Creamy Chicken-Broccoli Mac & Cheese with Mushrooms with Birdwatching on the Side

  With this version of mac and cheese, you can eat all you like ~ there’s a helping of greens is in it, as in broccoli.  Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals and is a classic example of a superfood. 

Actually, there has not been much cooking here lately, as Bill and I have been busy “birding" for a while ~ watching 2 bird nests in bushes on the side of our house; one, a nest of cardinals and the other, a nest of robins.  

Fresh Green Beans Cooked to Death with Bacon

I know the trendy sophisticated way is to barely cook green beans so that they have some crunch to them while maintaining their brilliant green emerald-like color.  That’s not my way for an old-fashioned down-home side dish of garden fresh green beans in my kitchen...

I grew up in Louisville ~ I learned to cook fresh green beans the Southern way ~ slow-cooked to death, usually with bacon drippings, a ham hock or bacon like this recipe.  We all know the saying, “bacon makes everything better!”  Pour a little chicken broth in with the seasonings, for a perfect side dish.

Slow Cooker Pork Loin with Gravy!

The star of this recipe is the gravy, it’s so delicious, it’s liquid comfort!

Here’s another good Trisha Yearwood recipe, from her grand comfort food cookbook, Home Cooking.  I’ve tried many of her recipes and haven’t been let down once...  

Midwestern Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes and My 8 Year Blogiversary!

Spoon chicken and noodles over what?  Mashed potatoes, really!  Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!

It isn’t soup, it’s not a potpie, it’s a hotdish ~ it’s thick and creamy noodles topping a mound of mashed potatoes.

Creamy, rich gravy smothers bites of savory chicken, chewy noodles and mashed potatoes. You haven’t eaten Midwestern food until you eat this for supper!

We like mushrooms with the noodles, skip them if you don’t.  Chop up and add carrots or celery, if you desire.  I poached chicken breasts, but I’ve also picked the meat off a rotisserie chicken when in a hurry.  

It may not make a pretty picture, but it more than makes up for it in goodness.  And if you have leftovers, it’s your lucky day!

Chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes is a great hearty homestyle one-dish meal for a crisp evening, any day of the week!

As a side note ~ I was recently reminded that I  have been blogging for 8 years now.  I started this blog October 29, 2009, that's a lot of posts!  Back then, I just wanted a way to organize and document family recipes.

I look back and cringe at some early posts, the writing, the photos.  But what makes up for that is the great people I have virtually "met" along the way.  I feel like I truly know many of you who share the same passion I do:  food.

I've seen a lot of blogs come and go over the years and I've learned a lot along the way from reading what you share ~ whether your travels, books you've read, music you like, food from your kitchen or in restaurants, I've enjoyed it all!

Thank you for all for visiting here and your positive comments!  

And I give a special thank you to our older son, Bill, Jr., Bubba here on my blog, for helping me to start it all!  Couldn't have done it without you, son! 

Here's to 8 more years... 

Yield: 4-6 servings

Midwestern Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes

Midwestern hearty chicken and noodles at it's best!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large jar of Heinz Homestyle Chicken Gravy
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 4-6 cups chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup flour
• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Enough mashed potatoes for everyone

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a large skillet, or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and mushrooms, and sauté until cooked.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or blender, whisk 1/4 cup broth and flour until smooth, no lumps. Stir into skillet mixture.
3. Add remaining broth, gravy and soup to mixture, stir well, bring to a boil.
4. Add noodles. Cover and cook until noodles are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Add more broth if needed.
5. Stir in chicken and heat through. Add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
6. Serve immediately over mashed potatoes.

notes

Add more broth or water as needed, the noodles soak it up.
This dish should be just a touch soupy, but much thicker than a noodle soup.  
Takes about 1 hour, total time to prepare.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Succotash

I am a succor for succotash and always have been!

Normally, I prepare it the “traditional” way; just corn and lima beans with milk, a little butter and salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of sugar; especially at Thanksgiving time – that’s the way Mom always made it.  

This is an updated, sophisticated finish to an old-time favorite from Cooking Light.  Instead of 2 tablespoons butter, I coat the skillet with cooking spray and add 1 or 2 teaspoons butter, for less fat.

You know the sweet/tart taste of balsamic vinegar – it’s perfect here, blending with the other ingredients.  This makes a lot for a mouthwatering side dish, but it’s a great lunch in my book, packed with protein and fiber!  If you like succotash too, try this new version!  It’s truly delicious!  

Balsamic Succotash

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (I use cooking spray and 1-2 teaspoons butter)

1 cup chopped onion (I used sliced shallots)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn

½ cup chopped red bell pepper

2 teaspoons fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried

1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby lima beans

½ cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Method:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic; cook 3 minutes or until onion softens, stirring occasionally.

Add corn, bell pepper, basil and beans, and cook for 4 minutes.

Add broth, sugar, salt and pepper.

Cook 7 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.

6 servings of 2/3 cup each = 159 calories

fat 5.4 grams

carbs 24.7 grams

fiber 4.5

protein 5.1

This is a delectable veggie side dish!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking.  She is having a great cookbook giveaway now!

Pork Chops with Cabbage and Potatoes

This is my spin on a one-dish meal ~ potatoes, cabbage and pork chops; all thrown together, with no “cream of ??? soup!”

I relish the taste of caraway seeds; you know:  the little brownish seeds that are in rye bread, giving it that unique flavor.  The small, sort of tannish-brown, caraway seeds taste similar to anise, only milder; sweet, but a little sharp.  It is said to be used in Europe longer than any other herb.  

I hope you try this recipe!  It makes for a great dinner on these chilly evenings we’re still having!

Pork Chops with Cabbage and Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 pork chops

1-2 tablespoons oil

1 small head cabbage, large chop

4 potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

Paprika, sprinkled

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in a small amount of oil; set aside.

Place cabbage in the bottom of a baking dish.

Add a layer of potatoes and onions over the cabbage.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the broth and flour.

Add caraway seeds and stir.

Place chops on top of cabbage and potatoes.

Pour broth over top and cover with foil.

Bake for 1 hour, remove foil to let chops brown.

Bake for another 30 minutes or until chops are tender.

Bon Appetite!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes.

WOO HOO!!! I’m Soooo Happy to Be Back!

I’ve missed all of you, and thought of you often!  I have been on the internet very little since late October and here is the reason why… 

Close to dinner time on October 25^th, Bill told me to call the paramedics because he was having difficulty breathing.  During his hospital stays, he had several lung and heart procedures; was diagnosed with pericarditis, resulting in pericardial window surgery.  He is very thankful as well as happy ~ and I am too ~ to say that all test results were good and he is recovering well.  I knew 4 days ago he was returning to his usual self when his sense of humor returned!

And now that I’m back, I’ve got a tasty Chicken Marsala recipe for you.  I really like Italian dishes, and the depth of flavor in this one will surely have you repeating the recipe many times.  This is a lighter version of Chicken Marsala, without the usual ingredients of butter, flour and cream.

It’s a simple Marsala sauce:  reducing Marsala wine to a thin syrup with mushrooms and braising the chicken breasts in the sauce for a delicious savory dish.  It’s a fairly quick dish that is tender and filled with flavor!  I hope you try it!

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound mushrooms, fresh, sliced

2 teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon oregano

¾ cup Marsala wine

¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water

2 teaspoons chicken base, low-sodium

Method:

Heat oil in skillet.

Place chicken in skillet and brown on both sides.

Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

Add mushrooms, garlic powder, onion powder and oregano.

Sauté for 3 minutes.

Add wine, broth and chicken base to skillet.

Stir well to blend.

Simmer for 15 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet.

Spoon sauce over chicken.

Cover and cook until temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Pour mushrooms and sauce over chicken and serve with pasta, rice or garlic mashed potatoes.

ENJOY!!!

Take time to check out my friend, Linda, and her great blog @ My Kind of Cooking for helpful tips and yummy recipes!

Coq au Vin Stew the Slow Way

So when you were a kid and first heard of coq au vin, did you picture a “cocoa van” too?  And then you were told it was just chicken with wine…

Actually, coq au vin translates “rooster in wine.”  The recipe for this dish was first documented in the early 20^th century but was created at least 400 years ago to tenderize tough old birds for poor households and in these tough times today ~ this recipe I’m giving you still fills the bill!

Prior until the 20^th century, most rural families housed chickens for eggs and meat plus a rooster.  The rooster remained around until he was too old to perform his duties ~ then he would be killed and eaten.  The problem, by this time, was that the meat was barely edible; being tough and stringy.  Thus, this was “poor people’s food” since the well-off could afford better cuts of meat which did not require wine and slow cooking for a tender dish.

Nowadays, chicken is the cut of meat and it’s still stewed in wine.  It’s cooked and served “country-style” with the chicken and vegetables remaining together from beginning to end.  

I chose to cook it in my slow cooker to allow the flavors of the dry red wine and tomato paste to meld with the meat and veggies for a hearty dish on a chilly yesterday!

Coq au Vin Stew in the Slow Cooker

Ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons herbs de Provence

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 cups pearl onions, peeled*

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Method:

Place chicken in slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Season with herbs de Provence, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Add onions, mushrooms and carrots.

Whisk together in a medium bowl the wine, broth and tomato paste.

Pour over chicken and vegetables. 

Cover and cook on high for 5½ hours or on low for 7½ hours.

Serve over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes.

4 servings

ENJOY!

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

Zucchini and Sautéing 101

Do you know sautéing means “jumping” in French?   It’s kind of like frying, only different.  It requires a heavy bottomed skillet, food that is cut the same small size and oil that likes really high heat.  Frying means quite a lot of oil, larger food items such as chicken parts and lower heat allowing the food to cook longer for doneness. 

The question I have with sautéing is:  do I heat the pan first and then add the oil or do I add the oil to a cold skillet and heat them both at the same time?  Usually I add the oil to a hot skillet but I’m not sure if this is the correct procedure to ensure that very little fat is absorbed by the food.  What do you think ~ how do you do it?

No matter which method, I really like sautéed veggies and since summer is about over for this year, I had to squeeze in one more dish that’s filled with fresh zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.

By the way, zucchini, a member of the plant species, cucurbita pepo, was introduced into American culture by Italy. The Italians developed what we now call zucchini through a freak of nature – a chance mutation of one of its squash brethren. 

The Italian immigrants brought the seeds with them to California in the 1920’s when later; a small southern California seed company began distributing the seeds. 

It took a while to catch on ~ all that zucchini you see at your farmer’s markets and the ones your neighbor unloads on you were barely recognized here in the United States just 50 years ago.  Now look how prolific it is, being served as a vegetable dish, bread, dessert or as a smoothie to sip on!

This is about as easy as it gets for the veggies I bought at our farmer’s market Saturday morning and quick too.  It combines them all with some onion, garlic, chicken broth and crushed red pepper for a little heat.  With all the vibrant colors, it looks as appealing as it tastes!  I hope you like it!

Sautéed Zucchini Mix

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

3 garlic heads, minced

3 zucchini, chopped into bite-size chunks

1 bell pepper, diced

8 ounces mushrooms, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

9 ounce bag spinach

½ cup chicken broth, low sodium

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese, shaved

Method:

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are cooked.

Add zucchini, peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Cook until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes.

Add spinach and cook until it wilts.

Pour broth over all.

Add red pepper and salt and pepper.

Cook until all is heated through. 

Transfer to a serving dish.

Serve along with shaved Parmesan.

It’s a delicious colorful side dish!