Chicken Rice Dish

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I never liked rice growing up. I can't remember ever trying it, but I was POSITIVE I hated the stuff. However, I'm finding now that I'm all grown up and actually listen to my mama (not that I didn't listen to you before Mom!!), I like rice. I like it quite a bit, actually. Put some rice, chicken, whatever veggies sound good at the time, and a few seasonings in a dish, and I am a happy camper.

The basis for this recipe came from TOH, but I definitely played with it already. And of course, it's very versatile. Want peas & carrots instead of asparagus & carrots? Just change it! I think the last time we made this, it was actually broccoli & carrots. Whatever you like!

Chicken Rice Dish
(TOH)

6 Ounce rice
2 Cup asparagus, trimmed and cut
2 Tablespoon butter
3/4 Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Clove garlic
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1 Medium carrot, cut into 2" chunks
2 Tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions:
Cook rice and asparagus/carrot separately.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, garlic, and salt in butter until chicken juices run clear. Add the lemon juice. Combine rice, vegetable, and chicken mixtures.

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup

Calories: 247
Cholesterol: 54 mg
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Protein: 20 g
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Sodium: 668 mg
Fiber: 2 g

So, opinions: Both Nate & I LOVE this recipe. I love the splash of lemon, but I think I want to add another seasoning too. Maybe rosemary?
Many plans to make it again. Maybe with kielbasa next time... who knows. ;)


*FYI, I am trying to get back in the habit of taking pictures of recipes too! As I post older recipes, I won't have them, but I will for the ones we have tried recently.*

As always, comments are love!

Chicken Rice Bowl

This is something we made ages ago... Nathan actually cooked this one. ;) It turned out very yummy.

Chicken Rice Bowl
(TOH)

1 Cup uncooked instant rice
1 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup chopped frozen green pepper, thawed
1/4 Cup chopped onion
2 Teaspoon olive oil
9 Ounce chicken
1/2 Cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 Cup frozen peas, thawed
1 Teaspoon dried basil
1 Teaspoon rubbed sage
1/8 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon pepper

Instructions:
Cook rice in broth according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the green pepper and onion in oil for 2-3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the chicken corn, peas, basil, and sage. Cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes over medium heat or until heated through. Stir in the rice, salt, and pepper.


Serves: 4

Sorry, no pictures.

As usual, comments are love.

Chicken & Noodles Skillet

So, you may be wondering why it's been almost a month since I posted last.
I haven't disappeared from the face of the earth.
I haven't stopped cooking.
I just have been accumulating the pile of 'recipes to post' rather than actually posting any recipes.
On the plus side, I should have enough for quite a few posts, without having to cook anything new. :)


This is something I made a little while ago, from some chicken we cooked in the crock pot. You can mix & match with veggies... and make it very interesting!

Chicken & Noodles Skillet
(Betty Crocker)


1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Pound chicken breasts, chopped
1 Medium onion, chopped
2 Cup veggies
1 Cup uncooked egg noddles
14 Ounce chicken broth
10.75 Ounce condensed cream of chicken soup
Parsley

Instructions: In a 12" nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook chicken and onion in oil for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until browned and onion is just tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients except parsley. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer 5-8 minutes longer, stirring occassionally, until chicken is no longer pink in center and noodles are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serves: 4
Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup
Prep Time: 40
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 40

Chicken a la King

This was one more recipe where I used chicken from the whole chicken we cooked! This was surprisingly easy, and surprisingly amazing. I was expecting the green pepper to be a little overwhelming, but it wasn't. Nate was very pleased with this one, also-- definitely something I would make again!

Chicken a la King
(TOH)


1/2 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 Cup chopped green pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoon all purpose flour
1 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup milk
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1 1/2 Cup cubed cooked chicken
2 slices bread

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, saute mushrooms and green pepper in butter for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in the flour, broth, milk, salt, and pepper until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Add the chicken, heat through. Serve with toast.


Note: The original recipe called for turkey vs chicken, and called for 2 t diced pimientos, added with the chicken. We had chicken, so I used that, and for the life of me, I can't EVER find pimientos in the store, so I just never add that.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

This was something else we made from the chicken we cooked the other day. Most of the measurements here are approximate, because I was just kinda throwing things together. :) The dumplings are Grandma's recipe... this is 1/2 the dumpling recipe. I actually used a full recipe when I made this, but it thickened everything. I definitely would only use 1/2 next time.

It turned out pretty good... I was quite proud of myself. :)


Chicken Soup with Dumplings
(Me, Grandma Mickey)



3 Cup chicken stock
4 1/2 Cup water
1 Small onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 Stalk celery, sliced
2 Medium potato, peeled & cut into 2" pieces
salt
pepper
Thyme
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Pound chicken, cooked, cut into small pieces
1/2 Cup flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking soda
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/2 egg
1/2-3/4 Cup milk

Instructions:
Put stock, boullion cubes, water, and onion in large pot; bring to a boil. Add vegetables and chicken, cook 5-10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add egg and milk. Drop by teaspoonfuls into soup, simmer for another 10 minutes.
Enjoy.

(Yes, that is the homemade french bread next to the soup. Amazing.)

Homestyle Chicken & Biscuits

This is the first thing we made with our chicken from the other day! Very yummy! Obviously, this is just a general casserole-type recipe, but I was craving a casserole-type thing. :) I haven't made anything like this in awhile, and it sounds like a great way to use our chicken.

It turned out great... I would definitely experiment more with the spices, though.

Homestyle Chicken & Biscuits
(Campbell's)


10.75 Ounce cream of chicken soup (reduced fat & reduced sodium)
1/4 Cup milk
3/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
16 Ounce frozen veggies, thawed
1 Cup chicken, cooked
1 Package Refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Instructions:
Heat the oven to 400. Stir the soup, milk, cheese, and peppers in a 3-qt shallow baking dish. Stir in the veggies and chicken.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture. Top the chicken mixture with the biscuits.
Bake for 12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5
Cook Time: 27
Total Time: 35

I'm back! And cooking a WHOLE CHICKEN!

I didn't intend to take a break from blogging, but I am most definitely back from "vacation." Between illness, and not being home, I haven't had time to blog. I've barely even been cooking! We had all of our holidays away from home, so I haven't been in the kitchen much.
That is changing now. :)

I have never liked raw poultry. I can handle raw beef, raw venison, raw fish... just don't give me a raw bird. I find it disgusting. I don't like handling raw chicken breasts, so the thought of a whole raw chicken really bothered me, to say the least. Plus, it was just intimidating! So when I saw the Happy Housewife post this, I was pretty excited. Cook a chicken in a crock pot? I just rinse the chicken, dump it in, and walk away for hours? No oven or anything? Hmm... I can try that.
(Granted, I still have to handle the chicken, but this takes away a lot of the intimidation.)

So, we got a whole chicken (85 cents a pound? AWESOME), got a new bigger crockpot (thank you Mama for Christmas money), and tried it!

I put the chicken in at about 8 this morning, sprinkled some spices on it, took it out at about six when I got home, and it was beautiful. Cooked completely (which is a huge fear of mine with cooking meat)--in fact, so completely that it basically fell apart when I took it out of the crockpot.

And let's not forget the fact that my house smells great.

(Isn't my hubby so amazing? I didn't even ask him to help, he just walked in the kitchen as I was pulling the chicken out, helped me get it out, and started tossing bones and the skin back in the crockpot.)

We ate some of the meat right away (yes, it smelled that amazing), put some in a casserole (tomorrow's post!), gave a few bites to the puppy, and put the rest in the freezer.

(This is what it looked like right when I took it out... I had it in for so long, it was falling apart.)

I left all the juices in the crockpot, and added the bones when we de-boned it. Then I added 5 cups of water, and put it back on low. In the morning, I will have lovely chicken broth--ready for soup, and whatever other use later!

(Doesn't Remus look so happy to be cleaning the cutting board?? :) Then he sat and looked at me, practically asking for more. LOL. )

Chicken Veggie Soup With Dumplings

Chicken Veggie Soup With Dumplings
Betty Crocker

2 Cup cut-up cooked chicken
4 Cup chicken broth
1 Teaspoon Parsley
Dash Thyme
2 Clove Garlic
12 Ounce frozen mixed veggies, thawed and drained
1 Cup Bisquick
1/3 Cup Milk

Instructions:
In a 3-qt saucepan, heat all ingredients except Bisquick and milk to boiling, stirring occasionally.
In a small bowl, stir bisquick and and milk with fork until soft dough forms. Drop dough by teaspoonful into boiling soup. If dumplings sink into soup, careful bring them to top of broth using slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium low.
Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook 15 minutes.

Serves: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup


For my first time making a soup with dumplings, I was pretty excited at how well this turned out. Very yummy!


Sorry for the lack of pictures... I totally forgot. You'll just have to picture its yummy-ness. :)

Chicken Alfredo Stromboli, update on life

So... why no post yesterday? Well, yesterday was quite possibly the most stressful day in the life of my entire family. My aunt Joy (second mom, basically) had a serious surgery, which did not go as planned (to say the least). She is doing well right now, but last night was a little stressful, so no post. No real dinner either, just munching while waiting for updated phone calls.
--Additional prayers are always welcome, of course!--

Here is something from the other day.....


I got this original recipe from Cooking for Two, but have made some changes. The stats about the recipe are according to the original, so they are not entirely accurate. Sorry. :)

I think this would qualify as one of Nate's favorite recipes! It has an interesting taste, and VERY filling. I usually don't finish my portion of it--Nate has to. :)

Chicken Alfredo Stromboli
(Cooking for Two)


1/2 Loaf Italian bread
6 Ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Teaspoon olive oil
4 Teaspoon butter, softened, divided
1/2 Cup mushroom stems and pieces, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Dash Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Cup sour cream
1/4 Cup Parmesan
1 Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Place bread, cut side up, on an ungreased baking sheet. Cook at 350 for 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted; set aside.
In a small skillet, saute chicken in oil and 1 tsp butter until juices run clear; drain. Add the mushroms, salt, garlic, and pepper; cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.


In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, Parmesan, and remaining butter; spread over bread halves.
Top each with 1/2 of the of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves: 2
Calories: 613
Cholesterol: 95 mg
Fat: 26 g
Saturated Fat: 12 g
Protein: 38 g
Carbohydrates: 58 g
Sodium: 1249 mg
Fiber: 5 g

No, I have not disappeared from the face of the earth

...I have just been crazy busy, and have a million different reasons for not blogging lately. I haven't been recording recipes like I should have been either! So, once I get them recorded, I will post everything!
A little of what has kept me busy/stressed, and what recipes will be posted soon:

1. I accepted a position at the hospital! Super excited about that, but there were lots of decisions to make around that. I start November 16th!!!

2. We had a party with some of Nate's friends in GR... which I made my mother-in-law's cheesecake brownies for. You know how I brag about my Mama's cooking a lot? Well.... my mother-in-law (Sue), is spectacular too. Her cheesecake brownies are to die for. (Probably literally, if I ever actually become diabetic, because I won't be able to stay away from them, and my sugar will freak out more than it does now.)

3. We had Christmas with my (extended) family! Grandma & Grandpa go to Florida every winter, so we have Christmas early. Exceptionally early, since G&G left SUPER early this year. (Grandma, if you are reading this, this is an official complaint.) But, we had a great time with my family. I love my family!

(My super-amazing Grandparents!!)

(See how much my brother loves me? You can tell by how hard he is crushing me. Which was a lot.)

4. My aunt had surgery, and will have another surgery next week. Prayers are appreciated.

5. .....I have just been super stressed.

But, I will start posting more recipes, starting NOW!



Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta
Heavenly Homemakers



2 Cup cooked chicken, cut into bite-Sized pieces
2 cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 1/2 Cup whole wheat pasta
3 Cup Milk
3 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup shredded white cheddar
3 Ounce cream cheese
Parmesan

Instructions:
In a skillet, saute chicken and garlic in olive oil. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a big pot with the milk, butter, and salt. Stir almost constantly, especially as the pasta is becoming tender and the milk is beginning to boil. Cook and stir over medium heat until pasta is tender and the starch from the pasta has thickened the milk, creating a creamy sauce. (This will be about 10 minutes.)
Stir in the cheddar and cream cheese, heat until cheeses are melted.
Stir in the chicken & garlic, heat until chicken is warm.
Sprinkle parmesan on each serving.

The lack of pictures for the recipe is due to my camera battery basically dying, and the fact that I keep forgetting to get another one. It will stay on long enough to take one picture, at least! lol.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

This was last Wednesday's dinner...
I saw this recipe in a magazine ad, thought it was worth a shot. I buy those Pasta Sides a lot when they are on sale; they make fast & easy lunches/sides. Not very nutritious though, so we don't have them too often. But I thought this sounded yummy. :)

Sorry the 'finished' picture looks funny... it was boiling, so it didn't turn out that well. But I thought it did at first, so I never took another picture.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
(Knorr)

1 Tablespoon Margarine
1 Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 Cup fresh or thawed frozen broccoli florets
1 3/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Package Knorr Pasta Sides-Alfredo

Instructions:
Melt margarine in a skillet & cook chicken thoroughly. Remove chicken and set aside.
Stir broccoli, water, and milk into pan. Bring to a boil.









Stir in Alfredo pasta. Cook 8 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, heating through.












Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 30


It actually turned out pretty good... something I would make again!

Note: The original called for more butter & red bell pepper... I don't really like peppers that much, and I thought it was too expensive. -Yes, I'm cheap.- So... I skipped it. If you are interested though, the original called for more butter after cooking the chicken (2 tbsp), and then cooking 1/2 c red bell pepper, then continuing to step two.

An interesting experience

This was something we had the other day... three things I learned from this meal:
1. I don't like gorgonzola.
2. When you are making mashed potatoes, make sure they are REALLY cooked, or they are a pain to mash.
3. I really don't like gorgonzola.

Penne Gorgonzola With Chicken
(TOH)
16 oz Penne
1 Pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Large garlic clove, minced
1/2 Cup chicken broth, divided
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
2 cup (8oz) gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Dash Sage
Dash Pepper
Dash Salt
Parmesan
Parsley

Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add 1/4c chicken broth, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.
Add cream and broth; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is no longer pink.
Stir in Gorgonzola cheese, sage, salt, and pepper; cook just until cheese is melted.
Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.

Serves: 8


Mashed Potato Rolls
(TOH)
1 1/8 Teaspoon active dry yeast
1/8 Cup warm water (110-115)
3/4 Cup warm milk (110-115)
1/8 Cup butter, softened
1/8 Cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Egg
1/4 Cup warm mashed potatoes (milk and butter added)
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
3 Cup all-Purpose flour
melted butter

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, butter, oil, sugar, egg, and mashed potatoes; mix well.
Stir in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and enough flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubles, about 1 1/2 hours.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into 16 balls. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush with butter if desired.

Serves: 16


The pasta was OK, but if you missed the beginning of the post, I really don't like gorgonzola cheese. I don't know what it is, but there is just something about it.

The mashed potato rolls were a little dry, but that's OK. We liked them! Next time I have leftover mashed potatoes, I will definitely make these!

Creamy Chicken and Pasta

I made this one awhile ago, but Nate & I both loved it!

Creamy Chicken And Pasta
(Yet again from Taste of Home... I love their magazines)

(If it looks funny, that's because I exported it from my RecipeManager, and am too lazy to mess with it much. That's why I exported it, rather than re-typing it all.) :)


Ingredients:
2 Cup uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 Cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Cup sliced green onion (or regular, finely chopped)
2 Tablespoon Butter
1/2 Cup white wine/chicken broth
1 Teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon All-Purpose flour
1/3 Cup Water
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
2 Cup cubed cooked chicken
2 Tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in butter for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add wine or broth and garlic. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
2. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually add to mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until heated through.
3. Drain pasta. Add the pasta, chicken, capers, salt, and pepper to cream sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.


The original recipe called for 2 cups, but that was going to be WAY too much. As it was, I am adding less mushrooms the next time I make it, and I suggest you do too. I like mushrooms (well... fresh mushrooms), but they overpower the other flavors in this recipe.
Also, no capers or shredded parmesan... couldn't find the capers, and I used the regular parmesan I have in the fridge. :)

We LOVED this recipe! Very yummy... It was very creamy, and the combination of mushrooms, chicken, and pasta is always delightful. Reheats pretty well, which is great when you are always cooking to have leftovers! :)

As always, comments are love. :) Let me know if you try it!

Hello, and Skillet Chicken & Veggies

So I keep procrastinating on actually starting this blog... "I want to have a blog, I don't want to have a blog, I want to share my recipes, I don't want to do the one thing EVERYONE is doing..." you get the point.
Well, I finally decided I would.
(Really, I decided that I would last week, but as the nice people at the Apple store were fixing my computer, it couldn't happen until today.)

This is basically my place to talk about what is going on in life, share about the recent books I've read, and share the recipes I've tried recently. I love reading, and I love cooking, so I'm sure there will be lots to share.

Feel free to leave comments... especially if you have a book/recipe to share!



So, onto our recent recipes!

A couple weeks ago, we tried this great one from Taste of Home's Comfort Food book. The finished product looks kinds gross, but it tastes AMAZING. :)


Skillet Chicken & Veggies

1 package (7 oz) Spaghetti
1 Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large garlic clove
1 Teaspoon dried basil
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 Pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium Zucchini, julienned
1 Medium onion, chopped
1/2 Medium green pepper, chopped
1/2 Medium summer squash, julienned
3/4 Cup mayonnaise
4 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese, divided

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, garlic, and basil in oil for 2-3 minutes, or until garlic is tender. Add the mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, onion, and pepper. Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir the mayo and 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese into chicken mixture. Drain spaghetti; top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.


We liked the recipe... will definitely make this one again! I made some changes to the original recipe (the changes are reflected here). I am not a fan of red pepper, so I substituted that for summer squash... much better! Almost any veggies could be used here.

The best part about this recipe was the summer squash & zucchini... I LOVE both of them!! Nate is not as fond of them fried as I am, so this was a great way to have them without Nate thinking "not again!" We used to get them a lot from my parents/grandparents garden, but since we are living so far away, I had to buy them from Meijer. Because those & the green pepper were on sale the week I made this, it was all very reasonably priced! (Everything else I buy when it is on sale... :) )

More as I get our recent recipes added to my Recipe Manager!