Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

Southwestern Chicken and Rice Casserole

This casserole is a chicken and rice dish with a southwestern flavor to it.   It is not spicy hot but it does have a  little kick to it.  You can make it spicier by adding more chili powder.  This is a great dish to make on busy days.

This casserole is made with diced chicken, rice, tomatoes with green chilies,  beans, spices and a sauce made from flour, butter, milk, chicken broth, and seasonings.  The sauce is mixed in with the other ingredients and poured into a casserole dish.  Bake for about 25 minutes, sprinkle with some shredded Mexican cheese, and bake another 5-8 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  Let the casserole cool for about 10 minutes.  Serve and garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.


Southwest Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.25 ounce can) corn, drained
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with green chilies*
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon  chipotle chili powder
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1cup shredded Mexican cheese
Sour Cream
Diced fresh tomatoes
* Diced tomatoes can be substituted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Place the rice, chicken, beans, corn, tomatoes, parsley, cumin, garlic powder, Mexican oregano, and  chili powders in a large bowl.  Stir to mix well.
3. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan.  Stir in flour until blended and cook for about 1 minute.  Stir in milk slowly followed by the chicken broth.  Add salt and pepper and stir.  Bring to a boil stirring constantly until thickened.  Stir the sauce into the chicken and rice mixture.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.  Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
5. Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 10 minutes.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced tomatoes.

Makes 6 servings

Magic Cake

Magic Cake

Magic Cake?  I needed to test further to see if what they stated in the recipe was true.  With one very simple batter consisting of eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, sugar, butter, and some powdered sugar you get a delicious three layer cake.  How can this be?  Can anything this simple be as delicious as they say?  In a word YES.

This was  by far the simplest cake I have ever made and the taste was delicious.   The hardest thing is making the batter and that isn't that hard.  Once you have the batter made you pour it into a greased baking dish and bake the cake for about 40 minutes.  When the cake is a golden brown

remove it from the oven and let it cool.   My cake got a little too brown, but it was still good:)  Cut and serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar.  Top with a blackberry, strawberry slice, blueberry, raspberry, or leave it plain.  Cut and voila - there are your three delicious layers.  The first is like a light pie crust, the second the delicious custard, and the third the cake layer.     My favorite was the creamy custard middle layer.  Wow - it was good.

Try this cake.  It is great when you need something quick, easy, and inexpensive  to make for your family,  pot luck, etc.


MAGIC CAKE
From Jo Cooks

Ingredients:

See the Layers

4 eggs (separate yolks from whites) at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick or ½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup of all purpose flour
2 cups milk lukewarm
Powdered sugar for dusting cake

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees. Grease a 8 inch x 8 inch baking dish.
2. Separate eggs and add the egg whites to a mixer and mix until egg whites are stiff. Place egg whites in a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light. Add butter and vanilla extract and continue beating for another minute or two after which you can add the flour and mix it in until fully incorporated.
4. Slowly start adding the milk and beat until everything is well mixed together. Add the egg whites, a third at a time and gently fold them in using a spatula, repeat until all egg whites are folded in. Another variation to folding in the egg whites would be to add a third of the egg whites and gently whisk them in to the cake batter, then reverse the process and add a bit of the cake mixture to the egg whites and gently whisk in, repeat until all cake batter has been whisked in.
5. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 to 70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden. The baking time could vary greatly depending on the oven, so take a peek at around 40 minutes and see how it looks.
6. Sprinkle some powdered sugar after cake has cooled.

Serves: 9

Turkey Meatballs

Turkey Meatballs

The other night, the kids and I were watching an old movie and meatballs were served for dinner.  I thought what a great idea.  I haven't served meatballs in ages.  They will be great.

Instead of making the standard meatballs, I found a recipe for Turkey Meatballs from the "Simply Recipes" blog.  They sounded wonderful and looked divine.  These are the meatballs I decided to make.

I changed the recipe slightly.  Instead of using a shallot, I substituted onion powder.  For the clove of garlic, I used granulated garlic. For the mushrooms, I used white instead of the shiitake and cremini.    Finally, I didn't have any fresh parsley, so I used dried parsley flakes.  This recipe has delicious ingredients that translate into delicious moist and flavorful meatballs.  You have mushrooms, Herbes de Provence, ground turkey meat, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, mayonnaise, salt, and ground pepper.   All of the ingredients are mixed together  until combined.  You then form the mixture into meatballs and cook in a large skillet.  I didn't turn some of my meatballs as  gently as I should have and they got a somewhat squarish appearance.  But they were good:)

You can serve the meatballs by themselves or with your favorite Marinara Sauce. Being that I cooked up some pasta, I served mine with some Marinara Sauce.

The flavor of these meatballs was not disappointing.  They have a wonderful flavor and were very moist.  These are the best turkey meatballs I have ever had.  The family was in complete agreement and asked me to make them again.

The original recipe for these meatballs from the "Simply Recipes" blog can be found here.

Turkey Meatballs
Adapted From Simply Recipes "Turkey Mushroom Meatballs" Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces of white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 pound ground turkey meat
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon olive oil
Marinara Sauce (optional)

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a small skillet.  Add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms are cooked through.  Stir in the Herbes de Provence.  Remove from heat and transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and cool in fridge for about 5 minutes or until cool to the touch.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the ground turkey, parsley, onion powder, salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, lemon zest, and mushroom mixture.  With your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until well combined.
3. Form meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium low to medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, place the meatballs in the skillet.  Do not crowd the pan.  Gently cook the meatballs, turning so that you get them lightly browned on all sides.  Serve with or without marinara sauce.

Makes about 16 meatballs depending on size

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Butter and Rum Crepes, Fancy and Plain

Butter and Rum Crepes

This week's assignment for French Fridays With Dorie was crepes.  Not just any crepes, but Butter and Rum Crepes.  Oh, they were sooo good.  I wanted to lick my plate clean.  I resisted.  A wonderful crepe batter is made in a blender that has the traditional crepe ingredients of milk, flour, eggs, salt and butter.   To this batter, Dorie added rum or vanilla extract, sugar, lemon and orange zest.  She suggested a neat trick with the citrus zests and sugar -  rub the sugar and the zests together with your fingertips.  I am going to do this in other recipes - the sugar tasted fantastic - yes I took a very small taste.  Any way, back to the crepe batter.  The ingredients are blended together in a blender and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.  Dorie states 12 or more hours is ideal.

The crepes are then cooked in a crepe pan or  a skillet that has been rubbed lightly with canola oil.  Once the crepes are browned place on a plate that has been  sprinkled with sugar.  Next, you make the delicious sauce that is drizzled over the crepes.

The sauce is made with honey, lemon juice, orange juice and lots of delicious butter.  If you wish, you can fill the crepes with some lemon curd but I didn't.  I folded my crepes into quarters, arranged them on a plate and drizzled the sauce over them.  I also did a dusting of powdered sugar.

As I said earlier in this post - these crepes were fantastic.  Everyone in the family loved theses crepes.  This dish will definitely be making more appearances on my table.  Not only are they delicious they are so easy to make.

This recipe can be found on pages 411-413 in "Around My French Table."   Enjoy:)

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder

I had two delicious bowls of Corn Chowder for dinner.  Corn Chowder is one of my favorite comfort soups. I love the combination of flavors - sweet corn, potatoes, spices, onion, garlic, cream, and lots of pepper - mmm wonderful. When corn is in season, I use fresh but in this batch I used frozen corn.  For the potatoes - I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes in my Corn Chowder - they do not break down as much as other types do.  I also prefer their sweet flavor in this chowder.

Basic ingredients are used in this soup - corn, potatoes, chicken broth, butter, onions, a little garlic, thyme, parsley flakes, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper.  I use lots of black pepper to season my chowder.  I start by melting some butter in a Dutch Oven and adding the diced onions with a little salt.  Once the onions are soft, I add the garlic until fragrant.  I then sprinkle some flour over the onions and garlic.  I let it cook for about a minute before I add the chicken broth, diced potatoes, (my family states my potatoes are more chunks than diced) and spices.   Once the potatoes are tender I add the corn and cook for about 5-7 minutes.  I add the heavy cream, taste and season with salt and pepper.  Once the soup is heated through I ladle it into bowls and serve with some fresh ground pepper on top (I told you I like pepper with this soup).  You can garnish your soup with a drizzle of olive oil, if you wish.

Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 (16 ounce package) frozen corn - about 3 cups
2 cups heavy cream
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a Dutch Oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft - about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic to the onions and cook until fragrant.  Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir to coat.  Cook about 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken stock, parsley flakes, bay leaf, dried thyme, and bring to a boil.  Add the potatoes and cook for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the corn to the broth and bring to a boil.  Cook about 5-7 minutes or until corn is tender.
5. Add the cream and heat until the chowder is heated through.  Taste and season with salt and black pepper.  Remove the Bay leaf before serving.  



Makes 8 servings

Beef With Snow Peas

Beef With Snow Peas

Beef With Snow Peas is one of those dinners you can put together quickly. Great for nights when you are busy but yet want to prepare a healthy meal. This has been a favorite dinner of the family's for years.  I spice this dish up a bit with some red pepper flakes. The older two kids in the family like their stir fry extra spicy so I put a bottle Sriracha sauce on the table.
  
I marinate some sliced flank steak in soyy sauce, mirin, sugar, garlic, and fresh ginger.  A tip in slicing the flank steak thin is to put it in the freezer for 30 to 40  minutes or until it is firm.   The marinated beef and snow peas are fried over high heat in a heavy skillet - I used my favorite cast iron one.  Then they are added to a sauce made of soy sauce, mirin,  cornstarch, and some chicken stock. I then sprinkle some pepper flakes on top.  Check for seasoning and add salt if necessary.  I serve over some Jasmine rice but you could also  serve it over some Chinese noodles.  Here is a  satisfying dinner that is quick and delicious:)

Beef With Snow Peas

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound beef flank steak
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons Mirin, divided
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons cornstarch
8 ounces fresh snow peas
5-6 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon onion powder
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt
Jasmine rice cooked according to package directions

Directions:
1. Cut the beef across the grain into 1/8-inch thick slices.  Set  aside.
2. In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Mirin, the ginger, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon oil,  and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Mix well. Add the beef and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and the onion powder with some cold water until smooth.  Stir in the chicken stock, 2 tablespoons sauce sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.  Set aside.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in the skillet.  Add the snow peas and stir-fry for about 1 minute.  Remove the peas to a plate.
5. Add more oil if needed to the skillet.  Scatter the beef, 1/3 at a time in the skillet.  Cook for about 1 minutes.  Remove to a plate and cook the remaining beef.
6. Stir the chicken broth mixture.  Add to the skillet and heat to boiling.  Cook for about 1 minute or until the sauce has thickened.  Add the beef, peas and crushed red peeper flakes.  Cook another minute.  Taste and add salt if needed.
7. Serve over the cooked rice.

Makes 6 servings

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Salted Caramel-Chocolate Dump Cake

Salted Caramel-Chocolate Dump Cake

Chocolate, caramel, a pinch of salt, some more chocolate.  Add some pudding and milk and what do you get?  A delicious quick and easy cake.  This is by far the best dump cake I have ever tasted.  It has a texture similar to a cake brownie.  The caramel and the salt make this cake.  They add the little extra goodness that puts this cake in a class by itself.

The ingredients are basic: cake mix, a package of instant chocolate pudding, milk, caramels, coarse sea salt, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and whipped cream which is optional.   First you mix the pudding and milk together.  You then add the cake mix and stir.  The batter is very thick.  Spread the batter evenly into a prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle the caramels over the cake mix followed by a sprinkling of sea salt.  The cake is baked for about 30-40 minutes.  Remove the cake from the oven and cool.  In the meantime, melt some semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave.  Once the chips have melted, drizzle the chocolate over the cooled cake.  Your cake is ready to serve.  If you wish you can serve the cake with a dollop of whipped cream.  I used Reddi Wip and everyone loved it.



Salted Caramel-Chocolate Dump Cake
From Tablespoon Blog

Doesn't This Look Good:)

INGREDIENTS
1 small (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil's Food cake mix
1 1/2 cups chopped caramels
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together chocolate pudding and milk for one minute to combine.
3. Add cake mix ONLY and stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Spread batter evenly into bottom of prepared pan (batter will be thick). Sprinkle with chopped caramels. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste (remember: A little bit goes a long way).
5. Bake cake 30-40 minutes or until edges pull away from sides and a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean.

Out of the Oven and Cooling

6. Remove cake from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
7. Pour chocolate chips into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is fully melted. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over cooled cake.
8. Serve cake with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.