Corn Chowder

Sweet corn season is over and the weather is getting chilly. Now you have a freezer full of frozen corn. Here's a simple corn chowder recipe that is sure to please.


Corn Chowder
1/2 lb bacon, diced
4 c corn, cut off the cob
1 c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c potatoes, peeled & diced
1 c carrots, peeled & diced
3 c chicken broth (I use water & bouillon. Easier and tastes better)
3 c milk (2% works fine. Whole would probably be even creamier)
3 tbsp butter

1. Fry bacon until crisp. Drain, cool, crumble. Reserve 2 tbsp drippings in pan.

2. To drippings, add onion and garlic. Cook 3 min.

3. Transfer onion/garlic to large pot, add potatoes, carrots, broth, corn. Cook 10 min over medium-high heat, or until potatoes are tender.

4. Add milk, butter, bacon, salt & pepper to taste. Heat.
(I added a smidge of flour to thicken it, but that's a faux pas if you want a 'real' chowder, or so I've heard)

5. Serve topped with a little bacon and/or some leftover corn.

Sausage Gravy w/ The Best Biscuits Ever

These biscuits are to die for. I had one saved aside to put in the picture, but I kind of ate it before I got to my camera. Sorry!

Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into tiny chunks
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl.
3. Cut in butter until crumbly. (It doesn't matter if there are still butter chunks. That just makes it all the better.)
4. Beat egg and milk together, then add to mix. Stir until just moist.
5. Roll out on floured surface and cut into biscuits. They taste just as good if you mold them by hand, though. You should get about 10 biscuits.
6. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, or until the underside is brown around the edge.

Sausage Gravy
1 lb sausage
2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
Salt, pepper, poultry seasoning to taste

1. Brown sausage in skillet.
2. Beat flour into milk. Pour into skillet. Stir thoroughly. Season to taste.
3. Cook on medium until sauce is desired thickness. Spoon over the best biscuits ever and enjoy.

Potato Casserole

1 bag frozen hash browns
2 cups fat free sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz shredded Cheddar
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes or crackers
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Stir together hash browns, mushroom soup, sour cream, milk, cheese, onions, salt, and pepper.

2. Pour mixture into 9x13 greased pan. Top with crushed corn flakes or crackers.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes.

Straw and Hay Penne

1/2 lb dry penne
1/2 lb dry spinach penne
1 pkg frozen peas, thawed
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
6 oz Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated Romano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions, about 13 minutes. Add peas during last 2 minutes.

2. In saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat. When cream simmers, stir in cheese, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne. Heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

3. Drain pasta. Return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with more grated Romano, if desired.

Cali-Schetta

1/2 baguette, cut into 1/2-in slices on the diagonal
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic close, peeled, plus 1 clove peeled and finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. Heat oven to 350F. Lightly brush both sides of baguette slices with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Toast in oven for 4 minutes per side. Remove from oven and rub with 1 side of whole garlic. Cool.

2. Mix chopped garlic, tomatoes, onion, avocado, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Top each baguette slice with 1/4 cup tomato mix and serve.

Ice Cream Cake Roll

3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp confectioner's sugar
3 cups mint chip ice cream, softened
Chocolate syrup

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.

2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. In separate bowl, beat eggs until very light yellow. Add sugar, continue beating. Add vanilla.

3. Fold flour mixture into egg mixture. Pour into pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until cake springs back.

4. Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioner's sugar. Turn cake out onto towel. Roll up towel and cake. Cool completely.

5. Unroll. Spread with softened ice cream to within 1 inch from edges. Reroll cake without towel. Wrap in plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours. If frozen overnight, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.

Chili-Lime Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic puree (or 3 minced garlic cloves)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Mix all ingredients (minus chicken) in a bowl. Trim chicken and make several small slits crosswise along the top. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Let sit in fridge for 4-8 hours.

2. When ready go BBQ, spray the grate with Pam, then turn on the grill and preheat to medium-high. Place chicken on grill top-side down. Cook for 5 minutes and rotate 45 degrees to get a nice cross-hatch pattern. Cook for 5 more minutes, then flip the chicken. Cook for another 5-10 until chicken is done.

Berry Shortcake

16 oz strawberries, halved

12 oz blueberries

6 oz raspberries

1 tsp grated orange zest

1 tbsp Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat oven to 425F. Toss berries, zest, orange liqueur, and 1/4 cup sugar. Let sit for 30 min, tossing occassionally.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in 1 1/2 cup heavy cream using a fork.

3. Drop 8 large mounds of dough onto greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar. Bake 15-18 min. Cool.

4. Beat 1 cup cream and remaining sugar until peaks form.

5. Slice biscuits in half. Layer bottom half with berry mixture and whipped cream. Top with second half of biscuit.

Potato-Egg Mash-up

This is one of my favorite breakfast foods if we have leftover potatoes. It's easy, yummy, and quick. Almost all ingredients are to a "that looks about right" amount.

Potato-Egg Mess
2 eggs (or one egg per person)
Leftover potatoes to suit
Summer sausage, diced, to suit (I do about 1 slice per egg)
Salt and Pepper to taste
A smidge of oil

1. Heat skillet over medium. Add eggs and scramble.
2. Add potato, sausage, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Cook until potatoes and sausage are heated through and potatoes are just slightly brown.
4. Enjoy!

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour

1. Mix butter and sugar together until creamy.
2. Add 2 1/2 cups flour. Mix thoroughly.
3. Sprinkle remaining flour onto clean surface, turn out dough, knead until dough cracks. Move dough to foil-lined baking sheet. Pat out and cut into squares. Alternately, you can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Bake at 275F for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Custard Pie

1 pie crust
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups scalded milk
Nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Put pie crust in pie pan. Make sure there are no holes or the filling will run through.
2. Mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla in bowl. Add scalded milk slowly while stirring (too fast and you'll cook your eggs).
3. Pour mixture into pie crust. You may want to reserve a cup of the mix and pour it in after you place the pie in the oven so it doesn't spill. Sprinkle top with nutmeg.
4. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Let cool completely before serving.

Spicy Hot Chocolate

Haven't tried this yet, but it looks so good, I had to post the recipe.
 
4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate (Ghiradelli's 100% Cacao), grated super fine
1/2 cup Splenda sugar substitute  
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom 
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1 1/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder

1. Mix all ingredients.

2. To serve, use 3 tbsp with 1 cup hot water.

 

 

Orginal Recipe

Lasagna

1 box lasagna noodles
1 jar pasta sauce
1 lb ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cups Ricotta cheese
16 oz shredded cheddar
2 eggs, beaten

1. Cook noodles according to directions, about 10 minutes.
2. In saucepan, saute onions, garlic, and beef until beef is brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Add sauce once meat is browned. Bring to boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
3. Mix eggs and cheeses in bowl. Save 1 cup of cheddar for topping lasagna.
4. Layer noodles, meat sauce, and cheese mix in a greased 8x13 pan, starting and ending with a layer of noodles. You should have a couple noodles left over. Top with cheddar.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350F. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cheater's Peach Cobbler

1 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cans sliced peaches
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

1. Melt butter in saucepan, then pour into 8x8 baking dish. Mix in vanilla.
2. Mix milk, Bisquick, sugar, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Add to butter and mix rapidly. Butter may clump.
3. Layer peaches on top of mixture. They may not all fit.
4. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Leftover Rice Mess

I had a bunch of leftovers in the fridge from red beans & rice (I'll post this recipe later this week) and some other stuff, so I decided to throw this concoction together. I used the rice, the beans, some eggs that needed to be used, and some leftover vegetables from lunch yesterday. It's similar to fried rice, but I didn't use any oil or butter.



Leftover Rice Mess
2 eggs
1 cup cooked rice
1/3 cup red beans from Red Beans & Rice recipe
1/3 cup cooked vegetables (I used peas & mushrooms)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Scramble the eggs in a non-stick pan.
2. Push the eggs to the side and cook the beans in the open space. When beans are warm and less soupy, mix with eggs.
3. Add vegetables and mix thoroughly.
4. Add rice and Worcestershire sauce and mix. Heat until all ingredients are warm. Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Pita

Greek Chicken Pita
Sauce:
2 c fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 c peeled, seeded, and diced cucumber
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic


Wrap:
6 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp Italian dressing
4 whole wheat pitas
2 c chopped lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped and seeded
1/2 c sliced red onion
1/4 c crumbled Feta

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Cover and let sit in fridge to allow flavors to meld.
2. Place chicken in plastic bag and add dressing. Marinate for 15 minutes.
3. Pound chicken using meat mallet to about 1/2 inch thickness.
4. Cook chicken over medium heat about 5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
5. Slice chicken thinly against the grain.
6. Warm pitas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
7. Place pita on plate, layer with chicken, lettuce, tomato, feta, and sauce. Roll and wrap with parchment paper or aluminum foil to serve. Alternately, cut pita's in half and open to form a pocket.

Redneck Mocha

Redneck Mocha
1 tsp instant coffee
1 pkg instant hot cocoa
1 tbsp half and half or light cream
Water to fill your cup

1. Put coffee, cocoa, and cream into a cup.
2. Fill with hot water.
3. Stir.
4. Enjoy a tasty treat without spending $4 at Starbucks. 

Giant Stuffed Meatballs

On top of spaghetti
All covered with cheese
I lost my poor meatball
When somebody sneezed.

On Rachael Ray awhile ago, I saw these giant stuffed meatballs. I decided to make my own, fudging it a bit from her recipe. Instead making all large meatballs, I made some smaller ones stuffed with cherry tomatoes. Yum!

Giant Stuffed Meatballs
2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1 c bread pieces
2 handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
A sprinkle of all spice
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into chunks

1. Preheat oven to 400F and grease a cake pan or baking sheet with sides.
2. Put bread in a bowl and cover with milk. Let it sit.
3. Mix the meat, garlic, eggs, cheese, allspice, salt, and pepper together. Squeeze the bread to remove the milk, then mix the bread into the meat.
4. Take a small handful of meat and pat it flat. Place two or three chunks of cheese in the center, then cover it with more meat and pat it into a ball. Place on baking sheet. Repeat until all meat/cheese is gone.
5. Drizzle olive oil over the meatballs and make sure each is coated nicely.
6. Put baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
7. Serve over spaghetti with sauce.

Tomates Farcies (Stuffed Tomatoes)

Another beautiful recipe from On Rue Tatin, Tomates Farcies uses the biggest, freshest tomatoes you can find. They turn a lovely golden brown in the oven and the flavors explode in your mouth.

Tomates Farcies

2 slices fresh bread

½ cup milk

4 lbs large, juicy tomatoes (you'll need at least 4 tomatoes)

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz button mushrooms, diced

1 ¾ lbs lean ground pork

¼ c fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp dried

1 c flat-leaf parsley

2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Tear bread into pieces and place in bowl. Cover with milk, let sit 30 minutes.

3. Slice tops off tomatoes, reserve tops. Scoop seeds and most of pith from tomatoes and discard (don't poke holes in the tomatoes!) Lightly season the cavities with salt and pepper.

4. Heat oil over medium, add onions and garlic. Cook about 8 minutes, until translucent. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to medium bowl.

5. Add mushrooms to onion pan and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix into onion bowl.

6. Add bread and milk to onion mixture, along with pork. Mince tarragon and parsley, then add to pork. 

7. Whisk eggs, then add them to pork. Blend thoroughly with your hands. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Evenly divide the mixture among the tomatoes, mounding if necessary. Place the tops back on the tomatoes and bake until they turn a deep gold and are baked completely through, about an hour. Remove and drizzle with pan juices.

Le Poisson de Tous les Jours (Fish of the day)

This is a simple fish dish that I discovered while reading On Rue Tatin, by Susan Hermann Loomis. I didn't have fresh tarragon, but if you can find it, this recipe is even lovelier.

Le Poisson de Tous les Jours

1 lb white fish (I like tilapia)

1 tbsp butter

1 lb tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges

2 tbsp lemon juice

salt/pepper

¼ cup fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried tarragon

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse fillets and pat dry.

2. Butter a baking dish and arrange the fish inside, skin down. Arrange the tomato wedges around the fish. 

3. Drizzle with lemon juice, season with salt, pepper, and half of tarragon.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until fish is opaque.

5. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with remaining tarragon and season with a fine sprinkling of pepper. Serve immediately.

Cranberry-Chicken Salad

Here's a wonderful chicken salad recipe for you to use either with the leftover chicken from the Christmas Chicken recipe, or you can cook up a fresh batch of chicken breasts. It's super simple to throw together and you can make it ahead of time to let the flavors meld. Serve this salad on crackers or small artisan rolls. It's perfect for a summer picnic or midday snack (yes, I'm thinking summer already!)

Cranberry-Chicken Salad 

1 lb chicken breasts

½ stalk celery, finely sliced

1 super small onion, finely chopped

25-30 red grapes, halved

¼ cup dried cranberries

Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil and pull chicken.

2. Combine with celery, onion, grapes and cranberries.

3. Add yogurt to desired consistency, then season with salt and pepper.

Christmas Chicken

Okay, so I know Christmas is long past, but I still love this roasted chicken. I make it year round, switching up the vegetables depending on what's on sale or in season.


Christmas Chicken

20 baby carrots

2 small onions, quartered

1 lb red potatoes, chunked

1 orange, cut into wedges

1 3-lb chicken

Olive oil

*Holiday Rub

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spread vegetables and orange evenly in roasting pan. Place chicken over vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Rub oil into and under the skin, then sprinkle with rub. Don't forget to season the cavity! Place some veggies and an orange wedge into the cavity.

3. Place the chicken into the oven. After 15 minutes, lower temp to 375. After another 15 minutes, remove the bird and flip it over. Cook another 15, then flip it back over. Return to oven for last 15 minutes. Check temperature and cook another 15 minutes if necessary.

*Holiday Rub

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients.

Warm Greek Penne Salad

This is a deliciously warm salad. I can't remember where I first found the recipe, but I've tweaked it several times since. Artichoke hearts are absolutely wonderful and I tend to use more than the suggested amount. Feel free to experiment!

Warm Greek Penne Salad

8 oz wheat penne

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup feta cheese

½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

¼ cup chicken broth

1 tbsp olive oil

½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

1. Cook pasta according to instructions.

2. While pasta is cooking, add oil, onion, and garlic to skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until soft.

3. Stir in tomatoes, artichokes, chicken broth, and half of the feta. Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is done.

4. Drain pasta and add to skillet. Stir thoroughly, then top with remaining feta. Cover skillet and heat on medium for 3 minutes.

5. Stir once more, then serve.

Makes 3 servings, 300 calories each

Baked Cod

I made this for lunch the other day and managed to burn the sauce that was supposed to go on it, so I fudged the recipe. It turned out really good and my grama even ate three pieces! She never eats that much. Serve it with a baked potato or mashed potatoes and a salad. Yum! The recipe calls it baked cod, but there really is no baking unless you need to reheat it.

Baked Cod
2 cod fillets, cut into about 6 pieces (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup light cream
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Melt butter over medium heat in large skillet. Add onion and cook for a few minutes, until soft but not brown.
2. Add cod, season with salt and pepper, and cook about 1 minute on each side.
3. Whisk flour into cream, then add cream to skillet. It should reach at least 3/4 of the way up the fish. If it does not, add more cream or milk. Add bay leaves and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook 5-10 minutes, or until fish is done. Spoon cream over cod and serve immediately.

You can make this ahead of time and reheat it. To reheat, preheat oven to 350F, then bake about 10 minutes.

Super Easy Mac-n-Cheese(y)

I discovered this version of macaroni and cheese when I was a youngster learning to cook. My mom used to make the mac and cheese all the time, and she would always bake it. One day, I was craving cheesy goodness, but didn't want to wait for it to bake, so my grama said "Just melt the cheese and mix it up." Genius! It's so simple and so delicious, I find myself craving it almost weekly. Not baking it keeps it super creamy and the garlic adds just a smidge of extra flavor. I use shells for the pasta because they hold the yummy goop the best. Worried that the kids won't like the cream of mushroom soup? Don't tell them! Seriously. I was 12 before I knew my mom used cream of mushroom. Of course, my initial reaction was "Ew! I'm never eating that again!" My resolve didn't last long and now I even love cream of mushroom plain. Add 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan for an added kick!

Easy Mac & Cheese
4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 10.75 oz can of cream of mushroom soup (Do not use Chef's Cupboard. It tastes horrid.)
1-2 tbsp milk
8 oz pasta
Salt, pepper, garlic salt

1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Do not overcook or the pasta will be soggy. Soggy pasta is nasty. Add a pinch of salt to the water once it starts boiling.
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the cheese in a small saucepan along with the milk. Season with salt and pepper. You can also skip the milk and just melt the cheese in the microwave. If you use the microwave, cook on high 30 secs, stir, go another 30, stir. Rinse and repeat until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
3. Drain the pasta. Add the cheese to the pasta and stir thoroughly. Mix in the cream of mushroom soup last. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Enjoy!

Guest Recipe: Le Cellier Canadian Cheddar Beer Soup

My Aunt Laura is an avid Disney goer and the food pictures she always takes make my mouth water. She found the recipe for a delicious soup from Le Cellier and made it for her family the other night. They loved it and I wanted to share the recipe with you. The roll is a pretzel roll from Wegman's. Yum! Here's her recipe.



Le Cellier's Canadian Cheddar Beer Soup

1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/4" pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4" pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock (I used 4)
4 cups milk
1 lb. white cheddar cheese, grated
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup warm beer (I used LaBatts Blue, but the recipe recommends "a hearty Canadian ale")
Chopped scallions or chives for garnish

1. In a 4 or 5 quart Dutch oven, cook the bacon, stirring, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned.

2. Add the red onion, celery, and butter and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened.

3. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes over medium heat.  Whisk in the chicken stock and bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Add the milk and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.  Do not boil after you add the milk.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper until the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth.  Stir in warm beer.  If the soup is too thick, thin with some warm milk (this is where I used the extra chicken stock).

6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped scallions or chives.

 

Chicken Taco Soup

Another warm, tasty treat for the cold winter weather. Servings are 1 cup and only 170 calories (before toppings, of course).

Chicken Taco Soup

1 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

4 c chicken broth

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can tomato sauce

2-3 c water

3 chicken breasts (pulled)

1 packet taco seasoning

Cayenne pepper to taste

1. Saute onions in oil until soft.

2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, corn, taco seasoning, and cayenne. Bring to boil and add chicken. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour.

3. Serve with tortilla strips and sour cream/Greek yogurt.

Makes approx: 8 1-cup servings @ 170 calories each.

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

As promised, here's my recipe for Chicken Sausage Gumbo. It's perfect for the cold weather the Northeast (and I think most of the United States) is experiencing right now. Warm, filling, and delicious. Not to mention, fairly healthy. Only 300 calories per 1 cup serving, and I have never needed more than a cup to be full. If you are using the already cooked chicken from the homemade chicken broth we made the other day, skip the hours of cooking in step 2 and go straight to step 3. You can also use pre-cut pieces (breast, thighs, drumsticks) and store-bought chicken stock.

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

1 3lb fryer chicken, cut into pieces or 3lbs worth of chicken pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

3 cups homemade chicken stock

8 oz andouille or spicy sausage

½ cup flour

2 tbsp parsley

¼ cup scallions

6 tbsp oil

2 bay leaves

½ tsp thyme
Cayenne pepper and salt to season chicken

4 cups cooked brown rice

Sour cream for topping

1. Season uncooked chicken with salt and cayenne pepper and set aside. 

2. In large pot, combine oil and flour over medium heat. Stirring constantly, cook for ½ hour. Add onions and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add broth. Stir well, and add chicken, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 2-3 hours.

4. Remove and pull chicken, then return to stock. Add andouille. Cook for 30 minutes.

5. Add scallions and parsley. Stir.

6. Spoon ½ c brown rice into a bowl. Top with 1 c gumbo and a dab of sour cream. Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Stock/Broth

I'm back! Deepest apologies for the absence. “Best laid plans”, and all that jazz, ya know. Anyhoo, I'm back with some of my favorite recipes and some new ones, too. Up first, Homemade Chicken Broth! We will use this later in the week for Chicken Sausage Gumbo. I personally am not comfortable cutting up a whole chicken and tend to lose a lot of meat, so the only times I use a whole chicken are when I plan on cooking the whole thing, so I can pull off the meat I haven't cut off. In this recipe, we use a whole fryer chicken, which allows us to pull off the meat from places we wouldn't have been able to cut it from. For the Gumbo, you can use this pre-cooked meat, or buy the parts of the chicken separately. Believe it or not, if you're not comfortable cutting up a whole chicken, it can end up being cheaper to buy the pieces separately once you factor in the lost meat!

Homemade Chicken Broth

1 whole chicken (3 lbs)

½ tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Put chicken (cut up if it won't fit whole) and herbs into a large stock pot. Cover with cold water and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Add water when necessary to keep chicken completely covered.

2. Remove chicken and pull the meat off the bones. Discard the bones. Strain out the bay leaves and large pieces of fat left in the stock. Let it cool in the fridge and scoop off the layer of fat that forms on the top.

3. The stock can be frozen in 2 to 4 cup portions for easy use (most recipes call for 2 or 4 cups). Ziploc bags are nice for this purpose, as they can be frozen flat, then stored upright for space-saving storage.