chicken

The 12 Soups of Christmas for 2014

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Last year I participated in the The 12 Soups of Christmas which for me is really about so much more than soup. It is about inspiration. It is about motivation. It is about confidence. Be it in your job, your everyday life,  or in the kitchen. This year I participated again and I hope to do it for many more years to come.

My goal was to make soups that only served two (as it is just me and my fishing guide) and to make all different soups this year. I succeeded (although I did make 2 lentil soups this year and one last year, but technically they are all different types of lentil). Some were OK and some were fantastic. My favorites include Cordon Bleu and Wonton, but I also really liked the white bean as wells as the parsnip & potato. I will definitely be making these again throughout the winter months.

Soup 1: Beer Cheese (serves 2)

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/2 onion, chopped (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup half & half
  • 3/4 cup beer
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • dash each salt, nutmeg, celery seed
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard

Melt butter in a medium pot. Add chopped onion & carrot and saute for 5-10 minutes until veggies are softened. Add flour and cook for 3-5 minutes until flour is well incorporated and appears cooked through. Whisk in broth, half & half, & beer. Simmer and stir for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Puree soup with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor until smooth. Whisk in cheese until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients. Add more chicken stock if necessary to thin soup to desired consistency. Ladle into bowls and enjoy plain or with popcorn garnish.

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Soup 2: Lentil Ham (serves 2)

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup diced ham
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • black pepper and salt to taste

Saute onion and carrot in olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan for 8-10 minutes until slightly tender & onion is translucent. Add lentils, stock, ham, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 60-90minutes.

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Soup 3: Wonton (serves 2)

  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic, divided
  • 2 green onions. chopped
  • ginger
  • soy sauce
  • 1 tsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tsp spicy chili sauce
  • 14 wonton wrappers
  • water

Broth: In a medium pot heat the oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 the garlic, a few dashes ginger, 1 chopped green onion, few dashes soy sauce, 1/2 to 1tsp spicy chili sauce. Heat over medium heat for 2-3minutes. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil and therm reduce to a simmer.

Filling: Meanwhile, brown the ground pork. Drain off any excess grease. Add the rest of the garlic, 1 chopped green onion, a few dashes each ginger & soy sauce. Add the rest of the sauces & the mustard. Stir to combine.

Wonton & Soup Assembly: Take a wonton wrapper and place 1 tsp of the filling in the center. Place water on edges & fold over so that wonton is closed. Press down firmly & roll over sides slightly to guarantee wonton is sealed. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently drop the wontons in the water and cook for about 3 minutes. Scoop the wontons out and place in the broth. Serve is large soup bowls.

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Soup 4: Cordon Bleu (serves 2)

  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup garlic & herb chicken stock
  • 1 cup half & half
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 3/4 cup chopped cooked chicken
  • 3/4 cup diced ham
  • 2 tbsp cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp mozzarella cheese

Melt butter in a medium pot. Add flour and cook for 3-5 minutes until flour is well incorporated and appears cooked through. Whisk in broth and half & half. Simmer and stir for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Add salt & pepper taste. Add chicken & ham. Whisk in cheese until blended.

 

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Soup 5: Chicken Enchilada (Serves 2)

  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade, see below)
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 1 cup chicken, cooked & shredded
  • 1/4 cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2-3 tbsp chipotle salsa
  • hot salsa to taste
  • 2-4 oz diced green chiles

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

  •  1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, & oregano
  • pinch each salt, pepper, & cayenne

Heat oil over medium heat. Stir in flour until well incorporated & cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken stock while whisking to avoid lumps. Add the seasonings. Bring to a boil & reduce heat to simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Makes approx. 1 cup. Keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Soup Preparation

Melt butter in a medium pot. Stir in flour until well incorporated (mixture will be chunky). Cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock & milk slowly to avoid lumps. Stir in half of enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened slightly. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, additional cheese, green onions, &/or avocado.

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Soup 6: White Bean & Sausage (serves 2)

  • small amount of olive oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  •  1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 can white beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1/4 lb crumbled & cooked mild italian sausage
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp dried sage
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1-2tbsp potato flakes (optional)

Heat a small amount of oil in a small pot. Saute the onion over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until translucent. Add the beef broth and beans. Bring to a boil & reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor. Return to pot if needed. Add in the sausage and seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes at a minimum (this can be simmered for 30-60 minutes if desired) . Add potato flakes if needed to thicken to desired consistency.

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Soup 7: Curried Lentil with ground turkey (serves 2)

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1/2 cup dry lentils
  • 2 cups beef stock
  • 1/2 cup ground turkey
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp tumeric
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • black pepper & salt to taste

Saute onion and carrot in olive oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan for 8-10 minutes until slightly tender & onion is translucent. Add lentils, stock, ham, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for 60-90minutes.

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Soup 8: Rachel Sandwich (serves 2)

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2-3 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 cup milk
  • pinch each garlic & onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • few dashes celery seed
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp each horseradish sauce & catsup/ketchup 🙂
  • 1 tsp chili sauce
  • 1/2 cup cooked, shredded chicken thigh
  • 1/4 cup sauerkraut
  • 1 tbsp cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter until soft & translucent. Stir in flour for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Add the stock & milk and store over medium heat until slightly thickened. Add the rest of the ingredients through the kraut. Cook & stir for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted & combined. Serve with rye bread or croutons.

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Soup 9: Cheesy Hashbrown (serves 2)

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2-3 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 1/3 cup diced or shredded hashbrowns (thaw if frozen)
  • dash each pepper, paprika, nutmeg, celery seed, onion & garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard or 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a medium pot. Add flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until flour is well incorporated and appears cooked through. Whisk in broth & milk. Add hashbrowns & seasonings. Simmer and stir for 15-20 minutes until thickened & hashbrowns are cooked through. Whisk in sour cream & cheese until blended.

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Soup 10: Sweet Potato (serves 2)

  • 1 cooked sweet potato cut into chunks
  • 2 tsp concentrated vegetable stock
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream

Mash sweet potato and stock together. Whisk in milk. Heat over medium heat until cooked through. Whisk in sour cream. Serve.

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Soup 11: Egg Drop Soup (serves 2)

  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp ginger (I am not found of ginger so I used around an 1/8 tsp)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce + more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil
  • salt & white pepper to taste
  • 2 eggs
  • green onions

Pour 1/2 cup crock into a cup that contains 1 tbsp corn starch. Make a slurry. Pour the rest of the stock, the seasonings, soy sauce, & oil into a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken stock-corn starch slurry. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Beat the eggs into a measuring container with a spout. Slowly drizzle the eggs into the stock with circular motion stirring so that they can feather out. Pour into 2 bowls and garnish with green onions.

Note: This recipe can be made thicker if desired and just double the cornstarch. I might do that next time. Also, I’d consider adding an extra egg or two as I like mine to be super eggy.

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Soup 12: Parsnip & Potato (serves 2)

  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 3/4 cup peeled, chopped parsnips
  • 1 potato, peeled & chopped
  • pepper, garlic & onion powder, thyme

In a medium saucepan bring parsnips, potato, stock, & seasonings to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender. Enjoy!

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Squirrel Chili

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Who doesn’t love chili this time of year? It is the perfect food to come home to from October to March. At least in the mid-west this is true. Not many people want to eat a hot, steaming bowl of chili in July or August, but once the temperature changes, the menu changes. Chili is one of those items on the menu in my household this time of year. My guy, who happens to be a hunter, shot a squirrel in our yard with his bow. Since it was only one squirrel, I decided to make a squirrel & chicken chili. Simple, but delicious.

Squirrel Chili (serves 2)

  • 1 squirrel, skinned, cleaned, & cut into bite-size pieces ( brined for 2-4 hrs)
    • Brine Ingredients (4 cups water, 1/4 cup salt, 1-2 tbsp sugar, dash or two each chili flakes, oregano, & pepper)
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (if you have 2 squirrels you can omit the chicken)
  • 2 pieces cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 2-3 tomatoes diced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 can chili beans, undrained
  • 1/2 cup chunky salsa
  • chili seasoning (1-2 tsp store bought or your favorite blend. I used a combo of chile powder, paprika, cumin, garlic & onion powder, salt & pepper, oregano, & cayenne).
  • olive oil (to coat two skillets)

Combine the brining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the squirrel & keep in the fridge for 2-4 hrs. Once brined, drain the squirrel but do not rinse. In a small skillet heat a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat. Brown the squirrel and place in a crockpot

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Saute a chopped onion in another skillet for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add this to the crockpot with all the other ingredients. Stir to combine. Heat on low for 6-8 hrs (this can also be made on the stove in a heavy duty pot or dutch oven on simmer for 2-4hrs). Serve with cheddar cheese & sour cream if desired.

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Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie

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I love pot pie. I think it is engrained in my Minnesota upbringing. When winter is half the year you enjoy comfort foods for half the year. The weather has turned rather brisk so pot pies are going to be a reoccurrence for many months to come.

Peas, carrots, potatoes, & chicken in a creamy sauce with a pastry crust is the traditional pot pie eaten by many, but you can really add anything. I love the fact that they are so versatile. You can add basically whatever you want to them depending on what kind of flavors you desire.

The first pot pie I ever made my fishing guide had peas & mushrooms in it. I didn’t know it then, but am constantly reminded now, how he hates peas. His mother even told me that she served him peas as a child and he responded with a question, “Are you made at me?” I guess he has always hated peas and will always hate them (except for pea soup – go figure). Anyhow, he did not enjoy that classic version & I have constantly been adapting pot pies ever since.

This version uses the veggies I had on hand as so many of my recipes do along with chicken and a cornbread crust. It is quite comforting on a brisk autumn day or cold winter night.

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie (makes 4 servings)

Filling

  • 1 can (10 3/4 oz) Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 1 can (about 8oz) whole kernel corn, drained
  • large handful fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, & cut into 1 inch pieces (use canned if needed)
  • 2-3 medium carrots, sliced into bite-size pieces
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked & shredded
  • 1/2-3/4tsp thyme
  • pinch salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Cornbread Crust

  • 1 package (about 6.5 oz) corn muffin mix
  • 2 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/3cup milk
  • 1 egg
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. In a small pot of boiling water add carrots & cook for 10-15 minutes. Add green beans and cook for 3-5 more minutes (if using canned omit this step and combine with the rest of the ingredients in step 3). Drain water.
  3. In a medium bowl combine cooked veggies & all other filling ingredients. Pour into a 2 qt casserole dish.
  4. In a small bowl, combine crust ingredients. Spoon dollops onto the filling in the casserole dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

Cajun Chicken Burger on Crusty Sandwich Bread

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I have the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook. The only things I have ever made out of it are boules, baguettes, & bâtards. I’ve made them plain & with herbs. That is all. Even though it is so easy I have never tried the countless other recipes. Partly because I am still intimidated & partly because I love bread. I don’t want to make it because then I eat too much of it.

The other day I decided I wanted to make sandwich bread. It looked easy enough & I thought I could incorporate it into dinner. I’m always trying to find or think of new recipes as most people who cook tend to do. I also like them to be seasonal. With the fact that it’s summer & I was making bread I knew a sandwich or burger  was in store. I thought, why not make a burger that uses sandwich bread. Thus the Cajun Chicken Burger on Crusty Sandwich Bread was born. This is so juicy & has just the right amount of kick. The sautéed veggies give an extra little something as opposed to just lettuce, tomato, or onion. And the sandwich bread…well, there is nothing like fresh bread. It gives a slight crunch but is still soft on the inside.

Crusty Sandwich Bread

  • 11/2 cups warm water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2.5 tsp dry active yeast
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 cup warm water for baking
  1. Add water to bowl. Stir in salt & yeast. Add flour all at once & stir to combine. Use wet hands if necessary to incorporate all the flour.
  2. Cover loosely and let rise for 2-3 hrs (or let rise in the fridge for 8hrs).
  3. Lightly grease a loaf pan that is 9x3x2in with neutral tasting oil.
  4. Dust the surface of the risen dough & cut off a cantaloupe sized piece (about 3/4 of the dough mixture) and shape into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Elongate this into an oval & place in pan. Let rise for 40 minutes (1hr40min if it’s been refrigerated). Dust with flour & score the top of the bread.
  5. Preheat the oven to 450F for 5 minutes. Place the pan in the oven on the middle shelf with another pan on a shelf that won’t interfere with the dough baking. Add 1 cup warm water to the other pan & bake for 35 minutes or until the surface is hard & brown.
  6. Remove from the pan and cool completely before slicing & eating.

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Cajun Chicken Burger

  • 1lb ground chicken
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1tsp diced garlic
  • 1tsp worcestshire sauce
  • 1 jalepeno, seeded & diced (optional)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced in thin half moons
  • 1/2 large red & yellow pepper (or 1 small of each pepper) sliced into thin strips
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1-2.5 tsp cajun seasoning (store bought or mix 1/2tsp each salt, black pepper, oregano, paprika, & cayenne)
  • 4 slices crusty sandwich bread
  • lettuce
  1. Heat a skillet with 1tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the whole chopped onion & sauté for 5-8 minutes until softened. Add the peppers & continue to sauté until caramelized (about 10-20 more minutes).
  2. Meanwhile, mix chicken, 1/4C onion, garlic, worcestire sauce, jalepeno if desired, & 1-1.5 tsp cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Put half in the fridge for lunch in the next few days. Form the other half into 2 patties.
  3. Once the onions & peppers are cooked, transfer them to another skillet or container to keep warm (keep half set aside for the burgers in the next few days). Cook the chicken patties in the skillet that the veggies were sautéed in (about 5 minutes for the first side & 3 min on the second side). Cover the skillet with a lid for the first side of cooking.
  4. Mix the mayonnaise with 1/4-3/4tsp cajun seasoning.
  5. Toast the bread slightly in a toaster. Coat 2 slices with 1 tbsp mayonnaise. Top with lettuce.

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6.   Place a burger on each piece of bread with mayo & lettuce. Top with sautéed veggies.

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7. Top with the other slice of bread & serve with side of your choice (I chose roasted carrots).

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White Chicken Lasagna

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When I was younger I never cared for lasagna. I attribute this to a few things. I did not care for lots of red sauce at that time. I always thought lasagnas had too much sauce. It was unappealing to look at & I ended up scraping excess away. I also thought they were too cheesy. I love cheese. I have always loved cheese. I eat way too much cheese I am sure, but when it comes to pizzas & lasagnas I believe that less is more. I also don’t know if I ever had a homemade lasagna. They were always frozen aisle lasagnas.

Once I started cooking for myself, I realized I love lasagna. I just like it the way I make it with less sauce & cheese. I also never used to use loaf pans. I would use a normal 8×8 or 9×13 pan. Since I am cooking for 2 almost always, I like using the loaf pans. That way it is always fresh when you pop it in the oven. I also like being able to prep meals ahead of time & lasagna is one of the perfect make ahead meals. With the loaf pans you get one right away and another within a week. As the guy I am cooking for likes red lasagnas I have always made those. I decided to make a white lasagna this time. It is creamy, savory, & a nice change from a traditional red sauced lasagna. It even has his approval.

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White Chicken Lasagna

  • 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
  • 8 lasagna noodles, cooked
  • 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1tsp each basil, oregano, pepper
  • few dashes each onion powder & garlic powder
  • 1 diced onion, red pepper, & yellow pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 3 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 3 cups milk
  • pinch sage, basil, oregano, pepper & salt
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella
  • 1/2-3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • parmesan cheese (optional)
  1. Lightly coat a large skillet with olive oil. Sauté the onion & peppers until almost caramelized. Add one tbsp. butter & stir until melted. Add 3 tbsp. flour & stir until dissolved. Add 1 cup chicken stock, 3 cups milk, & pinch each basil, oregano, pepper & salt. Stir often until thickened & bubbly. Add 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
  2. Meanwhile, mix egg, cottage cheese, shredded chicken, tsp each basil, oregano, & pepper, few dashes each onion & garlic powder, & 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese in a medium bowl.
  3. Take two loaf pans & place 1/4 cup sauce on the bottoms of each. Place approx. 1.5 noodles (cutting & overlapping as necessary) on sauce. Top each with 1/4 the chicken mixture. Sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella cheese over the chicken. Top with sauce. Repeat layers once ending with last layer of noodles on top. Finally, over the last set of noodles place some more mozzarella & top with remainder of sauce. If desired, top with parmesan cheese. Cover both with foil. Bake immediately, place in the fridge overnight, or place in the freezer for up to a week (if placing in freezer cover with foil, wrap it completely in plastic wrap, & wrap again completely with foil. Remove outer wrap of foil & plastic before baking).
  4. Bake in a 375F oven for 40-45min covered & 15-20 minutes without foil (if frozen add 10-15 minutes to each portion of baking).

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Chicken or Cheese Rellenos

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Do you have a plan for dinner?

A question that I have become quite familiar with. The answer is yes & no. I am normally the one to make dinners. Every week I take some time to vaguely plan out a dinner menu. I write down a few ideas that I might do throughout the week & cross-check it with my fridge, freezer, & pantry.

As we had just run a commuting errand to get some food items, I knew I had poblano peppers to be used. I also knew I had cheese & salsa in the fridge, green bell peppers & jalapenos in the freezer, and rice, canned tomatoes, & taco seasoning in the pantry.

I said that I would make chile rellenos. I said it would be vegetarian. I received a look of disapproval or skepticism. Maybe a combination of the two. As I was pulling my ingredients together, I noticed that there was a leftover chicken thigh in the fridge. I said I could put in the rellenos & received a nonchalant reply but knew that this would be much preferred.

I decided to make half of the rellenos with chicken & half without. While the chicken had more substance, the cheese variation was much creamier & tasted more rich. They were both delicious & depending on your mood or taste preferences, either will satisfy your needs.

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While these may not be traditional, they are very good.

Chicken or Cheese Rellenos (serves 2)

  • 4 poblano peppers
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, diced
  • 1 can diced, stewed, or peeled tomatoes with sauce (if you use whole or stewed tomatoes, give them a rough chop)
  • 1 cup instant rice
  • 1 cup water
  • 2-3 tsp taco seasoning (use prepared or make your own…see below)
  • 1/2 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
  • 3-4 oz Neufchatel cream cheese
  • pulled or shredded cooked chicken (equivalent to 1 thigh or small breast)
  • salsa
  • sour cream, optional

If you are making your own taco seasoning mix together the following in a small dish…

  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  1.  Place poblano peppers on a cooking sheet & place under broiler. Broil for 3-5 minutes per side until skins are blistered. Place peppers into a bowl & cover with pastic wrap or place in a gallon sized plastic bag. Let sit for 10 minutes & remove skins. Slice open on one side & remove seeds. Add 2 tbsp. cheddar cheese to each pepper. Add 1-2 tbsp. cream cheese. Add salsa as desired. Add pulled chicken to two of the peppers. Close peppers.
  2. Meanwhile, chop the onion, green pepper, & jalapeno. Sauté in a small amount of olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. Add the tomatoes & the water. Bring this to a boil & stir in the rice & taco seasoning. Cover & remove from heat. Let sit for 5-8 minutes until rice absorbs liquid.
  3. Pour rice into a 9×13 in casserole dish. Top with peppers. Bake in a 400F oven for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with additional salsa & sour cream if desired.

 

 

 

 

 

Spring or Not Spring

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According to the calendar it is currently Spring. For many people in Minnesota it does not feel like spring though. The winter has been long & has rolled into spring like it frequently has in the past. This year as I gaze out into my backyard, this is what spring looks like:

spring

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful December, I mean March Day. I never understood when people said they loved spring. Spring has always been my least favorite season. Generally, it keeps snowing, or it begins to melt and everything looks gross, brown, grey, and wet.

Spring does mean different produce though. Asparagus in the grocery store means spring has arrived. Asparagus in my grocery store means I hit the jackpot since my store has nothing. I bought the asparagus and decided to use it to make a Chicken, Asparagus, & White Sauce Pizza. No matter what season it is or feels like, this pizza is exquisite.

Pizza Dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (makes 4 1lb dough balls)

  • 2 ¾ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 ½ tbsp granulated  yeast or two packets
  • 1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 6 ½ cup unbleached all purpose flour or 6-6 ¼ cup bread flour
  1. Mix all ingredients except the flour.
  2. Add the flour without kneading. Use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.
  3. Cover the container (not airtight) for 2 hrs.
  4. Use immediately or place in the fridge until ready. Use within 12 days.

White Pizza Sauce 

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • dash cayenne
  • dash nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  1. Melt butter over medium heat in a skillet
  2. Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes
  3. Stir in milk and whisk until thick & bubbly.
  4. Add seasonings and cheese. Stir until combined.

Chicken & Asparagus Toppings

  • 1-2 chicken breast or 3 thighs cut into 1in pieces
  • 1/2lb bunch asparagus
  • olive oil
  1. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.
  2. Add cut-up chicken and sauté until just cooked through. Remove from heat & set aside
  3. Meanwhile, in large pot, bring salted water to a boil.
  4. Chop asparagus into 1in pieces and blanch for a minute.
  5. Drain & run under cool water until the asparagus are cool to the touch

Assembly & Baking

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
  • cornmeal
  • flour
  1. Preheat the oven to 450F with a heat stone inside the oven. Do this 20minutes before baking.
  2. Sprinkle cornmeal on the pizza stone and flour on the counter.
  3. Take a 1lb portion of the dough and place on the floured surface and roll into a circle that is 1/8in thick (or some sort of shape that looks like pizza).
  4. Spread sauce on the surface leaving a 1in border. Place more parmesan cheese on the sauce (roughly 1/4cup).
  5. Top with chicken & asparagus.
  6. Top with mozzarella cheese lightly (roughly 1/3 cup).
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is cooked through & cheese is melted & bubbly.

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Comfort Food

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I have been absent from writing & baking for a bit. It isn’t because I want to be but rather because I have no Internet where I am staying. I do have my phone so hopefully this goes through. For those of you who are interested I have landed my dream job in a dream location. This has caused me to temporarily live with someone until I can get a place of my own. Thus, I was only able to bring up a small amount of items to get by and all my baking equipment and supplies stayed down south.

The person with whom I am staying has gone deer hunting as I imagine most people up here have done. After all, Deer Monday or Deer Day (the Monday following deer opener) is a school holiday. This weekend I am all alone. My guy is also off hunting so he did not come up to visit. The weather is also quite crisp and there was a slight snowfall yesterday & today. To warm myself up and be comforted by one of my favorite foods, I decided to make a pot pie with what I had on hand.

Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. Chop 1 onion and 2 stalks of celery. Add to sauté pan with 2tsp olive oil. Cook over medium heat for 5min. Meanwhile, peel and chop 3 large carrots. Add carrots to pan, cover, turn heat down to low.

Bring a pot of water to boil & add 2-3 potatoes depending on the size. Boil for 30min or until cooked through. Remember to move your pan veggies around every so often. Cube or shred 8oz of cooked chicken. Once the potatoes are done, drain the water. Add milk and yogurt & mash until desired consistency.

Add a concentrated chicken stock and 1/2C water to the veggies with pepper to taste. Add the chicken & transfer to a baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes and bake for 30-40 minutes. Serves two or one person twice.

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