Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Fareways had bone in chicken breast on sale for 99 cents a pound so bought breasts this week.   I had some brown and wild rice so thought I would make up a pot of soup with the chicken.  This is my recipe I used.  It made a very warm, hardy, healthy, and tasty soup. 

2 tablespoons butter

2 large onion, thinly sliced

1 cut up carrot

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

Bundle of parsley and thyme

1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms, your favorite (add a medley of mushrooms)

2 bone in chicken breasts

3 quarts water

1/2 cup cooked wild rice

1 cup cooked brown rice

Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Clean your mushrooms using a damp paper towel and destem them for the broth.

Make stock with 2 chicken breasts (bone in) with 2 quarts of water.  Toss in any mushroom stems you may have from cleaning the mushrooms, a chopped carrot, quartered onion and 2 garlic gloves. Add bundled fresh parsley, thyme and a bay leaf.   Season with Kosher salt and pepper.  When the chicken is done, cool it and pull off the meat.  Strain the broth and toss the veggies out.  You will only be using the broth. 

Cook and season your rices according to directions on the rice package using some of the broth you have made instead of water.  

Melt butter in a large stock pot.  Sauté the 1 chopped onion, 1 garlic clove and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Add your stock. 

Stir in the cooked rice and chicken and season soup with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

Variation:  You can make this a creamed soup if you like by adding 1 cup of cream or you can make it vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and using a veggie broth. 

I guess I’ll be eating soup for a couple of days.  I always make too much and have left over’s, but that is a really good thing.  It is just as good the second or third day.

Have a great day and be happy.  May God bless you and yours.  

Breakfast Burritos

Since it is usually just me, I end up making much more than I can eat in one sitting.  This is one of those cases it is a good thing.  I can make up a bunch of breakfast burritos and freeze them for another day or when my grandsons come for a visit.  They can microwave them when ever they get up and I don’t have to make several different breakfasts.  This can also be a great on a brunch buffet.

2 lbs. bacon, diced

2 lbs. breakfast sausage (Or Chirico sausage)

1 finely chopped onion

1 cup diced bell pepper (You may use frozen diced bell peppers)

20 eggs

36 fajita sized flour tortillas

1 (8 oz.) bag shredded cheddar cheese (or pepper jack cheese)

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until browned. Drain grease from bacon and set aside on a plate with a few paper towels to absorb the grease.

In the same skillet brown and crumble the sausage until cooked through. Drain grease from sausage and set it aside on another plate with a few paper towels to absorb the excess grease.   

Using the same skillet, sauté the onion and bell pepper till the onion is translucent and the peppers are soft yet a little crisp.

While the onion and bell pepper are cooking, crack and whisk the eggs.

Once the bell peppers and onion are cooked add the eggs and cook just as you would for scrambled eggs, stirring the egg mixture while cooking until they are cooked through, being careful not to over cook the eggs. Then add the cooked bacon and sausage to the eggs.

Turn off the heat to the pan and sprinkle egg mixture with cheese. Cover pan and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the cheese melt.

Microwave your package of tortillas for one minute under paper towel to make them more pliable (Keep them under a dish towel to stay warm and moist and only take one out at a time). This will prevent them from cracking while folding your burritos. Do not over fill the burrito.  

Continue making burritos until you run out of either filling or tortillas.

Once all of your burritos are made, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place them into labeled baggies and seal, removing as much air as possible. Frozen burritos will store for 2 to 3 months in regular freezer bags.

To eat, unwrap a burrito and place on microwave safe plate. Cover with a paper plate or paper towel.  Microwave for 1 minute, flip over and cook one more minute. Serve with Tabasco or salsa if desired.  I use Tapatio.  

Variation -  You may stretch this recipe even further by cooking up some shredded potatoes or frozen hash browns after cooking the bacon and sausage (set aside and add back in at the end). Potatoes are an inexpensive filler to make even more breakfast burritos. You can also add ham, Chirico sausage, and or change up the type of cheese you use like pepper jack for heat.

If you pack a lunch for yourself or someone, send them in a lunch box if there is a microwave available to heat them for a morning break or for lunch.  You will save money and fellow workers will drool over it. 

Hope you have a special Sunday breakfast and share it with someone.  

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

3 Super Bowl Appetizers

Thought I would share a couple of appetizers for the upcoming Super Bowl party.  Enjoy the game and the party.

1.  Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar

2 cups Bread flour

1 cup All Purpose flour

2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1 cup Pamesan cheese, finely grated

1/2 cup pepperoni slices, cut into small pieces

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup Pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the Bread flour, AP flour and salt. Set aside.

Combine the active yeast and water in a mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Let it sit for a few minutes to make sure your yeast is working. Add the sugar and mix for a quick second. Add the flour mixture in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Let the dough hook work its magic for 5 to 6 minutes until the dough has come together into a large mass. Remove the dough to an oiled bowl and let rise for 60 minutes.

After an hour, remove the dough from the bowl and cut into small 1/2 inch cubes. Dust with flour to prevent them from sticking together. Set aside.

Spray 6 small bundt pans with PAM or cooking spray. (You could also use a large bundt pan)

Melt the butter in a small bowl.

Combine the cheese, pepperoni, oregano, salt and garlic in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix together with a spoon. Toss in the cut dough and make sure it all gets a coat of the butter mixture. Start layering the cubes into the bundt pans until they are 3/4 of the way full. Let sit for 30 minutes for the dough to rise a little more.

Place bundt pans into the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the bread and cheese is golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara sauce or pizza sauce.

2.  Pizza Appetizers

Pizza dough

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

3/4 cup marinara sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped (or meat of your choice)

1 cup marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Using a rolling pin shaped pizza dough into a large rectangle.

Spread sauce evenly over dough making sure to leave 1/2" around the tops and sides free from sauce. Sprinkle with garlic salt, basil, cheeses and pepperoni. Roll the dough up tightly to form a log. Slice into 1 inch pieces.

Place rolls on lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle additional Parmesan on top of pinwheels after 5 minute of baking.  Bake an additional 5 minutes. Broil tops for 1-2 minutes until cheese is golden brown. 

Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese and pepper flakes for people to shake on their warm appetizers (just like in a pizzeria).

3.  Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wings

12 chicken drumettes

6 pieces of bacon

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Shakes of hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each bacon slice in half. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.  Wrap each chicken drummette with a ½ piece of bacon and secure with a wooden pick.

Stir together brown sugar, onion and garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and two shakes of your favorite hot sauce (I like Louisiana Hot Sauce).   Use a fork to mix and moisten your flavored brown sugar.  Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until bacon is crisp.  Test your chicken with a meat thermometer to make sure drummettes are at 160 degrees.  Drummettes come in many sizes.  The smaller the drummette, the shorter the baking time, so check during the baking process. 

Take out the toothpicks before serving.

If you like it hot, you can always add more hot sauce.

These wings are sweet and hot, making them a great appetizer if you like that combination. 

Variation:  You can always take it another direction and replace the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce and add powdered ginger for an Asian flavor.  These are baked, but you can also do them on the grill, making sure you turn on all 4 sides.

Tomorrow is Sunday.  I'm sharing breakfast burritos with you.  

Keep playin’ with your food and have a nice Super Bowl Party.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.   

Simple Cheesecake Recipes

As promised, here are two more simple cheesecake recipes.  The first is a little more complicated, but worth the effort.  

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Crust

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cheesecake

1/4 cup sugar

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite sized pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Or you may use canned apples or my apple-pie-in-a-jar drained

Topping

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Crust: 

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon until combined and crumbly.  Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch baking dish lined with foil.  Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven until lightly golden brown, about 8 to 12 minutes; set aside and let cool.

Cheesecake:

Beat the sugar into the cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

Apples:

Mix the apples, cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg.  Sprinkle the apples on top of the cream cheese layer.

Topping:

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, cinnamon and rolled oats until combined and crumbly.  Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until the cheesecake has set, about 25 to 35 minutes, and let cool.

Caramel Sauce:

Heat the sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat and simmer it until it turns a medium amber color.   

Remove from heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream.  Return to heat and cook until smooth, stirring with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the butter.  Allow the sauce to cool for a few minutes and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.  Let cool and serve over the apple cheesecake bars.

Vanilla Cheesecake Pastry

Last but not least, this is the simplest of all and used that favorite ingredient of mine, puffed pastry.

1 box of puff pastry (2 sheets)

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

½ cup sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting

Thaw your puff pastry in the refrigerator.  When it is thawed, unfold each and put on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar well until completely blended.  Spread over the bottom layer crust.  Add the second sheet to the top.   Bake for 30 minutes in a 325 degree oven and let cool.

After taking it out of the oven, sprinkle it well with powdered sugar.  Serve once cooled.

Tomorrow I think I'll share a couple of appetizers with you for your next gathering.  

Gather together, share food and good company and be happy.  May God bless you and yours.  

Banana Split Cheesecake

Here is another recipe using the same simple creamed cheese filling I used in my last two posts.  I have another one tomorrow and then I'll let your imagination go and let you come up with your own ideas.  Hope you share them.  

Crust:

2 cups graham crackers

1 stick butter

¼ cup sugar

Cheesecake filling:

2 cans (8 oz. each) Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

½ cup sugar

Topping:

4 bananas

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 large frozen whipped topping

1 small jar maraschino cherries

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans  

This is an old recipe but I have modified it making it into a cheesecake. You can also use a instant or cooked vanilla pudding if you like.

Melt 1 stick butter and mix with 2 cups graham cracker crumbs and ¼ cup of sugar.  Pat the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.  Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar well until completely blended.  Spread over your graham cracker crust.   Bake for 30 minutes in a 325 degree oven and let cool.

Layer the sliced bananas and the sliced strawberries on top of the cheesecake, topping it with your favorite whipped topping.  Drain the maraschino cherries very well (let them sit in a sifter for a couple of minutes to prevent bleeding into the whipped cream) and place them on top to decorate your creation.  Sprinkle walnuts or pecans on top.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

It’s it beautiful?  The original recipe calls for pineapple layered with the bananas and strawberry, but I choose to leave them out.  You may add it, if you are a lover of pineapple.  You could also drizzle chocolate syrup on top to take it over the top.  I’d rather have the chocolate and leave out the pineapple.

If you’d like an easier version, use a ready made graham cracker or chocolate pie crust.  You may need to bake it a little longer because it will be a much thicker cheesecake in a 9 inch pie shell.  You will not need to use as much ingredients for topping either.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Does your family like chocolate chip cookie dough?  Mine eat it raw.  I sometimes do not bake it all so I can make milk shakes with it like a cookie dough Blizzard.  I found this recipe and modified it to my liking because I love the Tollhouse recipe so much, I had to use it. I think you will love it. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Crust

12 cookies chocolate chip cookie crumbs 

6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling

2 tubs (8 oz. each) Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar 

  

Cookies Dough (Nestle’s Tollhouse Cookie Recipe)

2 sticks of butter (1 cup), at room temperature

¾  cup brown sugar

¾  cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 ¼  cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 cups (12 oz.) Nestle’s Chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (Optional and you pick the nut)

1 cup melted chocolate chips for decorating top (optional).

Make cookie dough using the recipe on the back of the Nestle’s Chocolate chips.  Make 1 dozen cookies for the crusts.  Set the rest of the dough aside for the top of the bar.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Line a square  9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper or use a throw away aluminum pan. Lightly spray with cooking spray. For your crust, break up your dozen cookies you have baked and combine cookie crumbs and melted butter.  .

Press cookie mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Cream the cream cheese; add in sugar, egg and vanilla.  Cream until it is smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over crust.  

Cookie dough topping

Take the remaining raw cookie dough and crumble the dough mixture over the cream cheese layer covering all of the cream cheese mixture.

Bake in your preheated 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Just until the edges of your crust start to turn golden. Let it cool completely before cutting.

For presentation you can drizzle melted chocolate chips across the top or if you are a nut lover, sprinkle some more nuts on top.  I melt the chips in a double boiler and put in a baggie.  Cut the tip off the baggie and drizzle back and forth.  Use about 1 cup of chips.

This is a  dessert that your family or friends will be asking you to make again and again. 

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.  

Churros Cheesecake

I saw this sometime back on FB and my Grannies Gone Wild Group suggested I bring it for dessert to our next meeting.  A friend of my sister Tony said she makes it all the time and her family loves it, so I made it for club today.  It sure makes the house smell good.  I had to cut into it for the picture and of course to taste.  It is wonderful.  If you love churros, you will love this.

If you have not had a churros, you really should try them.  It is a Mexican pastry that is coated in sugar and cinnamon.  You can buy them a Taco Johns still hot.  Josh and Sawyer love them and we order them when ever we go to Taco Johns.  I’ll also share my recipe with you below.  It is much more work than this cheesecake, but delicious.

Churros Cheesecake

2 cans (8 oz. each) Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) whipped cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 cup sugar (divide in half)

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Unroll one of the cans of the Crescent dough and press it onto the bottom of a greased 13 × 9 inch baking pan. Firmly press the seams together to seal.

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and 1/2 cup of the sugar well until completely blended.

Spread it evenly onto the bottom crust.

Unroll the remaining can of Crescent dough onto a large sheet of wax paper.  Pat out the dough to form another 13 × 9 inch rectangle, pressing the seams together to seal.

Invert over the cream cheese mixture to form a top crust. 

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle ½ of it all over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crust is hard and crusty.

Take out of oven and dust with the remaining sugar and cinnamon and let cool. 

Cut into bars and serve.  You have a simple dessert and the house smells amazing.  

Churros

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 stick butter

1 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar*

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg*

4 eggs

Fill a deep-fryer or large Dutch oven halfway with vegetable oil and heat to 350 degrees F.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a large shallow bowl, set aside.

Combine the butter, water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once it has come to a boil, lower to a medium heat and add the flour, and nutmeg, stirring constantly until it comes away from the pan and it forms a ball.

Transfer dough to a bowl and use an electric mixer to help cool it off. At this point you can whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, until it becomes a smooth batter.  Make sure the batter is cooled so the eggs do not scrabble.  Transfer the mixture into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip (you can use a baggie and cut the tip off or a cookie press). Working in batches, carefully pipe 4 inch long ribbons directly into the hot oil to fry. Fry until golden, turning if necessary, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towels.

Roll the churros in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately while still warm.  You may also serve them with a hot chocolate dip. 

Hot Chocolate Dip

4 ounces dark chocolate

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

4 tablespoons sugar

I have 2 another cheesecake bar recipes I'll share. One uses chocolate chip cookie dough with a cream cheese middle and the other is a banana split cheese cake.  I’ll share it tomorrow and Thursday.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.