Asian Noodle Soup

We tried this Asian Noodle soup for a quick lunch this weekend and everyone enjoyed it. Jack loved the base of this soup and had many new variations he wants to try.

4 oz Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (I used my dry Shiitakes and rehydrated them prior to adding)
2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 cup angel hair pasta, broken into pieces (I measured mine out to 2.5 oz)
3/4 cup skinless boneless chicken breast, shredded or cubed tofu (4 oz) - (3 Costco chicken tenders)
1/2 cup carrots, julienned or thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine chicken broth with 1 1/2 cups water, the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger; bring to a simmer.  Add mushrooms, pasta, chicken or tofu and carrots; simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, and desired green onions.


Recipe sources--Mushroom Council via Cooking.com

Scrambled Egg, Tomato, and Avocado Sandwiches

I made this for Jack's breakfast-in-bed Father's Day. It got a 5 Star rating from Jack and the kids. It has become a breakfast favorite for everyday as well as special occasions; we also love it for dinner.  We love the mayonnaise on other sandwiches too. (Thank you emeals.com for another great favorite!)

I love to use my English muffin bread from Bountiful Baskets for this sandwich too! This is a classic that you are bound to fall in love with if you love eggs for breakfast.

Mayonnaise spread:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste our favorite is Sriracha)
1/2 teaspoon season salt

Eggs:
4 large eggs, beaten
8 slices of your favorite bread toasted
1 avocado sliced
1 tomato sliced

Spread mayo mixture on your toast, top with eggs, tomatoes, and avocado if desired. ENJOY!

Serve with a fruit salad side

1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup halved seedless grapes
1/4 cup blueberries
1 banana, sliced
2 Tablespoons sugar

Toss fruits together and serve.

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon

This recipe is one inspired from my recent Turbo Fire program menus. This marinated fish with a homemade Teriyaki sauce was to die for fish! This like all the fish we grill at home beats most fish dishes we have had at most restaurant for the fraction of the price!

If you enjoy fish. You are going to LOVE this recipe! It was worth standing in the snow and the dark to enjoy this healthy and tasty fish. The marinade is not over powering and gives the fish a well balanced dose of Teriyaki. (Sometimes Teriyaki dishes can be to sweet for me, but this was perfect.  I am going to try it on other meats as well.)


Grilled Teriyaki Salmon

Salmon fillets (fresh or frozen)
If fish is frozen thaw prior to placing in marinade

For the Marinade (from allrecipes.com)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3 Tablespoons white sugar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon grated (or minced if you hate cleaning the grater ;-) ) fresh ginger

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolved. ( It was taking to long for me to dissolve that sugar so I put it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to heat it up a little. This did the trick.)
Voila- homemade marinade!

I used half the marinade and poured it into a gallon ziplock bag over my thawed fish.  (I used 3 frozen salmon fillets from Costco). Let fish marinade at least 1 hour. (You can let it marinade over night too.)

Grill the fish for 5 minutes on each side.

Grill canned, drained pineapple rings for two minutes and sear.

Serve grilled fish and pineapple with your favorite side of rice and vegetable.

 **Again no picture! Keeping up with my new business jillcarpenter.myitworks.com, my four darling munchkins and my handsome hubby. I am finding less and less time to take my pictures and blog about our good eats. (Which seem to be random at best lately too. Enjoying the season of life which I am in is my goal at this point and time in my life.)

Black Rice with Sweet Potatoes

So this recipe is one my Cameron LOVES! He is always asking, "Mom, can we have black rice?" We bought a bag of Natures Earthly Choice Black Rice from Costco last fall. It was only a small 4 lb. bag. I have been rationing when we make it because like many items at Costco you see them once and may not see them again for a while. At least that's how it goes for us.

I don't have a picture of this new favorite but wanted to be sure to get it on my blog before my next trip to UTAH.  Who knows maybe the Utah Costco's will have some that I can pick up.

This recipe is a quick and simple recipe. Cooks in roughly 35-45 minutes.


Black Rice with Sweet Potatoes

3/4 cup Black Rice
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup scallions ~ 1 bunch (I use sweet onions if I don't have scallions I think I like it this way best.)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
1 Sweet Potato, Large (12-14 oz) Peeled and diced

Bring rice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil in 1.5-2 Qt. sauce pan, then reduce heat to low and cook rice covered until tender and most of the water is absorbed (about 35 minutes).

Let rice stand covered, off the heat for 10 minutes.  While rice is cooking, heat oil in a 12", nonstick skillet over moderately high heat. Saute scallions, ginger, and sweet potato stirring until coated well about 2 minutes. REeduce heat to moderate and add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste, then cook covered stirring occasionally, until potato is just tender, about 12 minutes. Add rice and toss gently to combine.

Serves 4 (For our family of 6 I increase the rice to 1 cup and water to 2 cups. The normal rice ratio ;-) )

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Sauce

This recipe has been in our "GOOD Recipe!" file for several years. When I got mushrooms in my BB basket last week this recipe popped into my mind. It never disappoints our tastebuds.

Chicken with Wine Sauce is the title on the recipe card 7:7 from my Easy Everyday Cooking file.

*This recipe calls for white wine but chicken broth can be used, hence the reason I changed my title of the recipe. This recipe is so rich and delicious, enjoy it!

Chicken with Mushrooms and White Sauce

4 Skinless, boneless, chicken breast (4 oz ) each

1/3 cup All-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup butter or margarine

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tablespoons dried parsley

3/4 cup whipping cream

Pound each chicken breast to a 1/4-inch thickness. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together on waxed paper. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Shake off excess.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, cook chicken over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside; cover to keep warm.

Add mushrooms and white wine/chicken broth to skillet. Cook stirring continually, for about 2 minutes. (I like to add so minced garlic or garlic salt and 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions with the mushrooms for added flavor. Its great without it too.) Add parsley and whipping cream to skillet. Cook over low heat stirring continually, until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Serve sauce over chicken.

We like to serve this with a fresh salad or steamed seasonal vegetable side and a slice of nice bread. The perfect partner for it is angel hair pasta, but as you can see from our picture we like it with rice too.

Breaded Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce

This dish was delicious! I found it on realmomskitchen.com who took it from foodonthetable.com. It was a hit with my family. We loved the sauce over pasta too. If you like things extra saucy you may want to double the sauce recipe. We served it with angel hair pasta--how could you go wrong in the eyes of kids and pasta lovers. We will make this again, but it was great to use our garden fresh basil. If you don't have fresh substitute 1 Tablespoon dried Basil in the sauce. Hope you get to please your pallet with this tasty dish.

Breaded Chicken with Basil Cream Sauce (foodonthetable.com)

4-6 chicken breasts (I would recommend pounding them into thin cutlets or buying cutlets)

flour (about 1/2 cup)

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

salt

black pepper

3 Tablespoon butter (can use 1 Tbsp more if needed)

Sauce:

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 (4.0 ounce jar) sliced pimento peppers, drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 Tbsp. dried)

black pepper

Place eggs in a shallow bowl. Place flour in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine both bread crumbs with salt and pepper to taste.

Coat chicken with flour. Then dip in egg, then coat with breadcrumb mixture.

In a skillet over medium heat, fry chicken in butter, on both sides, until the juices run clear, about 15 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

Add the broth to the skillet; bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir and scrape to loosen browned bits from pan.

Stir in the cream and pimentos (If using dried basil add this now); boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat; add the Parmesan cheese, basil and black pepper to taste. Simmer and stir until heated through. To serve, pour the sauce over the chicken.

Chicken Spaghetti

I recently attended a reunion retreat with all the incredible women I had the opportunity to work with at Academy for Girls at BYU. It has all been changed now and is simply called EFY.

So to keep it brief and get to sharing great recipes, I have to say I am enjoying some fresh new recipe ideas from a cookbook of recipes complied from these women's kitchens. I love when people share their tried and true with me, so this cookbook has been a hit with me.

This Chicken Spaghetti recipe comes from my sister-in-law. Why she has been holding out on me until I got this AFG Cookbook I will never know! :-) It makes a TON of FOOD. We made it for dinner with another family of three. I took a portion of it to a friend expecting a baby in a few weeks (1 week ahead of me.), and we ate leftovers for at least 2 meals. (I didn't try freezing any of it, but wondered how it would work.) It was a hit with my husband, kids, and dinner guest alike. We will make it again. The only thing we would do is add more mushrooms. Jack said that he would like to try just make the sauce without the shredded chicken, leave the mushrooms bigger or leave them whole, mix it in with the noodles instead of serving it over the top, and then top it with some breaded chicken. I think that sounds good too, but I love the simplicity of tossing it in the crock pot and forgetting about it. Thank you Merrie for a great recipe--next time don't hold out on me when you have such a great find! ;-)

Chicken Spaghetti (Merrie Parrish)

Place in the crock pot:

6 chicken breasts (I added more just because I was planning on feeding more than just my family)

1 onion chopped (I always use a sweet variety)

1 pkg. sliced mushrooms

2 pks dry spaghetti sauce mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter (can substitute with chicken broth. I used 1/4 cup each butter/broth)

Cook in crock pot 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. When done shred the chicken with a fork then add:

2 8 oz pkg. cream cheese

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

Stir. Cook o low for 1 hour longer. Serve over angel hair pasta.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe was a huge hit with my little family. I loved it! It really hit the spot for me. Chicken Noodle soups are a major comfort food though aren't they? And comfort food always please everyone it seems--at least they are at our home.

This is sure to be a kid friendly meal. It was gobbled down by my two year old as fast as I could keep it cooled down for him. Cameron stated, "Mom, I love the noodles!" and this morning Quin said to Jack. "Dad we had the yummiest soup last night you have to try it!" So I guess if kids understood the rating system this would be a 4-5 star for us! When Jack at it at midnight he commented that it was good. He too loved the noodle. When I told him what it was he said, "Oh so I guess it isn't that good for us huh?" To which I replies, "It is okay we don't eat refrigerated biscuits all that often!"

I was glad I tried this recipe before the weather gets to nice and it is not appealing to have soups anymore. I got this recipe from January 2010 Southern Living magazine p 127.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings

1 (32 oz) container low-sodium chicken broth (I used closer to 5 cups of broth)

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 lbs. I used chicken tenders. Salt and peppered while cooking. They suggested a deli-roasted chicken yields about 3 cups of meat)

1 (10 3/4 oz) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 (10.2 oz can) refrigerated jumbo butter milk biscuits --I am sure you could stir up your own biscuits and it would work fine, but doesn't make the recipe EASY ;-) or quick!

2 Carrots, diced (I used 3-4)

3 celery ribs, diced

Bring first 4 ingredients to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high; return to a low boil.

Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat each biscuit to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2-inch wide strips. Drop strips, one at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add carrots and celery. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent dumplings from sticking.

ENJOY!

Tuscan-Roasted Veggies with Pork Bake

This tasty little recipe we tried to night comes via kraftfoods.com. It called for pork tenderloin pieces, but I just bought simple boneless loin chops and cut them in half and it worked just fine. My kids of course loved the roasted veggies, they were the first to disappear off their plates. It was simple to toss together and the parchment paper made for a snappy clean up. We would eat this one again. I will more than likely add more veggies then called for because the kids love them.

This recipe says it serves four, we stretched it to feed 3 kids and 3 adults. Our visitor M.H. was a bachelor for a few nights while his wife and kids were out of town. Told me that I couldn't tell his wife he ate the veggies. He said he didn't think he had ever eaten a sweet potato--shocker! By the end of the night he said, "You can tell my wife. I don't think she will make this recipe though because she is not a fan of pork. I love pork...." So N.H. if you feel up to trying pork one night, M. will eat this ;-) (It will be our little secret!)

We served this with French bread and a side Toss-salad, followed by a P.B. chocolate chip cookie. Love simple dinner nights like this one!

Tuscan-Roasted Vegetable and Pork Tenderloin Bake

4 cups coarsely chopped sweet potatoes, celery, red onions.

(I used 2 sweet potatoes, 3 ribs celery, and a sweet onion)

1/4 cup Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade

(I didn't have this, but I did have a Good Seasons dry mix that I mixed up and then used)

2 Tablespoons Grated Parmesan Cheese

(I left this out--I sure find out all the ingredients I forget to put in when I am blogging the recipes lately! Duh. Good thing is we liked them with the items missing so it works great!)

1 Baking apply, coarsely chopped (I used golden delicious)

1 lb Pork tenderloin, cut into 8 pieces (I used 4 loin chops cut in half.)

1 pkt. Shake N' Bake Extra Crispy seasoned coating mix

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss vegetables with dressing and cheese (or forget it like me;-}); spread onto parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Stir in apples. Coat meat with coating mix as directed on package; add to baking sheet. Bake 20 more minutes until meat is done (160 degrees) and vegetables are tender.

Easy Beef Pot Pie

This pot pie comes together quickly when using frozen veggies. Using FRESH veggies adds just a few more minutes for the peeling and chopping. My kids and husband love this dish!

Beef Pot Pie
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked beef, cubed or shredded Salt and Pepper to taste (we have found Sirloin Steak cut works great and stays tender!)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I use frozen and fresh veggies combined to our liking. Fresh celery, green beans, potatoes, carrots, and frozen peas. The quickest I have ever made this is when I have bought a bag of frozen peas, beans, carrots, and beans.*I also add more than the 2 cups to make the pie bigger to serve more people)
1 (.87-ounce) envelope brown gravy mix
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 prepared refrigerated pie pastries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and bell pepper. Cook until vegetables are tender about 5 minutes. (When using all fresh I throw them in here for a few minutes and stir-fry them for 5-8 minutes). Add beef and mix vegetables to skillet. Prepare gravy according to package directions; add to skillet. Stir gently to combine.
Fit one pastry into a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan. Spoon beef and vegetables into pastry. Top beef mixture with remaining pastry. Seal edges with a fork or flute it. Cut 3 steam vents in the crust. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly; about 35 minutes.

*Variation: Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese over filling before adding top crust.

To cut the cooking time and make individual pot pies, spoon the hot filling into six 5-ounce ramekins. Top each pie with refrigerator biscuit dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until top is browned.

Pizza Cobbler

This is a recipe I got from my sister-in-law. She makes this frequently for her kids when she and her husband are going out on a date. I took pictures of it, but it is a picture of melted cheese and isn't much to look at. This is a pretty quick little toss together meal if you have the ingredients on hand (which I usually don't so I have to plan for it). If you enjoy pizza this is a quick option with out a lot of fuss.

Pizza Cobbler

Grease a 8 x 8 (I would suggest using a 9 x 13 so that it will cook faster)

Pour a 1/4 cup sauce to cover the bottom of your pan.

1 pkg refrigerated Pillsbury Grand Rolls

Cut the biscuits into quarters, roll each quarter into a ball and place in the pan of sauce.

Top with remaining Pizza sauces and sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Cover with foil if cheese starts to brown before the biscuits are done in the center.

*I found cooking them in an 8 x 8 they are really tight and it took almost 40 minutes to cook it through. I think if you use an 9 x 13 it would cook the biscuits quicker 20-30 minutes. We also added olives and mushrooms before topping with remaining sauce and cheese and it turned out great.

Baked Penne w/ Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

My kids loved this dish. Cameron ate three helpings. Jack thought it was to "milky" in flavor (not the most friendly dish for a lactose intolerant person). I thought it was good, but that it could have used a little more sun-dried tomatoes to give it more flavor. Jack and I thought it could have used a few more mushrooms as well.

6 Tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb penne rigate (I used 17.6 oz Costo Penne)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (8 oz each), cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced (I only used 2 cloves)
6 cups whole milk ( I used 3 cups whole, 3 cups 1%)
10 oz white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded provolone (I couldn't find shredded in my little town so I chopped up 8 oz sliced provolone found near the sandwich meats.)
1 cup (4oz) finely grated Parmesan (I only used 2 oz/1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes oer sde. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and garlic; cook whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake , uncovered , until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

To Freeze prepare through to step 4 , cool. Cover tightly and let foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake from Frozen to 400 degrees. and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Jill's Coconut Curry Chicken

I came up with this recipe after looking at several Coconut Curry Chicken recipes. From the Food Network and a few of the blogs I like to get inspirations from time to time I took multiple recipe ideas and created one that I thought would work for us. This is a kid friendly dish at my household. It passed the test of my niece Jessica (a picky-eater), and the heat is just right for kids in my opinion. Obviously if you can take the heat and want more add more Green Curry Paste! We served this over rice-Jasmine is our personal favorite.

2 Tablespoons oil, divided
1 1/2 lbs Boneless Chicken, cut into bit size pieces
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 glove minced garlic (1/2 tsp minced if from a jar)
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Chopped
5 Carrots, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 Ribs of celery, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 cans coconut milk
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon flour (For thickener. You could use cornstarch too)
1 Tablespoon Lime juice
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Green Curry Paste
Cilantro, chopped

Add 1 Tablespoon oil to pan and saute the onions, and chicken until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Then add remaining oil, bell pepper, garlic, and carrots; stir-fry until crispy tender. Add the curry paste and stir for 1-2 minutes. Pour in broth, cans of coconut milk, lime juice, and salt. Return chicken to the pan and stir until well incorporated. Simmer on a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until desired thickness. Sprinkle fresh cilantro on individual servings when ready to serve.

Beef Satay Fried Rice

Quite frequently I like to try new dishes. It seems like they are either Asian or Mexican in flavor when that happens. This dish comes from the latest Pampered Chef Catalog. We enjoyed this dish and I was surprised that my kids ate it so well. They especially loved the peanuts in it. Red bell peppers not so much, but I am proud of them for at least trying my cooking and not complaining. Jack said he liked this dish. It doesn't make our "Wow we need to have this again in the near future!" but is was one we wouldn't mind serving up again when we get the itch for something different.

2 teaspoon (10 mL) vegetable oil, divided
1 lb (450 g) boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1/2 in. (1 cm) thick
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
4 green onions with tops
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) Thai red curry paste (* I used 1/4 teaspoon and it was plenty hot for us-Whimps I know!!)
3 pouches (8.8 oz/250 g each) cooked white rice or 6 cups (1.5 L) cold cooked white rice
3/4 cup (175 mL) peanut sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) dry roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper

1. Prepare and cook steak.

Add 1 tsp (5 mL) of the oil to (12-in./30-cm) Skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Cut steak crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick (6-mm) strips. Add steak to Skillet, cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until outside surfaces of steak are no longer pink. Remove from Skillet; set aside and keep warm.
2. Prepare vegetables and cook rice and vegetables.

Meanwhile, cut carrots into julienne strips using Julienne Peeler. Thinly slice bell pepper and green onions with Santoku Knife. To same Skillet, add remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) oil and curry paste; cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Separate rice according to package directions. Add rice and vegetables to Skillet; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until rice is coated with oil and vegetables are tender.
3. Finish and serve.

Add steak, sauce, peanuts, salt and black pepper to Skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes or until heated through, stirring constantly.
Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 370, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 46 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 540 mg, Fiber 4 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 starch, 1 1/2 low-fat meat, 1 fat (3 carb)

Cook’s Tips: Cutting the steak into thin strips before cooking helps it to cook more quickly. Slice it into an even thickness to ensure even cooking.

This recipe is a great way to use leftover rice. Using cold cooked rice will allow the oil to coat the individual grains, preventing them from sticking together.

Peanut sauce is typically made of roasted peanuts, coconut milk and a variety of herbs and spices. It can be found in the Asian section of major grocery stores. Be sure to choose peanut sauce instead of a peanut dip, which tends to be thinner in consistency.

Chicken Pot Pie w/ Spring Vegetables (Asparagus and Peas)

This picture was an after thought (because I recently blogged a CHKN Pot Pie). What you see in this picture is all that was left of a 9 x 13 pan shortly after placing it on the table. This recipe was a huge hit with the kids. I served this comfort food classic for Sunday dinner tonight and the kids and adults alike kept coming back for more! One of my nieces doesn't care for celery much so when she found out that I had replaced it with Asparagus she loved it right away. It really hit the spot. The Asparagus was a great find super cheap at Wal-mart. I am usually to frugal to buy it because I think it is to expensive, but not this time!

This recipe comes from my "The New Best Recipe" book (p.351). I think that it gets way to wordy and involved so I have simplified it and posted it as such. You can make the filling and the topping of choice before hand. You just need to warm the filling be for adding your top to it. (I think that it helps cook the bottom layer of the doughs).

1 recipe of the Savory Pie Dough Topping or Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuit Topping (recipes below)
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast and/or thighs (cut into small bite size pieces)
2 cups (1 can) low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium-large onion, chopped finely
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I added 6-8 carrots)
2 small celery ribs (or 18 thin asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces replaces it if you go that option)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 Tablespoons dry sherry (I just used Sherry Cooking wine)
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed (Increase to 1 cup if using the asparagus)
3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (optional- I didn't have any on hand so I left it out)

1. Make the pie dough or biscuit topping and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a small amount of oil in a large skillet saute the onions and chicken pieces; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Then add the carrots, asparagus, and peas. cooking until tender about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile you can cook the sauce in a separate pan. (This really speeds up the process!) Melt the butter over med-high heat, then add the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, the milk, and any accumulated juices from your chicken and vegetable pan, sherry, and the thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce fully thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Add the parsley. (The mixture can be covered and refrigerated overnight; reheat before topping with the pastry.) Pour mixture into 9 x 13 baking dish or six small 12-oz ovenproof dishes. Top with desired pastry. Bake until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 30 minutes for larger pies and 20 to 25 minutes for the smaller pies. Serve Hot.


I think you could use any of your favorite pastries here and it would work nicely.
FLUFFY BUTTERMILK BISCUIT TOPPING-enough for 1 recipe of Chicken Pot Pie
1 cup (5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (4oz) plain cake flour (I used all-purpose here. The book says to use cake flour when you want your pastry to be light and fluffy. I don't even think I can get cake flour in little Lovell, WY)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup cold buttermilk, plus 1 to 2 Tablespoons if needed.

Pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the butter pieces and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal with a few slightly larger butter lumps.
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir with a fork until dough gathers into moist clumps. (If the clumps are still dry, add more buttermilk, a Tablespoon at a time, up to 2 Tablespoons in all). Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and form in to a rough ball. Roll out the dough until it is 1/2-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-3-inch pastry cutter, stamp out 8 rounds of dough. IF making individual pies, cut the dough slightly smaller than the circumference of each dish. (Dough rounds can be refrigerated on a lightly floured baking sheet covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 hours.)
Arrange dough rounds over the warm filling and proceed with the recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

*Okay so I made my biscuits and refrigerated them for a lot longer than two hours and they turned out fine. I did however not rewarmed my filling as suggested and I wish I had done so. The bottoms of my biscuits were a tad bit doughy and I think had the filling been warmer they would have steamed all the way through.

Chicken with Mushroom Sauce

My little family enjoyed this recipe. Quin loves mushrooms! He often wants to buy them at the store when he gets to tag along and help me shop, so this was a treat for him. The original recipe calls for Turkey cutlets, but I rarely have turkey on hand so I substituted chicken tenders instead. I have made it with both and it comes out to be a personal preferance of poultry if you ask me.

4 (4 oz) turkey or Chicken cutlets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

Coat cutlets in 1/4 cup flour seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.
Melt 1 Tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cutlet. Cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side; drain. Transfer cutlet to serving platter cover and keep warm.
Heat remaining butter in skillet add mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining flour; cook until bubbly, about 4 minutes.
Stir broth into skillet. Cook, stirring continually, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Drizzle sauce over cutlets and serve.

A perfect side dish for this meal is green beans or a toss salad.

One-Crust Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe comes from Five-Star Recipes From Well-Known Latter-Day Saints compiled by Elaine Cannon. It is a recipe submitted by Roger and Melanie Hoffman.

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 (10 oz) package frozen peas and carrots
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
3 Tablespoons hot water
3 Tablespoons butter, softened.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low hear until melted. Stir in 1/2 cup Bisquick, onion, and pepper. Cook over low heat until bubbly. Stir in broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly . Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in chicken and frozen vegetables; heat through. Keep warm over low heat.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients to form a dough ball. (I learned that it is better it cut it together like making a pie dough.) Roll dough out until it is large enough to fit casserole dish (9 x 13). PLace chicken mixture into casserole dish and cover with dough. Cut several slits on top to allow steam to escape while baking. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is deep golden brown.

Chicken Curry over Rice

We have developed a taste for curry foods over the past several years. One quick and easy meal we prepare with curry that our kids enjoy to is S&B Golden Curry--a box of curry that can be found in your authentic cooking food section of the grocery store (We even have it at our little Red Apple--impressive)

1 to 1 1/4 lbs Chicken (lean beef, lamb or shrimp)

1 large onion finely chopped

2 Tablespoons cooking oil

2 1/2 cups water (I always add more 3 to 3 1/2 cups)

1- S&B Golden Curry sauce mix (We like to use 1-box mild and 1/2-box hot. We think this is the perfect balance or heat.)

Vegetables as desired--we use potatoes, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, etc. My brother-in-law served in Japan on his mission and he even enjoys tossing in a tart apple diced from time to time.

Cut meat into cubes and finely chop onions. Stir-fry mean and onions in oil or butter in a large skillet until onions are lightly browned. approx 3 minutes. If you wish, add carrots, celery, bell peppers or other vegetables. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender, approx. 10 minutes. Remove from heat, break curry mix into pieces and add them to the skillet, stir until completely melted. Simmer 5 minutes stirring constantly. Serve hot over rice or noodles.

Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas

I got this recipe from one of my girlfriends in Billings at "Foodies". She admits she is a picky eater. She loves this as does her kids, and all of my family. It is high calorie and fattening, so how can it not be delicious?

1 lb Hamburger

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese

1- 3 oz cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup salsa (I use my homemade salsa)

1/2 sliced green onion

1 teaspoon cumin

10 flour tortillas (7 if they are Burrito size)

Brown hamburger (I also added some chopped onion), and drain off fat. Combine 1 cup of each cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 onions (I leave out if I have added chopped onion to the brown beef.), 1/4 cup salsa (salsa) and the cumin.  Mix well with the hamburger. Spoon into tortillas and roll. Place in baking dish seam side down. Spoon remaining salsa and remaining cheese over all tortillas. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until desired crunchiness.

Creamy Chicken & Chile Enchiladas

I thought I might as well put all my enchilada recipes on the blog while I was at it. I only have three and we love them all.  They are all Carpenter Kid approved, don't know that that will mean much for anyone checking this blog out.  My kids are good eaters and aren't to picky --Thank GOODNESS! I hope you enjoy these simple and tasty recipes.

1 lb cooked chicken, diced

1-8 oz pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes (I use 1/3 less fat version-can't tell)

1 -4 oz can chopped green chiles

1 dozen flour tortillas (soft taco's or fajita

2 -10 oz cans green chile enchilada sauce

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a 10-inch non-stick skillet cook chicken until no longer pink. Add cream cheese and chiles, reduce heat to medium.  Cook until blended and cream cheese is melted.

Spoon chicken filling into tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish. Pour enchilada sauces over the top; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

We typically serve this with a nice Green toss salad, and corn or other vegetable.