Chicken a la king

• 1 package sliced fresh mushrooms (traditional)
  
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 2 ribs chopped celery
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken (leftover rotissery chicken or whatever you have)
  
• 2 tablespoons diced pimientos (traditional)
  

I added peas and omitted mushrooms and pimientos

1. Bake biscuits according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and celery in butter until crisp-tender. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Add chicken and pimientos; heat through. Serve with biscuits.

Hawaiian pork taco

5 radishes

1 red onion

1 can 4oz pineapple tidbits in juice

1 lemon

4 Tb sour cream

1 lb. ground pork

1 Tb. soutwest spice blend

6 corn tortillas

small grouping of cilantro

Wash and dry produce. Trim and thinly slice radishes. Zest and quarter lemon. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine radishes, juice from half the lemon, ¼ of the onion, and a big pinch of salt; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave until veggies are slightly pink, 30-45 seconds.  In a separate small bowl, combine sour cream with lemon zest. Add water 1 tsp at a time until mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper.  Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add pineapple and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until browned and caramelized, 3-4 minutes.  Turn off heat; remove from pan. Wipe out pan.  Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add remaining onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 4-6 minutes.  Add pork and Southwest Spice. Cook, breaking up into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Stir in caramelized pineapple and reserved pineapple juice until everything is saucy and combined. While pork cooks, wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave until warm and pliable, 30 seconds or gently toast them in a frying pan. Divide tortillas between plates; fill with pork mixture, lemon crema, and as many pickled veggies (draining first) as you like. Pick cilantro leaves from stems; tear leaves and sprinkle over tacos. Serve with remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Firecracker Meatballs

• 2 green onion
• 1 thumb Ginger
• 2 Tbs. Mayonnaise
• 2 Tbs. Sour Cream 
• 2 tsp. Honey 
• 2 Tbs. Soy Sauce 
• 1 tsp. Siracha 
• 1 Tbs. Sesame Seeds 
• 1/2 C. Jasmine rice 
• 10 oz. Ground Beef 
• 1/4 C. Panko Breadcrumbs 
• 6 Oz. Greenbeans 
• 1 tsp. Korean Chili flakes 

Adjust rack to top position (top and middle positions for 4 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; mince whites. Peel and mince ginger. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, honey, 2 tsp soy sauce (4 tsp for 4 servings; you’ll use the rest later), and sriracha to taste. Set aside. Heat a drizzle of oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add half the sesame seeds (save the rest for serving); cook, stirring, until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Add rice, ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve. While rice cooks, in a second large bowl, combine beef, panko, ginger, scallion whites, remaining soy sauce, salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4 servings), and pepper. Form into 10-12 (20-24 for 4)1½-inch meatballs. Place meatballs on one side of a lightly oiled baking sheet. On empty side, toss green beans with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on top rack until meatballs are cooked through and green beans are browned and tender, 14-16 minutes.Fluff rice with a fork; season with salt and pepper. Divide between bowls or plates. Carefully add meatballs to bowl with sauce; toss to coat. Top rice with meatballs and drizzle with any remaining sauce. Serve green beans to the side. Garnish with scallion greens, remaining sesame seeds, and chili flakes to taste.

Chicken sausage Bolognese

1 Zucchini

1Tbs. Italian Seasoning

9 ounce Italian Chicken Sausage Mix

2 servings Spaghetti

3.76 ounce Crushed Tomatoes

1 unit Chicken Stock Concentrate

2 Tbs. Sour Cream

1 Tbs. butter

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

Heat broiler to high. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.  Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise into half-moons. Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of olive oil and season with half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest in the next step), salt, and pepper. Broil until browned and softened, 5-7 minutes. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage* and remaining Italian Seasoning. Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. • Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.  While pasta cooks, stir crushed tomatoes, stock concentrate into pan with sausage. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced, 5-7 minutes. Stir sour cream and butter into pan with sauce until melted and combined. Add drained spaghetti and zucchini; toss to coat. (TIP: If your pan isn’t large enough, carefully pour everything back into empty pasta pot.) If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water 1 TBSP at a time until pasta is thoroughly coated in sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Leg of lamb

Deboned leg of lamb, grilled over medium low for about 40 minutes.

Happy Valentine's Day

Shawarma

• 1/4 cup ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup ground allspice
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt 

To marinate the shawarma meat you'll need 2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 tablespoon white vinegar + 1/2 teaspoon salt. Allow chicken to marinate for 10-20 minutes and 1 hour to 24 hours for beef.  This is enough spice mixture for 20 lb of meat. Scale accordingly.

 

Chicken and fried rice

Fried Rice
3 cups cooked rice
2 Tbs butter
1 small shallot, chopped
1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce (more or less to taste)
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Place butter in the bottom. Add onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender. Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the eggs in. soft scramble eggs. Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined.

Pork Chops

Sliced pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon, brushed with 1/4 C. brown mustard, 1 Tb. brown sugar, 1 Tb. garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Heat 1 Tb. oil in cast iron, sear all three outer edges of slices. Bake at 350* until pork reaches 150*.

Orange Pork Tenderloin

12 oz pork tenderloin
1 oz dried cranberries
3/4 C. wild rice (I've seen par-boiled or even heat and serve~)
1 oz pecans
2 green onions
2 Tb. white wine vinegar
1 orange
1 Tb. honey
1 Tb. vegetable broth concentrate
a bunch of kale (Tuscan)
2 Tb. olive oil - divided
1 tsp. butter

Boil the wild rice until tender. Thinly slice onions. Juice the orange into a prep bowl. Remove ribs from kale and slice into ribbons. In an oven safe pan, heat olive oil. Pat pork tenderloin dry on paper towel, and salt and pepper both sides. Sear pork tenderloin in the pan on each side for about 1-2 minutes. Then transfer pan to oven and roast for 8-10 minutes until pork comes to temp and no longer pink. Set aside to rest. In a salad bowl, combine half the orange juice, vinegar, and honey, and some salt and pepper. Whisk in 1 Tb. olive oil. Once combined, add rice, cranberries, kale, and scallions. Toss to combine. Plate the salad first. Back to the skillet. Add the remaining orange juice, 1/4 C water, and stock concentrate. Heat and whisk. Reduce by half. Add the pat of butter and stir until creamy. If you reduce it too much it gets chewy, loses its orange color, and it isn't bad, but it does not look pretty.

Shepherd's Pie

12 oz. ground beef
1 yellow onion
4 oz peas
1 Tb. flour
1 Tb. chicken stock concentrate
2 Yukon golden potatoes
1/2 C. milk
1 Tb. butter
1/4 Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Peel, cut and boil potatoes until tender. Cut onion in half. Mince one half of the onion, and cut the other half into slices. In your skillet, cook ground beef with minced onion, salt and pepper meat to taste. When beef and onions are cooked, add peas and heat through. Transfer meat mixture to a plate. Add a drizzle of olive oil to skillet and saute the onion slices with 1 Tb. flour for a few minutes until onions get soft. Add the chicken stock concentrate and 1/4 C. water. Stir until well combined, then reintroduce meat mixture. It should be much more saucy now. Spoon meat mix into oven safe dish. Mash the potatoes will milk and butter. Top the meat dish with the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil for a few minutes until it has a golden crust. I served mine with oven roasted carrots and steam and serve edamame.

Pork chops

Pan seared pork chops with fresh rosemary, wild rice, and broccoli salad.

Ham and Trucker Potatoes

1 bag cube style hash browns
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
16 ounces sour cream
1 (8 oz) bag cheddar cheese

Combine all in a big bowl and spread into 9x13 pan. Wash the bowl.

1/2 stick butter
2 C. corn flakes (no need to measure)

Melt butter in microwave, in bowl, then add your corn flakes. Stir to coat. Use corn flakes to top the casserole. Bake the potatoes at 350* for about an hour.

Chicken A La King

1 package (5-6 piece) Chicken thighs	1 small chopped onion
1/2 C. chopped celery	1/2 C. chopped carrot
1 tsp. garlic, minced	black pepper
1 can (reduced sodium) chicken broth	1 can cream of chicken soup (fat free)
2 Tbs. corn starch	1/4 cup chopped parsley

Preheat your 10" skillet. Place washed chicken thighs in skillet. (If you preheated, they will not stick to the bottom.)  Season the chicken with pepper and garlic.  Add can of chicken broth and boil the chicken until it is no longer pink. Put chopped onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf and garlic in a skillet, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender. Dissolve corn starch in small amount of cold water.  Add to chicken.  Stir in cream of chicken soup and parsley, blending well. Mix well and heat thoroughly.
Served with biscuits it is chicken a la king; with noodles, it is chicken hot dish. If I threw this in a pie crust it would be a pot pie. I love this recipe.

Beer Can Chicken

ground black pepper
BBQ seasoning (Penzey's)
1 (24 ounce) can light-flavored beer (such as Budweiser)
1 (5 pound) whole chicken

Preheat oven to 350* F. Rinse chicken under cold running water. Discard giblets and neck from chicken; drain and pat dry. Rub chicken with seasoning. Get under the skin, too.  Remove the top of the beer can with a can opener.  Pour 12 ounces of beer in your baking dish.  Fit whole chicken, legs to the bottom, over the open beer can.  Bake the chicken about an hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven and discard the beer can. Cover the chicken with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

Shrimp Pasta

Still had half a bag of frozen shrimp from the seafood sale two weeks ago, and I thought they sounded good.  I sauteed them in 2 Tbs. butter with pepper, lemon pepper, garlic, and lemon juice until they were cooked.  I then added asparagus (on sale for .99/lb this week) and steamed if for 5 minutes. I used about 3 Tbs. of heavy cream to form a bit of a sauce for the spaghetti and topped the dish with cherry tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  It was delightful! Everyone has been so jealous of my 'leftovers' lately.

Lamb Tortellini

Frozen, ready made tortellini
leftover cubes of meat (Laaaaaamb)
cut broccoli
sliced mushrooms (whatever you had in the fridge)
butter, pepper, garlic
fresh Parmesan cheese

Boil noodles (takes 5 minutes or so). Meanwhile re-heat the meat under the broiler for 7 minutes or until it smells done. Meanwhile, saute your vegetables in a skillet with butter and garlic. Assemble your dinner. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh pepper. It smells like it took you all day to make it.

Guinness Stew 2

This is great for using all your St. Patrick's day leftovers

1 bottle Guinness Extra stout
1 package of stew meat
1 large onion
some carrots
sliced mushrooms
beef boullion
leftover potatoes
leftover cabbage

Brown your stew meat in a large stock pot. Add onions and caramelize everything real nice. Add bottle of beer to deglaze pan and boil until meat is somewhat tender. This will take awhile. Next add 1 cup water and beef flavor; stir to dissolve. Add carrots and mushrooms and cook until it looks more like stew. Add leftover cooked baby potatoes and leftover cabbage or Brussels sprouts.

Sauerbraten

2 C. water
1 C. cider vinegar
1 C. red wine vinegar
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. kosher salt, additional for seasoning meat
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves
12 juniper berries
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) bottom round
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/3 C. sugar
18 dark old-fashioned gingersnaps (about 5 ounces), crushed

Recipe on Food Network. Marinate for 3 days!

Chicken and Pesto

We had BBQ chicken on the grill served with spinach and pesto pasta.

Pesto
1/4 C. pine nuts
1/2 C. basil
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
salt to taste

Puree on high until it forms a smooth paste.