Apple chicken crockpot stew

I found this recipe online awhile ago and saved it. I decided to try it yesterday because my mother gave me about 2,385 gallons of homemade apple cider. It is very good.

Ingredients:
5-7 red potatoes, cubed (I used I think four large yellow potatoes...they were wicked big)
2-3 medium parsnips or carrots, cut into ¼ inch slices
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced (I used a yellow onion. Sue me!)
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1½ tsp salt
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 TBS olive oil
2 tart apples, peeled and cubed
1¼ cups apple cider
1 TBS cider vinegar
1 bay leaf

Directions:
1. In a slow cooker, layer potatoes, parsnips/carrots, onion, and celery.
2. Combine salt, thyme, pepper, and caraway; sprinkle half over vegetables.
3. In a skillet, sauté chicken in oil until browned; transfer to slow cooker.
4. Top with apple.
5. Combine apple cider and vinegar; pour over chicken and apples.
6. Sprinkle with remaining spice mixture; add bay leaf.
7. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear; discard bay leaf and stir before serving.

This turned out to be wicked good. I generally cook things in my crockpot on low so I don't know if you might be able to cube the chicken then cook all on low without cooking it beforehand...the chicken was just marginally dry when the stew was reheated for lunch the next day...but otherwise wicked good.

Artichoke Fettucine with Basil-Mint Pesto

My GOD, I am fancy.

8 oz fettucine, cooked and drained
1 large clove garlic
1 c fresh basil
1/2 fresh mint
1/3 c toasted pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp epper
1/2 c olive oil
14 oz artichoke hearts, quartered
1/2 c roasted red peppers*
3/4 c grated romano

* I roast my own and it is super easy, but Rachel buys them in jars and really they are quite okay, too.

1. In a food processor (or Amy's magic bullet) combine garlic, basil, mint, pine nuts, salt, and pepper and chop finely. Add oil slowly until blended. Bam, that's pesto.
2. Add pesto to cooked pasta and toss with artichokes and peppers and cheese.

One of the recipes Rachel passed me: simple and crazy-delicious.

Spaghetti Salad

Nate's cousin makes spaghetti salad for all family events. And it is delicious. I think she uses Italian dressing or something, it's basically just like what you'd get at the deli. So this evening when Rachel wanted a side dish, I suggested spaghetti salad - but she had no Italian dressing. I pondered for a moment... and then started rummaging through the cupboards. This is what I came up with, and Steven - if you ever make it to this blog - this is what we had at lunch. Mmm. I did eyeball it, though - in fact, I didn't even really EYEBALL it, I just added stuff until it SMELLED right... heh... so use your best judgement.

Spaghetti, cooked and drained and rinsed under cold water*
Balsamic vinegar
Italian seasoning (maybe 2 tsp?)
Coarsely ground black pepper
Mayonaise (approx. 1/3 c)
Olive oil (a few tbs)
One lemon, juiced
2 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, diced
1 green pepper, diced small
1 cucumber, cut into small chunks
1/2 jar marinated Antipasto olives, sliced
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 c chopped pepperocinis
Fresh grated romano cheese

* We used waaay too many noodles which diluted the flavor of the dressing, so mind that.

Basically, I just diced the veggies, mixed them in a bowl with the mayonaise, seasoning, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, etc, and mixed it all together. I added them to the pasta and tossed it, and grated romano cheese over top. Mixed the romano in and then grated some more to dress the salad.

It was freakin' delicious.

Chicken creation

This is what I made for dinner last night. Owing to the tomatoes and the olives in it I guess it's rather puttanesca-esque, but...I don't know. I just went with what I had.

3 or so chicken breasts, diced/cubed
maybe 6 mushrooms, sliced thin
about 1/2 cup of onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med-large tomato, diced
Fresh snipped basil (I don't know how much, probably almost 1/4 cup? I had about ten leaves), chopped
1 cup of chicken broth
1 can olives, whatever size you like (I had small ones), chopped up
That Wildtree Herbs scampi mix I keep talking about...if you don't have that, you could use some garlic powder and some parsley, or some lemon pepper seasoning perhaps.
Pasta of your choice to serve over (whole wheat=yum!)

Put some olive oil in a saute pan, heat to medium. Saute garlic, onion, mushrooms, tomato, and basil until veggies are tender. Throw in the chicken and saute until it is no longer pink. Sprinkle some of the seasoning over the chicken while it is cooking. When chicken is no longer pink, add the broth as well as the chopped olives. Meanwhile start your pasta water. Bring the chicken mixture to a boil and then simmer on low until pasta is done. After pasta is drained add a bit of olive oil/butter/margarine and mix in a little seasoning. Serve chicken mixture over pasta.

Moskva Borshch

Or Moscow Borsch if you please. Or "borscht" if you want me to stab you in the eye. Was just going through my recipe folder. Mmmm borshch.

2 tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1.5 lbs beets, peeled and cut into strips*
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
2 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tsp salt
1.5 qts stock (beef if you're being authentic, veggie if you live in my house)
1/2 lb cabbage
3 tbs snipped parsley
1 bay leaf

* I suppose you could use canned beets and tomatoes but... why? Also, you can add 1 lb ground beef - cooked and drained - and some cubed ham to this if you fancy. I think that's how my Russian boys' mom and baba made it.

1. Saute the onions in butter. Add remaining ingredients except the bay leaf. Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about oooohhh let's say 45 minutes. It takes a while. Add the bay leaf, simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
2. Ladle into bowls and serve with smyetana (sour cream) and fresh dill on top.

Mmm, eto horoshee!

Fish cakes

These are actually very good. Carlos loves them. I got the recipe from some Kraft magazine thingamabob and tweaked it a bit.\

2 cans (6 oz each) tuna, drained and flaked
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice (real juice works best but you can use the stuff in a jar)
1 C shredded cheese, flavor of your choice
1/2 C chopped green onions or chives (if you don't have these you can use 1/2 C diced regular onion)
1 package of instant stuffing mix...you can use turkey or chicken flavor, I like to use the whole wheat kind.
3/4 C water
1/3 C mayo (I use the light kind)

Mix all ingredients in a large-ish bowl, refrigerate for 10 mins. Spray a nonstick skillet with our friend Pam, heat over medium. Scoop 1/3 cupfuls of the mixture up, shape into patties, and add to skillet in batches. Cook about 3 mins on each side, or until golden brown.

Good served over greens, or with a lemon wedge, with some rice maybe, or whatever floats your boat.

Easy eggplant mini-pizzas

Yesterday I was thinking, "what to do with the leftover chicken? I really want to make chicken pizzas, but...I don't feel like dealing with the dough." Then I remembered I had an eggplant! And so I decided to try this recipe. It worked out pretty well and is yummy.

1 large purple eggplant
pizza toppings and cheese of your choice
cheese(s) of your choice
pizza sauce
olive oil
salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Cut the eggplant into 1/2" thick round slices. Brush each side lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if you would like. Grill eggplant slices on the grill, turning once, until they are slightly soft (if you usually cook eggplant you know what I'm sayin'.) I'm thinking you could also saute the slices in a pan as well if you don't have a grill or don't wish to grill them. Take slices off grill, bring indoors. Heat oven to 350. Arrange eggplant slices on a plate, pyrex dish, or cookie sheet/pizza pan. Top each slice with sauce and desired toppings. Place dish in oven and bake until cheese melts.

I was going to do the oven part on the grill as well, but I was really afraid that the eggplant slices would burn on the bottoms, so that's why I put them in the oven.

Really quite good, and vegetarian if you aren't putting the chicken on top like I did :). I'm thinking kids might like these...the individual "pizzas" are cute sized, they reminded me of the English Muffin pizzas I would make as a kid.

Raspberry Wheat Germ Buttermilk Pancakes

Healthy! And yummy. I divide the batter in half and do raspberry in one bowl and blueberry in another because my kids are engaged in a Berry War.

2 beaten eggs
1/4 c oil
2 c buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 c whole wheat flour
however many raspberries look like the right amount (sorry)

1. Mix eggs, oil, buttermilk.
2. Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, salt, and flour. Mix until smooth. Add berries.
3. On a lightly oiled griddle or skillet (we use the griddle, Rachel uses a skillet..pff) heated to med-high, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into ...circley type deals. Brown until bubble appear on top, flip and brown the other side. Like you do with pancakes.

Honey Rubbed Dijon Charred Salmon

There is a long story about exactly why I was called from my home to grill salmon for my mother, but I can't repeat it without my head exploding.

Salmon steaks
dijon mustard
honey
garlic powder

Preheat grill

1. Rub garlic powder onto top side of salmon (both sides, if salmon is already scaled). Spread dijon mustard over salmon and honey over the dijon mustard and rub the salmon down.
2. Place salmon on hot grill, skin side down. After a few minutes, turn it - the skin will peel off easily. Feed it to your mother's cat.
3. Use a brush to repeat the garlic-mustard-honey process on the now skinless side of the salmon.
4. Grill, turning occasionally, until the inside is pale and flaky, and the outside is slightly charred. This happens quickly, so don't walk away from the grill! Ten minutes on each side should probably do it. (I turned it on high when it was cooked through and scorched it for two or three minutes to char it.)

This doesn't take long. My father has historically hated salmon (part of the reason, in fact, that I had to go cook it myself), but while he was standing guard over his brats, he said, "Wow, that smells... really good!" He broke off a piece, popped it in his mouth, and said, "Wow that... tastes... really good!" He said it didn't taste as strongly of fish as salmon usually does, I expect because the honey mellowed the flavor and made it seem milder.

I call this victory. And it did smell good. And Hemingway enjoyed her treat, too. And no, I don't know why the female cat is called Hemingway.

Easy breakfast egg sandwich

1 egg
milk or water
bagel, english muffin, or 2 slices of bread, toasted
spices to taste
toppings, if desired: cheese, salsa, bacon, canadian bacon, sausage patty, etc.

Put bagel/English muffin/bread in toaster and toast. Crack egg into ceramic (microwave-safe) coffee mug. Add a splash of milk or water, and any spices (pepper, basil, oregano, etc), beat with fork. Microwave egg in mug on high for 35-38 seconds, Remove mug (egg will still be very soft), beat egg again. Return to microwave for another 35-38 seconds.* By this time your toast will be done. Simply tip the mug upside down onto your toasted item and add toppings if you wish. This is vegetarian if you don't put any bacon/sausage/etc on it.

*The cooking time takes a bit to perfect, based on the differences between microwaves. It might take a few tries to get it right so your egg is not too soft. Also, when you first make this recipe, be sure to keep an eye on the egg during the second cooking cycle. If you see it rising and bubbling near the top of the mug, it's done! Press stop and remove that egg before it explodes all over the inside of the micro!!!

Fettucine Alfredo

One of the few things everyone, including Rayna, will eat in this godforsaken house. In fact, it is what I made for lunch. I am fairly sure that the sun dried tomatoes are not a part of authentic fettucine alfredo, but they make a lovely tangy addition.

Fettucine noodles*

3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 c half-and-half
1/3 c grated parmesan
2 tbs parsley, snipped
1 tbs fresh basil, chopped
1 c sliced white mushrooms
2 green onions, sliced
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into pieces
1 pkg sun-dried tomatoes

*Uh, we have a huge family, full of boys, so we tend to eat a whole BOX at a time. Adjust accordingly.

1. Melt butter in large skillet. Add garlic and green onion and sautee until softened.
2. Stir in flour, cheese, and half-and-half, heat stirring until bubbly and smooth.
3. Add herbs, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and cooked.
4. Serve over pasta. Top with additional grated parm if desired.

Absolutely Foolproof Ten Minute Fudge

And when I say "fool" I mean, "me." I have had some fudge disasters, but even I can handle this one without the stove exploding or the cat spontaneously combusting. And? It's gooood. Very bittersweet and dark.

2/3 c sweetened condensed milk
8 oz semisweet baker's chocolate
3/4 tsp vanilla
chopped nuts

Preperation: greased foil lined loaf pan

1. In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk and chocolate. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. If chunks of chocolate persist, microwave for an additional 10-20 seconds.
2. Stir in nuts (I used macadamias) and vanilla. Transfer to prepared pan.
3. Refridgerate for one hour or until firm. Cut into squares.

Bubble and Squeak

Katie informs me that (normal) Americans don't eat bubble and squeak. I cannot believe it! What do you do with your leftover greens? Pff. I know, people always make fun of English cooking and yes, it is true that my parents tend to eat bland, overcooked vegetables; but I really. Really. Love. Bubble and squeak.

2 cups cooked, shredded Cabbage
1 Onion sliced or chopped
1 lb Potatoes
3 tbs Butter
salt and pepper to taste
oil

1. Peel, boil, and mash potatoes with butter. (Do not add milk.) Season with salt and pepper.
2. Usually we use leftover cabbage for this, but if you aren't: cook in water and 1 tbs butter until tender. Mix together with potato.
3. In a skillet, heat some oil and add the onion, cooking until soft. Add the potato and cabbage mixture and press down atop cooked onions to form a flat cake.
4. Cook over medium heat until browned on the bottom, for about 15 minutes. Transfer upside down onto a plate and heat another 2 tbs (approximately) of oil. Replace cake in the skillet and brown on the other side.

Transfer to plate again, cut into wedges, and serve.

Rarebit

Welsh rarebit is probably one of my all time favorite British foods (aside from beans on toast, of course) and here is how we make it. It's good any time, all the time, every time.

3 tbs butter
6 oz cheddar cheese
1 tbs beer
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp Worcetershire
1 egg, beaten
Baguette sliced and toasted
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in salt & pepper, mustard, and worcetershire. Cook until bubbly and smooth. Remove from heat. Add beerand cheese, stir until melted.
2. Spoon over toast.

That's it! You can also substitute the beer for either whiskey or milk. Sometimes this is called "Welsh Rabbit" but I don't know why, since it's quite vegetarian.

Ben & Jerry's cake

This cake is so easy to make, and it's fun! You can use any combination of cake mix flavor and ice cream flavor...get creative! It's very moist and yummy.

1 package cake mix, flavor of your choice
1 pint of Ben & Jerry's or similar premium ice cream, your choice of flavor, MELTED.
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Mist a 12-in Bundt pan w/Pam or the like and flour pan. Blend all ingredients in a mixer on low speed for 1 minuted then medium for 2 minutes more. The batter should look thick and well-blended. Pour batter into pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake for 38-42 mins, until the top springs back when touched and the sides just begin to pull away from the pan. Cool on wire rack for 20 mins, then remove from pan.

You can dust powdered sugar over the top of this cake, or drizzle with the frosting of your choice.

Roasted Garlic and Spinach Dip

Very good with pita chips. Or if you just dive head first into the bowl. Either way.

1 whole head of garlic
olive oil
1 bag frozen spinach
1 can chopped artichoke hearts
8 oz of cream cheese, cubed OR 1 pkg soft tofu, cubed
dash lemon juice
1 tsp soy sauce
dash tobasco sauce
1 tsp paprika

1. To roast the garlic for the spinach dip, take the outer skin off the head but leave the individual cloves intact. Cut off each end of garlic head. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in tin foil, and cook in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool.
2. Cook spinach according to package directions and drain well.
3. Combine, in food processor or blender (or Amy's magic bullet) all ingredients. Remove garlic from pulp by squeezing one end - it will literally fall out of its skin. Blend until smooth.
4. If desired, transfer to saucepan and heat through until bubbly.

This dip is freakin' amazing. It's really just as good with tofu - I make it that way when the kids are around, since Liam is allergic to.. you know.. the world. Plus, it is vegan this way!

Tex Mex lentil casserole

This is a pretty fast and easy dish to make. I think I found the recipe online at some point.

1 C red lentils (I've used brown ones too and it works fine)
1 can vegetable stock (if I was out of veggie stock I've used chicken which also worked well although obv. wouldn't be vegetarian if you went that route)
1 C chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use the ones w/the chilies but plain is fine)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C grated fat-free cheese
2 T chopped cilantro if desired

Combine all the ingredients except cheese and cilantro in 1 1/2 qt covered microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 18-20 mins. (Depending on the strength of your micro, you may need to do it a little longer than that...keep an eye on the container near the end of the cooking time, and adjust accordingly.) Carefully remove cover and stir, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 20 mins. Garnish with cilantro.

Magic Bullet gazpacho

Here's another variation on gazpacho. I sort of invented this recipe yesterday for lunchtime, using stuff I had around the house. I used that handy Magic Bullet we have...it's the perfect size for making a single serving, but of course this could be made in a regular blender as well.

1 vine-ripened tomato
watermelon
approx. 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice
2 tsp diced onion
basil, approx 1.5 tsp dried, or fresh (you may adjust this to taste)
pepper, approx 3/4 tsp (adjust to taste).

Chop tomato into cubes and put in bullet/blender. Use melon baller to put balls of watermelon in bullet container until watermelon nearly reaches top. (If you are using a blender, obviously the container's a lot bigger, but I would say the ratio of watermelon to tomato is about 1.5:1.) Add lime or lemon juice, onion, and spices. Blend until mixture is smooth puree. Pour into bowl and enjoy. The watermelon gives it a little sweetness and I think kids would really go for this.

Easy Tofu Marinara

This is adapted from the various baked tofu recipes in a great vegetarian cookbook called Enemy of the Steak.

1 pound extra firm tofu, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1-1.5 cups marinara sauce (when I don't have time to make my own, my favorite is Newman's)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
optional: minced garlic, to taste
optional: other herbs or spices, to taste (I added fresh basil from the garden)
optional: grated romano or parmigiano cheese (if you leave this out, the recipe is vegan)

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix sauce, vinegar, garlic, herbs, and spices.
3. Spread about half of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a shallow baking pan (9x13 or so).
4. Place the tofu in a single layer in the pan.
5. Top with the rest of the sauce mixture. Spread out the sauce so it covers the surface of the tofu - I find it's easiest to do this with a spatula.
6. Optional: Top with grated cheese.
7. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Serve with salad and the grain of your choice (suggestions: pasta, couscous, risotto), or use as a sandwich filling.

Experimental Broccoli Soup

**UPDATED** Celery salt was the key ingredient! I figured it out and oh man does this soup ever kick serious butt.

2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped *

1.5 c chopped white mushrooms

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1.5 c milk

1 c vegetable stock

dash lemon juice

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp celery salt

2 tbs fresh snipped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbs butter

cornstarch

* florets and stems

1. Sautee onion and garlic in butter until soft.

2. Add vegetable stock, milk, and all vegetables. Simmer for 20 minutes or until veggies and potatoes are soft.

3. Add parsley and seasoning and turn heat to med-high.

4. Add cornstarch (between 1.5 and 2 tsp, I'm guessing) and stir vigorously to thicken.

5. Add lemon juice. Bring to a rapid boil and boil stirring constantly for 10-15 minutes to reduce liquid.

To make this broccoli cheese soup, you just have to add cup or so of shredded cheese after you turn off the heat and stir it in until it melts. Swiss would be good.