Chicken Rice Broccoli Hotdish

Tonights dinner.

This is a good homestyle hotdish. Simple and filling.  

Ingredients List:

1 chicken breast

1 can cream of chicken

1 cup milk (you may substitute with water but using milk tastes better)

1 cup minute rice 

2 cups broccoli

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Salt

Pepper

Trader Joes everyday seasoning (optional)

1 1/2 cups french fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 30-40 minutes for everything to meld together. 

Directions:

1. Cook 1 cup minute rice. (My rice cooker is 6 minute and 30 seconds in the microwave).

2. Place the broccoli in a small cup or bowl and cover. Cook in microwave for minute. 

3. Set rice and broccoli aside. 

4. Dice the chicken breast. Salt and pepper to taste. I even add trader joes everyday seasoning to taste.

5. In pan, sauté the extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic for a minute or two on low heat. Add the chicken, turn up the heat to medium and stir occasionally until cooked.

6. After the chicken is cooked mix in rice, broccoli and cheese. 

7. Pour mixture into an 8x8 greased pan.

8. About midway through spread the french fried onions on top and finish baking. 

9. Bake 30-40 minutes. The mixture will come to a low boil. The sides may turn a light brown. Plus, the french fried onions will have turned darker in color and crispy. Your dish is done! Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Of course, when the dish is cooking, it's an opportune time to employ your husband to clean the pan and mess you just made. But be careful it might come back to haunt you. I may or may not have done this (insert smiley face here). However, joint efforts in the kitchen are always nice.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

I was in the mood for some biscuits today...cheddar garlic biscuits! I modified a recipe because it lacked the cheesy garlic taste for my liking. I love cheese and garlic! I decided I wanted more of those flavors in these biscuits.

Ingredients List

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Garlic Butter Topping:

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

   My batter ingredients: bisquick, butter, cheese, milk, and garlic powder.

                                                    

 1. In a medium size bowl, combine the bisquick and garlic powder. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add it to the bisquick. Then fork the batter together. The butter will not fully smooth out but will have small chunks. Then mix in the cheese and add the milk. Mix with fork until combined. 

The batter mix looks and is gooey like this but the end results are worth it!I can't even try to make this picture look pretty.

2. Make sure the pan is greased and batter is evenly spaced. Makes approx 6 - 1/2 cup or 12 - 1/4 cup biscuits. 

Oh, the garlic buttery goodness!
Garlic butter Topping: butter, garlic and dried parsley for color.

                    

3. Microwave the butter for 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic and parsley.
 

4. Approximately 8 minutes into baking I take out the biscuits to spread on the garlic butter topping and put the biscuits back in to bake for the remaining time. I tend to like the buttered top baked into the biscuits*. This is a personal preference. However, you may add the garlic butter topping at the very end, after the biscuits are immediately done baking.

5. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Tips:

A pastry brush is great for spreading on the garlic butter.

*When the putting on the butter during mid-baking, it does splatter and settle into the batter sides. The end result might become darker brown. Watch the biscuits closely. Don't lose track of the time. If you tend to get distracted, perhaps adding the garlic butter at the end will be best for you.
 

Ooo la la! I'm ready to eat them!

Serve as a snack, with your favorite meal, or they even taste good with sausage gravy smothered on top! 

Thai Peanut Chicken Lo Mein + kid friendly option

This is a combination of Chicken Lo Mein & Thai Pasta Salad...

Ingredient List:

   for the pasta & chicken:

• 8-9 oz. dry pasta
• 1 chicken breast, cut up
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

   for the veg:

• 1 red bell pepper, cut in thick strips
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 Tbsp corn oil

   for the sauce:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (from the Asian market or aisle)
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste (I used about 1 tsp each)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce and whisk until smooth/completely mixed.

THE SAUCE

2. Melt the butter, garlic, and ginger in a skillet over low flame, add chicken, then add vinegar.  Let simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered.  Then, cover to keep warm.

THE CHICKEN

3. Place another skillet or grill pan over high flame for a few minutes without ingredients, to get the pan hot.  Then add corn oil and vegetables.  Leave them alone for a few minutes to let the first side sear/blacken a little.  Then turn down the heat to low and stir occasionally for a few minutes.

THE VEG

4. While you're cooking the chicken and veg, boil a medium pot of water (throw in some salt to flavor the pasta and to make the water boil quicker).  Cook your pasta as directed on the packaging.

THE PASTA

5. When all components are completed, combine everything in a medium sized bowl, toss gently to coat.  

*If your kid is picky, set aside some of the cooked pasta and toss with olive oil/butter, salt, parmesan, rosemary, garlic... or whatever your child likes on their noodles. Serve with their favorite sides of fresh fruit and/or veggies.

ROSEMARY GARLIC PARMESAN PASTA FOR MY DAUGHTER

Testing: Ready, Set, Food

Food for Thought...
                  My love for food blossoms.

My "F" word is FOOD.  It's a favorite word of mine. Food goes along with family, friends, and fun. 

I grew up having the basics. Meat, potatoes, pasta, eggs and whatever we could pick out of the garden. Throughout my travels, food options were abundant. However, I remained steadfast to my basic roots. Friends and colleagues would try (very hard) to encourage me to try new foods. I hesitated to branch out with their ideas. One particular year my boss, at the time, gave me a new years resolution to try new foods. I accepted this resolution as a goal and a challenge. Over the course of the year, I think friends would agree that I did well even if it was "just one bite." Over the years, I have expanded this resolution to not only try new foods, but also cook new foods. 

I'm excited to partner with Sue on this topic we love so much. She's my long time friend and I'm honored to be chosen to help with this adventure. I look forward to trying new and refine old recipes to share with you. 

Food. It's a great word. Make a new food memory today.  

Why Wonder...Why Not Just Give It A Try? 
 

Mr. Pepper

The Importance of Eating Together

Looking back... I realize how important food has been in my life.  Not just for its deliciousness and nourishment, but for the feelings that come from the gathering of community.  Don't get me wrong, I'm one of those people who doesn't always delight in socializing.  But I like people, and I like making things with my hands.  I love giving people things I've made with those hands.

Since I can remember, my mom and dad have taken many turns hosting Gourmet Dinner Group in the upstairs dining room of their 1971 split-level home.  When I was little, my mom would put me to bed, tuck me in, turn out the light, and go to her party upstairs.  But... I couldn't resist those sounds... the warm voices laughing, telling stories... faux fur coats being taken and carefully brought to the master bedroom... forks lightly clanking on china... the muted undulating flow of beverages being poured... the smell of candles giving off their enchanting glows... and the hot, savory scents of the food.  I would sit at the very bottom of the stairs (where no one could see me) for at least an hour and listen.  A serene cozy comfort would descend and envelop me.  I was in heaven.  Secret, mischievous heaven.

Unfortunately, I did not inherit my mother's hostess skills.  But I did inherit her zeal for serving others... especially food.  Even more unfortunately (for my poor husband) I push off the Host responsibility onto my him every time I crave an audience for my cooking whims.  There he is in the background facing off our friend Meredyth in an Iron Chef competition:

So, what better solution than to start a Food Blog?  There's usually an audience for that sort of thing.  People love food.  And what a resurgence there has been of things homemade.  I want to help!  Ideas... recipes... But, I don't want to do this alone.  So, longtime friend Stacy has agreed to give me an assist.  She's really the cook in this relationship.  Just looking at her food pics gave me that warm cozy feeling and made me want to have a food blog with her.  So glad she's on board.

So, if you've happened by ... Welcome, Friend!  Let's eat!!!