Recipes

[momtochloe]

Ah Spring has finally sprung as you can tell by my glare out the back door with the approaching hot/humid weather (I don't glow well my friends) but I do appreciate reading your yummy Summer recipes!  Please pull up a picnic bench and share with the rest of our Recipe Game friends!

Special thanks to our friend @walker  for starting us off with her yummy  Chicken Chili and Pasta (which I personally will be serving cold.:smileywink):

Chicken Chili With Pasta

1 lb. lean GROUND CHICKEN 

1 cup chopped onion

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

2 teaspoons chili powder

4 ozs. spaghetti noodles, broken in 3" pieces*

1 (15 oz) can light kidney beans, drained

Place GROUND CHICKEN in large skillet.  As chicken starts to brown, add the onion.  Continue cooking until chicken is browned and the onion is soft.  Stir in tomatoes and chili powder.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti; drain.  Agg spaghetti and beans to tomato mixture.

* you can substitute other types of small pasta

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... ALMONDS or WALNUTS

[Zhills]

What about a 2 for 1 this time!

Chicken Salad with Walnuts and Tarragon Mayo

Ingredients

1. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 pounds)
2. 1 bay leaf
   
3. 1/3 cup walnut pieces (toasted)
   
4. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
5. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6. 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
7. 1 tablespoon snipped chives OR green onions
8. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
9. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
10. 4 celery ribs with leaves from the light green inner heart, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
   
2. In a medium saucepan, cover the chicken breasts with water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and poach the chicken until white throughout, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the chicken to a work surface and let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch dice.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, in a pie plate, toast the walnuts for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the walnuts cool, then coarsely chop them.
   
   
4. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard, tarragon, chives and lemon juice. Add the chicken, walnuts and celery, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.

The chicken salad can be assembled and refrigerated overnight. Add the toasted walnuts just before serving. Serve With Whole-grain bread or mixed greens.

Next time you make Broccoli Salad, use slivered almonds instead of sunflower seeds.

Next ingredient:  Jarred Pasta Sauce

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Next Ingredient: CREAM CHEESE

[RespectLife]

I got a new upright freezer and found 4 bags still of blueberries from last year's pickings!

Then I found this recipe in my stash.....I believe it is from Carlsbad Cravings but I changed it up to make it MUCH easier I think.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Servings 12 servings

CASSEROLE

• 1 loaf (16 ounces) brioche or challah sliced into 1-inch cubes  **I use Italian but any DAY OLD STALE BREAD WILL DO!
  
• 2 6 oz. half pints blueberries (12 ounces total)

CUSTARD

• 2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened (16 ounces total)
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 6 eggs at room temperature
• 2 cups half and half at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

FOR SERVING (Pick One)

Blueberry sauce, she has one on her website

Berry syrup like store bought

Maple syrup

Strawberry syrup

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  
• Cube the Bread and let sit out.
• Custard: Add cream cheese and sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs until smooth, followed by the half and half, and finally the lemon juice, zest, vanilla & salt.
• Pour over the stale bread and fold.  I let it soak for about an hour.
• Assemble: Transfer half of the cubed bread to a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish,  evenly layer with half of the berries. Add remaining bread in a single layer followed by remaining berries. Press down with a spatula
  
• Bake:   Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 165 degrees F.
• Serve: Serve the French toast casserole warm with blueberry sauce, berry syrup, maple syrup, etc.

Tips and Tricks

Frozen blueberries:  Don’t thaw first, just brush off any excess ice. 

• Use room temperature ingredients: You’ll want to use room temperature cream cheese, eggs and half and half, otherwise the cream cheese will seize and not mix well. If you do end up with some white flecks of cream cheese, it’s not the end of the world, they will melt when the breakfast casserole bakes.
• Room temperature eggs hack: Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes.  You can microwave your half and half until room temperature (NOT hot).
• Half batch:  Bake the casserole in an 8x8-inch baking pan for around 30-35 minutes.

NEXT INGREDIENT:

GARAM MASALA....why did I buy this?????

[house_cat]

Indian Butter Chicken

2 teaspoons garam masala

2 teaspoons tandoori masala powder

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs,

         cut into bite-size pieces 

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 yellow onion, chopped 

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

1 cup tomato puree

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup cashews

1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed

Directions

Mix garam masala, tandoori masala, curry, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and black pepper together in a small bowl to make spice mixture.

Place chicken in a large bowl and add 1/2 the spice mixture; turn to coat evenly.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in remainder of the spice mixture, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger; cook and stir until combined, about 1 minute.

Stir tomato puree into onion mixture and cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Pour in half-and-half and yogurt. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Blend cashews in a blender until finely ground. Add sauce to the blender; puree until smooth.

Pour blended sauce over chicken in the skillet. Simmer until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

@RespectLife  Thanks for requesting the garam masala. I'd forgotten about this recipe and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Next ingredient: fresh corn

[RespectLife]

Thanks @house_cat 

That could very well be why I bought it!  LOL

Indian Butter Chicken sounds familiar!

Next ingredient: fresh corn

[walker]

Nebraska CORN Pie

6 strips bacon, slightly cooked

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and sliced

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups FRESH UNCOOKED CORN

2 tablespoons butter

Place three strips of bacon in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the other strips around the sides.  Add a layer of bread crumbs, then a layer of tomatoes and green pepper. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and sugar.  Over this, place a layer of CORN, and continue with alternate layers until the dish is filled.  Cover with bread crumbs and dot with butter.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes.  Serves 4-6.

NEXT INGREDIENT ...... ONIONS 

[Zhills]

Some hate it, some love it!  This is the best!

CALVES LIVER AND ONIONS

4 Tablespoons EVOO (divided)
1 Cup thinly sliced onions (you can’t have too many)
¼ tsp ground sage
1 lb calf liver cut into ½” strips (across) **
Salt & pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons white wine or beef broth
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley.

Heat 2 Tbsp EVOO in large skillet.  Add onions.  Cook over med heat stirring frequently for 8 minutes.  Stir in sage and cook for 2 more minutes, until golden brown. 
Remove from pan and set aside.

**Pat liver dry and cut in strips.  Cutting when just thawed enough to cut and then thawing makes the job more pleasant.  Season with s&p. 

Add 2 Tbsp EVOO to pan and heat.  Saute liver until browned on all sides, 2-3 minutes.

Stir in onions and cook with liver for 2 minutes. 

Pour white wine in skillet and boil 1 minute, scraping any browned bits off bottom of pan. 

Serve over rice and sprinkle with parsley.

Next ingredient:  Cheese (any)

[PA Mom-mom]

@Zhills  Liver and onions reminds me of my grandfather. He loved that dish! I liked it too, but not like he did. Anyway...

I took this recipe from George Stella and changed a bit:

 

Cauliflower "Mock Mac" and Cheese

 

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil spray

Kosher salt for water

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets and pieces

3/4 cup heavy cream (may use unsweetened soy milk) I use skim milk

4 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces (may use lowfat, I use Neufchatel)

1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard (You can substitute regular mustard or mustard powder)

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup more for topping the casserole

Optional: 6 oz. baked ham, cubed ( I use the pre-packaged ham slices or ham steaks)

Directions:

Place the rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Spray the casserole dish with vegetable oil. Cook the cauliflower in the boiling water for about 5 minutes until crisp, yet tender. Drain well, pat between layers of paper towels to dry, and transfer to the baking dish. Bring the cream (or milk) to a simmer in a small saucepan and whisk in the cream cheese, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese and whisk for just a minute until the cheese melts. Remove from the heat and pour into the casserole dish, covering the cauliflower. Sprinkle the cubed ham, if using, over the mixture, top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake for about 15 minutes until browned and bubbly hot.  Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve.

Next ingredient: Oats (steel cut or rolled)

[RespectLife]

I know I am WAY outta season with these cookies....but in 'eating down the pantry' due to ridiculous prices....I found 3 cans of pumpkin puree.  So I made them a couple weeks ago.  Too stinkin' good!

I froze some...and now everytime I walk by the freezer, I grab a cold one!   LOL

the recipe is from Carlbad Cravings.  See her site for tips and storage ideas.

I did add mini chocolate chips, cuz...well, why not??

There is a Spice Cream Cheese recipe on her site for these.  I didn't use it....didn't need icing at all IMHO>

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies  46 cookies        FREEZE GREAT!

they taste even better the next day These Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies are unapologetically flavorful, loaded with pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger and boast the ideal soft, chewy, rich, and tender texture without being caky.  

SPICE MIX

• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 tsp EACH ground nutmeg, ground cloves           
• 1/2 tsp EACH ground ginger, allspice

DRY INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats  ** I USED QUICK CUZ THAT IS ALL I HAD AND LIKED IT
  
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans (see notes if omitting)*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

CREAMING INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 egg YOLK only
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree

Prep Pumpkin

• Line a plate with paper towels, spread one cup pumpkin on top, and let it sit for 15 minutes or so while you begin making the cookies (longer is fine too). When it’s time to add the pumpkin puree, place some dry paper towels on top of the pumpkin and blot out as much moisture as possible.  The blotted pumpkin should appear drier and easily peel off of the paper towels. (More moisture = cakier cookies, less moisture = denser, chewier cookies.)

Cookies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats set aside.
• In a large bowl (large enough to later hold the Dry Ingredients), whisk together the Spice Mix ingredients. Remove one teaspoon to use later in the icing. To the remaining Spice Mix, whisk in all of the Dry Ingredients; set aside.
• With a stand mixer fitted w/paddle attachment, cream butter & sugars together at med. speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Add egg yolk, vanilla, and molasses, mix until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the pumpkin and mix just until combined. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the Dry Ingredients and mix until combined.
• Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll into balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches in between. Gently press down on the cookie balls with your hand to slightly flatten.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes at 350 degrees F or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned and the tops are set (mine take exactly 12 minutes). Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets.

NEXT INGREDIENT:

PORK CHOPS