Chicken Stock

Several people have mentioned that they can't make some of the recipes I've posted because they don't have a pressure cooker. After I told them to buy one (seriously, you won't regret it), I got to thinking that maybe I should come up with a basic chicken/chicken stock recipe that everybody can use. So here you go.

1 whole fryer chicken (cleaned, giblets removed)

1 pkg celery (not just celery hearts, you want the stuff with the leafy tips)

3-4 full-size carrots

1 onion

2qts Water

Seasonings (will need twice the amount listed)

2 tsp parsley

½ tsp ground sage

½ tsp poultry seasoning 

¼ tsp thyme leaves 

¼ tsp black pepper

1-2 tsp chicken bouillon or chicken soup base (low sodium if possible)

Chop the leafy tips (about 4" off the top of the stalks) off a bunch of celery. Rinse them off and put them in a large pot or Dutch oven. Peel and cut the carrots and onions into chunks and add to the pot. (I saved a handful to put inside the chicken cavity). Add the spices and ONE quart of water. Put the chicken in the pot and cover with a lid. Bring to a boil on high, then reduce heat and let simmer for 45-60 mins. Make sure once you reduce the heat that you're only getting little bubbles around the edge of the pan and not a rolling boil. Too much liquid will evaporate otherwise and you'll lose valuable flavor. 

Let the chicken sit for about 15 minutes to cool before removing it from the pan. Carefully, cut/pick the chicken off the carcass and set aside. Strain the vegetables from the broth and return them to the pan with the chicken carcass. Set the broth aside. Add the second set of seasonings and the last quart of water. Repeat the process for cooking the stock. 

This will give you enough chicken and stock for at least two pots of chicken noodle soup, or chicken and noodles. You can freeze whatever you don't use.

(To cut back on the fat, you can let the broth cool in the fridge then skim the fat off the top before freezing/using.)

Buffalo Chicken Salad

This is the most supremely lazy recipe for a most delicious meal.

Bagged lettuce (I used romaine, spring mix and baby spinach)
Grape tomatoes
Croutons
Pre-breaded chicken strips (frozen chicken tenders is what I used, but you can use fresh)
Cookies brand "Wings n' Things" hot sauce (or the sauce of your choice)
Ranch dressing (I use Hidden Valley Ranch - buttermilk recipe)

While the oven preheated for the chicken strips, I made the salad dressing and mixed the bags of lettuce together in a big bowl. Remember, I always make enough for lots of leftovers, hence the three bags of lettuce. Since my kiddo doesn't like croutons and hubby doesn't like grape tomatoes, I left the ingredients separate so everybody could make it to their liking.

Once the chicken strips were done, I dunked them in the hot sauce, then sliced them into smaller strips.

Throw everything you want in the bowl with the dressing and top with fresh crushed black pepper.

You could add shredded cheese, crumbled blue cheese, celery, carrots, bacon or any other fresh vegetables of your choosing.

Bavarian Pot Roast

For my first bridal shower almost twenty years ago, the theme was a recipe share. Guests brought index cards with their favorite recipes on them and gave them to me as I began my life as a new bride. One of the recipes I tried was my former MIL's recipe for Bavarian pot roast. Having been a fairly traditional person, I only made it once, but it did go over well, if I remember correctly. I have been in a serious tomato mood lately, so I thought I'd revisit my recipe box and try it again.

1 three to four pound pot roast (I used an arm roast)
4 T flour
2 T oil
1 c tomato juice (or 8 oz can tomato sauce)
1 c beef broth
1¼ c Coca Cola (or 1¼ c water and 2 T sugar)
1 T vinegar
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 chopped onion

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Cover the roast with flour and brown on all sides in the oil. While it's browning, mix the juice, broth, Coke, vinegar and spices together. Chop the onion and put it on the bottom of a large baking dish with the bay leaf. When the roast is browned, add it to the dish and pour the broth mixture over the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 3 hours. Let set for 15 mins and discard bay leaf before serving.

Serve with potatoes or over noodles or spaetzle.

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce has always eluded me. I've made it several different ways over the years and none of them have been tasty. An Italian friend of mine said, "don't skimp on the quality where cheese is concerned," so I didn't. It still flopped.

Finally, I realized the secret isn't just the quality of cheese, but the consistency with which it begins. Grated: doesn't work. Shredded: eww. But shaved? PERFECTION!

Honestly, though, don't skimp on anything. Use REAL cream. REAL butter and REAL cheese. None of that low-fat, half-n-half, imitation crap. Alfredo isn't meant to be diet-friendly. And if you're gonna blow your points, you might as well blow 'em big.

2 c real heavy cream
½ c real butter (salted is preferable)
1 tsp crushed garlic
¾ -1 c shaved Parmesan cheese
pinch parsley
pinch basil leaves
pinch oregano leaves

In a saucepan, combine cream and butter until the butter melts. Add garlic and herbs, mixing well. Slowly add cheese, stirring with a wooden spoon until it's all added and melted. Simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy. It will be a bit runny.

The second trick to perfect Alfredo? Combine with cooked pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine or pappardelle are perfect) that has NOT BEEN RINSED after cooking. The starch from the pasta is what will help thicken the sauce.

You can also add grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, steamed broccoli or mushrooms to the sauce for a bit of variety, too.

Lazy Man's Apple Crisp

You know I much prefer homemade to pre-packaged food, but in a time crunch (or during one of those middle-of-the-night cravings), this recipe works. It's also cost-effective and STOOPID simple.

1 large can apple pie filling (cherry, blueberry or any other flavor will work, too)
1 box Jiffy white cake mix
1 pkg instant oatmeal (or ½ c oats)
¼ c margarine or butter
Chopped walnuts (optional)

In an oven-safe dish, pour the pie filling. In a separate bowl, stir the cake mix, oats and butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pie filling. Toss walnuts on top.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Let cool 10 mins before serving.

My 2¢ Worth

I'm very fortunate to have good blog readers who don't do this, but when I look at other peoples recipes pages, I notice a growing trend and it really annoys me.

Jane Doe shares her recipe for a killer pot roast (her words, mind you -- I haven't tried it yet). Reader 1 comments, "This sounds great! I can't wait to try it." Reader 2 says, "Instead of water, I use beef broth, but I like your take on the (special ingredient)." Reader 3 responds, "Instead of beef broth, I mix a beef bouillon cube with a bottle of beer (or a can of Coke or a cup of coffee or whatever)." Reader 4 has to put her thoughts in, too, "I did this and used the Coke instead of plain water and used reduced salt beef bouillon cubes and added paprika, garlic powder and as a twist, a tablespoon of brown sugar. Excellent!"

*blink*

Dear Reader 1,
You get to stay.
Love,
That's How It's Done

Dear Readers 2-4,
If you did those things, then don't comment on this woman's recipe because you didn't use it - you adapted it and essentially created your own recipe. Especially you, Reader #4. It's kind of like that woman on Pinterest who "tests" the ideas but instead of following the DIY steps as they're written she substitutes different things and expects the same results. That's not how it works. Do your recipe the way you wanna do it, but don't act like you're doing the readers a favor by changing the recipe to something completely different and still acting like it's the original poster's recipe.

Love,
Peeved

Seriously, kids. It's not tough to create a recipe blog. Find a free blog site. Click "create" and post your own recipes, but stop playing "Telephone" with other people's recipes.

Annnnnd off my soapbox. Carry on and happy cooking.

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and made it tonight. I did change a few measurements and enhanced some flavors. This was what I ended up with:

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and cubed
1 lb bag baby carrots
3 stalks celery, washed and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
3 pkgs Chicken Gravy mix
2 T chicken soup base (or 3 tsp chicken bouillon)
1 c chicken broth
3 T butter or margarine
½ c white wine (optional)
1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp leaf thyme
½ tsp sage
½ tsp poultry seasoning
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 c heavy cream

In my crockpot, I layered the vegetables on the bottom then covered them with the chicken pieces. I mixed the gravy mix, chicken soup base, broth, wine, spices and seasonings in a bowl and then poured it over the chicken and vegetables. I added the butter on the top. I set my crockpot on high for 6 hours and let it do its magic.

When the potatoes were tender, I scooped out the chicken and veggies, and poured the broth into a skillet, adding the heavy cream and heating it thoroughly. The broth will be thin, but it's excellent!

You can also thicken up the broth with a little cornstarch and put everything into a pie crust and make a chicken pot pie with it.

DELISH!

The best $30 I ever spent

 Elite 5-qt Pressure Cooker by Maxi-Matic

EC-500

If you follow my recipes, you've seen that I frequently talk about using my pressure cooker to make roasts and chicken. I was given my first pressure cooker almost twenty years ago. It was used, but I didn't care. I'd tasted a roast that my mother-in-law had made in one and I knew this was a pan I needed in my kitchen. Now, my former MIL wasn't one of those women who enjoyed cooking and did it for fun. She was what I call a cook-for-necessity woman. It wasn't that she was a bad cook (although don't get me started on the horrible burrito pie she tried to make me eat once. Bleh!), she just didn't enjoy it. She did it for function, not fun. That being said, the roast she made in her pressure cooker was the best I'd ever tasted and I told her as much. So when she discovered a pressure cooker at a garage sale, she picked it up for me along with a replacement seal from the local hardware store and I was on my way to fork-tender roasts in no time.

Speaking of time, that's the best thing I love about using one: it takes a fraction of the time to make dinner using a pressure cooker when compared to regular cookware.

When I've told people the secret to perfect roasts and killer chicken broth, the one resounding response is "I'm afraid of pressure cookers. I've heard horror stories about them blowing up!"

Here's the thing: they won't blow up. Believe me, I've tried.

Have they? Sure. Forty years ago before numerous safety mechanisms were added to prevent it from happening.

As long as you follow directions on the enclosed instruction manual (or a cookbook specifically designed for pressure cookers, such as this one that I own: Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass) you'll be fine. And, just in case you're not, the safety valve (which is slightly smaller than the eraser on a pencil) will burst first and send screaming steam to alert you. You turn off the heat, let the pan cool off and you're fine again. You replace the little valve piece and you're on your way again. (See? I told you I've tried!)

Something awesome about pressure cookers is there are so many to choose from and you don't have to buy top-of-the-line cookware to get good results. Like I said, the one I bought cost me $30 at Target. Of course, they also sell them for upwards of $200. For my family of four, I've gotten by with my 5-qt just fine, though I could easily use a larger one, too. Find one you like, try it out and see what you think. 

In the coming weeks, I'll be posting more pressure cooker recipes to show you how easy it is. In the meantime, put 4-5 frozen chicken breasts in a 5qt PC with 2 c of water or broth (and veggies like celery and carrots, if you like). Bring to a boil (the steam will cause the valve to toggle and hiss). Turn down the heat just enough to make it stop hissing but still wobble on the knob. Cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat completely and let set until the pressure button releases and you can open the pan safely. Shred the chicken and return to the broth. Cook frozen noodles according to package directions and mix with the chicken & broth. Perfect chicken noodle soup. Every time.

Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Dip

2 c powdered sugar
1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 - 15oz can pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

1 box gingersnaps, vanilla wafers or graham crackers

Mix together the sugar and cream cheese. Beat in remaining ingredients until well-mixed and fluffy. Refrigerate and store in airtight container. Serve with cookies or crackers. Can also be used as frosting on a spice cake.

Monkey Bread

When I talked about making monkey bread this morning, I got a lot of blank stares and "Do I wanna know?"s in my timeline. There are still people on this earth who don't know what monkey bread is?

Seriously?!

That must be fixed this instant.

Meet monkey bread:

Please forgive the atypical crappyness of the picture.
I was busy trying not to breathe and/or set off my smoke alarms.
(See warning below.)

This sinful piece of deliciousness has been a staple in my family since I was a teenager. I usually make it once a year - on Christmas morning but have slacked off these last few years. Since I had the ingredients and it sounded good, I made some this morning.

It's truly the simplest breakfast dish on the planet.

4 tubes refrigerator biscuits, separated & quartered
2/3 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
1½ sticks butter/margarine
1 c sugar
1 T cinnamon

Mix the first sugar and cinnamon together and toss with the biscuit pieces.

Melt butter and combine with the second sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bring to a low boil.

In a greased 9x13 pan or Bundt pan, loosely and evenly layer sugared biscuit pieces. Pour the melted butter/sugar mix over them and bake at 350° for 30 mins. Make sure you set the pan on a cookie sheet! I skipped that step this morning and nearly died from smoke inhalation. Rookie move.

Let cool for 15 mins before turning onto a plate. Also make sure you don't pick pieces off the top when they're fresh out of the oven. They're only about 3° cooler than lava at that point and you will melt your face off. Don't ask me how I know that.

OUBad burger?

Not this month.

Most of you don't have the first clue what I'm talking about. Let me fill you in.

Earlier this month, Wahlburger's (Hingham, MA) sponsored a burger contest for their restaurant. Winner would get their burger on the menu for a month, some signed Wahlburger's merchandise and, of course, bragging rights.


I submitted one recipe: A stuffed chili dog burger topped with yummy (and spicy) toppings. It is reminiscent of the Juicy Lucy I've heard about where the toppings are on the INSIDE of the burger. It calls for a hot dog, chopped up and mixed with chili and cheese sealed inside two quarter-pound patties. It's topped with sauerkraut, onions, Sriracha and spicy mustard. It's freakin' PERFECTION. (And, from a restauranteur's standpoint, all the items are currently on the menu at Wahlburger's, so it was totally price-conscious, too.)

Someone else won the contest this month with a chicken burger, but much to my surprise, my burger made top ten!

TOP FRIGGIN' TEN!

I'm over the moon right now! I have faith it'll eventually end up on the menu, but for now, I'm taking those top-ten bragging rights and strutting like a rooster right now. SO stoked!

Here's the article for those who care to read it.

Spicy Thai Noodles

I tried a recipe today for spicy noodles and I'm not exactly sure how they thought it was worth eating because it was AWFUL! WAY too much oil and not enough other good flavor. I might as well have soaked plain noodles in vegetable oil and called it dinner. Gross!

Thankfully I'm competent in the kitchen and was able to salvage the recipe by adding some flavors and removing some others.

My husband can't stand Thai food and he inhaled two bowls of this and asked for more. He was bummed when I told him it was gone. This recipe will make four to six servings, depending on how much you want, but it should most likely be doubled if you're cooking for more than three people because they will want seconds. It's that good. :)

If youv'e never had Thai food, you should be aware that when they say "spicy," they're not kidding. This has a great heat and isn't for tender tummies. It's not overpowering, but does bring some fire.

1 16oz box linguine pasta
¼c sesame oil (you will have extra)
1-2 T crushed red pepper flakes
6T honey
6T soy sauce
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 bunch green onions, diced
2 chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into thin stir-fry strips (pork or beef can also be used)
3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, in a small sauce pan combine oil and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, then strain out the peppers, reserving the oil. Using a small amount of the pepper oil, stir-fry the chicken with a little dash of soy sauce and a pinch of ground ginger.

In a separate dish whisk together the ginger, honey and soy sauce along with 3-4 T of the pepper oil (refrigerate the rest for next time in an airtight jar or bottle). Combine with the noodles, carrots, onions, mushrooms and chicken. Stir well over medium heat until thoroughly warmed. Garnish with sesame seeds (and crushed red pepper flakes if you prefer it to be hotter).

This is the most delicious dish I've ever made and it's as simple as can be. It can be eaten hot or refrigerated overnight and eaten cold the next day.

Optional ingredients
(mix and match to taste - adding when you put the other vegetables in)
¼ C coconut milk (or heavy cream, if you're not fond of coconut milk)
10-12 oz fresh cut broccoli (or frozen)
2-3 T fresh cilantro
one thinly sliced onion
green pepper strips

Baked Beans

I've never made baked beans before, but I did know that I didn't want to use some random recipe I found on the back of a can. I wanted to impress people, so I scrolled through at least two dozen recipes online and picked and chose which ingredients I wanted to add to mine. Again, this was used to create a LOT of beans for a class reunion, so unless you're planning on using this at a potluck, I'd cut this recipe in half.

1 #10 can (large, bulk sized cans) of pork and beans, drained
½ lb bacon, fried & crumbled with the drippings
1 full onion, diced
½ c barbecue sauce
¼ c beer of your choice (stale beer is fine to use)
1 c brown sugar (separate into ¾ c and ¼ c)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper (separate into two ½ tsp)
2-3 dashes cinnamon
1 T "All Purpose Seasoning" (typically a salt/pepper/garlic/onion mix)
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp seat salt, coarsely ground

Chop bacon into bite sized pieces and put in hot skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ c brown sugar, ½ tsp black pepper and cook until crispy. Don't drain the drippings.

Put beans in a large baking dish (aluminum pans work best because there's no clean-up afterward) and add bacon, its drippings and the remaining ingredients & seasonings. Mix well, cover with foil and bake for 35-45 mins at 350°. (You can also skip the baking part and put them in a crockpot instead. 6-8 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high. This saves you from heating up your kitchen in the blazing summer sun.)

If you're feeling particularly adventurous, skip the canned beans and make them from scratch using navy beans (you can find the instructions on how to cook those on the bag). I haven't felt that adventurous yet, thought I'm sure it's coming.

Vidalia Pasta Salad

***UPDATE***

So, I discovered that unless I go to Sam's club or order it online, I can't find this particular salad dressing. What I *CAN* find, though, is Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing (they have a light version, too!), which tastes exactly the same and is a lot cheaper. I've found that dressing almost everywhere I shop for groceries, including Walmart & Target, so it should be easier to make this recipe.

I came up with this recipe while in Sam's Club the other day buying groceries for my class reunion that my husband and I were preparing for. I'd picked up the typical Italian dressing that goes in every pasta salad ever known to man and when I saw the Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette (Sorry, folks at Virginia Brand, you have it spelled incorrectly), I decided to change things up a little. It's super easy, but it does make a lot, so condense according to your needs.

2 bags tri-colored rotini pasta
¾ C Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette dressing (about half the bottle)
1 envelope Vegetable Soup/Dip mix (I used Lipton, but Knorr works well, too)
¼ C Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta per package directions, making sure you lean toward the side of undercooked rather than over-cooked. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing causing them to plump up, so you don't want it real soft to begin with. Drain and rinse in cold water until there's no heat left in the noodles. Shake off excess water and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and the soup mix, stirring well until all the pasta is coated with dressing. Just before serving, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Optional ingredients:

• Chopped cooked chicken breast
• Crumbled bacon pieces
• Diced pimientos
• Croutons
• Sliced olives
• Chopped red and green bell pepper
• Sliced fresh mushrooms

Meatball Soup

Can you tell I'm trying to make space in my freezer?

I've been in a total Italian mood this week. Pasta, tomatoes, rich flavors. Can't get enough of it. I've been looking online for recipes to use for this particular dish for a couple weeks and nothing looked even remotely appealing. So I remedied the situation. Enjoy the fruits of my labor.

4-6 C beef broth
1 c spaghetti sauce
1-14oz envelope vegetable Soup/Dip Mix (I used Knorr, but store brand is fine, too)
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes (I use petite cut)
10-12 meatballs (your own or store-bought, your choice - frozen is fine)
1 c fresh kale, stems removed (too bitter) and chopped finely
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini (most any type of pasta will do, as will diced potatoes)
Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Mix the beef broth, spaghetti sauce and soup mix together. Add the meatballs, tomatoes, kale and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering 10-15 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook the tortellini according to package instructions. When read to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add the tortellini. (I tried putting the tortellini directly in with the soup and they absorbed too much water, making them mushy. I would rather starve than eat mushy pasta, but if you like that sort of thing, knock yourself out.) If you choose to use potatoes instead of pasta, make sure to add those in with the soup, increasing your simmering time 5-10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook thoroughly.

You can sprinkle Parmesan cheese on it when serving or serve it French Onion style by putting it in mugs, adding Mozzarella cheese over the top and baking it until it melts. I wasn't that patient.

Also, this recipe doesn't call for a lot of kale but you have to buy it in larger bunches so you'll probably have plenty left over. I clean mine, cut it up into more manageable sized pieces and freeze it. You can pull it out, run it under hot water and add to soups, stews and sauces for added color and taste. Frozen spinach would work too.

This soup is freaking AHHH-mazing, if I do say so myself. It's got excellent flavor without a lot of effort.