Chicken Pot Pie

If you are looking for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, and comforting one pot meal to warm your whole body up this fall and winter, then this delicious Chicken Pot Pie is the perfect one for you! This pot pie gets filled to the brim with chicken, tons of colorful mixed veggies, mushrooms, onion, potatoes, and fresh parsley and thyme which gives this pot pie a wonderful fresh flavor. It then gets topped off with buttery and flaky cresent dough which lends a nice small hint of sweetness to complement the hearty, rich, and savory flavor of the pot pie. I used a Martha Stewart recipe that I found here and adapted it slightly to make it a little more simple and more convenient for me.  

Chicken Pot Pie: (Martha Stewart, adapted by me)

Ingredients:

-1 roll (8 ounces) pillsbury cresent dough

-5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-5 tablespoons unsalted butter

-1 large onion, chopped

-3 medium potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

-1 bag (12 ounces) frozen carrots

-12 ounces small cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed

-2 cups chicken stock, from a can

-1 cup milk

-1 rotisserie chicken (about 5 cups, chopped or shredded)

-1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

-2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

-2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

-salt and pepper to taste

-1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large heavy-bottom pot, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms, cooking until heated through. Add 1/3 cup of the chicken stock and flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in the rest of the chicken stock and the milk. Bring to a simmer; cook until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in chicken, mixed vegetables, parsley, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3-quart casserole dish. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

2. Make egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 teaspoon water. Unroll cresent dough and place it directly over the casserole, pressing to seal overhanging dough to the side of the dish. Brush top surface of dough with wash. Cut a small circle in the center of dough, to allow the steam to vent.

3. Transfer casserole to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes; cover just the edges loosely with aluminum foil to prevent crust from burning, and continue baking for 25 minutes more.

Oriental Salad

I made this salad a while back for my Grandma's birthday party and all of my Aunt's just loved it. So that same day, my Aunt Sue requested that I bring it to my cousin's bridal shower which was this weekend. Once again, it was a big hit and now it will be my signature dish to bring to Hundt family get-togethers!

Oriental Salad:

-2 (16 oz.) bags shredded coleslaw mix

-2 packages uncooked Ramen noodles, broken into small pieces 

-1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (dice greens only)

-1 bag slivered almonds (I like to use the toffee glazed almonds)

-1 cup sunflower seeds

-1 large can mandarin oranges

In a large bowl, gently combine all of the above ingredients. Then add the dressing and mix to coat.

For the Dressing:

-1 cup vegetable oil

-6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

-3 tablespoons sugar

-1 teaspoon soy sauce

-1 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until well combined.

Steak, Goat Cheese and Cheddar Quesadillas With Corn and Tomato Relish

 I found this recipe for Steak and Goat Cheese Quesadillas With Corn and Tomato Relish over at Picky Palate, which is an awesome blog that I have just recently found! Jenny has wonderful recipes for both savory meals and fantastic sweets and she has such creative and simple ideas, go check out her blog if you haven't already! 

These are filled with tender steak, creamy and tangy goat cheese, and I also added sharp cheddar cheese because it is my favorite and I just love th flavor of it! These were really tasty, flavorful, hearty, filling and a simple meal to throw together with very few ingredients. The colorful corn and tomato relish was absolutely delicious and so simple and my favorite part! The corn was super sweet and crunchy, the tomatoes were juicy and the cilantro gave it tons of flavor. This relish would be tasty with lots of different things and even just by itself.

Steak:

-4 Steak Cuts of choice, grilled or cooked in the crockpot (I cooked all 4 in a crockpot on low for about 6 hours, it turned out great)

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

-1/4 teaspoon Lawry's Garlic Salt with Parsley

Corn Relish:

-1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

-4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed

-1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered

-1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Quesadillas:

-8-inch tortillas

-butter flavored cooking spray

-1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

-1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Grill steak to your liking or cook in a crockpot on low for about 6 hours. Sseason with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. After cooked, cut the steak into bite size pieces. Keep warm.

2. To make corn relish, heat olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn kernels, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until warm and fragrant.

3. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and sprinkle one side of tortilla with goat cheese, steak, and then sprinkle the cheddar cheese. With a spatula, fold tortilla over filling and cook each side until browned and crisp. Transfer to a plate and top with spoonfuls of Corn Tomato Relish. Continue process until desired.

8-10 quesadillas

Meatloaf Burgers

It's not very often that I blog about savory dishes and that isn't because I don't cook, it's just that by the time dinner is ready, I am ready to eat and I don't feel like taking pictures of it! I knew I had to put these meatloaf burgers on here though because they are seriously super tasty and delicious. I found the recipe over at Framed who found it at Taste of the South, and she raved about how wonderful and scrumptious they were.

This is definetly not your average cheeseburger and that is why it sparked my interest, I love the flavor combination of savory, sweet and tart/tangy. The burger itself is made up of a meatloaf mix and it is very moist, juicy and flavorful and then it gets topped off with an amazing cheese spread that has cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, nuts, dried fruit, sweet vidalia onion etc. and it just makes the burger even more fantastic, plus it has bacon and then whatever other burger toppings you would like! This is a perfect summer meal to share with family and friends and I highly reccomend that you try it out! YUMMY!

Meatloaf Burgers: (adapted by me)

 Cheese Spread Ingredients:

-1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

-1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

-1/3 cup slivered toffee glazed almonds, slightly chopped

-1/4 cup minced Vidalia onion

-1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used cherry flavored craisins)

-2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

-1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

-1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Cheddar, almonds, onion, cranberries, parsley, Worcestershire, paprika, and salt, mixing to blend. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Burger Ingredients:

-1 cup minced Vidalia onion

-1/2 cup minced red bell pepper

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1 cup dry bread crumbs

-1 large egg

-1/4 cup ketchup

-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

-1 tablespoon steak sauce

-1 teaspoon dry mustard

-1/2 teaspoon ground paprika

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

-12 slices cooked bacon

-1 recipe fruit and nut cheese

-6 hamburger buns

-6 slices tomato, optional

-6 green lettuce leaves, optional

-Dijon mustard, optional

Directions:

1. Spray a large nonstick cooking skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic, and stir for 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, and let cool completely.

2. Add bread crumbs, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire, steak sauce, dry mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper to vegetable mixture, mixing well. Add ground chuck, mixing until just combined. Shape mixture into 6 patties, and place on a baking sheet. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

4. Grill burgers, turning once, just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers (meat should bounce back), approximately 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat, and immediately top each burger with 2 slices of bacon and desired amount of Fruit-and-Nut Cheese. Serve on buns, with tomato, lettuce, and Dijon mustard.

Sloppy Joes

I'm not a big meat eater and it's not very often that I get a craving for meat, but, when I do I usually crave sloppy joe's.....especially in the summer....there's something extra yummy about having sloppy joes in the summertime! It's weird I know! When I was little or even just a couple of years ago I would have never touched one!

But, these sloppy joe's are just too good! It is a recipe from my great grandma who passed it on to my grandma and my mom and now to me! There is nothing extraordinary about these, but, boy are they good! They are meaty, a little messy, and a little bit sweet from brown sugar and have chunks of veggies from a can of soup (the potatoes are my favorite!) and I like to serve them on hawaiian sweet buns.

Sloppy Joe's:

Makes about 8 sandwhiches

-1 1/2 pounds ground beef

-1 (10.5 ounce) can vegetable beef soup with barley

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

-a few splahes of distilled white vinegar

-1/3-1/2 cup ketchup (depending on how sloppy you want them!)

-pepper to taste

-6-8 hamburger buns

1. In a large pan, cook ground beef until brown and drain off excess fat.

2. In the same pan, add the soup, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup and pepper to the cooked meat and simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes.

3. Serve on buns and enjoy!

Chicken Caesar Wraps

I pulled out all of my summer magazines the other day that I have collected over the past couple years because I want to make some of the recipes that I have marked off. These chicken caesar wraps have all the yummy tastes of a caesar salad wrapped up in a tortilla; crisp and cool romaine lettuce, salty parmesan cheese, chicken, and tangy caeser dressing and are great for busy weeknights and when you are on the go. They are quick and simple to put together, they have very few ingredients, they are nice and light and refreshing and are just perfect for any summertime meal and are great served with fresh fruit and potato chips (sour cream and cheddar ruffles are my fave)!  

Chicken Caesar Wraps: (Paula Deen)

Makes 6 servings

-1 (3 1/2 pound) rotisserie chicken

-1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded (about 8 cups)

-1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

-1/2 cup prepared Caesar salad dressing

-6 (10-inch) flour tortillas

Skin, and debone chicken, discarding skin and bones; shred chicken.

In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, lettuce, and cheese, tossing gently to combine. Add dressing, tossing gently to coat. Divide chicken mixture evenly between flour tortillas. Roll up tortillas to enclose chicken mixture.

Baja Style Fish Tacos

Tonight for dinner I decided to make fish tacos for Cinco de Mayo.....in order to make them that meant that I had to overcome my fear of deep frying : (. For some reason, the thought of frying food has always freaked me out.....it might be the thought of the really hot oil splattering everywhere and splattering on me and burnig me, or burning the food, or not cooking it enough and having raw, soggy food, or the fear that the oil will just start on fire. But, tonight none of those awful things happened to me and the fish tacos were fabulous. My family and I really, really enjoyed them. While we were eating, I aksed everyone if they liked them and no one really said anything and finally my mom chimed in and said I think everyone is so quiet because these tacos are sooo good and everyone agreed! The fish was light, flaky, and moist on the inside and the batter on the outside was nice and crispy, the cream sauce was really good and so easy to put together, it had a nice lemony tang and freshness and was very creamy which went along great with the spicy jalapenos and salsa. This recipe is from Marcela Valladolid from the Food Network channel and everyone who rated this recipe gave it awesome reviews and it definitely did not disappoint. Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Baja Style Fish Tacos (recipe courtesy Marcela Valladolid, Food Network)

Ingredients:

Beer Batter:

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-1 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1 cup dark Mexican beer (but any beer would work)

Cream Sauce:

-1/3 cup mayonnaise

-2/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream (I used sour cream)

-1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

-2 tablespoons water

-salt and pepper, to taste

Fish Tacos:

-oil, for frying

-1 cup all-purpose flour

-1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning

-2 pounds skinned halibut cut into 5 by 1/2-inch strips (I used cod because I couldn't find halibut)

-freshly ground black pepper

-corn tortillas (I toasted them on a pan on the stove so that they were pliable and wouldn't break)

-2 cups shredded cabbage

-2 cups tomatillo salsa (store bought or homemade) for garnish, optional (I used a red taco sauce)

-pickled jalapenos, for garnish, optional

Directions:

For the Beer Batter:

Mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Gradually add in the beer while whisking. Set aside and let the batter rest for 15 minutes before using.

For Cream Sauce:

Add the mayonnaise and crema or sour cream to a medium bowl. Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, amd water. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. (THis can be made 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated).

For the Fish: 

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add enough oil to reach a depth of 1-inch. Heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F.

On a large plate, combine flour and salt. Season the fish pieces all over with salt and pepper and coat with the flour. Working in batches, dip the fillets in the beer batter and coat on both sides. Fry in the hot oil until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. (I also heated my oven to 250 degrees F and kept the fried fish warm while I was making the other batches of fish.)

Here is the fish dredged in flour.

Mmmm....crispy and golden brown yummy little fried delights!

To make the tacos:

Top warmed tortillas with fish and top each with cream, shredded cabbage, salsa, and pickled jalapenos, if desired.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This is a really delicious and authentic homemade spaghetti sauce recipe that I got from my Grandma who got it from one of her friends who owns an Italian bakery and store called Roma Bakery. This recipe is really good and simple to make and it is worth every bite.

Here are some of the tomato ingredients that are used and that I purchased at Roma Bakery. I was so excited to find San Marzano tomatoes because they always talk about San Marzano tomatoes on the Food Network and how wonderful they are, but, I could never find them. But, I finally did at Roma. The recipe also calls for a large can of 6 in 1 tomatoes and I am not really sure what the difference is....it says they are all purpose ground tomatoes with added extra heavy puree, so if you can't find them anywhere I would just use ground tomatoes or another can of pureed tomatoes.

Ingredients:

-1/4 cup olive oil

-1 medium or large onion, chopped

-1 clove of garlic, chopped (or more to your taste preference)

-1 small can tomato paste

-1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

-1 can 6 in 1

-1 can (28 oz.) pureed tomatoes

-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

-1/2 teaspoon dried basil

-salt and pepper to taste

-3/4 cup water

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Saute until translucent and soft.

 

Add tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.

Add 6 in 1, pureed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, water, and red wine if using. Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionaly. I also added sauteed mushrooms. Enjoy over your favorite pasta!

Satisfying Salmon

This is a wonderful salmon recipe that I got from my Grandma Sarah who I absolutely love cooking and baking with. She is the one who got me into enjoying baking and cooking. This salmon is very flavorful, light, and luscious and so easy to make. The sauce is very creamy and divine, yet it isn't heavy or rich at all. My family really enjoyed it as well, they all said that it tasted really, really good! So, I definitely reccomend this; get in the kitchen and start cooking and I am sure that you will be very satisfied! Salmon with a Lemon Mayo Sauce:
Ingredients:
-4 salmon fillets
-1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Hellman's cholesterol free mayo with 1/2 the fat and calories and it worked out great)
-1 Tablespoon lemon juice (next time I will also use some of the lemon zest, just to give it a little bit more of a lemon flavor)
-1/4 cup butter, softened
-1 teaspoon minced garlic
-1 small onion, very thinly sliced
-salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the salmon with desired amount of salt and pepper. In a small or medium bowl mix together the mayo, lemon juice, butter, and minced garlic, and spread over the salmon. Sprinkle with thinly sliced onions. Bake for 25-30 minutes.


Mmmmm....so creamy and divine! Enjoy!