Chicken and Dumplings

Can I tell you, I feel so decadent posting all this meat.  We were never really major meat eaters.  Well, at least I wasnt,.  And then we were Vegan for a year, well mostly.  More vegetarian for half the year.  And then even when we started eating meat again it was maybe one to four times per month.  Now with this whole COVID thing, we bought meat.  Was it primal, I dont know.  But suddenly we were buying meat and eating meat a few times per week... maybe five times per week.  I feel kind of bad about it.  I need to stop.  Tonight, as I write this we had stir fry with tofu and really it felt good.  Not heavy.  All those vegetables with tofu.  It was delicious. I have to say though you could easily turn this meal into a vegan or vegetarian one.  Have you ever tried that chicken base that is meat free.  Its pretty amazing.  And I bet TVP or chicken seitan would be equally delicious.

This recipe for me, is a two day affair.  The second day being pretty easy peasy.  So it is nice if you can roast on the weekend and do on Monday or Tuesday for dinner.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

6 tablespoons butter, or chicken fat reserved from broth or oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 ounces cream cheese (I was using it as a substitute and really liked it )
32 oz (1 quart) chicken stock
4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
salt, to taste

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon, baking powder
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
3/4 cup (6 oz) whole milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Long verbose version
Place four leg quarters in a baking dish. Place in oven, no cover and bake at 350°F.  Roast until the kin is golden.  Remove from oven and set aside until it is cool enough to handle. Take all the meat off the bone and place in refrigerator until you are ready to make your chicken and dumplings.  Take bones and skin and place in stock pot.  Place 3-4 celery ribs in pot, along with 2-4 cloves of garlic; a large onion, quartered with skin on, 2 bay leaves and parsley, if you have it.  Sprinkle in a generous dose of pepper and a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Pour in water, enough to cover. Bring to a boil, and gently simmer for at least 2 hours.  The longer the better.  Four hours if you can.  Just make sure the simmer is slow. Strain the broth out and also place in fridge.

Next day. Skim the fat of your beautiful bone broth.  Keep the fat, as it is delicious to use for cooking.  We also shared with dog, about a tablespoon on her dog food in the morning was met with much appreciation.

Saute onion, celery and carrots in chicken fat or the butter.  Or oil, whatever you prefer, until translucent.  Add in garlic and flour.  Saute until flour is turning golden.  Add in stock and cream cheese, along with pepper and thyme. Add salt to taste.  Cook for about 20 minutes.  While that is cooking, it is time to mix up your dough for your yum-plings.  Okay, dumplings.  And take my advice, if you have kids dont use the thyme in the biscuits cause it probably wont go over well.  Just leave it out.  But if it you and your significant other, by all means use the thyme.  And it will pair well with a nice glass of white wine if you so desire.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, pepper, salt and thyme. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the milk and butter into the center of it.  Using a wooden spoon (or rubber spatula), stir together until dough ball forms. If your dough seems too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of milk.

Using a large sized ice cream scoop, scoop dough and drop directly into the simmering soup. Place them around the pot, not all in the same place. Now, put the lid on and turn down heat on low, the spot you know where it will gently simmer.  And do not open the lid for 20 minutes.  Those dumplings are gently tucked away, simmering in happiness steam bath.  And when the time is done, you will rewarded with some fluffy, puffy dumplings. Scrumptious!

Chicken Korma

I read a lot of blogs out there. Some people have a knack for writing personal thoughts on things. I have wanted to write personal or deep thoughts so many times but have failed each time.  Sometimes I write it al out and then immediately delete it all out.  Does it go with my blog?  Will people not care for what I write?  How do I even start to write something personal or deep? Does it have anything to do with food?

I prepared this dish when my brother was in town.  He was here for my Dad who was just recently diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of September.  He died last week, on Thursday and we buried him Monday.  My Dad was 87, had a good long life with lots of wonderful memories. He was a very social guy, he never met a stranger.  People naturally liked my Dad.  He was a talker, sometimes a little too much talk, ahem.  He liked to goof around, mainly with the younger set.  Anything to get them to laugh.  He would put silly hats on and roll his eyes in some goofy way.  I can see it right now in my minds eye.

My Dad was quite the looker in his younger day.  He dressed well, he just loved clothes. He was meticulous with how he dressed.  He was meticulous with a lot of things, such as woodworking.  My Dad took a long time to make something but when he did, it was perfection.  He was an all around handyman, could always think up ways to make things work if they broke down.

He was a hard working, entrepreneur who started his own business and supported our family for quite a while on that income.  He was able to save for his retirement to live a nice, simple life.

Farewell Dad, until we meet again.  I will remember you with love in my heart.

Chicken Korma
This is a delicious meal that comes together pretty easily.  The hardest part is sweating the onions.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinned chicken breasts
1 ounce yogurt
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 large onions
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
12 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tab;espoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
small pinch saffron
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
fresh cilantro for garnish

1.  Cut chicken into bite sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and then stir in yogurt.  Set aside.

2.  Saute onions in oil until translucent.  Add in garlic and finger, cook one minute more.  Cover, cook for 15 minutes.  Stir frequently.

3. When onions are softened add in cardamom, cumin, coriander, turmeric chili powder and bay leaf.
4.  Pinch of ends of cloves and add to the mix.  Discard stalks.  Cook for five minutes more stirring constantly.

5.  Stir in flour, saffron, sugar and salt.  Add 1 cup water.

6.  Bring to a simmer cover and cook for 10 minutes.  Remove bay leaf.  Blend mixture.

7.  Add chicken to the pot.  Heat until chicken is cooked through.

8.  Serve with a sprinkling of cilantro (I didnt have any, bummer), on a bed of rice.

Chicken Tacos

I wanted some tacos and I had chicken thighs and we were going to be at the beach.  Some seemingly unrelated, random thoughts, melded together into this idea.  Place in crock pot for the day, while enjoying some beach time with the girls and their friend.  It was a success.  So easy!

Here is my peach salsa.  We love it with chicken.  You can find the recipe here.  I just brightened it up a bit with cilantro and green onions.

My daughter likes to put all her ingredients on her plate in a deonstructed fashion and then load up tortilla chips one at a time.

The meat was very tender and very tasty.  Totally going to make this again, as in real soon.  As my Mother would say, "That tastes like another" and proceeds to have seconds of whatever it is.

Chicken Taco Meat

8 - 10 chicken thighs
1 cup water
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or a packet of it
1 onion quartered
1 tablespoon minced garlic
pinch of oregano
1 bay leaf

Pour water in crock pot/slow cooker.
Place chicken thighs over bottom of crock.
Sprinkle taco seasoning and oregano over thighs.
Place quartered onion in different spots between the thighs.
Add bay leaf.
Cover.  Slow cook on low 5 to six hours.
Inhale amazing smell wafting through house.
When ready, remove from slow cooker. Let cool a little.
Take skin off and shred chicken with forks.
Voila, chicken taco meat ready to go.

Honey Ginger Chicken

I wish I had some better pics for you but,  alas, I was hungry and was very goal oriented.  That is it was time to chow.  This is an amazing dish.  The idea came from this blog, Mommy Hates Cooking,  but of course, I made it my own and my chicken was frozen in the morning.  So the clow cooker was not an option.  Oh well, no worries, enter the stove.  I have to say, this is probably how I would make it the next time,  Because, fo sure, there will be a next time.  It goes really quick when you are ready to put the flame on, provided you have everything chopped and ready.

HONEY GINGER CHICKEN

10- 12 chicken tenders or breasts, cut into smaller pieces

1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons oil
3 cups vegetable of choice, I used carrots and celery because I have nothing else at the moment.

Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce 
2 tablespoon ketchup
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 8 oz can of pineapple chunks, just the juice
2 tablespoon cornstarch

Serving Garnishes and Accomaniments:
reserved pineapple chunks
cooked rice to serve it with


In a saucepan combine all your sauce ingredients.  Place heat on medium until it starts to bubble. Keep stirring, reduce your heat.  Once it is thickened, place on a very low heat setting.  

In a large frying pan over medium, heat oil.  Dip chicken into flour, both sides and fry about three minutes on one side and three minutes on the other.  It really depends on how thick your cuts of chicken are.  You can find out if they are done by pressing on them with a fork.  If there is give then it is not cooked all the way through.  If it feels firm, its done. Remove chicken, set aside, covered.  I just threw mine into the microwave, it is a nice holding place.

In the same fry pan saute your vegetables.  I sometimes put a little water in the pan and cover so it steams.  This way you don't have to use more oil.

Once they are done, throw your chicken back in and add sauce and you are done! Serve pineapple along side or garnish the dish with the pineapple.



It took longer to write this recipe than it did to make the dish.  Its quick and easy- so make it!

Southern Fried Chicken

We had deep fried chicken for Father's Day.  It was a real treat.  The last time we had homemade deep fried chicken was about 9 years ago.  Actually, exactly nine years ago because my daughter was a baby. In between then we probably had the Colonel's chicken one time, maybe two times.  It's just so much grease its usually not on our radar.  But once in a while, for a special treat, like, say, Fathers Day- why not?

Because I hate that "fried" smell in the house, I took my fryer outside!  No smell in this house.  Yeah!

Southern Fried Chicken

3-5 pounds of chicken parts
2 cups buttermilk
1-1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1  teaspoon pepper
1  teaspoon garlic powder
1  teaspoon onion powder
1  tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Oil for frying (depends how deep your pot is)

Fill your pan with enough oil to get at least half the chicken submerged.  Heat to 350F. Its very important to heat it to 350F because it will absorb less grease.

The night before or at least an hour before place chicken parts in a bag with the buttermilk. Let marinate, chilled in the refrigerator.

Mix flour with spices in a bag that you can seal and shake.

When you are ready to fry, take the chicken out and shake in a bag with the flour spice mixture.  Let sit for about five minutes on waxed paper on a cookie sheet.

Fry in batches being careful not to overload the pan. For legs 6 minutes on one side and then 6 minutes on the other.  For boneless thighs, about four minutes on each side. Remove and place on a paper towel lined cookie sheet.

Mustard Chicken With Blackberry Sauce

 

I was at the Farmers Market last week.  Along with the farmers that sell there, there are many vendors from the local food warehouses that sell their goods as well.  When lots of stuff is fresh and local, I buy from the farmers, of course, but in the colder months I buy from the warehouses as well.  I scored a huge container of black raspberries.  I had seen this recipe in a magazine called Eating Well when I was at a doctor appointment and had copied it down.  I knew I had to make it when I found the blackberries.  Yeah!  You can find that original recipe here.

Seldom does that happen where I find the recipe and the ingredient at the same time.  How many times I have cut out a recipe, gone to the store at some other time, bought what I needed and then could not find the recipe.  Ha!

 Isn't it a beautiful color?  So rich and delicious without being fattening. Score!

Then I knew I had to make this other recipe as well.  I love how it turned out with the layers of flavor both in the chicken as well as the sauce. It was easy too.  Flavor it all up and place in the oven.

And for dessert.  Oh YEAH!

Mustard Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of Dijon
1 tablespoon Italian Herb seasoning (or a combination of basil and oregano)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 large chicken breasts

In a baking pan 9 x 9 mix olive oil, dijon, garlic and Italian seasonings together until combined.  Place breasts in mixture and coat evenly.  Bake at 350F oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until done.

Blackberry Sauce

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
6 ounces blackberries

Make this sauce at least a couple hours before you are ready to use it.  Place honey and Dijon in a food processor or blender. Whirl it until it is combined and add in blackberries.  Whirl until the blackberries have been chopped and it is a nice smooth consistency.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  It will keep for a few days and actually get better the next day.

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

What do you do when you have been running all day and don't know what to make for dinner?  Well, that is totally my plight in the summer.  Fortunately, on this particular day, I knew exactly what I was going to do when I looked in the fridge.  I had some grilled chicken, which by the way in the summer - is a totally great thing to have on hand.  Matter of fact I am going to grill up a bunch of chicken this week for quickie meals. I also had some greens that were given to us by some friends of my parents, some pita that was drying a bit... and bingo it came to me.

All this little wrap is- pita, rolled with some fresh greens, grilled chicken, blue cheese dressing and of course the all important Franks Red Hot Sauce (the regular one and no, this is not a paid endorsement). If you don't live in the USA then a hot, vinegary sauce will work equally as well.  It wont be like the original but it still will be darn good.

 Roll it together.

Thats a wrap!

Chicken in Lettuce Cups

Yes, I added a little cilantro, but thats just how I roll.

This reminds me a lot of PF Chang's lettuce cups, only not quite as salty.  My older daughter came home from school and gasped, "Ew, mushrooms? Mom, you know I don't like mushrooms."

"Ah, but last summer my dear, you tried one and you liked it - remember?"

"Okay I will try it."  She had a bite and said the mushroom tasted exactly like the chicken.  Well, yeah.  We could even make this totally vegan with some different kinds of mushrooms.  I am quite sure I would like it.

 Little hands getting busy.  They really had a lot of fun putting this together.

 

Some of the components.  I like to separate the lettuce because it is not necessarily easy to do this without tearing it.  This makes it so much easier.

Chicken in Lettuce Cups

2  tablespoons oil
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts, chopped
3 cups white mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion 

1 teaspoon minced garlic
leaves of iceberg lettuce

Drizzle Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard or dijon
2 teaspoons water
1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

(Make sure you are preparing your rice.  A very nice accompaniment.)

Before you begin, prepare your sauces.  You will be so happy you did this ahead of time.  Matter of fact,if you can do everything mise en place, then even better.  This will all go rather fast.
 
In a frying pan sauté the chicken thighs in 1 tablespoon of oil.  Cook through.  Remove from pan and let cool so you can cut it.  Unless you like playing with your kitchen scissors like me.  Then in the case, you don't even need to let them cool.


While the chicken is cooling, or not, sauté the mushrooms and onion in the remaining tablespoon of oil.When everything is looking nearly done, onion translucent, add in the garlic.  Then after a minute, the water chestnuts.  Add in your chopped chicken and to that add the stir fry sauce.  Basically its teriyaki, but we will call it stir fry sauce.

Remove from heat and place in individual bowls, like we did or one big bowl.  Make sure everyone had a little bit of sauce and some rice.  Build your little cups a heaping tablespoon of chicken, a heaping tablespoon of rice and a little bit of the drizzle sauce.  Roll it up and get a bite of that yumminess.

Chicken Wing Balls

I love chicken wings, but probably more specifically, Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  Don't tell me anything bad about Frank's Red Hot Sauce.  I dont want to know.  I have had Franks over popcorn, pizza, wings, chicken, whatever for many years.

I dont do the wing thing too often anymore.  In my 20's, yes, but have since slowed way down with wings.  Too many calories.  I did a post about baked wings- they are very good, but honestly, I just dont think about buying wings when I go to the store.  Besides, they used to be inexpensive, now- not so much.

This chicken ball with Frank's is like wings- less calories and more substantial.  We loved it.  Dipped in a little of my home made blue cheese and I was totally loving it- a real treat. I served it along side some rice and a big plate of celery sticks and carrot sticks.

Chicken Wing Balls
Printable here.

2 pounds ground chicken
2 egg
1 3/4 cups Progresso panko breadcrumbs or more depending on consistency
3/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups buffalo sauce
blue cheese dressing

Mix the ground chicken with the rest of the ingredients except the panko until it feels like you can ball it together. Add in the panko. If it feels sticky add more panko. If by chance you added a bit too much panko add a little water (tablespoon by tablespoon).

Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment lined cooking sheet.  Bake in a 400F oven for about 5 (crock pot) to 10 minutes (Dutch oven).  Add the meatballs to a crock pot or a Dutch oven and pour in the Franks. Make sure the meat balls are covered.  If you don't have enough sauce you can use less just make sure you stir it periodically to ensure maximum yum coverage. Cook in slow cooker for about 2 hours.  In the Dutch oven for about 45 minutes to an hour on a very low heat.

Weight Watcher Wednesday: Southwestern Style Chicken Stew

This past Sunday we had this for dinner along with some cornbread!  Delicious.  I loved it.

Southwestern Style Chicken Stew

6 thighs, skin and fat removed
1 cup dried Pinto or Northern beans
1 cup corn
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
2 pints (4 cups) salsa

Soak beans overnight.  Or if you are in a hurry like I was- soak them for an hour and then simmer them in some water until nearly tender.  Add chicken, cumin, bay leaf, onion and garlic.  Put enough water in the pot so that the chicken is covered.  Simmer stew until the chicken is falling off the bone.  By that time your beans should be perfect.  Add salsa and at the last minute add cilantro.  (Boiling cilantro will remove a lot of its flavor). 

about 250 calories for 2 cups

Southern Fried Chicken

This is how I picture Southern food... watermelon, fried chicken, corn, grits.  I can not think of fried chicken without thinking of the South.  Kinda crazy.  It's probably all the Colonels fault.  Him and his crazy good chicken.  While I am not big on fast food at all, that is one that will tempt me once in a while.  By once in a while I mean, ever eight years or so- no lie.  But really it is always better to have it at home.  In this case, it most certainly is.  It has the peppery taste of some of the Colonels varieties and its really crunchy.

This is the first time I have ever fried chicken at home.  I had this at a friends house about five years ago and asked her for the recipe.  I finally made it. And of course I did change things up a bit. The thing is I hate deep frying.  Matter of fact I bought a deep fryer specifically so I could do this outside (and at the right temperature). Hate the mess and the smell.  Not to mention the BIG calories.  But every once in a while, I guess it is okay.


Southern Fried Chicken
I added buttermilk so I changed the name.  You can find the recipe here. Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
3 teaspoons pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, I used Lowry's seasoned salt
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour, divided
1 tablespoon paprika
2 eggs
2 fryer chickens cut up or chicken parts


In a plastic bag combine 2 2/3 cup flour, garlic powder, salt, paprika, 2 1/2 teaspoon pepper and poultry seasoning. 

In a shallow bowl beat eggs, buttermilk and water.  Add salt and remaining flour and pepper.  Dip chicken in egg mixture then shake in bag.  The chicken will look kinda scraggly and that is okay.  Those scraggles will be your wonderful crunchy tidbits.  I think I could have just eaten those and skipped the chicken.

Heat oil to 375F.  Cook chicken 5 to 8 minutes depending on the size of your pieces.  You want the chicken to be brown- not dark but not light either.  If you are frying in a pan be sure to turn the chiken over when browned.

This quilt pattern was in an email I recently received.  For the life of me I can not find where I got it from.  I have searched the internet to find it so I could give credit where credit is due and unfortunately have come up with nothing.  If you happen to know, let me know.

Curry Yogurt Chicken Salad

I went to one of my friends house for dinner last week.  Me and her and two other women have been meeting pretty faithfully every month for about ten years.  This past February marked our "anniversary".  We have really hung in there together and I couldn't feel more blessed to have them in my life.  Our get togethers are marked by good food, good conversation and lots of laughter, some tears at times too.  I always feel refreshed and uplifted after our time together.  What more can you ask for?

At our last get together my friend made this salad above.  I had to recreate it.  It was delicious and refreshing.  Perfect for a summer dinner or entertaining.  The dressing used for this is made by a local supermarket called Wegman's. For those of you who know Wegman's you invariably will love Wegman's.  Their marketing is amazing.  Always has been.  Now the dressing is expensive and you know me, I think, I am a bit of a penny pincher so I have to tell you that I feel compelled to recreate this dressing out of my pantry.  I will report back to you when I come up with something equally satisfying.  Until then, if you are local or have a Wegman's- you've got to try this dressing. (No I was not paid or reimbursed in anyway to say all that).

Curry Yogurt Chicken Salad
Adapted from this recipe at Wegman's but I did find this recipe and it sounds equally delicious

2 cups celery
1/2 cup red onion, diced
3/4 of a pound red seedless grapes, halved (about 2 cups)
2 cups cooked chicken, roaster chicken is quick and easy but I used chicken thighs here
1/2 cup Food You Feel Good About Curry Yogurt Dressing (I used way less but add more if you like)
bed of lettuce- how much of it is completely your choice
1/2 cup roasted almonds


Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and dish out over bed of lettuce as desired.

Dog bath day here at the Lipsmacking Goodness household.  Although wet dog is definitely not lip smacking, its more like nose whacking.  Pee yew.  Now that shes dry, she smells purdy!

Just in case you think we chain the dog... we don't.  On rare occassion she spends minimal time on chain.  Mostly she runs around our yard, digging holes (ugh), stealing things out of the garden to chew on (like the sprinkler) and in general just causing havoc.  Okay, that is a slight exageration.  She does dig a lot of holes but she steals things on occassion.  I don't want her to look real bad here.  We are lucky to have a great dog who minds her manners most of the time (she is after all still under 2).

Sweet Potato Chicken Pot Pies

I know it's nearly June.  Here in NY the weather has been pretty chilly.  The day I made this it was 50 degrees and rainy.  One of those chill to the bone gotta have soup or comfort food kinda days.  We had not had pot pie in a while.  I thought I'd better get it on before the heat of summer arrives.  Will rain and colder temps stop, I don't know?

I changed it up a bit with some sweet potatoes.  It was a good idea - it added such nice flavor.  This was the mix before the roux/gravy was added.

This is probably a technique not frequently used in pot pie but it sure is a technique used for stir frying.  Two tablespoons of corn starch sprinkled on the chicken. It not only coats the chicken and holds in the tenderness, it also helps to thicken the gravy as it cooks.

Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potatoes

1 pound chicken, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons corn starch
12 ounces sweet potato, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup peas
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced and diced
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter

1/2 of a batch of pastry dough (recipe follows)

Anything you can do ahead of time, you will appreciate on the day you make this.  It's a great dish for company, just make sure all the prep work is done the day before.

In a bowl coat the chicken with corn starch.  Set aside.

In a sauce pan boil carrots and sweet potatoes until crisp tender. Place in large bowl and set aside.

In a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil, saute mushrooms, onions and celery until tender.  Add to large bowl.

Fry the chicken in the remainder of the of the canola oil. Do not cook chicken all the way through.  When you see some pieces are cooked and some are just a tad pink, turn off the heat and pour them into the large bowl.

Last but not least, make the roux.  Melt the butter in that same frying pan, scraping it as you go.  Add the flour and let the flour turn golden before adding the broth. Whisk rapidly to remove clumps.  Add to large bowl along with the peas.

I did not add any seasonings other than salt and pepper.  It was so tasty just the way it was. Feel free to add what you like. Spoon into ramekins.  This will fill 6-8 ramekins (1 cup size).

Place disks of dough over top of the ramekins and pinch/press the sides down.  Place small slits in top to vent. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in a 425F oven.  It will take 30 to 40 minutes.  Once the tops have turned golden, they are done.


Ruff Puff Pastry

3 sticks (12 ounces) butter
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup iced water

Place flour and salt in a processor.  (Do not over process once you add the butter, be light with the button). Add the butter, cut into 2 ounce pieces.  Add the cold water very  slowly.  You may or may not need it all.  Once the dough begins to gather into a ball, stop the processor.  Gather into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so (or up to overnight).

For the pot pies roll out into a 1/4 inch thickness and cut discs larger than your ramekins.

A nugget of success!

I buy chicken nuggets, dinosaurs, rounds, whatever you want to call them once in a while for my children.  It is a special treat for them and me because its easy to prepare but I dont really like to buy them.  If you know anything about me from reading my blog, you probably already know that I buy a minimal amount of precooked food.  I like to know what is in my food.  I like to control the amount of sugar or salt, make choices about them as I go along.  Now, nuggets are one thing that have bothered me for a long time.  I have attempted to replicate them many times and have been unsuccessful by way of taste and/or texture.  Until now.  Yes!  Happy dance.  These not only have a great taste and texture they are even better than the nuggets you buy but hauntingly close nonetheless.  Try them.  Let me know what you think.


Lipsmacking Goodness Chicken Nuggets

12 ounces chicken breast
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon onion powder
a packet of Ramen Noodle seasoning*
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
****************************

1 egg + 1 tabelspoon water
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut chicken into pieces about the size of peas.  Do not use a processor- it will change the texture dramatically. Mix the chicken, cornstarch and seasonings together and form little patties.  Place on a tray or cookie sheet and refrigerate for an hour.  Remove from the sheet and dip in egg wash and then into bread crumbs.  Place back on tray until you have them all ready.  Heat a large skillet and add a tablespoon of canola oil.  Place as many nuggets on the skillet as you can without over crowding.  They won't cook too well if they are smooshed in together.

If you are not a vegetarian, I suspect you want to bite this!

* I know you saw Ramen Noodle seasoning packet and you said to yourself,  "hey that completely flies in the face of what she just said about prepackaged foods."  Here is the deal, first of all I love Ramen-  they are so bad but oh, so good.  Secondly, whenever I make Ramen, I use half of a packet to season the noodles.  That is where I control the salt.  The other half of the packet I use the next time I make them.  I end up with packets laying around which I usually use in soups.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

 Easy and delicious.  I loved this one. I am totally into quick meals as I lost my cooking mojo and fgained some sewing mojo.  In the last month or so I have participated in Iron Craft nearly every week, made curtains for my upstairs bathroom, pieced a few quilts, made a few table runners or centers, made three coin purses, and started to piece another quilt, Cathedral Window style.   With all that I have had little time for cooking.  Soups and salads and quick easy meals are gaining popularity in my household.

This checken cacciatore is about as easy as opening a few jars and throwing a few things in.  Voila, the crock pot does the rest.  And may I say it is majorly delicious.  Lots of flavor.  Oh and pretty light.

Chicken Cacciatore
Adapted from Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker Cookbook

6 skinless chicken thighs (you could put in more without increasing the liquid)
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves
12 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup white wine ( I used one that was on the dry side)
1 jar of your favorite sauce
1 jar of stewed tomatoes, flavored if you like- I used my homemade tomato soup with vegetables

Throw it all in the crock pot.  Set on low for seven or eight hours.  Set on high for four to five hours. Serve with pasta and bread for sopping all those flavorful juices.
*If you want it thick make a small amount of slurry with 1/4 cup flour and a tablespoon or two of water.  Mix well and then stir into the mixture an hour before it is done.

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

 
It was a last minute thing to use up some leftover ingredients.  And wow I am posting it because I want to make it again.  It may seem like nothing special but when my husband says something like this is your best ever I have to write it down.  If you have leftover chicken, this recipe is a snap to put together- five minutes- baking time 40 minutes. If I wasn't watching calories I would have added a lot more cheese but I have to say

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Enchilada's

filling:
1/4 cup sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella, shredded
4 green onions chopped
15 ounces shredded chicken
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Lowry's salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup beans (I used some black chick peas)
1/4 cup of bean liquor (cooking liquid of the beans)

enchilada sauce:
1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

8 inch flour tortillas

Combine all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.  Set aside.

Mix enchilada sauce, adding water to the consistency you like.  Pour half of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking pan.

Scoop out a packed 1/2 cup of filling and roll up in the tortilla.  Place the rolled tortilla in the 9 x 13, seam side down.  Repeat process 8 times. Pour the remainder of the sauce on top of rolled tortillas, spreading it out so that it covers them.  Sprinkle about 2 tablespoon of mozzarella over top.

Calories per serving according to my rough calculations.  I did not use "light" anything.  The mozzarella was part skim. The tortillas I used were 150 calories a piece.  It works out to 330C per enchilada.

Daring Cooks: Enchilada Sauce and Red Mole

Salsa.  Here the accent?  Makes me want to dance!  That is why I love Zumba so much, but I digress. This is about food not exercise after all.

Sauce is really the thing that always takes a dish go from plain to dressed up.  A stir in for a soup, a dressing for a salad or a sauce for your enchiladas.  The complexity, the flavor, the BANG in your mouth! 

I have made mole before but it was the quick recipe.  I have wanted to make a-spend-the-day-in-the-kitchen kind of mole for a long time.  Make no mistake, it is a day in the kitchen.  In the end, you are rewarded with one of the best tasting sauces you ever had.  And you have a bucket of it to boot.  So you freeze a couple jars and wow your friends when they came over.

A couple pieces of equipment are truly necessary for making mole.  One is a splatter screen.  This will save you a whole lot of clean up.  Two, a slotted spoon that can withstand the temperature of hot grease.  Stainless steel, not plastic.  Chenois for straining, medium not fine.  Besides the other normal things like pots and bowls these will be the things that are indispensible.

I used Rick Bayless recipe for red mole as he is kind of the ambassador of Mexican cuisine (besides Diana Kennedy of course).

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

Please note that the Daring Cooks recipe was for enchilada sauce.  We were allowed to make a different sauce if we had made enchilada sauce before.  SInce I can enchilada sauce I decided to go with mole.  But I also made some green enchilada sauce which I have also never made adn wanted to do.  I love tomatillos so it was a welcome addition to my foodie repertoire.

Classic Red Mole
Mole Rojo Clasico

Makes a generous 3/4 gallon of mole

Recipe from Season 7 Mexico - One Plate at a Time


10 ounces (5 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 1/3 cup (about 6 1/2 ounces) sesame seeds
1 cup rich-tasting pork lard or vegetable oil, plus a little more if necessary
6 ounces (about 12 medium) dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into large flat pieces
3 ounces (about 6 medium) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into large flat pieces
3 ounces (about 10 medium) dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into large flat pieces
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup (about 4 ounces) unskinned almonds
1 cup (about 4 ounces) raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground
1/2 teaspoon anise, preferably freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground
2 slices firm white bread, darkly toasted and broken into several pieces
2 ounces (about 2/3 of a 3.3-ounce tablet) Mexican chocolate, roughly chopped
3 quarts chicken broth
Salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar
Directions

1.   Preliminaries.  On a rimmed baking sheet, roast the tomatillos 4 inches below a very hot broiler until splotchy black and thoroughly soft, about 5 minutes per side.  Scrape into a large bowl.  In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirringly nearly constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes.  Scrape half of them in with the tomatillos.  Reserve the remainder for sprinkling on the chicken.

2.   Brown other mole ingredients.  Turn on an exhaust fan or open a kitchen door or window.  In a very large soup pot (I typically use a 12-quart stainless steel stock pot or a medium-large Mexican earthenware cazuela), heat the lard or oil over medium.  When quite hot, fry the chiles, three or four pieces at a time, flipping them nearly constantly with tongs until their interior side has changed to a lighter color, about 20 or 30 seconds total frying time.  Don’t toast them so darkly that they begin to smoke—that would make the mole bitter.  As they’re done, remove them to a large bowl, being careful to drain as much fat as possible back into the pot.  Cover the toasted chiles with hot tap water and let rehydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to insure even soaking.

Remove any stray chile seeds left in the fat.  With the pot still over medium heat, fry the garlic and almonds, stirring regularly, until browned (the garlic should be soft), about 5 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove to the tomatillo bowl, draining as much fat as possible back into the pot.

Add the raisins to the hot pot.  Stir for 20 or 30 seconds, until they’ve puffed and browned slightly.  Scoop them out, draining as much fat as possible back into the pot, and add to the tomatillos. Set the pan aside off the heat.

To the tomatillo mixture, add the cinnamon, black pepper, anise, cloves, bread and chocolate.  Add 2 cups water and stir to combine.

3.   Blend, strain, cook.  Into a large measuring cup, tip off the chiles’ soaking liquid. Taste the liquid:  if it’s not bitter, discard all abut 6 cups of the liquid. (if you’re short, add water to make up the shortfall).  If bitter, pour it out and measure 6 cups water.  Scoop half of the chiles into a blender jar, pour in half of the soaking liquid (or water) and blend to a smooth puree.  Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard the bits of skin and seeds that don’t pass through the strainer.  Repeat with the remaining chiles.

Return the soup pot or cazuela to medium heat.  When quite hot, pour in the chile puree—it should sizzle sharply and, if the pan is sufficiently hot, the mixture should never stop boiling.  Stir every couple of minutes until the chile puree has darkened and reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, about a half hour. (I find it useful to cover the pot with an inexpensive spatter screen to catch any spattering chile.)

In two batches, blend the tomatillo mixture as smoothly as possible (you may need an extra 1/2 cup water to keep everything moving through the blades), then strain it in to the large bowl that contained the chiles. When the chile paste has reduced, add the tomatillo mixture to the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes until considerably darker and thicker, 15 to 20 minutes. (Again, a spatter screen saves a lot of cleanup.)

4.   Simmer.  Add the broth to the pot and briskly simmer the mixture over medium to medium-low heat for about 2 hours for all the flavors to come together and mellow. If the mole has thickened beyond the consistency of a cream soup, stir in a little water.  Taste and season with salt (usually about 4 teaspoons) and the sugar.

Lacquered Chicken
Rick Bayless

1/2 cup agave syrup (preferably organic raw) or dark corn syrup
24 portions of chicken—24 leg-and-thigh pieces, 24 bone-in chicken breast halves or a mixture of the two
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Reserved toasted sesame seeds from the Classic Red Mole recipe
Sprigs of watercress or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small (2-quart) saucepan, mix together 1 cup of the mole with the agave nectar or corn syrup.  Simmer over medium heat until glossy and reduced to 1 cup, about a half hour.  On rimmed baking sheets, lay out the chicken in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes (the chicken should be tender to the bone at this point—leg-and-thigh portions should register 165 degrees at the thickest part on an instant-read thermometer).

Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Tip off the juices that have collected around the chicken, then brush the pieces liberally with the glossy mole mixture.  Sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds.  Bake for 10 minutes to set the glaze.

Remove from the oven, let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then slide into a very low oven to keep warm until serving time—preferably no longer than 30 minutes.

Serve each portion of chicken with about 1/2 cup of warm mole, decorated with watercress or flat-leaf parsley.

Green Enchilada Sauce

1 pound tomatillos (roasted)
2 medium white onions coarsely chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 large roasted Anaheim chili, skin peeled as much as possible
3 cups chicken broth

Saute onions in oil and cook until soft. Add the garlic and the roasted tomatillos, pepper, chili powder, cumin and broth.  Cook until everything is tender. Cool a little and place in blender or processor to desired consistency.  You can freeze it at this point.  The flavor of the sauce will be much better the next day so if possible make this a day in advance.

I almost forgot to post this tortilla stack as that was a part of the challenge as well.  It really is a nice way of doing the tortillas.  I toasted my tortillas first before doing my stack.  I think the toasting helped bring out their "corny" flavor. This particular stack was made with my homemade, canned enchilada sauce.