Ground Chicken and Potato Curry

                          A delicious savory curry quick enough to serve for a busy weeknight dinner.
Great over rice or with Roti, and Indian flatbread.
 Flatbread is super easy and only three ingredients: whole wheat flour, pinch of salt and warm water. You don't even dirty a frying pan! Just wipe & go. My favorite type of recipe!
I make the dough and let it sit while I make the curry, remove curry from heat, then make the Roti. Here is a great video and a great recipe: Manjula's Roti  You'll wonder why you didn't try them sooner!

This curry can be made with cubed, boneless, skinless chicken or ground chicken or turkey. I'm not sure I'd use ground beef.
I had a proclaimed raisin hater (lol) say that perhaps it needed more raisins. Of course I artfully dodged the "what are those occasional sweet things?" question, and the said hata never found out I used golden raisins, "it could use a little more of those little things."
I love using golden raisins because they aren't as widely recognized as the traditional dark ones and easier to get past certain people who otherwise wouldn't try them, or come into the dish with a raisin bias. ;)
Ah, great fun.

As with most recipes, you can make it your own by adding more veggies, less veggies, more curry, less curry, etc.
extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
2 small diced potatos
1 cup chopped celery with leaves
(I hold the pascal of celery and chop off just the tip to rid it of all the yucky brown cut ends, then thinly slice the whole thing starting at the top until I have the amount I need, sprinkle with water and stick back into the fridge. I don't see the need to take stalks off and then chop. The leaves are fantastic.)
3/4 cup or so of sliced scallions, including the green tops, if they're in good condition.
1/8 tsp red chili flakes
1/8 tsp ground cumin
pinch garlic powder
s & p to taste (easy on the salt)
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 Tablespoon curry (more or less, depending on your curry and your taste for it)
1 1/2 t. garam masala
(I found mine at Meijer, not in the spice isle, but in the Indian foods section. Only 3 bucks for a huge 7ounce bag. Often, spices are cheaper in other sections of the store than in the "spice isle.")
1 dried small bay leaf
2 tsp cornstarch melted into 1 Tablespoon cold water, mix well.

 1/2 golden raisins
1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used fat-free)

Brown chicken with chili flakes and cumin, in about a Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, over medium heat. Don't fully cook yet.
Add potatoes and celery, pinch of salt, pepper and sprinkle of garlic powder, stir.
Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, depending on size of your potato cubes.
Add scallions, broth, curry, garam masala, and bay leaf, stir to combine.
Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy.
Add raisins and stir, cook about a minute. Just so the raisins plump.*
Stir in cornstarch slurry, stirring until thickened, about a minute or two, turn off heat and cover while you make the Roti.
Stir in yogurt before serving. :)


 *I was going to add frozen peas here, but I forgot. If you like peas, try adding them here. :)

Serve with Roti to clean up your plate! Super yummy and healthy.

Roast Beef and Barley Stew

This is such a wonderful, savory stew.  Perfect for leftover roast and veggies. Use any comb of vegetables you like. Had I had my way, I would  have had this brimming with mushrooms!
While even better the next day, it's thick enough to eat with a fork. More beef broth, or even water can be added to thin it out a bit.

Have fun with this and make it your own, and a winter go-to dinner for leftover roast.

canola or  olive oil for  sauteing 
1/2 chopped  onion
2 ribs celery,  chopped
2 carrots,  chopped
2 Tablespoons  tomato  paste

combo of veggies, I used a  handful each of matchstick cut zucchini, green beans, mushrooms

3 Tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 dried bay leaves
2  teaspoons dried basil
Kosher salt and pepper to  taste
1 1/2  boxes   beef  broth, about 40 oz  or so..doesn't have to be exact
1  cup rinsed and drained uncooked barley
2-4  cups cubed leftover roast beef

2 fat Tablespoons cornstarch..I don't level off the tablespoons, I just scoop out the cornstarch. * If you want  a thinner consistency, try  1  Tablespoon to a couple Tablespoons water first.  After simmering  about 5 minutes, if  it isnt thick enough for you, add  a bit   more of cornstarch melted in a bit of water and stir into the hot, simmering stew.*
1/4  cup cool tap water

 In a large pot  or dutch  oven,  heat vegetable or olive oil over medium heat.
Add onion, celery,  carrots,  and  pinch of salt  and  pepper. Cook and stir just until onion  begins to turn translucent.
Add tomato paste and stir.
Add other  veggies, starting with the ones that will take longest to cook.
Add  bay leaves,  one teaspoon  of the basil, salt and pepper.
Cook and  stir until all  veggies just begin to soften.
 
Add  broth,  worchestershire,  soy, the  rest of  the basil, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Stir and bring up to a boil, add  barley, stirring  to  ensure  it  doesn't stick  to the bottom of the pan, then turn back down to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally,  until  barley softens.
Quickly stir in  the cornstarch  slurry, stirring constantly until stew begins to thicken, just a couple minutes.

Add  beef and simmer until beef is heated through and  veggies are desired doneness.  Fish out bay leaves and serve!

Beef Lo Mein (stir fry with noodles)

The sauce and noodles make this delicious dish.  Use whatever vegetables you prefer, and linguine noodles can be used in place of the udon noodles. I just love the  udon noodles because they're so quick  cooking and tender, and  they're less than a dollar more than linguine noodles, so why not?


I didn't specify a certain cut of meat because preference varies and you really can use just about any cut you have on  hand,  just cut it super thin, on a bias, and against the grain, and cook it fast, to ensure tender beef.  This is  a great dish to stretch a buck with steak.

While you slice and dice your veggies, marinade the beef for about 20-30 minutes.

Marinade:1-2 lb piece of beef, I used two thin cut top round steaks because they're cheap where I get them. :)
Marinate them whole in large resealable plastic baggies, with:
4 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 fat Tablespoons grated garlic
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of black pepper


Squeeze all the air out of the baggie,  and squish the marinade around the beef real well so all the meat gets coated.  Refrigerate 20-30 minutes.

For the stir fry:
about 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying
1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon cooking Sherry
1 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoons soy, divided
1 Tablespoon Black Bean and Garlic sauce(in a small dark jar in the Asia section of the grocery)

slice the marinated  beef very thin, on the bias, and against the grain
1 carrot, ribboned with a potato peeler
large handful of mushrooms, sliced
1 green  bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small  head of cabbage, very thinly sliced
baby corn,  cut  into about 1-inch  pieces
scallions, to garnish

1 heaping Tablespoon cornstarch melted into about 2 Tablespoons of cool or room temp beef broth or water.

about 2 cups of cooked and drained udon or linguine noodles.

The cooking goes fast, so be sure to have everything you need assembled and  ready.

In a large, high sided frying pan or wok, over high heat, cook the beef in small batches, so it doesn't become steamed  by too  much in the pan and overcook.
Set the beef aside on a plate as you finish each batch.

Add bell peppers, mushrooms, and carrots in the vegetable oil, if needed.
Keep the veggies moving, and when the mushrooms begin to darken and cook, remove veggies with a slotted spoon and set a side on a plate.

Turn heat down just a hair, and add beef broth,  oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, sherry,  and half the  soy sauce.
Stir to combine well, and add veggies and beef back to the pan. Add baby corn and cabbage,tossing everything together well, and keeping it all moving until baby corn is heated and cabbage  starts  to wilt. Just a minute or two.
Add the other Tablespoon of soy.
Push everything to the side a  little and add  cornstarch mixture. Toss all together well.
Add noodles and  toss  well.
Turn off heat, but keep tossing everything well to coat noodles, wilt cabbage a bit more (I like my cabbage with  a little crunch  left), and sauce thickens.  This isn't a real saucy dish,  just enough to coat.

Top with scallions and serve!

Chorizo and Butternut Squash Crostata

A light and flaky crust dusted in cornmeal tastes so good wrapped around a butternut, potato and chorizo hash. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner!
This easy Savory Pie Crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge, ready to roll out and fill with this awesome filling, for a satisfying meal.

You'll need:

• 1 recipe of Savory Pie Crust, dusted with about 1-2 Tablespoons of cornmeal and chilled about an hour
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1/2 small butternut squash)
• 2 1/2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1/2 inch cubes
• 9 oz log of Mexican chorizo, beef or pork, I used beef. Don't confuse it with the hard Spanish chorizo.
• 1 cup small diced white onion, about half an onion
• 3/4 cup chopped pineapple
• 1 1/2cups fresh shredded mozzarella, the preshredded in the bags just don't melt the same, nor have the same flavor. And with the real, a little goes a long way.
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 dried thyme, crushed in your palms
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of tap water, maybe 1 Tablespoon, for the crust
• sour cream for serving

In a large pan, cook chorizo, potato and butternut over medium-high heat, only stirring to keep the chorizo from burning.

Leave the chorizo and veggies to cook and get a nice crust like with hash. When one side begins to brown, turn heat down to medium and add onion, a very small pinch of salt and pinch of pepper. The chorizo has salt in it and is spicy and the veggies soak some of that up, so there's very little need for too much salt and pepper.
Add thyme and cinnamon and cook chorizo and veggies for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on it so chorizo doesn't burn.
When veggies are a little tender, add pineapple, and I add the juice on the board from when I was chopping the pineapple. Just for a bit extra flavor :)

Remove chorizo mix from heat and let cool a bit while you make the crostata crust.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unwrap the cornmeal dusted dough disk, but don't remove it from the plastic wrap.
Quickly roll the dough out to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Carefully slid it onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, covered with parchment paper and sprayed again. Slid the plastic wrap out from under the crostata crust.

 Pile the crust high with the chorizo and butternut mixture.
Then top with a cup of mozzarella cheese, leaving about 1 1/2 inch edge.

 Lift edge up and over the filling, stretching, but being careful not to tear dough.

 I take kitchen scissors and make a little slit so the edges lie down flatter when I'm folding the edges over.
 

Brush on the egg wash, so it'll get nice and golden.
Sprinkle on the rest of the mozzarella and bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and garnish with cilantro, if desired. But the sour cream is a must. oh yum!

Home Ground Chicken Patties

Wonderfully easy and delicious.
Why buy overpriced ground chicken that sometimes has as much fat thrown into it as hamburger?
Buy chicken breasts on sale and debone them yourself. There are tons of videos on YouTube demonstrating how to do this. All you need is a sharp knife (not serrated, smooth) and after practicing on one or two, you'll have it.
Cut your boneless, skinless chicken in large 2-inch or so cubes, toss into a food processor with the sharp blade (not too much at once, so not to overheat it, unless you have a large one).  I put in about 1 1/2-2 lbs of chicken chunks and pulsed it about 16-18 times.  Just until it was processed enough to form patties, but not pate`. There were still about 1/2 centimeter sized pieces mixed in.

Now you're ready to make some chicken patties!
for the patties you'll need:
about 2 lbs of  home ground chicken
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, plus more for coating
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
salt and pepper

the coating:
2 cups plain bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
pepper, enough so you can see the flecks in the bread crumbs
dash Italian seasoning, just a couple shakes, enough so you can see just a hint of the flecks in the bread crumbs

Mix the ingredients for the chicken patties and chill mixture for about 10 minutes.
Mix the coating ingredients.

Using a measuring cup, I used 1/2 cup measure but I didn't fill it all the way, scoop up some mixture and drop it into the coating mixture like this:

Then, using your hands, scoop crumb mixture on top of the chicken, patting it down gently and forming a rough pattie, like this:

Then carefully slide your hand under the patty, picking it up. The patties will be very fragile feeling. Turn it over once in your other palm and cupping your free hand, just go around the edges of the pattie to make it more uniform. It won't pack down and feel like a firm beef pattie, so just make sure it has a coating and is the thickness you like. Work quickly and if mixture gets too difficult to work with, chill a few more minutes.
I have found this way of making the chicken patties the easiest and less messiest.

Heat up a frying pan, over medium heat, with some vegetable oil.
Using a spatula, carefully set the pattie into the hot pan. Fry each side about 3-4 minutes, depending what size they are. If they are browning too quick, lower the heat a little. You may need to add a bit more oil as you cook.
Patties are done when deep golden brown and center feels firm, but not hard.
I like to sprinkle them with a little kosher salt at this point.

Serve on a bun like a chicken sandwich, or a chicken salad, or with mashed potatoes and gravy, or freeze for fast microwavable snacks and sandwiches. So crunchy on the outside, juicy in the middle and soo yummy!
And the best part is you KNOW what is in THESE chicken patties. :)

Kale Pesto

 I was pleasantly surprised by this. I wasn't sure kale would work out considering it can be bitter and is so different from basil.  This pesto would be SO good spread on garlic bread!

Oh, I used one bunch of kale minus about 3 cups (fresh)or so. 
Makes 1 1/2 cup pesto

small bunch of kale, washed and drained, thick stems trimmed out (I left some smaller ones) and chopped into large chunks, just so they fit into the pan better.
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
1 cup parmesan, fresh grated, divided
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon
1 Tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, grated
healthy pinch of kosher salt
pepper
wee pinch of red pepper flakes, crushed between your fingers as you sprinkle it into the kale
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cups rotini pasta
medium saucepan filled 3/4 way up with water and salted well.
1 Tablespoon butter


 Bring salted water to a nice boil.  Squish in all your kale. Wait until the water comes back up to a boil and cook about 2-3 minutes. I don't care to boil mine down until they're super wilted.  Just until they're softened up and bright green.  So pretty!

Turn off the heat and let the kale sit in the hot water while you get a large bowl of super cold tap water.
Using a slotted spoon or spider spatula, put all the kale into the cold water to cool off and stop the cooking.
Save the water in the saucepan from cooking the kale.
Drain the kale.
Bring the water up to a boil and add 2 cups rotini pasta.  The water should still be plenty salty, so you shouldn't need to add any more salt.
While pasta cooks, make the pesto.

Dump drained kale into food processor, add all the ingredients except the evoo and 1/2 the parmesan cheese. Pulse while slowly adding in the olive oil.  Should only take a few pulses to get the consistency you like. I like mine pretty well whizzed up. :)

Drain pasta, add pasta back to pan and stir in 1/2 cup of the pesto, butter and the rest of the parmesan.
Serve!
You can freeze the leftover pesto or keep it in your fridge for garlic bread, quick lunches or dinners, as a veggie dip for snacking..and it should last quite awhile.

Very healthy and surprisingly very filling!

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Meatball Soup with Fluffy Dumplings

After basking  in the after-dinner glow of noshing on these wonderful little morsels of chicken meatballs in a delectable creamy spinach and leek soup with mounds of light, fluffy dumplings to sop up the soup, I am saddened.  Saddened because there won't be any leftovers tomorrow! haha!

Like me, you may rethink ever eating beef meatballs again! okay, maybe not. But they're SO good.

Before you start anything, thaw a 10oz package of frozen spinach, put it into a mesh strainer and strain that spinach the best you can. Squeeze, squeeze, and then squeeze it some more. It's very important to get the spinach dry as possible so your meatballs don't fall apart and your soup isn't watery. So do this first, then let the spinach hang out in a strainer over a bowl. By the time you're ready for it, it'll be pretty dry and good to go.

Be sure to clean your leeks. Little bits of dirt and sand get caught up in the layers and layers of the leek. I've found the quickest way is to slice them in about 1/2 inch slices, or less, and put them in a large bowl (or salad spinner) of water. Swish them a round, separating the layers, then let them sit a minute. The dirt and sand will sink to the bottom and the leeks will float. Salad spinners are awesome and time savers for this step!

for the meatballs (makes 25-28 small):

• extra-virgin olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons, for browning meatballs
• 1 lb of ground chicken
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 Tablespoons plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped spinach, drained and squeezed VERY well
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon grated onion (with the juice, I just grate it over the chicken in the bowl)
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, grated (again, just grate it over the chicken in the bowl)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme, crushed a bit
• kosher salt and pepper, few pinches each

for the soup:

• 32 oz box chicken broth
• 2 leeks, sliced, cleaned and drained. (I use the light green part too, just like on green onions/scallions)
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 1/2 cups sliced carrot, fairly thin so it cooks with everything else
• 1/2 cup chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed VERY dry
• 2 cloves garlic, minced fine or grated
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed thyme. I used 1/2, but that may be a wee too thyme-y for some people. Scale it back if you aren't sure.
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

dumpling instructions to follow.


       Combine ground chicken with 2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs, spinach, egg, grated onion, parmesan, grated garlic, dried thyme, and a few good pinches of salt and pepper. Use your hands and gently combine all. Mixture will be wet.

Chill for a few minutes, about 5-10 minutes.

Mix the 1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs with a healthy pinch of salt, some pepper, and the Italian seasoning.

Using a small ice cream scoop (for about one inch balls), scoop small meatballs and drop into breadcrumbs to coat.  I find it easier and less messy to drop the meatballs from the scoop, right into the breadcrumbs, coat them and then gently roll them between my palms just a bit to give them a little shape. You don't want to take too much time rolling them in your hands. They won't be firm like ground beef meatballs.
Put them in one layer on a plate.

When all meatballs are made, put them into the fridge to chill while you heat up a heavy bottomed pan with a lid like a dutch oven.  If you don't have a lid, use a round pizza pan. Works great! You need something that won't allow steam to escape for the dumplings.

When pan is hot over medium-low heat, add about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil carefully. Evoo can spit when too hot.
Brown meatballs, trying not to fuss with them too much or they'll break up. Browning just two sides is fine. Don't cook the meatballs all the way through.

Be sure not to crowd the pan. It may be necessary to cook the meatballs in two batches.
Add more olive oil, if needed to keep balls browning and the bottom of the pan from burning.

Remove browned, but not all the way cooked, meatballs and set them aside.

Add 2 Tablespoons of margarine or butter to the pan after you've removed the meatballs.

Add carrots, celery, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cook and stir around a bit for about 3 minutes or so. Enough to give the carrots a head start.

Add leeks, spinach, garlic, and pinch more of salt and pepper; cook and stir a couple minutes.

Turn heat up to medium and add chicken broth and all but about two tablespoons of the milk and bring up just to a boil, then reduce heat to low. So that it simmers, but not so hard as to make it stick to the bottom of the pan.

Mix cornstarch with the leftover milk until cornstarch is dissolved and stir into soup.  Keep stirring until soup starts to thicken a bit.

Carefully add the meatballs to the soup.

While soup returns to a nice simmer, make the dumplings.


 for the dumplings:
I use a shortcut! I adore Bisquick dumplings. They're light and fluffy and just perfect every time!
(no, I don't work for them, nor do I know anyone who does, and I don't get paid to say that! LOL)



2 cups bisquick (yellow box, just the good ol' fashioned kind)
2/3 cup milk

Put bisquick in small bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the milk all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon just until all the liquid is absorbed and you have a soft dough. Dip a tablespoon measuring spoon into the hot, simmering soup to scoop out little spoonfuls of dough onto the soup. Works perfect this way and no mess! Except for having to use your finger sometimes. :)

Just like that.

Don't worry about overcrowding your pan. As long as the soup is simmering gently and your pan is covered, with no peeking!, you'll get soft, fluffy dumplings.

Keep the lid on for 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are dry on top. I topped mine with more parmesan cheese.
Dinner's ready! YUMMY!

Chicken Cacciatore Stew

Perhaps not a classic Cacciatore, but I simply adore this recipe. Store chicken in the leftover stewed veggies and sauce, and the next day you have the makings of an awesome hot sandwich on garlic bread!

I suppose you could use boneless chicken thighs, but I think the bone-in thighs and skin gives a lot of flavor to the wonderfully rich sauce and vegetables as everything simmers in the same pot.

You can add cooked pasta at the end, but I didn't feel this need it. It was a delicious and very filling meal without pasta. Chicken thighs do tend to get a little more greasy, but as the sauce reduces and as it cools, that really isn't noticeable much. And the next day, just spoon off the thickened fat on top of the sauce before you heat it up.

Speaking of the next day...this is so incredibly yummy the next day. Because the thighs are stored in the veggies and sauce, they stay moist.
A bit messy to dig out and debone for a sandwich, but SO worth it! I deboned a thigh, added some veggie and sauce, warmed up while a cut a fat piece of sourdough bread (or you could use sub bun, hamburger bun, hotdog bun, anything that is a bit more sturdy than regular white store bought bread), lightly spread with evoo or butter, sprinkle on some garlic powder, add some cheese like parmesan and/or mozzarella slices, add the warm sauce and bake, fry in a pan with a heavier pan on top of it until crisp and golden, or stick into your old George Foreman grill like I did and have a "panini." 

SO YUM!
I love making recipes that can be made into something else the next day, or are even better the next day! Give me a day off, so to speak, with an awesome dinner!


Crockpotters, I bet this would be a great crock recipe!
Enough chat, here's the recipe!

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 6 chicken thighs
• salt, pepper, garlic powder

•  1/2 cup chopped white onion        
• 1/2 cup chopped medium carrot
• 1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped
• small - medium zucchini, sliced in quarter moons
• 4 oz  Mushrooms, sliced
• 2 fat cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 small can tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes with juice
• 2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Asiago cheese

Add a small amount of evoo to a medium-hot dutch oven, or large deep-sided pan.  Season chicken thighs with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides.  Brown well on both sides, don't worry the chicken isn't all the way done, it'll cook up in the stew.

When chicken is a nice golden color on both sides, remove from pan, reduce heat to medium, and add the onions, carrots, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a pinch (about 1/4 tsp) of red pepper flakes, crushing them between your fingertips as you sprinkle them.
Cook and stir for about 2-3 minutes.

Add zucchini and mushrooms, another small pinch of salt and pepper and the other 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, crushed between your fingertips, and half of the basil. 
Cook and stir over medium heat until mushrooms begin to soften.

With a small grater, grate the garlic cloves down into the vegetables. If you don't have a grater with a small side, mince the garlic up super tiny.

Add tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and stir around the veggies real well. Add chicken stock, stirring until tomato paste is incorporated into the chicken stock.

Drain some of the tomato juice from the can into the pot of vegetables and, using your hands, reach into the hand and crush the tomatoes up. Empty can of crushed tomatoes into the pot.

Add the rest of the basil, a pinch of salt and pepper, if needed, and add chicken back into pot.
Cook with a lid tilted to let a bit of steam escape during cooking, reduce heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 30 -45 minutes, taking the lid off the last 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, add cheeses and stir carefully to incorporate cheese into the stew. Let stand about 10 minutes.
Serve with garlic bread and parmesan cheese to pass!

Note: Resist the urge to add things to thicken it up, because the next day it'll be VERY thick. Thick enough to use the stew as a sauce on your panini bread! oooooooooooooooooo so good!

Crockpot Pork Chops and Gravy dinner

Rachel Lynne  shares with us another family favorite.
Nothing says comfort food like fall-off-the-bone delicious pork with gravy, mashed potatoes and corn! How wonderful to come home to the fantastic smell of pork bubbling away in your crockpot, welcoming you home on a cold fall day.

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• one medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup flour
• Salt, Pepper
• Pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of garlic powder
• 1 cup milk

1.  Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder with about 3/4 cups of flour, coat pork chops and then brown in oil and place in crock pot.

2.  Turn heat to low and caramelize onions then add two to three tablespoons of flour, adding oil/butter if needed to make a loose flour mixture. Brown this roux until lightly golden.

3.  Whisk milk into flour mixture and stir until a thin gravy forms.  Sprinkle in a pinch of nutmeg (about 1/8 teaspoon) and cook a few minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Pour gravy over pork chops.

4.  Cook pork chops on low in crock pot for about 5 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes and corn, YUM!

Sesame Orange Chicken

I love the flavors of orange and chicken together, with a subtle heat that slowly builds, but won't burn your mouth off. I'm not a big fan of real hot things. I'd like to taste the other flavors, please. lol

A quick and easy dish you can serve over rice, quinoa, angelhair pasta, or by itself, you can play with the combination of veggies and amount of heat, to make it your own.  Stick leftovers in a container, and you have an awesome lunch at work the next day!

Arbol chilies are little red dehydrated chilies found in your Mexican spice section of the store. I'm lucky to live in within a large Hispanic community, so my local groceries have a huge section of  a Mexican brand spices, in cellophane bags and more often than not, good quality and MUCH cheaper than their American name brands in the regular spice isle of the store. The brand I find around me is Mi Constentina.  I bought 8 oz of sesame seeds for 2.49.  Better than 5 bucks for a little, dinky, useless amount, I find in the other isle. And I can't tell the difference in taste!
Reconstitute the chili in hot water until soft, about 30 minutes. Don't use the inner seeds and veins unless you like using the use of your taste buds for awhile. Oh, and as always, use gloves or wash your hands VERY well when messing with chilis.
If you prefer, you can sub the chili with a different kind of chili or a minced jalapeno. I just like the subtle, smoky heat these little Arbol chilies give. ahh.. I'm hungry, let's cook!

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
• 1 small Arbol chili, reconstituted, seeded, deveined, and minced very fine
• dash of Sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, sliced lengthwise and then in half. More or less to suit your tastes.
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions (scallions)
• 1 clove garlic, grated

The Sauce:

• 1 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1/3 cup juice and zest from one orange
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• few grates of fresh ginger (I keep mine in a freezer bag in the freezer, it keeps practically forever and saves $$)
• the rest of the reconstituted and minced red chili, about 1/2 teaspoon
• about one teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
• few drops sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch melted in about 2 Tablespoons cool tap water

sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for topping. As many as you like.

In large frying pan, heat about 2 Tablespoons veggie oil over fairly high heat.
Put chicken in one layer into the hot pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Flip pieces over when golden, reduce heat to medium-high and season that side with salt and pepper.
Add red bell pepper, grate a garlic clove down over the chicken, add couple drops sesame oil and green onions, pinch of the chilies, and stir for about one more minute and remove chicken from pan, unless chicken is still very raw. Depends on your chicken chunk sizes.

In same pan used to cook chicken, add the rest of the sauce ingredients, saving out a pinch of the orange zest for garnish, and stir until it begins to thicken.
Add chicken back to pan and stir until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thick. Maybe 5 minutes, not too long so the red bells don't get soggy. Taste for salt. I had to add just a pinch more before serving. Be careful judging heat level. It builds after a couple bites. ;)

Toast about a Tablespoon or two, of sesame seeds over medium heat, in a small frying pan,  moving pan about, until seeds begin to let off a little aroma. This is quite fast after the pan is hot, so be careful not to burn them.
Garnish with more green onions, orange zest, and toasted sesame seeds!

Awesome Au Gratin Potatoes

I love piling these onto green beans! SO good!  You can make this ahead of time, just save the french fried onion topper until the potatoes are in the oven and almost done so they don't get soggy.

Keep peeled potatoes in water to keep them from turning brown while you peel and slice the rest!

You can choose to just slice the onions, instead of dicing, I just dice them due to the preferences of others I cook for.
The amount of cheese, salt and pepper in this dish is up to you and your tastes too.
Also, if you like some zip to your dishes, try adding one seeded & deveined minced jalapeno to this, and pepperjack cheese instead of cheddar. Fantastic!

• 4-5 cups of peeled (your choice) and thin sliced potatoes, about 5-6 small/medium.
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 can cream of celery soup (undiluted)
• 2-3 cups cheddar cheese, grated. Try not to get the pre-grated, not only do you get LESS cheese (they add cornstarch and such so the cheese doesn't stick together, and since it's sold by weight- you get less), but grating your own results in much creamier texture.
• fresh grated parmesan cheese, maybe 1/2 cup
• small (2.8 oz) can french fried onions
• dried rosemary
• dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• butter or margarine
• dried or fresh parsley for garnish

Spray a 2.5 quart round casserole dish with spray oil.
In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion and undiluted soup.Try to separate as many of the slices as possible, when mixing, so they all get coated and they cook better.
Sprinkle with couple good pinches of salt and pepper.
Take a good pinch of rosemary, maybe about 1/8 teaspoon, and rub it between your fingertips, crushing so not have big twigs of rosemary and to get the flavor out. Do the same for the thyme.

Put a layer of potato mixture in the bottom of casserole dish, about 5 pea-sized dots of butter or margarine, sprinkle a handful of cheddar cheese, and grate some parmesan cheese down over it; maybe a tablespoon or two.
Repeat twice, for a total of 3 layers, ending the top layer with cheese and parmesan.
Cover and cook at 350 degrees for about 1.5-2 hours, depending on how soft you want your potatoes. Test with fork in the center.
When the potatoes are your desired doneness, uncover and add the French's onions, more pepper and parsley. 

Cook uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Be careful because the onions can burn fast.

Serve over green beans! YUMM!


If you wish, you can instead, top the potatoes with a mixture of breadcrumbs, butter and parmesan.

Meatballs! Stroganoff and a Sub!

Stroganoff pictured here

 This recipe makes enough meatballs to set some aside in the freezer for spaghetti, meatball subs (scroll to the bottom of this post for my meatball sub), or any other recipe you'd like to have a batch of meatballs ready to go. I forgot to write down exactly how many it made, but I baked two baking sheets of about one-inch meatballs. So 40-50 meatballs. I strongly suggest chilling the meatballs, as it helps them hold their shape and it's easier to form them. They can be prepped the night before, so all you have to do is throw them into the oven.

As always, much of this recipe is personal preference. For example, the mushrooms. I would have preferred large slices of mushrooms, but I live with mushroom-haters (haha), so I chopped them up pretty small. Same with the onions.  The meatballs were a big hit with them, by the way.  Score one for me. I won't tell if you don't. :)
Oh, also, a mixture of ground meats, such as pork, lamb and beef is preferable for ultimate meatballs, but I used just ground beef for the sake of my wallet.  They were still moist and wonderful!
But enough of that! Let's get to the recipe..

Meatballs:

• 3 lbs ground beef
• roughly 2 cups torn bread chunks from a thick bread like a sub bun
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry as possible
• 1/4 cup fresh fine chopped mushrooms
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 
• few good pinches of black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage

Stroganoff gravy:

•  5 Tablespoons margarine, plus 1 Tablespoon
• 1 cup minced onion 
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 small dried bay leaf
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire 
• salt and pepper to taste (keep in mind the meatballs will add salt taste)
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to top with, if desired

To make meatballs:
 
Soak bread chunks in 3/4 cup of milk in small bowl for about 10-20 minutes, until all the milk is soaked up. 

Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix with your hands to combine, but try not to over mix or squish too harsh. Cover bowl and chill for at least an hour; up to overnight.  

Line a cookie sheet (one with a small edge so the meatball drippings don't get all over your oven, that's always joyful) with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a small ice cream scoop, gently make about 1 inch meatballs. They don't have to be exact, but try to make them even sized as possible for even cooking.  When baking sheet is full, put leftover mix into fridge until the first batch is done.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs. I usually find when they are firm, but not hard, to the touch, they are done.

Let meatballs stand for about 3-5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

Remove and make the last batch of meatballs.

You should have 40-60 meatballs. Save some for this recipe and in labeled freezer bags, freeze the others for quick meals or snacks.

Stroganoff Gravy:
In large pan, use 5 Tablespoons of margarine, with bay leaf, to soften onions about 3-4 minutes over medium heat and then add mushrooms and dash of salt and pepper. Stir and cook a couple more minutes, but not so long as to soak up all the moisture in the pan.

Add 1 Tablespoon margarine and using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in flour.

Cook and stir until all flour is moistened and you have a thick mixture, or roux. Keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes, lowering the heat just a touch, if needed, so as not to burn the flour.

In a slow, but steady stream, add beef broth while stirring vigorously to avoid lumping. Keep stirring and adding broth slowly, until all the broth is added.  Add milk and keep stirring until thickening slows.

Add nutmeg, Worcestershire and then salt and pepper to taste, if needed. 

When gravy is thick, remove from heat and add sour cream. Stir, then add meatballs.

Serve over medium egg noodles, rice, or alone, and with extra sour cream, if desired.

 Mmmm.. I love extra sour cream!

What I did with some extra meatballs I saved out:
Add about 2 Tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan to a small can (15 oz) of spaghetti sauce to about 15 meatballs or so, depending out saucy you like them. Put on a buttered and toasted sub bun sprinkled with garlic powder. Arrange meatballs, spoon sauce over, top with a bit more grated parmesan, some thin sliced mozzarella, teeeny pinch of Italian seasoning, stick under broiler to melt and tada! LUNCH! yum!

Ahhh...nothing like a hot meatball sub for a Saturday lunch!

Arepas stuffed with Chipotle Lime Shredded Chicken

This is a delicious shredded chicken  that can be served in tortillas, in a taco salad, on a toasted sub bun, so many possibilities!
The warmth of the chipotle can be increased if you desire a hotter chicken, and is offset by a wonderful subtle sweetness given by the honey that should also be increased a bit if you increase the heat.
Make the day before a potluck, or freeze for quick lunches!


I'm sure you could make this in a crockpot too, but I don't have a crockpot now, so can't tell you what the heat and time would be on this. If you make this in a crock, feel free to drop me a note and I'll add the heat and cook time to this, crediting you, of course.

You can use the Mexican cheese, cotija, but I served this on arepas with avacado and feta cheese. The tangy-ness of the feta went SO well with the sweet heat of the chicken, and was easier on my wallet. I'll include the arepa recipe below.

I'm getting hungry, so on with the recipe!

• 5 lbs chicken leg quarters
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced purple onion
• 1 (4 oz) can LaPreferida roasted green chilies (found in ethnic foods or Mexican isle, look for a small red and white label. About a dollar and SO good!)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded & deveined, unless you prefer very hot foods :)
• 1/2 chipotle, with its sauce, chopped (small cans of chipotles can be found next to the green chilies, freeze the rest of the chipotles and sauce for a quick flavor and heat boost to many dishes)
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• juice from 2 REAL (lol please don't use the bitter bottled stuff) limes (about 3-4 Tablespoons)

Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. In a large pot with lid, or dutch oven, brown chicken on both sides, in a little vegetable or olive oil.

When chicken is browned, remove from pan and set aside.
Add onion and jalapeno. Reduce heat to medium heat. Cook and stir about 2 or 3 minutes, then add the can of chilies, chipotle and sauce, and tomato paste. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook and stir a minute or two and add crushed tomatoes, seasonings, bay leaf, honey, and salt and pepper to taste, and lime juice.

Reduce heat to a low simmer, and add chicken back into the pan, stirring them around so all the chicken gets a coating of sauce.

Cover and cook 30-45 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and practically falling off the bone. Remove chicken to a plate to cool to the touch so you can pick the meat off the bone and shred.

Add cooked chicken back to sauce and, leaving the lid off, cook and stir over a very low heat while you prepare tortillas, or arepas, or the rest of your meal.

Arepas 

Arepas are to South America what english muffins are to North America. Sort of.

They're wonderful little pockets of yumminess almost the size of an english muffin and can be filled with just about anything you like.
They're made of a gluten-free precooked white cornmeal that is ground very fine into a flour. It's found in the ethnic isle of a grocery store or a Mexican/Latino grocery, and is no more expensive than regular white flour. Common names are P.A.N, masarepa, harina precocida, but NOT to be confused with masa harina, that is used for corn tortillas.

I LOVE these as an alternative to tortillas. They're yummy like a tortilla, but easier to make and have a crunchy exterior, but a soft interior and split easily apart much like english muffins. Fill them with egg, ham and cheese for a quick breakfast, a variety of meats and cheeses for snacks, lunches, or paired with soup and salad for a complete meal.

To get a better feel of how to make these, visit youtube and look up arepas. There are tons of videos to show you how to make them.  Don't be intimidated, they're easy as heck once you get your heat and grease just so. Much like pancakes, the first one or two might not turn out until you get the heat and grease "just so". 

I don't find these do too well in a dry pan like tortillas, they need some kind of help. So you can use the spray stuff, margarine or butter.  I don't recommend  butter or olive oil as these may burn in the medium-high heat needed to cook the arepas. 

I'm getting hungry typing about these! Let's get to the recipe!

To get started, you'll need:

• large frying pan or griddle
• 1 cup masarepa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup hot water
• butter or vegetable oil for frying

Masarepa flour will have directions on the back, but what they don't tell you is the water should be HOT tap water, not warm or lukewarm.

Put hot water in medium bowl FIRST (they don't tell you this either), then add the masarepa and salt. Using your hands, mix it until you get a nice, pliable dough. This is where videos come in handy! Form a ball, and using your palms, slap into an english muffin size, but a bit thinner than an english muffin.

Put a dab of margarine or oil in a pan or griddle preheated over medium-high heat, and set the arepas in it and move them about a bit, so they all have a bit of butter under them.

Cook 5 minutes. They'll be a nice, golden  brown, with darker spots. Flip, adding more butter or oil as needed, and cook 5 more minutes until done. When done, they'll have a hollow sound when you tap on them.

Remove from heat onto paper towels, and cool to the touch. Slid a thin knife into the side of them to open up a little pocket like with a pita.

This recipe makes 6-8, depending on size.
Fill as you desire! so yummy.  These can be made ahead of time, and once cooled, wrapped in foil and refrigerated. Warm up in the oven, or hot pan, to crisp up.  I haven't tried putting them into a toaster to reheat and crisp, but I'm thinking that might work too!

Enjoy!

Eggplant Lasagna

An easy and scrumptious dish to satisfy your lasagna craving when you don't want to put in the time and work, or calories!, of regular lasagna.
It's easy to play with this to suit your tastes. For instance, you could use ground turkey or chicken, or no meat at all and add sliced raw mushrooms to saute with the onions, celery and carrot.

I like to add a pinch of sugar to help offset the acidity of the tomatoes. If you don't want to use white sugar, I'm sure a bit of honey or aguava, or adding another carrot, would work.

Before you get started, you'll want to sweat your eggplant. Slice it into 1/3"-1/2" thick slices and place on a cookie sheet covered in a couple layers of paper towels or a kitchen towel. Sprinkle with a couple teaspoons kosher salt and let sit for about 15 minutes. Pat dry with towel, turn over and salt the other side and let sit 15 minutes.

Now on to the recipe!

• 1 large, or two small eggplants, enough for 16 slices, 1/3-1/2" thick and sweated, extra salt dusted off and sweat patted dry

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1 small carrot, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin
• 1 rib celery, sliced thin, tops too if desired
• 1/2 large white onion, diced
• 3 fat cloves garlic, grated with zester
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash oregano

• 8 cups, or 2 quarts, or two (32 ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons each of dried marjoram, oregano, basil
• 1 fat clove of garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise, then thinly into half moons
• 1 small yellow zucchini/yellow squash, cut lengthwise, then into thin half moons
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 Tablespoons fresh grated Asiago cheese
• 1 Tablespoon fresh grated parmesan cheese
  Salt and pepper to taste

• 8 ounces fresh grated mozzarella cheese
• fresh grated Asiago and Parmesan for two layers
• Italian seasoning

Over medium-high heat, brown beef and add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, a sprinkle of oregano over the meat, and a few good sprinkles of salt and pepper, depending on your preferences of salt and pepper, keeping in mind the eggplant will have a little salt.

Cook and stir until beef is no longer pink and veggies are beginning to soften. DRAIN.

Add tomatoes, herbs, garlic, sugar, zucchini, yellow squash, tomato paste, 2 T Asiago and 1 T parmesan to the drained meat mixture.
Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, if desired. Remove from heat.

In the bottom of a deep 9x13 inch baking dish, spread about a cup or so of the meat and tomato sauce, layer eggplant slices slightly overlapping each other.  On each slice, spread a spoonful of sauce, grate some parmesan and asiago cheese lightly over all the sauce, then sprinkle about half the mozzarella cheese over all.
Layer again with the last 8 slices slightly overlapping, sauce, parmesan, asiago and the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle lightly with Italian seasonings or parsley.

Cover with foil and bake in 375 oven for 30 minutes. TIP: spray the underside of the foil so the cheese doesn't stick to it!
After 30 minutes, take off foil and continue to cook for 15-30 minutes, until veggies are tender and cheese is melted.
Let stand about 10 minutes before cutting. 
Serve with garlic bread and extra parm, if desired.   YUM!

ppssst! It makes a to-die-for lunch the next day!

Easy and delicious Sloppy Joes

Packed with flavor, and just as easy as opening a can, you'll wonder why you ever wasted money and garbage space on the cans of sloppy joe sauce from the store. 

I like my joes a little on the sweet side like the not-so-sloppy stuff in the jars, so I used 3 T.  If you don't care for it that sweet, start with 1 Tablespoon, and after mixed and tasted, you can go up from there until you reach your desired sweetness.

Enough drooling! On with the recipe!

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup each of finely diced white onion and green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1-3 Tablespoons brown sugar (depending on your desired sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In medium skillet over medium-high heat, begin to brown the hamburger using an old-fashioned S shaped potato masher. As it cooks, add onion, bell pepper, garlic powder, a few good pinches of salt and pepper. When beef is done, taste check for salt, if desired.
Drain!
Over medium-low heat, add rest of ingredients and cook & stir until hot.  Serve, or let it simmer on low, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld together more.


That's it!  :)

Southwestern Frittata

I love making frittatas, they're a tasty way to use up leftover meats and veggies, as well as providing breakfast or lunch the next day.
Not to mention, they're about as easy as sauteing your veggies, adding the meat, then eggs, then pop into the oven to finish. One pan to clean! If you don't have a cast iron, spray or grease a large pie pan or baking dish, and build your frittata in that.
I suggest using grilled or roasted chicken in this, as they add an extra flavor to this frittata that plain chicken just can't do. If you don't have that, I suggest making sure you season the chicken well with salt, pepper and chili powder or cayenne, or anything along those lines that will compliment this dish.

Chicken, bacon, cheese, aahhh...what can beat that? Enough, on with the recipe!

• 1 fat cup diced cooked chicken breast
• about 8 oz bacon, cut up with kitchen scissors, any size you like; I cut about 1 " pcs.
• 1/2 cup each, small diced white onion and green bell pepper
• 1/2 jalapeno, deveined and seeded (unless you want it HOT) and minced
• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
• 12 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1-2 cups cheddar cheese, how much depends on your tastes; other cheeses work well too.
• salt and pepper to taste
• dash cayenne
• 1/2 fresh lime juice, opt.

Optional toppings: salsa, sour cream, sliced green onions, lime juice.


In a cold, cast iron or oven proof pan, snip bacon with kitchen scissors and cook over medium heat until desired doneness. Scoop out with slotted spoon. With a spoon, scoop out all but about 2 or 3 Tablespoons of bacon drippings.
Toss in onions, green bell pepper, jalapeno, and cook about 2 or 3 minutes, until they start to soften.
Turn off heat. Turn it off sooner if veggies start to brown too fast and cook in residual heat left in pan.
Add garlic and toss with the veggies a minute or so.
Add chopped chicken and roasted red bell pepper. Add a bit of salt, not too much- the bacon gives some saltiness to everything,  some pepper and a dash of cayenne.
Combine well and cover the bottom of the pan evenly with the veggies, chicken and bacon.

Beat the eggs with milk very well. Beat until eggs are well beaten and small bubbles start to form.
Pour evenly over chicken and bacon mixture in pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and 1-2 cups of grated cheese, depending how much you like.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Cooking time will depend on amount of ingredients you use and cheese.

Serve with a choice of toppings, similar to taco toppings, such as guacamole, chopped tomatoes, salsa, cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, sliced green onions, etc.
Great served with Jalapeno Cornbread.
To make Jalapeno Cornbread, make one recipe of  my Buttermilk Cornbread, and after batter rests, gently fold in 1/2 seeded (unless you like it uber hot), chopped jalapeno and 1 cup of cheese, bake and finish as directed. YUM!

Clam Chowder

(Ignore the date on the camera lol I don't know how to change it yet.)

This thick and rich clam chowder is even better the next day! Serve with thick garlic toast or seafood salad on a big, toasted croissant.

This recipe isn't for the faint of heart. Yes, it uses a lot of butter and evaporated milk, but I wouldn't have it any other way, because that's where the rich flavor comes from.
Let me show you! :

• 7 small potatoes, parboiled, fork tender but not cooked completely through (4-5 cups), diced. Size depends on what you like. I like my potatoes on the smaller side.
• 1/2 cup each of very small diced carrots, celery and onion, for the flavor, but not necessarily to taste each individual veggie.
• 5 Tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 (12 ounce)can evaporated milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 (6.5 ounce) cans clams, juice reserved (about 1 cup of juice)
• 1 small dried bay leaf
• salt and black pepper

In a large pan or dutch oven, over medium heat, saute celery, onion and carrot in 2 T oil. Lightly salt and pepper.
When onion starts to soften, add 3 T. butter and bay leaf.
When butter melts, slowly stir in 1/4 cup of flour, mixing well, and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning heat to medium-low.
Slowly, so not to cause lumps, but not so slow as to burn, add the evaporated milk while stirring. When there are no lumps, add stock, then reserved clam juice, still stirring constantly.
Add clams, potatoes, 2 T butter, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until combined.
Remove bay leaf.
Reduce heat to lowest possible heat and simmer, covered, until veggies are cooked, stirring occasionally. Taste for salt and pepper and serve with small pat of butter melting into the top of the chowder.

Tangy Sweet and Sour Pork and Peppers

This dish is a good meal stretcher for pork or chicken. With its rich and tangy sweet and sour sauce, tender crisp delicious yellow and green peppers, they won't even notice the cut back in meat.  I used 3 boneless pork chops in this, and it made enough for four people, maybe more. 
My sauce recipe makes a lot of sauce, so if you're not big on a lot of sauce, you can cut it in half. We like lots of sauce over here. :)
If you haven't tried yellow bell peppers, please do! It's hard for me to describe the flavor, but they taste nothing like green or red bells. They aren't sweet, persay, but I just love them! They are awesome raw in pasta salads too. I cook them tender crisp in this and the green bells just a little more well done. So I removed the yellows when they were how I wanted them, and let the green bells cook maybe 3 minutes longer before continuing.

The rice! The key to perfectly fluffy rice is to follow the directions exact. Use the amounts called for, wait JUST until little bubbles form in the pan, evenly pour in the rice. Give the rice just the tiniest of movement, to make sure it's distributed evenly in the water. Then cover it, reduce to the smallest of simmers, and LEAVE IT alone for exactly 15 minutes. Do NOT remove lid. Remove from heat and leave alone for at LEAST 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with fork.  Perfect!  The key is to LEAVE IT ALONE! LOL  Something hard for me to do for years! If you remove the lid, stir, etc, you will end up with sticky rice that probably isn't all the way done.

Enough with the lectures and on with the recipe!

• 3 boneless pork chops
• 1 large yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, or one whole small one
• 1 small carrot, ribboned with potato peeler
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup chicken stock (or more if you want to cook your rice in it)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• salt and pepper
• oil for frying, be careful if you use olive oil, it'll spit at you on the medium-high heat!

The sauce:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 T ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water
• pinch kosher salt
• small can of pineapple chunks, with a tablespoon or two of the juice (I cut the chunks in half because I don't care for the huge chunks of pineapple)

Put pork in a ziploc  baggie with 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, the minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Marinade in fridge for 20-30 minutes. 
Remove from fridge and put into freezer for a few minutes to make them easier to slice.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add all the ingredients for the tangy sauce, except the pineapple and dissolved cornstarch.
Bring up just to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water.When thick, remove from heat, add pineapples, cover and set aside.
Try to resist the urge to mess with the sauce here. It's going to taste a bit vinegary, but it's going to be added to the pan we fried the pork and veggies in, and all that pan yumminess is going to be mixed into the sauce.

Slice the chops against the grain, into thin strips. Season with a little kosher salt & pepper. Set aside.

Put two cups of water in medium saucepan, with ribboned carrot, 1/4 cup chicken stock, and salt & pepper.
Bring JUST til it starts to bubble, put in your rice (see rice notes above), cover and simmer on lowest setting. Let it simmer while you put together the pork and peppers, but don't forget about time!

 Over medium-high heat, fry pork strips in small batches, flipping over as they brown on one side, and removing each as they finish cooking.

 Set pork aside.

 Add bell peppers, a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir fry until desired doneness. Purple onions would be pretty in this right here..I was going to add them, but forgot! :)

 Toss everything into the pan! Pork, sauce, peppers, and stir, warming gently over medium-low heat.
When the flavors have been all stirred together, then you can taste and see if you need a bit more salt or pepper.

When rice is done and has sat it's 5 minutes covered and off the heat, fluff with a fork, and get your plates and forks!