautifully.
*** I put it into a bowl, tossed it around, then put it on a baking sheet. Worked quite nicely.
One thing. When I got to the step to reduce the vinegar I was so mad and thought, "You should've had me doing this at the beginning, it'll take so long to reduce it by that much!" Vinegar, for those that did not know, will reduce quickly. You can do it earlier, but it shouldn't slow you down too much in the order they direct.
This recipe fed three adults without sides and we all felt full. With sides, this should feed four to six people.
One last note. For my lactose intolerant friends, just remove the cheese. It's not a fundamental taste of the overall food. Leaving it out won't change it too much. Also, I'm guessing you probably have a substitute for butter/margarine. If not, then look for margarine labelled "pareve".
Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter
1 pound asparagus*
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 cup(s) plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon(s) brown sugar
1 pound(s) penne
1/4 pound(s) butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° F and start your penne water boiling.
2. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them.** Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.*** Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, Parmesan, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt.
Serve with additional Parmesan.
Variations:
Penne with Roasted Broccoli and Balsamic Butter: When asparagus is not in season, cut 1 pound of broccoli into small spears for roasting. Toss them with 2 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and roast for about 15 minutes.
Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Toasted Nuts, and Balsamic Butter: Toss in 1/3 cup of toasted pine nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts at the end with either asparagus or broccoli.
Penne with Roasted Asparagus, Balsamic Butter, and Chicken: Just cut up some chicken (1 - 2 breasts) and cook it in salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Blends very nicely.
* I love asparagus. I'd recommend upping the amount to 1.5 - 2 lbs.
**To snap off the hard ends, just break it where it naturally tends to break. Really, I looked it up in a couple of places. I tried it and it worked beautifully.
*** I put it into a bowl, tossed it around, then put it on a baking sheet. Worked quite nicely.
Creamy Italian Chicken
Good recipe. Very easy and tasty. If you like strong seasoning, you may want to go with two packages of Italian dressing and maybe avoid the generic (they always seem a bit weaker when I use 'em in recipes, but they are SO much cheaper!).
We did the initial cook at 5 hours, I have no idea if you could leave it for 7 or 8, but I see no reason that you couldn't. I would recommend maybe an extra 2 - 4 tablespoons of water if you decide to work it that way. If your chicken is frozen, you might not need to do that as the melting ice will add to the overall water content.
Creamy Italian Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts (See the * below)
1 package of Italian seasoning**
1/4 cup water
1 package of reduced fat cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz can of mushrooms (drained)
Directions:
1. Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker.
2. Mix the Italian dressing seasoning and water together and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 3 hours (you could go for longer if you need to.)
4. Mix cream cheese and soup together and stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cook on low for 1 more hour.*
6. Serve over rice or noodles.
* We shredded the chicken into the mix after the final hour. The chicken goes farther and really, you could probably get away with 2 or 3 chicken breasts. Makes it a bit cheaper.
** I assumed it meant a package of Italian dressing. It could be the mysterious measurement "package" such as is used for yeast, but I went with Italian dressing mix.
We did the initial cook at 5 hours, I have no idea if you could leave it for 7 or 8, but I see no reason that you couldn't. I would recommend maybe an extra 2 - 4 tablespoons of water if you decide to work it that way. If your chicken is frozen, you might not need to do that as the melting ice will add to the overall water content.
Creamy Italian Chicken
4 Chicken Breasts (See the * below)
1 package of Italian seasoning**
1/4 cup water
1 package of reduced fat cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz can of mushrooms (drained)
Directions:
1. Put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker.
2. Mix the Italian dressing seasoning and water together and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 3 hours (you could go for longer if you need to.)
4. Mix cream cheese and soup together and stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cook on low for 1 more hour.*
6. Serve over rice or noodles.
* We shredded the chicken into the mix after the final hour. The chicken goes farther and really, you could probably get away with 2 or 3 chicken breasts. Makes it a bit cheaper.
** I assumed it meant a package of Italian dressing. It could be the mysterious measurement "package" such as is used for yeast, but I went with Italian dressing mix.
Fancy Mac 'n' Cheese
I got the recipe from this site. It's a good recipe. It takes a bit of time, and I tend to make 1.5 times the requirements on this to feed four to five people, without sides. A normal recipe would probably be around two to four without sides. With sides, it would probably go much, much farther.
Keep in mind, this is rich and full of calories - lots and lots of cream. Also, use the salt - it makes all the difference. Because of the time to make it, I plan it for less busy days. I have adjusted the steps for this recipe. It assumes that you note the pasta should be cooked and the bacon also. Given that when I go in I just start looking at directions and somewhere at the last minute realize, "Oh right! The noodles!" I decided to add those steps into the directions.
According to the site:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 - 50 minutes
2 whole shallots, peeled*
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water for pasta (if you've not cooked it yet). Cook the bacon and reserve a tablespoon of fat. About the time the bacon finishes, be sure to drop your pasta into the hopefully boiling water.
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop.
3. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. (Don't forget your noodles.)
4. When cream mixture is reduced, stir in cheeses until melted, creamy, and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9" by 13" casserole dish.
5. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, breadcrumbs, butter, and parsley. Top mac n' cheese with breadcrumb mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
*How to count shallots. Some say by the clove, some by the head. This recipe is probably leaning toward the clove. For you who are good at estimates, shallots taste a lot like onions, but are a bit weaker. So, use what you feel wouldn't overpower the taste. Again, I tend to lean toward a clove count, not a head count for this recipe.
Keep in mind, this is rich and full of calories - lots and lots of cream. Also, use the salt - it makes all the difference. Because of the time to make it, I plan it for less busy days. I have adjusted the steps for this recipe. It assumes that you note the pasta should be cooked and the bacon also. Given that when I go in I just start looking at directions and somewhere at the last minute realize, "Oh right! The noodles!" I decided to add those steps into the directions.
According to the site:
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 - 50 minutes
Mac Daddy Mac 'n Cheese, Guy Fieri's
2 whole shallots, peeled*
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound penne pasta, cooked
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil water for pasta (if you've not cooked it yet). Cook the bacon and reserve a tablespoon of fat. About the time the bacon finishes, be sure to drop your pasta into the hopefully boiling water.
2. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in oven 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop.
3. In a large sauté pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. (Don't forget your noodles.)
4. When cream mixture is reduced, stir in cheeses until melted, creamy, and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9" by 13" casserole dish.
5. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, breadcrumbs, butter, and parsley. Top mac n' cheese with breadcrumb mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.
*How to count shallots. Some say by the clove, some by the head. This recipe is probably leaning toward the clove. For you who are good at estimates, shallots taste a lot like onions, but are a bit weaker. So, use what you feel wouldn't overpower the taste. Again, I tend to lean toward a clove count, not a head count for this recipe.
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