Hearty Chicken & Rice Casserole

This is a very hearty meal for the cooler months. In addition to chicken and rice, this entree has broccoli and cheese, onions, and yellow squash mixed in with cream of celery, mushroom, and chicken soup.

This is not low-carb or fat-free, but the recipe can be modified a little by using reduced fat cheese and soup. Serves 8-12.

Hearty Chicken & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rice
2 lb. chicken, boneless, skinless
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped and lightly peeled if necessary
1 10-12 oz. package frozen broccoli and cheese sauce (or fresh broccoli)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 1/2 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 soup can of milk (about 10 oz.)
2 T. olive oil
Lawry's seasoning salt (no msg, if available)
salt
pepper

Preparation:

Cook white rice according to package instructions. One cup dried rice will be about 2 cups cooked. Set aside.

Cut up chicken into small pieces. In a large skillet, add olive oil and chicken. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink. Set aside.

In another skillet, spray with cooking spray. Saute chopped onion and chopped yellow squash just a few minutes. This will cook more in the oven, so don't overcook it.

Prepare the packaged broccoli and cheese sauce in the microwave, or steam fresh broccoli.

Spray cooking spray in a large 2-inch deep casserole dish.

Spoon the rice into the bottom of the casserole dish. Then add cooked chicken. Lightly season this with salt, pepper, and Lawry's seasoning salt (optional).

Next, add onion, squash, broccoli and spread this to cover all the rice and chicken evenly.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the three cans of soup, and then add 1 can equivalent of milk. Stir well. Then pour all of this to cover the chicken and rice mixture.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until very well heated (when it starts to bubble).

Take out of the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese over the top evenly. Return to the oven for a few minutes just until the cheese is melted.

Serve in bowls with soup spoons.

Hamburger Stew

Here is an easy version of hamburger stew.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground hamburger meat
1 29 oz. large can of Veg All, homestyle cut vegetables
1 14 1/2 oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 14 1/2 oz. can triple succotash (tomatoes, corn, butter beans)
1 14 1/2 oz. can cut green beans
Beef bouillon (no msg, if available)
Italian seasoning blend
Lawry's seasoning salt (no msg, if available)
Salt, pepper

Prep:

In a large soup pot, brown ground beef over medium high heat.  Drain. Season well with about a tablespoon of italian seasoning, Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, and more salt if necessary.

Add canned tomatoes, succotash, Veg All, and green beans.

Break up a large beef bouillon cube, or enough bouillon granules to make about 4 cups of broth. Add to soup.

Return the soup to heat until it begins to boil, then turn down to medium and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Any vegetables or beans can be used, but if they are raw, then they need to cook longer in the broth before serving. If you use both raw and canned vegetables, then cook the raw vegetables first and add the canned vegetables at the very end of the cooking time.

To slightly thicken the soup: In a small cup, mix 1 heaping tablespoon of corn starch with just enough cold water to be able to stir it. Mix well, then pour this into the boiling stew. Let cook a few minutes more.

Serve with crackers or cornbread. Enjoy!

Soup [soop], noun: 

- a liquid  food made by boiling or simmering meat, fish, or vegetables with various added ingredients.

Stew [stoo], verb]:

- to cook (food) by simmering or slow boiling.

Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

I'm saving this recipe that I found online so I can find it later. This salad is healthy and delicious. I would recommend slicing the tomatoes and avocado thinner than in this picture! :)

Cucumber, Tomato, Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber, sliced thin
4 Roma (the smaller) tomatoes
3 ripe avocados
½ red onion, sliced or diced
¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Place sliced cucumber, tomatoes, avocados, onion, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.

2. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Inspired by: http://natashaskitchen.com/2015/06/01/cucumber-tomato-avocado-salad/

Salmon Patties

Ingredients:

1 14 oz. can pink salmon
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp lemon juice
1 T fresh parsley, or dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t garlic salt, or season to taste with salt and pepper
1-2 T vegetable or canola oil


Preparation:

Drain and flake the salmon in a medium bowl. Remove the tiny bones and slivers as much as possible.* Combine salmon, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, lemon juice, and seasonings. Blend well. Shape into eight small "burger patties."

In a large skillet, heat a 1/2 inch depth of olive oil, or olive and canola oil (about 4-6 T). Cook salmon patties over medium heat, turning to fry both sides, until they are brown and heated through.

Serve on a bed of lettuce with cold cucumbers in vinegar. For kids of all ages, serve with macaroni and cheese!

*Note from Chicken of the Sea salmon can: The skin and tiny, soft bones are completely edible and an excellent source of calcium and Omega-3 fatty acids. Simply blend skin and bones with salmon and other ingredients.

Cornbread Dressing for Turkey

The art of a recipe is usually "about 1/4 this and about 1/2 that," so this won't be "exact," but it is how I made this year's dressing at least! For my daughter who requested I save this recipe, I hope sharing it on here helps. It is similar to how my mom and her dad made dressing, which was also something they did from memory. The key ingredients that make this special are the butter, onions, celery, and poultry seasoning. It tastes like home to me! 

Make a batch of yellow cornbread. You can use the recipe on the package, or something like this recipe (below). If you want it to be "authentic," then bake it in a black caste-iron skillet in the oven. The crust is golden-brown and the bread is savory, not sweet. Some recipes call for sugar, but the more sugar you use, the more it will taste like cake. 😉 If you don't have buttermilk, then find a recipe that uses milk.

Cornbread Ingredients:

4 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil 2 cups of cornmeal (yellow)
½ cup all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 egg 
2 cups buttermilk 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the drippings or oil in a large (10-inch) cast-iron skillet and place in the oven as it preheats.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the egg and buttermilk then stir into the dry ingredients. 
3. Take the skillet out of oven, and pour the hot oil into the batter and stir until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the skillet and bake for 20 minutes. Cornbread should be brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the skillet. 

Dressing:

1. Lightly toast about 8-10 slices of white bread. Cut these into small pieces, or tear apart. In a large mixing bowl, crumble up the cornbread in small pieces and mix in the toast. Set this aside.
2. Prepare 2 large onions, diced very fine, and about 6 stalks celery, diced very fine.
3. Melt about 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet, saute the onions and celery about 5 minutes until softened. Lightly salt this a little while it is cooking. Pour the vegetables, including any remaining butter within the skillet into the bread mixture. 
4. Add 1 tsp. poultry seasoning, 1 tsp. salt. Stir well to combine. Add about 4 cups of chicken stock (make with bouillon or use a pre-packaged box of good-quality stock).
5. Mix this very well and pour it into a buttered or lightly greased casserole dish (about 9 x 13). The dressing should be wet and well covered in chicken stock so it is not dry, but not standing in liquid.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour until it is golden brown on the top and the edges lightly browned. Serve with cranberry salad or canned cranberry.

Another recipe here from the New York Times to compare

The Best Cookies Ever

It took only about 30 minutes, but I made the best cookies ever. I came across this recipe in an older cookbook, but it has always been one of my favorites. It’s great for baking on a budget, too--only a few staple ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and almond extract.

With this morning’s cold and stormy weather, I was content to be reading and listening to the rain. As I was getting sleepy, the kids were getting hungry. Remembering that Lillian ate only half of her Frosted Mini Wheats, I thought it couldn’t hurt to make them a little treat?

Problem 1. We have no chocolate chips. Can any dessert be good without chocolate in it? Ah, yes! Almond cookies!

Problem 2. Convincing children that a cookie that starts with “almond” can be good. Luke muttered, “What kind?” I answered, “Well, they’re really sugar cookies, but they have an almond flavor, but not really. Trust me--you’ll like 'em!”

As I shaped the dough into balls, Luke rolled them into sugar and put them on the cookie sheet. His skepticism turned into anticipation. “Well...they smell good!”

The result? They were perfect! Light, soft circles of sugary goodness. I poured another cup of coffee and delighted in the heart-warming outcome. We took a picture just for the blog--just in case you, reader, find yourself in a storm and out of chocolate chips.

Almond Cookies

2 sticks butter or margarine, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp almond extract
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Yields: 18 cookies

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.

~Julia Child

White Chicken Chili

Our family got back from a long road trip to Amarillo. I started to write about West Texas, but my entry was turning into a book, so I stopped. Maybe that will be for a later date. We all needed a change from the typical fast food and Valentine's candy, so I searched online for something good to eat.

I had all the ingredients for White Chicken Chili, and I found a great recipe here. I'm not familiar with this author, but she has many tasty recipes listed on her page. I made a few modifications, like cutting the ingredients almost in half to serve 4-6. I also didn't have Tabasco, so I used cayenne pepper.

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz or so) of white beans (Northern beans)

1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1/2 stick light margarine

1/2 of 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup chicken broth (find the kind with no msg)

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 can (4 oz) mild green chilis, drained and chopped (can use less to make milder)

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or about 1 lb.)

some extra margarine or oil to cook them in

Optional condiments: grated Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream

Instructions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add margarine or oil. 
2. Coat the chicken with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Cook the pieces in the skillet for five minutes, do not turn it over until after 5 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and cook the other side until nicely browned.
3. Remove the chicken from the pan. When it is cool, you can shred it with your fingers or a fork, or leave it as is.
4. While waiting for the chicken to cool, cook the onion in the same pan with 2 Tablespoons of margarine or butter until the onion is softened. Set aside.
5. In the same heavy pot, melt remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium to low heat. Whisk in flour. Cook and whisk constantly, for about three minutes.
6. Stir in the onion, gradually add the broth, half and half, milk, and continue whisking.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in the cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. 
9. Add beans, chilis, chicken. Continue to cook and stir over low heat for about 20 minutes.
10. Serve alone or over rice, with cheese, tomatoes, etc.

The original recipe called for a cup of half and half, but I used 1/2 cup, with 2% milk to make up the difference. My version was still spicy, but delicious! We had enough for about 4-6 servings, if served over rice. Enjoy!

A man is in general better pleased when he has a good dinner upon his table, than when his wife talks Greek. ~Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

The family who eats together, stays together. ~Anonymous