Chicken and Sausage Gumbo Ya-Ya

Here's another great recipe from my Country Soup cook book.

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 3/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (or chicken breast)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) campbell's condensed chicken broth
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 large onion; chopped  about (about 1 cup)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves
1 package (10 ounces) frozen cut okra, thawed
Hot cooked rice (optional)


1. Mix the flour and thyme in a gallon size resealable plastic food storage bag. Add the chicken and shake to coat.

2. Heat the oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat.  Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.  Add the sausage to the skillet and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

3.  Stir the chicken, sausage, soup, broth, tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, onion's green bell pepper, celery, bay leaves and okra in a 6 quart slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove the bay leaves. Serve with the rice, if desired.

Durango Chili

Here's another wonderful Recipe from my country soup book.


3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound ground beef
1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves, minced
2 cans (about 14 ounces each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed beef broth plus 1 can water
1 bottle (12 ounce beer)
2 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles, undrained
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 5 jalepeno peppers, minced (omit if you don't want the heat)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cans (about 15 ounces each) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
Shredded cheddar cheese
sliced green onions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef, stirring to break up meat. Add cubed beef; cook stirring occasionally, until meat is lightly browned. Transfer meat to a medium bowl.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic; cook until tender.  Return meat to Dutch oven.   Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, beer, green chiles, chili powder, tomato paste, jalapenos, bay leaves, salt, cumin and black pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 2 hours or until meat is very tender. Stir in beans.  Simmer, uncovered until heated through.  Remove and discard bay leaves before serving. 

Top with cheese and green onions.

Penne Pasta with Sausage Fennel

This is a recipe that I found from Fine Living magazine.

 

Kosher salt
4 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
12 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 large fennel bulb (about 1-1/2 lb.), halved, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
1 cup lower-salt chicken broth
10 oz. dried penne
1 oz. finely grated Pecorino Romano (1 cup using a rasp grater); more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

---

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up into smaller pieces with the edge of a slotted metal spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Use the spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper-towel lined plate and pour off any fat left in the skillet.
Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 Tbs. oil and the onion.Cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens and begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the fennel, sage, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is softened and the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and chicken broth and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the penne in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, 10 to 11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot over medium-high heat and stir in the sausage mixture until well combined. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and enough reserved pasta water to moisten, if necessary. Distribute among 4 bowls and sprinkle with additional cheese.

 

 

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 640; Fat (g): 30; Fat Calories (kcal): 270; Saturated Fat (g): 8; Protein (g): 23; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 16; Carbohydrates (g): 70; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Sodium (mg): 1030; Cholesterol (mg): 30; Fiber (g): 8;

photo: Scott Phillips

From Fine Cooking 119 , pp. 14

Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque

The key to making sure that you have all the shells out of the crab is to lay out the crab on a baking sheet in a oven at 300.  The shell's will turn to a pink color. This way you will know that there are shells and you need to pick them out.   Much better then eating them in the Bisque.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) hunts tomato sauce with roasted garlic
1 cup half and half
1 cup coarsely chopped cooked crab meat
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 ground black pepper
1/4 chopped fresh basil leaves.

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add onion; cook 3 minutes or until tender stirring frequently.

2.  Add tomato sauce, half and half, crab, broth, salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer 5  minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Art Smith's Roasted Vegetable Oven-Baked Frittata

This recipe is from my Diabetic Living magazine. Art Smith use to be Oprah's Chef. Since my hubby has diabetes's and we've had a few scares with his health lately I've decided to try to make better healthier dishes for him. Which unfortunately, that means I'll be making two different meals. Most of the time I can get my daughter who is 12 to try just about anything but not my picky 15yr son.

Ingredient

Servings 8 (1/8) Frittata each
Carb per servings 4 g
Prep 15 minutes, roast time 15 minutes
Bake 22 minutes - let stand 10 minutes before cutting

1 cup thin red onion wedges
1 cup sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
1 cup red sweet pepper strips (1 medium)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach
2 ounces goat cheese
24 egg whites, beaten or 3 cups pasteurized liquid egg whites
2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degree.  Lightly coat a 15x10x1 in ch baking pan and a 3 quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl toss together onion mushrooms, sweet pepper, olive oil 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Spoon evenly into prepared 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

In a large bowl toss together roasted vegetables mixture and spinach.  Spread in a prepared 3 quart baking dish. Dot with small pieces of goat cheese.  Pour egg whites over top. Bake 22 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with oregano.

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

This was a wonderful soup that I made last night that is full of wonderful veggies and good for you.  I couldn't find a recipe that I liked so I just put it together as I pretty much do all my recipes.

1 large head of (washed chopped) Cauliflower
3 large (chopped finely) stalks of celery
1 large (chopped)  carrot
4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped fine)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (if you like the spice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 quart Chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or heavy cream or half and half
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 tablespoon butter
1 dash of Cayenne pepper

Chop up all of your veggies. Make sure everything excluding the cauliflower is finely chopped. You  want medium size pieces of Cauliflower unless,  you prefer it large/smaller pieces it's up to you.

Place butter and veggies in a large soup pot and saute for about 8 minutes until veggies are tender.  Add the Chicken stock and cook over medium heat until all veggies are soft.  Add in the milk, or half and half and your cheese. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes over low heat. Add in your seasonings.  Adjust to taste if needed. 

At this point when the veggies are soft and soup is well mixed and cheese is melted then you can take a your smart stick (which is a hand blender for soups) and blend to the consistency you like. I left some large chunks of Cauliflower for great texture. Some people like it nice and smooth. It's your choice.

For the picture I just place some fresh basil on top which added wonderful flavor for the short time it was in there just for the picture.

Enjoy!

Best Ever Turkey Meatloaf (by Mary Wachel Noble)

One of my high school girl friends made the BEST turkey meatloaf. So I thought I would share it with you guys as well. I'll ask for a pic later and post it. 

2 pkg Jennie O turkey
One 95% lean
One 85% lean
1 pkg sweet Italian turkey sausage
(squeeze out of casing)
I egg
1 can Rotel
Seasoned Italian bread crumbs
2 cups chicken broth
( turkey gets dry and the broth gives a great flavor and keeps it moist)
You can add minced fresh garlic..I didn't have any on hand .
Season with salt and pepper
Then form your loaf in pan and pour I small can of V8 juice on top
Bake 350 degree oven for 1 hour 15 min.

It was soooooo good!
Enjoy

Chicken Yummy rice casserole

Preheat oven to 350

2 cups of rice (un cooked)
1 green bell pepper  chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 can chicken soup
1 can french onion
 1 1/2 sticks of butter'
1 can rotel tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
parsley flakes
cooked chicken (in boiling water

Dice pepper, onion and melt butter till soft.  Mix soup, eorwl rotel tomatoes all together.

When the chicken is cooled then dice in small pieces. Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and stir together.  Pour in a baking dish 9x13 and bake for 45 minutes..

Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Avoid thin chicken breast for this recipe; they are difficult to stuff without tearing.  Whole milk block momozzarella with provide the creamiest filling; pre-shredded or part skim mozzarella with also work but the filling will be grainy. To make fresh bread crumbs process 2 slices of hearty while sandwich bread in the food processor.

1. sup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh basil

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, minced (salt and pepper)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast 6 to 8 ounces each

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine cheese, 2 tablespoon basil, cream, lemon juice, 2 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper to taste in medium bowl.

2. Cut pocket in chicken breast (make sure you don't cut all the way thru) Stuff with cheese mixture and seal with a toothpick or I use the wooden large skewer.

3. Combine bread crumbs, remaining garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons basil and 1 tablespoon oil.
Sprinkle crumb mixture over chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.

4. Toss tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.  Arrange in baking dish around chicken.  Bake until crumbs are golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on instant read thermometer, about 35 minutes.

Fire Crackers

1 box Premium Wheat/Multigrain Crackers (all sleeves)
1 Pkg Ranch dip
2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups oc canola oil


Mix all ingredients together and pour mixture over crackers (Which you put the crackers in the gallon size Zip lock baggie.  Seal and shake crackers gently every 10 -20 minutes for about 1 hour.

These are the best crackers ever. I now it should weird but once you have you won't want any other crackers. Serve with cheese or any spread that you like.

Enjoy.

Applesauce Bread Recipe

 

 

Applesauce Bread Recipe

Ingredients

| metric conversion

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 cups store-bought or homemade applesauce, at room temperature
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (optional)

Directions

• 1. To make the applesauce bread, preheat the oven to 350˚F (176°C). Lightly butter 2 standard-size loaf pans or place paper liners in 24 cupcake or muffin tins.

2. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fit with a paddle and beat until the mixture is lemon-colored and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the applesauce and then the butter, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. (The mixture will break and appear curdled, and while you may think you’ve ruined it, just keep on going because everything is fine.)

4. Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl and mix well. Stir it into the applesauce mixture and beat to combine. Add the nuts, if desired, and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans or, if making muffins, use a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or heaping tablespoon to fill the prepared tins. Bake the applesauce bread until golden brown and firm in the center, about 1 hour for loaves and 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes. Let the bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool

Get more deliciousness at Applesauce Bread Recipe | Leite's Culinaria

Oh Sugar!!!! Slashing Sugar Made Simple

WHAT'S SO BAD?

IT CAN ADD BELLY BULGE!

After years of saying that calories are the only thing that counts, experts now say what you eat matters too. Sugary foods are rapidly absorbed, precipitating insulin spikes that cause rebound hunger and elevate triglyceride levels (increasing your risk of heart disease), say a family physician Mark Hyman author of The Blood Sugar Solution.

Scarier still, surplus fructose can build fat deep in the abdomen, which is the worst place in terms of health risks says registered dietitian Janis Jibrin of wellness site Thebestlife.com

Don't be a Faker:

So why no just grab a diet drink, right? turns out, satisfying your cravings with artificial substitutes isn't a smart sway. Though they don't have the cause, researchers have found that people who drink diet sodas are more likely to gain weight. One possible explanation? The faux stuff primes your palate to crave sweets, making it harder to scale back.

Slashing Sugar Made Simple:

Don't skimp on lean protein:

• Foods like meat,s fish and nuts are digested slowly, which can help stabilize blood sugar and keep you fuller longer so you're less likely to have cravings.
• Watch out for energy bars and shakes - they're loaded with sugar. Instead, go for lean protein, such as turkey, grilled chicken, fish and plain low fat Greek yogurt.

Sip Smarter:

• At firs Glance, juice may seem health savvy; witness the ubiquity of the juice cleanse craze. Most fruit juices are high in sugar,.
• Your best bet Eat the whole fruit. It's more filling for fewer calories.
• Dilute your juice with increasing amounts of water or seltzer.

Avoid Hidden sugar:

• Sweeteners go by many names and can be lurking where you least expect them.
• Common sources include breads, ketchup, pasta sauce, peanut butter, salad dressings, and soups.
• Bone up on the aliases you may find on labels, such as brown rice syrup, corn syrup solids, dextrin, galactose, and malt syrup.

Pick the Finest Fruit

• You don't get fat on fruit.
• Focus on low sugar, high fiber rich choices like blueberries and peaches over super sweet fruits like pineapple.

Grilled Chicken Ravioli with Pesto Sauce

Grilled Chicken Ravioli

Ingredients:

4 to 5 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
1 cup Olive Garden Italian Dressing or any of your favorite Italian Dressing
1 pack Artisan Fresh Spinach and Three Cheese Ravioli
4 roma tomatoes - sliced in half
2 Tbsp. daily Chef or any of your favorite Brand Extra Virgin Olive oil
8 Tbsp. Artisan Fresh Pesto Sauce (or use my recipe below)
100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Marinate chicken in 1 cup of Italian dressing for 2 hours
Cook ravioli as suggested. Set aside.
Coat sliced tomatoes with oil
Grill chicken breast until no longer pink and lightly grill tomato slices
Slice chicken breast, place on 1 servings of ravioli, 2 slices of tomatoes and garnish with 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese

Pesto sauce (home made)

4 peeled garlic gloves
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch of fresh basil (about 1 cup packed)
1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
1/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts (I like to roast mine in a frying pan for about 2 to 5 minutes)

Place all of the ingredients above in a blender and blend on pulse (low) until all blended. If you like it chunky or more of a softer texture then blend some more. If you see that you need to add more olive oil then don't be afraid to add a tad bit more.

Chicken Marsala (recipe from The Chew)

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 6 boneless (skinless chicken thighs that are pounded thin)
• 1 pound mushrooms (cremini or white - sliced thinly)
• 2 shallots (sliced thinly)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 3 tablespoons butter (cubed)
• 1/3 cup parsley (chopped for garnish)
• salt and pepper to taste
• flour (for breading)
• 1 cup water (optional) 

 We've Made Cooking As Easy As 1-2-3!

 

1. Ingredients    
   instructions Preheat two saute pans over medium high heat. 
2. Ingredients - 6 boneless (skinless chicken thighs that are pounded thin)
   Salt and pepper
   flour (for breading) 
   instructions Season pounded chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in flour on both sides.
3. Ingredients - 5 tablespoons olive oil
   instructions Add the olive oil to the hot pan and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Ingredients - 1 pound mushrooms (cremini or white - sliced thinly)
   2 shallots (sliced thinly)
   Salt and pepper
   1 cup marsala wine
   3 tablespoons butter (cubed)
   1 cup water (optional)  
5. Instructions Add the shallots and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, letting mushrooms brown. Once they have released all their liquid, and it has cooked off, add the Marsala wine. Reduce for a minute, cooking off the wine, then stir in the butter to emulsify. If the sauce is too thick, add water to loosen.
6. Ingredients 1/3 cup parsley (chopped for garnish)
   instructions Remove the chicken thighs onto a platter and cover with the Marsala mushrooms. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Pasta Alla Gricia

Pasta alla gricia

Recipe from: Mark Bittman

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced bacon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound linguine
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano, or more to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a saucepan, combine the olive oil and bacon, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Salt the water and cook the pasta until tender. Reserve about 1 cup of water before draining the pasta.
3. Toss the drained pasta with the bacon and its rendered fat; stir in the cheese. If the mixture is dry, add a little of the pasta cooking water or olive oil. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Serving Size

Makes 4 servings

Black Eyed Pea Broccoli Cheese Soup

 

 

Black Eyed Pea's Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield: 8 servings.
1 1/2 lbs. Broccoli – fresh
2 C. Water
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Cornstarch mixed with 1-cup water
1 pint half-and-half
1 pound pasteurized processed cheese (Velveeta)
Steam broccoli until tender. Place half-and-half and water in top of double boiler. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted. Add broccoli. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.