Classic Chicken a la King

•1 Chicken cooked, skinned, deboned and cut into bite size pieces
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 onion chopped
•1 greenpepper, seeded and chopped
•1 teaspoon crushed garlic
•250g (10oz) button mushrooms, sliced
•3 tablespoons flour
•¾ cup chickenstock
•1 cup (10fl oz) milk
•salt and pepper
•1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 tablespoon dry sherry


1.Melt the butter and saute onion, greenpeppers and garlic. Add mushrooms and fry until tender.

2.Stir in the flour to form a roux/paste and add the chicken stock and milk and bring to the boil.

3.Keep stirring until sauce thickens. Add the cooked chicken and seasoning and sherry. Heat through before serving. Chicken a la king can be served with mashed potatoes, pasta or rice.

Broccoli cheese soup

--1 qt chicken broth
--2 cups milk
--2 10 oz bags of frozen broccoli florets
--1/2 diced white onion
--1/2 t black pepper
--1/2 t salt
--1/2 t ground nutmeg
--1 cup each of three different cheeses, I used cheddar, jack, and mozarella. I don't think the mozarella worked very well and will try something else next time.
Mix everything except cheese in the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. Mix in grated cheese 30 min before serving to melt.

Cheesy Chicken Penne/Spaghetti

This was supposed to be made with penne, but I didn't have any so I used spaghetti.

12 oz pasta
2 T butter
1 onion diced
1 lb chicken breasts cubed
2 cups pured tomatoes
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/4 c cilantro
6 oz tomato paste
dash of salt and pepper
1/2 lb summer sausage sliced
1 cup jack cheese
1 cup sliced olives optional
chopped parsley

Cook pasta and set aside
Melt butter and cook onion and chicken until cooked. Add puree, tomatoes, cilantro, and paste. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer a few minutes.
Mix with pasta and pour into casserole dish. Top with sausage and cheese and olives. Bake about 20 min at 375.

Asian tomato beef

I wasn't wild about this one, but maybe others will be...

2 can tomato soup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1 1/2 t garlic powder
dash pepper
2 lbs round steak cut into strips
4 cups broccoli

Mix all ingredients except broccoli in slow cooker. Cook 7-8 hours on low. Add broccoli 15 min before serving, turning cooker to high. Serve over rice.

Hamburger lo mein

Just the name alone was intriguing to me...

2 cups teriyaki sauce, homemade or store bought
16 thin egg noodles or linguine
1/2 lb ground beef
2 cloves minced garlic
1 onion diced
1 carrot sliced
1 yellow pepper chopped
1-2 tomatoes, chopped

Cook beef and garlic in skillet. Set aside. Add a little oil to same pan, fry onions and carrots until lightly browned. Add peppers for 1-2 min. Then add teriyaki sauce and tomatoes and simmer 10 min. Toss with pasta and hamburger/garlic.
Delish!!!

Tuna Patty Melts

Pictured - 2 tuna patties, each on 1/2 a bun, topped with 'surprise sauce.'

From www.cooks.com. Adapted by Jill

1 lg. can tuna, flaked (or 2 small cans)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. bread or cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
6 slices cheese
6 hamburger buns
1 tbsp. grated onion (I didn't have any, so I put in dill weed)

Mix all ingredients except cheese. Make 6 patties. Place on well greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Place baked patties on toasted buns (the toastier the better), top with cheese and place in greased pan. Cover with foil. Heat for 5 minutes.

From another recipe at www.cooks.com, I topped with . . .

SURPRISE SAUCE:

Cook 2 tablespoons chopped onion in 3 tablespoons butter until tender, but not brown. Blend in: 1 tsp. mustard 1/2 tsp. salt Dash of pepper

Add 1 1/4 cups milk and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and bubbles. (Mine didn't thicken, so I added a bit of corn starch)

Serve Surprise Sauce over cooked patties for a delicious taste surprise - no tuna taste. (I'd argue there was still tuna taste, but it was kind of like adding a hollandaise sauce to the melt - and made it even yummier.)

Apple Nachos

I found this recipe in a magazine a few months ago. I've changed it to make only half the quantity of the two sauces recommended, because it was just way too much. Next time we make them I would also do it on individual plates instead of on one tray, for easier eating. (And plate licking.)

18 caramels

1/2 Tbl water

15 lg marshmallows

3 Tbl butter

4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

chopped nuts

chocolate chips

Melt the caramels in the microwave, stir until smooth. (I did 60 seconds at 70%, stirred, and that much again.)

Meanwhile melt the marshmallows and the butter on the stove.

Arrange the apples (either on a big tray or on individual plates.)

Drizzle caramel and marshmallow cream, then sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.

Be sure to put your helpers to work!

Bruschetta

1 loaf french bread sliced into 1-inch slices
3 T butter
1 pint cherry tomatoes
4-5 cloves of minced garlic
6 large basil leaves
3 T olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper

Butter slices of bread and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 5 min until golden brown.
In a bowl, mix all other ingredients. Top each bread slice with a spoonful.

Balsalmic Beef

2 lbs sliced chuck roast or steak

1 jar red spaghetti sauce

1 package egg noodles

1/3 cup balsalmic vinegar

2 packages of sliced mushrooms (could probably substitute a veggie like bell peppers)

2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and brown beef slightly, about 5 min.

Put in slow cooker and stir in all other ingredients except noodles.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Serve over noodles.

Butternut Squash Soup

This was hearty and flavorful, and 5 out of 6 Ryersons enjoyed it!

2 butternut squash
6 Tbl chopped onion
4 Tbl butter
1 apple - peeled and cubed
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 8oz package cream cheese

Half the squash and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and roast until tender. (Mine were smaller, but took about 45 minutes at 400 degrees.) Let cool down a bit, then scoop out all the pulp.

When the squash is almost done, saute the onions in the butter in a big pot. Add the apple, water and spices. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook about 15 minutes, or until the apple is soft. Add the cooked squash and let simmer a few more minutes.

Puree the soup and cream cheese together in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to the pot and heat through, but do not boil.

Bacon Wrapped Garlic Asparagus

4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus
Bacon
Salt and pepper

• Saute garlic in the olive oil, then set aside.
• Trim asparagus ends.
• Place 4 stalks of asparagus in the center of each bacon strip.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Wrap bacon around each bundle.
• Drizzle garlic oil over the top.
• Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until bacon is crispy.

Herbed Seafood Casserole

1 lg egg

1/2 cup milk

1 c sour cream

1 T dried parsley

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 lb angel hair pasta broken into 1 inch pieces

1 cup salsa

1 lb med shrimp, chopped

1 cup shredded cheese: mozz

Spread cooked pasta over greased casserole dish. Cover with shrimp and then a layer of salsa. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over the top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 30 min at 350.

White Chili

1 large onion, chopped
1 stick butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups half n' half
1 1/2 tsp chill powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cans navy beans (or any other white bean, i.e. great northern beans)
two 4-oz cans chopped green chilies, drained
5 boneless skinless breast halves, cooked and chopped ~2lbs
1 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese (about 6 oz) (the original recipe calls for Monterrey Jack, but I think pepper jack gives it an extra kick)
1/2 cup sour cream

In a skillet cook onion in 2 tbsp butter over moderate heat until softened.
In a 6- to 8-quart heavy kettle melt remaining 6 tbsps butter over moderately low heat and whisk in flour. Cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Stir in onion and gradually add broth and half-and-half, whisking constantly. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper. Add beans, chilies, chicken, and cheese and cook mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream.
Serves 4 to 6
Can also cook in slow cooker on low 7-8 hours.

Chicken Rice Pacifica

2 cans chicken broth
1 c water
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
6 chicken thighs
1 orange pepper chopped
1 cup green onion chopped
1-20 oz can pineapple chunks
peanuts or almonds

Mix all ingredients except nuts in slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours. Garnish with nuts.
This one was a little watery. Perhaps cut down on the water or broth?

Yellow Squash Bake

For the last few weeks we have been participating in a produce co-op. You sign up weekly, and for $15 pick up a giant basket full of produce. It is split between fruits and vegetables, and it is a huge amount of food. Both a fun and challenging thing about it is that you don't pick what you get. So I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous and actually try my vegetables. Tonight I made a casserole with yellow squash that I truly enjoyed. I even had seconds!

4 cups sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
A tube of Ritz, crushed
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 tbl butter

Put squash and onion in a skillet, with a bit of water on top. Cover. Cook over medium until tender. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.

Mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of cracker mixture into the squash and onions. Mix together eggs and milk and add to squash mixture. Stir in the 1/4 cup of melted butter. Add salt and pepper.

Spread into a 9x13.

Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with the 2 tbl butter.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Seasoned Rice Mix

3 cups uncooked rice
1/4 cup parsley flakes
6 T chicken or beef boullion powder
2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t dried thyme

Mix ingredients and store in airtight container.
To use, put one cup mix, 2 T butter, and 2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 15 min or until fully cooked.

Inside-Out Brussels Sprouts

(Sorry for poor picture quality, they are from my phone, as I forgot my camera in Portland.)


This recipe was in a Taste of Home pamphlet I found. It is basically a giant meatball with a Brussels sprout inside. Below is the recipe as written. When I made it I cut it in half, used quick cook brown rice, and fresh sprouts instead of frozen ones.

2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 10oz package frozen Brussels sprouts

2 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp dried thyme

Combine first 6 ingredients. Shape around each sprout to form a meatball. Place in an ungreased casserole dish. Stir together sauce, water and thyme and pour over meatballs. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hr 15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.

Parmesan Chicken Strips

EVERYONE scarfed up this new favorite, even Jack our more "selective" eater. I cut the below recipe in half and there was plenty for the four of us.

Put out three bowls.

In the first bowl:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Stir together

Second bowl:
Two eggs
1 T water
Whisk together

Third bowl:
1 package, crushed saltines
3/4 cup grated parmesan

In a large frying pan, heat 2 T butter and 1/2 oil.
After slicing bonelesss chicken breasts into strips, dip each strip in bowls 1, 2, and 3, coating each time. Place in frying pan on med-high and cook until not pink in the center.
Hint: this was pretty salty. Next time I will either not include salt in bowl #1 or I will use unsalted crackers. Very good though!

West African Peanut Chicken

Well, it wasn't a hit with the kids, but Anton and I loved it. In fact, it's definitely one of my new favorites. I think I accidentally skimped on the peanut butter though and will make sure to add enough next time.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup cooking oil (they recommend peanut but I used sesame)

1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 med size sweet onion ,minced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup tomato sauce mixed with 1/2 cup water

1 cup water

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 t pepper

1 T salt

1 yellow pepper, diced

1 lg tomato, diced

Fry chicken in oil in large pan, remove and set aside.

In same pan, cook onions and garlic until soft. Add 1 cup water, bring to boil then simmer 2 min. Add chicken and peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Add all other ingredients and simmer 10-15 min. Service over rice or couscous.

Buffalo Ranch Popcorn

We had this last night during a movie, and it was fabulous! Definitely not the kids' popcorn.

I didn't measure anything, but the recipe went something like this:

Pop a big bowl of popcorn. Melt some butter, and stir in some hot sauce. Drizzle on the popcorn. Shake a bit of powdered ranch dressing mix on top. Stir it all up. Pour a giant glass of water to cool the fires. Enjoy!