Chicken Carrot Cacciatore over Noodles

Tangy with a hint of "hot," this is my Chicken Carrot Cacciatore over Noodles...

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

Salt & Pepper

2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 stalk Celery in 1/2" slices

3 large Carrots in 1/2" slices

2 med. Onions sliced semi-small

2 sixteen oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 four oz. can sliced mushrooms

4 tsp. minced garlic

4 tsp. parsley

1 tsp. ground red pepper

1 four oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 c. chicken broth

Egg Noodles

Place your sliced carrots and celery in a dutch oven size pot with just enough water to cover, bring to boiling, then simmer.

Saute your chicken pieces (best cut into strips) in the olive oil until done. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

When the carrots are beginning to get slightly tender, add the sliced onions and continue cooking.

While waiting for the veggies to finish cooking, in a mixing bowl, place the diced tomatoes, mushrooms,minced garlic, parsley, ground red pepper, and tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly.

Drain the cooked veggies and return to pot. Add the tomato mixture, stir, and mix in the cup of broth.

Next add your cooked chicken, stir again well, and continue to simmer about another 20 minutes.

Serve over noodles.

ENJOY ENJOY!!

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Festive Cranberry Walnut Dessert

A wonderful dessert made with whole cranberries and walnuts...perfect for the Autumn and Winter holiday season!

Ingredients

1 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. melted butter

2 eggs

1 T. orange zest (grated outer rind)

3 c. whole berry cranberry sauce

First, place walnuts and graham crackers into seperate ziploc gallon storage bags. You are going to pound both with a mallet to crush.

Next mix 1/2 c. of the sugar, 1 1/2 c. of the graham cracker crumbs, the walnuts, cinnamon, butter and eggs, together thoroughly in a bowl.

Then spread TWO THIRDS of it over the bottom of a greased 8x13" baking pan.

Now, grate your orange rind. To do this keep rotating an orange over the fine grating portion of a grater, taking off only the orange colored outer layer.

In a bowl, mix together the 3 c. whole cranberry sauce and orange zest. Then spread it into the pan over the layer of graham/walnut batter.

To the 1/3 batter you have left, add the remaining 1 c. graham crumbs and 1/2 c. sugar and mix. It will start out dry but will return to a moist consistancy.

Spread over the top of the cranberry mixture. It is quite sticky and I actually had to use my fingers to place it all over the top.

Now pop it in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY ENJOY!!!!!

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Spicy Oyster Stew

Every now n then I get a hankering for a good oyster stew. Here is my recipe.  I add a good deal of onions and some celery.

...and of course it has a "zing"

Ingredients

2 8oz. jars of raw oysters

2 med. onions chopped small

3 stalks of celery sliced about 1/8"

1 T. black pepper

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 stick (8 T.) real butter

4 cups whole milk

First, saute your chopped onions and celery in 4 T. of butter. While that is cooking drain the liquid off your oysters, and save it.

When the veggies are soft (but not mushy) add your oysters to the pan. My oysters were extremely large when I spilled them out to drain them, so you probably will have to cut them up a tad.

Continue to cook until the oysters curl and are cooked thoroughly, but do not overcook or they can become rather "rubbery" lol

Pour your 4 c. milk into a pot. Add the seasonings, the juice from your oysters, and the other 8T. of butter, and heat til JUST boiling.
(note: if you don't relish the spicy taste, you can either use LESS cayenne pepper, or a milder ground red pepper, or simply no pepper at all!!)

Then add your oyster/veggie mixture, stir, and simmer!

That's it!

Serve garnished with a sprig of fresh kale and oyster crackers.

(another note: This recipe can easily be transformed into an "oyster chowder" with the addition of diced potatoes and perhaps some corn!!)
ENJOY ENJOY!!!!

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Beef Broccoli Cheese Soup

The cool weather is upon us...the perfect season for tummy-pleasin' rich soups. This is my own yummy spin on broccoli cheese soup!  Its a pretty easy soup to make.

Ingredients

3 lb. browned ground beef

2 large heads of broccoli, chopped bite-size

4 medium onions, chopped

garlic salt

black pepper

dried parsley

6 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 lb. Velveeta, sliced into chunks

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 c. cold milk

2 T. flour

Begin by browning the ground beef. Sprinkle with garlic salt as it cooks.  Drain and set aside.

Next, chop your broccoli and onions. Place into your stock pot. Cover with water to about 1 1/2" over the veggies. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about an hour and a half or until veggies are tender but not mushy.

When veggies are done, drain most but not all the water out, leaving the veggies barely covered. Next mix in your ground beef and 2 T. dried parsley.

Continue simmering on low heat while you now add your shredded cheddar and Velveeta. 

Keep stirring as it melts, being careful not to let it stick.  Next stir in the can of cream of chicken soup, blending everything to a smooth consistancy. Add garlic salt to taste, as well as black pepper.

Finally, wisk 2 heaping T. of flour into 4 c. of cold milk, making sure to eliminate lumps.

Pour into the soup, and continue stirring on low heat while it thickens.

ENJOY, ENJOY!!

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RED VEGGIE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

I call this "Red Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup" because I add a bottle of 100% pure tomato juice to it.  I love the taste of tomato in foods, and it gives it a more interesting flavor than your basic  broth based chicken soup.  Since in season, I also used my own tomatoes, carrots and string beans.  I added fresh chopped kale as well, since it is a powerhouse of nutrition and gives the soup some varied texture.  I used mini farfalle (bow ties) rather than plain straight noodles for added texture for the same reason. To me, being an artist, soup is almost akin to a blank canvas, awaiting all the colors, shapes and tastes you can find.

As you already know if you follow my recipes, I make a big pot of soup, leaving enough for seconds, thirds, lunches, snacks and sharing and even freezing.  I used a 16 qt. stock pot, so keep in mind you may cut all the ingredients in half if you so desire.  

The first step is cooking your chicken.  For a 16 qt. pot I use 5 lb. of thighs (skin on.)  Lay them in your pot and season with generous amounts of dried parsley and oregano.  Sprinkle a lesser amount of dried basil (since it has a strong flavor) and season to your liking with garlic salt and black pepper.  Add water to 2-3" above the chicken, bring to a boil, then simmer 1 1/2 hrs.  Throw in 6 chicken boullion cubes as well.

Next gather your veggies...

1 bunch fresh kale, chopped

4 stalks of celery, sliced

5 large carrots, sliced

4 medium onions, chopped

1 quart fresh string beans, 1" slices

7 large ripe tomatoes in chunks

1 bag frozen baby lima beans

1 can of corn

1 can of peas

Prepare and put aside.

When the chicken breaks a part easily it is done. Place in a bowl, break it apart a bit and place in freezer or fridge for faster cooling.

Next add all the fresh veggies and the frozen limas to the remaining broth, bring to a boil again, then set to a high simmer.

Add 6 more chicken boullion cubes.

Then pour in a half gallon of tomato juice.  It doesn't need to be name-brand...any will do as long as it's pure.  V-8 veggie juice can also be used if you like.

Continue simmering.

When the chicken is cool enough to touch, separate it from the bones and add to the soup.

Next add the canned corn and peas.  Add the juice from them too!

Next, cook your mini bowties...al dente, blanch them with cold water, and add to the soup.  That's it!

Continue simmering until the fresh veggies are tender.

ENJOY ENJOY!!!

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Comfort Soup w/ Kale

It's almost August and the occasionally cool day and/or evening might make you hungry for a comforting soup, and I've got the perfect one, adapted from an official "Olive Garden" recipe and doctored up in my own special ways, as is my usual procedure. It's called, "Comfort Soup w/ Kale."

Kale tastes similar to spinach, but cooks up nice in dishes without becoming all limp and flimsy. It does have a kind of "different" taste to someone not used to it, but it gives a nice change to the palette. It's very nutritious too.

This is what it's name implies, a sort of "comfort food" so yes it's got fatty ingredients :-)

Ingredients

1 lb. hot Italian sausage

1/2 lb. bacon

6-7 medium potatoes, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

2 T. minced garlic

2 c. chopped fresh kale

7 c. water

3 T. powdered chicken bouillon

2 c. heavy (whipping) cream

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

S & P

First thing you will do is fry up your sausage. If it's in a casing you need to take it out. Cook til done, and crumble into small pieces. Then put aside.

Next cook your bacon in the same pan, until crispy. Crumble into small pieces and set aside as well.

Chop your potatoes and onions

After placing about 2 T. of the bacon grease into a soup pot, add your chopped potatoes and onions, and minced garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and potatoes getting soft.

Next chop your fresh kale, and add that, stirring while you continue to cook.

Now add your sausage and bacon.

Keep cooking and stirring. 

Add your 7 c. of water and 3 T. chicken bouillon. Stir well and continue simmering.

Next add the 2 c. of heavy cream and continue stirring while reducing to a simmer.

Last, add your 8 oz. of shredded cheddar, season with salt and pepper, and simmer on very low for an hour.

The yummy, comforting result...

* as an alternative, you can use ground beef rather than sausage, broccoli rather than kale, or omit the bacon if you'd like

ENJOY ENJOY!!!!

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