Homemade Chicken Soup...good for everything!

Thomas Keller's Chicken Soup was the next recipe Mr. Lawyer tackled while I was languishing away on the couch. Fall was official here and soup was just what the doctor ordered to keep the chill away. Mr. Lawyer did all the work while I read the recipe to him from my perch at the breakfast bar. We declared this our "Slow Food Day" because this recipe was from scratch and intense. Full disclaimer: we didn't make the dumplings. Mr. Lawyer was doing so much I didn't want to have him make dumplings too. We just added some noodles at the end and cooked them until they were done. But the dumpling recipe sounds divine. Even without making the dumplings there are a lot of steps. I think it took us two hours from start to finish. Don't be scared off! This soup is amazing and totally worth the effort. It was so rich and velvety and completely made me feel better about being useless.

Chicken Soup with Dumplings

(From Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller)

*Note: I've italicized the dumpling parts to make it a little easier to follow*

Ingredients Part I:
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped leeks
Kosher salt

Ingredients Part II:

4 quarts Chicken Stock
5 stalks celery
3 large carrots
1 teaspoon honey
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
1 large garlic clove, crushed, skin left on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) Roux
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (dark or white meat)
1/4 cup minced chives
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
Flat-leaf parsley leaves

Ingredients for Dumplings:
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced chives

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and leeks, from Part I and season with salt, and cover with a parchment lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook very slowly, stirring occasionally, 30 to 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove and discard the parchment lid. Set pot to the side.
2. Make the dumplings: Fill a wide deep pot with salted water and bring to a simmer. Set up a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
3. Combine the water, butter, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean. The dough should be glossy and smooth but still moist; enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added. Continue to stir for 4 to 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring; a thin coating of dough will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and the nutty aroma of cooked flour will be noticeable.
4. Immediately transfer the dough to the mixer bowl. Add the mustard and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients and release some of the heat. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first egg is completely incorporated before adding the second and incorporating it. Then add the chives and incorporate. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the dumplings using two soup spoons to make a quenelle shape, dropping them into the simmering water. Cook the dumplings in batches of about 6 to avoid crowding the pot and allow them to cook evenly. Once the dumplings rise to the surface, it will take about 5 minutes for them to cook; remove one and break it open to make sure it is cooked. With a slotted spoon, transfer the dumplings to the baking sheet, and cook the remaining dumplings. (You will have about 18 dumplings.)
6. Once the dumplings have cooled, trim any uneven edges with scissors.
7. Finish the soup: Add the chicken stock to the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain the soup base into another pot and discard the vegetables.
8. Peel the celery stalks with a peeler. Cut each stalk crosswise on the diagonal into thin slices about 11/2 inches long. As you get to the wider lower part of the stalk, adjust the angle of your knife to keep the pieces relatively the same size. You need about 1 1/2 cups celery for this recipe (reserve any extra for another use). Cook the celery in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain, cool in an ice bath, and drain again.
9. Cut the carrots lengthwise into quarters and then crosswise into bite-sized pieces. As each carrot widens, adjust the size of the cut to keep the pieces bite sized. You need about 1 1/2 cups carrots for this recipe (reserve any extra for another use).
10. Put the carrots in a saucepan, add the honey, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the carrots are tender but slightly resistant to the tooth. Drain and transfer to paper towels.
11. Bring the soup base to a simmer and whisk in the roux a little at a time until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; you may not use all the roux. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming often—this is necessary to remove all impurities from the roux. (The soup will continue to thicken as it simmers.)
12. Add the dumplings, chicken, carrots, celery, and chives to the soup and heat through. Season with the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
13.Transfer to a large serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley leaves.

Crispy Chicken and Olives

One of our honeymoon goals was to hit up as many amazing restaurants as possible. Since I don't remember ever being hungry, not even once, on the entire trip I'd say we succeeded! We were very lucky to visit three Thomas Keller places. Every morning a heavenly basket of pastries and breakfast goodies from Bouchon Bakery was delivered to our cottage. TO. DIE. FOR. Our first night in the Napa area we had dinner at Ad Hoc and a couple of days later at Bouchon Bistro. Everything was amazing. Naturally we received two of his cookbooks for Christmas that year. 

Since I've been out of commission for two months my darling Mr. Lawyer decided to give some of the Ad Hoc recipes a try. First up was tackling this braised chicken recipe. I was only able to stomach a few bites but what I had was divine. I was particularly impressed with the braised olives, the saltiness really hit the spot. Mr. Lawyer really liked using our cast iron pan to it's full potential too.

Crispy Braised Chicken Thighs with Olives, Lemon, and Fennel

(From Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller)

*Note the recipe serves 12 so Mr. Lawyer cut it to serve 4*

Ingredients:
3 fennel bulbs
12 chicken thighs
Kosher salt
Canola oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 cup Ascolane or other large green olives, such as Cerignola
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 fresh or 2 dried bay leaves
4 strips lemon zest
8 thyme sprigs
1 cup chicken stock
About 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
Directions:
1. Cut off fennel stalks. Trim bottom of bulbs and peel back the layers until you reach the core; reserve the core for another use. Discard any bruised layers, and cut the fennel into 2-by-1/2-inch batons. You need 3 cups fennel for this recipe; reserve any remaining fennel for another use.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set a cooling rack on a baking sheet.
3. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt. Heat some canola oil in a large ovenproof saute pan or roasting rack that will hold all the thighs in one layer over medium-high heat. Add thighs skin-side down and brown on the skin side, about 4 minutes. Turn thighs over and cook for about 1 minute to sear the meat. Transfer to the cooling rack.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low, add onion to the pan, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in fennel, turn heat up to medium, and cook, stirring often, until fennel is crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Pour in wine and simmer for about 2 minutes to burn off alcohol. Stir in olives, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, lemon zest, and thyme, then pour in chicken stock. Increase heat, bring liquid to a simmer, and cook until fennel is tender, about 1 minute.
6. Taste the stock and season with salt as needed. Return chicken to the pan skin-side-up, in a single layer. When the liquid returns to a simmer, transfer to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
7. Turn on the broiler, and put pan under the broiler for a minute or two to crisp and brown the skin. Remove from oven, and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with parsley leaves.

Back with a bang!

After a nice little hiatus I'm back in business...at least a couple days a week! Life has included: buying a house (!), a puppy (!!), and a bun in the oven (!!!). Understandable blogging was not high up on my priority list as I moved into this new adult chapter of life. A few trusty standby recipes and owning a real grill for the first time have gotten us through the adjustment period of moving to the suburbs. Now that we are settled in a bit and I'm getting sick a little less (ah, the lovely first trimester) I'm starting to feel the urge to try new recipes.
The other night a recipe for copycat Asian BBQ chicken lettuce wraps from PF Changs. I've only been there once and I did not have the lettuce wraps so I can't really compare it to the real deal but they were very good! This recipe is both similar and different from our favorite Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Pros/Similarities:
-uses ground chicken, not need to cut up slimy chicken breast and hope you get all the fat trimmed
-the flavor is awesome!
-easy to customize: use lettuce wraps or serve on rice, toss in whatever veggies you have on hand
Cons/Differences:
-The sauce requires hoisin sauce (asian bbq sauce) which I general don't have on hand and taste can vary greatly depending on brand. I used Soy Yay Garlic Hoisin and was very impressed. I don't think I'll go back to trying other brands.

Asian BBQ Lettuce Wraps

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce (I loved Soy Yay's Garlic Hoisin)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced (I would grate it next time)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3 teaspoons sriracha sauce
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 small bunch green onions, sliced (Omitted, I didn't have any on hand)
2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/3 cup cashews or peanuts, chopped
Iceberg, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
Directions:

1. Heat up the peanut oil and sesame oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and cook until it is cooked through, break it up into smaller chunks as it cooks. 

2. When the chicken mostly cooked add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are heated through and reach the desired consistency (I didn't want my raw like the original recipe called for).

3. Lower the heat. At this point if there is a lot of liquid from the chicken and onions drain it, you don't want it to dilute the sauce! In a separate bowl mix the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Stir it well and pour it into your meat mixture, stir until complete coated.

4. Add in the water chestnuts, green onion, and cashews/peanuts. Let sit until heated through and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

5. Serve with lettuce, rice, or whatever toppings you want!

Sriracha Chicken

This chicken dish was pretty yummy and versatile. Although I must admit I still like my Cashew Chicken the best. The first night I served it over quinoa and then the next as tacos. It reheated very well and I took it in for lunch a couple of times. If you're in the mood for something on the spicy side of things than this is the dish for you!

Served over quinoa:

 Augmenting a veggie taco:

There isn't anything like some fresh sriracha!

Sriracha Chicken

(Pinterest find! Adapted from familyfreshcooking.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut/veggie/coconut oil (I used less)
1 pound chicken breast, trim into bite sized pieces
2 shallots or one small onion, diced
1/4 cup Sriracha (you can adjust more or less)
1/4 cup Honey
Juice from one lime
Salt & Pepper
Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the shallots until soft.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan with shallots and cook until browned on each side. Drain any excess chicken juice.

3. Whisk together sriracha, honey, and lime juice. Adjust to suit your personal tastes.

4. Add the sauce and simmer for 8 minutes until chicken is fully cooked, stirring often.

5. Serve with rice, quinoa, or tacos.

Honey Mustard Love

I've always had a love affair with honey mustard so I might be a little bias when it comes to loving this recipe but Mr. Lawyer liked it too and lawyers never lie right? This was easy and amazing. For lunch the next day I chopped up the leftover chicken and spooned the sauce over the leftover quinoa. It was to die for. This recipe has earned a spot next to my favorite Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps. I want to make both of these recipes over and over again.

Honey Mustard Chicken

(Pinterest find! From goodlifeeats.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of grainy, course mustard (I subbed more smooth, spicy Gulden's Mustard)
1/4 cup smooth dijion mustard (Grey Poupon of course!)
1/2 cup honey
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken tenderloins (I cut up chicken breasts)
salt and pepper
3 - 4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the mustards, honey, and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil.
2. In a sauté pan or cast iron skillet, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
3. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until golden and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Place the chicken tenderloins on top of the onion and garlic mixture, or if the pan you cooked the onion and garlic in is not oven safe, transfer the onion and garlic to an oven safe dish and add the chicken to it. Salt and pepper the tops of the chicken according to your personal preference.
5. Pour the honey mustard mixture on top of the chicken. Arrange the rosemary sprigs around the chicken in the pan.
6. Bake the chicken covered at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Then remove the cover, baste the chicken with the sauce, and continue to cook for an additional 20 - 30 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is browned on top and cooked through.

No Recipes

Repeats, standbys, and no recipes....and I'm not sorry.

For the second week in a row I made out favorite Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps. This time I doubled it and served it up with some jasmine rice. It's amazing. Make it now.

 Mr. Lawyer was home early due to the Nor'easter and I nearly died due to an ocular migraine so he took over dinner duties and nursed me back to health with his grad school staple chicken parm. Always delicious. 

Healthy vegan skillet of healthy things! I sauteed up some onions, garlic, and kale. Then I threw in some diced baked sweet potatoes and mixed it all with quinoa. It was good but very healthy tasting so we added some sriracha. It was excellent and filling for lunch the next day.

Slow Food

Last weekend we had a slow food revolution in our kitchen! It was just the thing to get me back in my kitchen groove. Well, that and a super clean apartment.

We brined juicy pork chops all day.

We enjoyed the last of the toasty warm fall days with books and coffee on the balcony.

I made chicken stock. The apartment smelled amazing all day. Every time I walked by the simmering pot I would steal a little spoonful. It rocked my world. You cannot even compare store bought stock or broth to this. It is going to make the most amazing soups.

Skillet bread! This also made the place smell like kitchen heaven and helped me steal chicken broth at every turn. 

Fresh bread + homemade chicken stock = kitchen heaven.

Liquid Gold! I made about 5+ pints of stock.

My recipe is from Grandpa Norm. His idea of chicken stock is a "time to clean out the fridge" one and you just throw anything you have in there. It wasn't very exact. I used what I felt comfortable with and what I had: an onion, a couple carrots, a small bunch of celery, cracked pepper and peppercorns, etc.

Chicken Stock

(From Grandpa Norm)

Ingredients:

Chicken carcass

Veggies (onion, celery, carrots, etc)

Seasoning (salt, pepper, bay leave, parsley, etc)

Directions:

1. Throw everything in a pot, cover with water, and simmer away for hours! The longer it simmers the more concentrated the flavors.

2. When you've decided the stock is ready strain all the bones and veggies out. 

3. Make a soup! Or save it for later. 

Chicken & Barley Chili

It's chilly outside! This makes me very excited. Fall is probably my favorite overall season. Fall means it is SOUP AND CHILI SEASON! I had a random bag of barley that the Mother Unit had given me so this recipe was perfect. Overall it is very similar to the Chicken Taco Chili I made last year. The main difference is subbing the barley for some beans. I really enjoyed the addition of the barley. It was a little more labor intensive to cook the chicken separately instead of throwing it all in the crock pot like the Chicken Taco Chili but that's not a deal breaker. This chili is very filling and yummy. It was a hit with the boy. I'm really sad that it is all gone.

I served it up with Cabot Cheddar of course.

Chicken & Barley Chili

(Pinterest find! melskitchencafe.com)

Ingredients:
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup medium barley
4 cups water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
dash cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
Garnishes: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, tortilla chips
Directions:
1. In a large pot , combine the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, barley, water, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano and cayenne. Stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and add the chicken. Stir to combine. 

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the chili for 40 minutes, until the barley is tender and chewy and the chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally, while it simmers to prevent sticking and to make sure it stays at a steady simmer. 

3. After 40 minutes, add the beans and corn. Stir to combine and simmer for five more minutes. Serve the chili with optional garnishes.

Meh.

I almost didn't post this recipe because I was so disappointed in it. However Mr. Lawyer liked it and ate it all week. I felt that it was lacking something, a little flavor, some pizzazz, just something! So if you have a boy in your life that likes a nice solid dish, nothing fancy, than this recipe is for you! On the plus side I didn't have to cook all week and could eat my steamed edamame so it was a win-win for us (Mr. Lawyer doesn't like it when I just cook veggies for dinner).

All of this! He ate all of it.

Even the peacock soup bowl couldn't make me feel better about it.

Chicken Parmesan Pasta Bake

(Pinterest find! from melskitchencafe.com)

Ingredients:

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1 - 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 oz pasta
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 475 F.
2. Set an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

2. Add the diced tomatoes, the water, 1 cup of the chicken broth, and the pasta to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, then cover the pan and continue simmering until the pasta is tender, about 16-18 minutes. Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks.
3. Once tender, remove the cover and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the pepper, and the chicken. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary. If the mixture seems dry, mix in as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth as needed to loosen it up. Note: if you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a baking dish at this point.

4. Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbles around the edges. Garnish with the basil then serve.

Chicken Calzones

If you have extra chicken on hand then this recipe is for you! It was quick, easy, and a hit (Mr. Lawyer inhaled two of them). I used thin crust pizza dough and it turned out nice and crispy. Instead of one cheese I did a mix of cheddar and mozzarella.

BBQ Chicken Calzones

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated classic pizza crust
1-1/3 cups refrigerated original barbecue sauce with shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. Unroll dough; place on cookie sheet. Starting at center, press out dough into 14×10-inch rectangle; cut into 4 (7×5-inch) rectangles. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto half of each rectangle, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edge. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each.
3. Fold dough in half over filling; press edges firmly with fork to seal. Prick tops with fork.
4. Bake 9-12 minutes or until light brown.

Summery Chicken

Today was not a good day to roast chicken and have two burners going...and the dryer running. I was melting in the kitchen but it was all worth it! Today brought us a citrus-herb roasted chicken accompanied by a lemon-herb pearled couscous and sauteed (local!) squash. The chicken had a wonderful sweet citrus flavor. It was a nice change from the spicy creole seasoning kick I'm on. Every other bite you would get a burst of herbs. It's a fun summery recipe that would be great if you had a larger group of people to serve.

The spread! I love the color of the veggies in the cobalt Fiesta.

The dish looked so pretty pre and post baking.

It also smelled divine.

Ta-da!

Citrus and Herb Roasted Chicken

(Pinterest find! From thecomfortofcooking.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
10-12 pieces (about 4 1/2 lbs.) bone-in chicken parts
1 medium onion (any kind), thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme, or fresh chopped
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, or fresh chopped
Chopped fresh herbs (optional garnish)
Directions:
1. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

2. Place chicken in a bag/tupperware container with the marinade, let sit at least one hour or overnight.

3. Place chicken, skin side up, and marinade in rimmed 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle all over generously with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired.

And then for something sweet from my secret stash.

He'll never look in here.

1st Freezer Meal!

I don't have a picture for this recipe as I made it at my friend's house this afternoon. Jackie and I have decided to start experimenting more with freezer and/or crock pot meals. We figured that these recipes would be useful given our busy schedules and her almost two year old daughter. What's not to like about having meals ready in the freezer or things you can just throw in the crock pot and forget?! This first one came out pretty good! I loved the dijon and maple combination. We served it with some brown rice and it would be delicious with a vegetable side. There was a lot of liquid left in the crock pot that was very flavorful (we poured it on the rice) but next time I would find a way to thicken it up a bit before serving it on the rice.

Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken

(from sixsistersstuff.com)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a resealable gallon-sized freezer bag. Mix together and zip bag closed.

2. When ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw in fridge for 24 hours. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4 hours). Sprinkle with fresh or dried rosemary for serving.

The Kitchen Master

Grandpa Norm kept me busy in the kitchen this weekend.

He attempted to teach me how to make gravy AND proper stock. This was after we had hit up some wineries so I'm not quite sure how much of it will stick. He did send me home with the stock so tonight I made up some Chicken and Dumplings. I did not have any Bisquick so I made my own. It worked but I thought the dumplings were a little on the dense side. Bisquick always makes nice fluffy dumplings.

Homemade Dumplings

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon parsley flakes, if desired
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Directions:
1. Mix flour, parsley, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.  Stir in milk.
2. Drop dough by 10 spoonfuls onto hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew. Cook uncovered 10 minutes. Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.

Salsa Chicken

And we have a winner! This slow cooker salsa chicken was simple but amazing, especially once I added some shredded pepper jack cheese to my tortilla. In a healthy move Mr. Lawyer added some lettuce to his. It is also suggested to eat it with tortilla chips as a dip which we might do tomorrow night.

Why yes, that is one of my new vintage blue fiesta plates.

Thanks Mother Unit!

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

(Pinterest Find! From semihomademom.com)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup salsa
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
6 tortillas
Directions:
1. Place chicken in the bottom of your slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning on chicken. In a bowl, combine soup and salsa. Pour over chicken. Cook on high 4 hours. 

2. Shred chicken with two forks and stir in sour cream. Serve on tortillas or as desired.

Best Drunk Food...

You know what happens when there is a huge hurricane in your city? You drink too much rum and wake up with all of your hurricane food cooked and this on your hand:

Behold a recipe for delicious heaven! It was also declared as "wonderful drunk food" by Mr. Lawer.

I was in love with this spicy-sweet sticky chicken finger wrap and have made it two nights in a row. The first night it might have been after midnight when we were both intoxicated. It's perfect, easy, and quick. I highly recommend it and will be adding it to my arsenal. 

Sticky-Finger Wraps

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Frank's Original Hot Sauce
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup water
Wraps:
8 Breaded Chicken Fingers (cooked according to directions...or homemade)
4 Flour Tortillas (burrito size)
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup Tomatoes, chopped
2 cups Lettuce, chopped
Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan heat the hot sauce, brown sugar and water over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is heated thoroughly. About 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes to thicken.
2. For the wraps: if using frozen chicken fingers, bake according to package directions. Place cooked chicken fingers in a large tupperware. Pour in the sauce. Seal shut with the lid and shake to coat all chicken fingers.
3. Place two sauce-coated chicken fingers onto one tortilla. Add desired amount of cheese, lettuce and tomato. Wrap up and serve!

Yum.

Hurricane Chili!

In August 2011 during Hurricane Irene I made some fabulous Hurricane Potato Soup. This time around I went with some Hurricane Chicken Taco Chili and it was a hit. I will definitely be adding this to my chili recipe rotation. It was chock full of beans, the corn was a nice touch, and the spice was spot on. It's from a healthy recipe site and was created with weight watchers in mind so it's super healthy! 

I also made my own taco seasoning. So fancy! I loved it so much that I will be making a larger batch to keep on hand. It's easy to customize if you want more or less spice and if you're concerned about sodium you can tweak the amount of salt (or completely omit it), something you can't do with pre-packaged taco seasoning!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

(adapted from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (some versions use cayenne pepper)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

(adapted from skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 16-oz can tomato sauce
10 oz package frozen corn kernels
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (I used Hunts diced tomatoes with zesty jalapenos!)
1 packet taco seasoning (I used two tablespoons homemade seasoning)
1 tbsp cumin (I only used 1 teaspoon)
1 tbsp chili powder
24 oz. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts (I only used two and it was fine)
chili peppers, chopped (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro, cheese, sour cream for serving
Directions:
1. Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. (**I sliced my chicken breasts into smaller strips to reduce the cooking time**)

2. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream.

Kung POW!

Quick and easy with a decent flavor, this recipe worked for us. The heat built up slowly but I might add a bit more chili oil for a quicker zip. I also used brown rice, which Mr. Lawyer isn't a fan of, but he really didn't notice.

I know I said I'd save the Fiesta until after our wedding but yeah....that's not happening. I had a lunch date with Amanda and she decided that she wanted Fiesta in her new apartment when she moves so we planned out her color scheme and I got all super excited again. I figured that the salad/cereal bowl would work well for this rice dish and it did! Once Mr. Lawyer saw mine he wanted to eat it in a Fiesta dish, win! I told him that we needed to try everything out before we commit to it on our registry, I don't think I'll have a problem convincing him...the two bowls have been perfect for a variety of dishes!

Easy Kung Pao Chicken

(from Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chinese rice wine
3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons asian chili oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 bunches scallions (whites cut into 1/2-inch pieces, greens sliced)
4 cups precut stir-fry vegetables
1/2 cup cocktail peanuts
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Directions:
1. Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons each rice wine, cornstarch and water in a medium bowl. Add the chicken and toss; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Whisk the remaining 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, the sugar, chili oil and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in the skillet. Add the garlic, ginger, scallion whites and precut vegetables; stir-fry until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Add the chicken and peanuts and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the soy sauce-chili oil mixture, add to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, 30 seconds. Serve over rice and top with the scallion greens.

Chinese Walnut Chicken

I've been on quick and easy chicken and rice dinner mode as I re-adjust to school and find my cooking mojo! This is an old recipe that my mom use to make, I remember the Dork and I just dying for this. It's a nice basic recipe, no crazy flavors or anything weird. I did ad a dash of sesame oil to it because I'm all fancy and worldly now.

Chinese Walnut Chicken

(from the Mother Unit)

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 teaspoon pepper, salt
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Directions:
1. Mix cornstarch, salt, pepper, sugar, soy, and 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken and stir.
2. Saute walnuts in 1 tablespoon oil. Remove from pan.
3. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add chicken. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add walnuts.
4. Stir in chicken broth and stir fry until chicken is cooked. Serve over rice.

Spicy Chinese Chicken

When we sat down for dinner and Mr. Lawyer took a bite he said something along the lines of "wow, it really has been a long time since you cooked a meal." Yikes! Good thing this spicy chinese chicken was a decent hit. I say decent because I had higher expectations for certain parts but it was completely delicious and edible. The chicken was very moist. After reading the comments I was worried that the vinegar would be overpowering so I decreased it a smidge and replaced that part with water. It worked out fine. We served it up with some steamed broccoli and rice.

Issue #1 - I wanted it to be crunchier! If I make it again I will probably follow the coating recipe for my General Tso's Chicken. Doing the egg last was creepy and it did puff up and cook when you threw it in the oil. 

Issue #2 - I wanted it to be spicier! When I tasted the sauce before I cooked it I thought it was spicy enough but after baking it the spice went away! It was more of a tangy and sweet sauce instead of spicy.

Issue #3 - Not enough sauce! Sad story. I suppose it was healthier that way.

Spicy Chinese Chicken

(Pinterest find! From Mandy's Recipe Box)

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt & pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
Spicy Sauce:
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
Sriracha Hot Sauce to taste (I used 1 teaspoon)
Red Pepper flakes
Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

2. Cut chicken into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. 

3. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your Spicy Sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken.
4. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Red Pepper flakes before serving.

A Chicken Hit!

This one was a hit! I love that it is a straight forward fix it and forget it meal. The sauce was amazing and I loved the taste of it before I cooked it. I bet it would be delicious on a stir fry too. The only thing I had to alter was the chicken, I used regular chicken thighs and halved the recipe. Delicious!

Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

(Pinterest find! From Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen)

Ingredients:
12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I threw in some fresh ginger too)
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice
Directions:
1. Place chicken in a 4 qt. slow cooker.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. 

2.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm. 

3. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. 

4. Serve with chicken and rice.