Chicken Curry

This is such an easy recipe, and I think it tastes just like the curry dishes I've had at Thai restaurants. I usually substitute evaporated milk for coconut milk, since that is usually what I have on hand. I think it still tastes great that way. I've never added lemongrass, either. And I usually leave out the pineapple (David's preference). 


1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 
1 -2 teaspoons red curry paste (I usually put 2 teaspoons in)
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 stalk lemongrass, first outerlayer removed and cut in half
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 cups boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
chopped green onion


Directions: 

Heat the oil in a large wok, add the garlic, saute. Add the curry, ginger, and the thicker cream on top of the can of coconut milk to the wok, whisk. Now add the rest of the coconut milk in along with everything else but the chicken and pineapple, whisk. Bring to a slow boil for 7 minutes, then discard the lemongrass. Add the chicken and pineapple and cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, about 7 - 9 minutes. Serve over Jasmine rice and top with green onion.

Butternut Squash Soup

While all these soups are being posted, I thought I'd add this one. I've made it quite a few times this season...I think it's a great Autumnal soup! :)

- 1 large butternut squash, about 3.5 lbs.
- 1 large leek
- 2 T unsalted butter
- 4 tsp. grated fresh ginger (you can use ground ginger – I think about 1 tsp should do it)
- 5-6 cups chicken stock
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper

With a large heavy knife, cut the squash in half through the stem and discard the seeds. Place cut sides down, on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 until the skin can be easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and cool. With a large spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash and discard the skin. (I've also just roasted some cut pieces of squash purchased at Costco, wrapped in foil at 375 for 40-50 minutes).

Cut off most of the tough green top from the leek. Cut the leek lengthwise and wash under cold running water to remove any dirt trapped. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add leek and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the looks are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and carefully add the squash. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup, in batches in a blender. Return soup to saucepan. If it seems thick, use remain stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

I made this soup the other night, and it really tastes like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana! The soup was a tad bit on the spicy side, so you may want to wait till the end to add the crushed red peppers to suit your level of spiciness. I also added the kale when I added the potatoes, since kale actually takes a while to cook.

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
• 2 tsp garlic puree (or just minced garlic)
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream (I've used evaporated milk before and that works, too)
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• 1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients. In the same pan, saute bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. 

From tuscanrecipes.com

Becky's Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

That's right. I'm posting for Becky. The girl just won't blog. So, I must take matters into my own hands. Ahem. Now, here are her words:

Hello family!
You may already have a homemade chix noodle soup recipe that you like, but if not, this is a good (and easy!) one. I used leftover rotisserie chix from costco, and I left out the marjoram because I had none. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 8 ounces egg noodles
• 12 cups water
• 9 cubes chicken bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, saute celery and onion in butter or margarine.
2. Add chicken, carrots, water, bouillon cubes, marjoram, black pepper, bay leaf, and parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add noodles, and simmer for 10 more minutes.

(Taken from allrecipes.com)

Delish Potato Soup

I love this time of year. Everything just tastes better. So, in the spirit of Soup Season, I have a deeeelish recipe for ya:

6 cups chicken broth
6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into chunks, room temperature

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional, but makes it really good)

Combine broth, potatoes and spices. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender. Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening. If you like it smooth smash more, if you like it chunky just smash a little of it. You can decide the texture of it. Reduce to low heat. Add cream cheese. Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle a little bacon over each bowl of soup.

Clark's Favorite Pork Chops

From My "Favorites" Recipe Book - Very quick and easy to make and it tastes delicious!

Prep Time: 15 min
Bake Time: 1 hour

Arrange pork chops in glass baking dish. Top each pork chop with:

1 Lemon slice
1 onion slice
2 Tbl brown sugar
2 Tbl ketchup

Cover and bake for 45 min. at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake for 15 min. more.

Family Fajitas

This comes from my "Favorites" recipe book.

Prep Time: 30 min.
Serves: 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup lime juice
Pepper- a sprinkle
Garlic salt - a sprinkle
1/2 onion, sliced into rings
1/2 green pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 red pepper, sliced into strips
1 Tbl butter
flour or corn tortillas

Condiments: salsa, guacamole, shredded cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa

Cut chicken into strips. Place in glass dish and pour lime juice over top. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. In large skillet or wok, saute onion and peppers in butter for 2 min. Remove vegetables and add chicken. Cook chicken until no longer pink (about 5 min). Add onion and peppers back. Cook until heated through. Fill warm tortillas with chicken mixture. Top with condiments and roll and eat immediately.

Hawaiin Haystacks

Prep Time: 30 min.
Serves: 4

This is a personal favorite! It's easy and makes great leftovers! This recipe comes from Rachael Walker and Jennifer Hope, back in Colorado.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
1 cup chicken broth
1 package chow mein noodles
3 medium tomatoes
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup almonds, sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1 20 oz can pineapple chunks (optional)
1/2 cup coconut, shredded (optional)
4 cups cooked rice

Combine soup, broth, and chicken. Heat in pan on stove. Prepare all remaining ingredients in individual serving bowls. Take a serving of rice and top with chicken mixture. Add a small portion of each topping you desire.

Easy Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas

This is from the Campbell's Kitchen online recipe website. It's tried and true!

Prep Time: 20 min
Bake Time: 40 min
Serves: 6

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Pace picante sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups cooked chopped chicken
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas, warmed
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

1. Stir soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in medium bowl.
2. Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese in large bowl.
3. Divide chicken mixture among tortillas. Roll up tortillas and place in a 2-qt shallow baking dish. Pour remaining picante sauce mixture over filled tortillas. Cover baking dish.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. Take cover off and bake an additional 5 min. Top with tomato and green onion.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Cooking Time: 30 min.
Serves: 6 - Makes great leftovers!

This is a really easy recipe and it tastes great, especially on those cold autumn & winter nights! It comes from a good friend of mine, Kellie Close.

6 cups of water
4-6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 can cream of chicken soup
Garlic Salt- a little sprinkle
Salt and Pepper - a little sprinkle
Poultry Seasoning - a little sprinkle (don't put too much of this in; it's quite strong!)
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
6 oz wide egg noodles
2 chicken breasts, cooked and either diced or shredded

Combine water, bouillon, soup and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until tender on med-high heat. Add egg noodles and cook 8 to 10 min. until tender. Add cooked chicken until heated through. Serve hot. (Don't put a lid on it, otherwise the noodles will absorb all the broth!)

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

This is my mom's recipe. It continues to be a personal and family favorite over the many years!

Cooking Time: 30 min.
Serves: 6 - Makes great leftovers! (Can half it easily for 3 servings too)

1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbl butter
4 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 red bell pepper, cleaned and chopped
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 can of sliced mushrooms
4 cans of Italian stewed tomatoes
Salt, Pepper, and Basil to taste

Brown chicken in skillet with oil and butter on medium high heat. Then add red pepper, onion, and garlic. Add sliced mushrooms and Italian stewed tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and basil to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.