Easy Chicken Pot Pie

1 2/3	cups Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers™ frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1	cup cut-up cooked chicken
1	can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1	cup Original Bisquick® mix
1/2	cup milk
1	egg

1.  Heat oven to 400°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie plate, stir vegetables, chicken and soup.

2.  In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until blended. Pour into pie plate.

3.  Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until crust golden brown.

Beef Satay with Sesame Ginger Sauce

This is a very simple recipe and very good!  I have doubled or tripled the recipe easily for a main course.  I found the sesame-ginger sauce in the Asian food aisle at HEB.

Ingredients  (4 appetizer portions)  

16 oz. beef tenderloin tips

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. lime juice

4 tbsp. sesame-ginger sauce (store bought)

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

8 bamboo skewers

Marinate the beef tenderloin tips in the soy sauce, lime juice and sesame-ginger sauce for about 20 minutes covered in the refrigerator.

Thread the beef on the skewers and grill the beef satays over fire-grill until the desired doneness.

Drizzle the grilled beef satays with some more of the sesame-ginger sauce and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over them.

Pioneer Woman Monster Cookies

From The Pioneer Woman web site - super yummy!

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (1/2 Pound) Butter (salted) Softened
• ½ cups White Sugar
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Packed
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1-½ cup Oats (either Quick Or Regular)
• ½ cups M & M's (more To Taste)
• ½ cups Pecans, Chopped (more To Taste)
• ¾ cups Chocolate Chips (milk Or Semi-sweet)
• ½ cups Peanut Butter Chips
• 2-¼ cups Rice Krispies

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter with sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt. Add to mixing bowl and mix till combined. After that, add in remaining ingredients in whatever quantity you prefer. Add more nuts if you’d like, or more M & M’s, more peanut butter chips or chocolate chips.

Add Rice Crispies at the very end, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix!

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, then allow to cool on a rack.

Serve with glasses of cold milk.

Emergency Fruit Crostatas from the Pastry Queen

1 Cup sugar

2 Cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

4 tablespoons ice water

1 cup any type of fruit(though strawberries and bananas do not work well)

In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup sugar with the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse 5 times, until crumbly. Pour water through feed tube 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until dough holds together. Remove dough and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate an hour.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and roll into a ball. Press with hands to make the dough 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place on greased cookie sheet. The rounds should be 6 inches in diameter. Spoon 1/4 cup of fruit into the center of each round, leaving 1 1/2 inch border all around. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar evenly among the fruit on each crostata. Fold up the edges toward the center, making 3 separate flaps. Pinch together seams between the folds.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until brown around the edges. Cool for no more than 10 minutes or they will be difficult to remove. Serve warm with some ice cream.

Feta Topped Chicken

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but it's on the short list to try soon. It sounds delicious! 

From bettycrocker.com

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 1/4 lb)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette dressing
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1 large roma (plum) tomato, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

1. Set oven control to broil. Brush both sides of chicken breasts with dressing. Sprinkle both sides with Italian seasoning and seasoned pepper. Place on rack in broiler pan.

2. Broil with tops 4 inches from heat about 10 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Top with tomato and cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

Salted Peanut Chews

This is my new favorite dessert.  It is the perfect combination of ooey-gooey, salty-sweet yumminess!

from bettycrocker.com

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix (the first time I had these, they were made with sugar cookie mix instead, and it was so yummy, that's what i use as well)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
3 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 bag (10 oz) peanut butter chips
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups salted peanuts


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms. Press dough in pan using floured fingers.

3. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle marshmallows over crust; bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to puff.

4. In 4-quart saucepan, cook corn syrup, butter, vanilla and chips over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Remove from heat; stir in cereal and nuts. Immediately spoon cereal mixture evenly over marshmallows. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Lemon, and Asparagus

From MarthaStewart.com

I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good.  I didn't have a whole chicken so I used chicken breast tenders and it worked well.

Serves 4
• 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 package cut-up whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 1 bunch asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a roasting pan; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of potatoes; season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 5 to 15 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables, and lemon drizzled with pan juices.

Pecan - Blue Cheese Chopped Salad

This is close to the salad served at Outback.  Yumm-O!

4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
⅓ cup chopped green onion
¼ cup shredded carrot
Cinnamon pecans (recipe below)
1 bottle Blue Cheese Vinagrette
Crunchy angel hair pasta (recipe below)
¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese

Mix together and serve!

Cinnamon Pecans
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon butter
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Make cinnamon pecans by combining sugar, water, butter, cinnamon and salt in a small pan over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble, add pecans. Stir constantly until liquid evaporates and sugar begins to crystallize on the nuts. Don’t allow the nuts to smoke or burn. When sugar is crystallized on the nuts, pour them out onto a plate to cool.

Crunchy Angel Hair Pasta
24 pieces of uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup vegetable oil

To make the crunchy angel hair pasta, bring several cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Break pasta into quarters and boil for two minutes, then strain and rinse with cold water. Bring 1 cup of oil to 325 degrees F.

Fry the pasta in several batches in the oil for 1 minute or until light brown. Drain on paper towels. When the fried pasta is cool, break it into smaller, bite-size pieces.

Broccoli & Gruyere Gratin

2 large bunches broccoli, roughly chopped

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

2 cups grated Gruyere

S&P

Heat oven to 375. Steam broccoli until just tender. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook (stirring) for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and simmer until slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss in broccoli. Transfer to shallow 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Grilled Pork Chops w/ Tomatoes and Garlic

*if you don't like tomatoes, other veggies could easily be substituted

1/2 stick butter - room temperature

1 clove finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. thyme

4 (1" thick) pork chops

2 lbs. cherry tomatoes

Combine butter, thyme, garlic - set aside. Season chops with S&P and grill. Divide tomatoes (or veggies) into 2 foil packets, season with S&P, and grill 8 minutes. Top chops with tomatoes and garlic butter to serve. Mashed potatoes or a side of pasta is great with this! Serves 4

Parmesan Potatoes

Chop potatoes into bite-size cubes, put in a large ziploc with some olive oil, enough to lightly coat.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup flour with 3 Tablespoons Cavenders seasoning and 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese. Pour over potatoes in Ziploc, shake to mix together.

Cut one stick of butter into small slices, coat the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes or until soft. Stir occasionally.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

This may be courtesy of Southern Living. For me, its courtesy of my mom. Best served soon after baking.

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 Tbl sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut up
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp poppy seeds

Icing:
1 ½ Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 425.
Combine first five ingredients; cut in butter with pastry blender until crumbly.
Add lemon rind and poppy seeds.
Add buttermilk and egg; stirring until just moistened.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 5 times.
Divide dough in half; roll or pat each portion into a 6” circle.
Cut each circle into 8 wedges and place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar, and drizzle over warm scones.

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip

3 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 jar (15 oz) Marzetti's blue cheese or ranch
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese softened
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Boil chicken until tender, cool, then shred or chop finely. Mix together dressing and Buffalo sauce. Add Tabasco sauce to fire it up to your desire. Spread cream cheese in a 9x13 baking dish. Mix chicken into dressing mix. Then pour chicken mixture over cream cheese evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool and serve with tortilla chips.

Yum!

Parmesan Risotto

Parmesan Risotto
about 1/4 pound Pancetta (optional)
3 ½ cups chicken broth4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium onion , minced2 cups Arborio rice (or Carnaroli)
1 cup dry white wine
2 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leavesInstructions

1. Cut pancetta into chunks. In a saute pan, saute pancetta until browned and remove from pan. Add the butter, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the grains are transparent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits, until the wine is completely absorbed by the rice, about 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of the warm broth and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring infrequently (about every 3 minutes), until the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is dry, 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and adding more broth, 1/2 cup at a time, every 3 to 4 minutes as needed to keep the pan bottom from drying out, until the grains of rice are cooked through but still somewhat firm in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese and parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cover until ready to serve.

4. Add additional warm broth as needed to loosen the risotto.

Scotcharoons

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups corn flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and Karo syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Stir in corn flakes until well coated, spread in buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips togeter and spread on top. Cool.

Risotto with asparagus, peas and ham

I made a variation of this recipe a few nights ago. Failed attempt #3 at making creamy risotto (my rice is always a little bit crunchy!). Regardless of the texture, this is a great flavor combination, I loved the peas and the asparagus, especially.

Asparagus risotto with peas and hamadapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus,
trimmed Sea salt Cooking liquid combined with beef, poultry or vegetable broth to make 7 cups
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups cooked ham
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

Braise asparagus in large pan filled with about 2 inches of water (asparagus should fit in one layer across bottom of pan), covered, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus (reserve water) and rinse with cool water to prevent further cooking. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set spear tips aside to add to dish once it is cooked. Pour cooking water into large pot and add enough beef broth to make 7 cups of liquid. Keep water simmering over low heat, as you’ll be adding this to the rice throughout its cooking.

In large heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon butter, olive oil and minced onion. Cook onion until nearly translucent over medium-high heat. Add asparagus stalks (not the spear tips) and stir well. Add rice, stirring quickly. Add 1/2 cups simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until water is absorbed. Repeat process till rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas about 3/4 way though.
Final consistency should be creamy and the rice tender but slightly firm at the center.

Turn off heat and stir in asparagus spear tips, ham, pepper, 2 tablespoons butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

Baked Peaches . . .

. . . and the results of the vegetarian, non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free dinner!

In my last post I asked for some suggestions for our company with strict diet needs. I ended up making fish tacos, dredging small pieces of basa in Creole seasoning and corn meal and wrapping them in corn tortillas. I served (vegetarian!) refried beans and Spanish rice on the side along with a salad with homemade lemon-garlic dressing, and had cole slaw, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes to go on the tacos.

Dessert was the real challenge. Do you know how many recipes call for either flour or milk or both?! Answer: almost all of them. I could have bought a gluten-free cake mix and used rice milk, but in my experience some brands are really good and some really aren't, and I didn't have time to experiment. Luckily, I found the recipe below in my "Best of America" cookbook, and it was delicious!

The dinner was a hit, we enjoyed their company, and now I'm ready for a new challenge. Anyone got an egg allergy?


Baked Peaches with Raspberry Sauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ground almonds
6 ripe peaches

Sauce:
1 cup raspberries
1 Tbsp or more confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp fruit-flavored brandy (optional)

Beat the butter with the sugar until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and beat just until blended.

Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Scrape out some of the flesh from each half to enlarge the hollow, reserving the excess peach flesh to use in the sauce. Place each half on a baking sheet, using crumpled foil if needed to keep them upright. Fill each hollow with the almond mixture. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes, until filling is fluffy and golden and peaches are tender.

Combine the sauce ingredients and the excess peach flesh in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and press through a strainer to remove fibers and seeds.

Let the peaches cool slightly, then serve with the sauce on the side.

Congealed Salad

This is what I brought to Christy's for Easter. We grew up eating it at holidays but it's a great dish to bring to a pot-luck or cookout...

Congealed Salad:
1 package (6 oz) raspberry Jello
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1 can blueberries (15 oz) juice and all (I use Oregon )
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple (juice and all)

Mix boiling water with Jello. Add the other ingredients and pour into a 9 x 13 dish and chill in the refrigerator. When congealed, spread with topping.

Topping:
1 package (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 carton (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix topping ingredients together and spread on the congealed Jello. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts on top (I skip the nuts)

Notes: you can sub in cherries for the blueberries or change up the Jello flavor. Also, when making the topping, pour the sugar on the softened cream cheese and let it sit for awhile (1/2 to 1 hour). It will blend together more smoothly. After you get the sugar and cc blended, then add the sc and vanilla.

A Foodie Brainteaser

I have a small cooking dilemma on my hands, and thought I'd throw this out there to see what you other cooks might do. We've invited another couple over to dinner, and when we have company I always ask if there's anything they can't or won't eat. Usually people say they'll eat anything, or maybe they don't like mushrooms or tomatoes--easy enough. Well, this time the answer may be more than I bargained for: she's a vegetarian, and he can't have dairy, soy or wheat!

So I ask you: what would you cook? I've got some ideas in mind, and I'll post again in a few days with what I end up preparing, but I'm curious to see what y'all might come up with!

Sugared Pecans

From Julie Thu:

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 egg white
1 lb. pecans


Preheat oven to 300.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt in large ziploc.
Beat egg white and water in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy but not stiff.
Pour pecans in and coat them with the egg mixture.
Place the pecans into sugar mixture in the ziploc and shake to coat nuts.
Spread on a cookie sheet with sides.
Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 min with spatula so they won't burn.
Cool completely before packaging.