CLASSIC CHICKEN-RICE BAKE

CLASSIC CHICKEN-RICE BAKE Food Recipes, I think all cooks have their own version of this baked chicken and rice recipe. Some people use cream soups, some use broth, but they all call for baking chicken and rice together in the oven. This is our version (my favorite part is the rice). I usually put in tons more chicken than the recipe calls for, because it is a "freebie" way of making sandwich fixings (not to mention, chicken cooked this way has a wonderful flavor).
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4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use 6)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons chicken bullion granules
1 cup raw long grain white rice
½ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon poultry seasoning (see note)
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
16 ounce bag frozen peas & carrots
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Brown the chicken breasts in a couple tablespoons of butter then set them aside. In the same pan that you browned the chicken in, saute the onion and celery until tender, then stir in the raw rice (you stir in the rice so that it will get coated with butter and not stick together while baking). Once the rice has sauteed for a minute or so, add the soup, stock, chicken bullion and spices. Whisk until smooth. Pour this mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and stir to distribute the rice evenly. Set the browned chicken on top of the rice (push it down into the liquid a little) and top the whole casserole with frozen peas & carrots. Cover tightly and bake at 325F for 1½ hours (if the chicken breasts are large).

NOTE: I don't buy poultry seasoning because I use it so seldom and it goes to waste. Instead, I use equal parts of dry rosemary, rubbed sage leaf and thyme leaves and a pinch of marjoram. I grind these together then measure ¾ teaspoon.
CLASSIC CHICKEN-RICE BAKE FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM

CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM Food Recipes, There are a thousand uses for a good pineapple jam: toast, muffins, ham glaze, roast chicken glaze, pork roast glaze, cookie fillings and many more. My first attempt at making fresh pineapple jam was not totally successful since it never really "set" and I ended up using it as ice cream topping. I think the acidity or sugar level in any given pineapple varies greatly, so it was hard to get the right pectin ratio, but that's just a guess.
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Now I use this excellent, super quick and super tasty recipe for pineapple jam that calls for canned crushed pineapple. I'd like to say that I, normally, would never consider making jam from a canned fruit (I make jam from berries that grow around the house); but, pineapple jam is the exception and this one gets five stars from Hubby.

(1) 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (sweetened)
unsweetened pineapple juice (see note)
3 cups white sugar
(1) 1.75 ounce box Sure Jell pectin powder
(or the equivalent of liquid pectin)

GET READY
1. Wash your jam jars and rinse well (dishwasher works well) keep jars hot.
2. Place your 2 piece jar lids in boiling water, then turn the heat to low and let
them sit in the hot water till you need them.
3. Measure 3 cups of sugar and set it aside.
4. Add enough pineapple juice to the crushed pineapple, to equal 3¼ cups. One 20 ounce can of un-drained crushed pineapple and one six ounce can of unsweetened pineapple juice equals 3¼ cups.
TIME TO MAKE JAM
Place the fruit + juice + pectin in a six quart, heavy bottomed saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar, all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil (one that can not be stirred down) stirring constantly. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off (and discard) any foam that is on the surface of the hot jam. Ladle hot jam into jars, filling to within ¼" of the top.
With a clean, warm, damp cloth, quickly wipe off the rims of the full jars and put the two piece lids on. Process the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and cool on the counter.
NOTE: If you have concerns about the hot water bath step, check out the simple step-by-step instructions at: PICKYOUROWN.ORG
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NOTE: Recipe makes five cups of jam.
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NOTE: I keep individual (6 ounce) cans of unsweetened pineapple juice in the pantry for cooking, rather than a big jug that spoils before it gets used up.
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NOTE: We don't care for jam that has big (unspreadable) chunks of fruit in it, so I pulsed the pineapple in the food processor a few times before I started cooking the jam. The final product still had a pineapple texture, but no hard chunks. I think next time I make this, I will put in a few chopped maraschino cherries for fun & color.
CRUSHED PINEAPPLE JAM FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!!

CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!! Food Recipes, There is no earthly justification for chocolate waffles, except to have fun!! You won't find these on any weight watchers menu, nor are they as easy as "instant" waffle mix. However, they are delicious and a fun weekend treat for the "kids". Hot chocolate waffles with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...or hot chocolate waffles with whipped cream & sprinkles...better yet, hot chocolate waffles with peanut butter? I figure if you are going to "go for it" you might as well do it right with chocolate waffles.

1½ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk (see note)
¾ cup miniature chocolate chips
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Whisk first 6 ingredients together in large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, melted (& cooled) butter, vanilla and buttermilk. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, then stir in chocolate chips. Let this batter rest for about 5 minutes while you heat up your waffle iron. (Batter needs to rest a little before use).
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Spray your waffle iron with a little vegetable spray (you only need to spray it that first time). Cook waffles as you would any other waffle. Serve hot.
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NOTE: For those occasions when I want to bake something, at the last minute, and I'm out of buttermilk, I use a product called SACO Cultured Buttermilk powder; you can find it in the baking section of any grocery store. Its strictly for baking, but it works wonderfully and I can't really tell the difference in baked goods. It worked great in these chocolate waffles, just make sure you follow the directions on the SACO can and add the right amount of water. It is a good thing to have on hand (make sure you keep it in the fridge).


CHOCOLATE WAFFLES THIS WEEKEND!! FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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BAKED CHICKEN 101

BAKED CHICKEN 101 Food Recipes, It seems there are two camps of thought when it comes to baking a chicken. Either you are an old hand at it (if so, today's post will be "old hat") or... the chicken carcass freaks you out; if you are in the second camp, this post is for you. It really is easy to do and opens up a whole world of recipes.


First of all, I'd like to say it is hard to beat a deli made rotisserie chicken for convenience (and they taste pretty good), but with the price of raw chicken coming down (I found whole chickens at our local FM for 89 cents a pound which is a good price here in Alaska) it only makes sense to bake the chicken at home. There are no magic tricks for baking a chicken; stick to a couple of simple rules and you've got it made. Also, if you have a large roasting pan, you can bake a couple of these fat hens at the same time and you'll have enough chicken on hand (for sandwiches, salads, quick dinners, etc.) for the whole week.

I used to bake chickens whole (like you would a turkey), but was grossed out by the empty chicken cavity that filled with unappetizing-colored juices as it baked. To remedy that, I split the chicken open, removing the backbone and baked it flat. Now those mystery juices turn into a wonderful golden broth in the bottom of the pan and the whole dinner looks so much more appetizing.


First start off with whole chickens that are 3 to 4 pounds each. Remove them from their wrapper and sit the chickens, one at a time, in your kitchen sink. Steady the chickens in the upright position, with legs pointing down. Using a sharp knife, remove the backbone. Starting at the neck and slice down, along side of the backbone, all the way down to the tail section; repeat on the other side. Remove the backbone and discard (or see note). Removal of the backbone can also be done easily if you have a pair of very sharp kitchen scissors.


Once the backbone is removed, rinse the chicken thoroughly in running cold water, rubbing down all parts of the meat (see note); dry with paper towels. Because you will want this chicken to lay out flat in the roasting pan, crack (or cut) the breastbone but don't cut down into the meat. Once you crack the breastbone, you should be able to open the chicken and lay it down flat in a roasting pan like this:

Any surface with chicken skin should be facing towards you.

Brush the chicken skin, lightly, with butter and sprinkle lightly (about ½ teaspoon) of onion powder then generously with salt and pepper. Surround with favorite veggies if you like.

Bake, uncovered, at 375F for 1½ hours (for 4 pound chicken). Remove from oven and cover loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. This produces a very tender and juicy chicken.
NOTE: It doesn't matter where you get your chicken from or what brand you buy; you still need to be very careful about cross-contamination when it comes to chicken.

ANYTHING that touches raw chicken (from your hands to utensils, to cutting boards,
to dish towels and sinks) needs to be washed thoroughly with warm soapy water before you touch anything else. I go a step farther and use a bleach based kitchen cleaner on all surfaces after preparing chicken.
NOTE: The backbone that you removed makes great chicken stock. Keep a resealable bag in the freezer and throw the backbones in there. When you get half dozen or so, you can make a fantastic chicken stock by throwing them in a pot of water (2 quarts) and adding onion, celery, carrots and peppercorns; simmer it all for a couple of hours then strain it. The crockpot is also excellent for making chicken stock.
BAKED CHICKEN 101 FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK

CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK Food Recipes, Super easy, super flavorful, super leftovers...what more can I say? This is comfort food at its best. For the richest flavor, brown the meat and veggies before they go into the crockpot, but that isn't absolutely necessary if you are in a rush. This recipe will fill your kitchen with nostalgic aromas from your childhood and leftovers make the best panini sandwiches for tomorrow nights dinner.


¼ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry basil leaves
2 pounds round steak (about ¾" thick) see note
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 stalks celery chopped (see note)
small chopped onion
3 carrots chopped (see note)
(2) 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes (see note)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
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Cut the meat into serving size pieces and coat it with the flour (save any flour that doesn't stick to the meat). Brown the meat in the vegetable oil then put it into the crockpot. In the same pan, saute the onion, celery and carrot until tender. Stir in the diced tomatoes, salt & pepper, basil, Worcestershire, brown sugar and the rest of the flour. Mix well and pour over the meat in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the meat is very tender (my crockpot cooks hot, so it was tender in 6 hours); the sauce/gravy thickens as it cooks.
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NOTE: The recipe calls for round steak, but I thought that would taste a little dry because its so lean, so I used lean chuck steak and trimmed all the fat away.
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NOTE: I chopped the veggies in the food processor to get them small enough. I also used canned diced tomatoes that had basil and oregano in them and I put the tomatoes in the food processor because Hubby doesn't like to "see" chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.
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NOTE: If you like mushrooms, add them the last half hour of cooking, or serve them on the side.

CROCKPOT SWISS STEAK FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS

CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS Food Recipes, I tried this recipe for the first time, this week, and it has a lot of potential. I think it will take another time (or two) to get the upper edge thick enough to hold its shape perfectly, but other than that, the chocolate cups are really delicious. You have to keep them in the freezer, but even frozen solid, they are the consistency of a good fudge. They are super simple to make and fun to have on hand in the freezer.

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup finely ground pecans (I used the food processor)

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk. Stir until very smooth then stir in finely chopped pecans. Insert paper liners into cupcake tins; spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the paper liners. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Remove paper liners and fill with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. Makes about 18 cups.

NOTE: I melted my chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk in the microwave (on high); it took about 30 seconds, stirring half way through.

NOTE: Recipe calls for finely ground pecans. I used the food processor to chop the nuts super fine.

NOTE: Make sure you leave the chocolate at the top edge of the cupcake paper nice and thick, so it doesn't break/tear when you remove the paper. Chocolate cups are not super hard/brittle like other chocolate cups.

NOTE: Letting the chocolate cups sit at room temperature for about 3 or 4 minutes before removing the paper liner, makes it easier.

CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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KID FRIENDLY CHILI

KID FRIENDLY CHILI Food Recipes, Because this recipe doesn't really have a name, I'm calling it "kid friendly chili" because it is very mild. There are several people in our family that prefer this mild chili as opposed to more traditional chili. The tomato acids are offset by grated carrot and a little white sugar, and there is very little "heat", but lots of flavor from the beef broth & long cooking time.

1 pound lean ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 scant tablespoon white sugar
(1) 12 ounce can tomato paste
(2) 15 ounce cans kidney beans
4 cups beef broth
corn chips

Brown ground beef and onions until there is no more pink in the meat then drain well. Return the meat-onions to the pan and add everything else. Simmer slowly for a couple hours if you have the time (at least one hour). If the chili gets too thick, add a little water. You can put it in the crockpot at this stage.

Throw a handful of broken corn chips into the bottom of each bowl and top with the chili and chopped avocado, tomato and cheese.

KID FRIENDLY CHILI FOOD RECIPES
By Coleen Marie

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