Making my Easy Pasties

Today's surprise dinner for hubby. Easy to make by browning ground beef in olive oil, salt , pepper and sliced onion. Add thinly sliced skin on potatoes and mix carefully. Cook until  potatoes are tender. About 15 minutes.  Drain all fat. My beef was so lean there was very little. I used refrigerator pie crusts for these pasties.

Take out of refrigerator as box says. Un roll.  Do not thin out crust. Place cooled meat mixture on half of dough and fold over and seal with a fork as if you were making ravioli.

I lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper and so as not to disturb filled and sealed right on the sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper,

Bake 400 degrees for approximately 15 minutes depending on your oven. We're having a side salad to compliment this meal. I've made this before. It's really good and using refrigerated pie crusts saves time. Side salad! Enjoy!

HAPPY COOKING!

Orange chicken, Stove top method

I've made several different recipes for orange chicken and this one happens to be the stove top method. It was a little more work but worth it.

I find crockpot cooking so convenient but sometimes you just want make a recipe that requires frying. I think you know how health conscious we are so most times any recipes I make I really work hard not to fry any portion of it.

Today this was a definite exception to the rule.  It really reminded me so much of the orange chicken I have eaten from our local chinese restaurant. Totally delicious.

1.  Sauce Ingredients:

• 1 Cup BBQ Sauce Sweet Baby Ray's ( I used sweet and spicy)
• 1 Cup Sweet Orange Marmalade (Trader Joe's)
• 2 TBSP Soy Sauce

2.  Crispy Chicken Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. cut in cubes chicken breast
• 1 Cup Flour/1 Cup Cornstarch You can use both or either/or

3.  2 eggs beaten well

    

     vegetable oil

1. In a sauce pan, add the BBQ sauce, marmalade, and soy sauce. Turn the heat on low and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
2. Meanwhile, cut up your chicken breasts into cubes. In one bowl beat 2 eggs, while the other bowl should mix the dry ingredients.

   
   
3. Dip pieces of chicken in the egg and then cover in flour/cornstarch. Set on an extra plate.

   
   
4. Add a thin layer of oil to a frying pan and turn your stove on medium/high heat. Once it sizzles, add the chicken to the pan. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes each side until it's brown and cooked on the inside.

   
   
5. Set the pieces on a paper towel and pat gently.

   Remove paper towel and place chicken on a large plate. Drizzle sauce over chicken and
6.  Serve over rice with a steamed vegetable of your choice.

   
   

Crockpot creamy ranch chicken

Easy crockpot meal using boneless chicken breasts.

Today's recipe is one using a few ingredients I had on hand. 

 I had bought the chive and cream cheese spread for wraps I was making for lunch so I decided to try a recipe using some of it as well and of course those seasoning packets of ranch dressing that always come in handy.  Enjoy!

l lb. boneless chicken cut in large pieces
1 pkg. ranch seasoning mix
1 cup milk
1 cup water or chicken broth
1/4 cup chive and onion soft cream cheese
1 cup minute rice
1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Clean chicken and cut in large pieces. Place in crockpot on low.

In a large bowl place milk, water, and seasoning mix. Whisk until blended. Pour mixture over chicken and cook on low in crockpot for 4 or 5 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove lid and add softened cream cheese. Stir well until cream cheese breaks up smoothly.  There will be some small cream cheese pieces and that is fine.

Turn crockpot off add 1 cup minute rice, stir and cover crockpot for about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with vegetable of your choice or add 1 small can kernel corn to chicken mixture.

Garnish with parsley if desired.

And for dessert.....S'mores.........yummy

Ingredients;
medium rice cake
miniature marshmallows
mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Microwave 10 to 20 seconds...

Marinara with Gnocchi and Peas: One of my favorite food memories

I love this meal!

I'll start this blog post by saying I love peas and have eaten peas and sauce since I was a little girl.  I don't know how it started but it has become one of my famous all time early food memories.

Till this day my hubby teases me about it.  He had never heard of this dish or would have ever been tempted to eat it.  He is basic Italian and peas are not a part of any of his early food memories. lol

My Mom would make her homemade (meat sauce)every week and with the leftover sauce I would add some drained canned peas and along with a slice of bread or two this was a favorite meal of mine.

Not everyone loves peas but for those of you who do, this is relatively easy to make.  I used my homemade marinara sauce but jarred sauce can be used as well and today I decided to add some bought De Cecco gnocchi which really added to this dish.  

All it takes to make this easy meal is:

1 pkg. De Cecco Gnocchi (17.5 oz)
1 qt. Marinara sauce or desired sauce
1 pkg.. Steamfresh frozen peas (cook according to directions) Canned peas can be used (drain)
Pecorino Romano cheese

Cook gnocchi according to directions.  Drain.  Microwave peas.  Heat sauce. Add gnocchi and peas. Toss with sauce and add fresh Pecorino Romano Cheese.  Serve with Salad. 

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours

6/29/12 
3/6/13
2/18/14

Easy bean, chicken, pasta and spinach soup

It’s always a plus having chicken broth either in your freezer, refrigerator or pantry when wanting to make a quick hearty soup.

I happened to have some homemade broth but not enough to make a full Dutch oven so I added a 32 oz carton of chicken broth to  mine and made this yummy soup for this damp and dreary day.

 This soup can be made either with leftover chicken, rotisserie or it can be made meatless.  It all depends on what you have handy.

I always have broth, beans, pasta and some veggies handy.  This time the veggie was spinach but kale or escarole is also really great to make a full body soup. 

Here's my recipe.. Enjoy!

4 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 cans northern beans rinsed and drained
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cup spinach, kale or escarole broken in pieces
1 cup acne de Pepe cooked
Pecorino Romano cheese for added flavor

Place soup in a large Dutch oven.
Add beans and chicken . Cook on medium until heated, add spinach and pasta.  The Spinach will cook quickly.  Taste test. Add 2 T grated cheese, a pinch of salt and pepper if necessary. 

Serve and add more cheese if you like.  I think cheese just makes it better....

Enjoy!