Monthly Archives: November 2010

Stew and Rice

I told you my recipes were going to be easy this week. I saw this on a commercial on TV. I am not sure which brand of soup they were advertising, but I have a feeling it’s not the one I bought. If I am going to buy soup in a can, I need to be able to read and identify the ingredients on the label.

Ingredients:
Two cans of any thick, stew-like soup or leftover stew from a previous meal
Rice or couscous

Instructions:
Cook rice/couscous according to package directions.

Heat stew.

Serve rice in bowls and pour stew over the top.

What did the family think? Everyone ate it but our oldest. I think all he ate was the rice.

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Filed under Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

White Bean, Rosemary and Pancetta Pizza

Our kitchen is still a disaster, but the walls and floors have dried out, so I may have my kitchen back for a while before they start the reconstruction process. We just got back in town tonight after a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family. This was a quick and easy dinner. These would also make a great appetizer if you cut them into smaller pieces.

Ingredients:
4 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-inch-by-1/4-inch strips
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt
4 pocketless pita or naan
6 ounces thinly sliced Fontina cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven with a pizza stone to 450°.

In a skillet, cook the pancetta in 2 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat, until crisp; transfer to a plate. Add the garlic, rosemary and crushed pepper to the skillet and cook for 20 seconds.

Mash in the beans. Stir in the pancetta; season with salt. Brush the flatbreads with oil and spread with the bean mixture. Top with the cheese.

Bake the flatbreads until the cheese is bubbling, 7 minutes; transfer to plates and serve.

We had this with a salad and some Wolfgang Puck Lentil Soup from a can. I think next time I would switch out the lentil soup for some tomato basil soup.

What did the family think? I used naan for these and it was great because they were like little pizzas. Our oldest and I really liked these. Hubby wasn’t impressed and neither was our youngest.

from foodandwine.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Super Easy to Make

Green Chili Casserole

I am not a big fan of cream of anything soup and I next to never buy it, but I did buy some to make this one. I am glad I did, too. It was yummy!

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell’s)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

What did the family think? I haven’t made this in a while, but I do remember it being VERY good. VERY.

from Cooking Light

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Mexican

CrockPot Autumn Sausage Casserole

This is like autumn in a bowl. It’s so good and makes your house smell fantastic!

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage
1 large, or 2 small apples, chopped (no need to peel)
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
3 cups already cooked long-grain rice
1/2 cup raisins
1 T dried parsley flakes
1 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup chicken broth or water

Instructions:
If you are going to use uncooked pork sausage, I’d recommend browning on the stove top, and draining before adding to the crockpot.

Otherwise, dump all the ingredients into the crock, and stir well.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4. You’re really only heating through, and allowing the vegetables to soften.

This will not stick together like a gloppy casserole; it has the consistency of fried rice. Use bowls to serve rather than plates.

The amount of ingredients fit nicely in a 4 quart crockpot. I’d say this comfortably feeds a family of 4-5 with a bit of leftovers. If you have a large family or teenagers, add more rice and sausage. It’s a pretty easy recipe to adapt to your needs.

What did the family think? This is SO delicious! Hubby and I couldn’t get enough of this. The boys liked the sausage…they aren’t big rice fans.

from crockpot365.blogspot.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make

BBQ Pulled Pork and Coleslaw Panini

Yep, we went back to the panini place today to savor some of their delectable creations. This would be great if you have some leftover pulled pork or some leftover BBQ chicken.

Ingredients:
Italian Sandwich Bread
BBQ Pulled Pork
Cole Slaw

Instructions:
Make a sandwich out of the above ingredients. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? I was the only one who had it, but it was good. The addition of the cole slaw reminded me of one of my favorite sandwiches at Jack Stack BBQ in Kansas City.

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Filed under Chicken, Easy, Pork, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

Turkey, Cranberry and Havarti Panini

A great lady who I used to teach with had the fantastic idea that I review restaurants since I can’t really cook in my kitchen right now. This is the sandwich I ate tonight at our newest favorite restaurant. I didn’t make it, but it’s pretty straight forward, and would be a great way to use up all of those Thanksgiving leftovers.

Ingredients:
Italian Sandwich Bread
Havarti Cheese
Cranberry Sauce
Turkey

Instructions:
Make a sandwich out of the above ingredients. If you have a panini maker, use it. If not, heat a skillet over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Place sandwich in skillet and put a heavy skillet on top of it for a few minutes. Flip the sandwich over, place the skillet on top of it again and cook for a few minutes on that side.

What did the family think? I was the only one who had this and it was really good. My only bit of advice is to go easy on the cranberry sauce or you will have a very soggy sandwich. I had this with a cup of Thanksgiving soup which had turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, some tasty broth, some parsley and some tasty croutons on top.

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Filed under Easy, Sandwich, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

Chicken and Biscuit Pie

This is kind of like chicken pot pie only with homemade biscuits on top. Also, as a side note, this may be the last MommaCooks post for a while. We had a flood in our house and they are going to tear out the ceiling and floors in my kitchen tomorrow…not sure how much cooking is going to get done over the next week or so. I’ll be back, it just might take a while.

FILLING:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cups vegetables of your choice (left-overs or frozen ones that have been thawed)
Salt and pepper

BISCUIT TOPPING
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe sauté pan with high sides.

Stir in the onion and celery, then cover the pan and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the flour, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown it.

Whisk the chicken stock into the pan. When it starts to thicken, whisk in the milk.

Add the sage, thyme, chicken, and vegetables, continuing to stir until the mixture is heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pan from the stovetop.

Meanwhile, make the biscuit topping by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients. Add the milk and stir briskly, just until the dough pulls together.

Flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Using floured hands, knead the dough two or three times, then flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough into biscuits and place as many as will fit, barely touching, on top of the filling. (You can bake any extras separately, on a lightly greased pie plate, for about 15 minutes.)

Bake the potpie until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes. Then let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving it.

We had this with salad and grapes.

Did I change anything? I used less onions than this recipe calls for and I used about half the frozen veggies. Our boys aren’t huge mixed veggie fans so I didn’t want to turn them against this meal the second they saw it because of the veggie overload. Also, to cut the biscuits, just use the top of a drinking glass. It’s the perfect size and shape.

What did the family think? Hubby wasn’t here to eat with us, but our oldest said he really liked the sauce. The youngest just ate the chicken. I love chicken pot pie, so I thought it was great.

from familyfun.com

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Filed under Chicken

Pumpkin Scones with Cream Cheese Frosting

The scones are good, but with the frosting…me oh my!

Scones
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Icing
Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add enough milk to make a good spreading consistency. Frost the scones while they are still warm.

What did the family think? Anything with cream cheese on it is good, but when you put cream cheese on a pumpkin scone…yowser!

from whatscookingamerica.com and food.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

Sausage, Red Beans and Rice

Hubby took one bite of this and said, “I hope you’re going to blog about this.”

Ingredients:
1 cup long grain white rice
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg (14 oz) smoked sausage
1 can red beans
Creole Seasoning

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and cut the sausage into coins.

Add olive oil to skillet and cook sausage over medium-high heat. Sprinkle sausage lightly with Creole seasoning. You can always add more spice later, but it’s best to start on the safe side.

Cook sausage for about seven minutes, making sure to stir sausages so that they cook on both sides. Add rinsed beans and heat through.

Serve rice with beans and sausage.

What did the family think? Hubby and I LOVED it. So good. Our youngest ate the sausage and our oldest insisted it was much too spicy. Hubby also added quite a bit more of the Creole seasoning to his bowl.

from kevinandamanda.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Pork, Six Ingredients or Less, Spicy

Chorizo Enchiladas

If you like it spicy, these are for you.

Ingredients:
12 corn tortillas
1 pound chorizo diced
1/2 white onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped roasted and peeled green chilies
2 cups red chili enchilada sauce
2-1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place tortillas on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 5 minutes then set aside.

In large heavy skillet over medium high heat fry chorizo until it is no longer pink. Add onion and continue to fry for 5 minutes.

Stir in chilis and sauce then remove from heat.

Oil a square baking dish. Place 4 tortillas in baking dish and top with 1/3 of the chorizo mix and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat to more times then bake for 35 minutes.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked this, but I am glad I had some sour cream on hand to add to it after it came out of the oven to help tone down the spiciness. I had the boys try it, but even our youngest who loves spicy said it was too hot.

from grouprecipes.com

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Filed under Mexican, Six Ingredients or Less, Spicy