Creamy Chicken & Dumplings

I'm hooked on trying new recipes from Kevin and Amanda's blog. This chicken and dumpling soup I made for dinner tonight. Going to serve with BLT's.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts
10 bouillon cubes
2 quarts water
2 cups bisquick
2/3 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
2 stalks celery

Directions:

Place chicken breasts & bouillon cubes in a large pot & cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 mins until chicken is done.

Meanwhile, boil the eggs. Then mix together the bisquick and milk until soft dough forms. When chicken is done, remove from pot and set aside. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the chicken stock. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 10 mins, then uncovered for 10 mins.

Meanwhile, dice 2-4 stalks of celery until you have approximately 1/2 – 1 cup of diced celery. Cut or shred chicken into bit sized pieces. Saute celery in 2 tbsp of butter for a couple of mins. Add in chicken & season well with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the chicken and celery to the soup. Remove yolk from boiled eggs and chop whites and add to soup. Stir all to combine. Serves 4.

Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/creamy-chicken-dumplings.html#ixzz1F0JzVVcY

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

I've been on a roll with trying new recipes! I love it! Something to look forward to during the work week. Another recipe from Kevin and Amanda's blog. It was pretty easy dish to make during the week. I served it with a side of spanish rice and fresh avocado.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, cut up and softened
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast
8 (8″) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 pint whipping cream

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with Pam.

2. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add rotel and saute 1 min. Stir in cream cheese and chicken and cook, stirring constantly until cream cheese melts.

3.Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish.

4. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese, and drizzle with whipping cream.

5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Take off foil and cook for another 15 mins, or until top is golden brown.

Read more at http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/creamy-chicken-enchiladas.html#ixzz1Ek8bevuI

Saucy Pork Medallions

My friend Svetlana told me about this Kraft foods recipe since her daughter devoured the peas from this. So did Jack! He loved them!!!! The dinner was good for us too! Easy and tasty weeknight dish!

Ingredients:
2 tsp. oil

1 large pork tenderloin (1-1/2 lb.), cut into 3/4-inch-thick slices

3 cups frozen peas

1 can (10 oz.) turkey gravy

1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

Directions:

HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 5 min. or until each piece is browned on both sides, turning after 3 min.

STIR in peas, gravy and dressing; bring to boil. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing as directed on package.

SPOON stuffing over meat mixture around edge of skillet; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 10 min. or until stuffing is heated through and meat is done.

Recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods.

Cheesy Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Quesadilla

Ingredients:

4 medium-sized flour tortilla shells
1 lb chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
salt and pepper
1/2 cup scallions, diced
8 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 avocado, diced
mild cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Arrange bacon on a cooling rack (like for cookies) and set it on top of sheet pan. If you don’t have a cooling rack, you can just put the bacon straight on the sheet pan. Or in a 9×13 baking dish. Either way will work. Place bacon in a cold oven, turn heat to 400, and cook 15 mins per side.

2. Add 1/2 tbsp bacon drippings to a skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and saute about 2-3 mins until softened. Add the chicken in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through, flipping just once during cooking. Remove the chicken and scallions to a plate and rinse out the skillet.

3. Add about 1/2 tbsp butter to the skillet over medium heat. When foamy, add a tortilla and swirl it around to get it nice and buttery. Layer one side of the tortilla with chicken, bacon, avocado, and a little cheese. Use tongs to flip the other half of the tortilla over and press down. Cook the tortilla for about 1-2 mins on each side or until golden brown and crispy.

4. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, adding a little more butter for each tortilla as needed.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

Recipe courtesy of http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/cheesy-chicken-bacon-avocado-quesadillas.html#ixzz1EB7flDGa

Sugar Cookies

For Valentine's Day, I made my first batch of sugar cookies from scratch. I wanted to make my own royal icing, but could find the meringue powder, so I just used Betty Crocker icing. I found out later, Wilton makes the meringue powder. You need this powder in order for the icing to harden.


Basic Vanilla Sugar Cookie
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and combine until egg is completely incorporated. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until no trace of dry ingredients remain.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Royal Icing

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup meringue powder

1/4 cup water

gel food coloring

Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder in bowl of stand mixer until well combined. Slowly add water and mix until you get the consistency you want*. Add food coloring to achieve your desired color.

For outlining: consistency should be like glue paste

For flooding: add enough water so that the consistency is pretty runny

* Note: Royal Icing is extremely forgiving. If you find you've added too much water and the icing is too runny, just add more powdered sugar. Vice versa if your icing is too thick.

Recipe courtesy of http://treats-sf.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentine-cookies.html

Chicken Parmigiana

I came across this wonderful dish while searching for new dinner ideas. I'm in a dinner rut. I found this recipe on Kevin and Amanda's blog that I follow. I made this tonight for my parents for an early Valentine's Day dinner. Definitely a repeater.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tbsp steak seasoning
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb noodles – I used vermicelli
2 tbsp butter
3-4 cloves minced garlic
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1-2 tbsp fresh, finely chopped parsley, divided
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
shredded mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.Layer chicken between wax paper and pound breasts to even thickness.

2.Whisk together flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and steak seasoning in a medium bowl. Coat chicken in flour mixture.

3. Add 1 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large pot of water and bring to boil. Boil noodles according to package.

4. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook about 2 minutes.

5. Pour in tomatoes and sugar. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the sauce has simmered, stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Lower heat and keep sauce warm. Add in basil and 1 tbsp parsley and stir well just before serving.

6. Heat butter & olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 4-5 mins each side until the crust is golden brown.

To serve: Spoon sauce over chicken and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle on parsley. Add noodles to the plate and cover with sauce. Generously cover the sauce on the noodles with parmesan cheese, and sprinkle some more Parmesan cheese on the chicken. Let stand until the mozzarella cheese on the chicken has melted from the heat of the sauce.

Serves 4.

Recipe courtesy of Kevin and Amanda.

Sneaky Banana Bread

I'm really struggling with table foods for Jack. He does really well with purees that I make or baby food purees store bought. No problem. But when he has to feed himself steamed vegetable chunks, no thank you. He loves pancakes and blueberry muffins, so when I came across this recipe for banana bread made with cauliflower, I thought I'd give it a try. He loves it! Jack shoves it right in his mouth! He even says Mmmmm!


Ingredients:
3/4 c. wheat flour
1/2 c. flour (I didn't have wheat flour, so I used 1 and 1/4 c flour)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1 1/2 c. banana puree 1/2 c. cauliflower puree
1 tsp. vanilla extract


Directions:
I used my wonderful baby cooker to steam and puree the cauliflower and puree bananas.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Into a medium bowl sift together wheat flour, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil until well combined. Beat in egg whites, banana puree, cauliflower puree, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients gradually until just combined.

Spray a large loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for about 1 hour, until the middle of the top is "set."

Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Recipe courtesy of http://www.gretchencooks.com

Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients:
2 Pillsbury French bread cans
1 Cream Cheese block-softened
1 packet of Italian Dressing seasoning
1 large cucumber

Directions:
1. Bake bread at 350* in a bread tube shaped in a star, flower, or heart. Spray tubes ahead so dough doesn't stick. I place them upright on the rack. Bake 70-75 minutes. You can also bake the bread according the can's directions.
2. Remove bread from tin and allow time to cool.
3. Using a serrated knife, cut bread into slices. Usually 15-18 slices per tin.
4. Mix cream cheese and Italian dressing seasoning.
5. Peel cucumber.
6. Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread and top with a cucumber.

Recipe courtesy of Erin Surma

Puppy Chow

Ingredients:
9 cups of rice chex
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Into a large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In a 1-quart microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter uncovered on High for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla.
3. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
4. Using a large garbage bag, pour the coated cereal and then sprinkle the powdered sugar. Close the bag with your hand and allow for air to fill up bag and shake to coat cereal.
5. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy Chex Mix