It's Springtime Pasta Bake

 

Here’s a delicious veggie-loaded pasta bake that's perfect for a springtime meal!  

 

Delicious!

It’s a great dish for the nights you want to go meatless.

 

The Best ~ Classic Chicken and Dumplings

This is an all-time favorite meal here at our house!  

And for good reason ~ 

it’s a delicious comfort dish for chilly snowy weather!

Chicken always gets top billing, but it’s the dumplings that sway people so easily.  There are a plethora of ways to make this dish, and this time I followed Paula Deen’s most of the way...

Cajun Shrimp and Crabmeat Étouffée, a Taste of NOLA!

Bring a taste of The Big Easy
to your dinner table with this
delicious spicy dish!

 

French for “smothered,” étouffee (ay-too-fay) is one of the tastiest dishes of Southern Louisiana cuisine.  It's a classic New Orleans dish that sounds fancy, and one that you should try if you haven't.

Not Quite so Dirty Rice

No road trip to 'N’awlins', as Bill calls it, for this tasty little dish ~ you can make it right at home!  

We remember our first taste of dirty rice many years ago ~ and Bubba does too.  It was from Popeye’s, the restaurant chain originating in New Orleans.  And then, our many visits to N'awlins...

However, this time, I made it at home in the Instant Pot now that I have one.  It’s a one pot meal that does the cooking for you quickly. 

The Arcadian classic version of this dish normally comes with chicken livers added for that distinctive flavor and dark color making it “dirty” in appearance.  

It always includes the Cajun holy trinity, you know, celery, onions and bell peppers.  

It's the foundation of so many of the world’s greatest dishes ~ from gumbo to jambalaya to chicken fricassee and étouffée, with every cuisine having its version of it.  

• French cooks call it mirepoix, the combo of onions, carrots and celery. 
• Italians call the same combination of ingredients soffritto.  
• Greek cooks prefer lemon juice, olive oil and oregano.
• In Spain, garlic, onion and tomatoes are combined. 
• Thai:  Kaffir lime, lemongrass and galangal (relative of ginger.)
• Cuban cuisine:  garlic, bell pepper and onion.
• In Spain, it’s garlic, onion and tomato.
• Brazilians season with dende oil, coconut milk and malagueta pepper.

You get the idea ~ every country has its own version of the holy trinity for their cuisine.  

I didn’t add chicken liver to the mix this time, but the basic concept is still there:  ground beef, the holy trinity, spices and rice.  It’s delicious, no matter.  

It’s spicy, but not too spicy, you can always bump up the heat if you prefer.  It’s a loaded dish with the best flavors in it.  

We enjoyed it with grilled catfish, but I could definitely make a meal of just dirty rice.  And, it tastes even better leftover, after the flavors have mingled longer.  

One pot Not-Quite Dirty Rice is a great dish to try in your Instant Pot (providing you can get the lid on.)  It's a perfect dish your family will want second helpings of.  No Instant Pot?  Cook it in a Dutch oven on the stove top.

Next time, same recipe, with the exception of substituting Andouille sausage and chicken liver for the ground beef.

And perhaps a Dirty Martini or two on the side ~ with a little jazz or Zydeco music!  

Woo hoo!  

Enjoy!

Yield: 6 servingsAuthor: Pam

Not Quite so Dirty Rice in an Instant Pot

No road trip to 'N’awlins' for this tasty little dish ~ you can make it right at home!

prep time: 10 MINScook time: 35 MINStotal time: 45 mins

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 cups white rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in Instant Pot on sauté setting, or in Crock Pot.
2. Add garlic and onion, cooking until onion starts to soften and brown a little.
3. Add celery and bell pepper, sauté for a minute or two.
4. Remove from pot and set aside.
5. Add beef, brown and crumble, drain fat.
6. Return veggies to pot, add remaining ingredients to meat in IP.
7. Mix all ingredients well, scraping the bottom of the cooker.
8. Place lid on, set the vent to Sealing and press Slow Cooker, low setting for 30 minutes.
9. Do a Quick Pressure release and fluff rice mixture with a fork.
10. If needed, adjust seasonings.
11. Serve immediately, or set IP to warm setting for amount of time you prefer until ready to serve.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Mom’s Pressed Chicken Spread

I was going through Mom’s recipe box recently and came across this recipe.  I don’t know the origin of it but, I remember her making the spread for some pretty tasty sandwiches when I was a kid.  This is simple and light for the hot summer days we’re having now.  

It may sound like a lot of celery---include it all; it won’t give the chicken spread a strong celery taste.  Combining the celery with the nuts adds a little crunch to the spread with the flavors complementing the chicken perfectly.  Mom always put the chicken through a manual meat grinder but I use the food processor for a speedy job.  When adding the broth, be careful not to add so much as to make it mushy.  You can always add more of it or a little mayo if needed after it has been well chilled. 

It’s good on about any type of bread or toast and slider buns also, with a lettuce leaf or two for a savory sandwich; however, spread it on crackers and you are treated to a saporous appetizer! Mom’s Chicken Spread is great summer fare that I hope you try!

Mom’s Pressed Chicken Spread

Ingredients:

3 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

¾ cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon onion, grated

1 tablespoons sweet pickle juice

1 cup celery, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook chicken in large sauce pan in salted water to cover until tender and done.

Remove from broth; reserving broth.   Set aside to cool.

Place chicken in food grinder and grind, or food processor or chop fine with a knife.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and mayonnaise, beating well.

Add pecans, onions, pickle juice, celery, salt and pepper.

Stir until well blended.

Place ground chicken in cream cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.

Add ¼ to ½ cup reserved chicken broth to desired consistency.

Mixture will thicken when chilled.

Mom’s note:  chicken will be moister if cooked the day before using and placed in the broth to chill in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Murphy’s Law and Chicken Noodle Soup

As per my last post, you may know we are proud grandparents now.  Matthew was born Thursday, Feb. 10th and went home from the hospital on Saturday.  As Murphy’s Law would have it, Bill contracted the flu on Sunday, Feb 13th and passed it on to me Wednesday.

That took care of our week ~ no visiting precious baby Matthew and little cooking.  He had his first doctor’s appointment and passed with flying colors with a gain of 5 ounces.  Bill and I are cured so that means we will be making up for lost time this week in seeing “our sweet little guy.”

Thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments on my last post about Matthew.  I truly appreciate them and I see that many of you are grandparents also.  I’m so happy to join you in that!

Kind of off the subject but, since Feb. 2^nd, we’ve gone from a blizzard and 21-inches of snow to negative 9 degrees, to 60 degrees to a thunderstorm yesterday.  The saying in Chicago is “if you don’t like the weather, wait a day”.  Can your area top this weather fluctuation?

Like I said, having the flu means there was little cooking here this last week and we all know what a cure-all chicken noodle soup can be for that condition.  This is an easy recipe for it and I hope it renders you all flu-free!

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin

2 celery ribs, sliced

6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

2 cups chicken, cut into bite sized chunks

2 cups wide egg noodles

Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a large sauce pan until hot.

Add onion, carrots and celery.   Cook for about 10 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add noodles and cook according to package directions.

Season with salt and pepper.

4 servings

Grandma was right; a bowl of chicken noodle soup is good medicine!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Another CSN Giveaway and Mom’s Vegetable Beef Soup

It’s a sad blue day today because the Bears lost, Bill is gloating that the Packers won and I have to pay off my debts.

As a kid, I loved Mom’s vegetable soup!  It was one of my favorite foods back then and it still is today.  It was the perfect comfort food to me in the fall and winter and I always eagerly looked forward to her cooking it.  I posted this when I first started blogging, with no followers, and thought it is a great soup to re-post.

Mom and Dad, late 1970's

Mom never followed a recipe for her vegetable soup but, I watched and helped her enough times to learn it well.  It’s filled with fresh vegetables and herbs combined with beef and barley in a tomato juice base.  The ingredients all pull together for a great taste and vibrant, rich colors.  The only change I made was to add a little hot sauce.

It makes a large amount of soup so that I have plenty to give Bubba and Matt a large pan of and then have enough left to freeze for a couple of meals for Bill and me.  This is a very filling soup and fills our tummies with pleasure! 

Back years ago, Mom always served it with saltine crackers; however, we’d rather have a crusty Italian bread to sop up all the juices in the bottom of the bowl.  It would be great with cornbread also. 

You know, the Super Bowl is nearing and this is perfect dish to make for your crowd. Prepare it the day before and heat it up on Super Bowl day for an easy delicious hot filling dish on game day. 

And speaking of the Super Bowl ~ for your party, you just might be shopping around for more seating like adjustable bar stools in your home.  CSN Stores has a huge selection of them along with other things you will need for your party; such as glasses, serving bowls and other accessories.  

Love that red!

Maybe this one...

Do you need a blender?

Or a pretty chip and dip set?

Sean, at CSN Stores, has again kindly offered me another giveaway for all of you for a $20 gift certificate.  The $20 gift certificate does not include shipping costs but, you can use the gift certificate on ANY product from ANY one of the CSN sites.

Here are the rules for entering:

1. Leave a comment telling me you are a follower through Google Friend Connect (on the side bar of this blog) and tell me what you’d like from CSN.

2. For an extra entry, follow this blog on the Facebook Networked Blogs (on the side bar of this blog) and leave a comment telling me you’ve done so.

3. This giveaway is open through midnight, CST, Tuesday, February 1st.  The drawing will be by a random number generator on Wednesday, February 2^nd and is open to US entrants only. 

Now for Mom’s delicious soup:

Mom’s Vegetable Beef Soup

Ingredients:

3 pounds beef chuck roast

1½-2 quarts water

2 (64 ounce) bottles tomato or V-8 juice

1½ cups quick barley

Broth from beef

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon thyme

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon basil

3-4 drops hot sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar (I use Splenda)

½ to 1 head cabbage, chopped into larger than bite-size chunks

1 large onion, chopped

8 carrots, julienne cut

8 celery ribs, julienne cut

Celery leaves

Day before serving:

Place beef in a large stock pot, add water, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover with lid.

Cook until tender.

Let the meat cool in the broth.  I then cover it with a lid and set it in the garage (remember it’s very cold here) over-night to allow the fat to solidify.

Serving day: 

Carefully remove the solid fat on top and strain the broth. 

Remove beef from pan.  Trim and cut into bite-size pieces, refrigerate.

Heat broth and add V8 juice, bring to a boil.

Add barley, boil for 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper and herbs and brown sugar.  Stir well.

While the barley is cooking, chop all vegetables.

Add all vegetables and a couple of handfuls of celery leaves.

Simmer on medium-low heat.

Cook till vegetables are crisp tender, not mushy soft.

Be sure to stir well and scrape the bottom of the pot as the barley may stick.

If it is too thick, add a little water at a time and more seasonings.

When vegetables are cooked to your liking, remove the bay leaves.

Add the cut up meat and stir well but, gently so as not to break up the meat.

After meat is heated through, remove pan from heat.

Serve and enjoy!

Pam’s note: Every time you add water or another liquid to the pot, you must add more seasonings.

This soup satisfies the soul!

M’m! M’m! Good!  Here’s to you, Mom!!!

Good luck to all of you in the CSN giveaway!  I hope you win!

Ultimate Thanksgiving Stuffing

We may talk turkey at the Thanksgiving table but, what we really crave is stuffing or dressing, as I grew up calling it.  No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a great stuffing.  It is definitely my favorite part of the dinner.

The recipe is an adapted Chicago Tribune recipe and is a re-post from when I first started this blog ~ I want to share it again as it is the absolute best stuffing that my family and I love. It has honors as our traditional stuffing.  By adding Italian sausage, apples, pecans and Triple Sec, it is a moist and flavorful stuffing ~ distinctive from all others.

Just one bite of this delicious stuffing will be enough for a chorus of “aahs” around the dinner table – it’s that good!  Give it a try and it could be your traditional stuffing!

It is incredibly delicious, the ultimate stuffing!

Just one bite of this delicious stuffing will be enough for a chorus of “aahs” around the dinner table --- it’s that good! 

The Ultimate Stuffing w/Dried Cherries and Apples

Servings: 8

This is truly the ultimate stuffing. It's always a favorite on our Thanksgiving table along with the turkey! It's delicious!

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups chopped celery, with leaves
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package herb-seasoned bread stuffing mix
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 2 Honeycrisp apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 2-3 cups chicken broth
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. In a large skillet, melt ½ cup butter over medium heat. Sauté the celery and onion in the butter for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
2. Combine the stuffing mix with the celery and onion mixture.
3. Stir in the cherries and apples.
4. Mix in 2 cups chicken broth and egg; the stuffing should be totally moistened, if not, gradually add more broth.
5. Season with poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
7. Lightly butter a 15x10x2-inch baking dish.
8. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish.
9. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
10. Uncover and bake until top is crisp, about 15 minutes.

Notes:

This stuffing can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to bake and add another 10 to 15 minutes baking time, until stuffing is heated through.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Bill's Tossed Salad with Chicken

Every once in a while, Bill makes our favorite salad for lunch! This is a delicious crunchy fresh salad and he does it up perfectly.

I especially like the addition of peas and hard-boiled eggs.  To make it really easy, pick up a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store!  This is a good salad with a simple dressing!

Bill's Tossed Salad with Chicken

Ingredients:

½ small head lettuce, torn

1 cup diced cooked chicken breast

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

½ small carrot, peeled and shredded

½ small white onion, chopped

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

Dash lemon zest

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Method:

Combine first seven ingredients in a large bowl.

Blend remaining ingredients in a small bowl.

Combine and toss.

2 servings

Have a great lunch today!

Today is the last day to enter the CSN Stores giveaway that I posted on October 8th. Don't forget to enter!

Check out my friend, Linda’s blog, at My Kind of Cooking for her great recipes and cookbook giveaway!

Spicy Calabrese Sausage with Red Peppers and Our Favorite Butcher

We have a wonderful quaint specialty butcher shop here in Cary!  The name of it is Orchard Prime Meats, located on Main Street.  They have a huge variety of prime meats to choose from.  

Their fresh cut steaks are the absolute best with their stuffed pork chops coming in close but, one of their unique, tasty items is Chicken Dijon.  In fact, they say it is their biggest seller and I know why after eating it.   It is so very savory delicious and the aroma as it bakes in the oven is to die for, I’m not kidding!  It fills the house with the best garlic aroma you can imagine.  The chicken breasts are pounded flat and seasoned with garlic and panko bread crumbs and the rest is a secret.

 Orchard Prime Meats also has delectable cold cuts and cheeses.  Then there is the wine ~ the shop is filled with a plethora of varieties of it and they have wine tastings to help you decide which one meets your criteria. 

 Bill does most of the shopping here.  He is not much for grocery store shopping but loves his trip to Orchard Prime Meats at least once a week.   And then at holiday time, he especially enjoys buying the goose, ducks and fresh, delectable oysters there for dinner.  Bubba doesn’t live in Cary but, he too shops there often for the Chicken Dijon, Cajun Pork Chops and he really craves their jerky.

Orchard Prime Meats is a high quality market with the customer appreciating their personal service and advice on the best way of cooking the delicious meat while enjoying a friendly atmosphere in the shop.  It’s just a superb meat shop I wanted to tell you about with the best of butchers and I wish you all were able to visit. No doubt in my mind that they couldn’t deliver whatever type of meat you’re shopping for!  

The other day, Bill picked up some Spicy Calabrese Sausage.  It is a great spicy sausage filled with some delicious flavors, packed with heat.  The red peppers are a perfect accompaniment with the spicy sausage served on rice. 

Now, on with the recipe:

Spicy Calabrese Sausage with Red Peppers on Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Spicy Calabrese sausage

1 medium onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 celery rib, diced

Salt and pepper, to taste

1¾ cups whole roasted tomatoes or 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 cups white rice, cooked

Method:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 8 minutes.

Add, onion, garlic, red pepper and celery.

Season with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender.

Add tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Remove to a serving bowl.

Spoon over rice on serving plates.

Serves 4

It is delicious!

Enjoy!!!