Recipes

[walker]

Stuck on chicken, eh?  Well, with Fall approaching and cooler temperatures, this is a recipe I will be fixing again...a real comfort food....easy to fix and tasty. I like it so much I may have posted it before.  It is from MarkCharles Misilli, Easy Everyday Favorites, page 86.

Homestyle Chicken Pot Pie

1 pkg. refrigerated pie crusts

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1" chunks

1 cup frozen sliced carrots*

1 cup frozen green peas*

1 stick butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place chicken in large saucepan with enough water to cover.  Over high heat, boil for 10 minutes.  Stir in carrots and peas and continue boiling for 2 minutes.  Drain in a colander and set aside.  (You do not have to thaw veggies first.)

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add onions and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.  Add flour, celery seed, salt and pepper; whisk for 1 minute or until golden.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk; cook until thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in chicken mixture.  Place one pie crust in a 9" deep dish pie plate.  Pour chicken filling into pie crust.

Place second pie crust on top of mixture; seal and flute edges.  With a knife, cut 4 (1") slits in top of crust.  This will allow the steam to escape while cooking and prevent top crust from getting soggy.  

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.  (Tip...place on a baking sheet to catch anything that bubbles over.)

* I sometimes use a package of frozen Peas & Carrots I have on hand.

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... CREAM CHEESE

[Zhills]

Easy Fruit Salad

1 8 oz pkg Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 sm cans Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup (drain, keep juice)
1 small can Pineapple Tidbits
Maraschino Cherries
Coconut
Nuts

Let cream cheese warm up and soften. 

Put in bowl.  Add 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar and enough Cherry Juice (from jar) and Fruit cocktail syrup to make a lovely pink “dressing” soft enough to mix well.

Add:

Fruit cocktail (drained)
1 small can pineapple tidbits
2 T cherries (I cut in half)

Mix well with Cream cheese “dressing.”

I add a small amount of Coconut and Nuts.  Stir in.

You could easily add small cut apple, banana or other fruit.  Please make the original version first.  It’s GOOD!

Next ingredient:  Ginger (ground spice)

[candys mine]

Irish Black Ginger  Cake  (From Celtic Hearths cookbook)

1/2 Cup (1 stick ) butter, softened

1/2 Cup sugar

1 egg

1 Cup Blackstrap Molasses

21/2 Cups Unbleached flour

11/2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground Cloves

1 teaspoon ground GINGER

1/2 teaspoon salt

11/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 Cup hot Strong freshly brewed Coffee

Preheat the oven to  350 f.  Butter an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan and set aside

Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  In a Large bowl, beat the egg into the molasses, then add to the butter mixture.

Sift together the flour, spices, and salt, then fold into the butter mixture.

Dissolve the baking soda in the hot coffee, then add it to the batter.  Beat vigorously until well blended.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Yield: 1 single layer cake

This cake is deep, dense and dark,  with a Strong Ginger and molasses flavor.

Serve Thin slices with whipped cream or warm, thinned lemon curd.

NEXT INGREDIENT: CAPERS

[walker]

My only recipe with CAPERS....easy and good!

Chicken Piccata

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (preferably thin)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup dry white wine (or broth)

2 tablespoons CAPERS

If chicken breasts are not thin, place between two large pieces of plastic wrap and flatten to about 1/4" thickness.  Combine flour, salt and pepper; set aside.  Melt butter in pan on medium heat.  Place chicken breasts in flour mixture to cover both sides shaking off excess.

Brown chicken in pan with melted butter, 5 minutes each side.  Pour wine and lemon juice over chicken and let simmer 15 minutes* or until chicken is done and sauce has thickened.  Top with CAPERS and serve.

* I let it simmer 15-30 minutes.

NEXT INGREDIENT .... PASTA, any type

[RespectLife]

@house_cat 

I literally have a freezer FULL of salmon....thank you!

NEXT INGREDIENT: PASTA

[PA Mom-mom]

Pasta Puttanesca

I got this recipe from Rachel Ray's Food Network show. This sauce, as the story goes, is named for the “ladies of the evening.” They would place pots of it in their windows to tempt men into the bordellos.  You can bump it up by adding calamari, shrimp or chicken at the end. Don’t be afraid of the anchovies. You won’t taste them when it’s all finished.. (Get your olives from the olive bar at the grocery store. The unit price is always much less per pound and you can get just what you need for each recipe. Some stores even have the olives already pitted.)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil

4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 purple onion - thinly sliced

1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

20 oil-cured Kalamata olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons capers

1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

A few grinds black pepper

1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 pound PASTA, cooked to al dente (with a bite) (linguine or spaghetti)

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano, for passing, optional

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, onion and crushed pepper. Sauté mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 or 4 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good! Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes. This is the point where you would add the optional protein and allow it to cook. Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Pass cheese at the table. 

NEXT INGREDIENT: BROCCOLI 

[walker]

@PA Mom-mom ...that's a funny story behind this recipe!

Glad you included it and also tip about olive bar.  I would not have thought about that.

NEXT INGREDIENT .... BROCCOLI

[RespectLife]

I buy these olives.....one or two little containers is all you need.  They also come in black whole or black sliced.  Not sure about green cuz I don't care for them.

We can never finish a can or jar of olives and Wegman's no longer has the self serve salad bar that you could just get a couple.

NEXT INGREDIENT:  BROCCOLI

[house_cat]

Mini Broccoli Quiches with Prosciutto Crust

from Food Network

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli
• 12 slices prosciutto
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2/3 c milk
• 1/3 c heavy cream
• 5 large eggs
• 1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the broccoli in the boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain, then cut into small florets.
2. Slice the prosciutto in half lengthwise to make long strips. Line each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan with 2 strips of prosciutto arranged in an X pattern. Fold the overhang back into each cup and lightly press to cover any gaps or holes. Hold in the refrigerator.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is softened, another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream and eggs and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix in the cooled onion and garlic mixture and the Parmesan. Divide the broccoli among the prosciutto-lined muffin cups. Pour some of the egg mixture into each cup, filling each about three-quarters full.
6. Bake until the quiches are set, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin cups. Serve warm.

Next ingredient:  bananas

[walker]

BANANA Split Dessert

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 small packages instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups milk

3 BANANAS, sliced

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (12 oz) container whipped topping

Maraschino Cherries, optional

Combine crumbs and melted butter (or margarine).  Press mixture into an oblong (9x13") baking dish and set aside.  Prepare pudding with milk according to package directions.  Spread pudding over crumb mixture.  Layer with sliced BANANAS, then pineapple and whipped topping.  Chill 3 hours or overnight.  Cut into squares and serve with a maraschino cherry on top, if desired.

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... KIDNEY BEANS