Dawn's Red Thai Curry

Living in England for three years was one of the BEST things that has ever happened to my family as far as food horizons are concerned.  Thai food has become a favorite of ours, and I am happy to present to you what my family considers "perfected" red Thai curry based upon an Instant Pot recipe I found a while back.  Be careful of using the Instant Pot for curry type dishes...we've found it makes them watery, can curdle the broth, and reduces the flavor of the dish.  I've tweaked this recipe to be made in one pot on the stove as well as toyed with ingredients and amounts.  We hope you love it as much as we do!  BONUS: Gluten free, dairy free!

1 jar Thai red curry paste, about 8 Tbs
2 cans regular-fat coconut milk
2 chicken breasts, sliced into thin bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup GF soy sauce
2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs + 1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs dried Thai basil leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1 onion
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

Thinly slice vegetables and set aside.  A mandolin makes quick work and a quality dish!  Thinly slice chicken into bite-size pieces.

Heat red curry paste in a large pot.  Add chicken.  Cook and stir just until chicken lightens in color.  Add chicken broth and coconut milk; stir.

Stir in soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, Thai basil leaves, and salt.  Add sliced vegetables and drained bamboo shoots; mix well.

Bring to a simmer and cook ~15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat if curry begins to boil as this may cause the coconut milk to separate.

Serve in bowls topped with fluffy jasmine rice.

Instant Pot Jasmine Rice:

Use a 1:1 ratio of rice to water.  Rinse rice in a sieve.  Add rice and water to Instant Pot.  Season with a little salt; stir.  Use the Manual setting to pressure cook 4-5 minutes.  Quick release.  Fluff with a fork.

Heavenly Penne Alfredo

For years upon years, I have always known that my "last meal" would include pasta alfredo from Olive Garden.  With grilled chicken, Caesar salad, garlic bread, and tiramisu.  I love alfredo.  And I no longer need Olive Garden to get it - goodbye restaurant prices and non-homemade!  Alfredo doesn't love the arteries, but I love it anyway.  I pinned a copycat recipe a while back, but the link no longer works.  Boy, am I ever glad that I printed it when I found it!  If you love alfredo...make this.  It is so super easy...

...it is divinely yummy.  x10.

Shown here with seared chicken marinated in Maggio's tuscan herbs olive oil,
basil, garlic, pepper, and salt then drizzled with a touch more tuscan herbs olive oil to finish.
Restaurant food at home, people.

Penne Alfredo
(with my editing)

1 box penne (or desired pasta)
1 stick butter
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs cream cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain; set aside.  Bring the saucepan to medium heat and add the stick of butter.  When melted, add garlic and cook two minutes.  Add heavy cream and cream cheese.  Heat and stir until bubbling but do not allow boiling.  Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Return pasta to pan; mix well.

Eat.  Die.  Go to heaven.  Alfredo perfection.

And, no, I'm not being dramatic.

D's Chicken Tortilla Chili

Wanna know what my family's TOPPEST OF THE TOP favorite meal is?  Chicken Tortilla Chili.  It's a recipe that started out as the "Super Flavor Soup" in a recent post a long time ago.  But it's been developing - and boy is it the tastiest now!  I usually use the leftover chicken from a crockpot chicken roast as well as broth made from said chicken.  You can also cook and cube your own chicken if you don't have leftovers.  Amounts are approximations as chili is the easiest recipe to add or take away whatever you want!

This yields a lot of soup.  :-)  Maybe 10ish servings or more?  My family eats two dinners from this one recipe.  Freezes well.  Gluten and dairy free!  Excellent with tortilla chips or fritos - we prefer tortilla chips as it doesn't overpower the soup as much as fritos.  But they're both good.  You can use cooked dry beans if that's your route, but use more broth to compensate liquids if desired.

~3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
3-4 cups chicken broth, or however soupy you want your soup (make your own!  cheaper and healthier!)
2 cans black beans, undrained
2 cans great northern beans, undrained
1-2 cans corn, undrained
1 can pinto beans, undrained
~2 cups salsa of choice
3-4 Tbs chili powder to taste (this is where the flavor power comes in!)
~1 Tbs cumin to taste
Salt to taste
Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and guacamole

Throw it all in the pot.  Stir it.  Heat and stir every so often.  Enjoy!

...

I'm.  Hungry.  Now.

PS Recipe...  Easy Guacamole for Two

(or one if you eat half today and half tomorrow because you are the only one in your family who will eat it...more for me...)

I used to hate avocados.  I adore them now.  Thank you, dear daughter, for being a baby in modern times and helping me branch out more.  ;-)  I make a super easy guac that I just love - there's no raw onion and no cilantro.  Eww to both.  But you can do whatever suits your fancy!

1 avocado, mashed
1/4 cup salsa of choice
Few splashes of lime juice (if I have it around, but it's fine without)
Dash of onion and garlic powders  (don't go hog wild here...you can always put in but you can't take out)
Salt to taste.

Mix.  Eat.

Homemade Pizza

I've used a homemade pizza dough recipe for years!  I got it from a friend in college who blessed me with said recipe at one of my bridal showers.  She calls it "The Best Pizza Crust Ever."  :-)  It is not the Pizza Hut deep dish, greasy 'n crusty type.  Nor is it the thin crust cracker type.  It's is a soft bread type crust.  You could probably add herbs and such to kick it up a notch if that suits your fancy.  I've also included the sauce recipe I happened upon last month that is super easy and a perfect backdrop on pizza or sauce for dipping pizzadillas or homemade bagel pizzas.

Best Pizza Crust Ever
Jenny Heath

1 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs sugar
2-3 cups flour
3 Tbs oil
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
(cornmeal, pizza sauce and toppings)

Heat water to 110*.  In a mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and 2/3 cup flour.  Add water and stir well.  Allow to sit for 20 minutes until a sponge is formed.  To sponge, add oil, salt, and 2/3 cup flour.  Mix together, adding flour if too sticky to come together a bit.  Turn out on well floured surface.  Knead with final 2/3 cup flour (or more if needed) for 5 minutes.  Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400*.  Dust a pizza pan/stone with cornmeal.  Shape and roll out pizza dough; transfer to pizza pan/stone.  Prick a few times and bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and top with sauce etc.  Bake another 10 minutes or until the pizza looks just right!

Easy Pizza Sauce III
allrecipes.com

15 oz tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground oregano
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground paprika

In a medium bowl, mix together tomato sauce and tomato paste until smooth.  Stir in oregano, garlic, and paprika.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'....

Ready to go in the oven!

Ready to be topped!  I added garlic powder, oregano, and Parmesan cheese this time.

Toppings!

Let's eat!

Pinteresting Recipes & Reviews Pt. 2

French Dip Sandwiches - Slow Cooker Style

Here is a delicious, easy recipe!  This is one that I think would be great to serve when you are having a casual dinner with friends and/or family.  My Honey and I both really liked this.  Autumn, my oldest daughter, made this for her family (three kids, 11 and younger).  They all liked it as well.  So I feel safe in saying this is a dish that will satisfy a lot of different people.  I made this thinking we were going to have company but plans changed.  I was sad I didn't get to meet some new friends but happy that I now have the leftovers of this in the freezer for another day :)  Two things of note: 

1. I checked my meat after being in the crockpot for 6 hours since I had used a bit less than 4 lbs of meat.  I used tongs to pick it up and I was able to life the entire piece of meat.  I figured it wasn’t tender yet so I let it cook another hour or two.  When I checked it again; it fell apart as I lifted it with the tongs. It was so nice and tender *and* very easy to shred.  
2. I am trying to be careful about using processed foods so I didn’t use the boxed dry onion soup mix. I used a recipe from the Dining on a Dime cookbook Dawn and I have referred to in past blog posts.  Here is that recipe:

Onion Soup Mix

         3/4 cup instant minced onions

         4 tsp. onion powder

         1/3 cup beef bouillon powder (looking for a better form of this)

         1/4 tsp. celery seed, crushed

         1/4 tsp. sugar (didn’t add this)

         Mix all ingredients, and store in an airtight container.

         To use: Add 2 tablespoons mix to 1 cup boiling water. Cover and              

         simmer 15 minutes

        This makes a stronger soup than the store-bought mix, so you can      

        use less.

I used 4 tablespoons of this in the french dip.  I just sprinkled it on like it says in the french dip recipe.  I know if you make this you and your family will enjoy it.

Pinteresting Recipes & Reviews

So the last week or two I have endeavored to actually make some of the recipes I have pinned on my Pinterest food board.  I have made bread, dessert, and a couple main dishes that I'd like to share with you.

FYI: I have included the links to the original recipes because I believe it is important to help fellow bloggers with their traffic and credit should go to whom credit is due for recipes!

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Though I have made quick breads before, this was the first yeast bread I have ever made.  It was quite tasty!  The reason I haven't made bread before is because I was afraid of failure.  And I saw success!  I was so nervous about making bread that I forgot to put the egg wash on until the last five minutes.  I realize now how silly I was to be afraid of making bread.  I encourage you to find something in the food world you've been hesitant to try, and go for it!

As for the recipe review... I was a teeny bit disappointed because the Pinterest user I found the recipe from said it was like the bread at Macaroni Grill.  I did think the flavor was better than Macaroni Grill, but it didn't have a hard crust on it.  Now, being a brand new bread maker, I don't know why the bread did not turn out crusty (perhaps from forgetting the egg whites)...and it certainly did NOT keep me from eating the bread.   :)  Also, I thought it needed more salt.  Perhaps sprinkling sea salt on top before baking would help.  I just put some salted butter on it which was really good.  I think you could dip it in olive oil with a little salt and pepper; and that would work, too.  I used fresh rosemary in the bread and dried rosemary on top.  I will make this again!

Beer Crockpot Chicken

The recipe will be found here.  Let me preface this review with a disclaimer (?) I started this early in the day, before I go volunteer at church for a few hours in the morning.  I don't know if I set my crock pot wrong or it malfunctioned or what happened but when I got home the crockpot was off.  I had no idea how long the chicken had already cooked but it didn't look cooked.  I needed dinner to be ready in a few hours so I re-set the crockpot for 4 hours on high.

So, I found this dry and tasteless.  I shredded two chicken breasts and mixed the meat with black beans and brown rice.  Then served it with tortillas, sour cream, cheese and taco sauce.  Once it was fixed up it tasted fine, good actually.  I saved the rest of the meat, in the freezer, to make chicken salad and maybe some sort of chicken casserole later.  I will try this recipe again because I don't know if the crock pot situation is what made it not taste as good as the reviews.

Main Dish #2: Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
You can find this yummy recipe here.  This was so delicious!!  For people who are low-carbing, this is a great meal.  This is easy as well.  One word of warning, though it is a simple recipe, it takes a while.  I thought it would be a thirty minutes or less meal (the danger of not reading through a recipe).  It actually says to cook the onions and mushrooms for about 25-30 minutes to get them caramelized then you cook the actual stuffed peppers for about 20 more minutes.  But, seriously, don't let the time keep you from making these.  They are delicious.  I will definitely be making these again.


Dessert!:  Apple Enchiladas
This recipe is so good!  Another easy recipe.  We had this as part of my dad's birthday dinner.  We had Dawn's Chicken Tortillas soup.  I'm not sure we have posted that here but if we haven't we need to do that :)  It was fun to have a main dish and a dessert with a spanish/mexican flair.  I served vanilla ice cream along side the enchiladas.  The sauce that you make so pour over the enchiladas before baking is so good, I have thought about making it just as an ice cream topper.  I will make this again, but I think next time I may try it with cherries, since that is my Honey's preferred cooked fruit.

Let us know if you try any of these and what you think of them.  Remember Pinterest is only a worth while thing if you actually USE/DO the ideas that you pin...otherwise it is simply a time waster.

Update: Why update you ask? Well I actually typed this a while ago and forgot to publish it :P  I have another one that I did the same thing with that I will post in a day or so :)

Allrecipes Trial: Mouse's Macaroni & Cheese

Allrecipes and Pinterest.  Two sites I love to get new recipes from.  My most recent trial was Mouse's Macaroni & Cheese.  My Hubz had a potluck lunch at work and requested that I make macaroni & cheese... with the specification that he wanted it to be smooth and cheesy.  As in not the recipe I instantly got giddy to make (Ma Meador's Mac!) which is the down-home Southern type.  As in... more of the Velveeta type.  ::grin::  Some people just like the typical American way better -- processed.  And I admit, it sure is indulgent and tasty!  Just not the best for every day.

I doubled the recipe which made it fit nicely in a 9x13.  The only change I made was to use 2 lb of Velveeta rather than half American and half Velveeta.  Really... aren't they the same?  I actually Wikepeida-ed it.  Velveeta is indeed an American cheese, but it is made in such a way to melt more smoothly than regular American.  Who knew?

The biggest tip from the reviews that rang true for me is NOT to add more pasta.  When you first mix the partially cooked pasta and the cheese sauce, it's a soup.  But by baking it in the oven, the pasta finishes cooking by absorbing some of the cheese sauce and you end up with the creamiest mac!  I topped it with a bit of shredded mild cheddar once it came out of the oven.

Here is the doubled, slightly edited recipe:

Mouse's Macaroni & Cheese

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
4 Tbs flour
2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp ground black pepper (I used about 1.5 tsp)
4 cups milk
2 lb Velveeta, cubed
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (I substituted shredded cheddar)

Preheat oven to 400*.  Butter a 9x13 casserole dish.  Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add macaroni, and cook until not quite done, about 6 minutes.  Drain.

In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Blend in the flour, mustard powder, and pepper until smooth.  Slowly stir in the milk, beating out any lumps.  Add the cubed Velveeta cheese, and stir constantly until the sauce is thick and smooth.

Drain noodles, and stir them into the cheese sauce.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top (optional).

Cover the dish, and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and bubbly.  Top with shredded cheddar (optional).

I just saw that I forgot to cover my dish to bake.  Oh well!  It worked out fine anyway!  :-)

Super Flavor Soup

...that's what JG said to call it.  :-)  Do you ever have times when you make something up for dinner based upon what you have available, but it doesn't quite have the wow factor needed to be worthy of making again?  And then you wonder what to do with the leftovers?  That happened to us this week.  I threw some chicken in a baking dish, topped it with black beans, corn, and salsa.  Baked it.  I even added 4 oz. of cream cheese to the bean/corn/salsa mixture like I've seen done before.  Meh.  I did this "recipe" once before, but I must have doctored it more last time because it was way better than this week's attempt.  There was quite a bit leftover.  What to do?  Ask my mom how to make it into a black bean soup.  :-)  With her suggestions, I ended up with one of the best tasting soups ever to touch my taste buds!  So, taking a slight risk in guessing how to make this soup from start to finish rather than out of leftovers, here's the "recipe."  And if any of you have suggestions for a better name -- perhaps one that identifies the dish -- do tell!

[Super Flavor Soup]

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed
2 cans whole kernel corn
2 cans black beans (or make your own*, as I did, to save money and nutritional value!)
1 cup salsa or picante
Chicken stock, as needed
4 oz. cream cheese*
Garlic powder
Cumin
Salt
Cheddar cheese & Sour cream

Combine cubed chicken, corn, black beans, and salsa in soup pot and mix well.  Add chicken stock to your desired soup consistency.  Add garlic powder, cumin, and salt to taste (I did about 1 tsp each and 1/4-1/2 salt, I think) and cream cheese.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.  I say the longer it simmers, the better, perhaps at least an hour.  Garnish with cheddar cheese and sour cream.  Goes GREAT with cornbread (which I now use honey instead of sugar -- oh my heavens!).  And having just had it for lunch, I think it's one of those even-better-the-next-day soups!

*Notes*

1) Making your own beans is super simple.  Just buy a bag.  Put the beans in a crock pot and cover with a couple inches of water.  Cook on high for 2-4 hours, making sure to keep the beans covered with water.  Check for doneness starting at 2 hours.  You don't want to let them get too mushy, especially if you plan to use the beans in soups and such (ask me how I know).  I stop cooking mine when they are still a little firm to the bite.  Then I divide them into bowls to cool, about as much as you would find in one can of beans with some liquid.  Once cooled, put them in quart-sized freezer bags and freeze them flat.  Ta da!  A bag of beans for a buck with no factory added ingredients vs. 4-5 cans of factory beans that would cost you $4+.  For my black beans, I season them with a touch of salt, cumin, and chili powder before dividing the batch.  Delish!

2) I'm sure you could leave out the cream cheese if you have sensitive family members.  I just had to include it since that's what was in my original (failed) dish.

Mexican Hamburger Casserole

I tried this recipe the other night when we had the Arkansas 3 over for dinner.  They are coming over more often than they used to, and I'm enjoying spending more time with them.  When we took Belle to college, I thought my days of cooking for more than two were sort of over.  I'm glad they are not!  I try to experiment with kid-friendly foods when the grandchildren are here.  So earlier this week I thought I would try Dining on a Dime's Mexican Hamburger Casserole.  It sure sounded good to me and looked quick and easy to boot!  Here is the recipe (p. 187 ):

1/2 lb. ground beef, browned (I used 1 pound)
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup (or use the cream soup base)
1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese (I used more than 1/2 lb.)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 sm. can green chilies, diced (I used a large can...should have followed the recipe!)
1 (10 count) pkg. corn tortillas (do they even make little packages of corn tortillas?  I got a big one.)

Mix browned ground beef, chicken soup (or the prepared cream soup base...easy peasy, I promise), tomato sauce, and green chilies in a bowl.  Put a layer of tortillas on the bottom of a 9x13 pan, then layer of meat, a layer of tortillas and sprinkle with cheese on top.  Bake 300 degrees 30-45 minutes.  Serves 6-8

Notes: I just put the ground beef, chicken soup, and green chilies in the pan with the browned ground beef instead of dirtying bowl.  Also, maybe I read the recipe wrong but I did the layer of tortillas on the bottom then all of the meat sauce/mixture, then a layer of tortillas on top, then the cheese.  I served it with sour cream.

It was a really quick and easy meal to make.  My Honey and I really liked it.  I thought it tasted like an enchilada casserole.  The kids, on the other hand, didn't think much of it except the Youngest.  He thought it was "okay, not great."  The biggest problem seemed to be the corn tortillas.  I told them they were like tortilla chips, just not fried.  That didn't make any difference to them.  The Oldest really didn't like the green chilies either.  The one thing that ended up encouraging them to eat at least the meat portion was when they realized there would be no dessert without eating dinner.  ;)  It is not bribery -- they have a choice.  The Youngest ate his food lickety split.  The other two managed to eat what they had to so they could get some dessert.  I think this would be a good meal to take to a potluck.  I will make it again but will halve the recipe since My Honey and I would be eating too much if I made a whole portion...  Did I tell you we really liked it?

Dawn's Thought:  As their aunt, I don't blame my dear nephews and niece for the corn tortilla issue.  They are not like tortilla chips at ALL, Mother!  I never really liked corn tortillas anyway... but a week in Guatemala while 6 weeks pregnant made me ill for an entire YEAR whenever I passed the corn tortilla end cap in the grocery store.  ::shiver::  Never underestimate the power of smell!  :-P  And they just taste, well, yucky and grainy.  Ok.  Aunt-ish advocacy accomplished.  :-)

Honey-Soy Chicken

Sorry for the hiatus...sickness has a way of making "free" time turn into "sleep" time...


This is one of my absolute favorite new recipes for chicken!  Every person in my family likes it which means it is a total success in my book.  We've grilled it and seared it on the stove, and both ways work very well.  It fits the cheap, easy, and tasty bill.  I even like the leftovers -- and I do NOT like reheated chicken.  (Something happens to the flavor in re-heated chicken, and it just makes me yak.)  Please try this recipe and tantalize your tastebuds!

HONEY-SOY CHICKEN
Serve with Veggie Stir-Fry and White Rice

6 chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2/3 cup soy sauce
2/3 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
Skewers (optional, soak in water for 20 minutes if wooden)

If skewering chicken, cut chicken into 1' cubes.  If leaving whole, pound thin or fillet.  In a large bowl or ziploc bag, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.  If grilling, divide marinade in half and save one half for basting.  Place chicken in remaining marinade and refrigerate two or more hours, stirring occasionally to distribute flavor well.

Heat grill or pan to medium.  Skewer chicken cubes if you're doing kebabs.  Grill or sear on each side until chicken is no longer pink in the center, approx. 5 minutes each side (baste occasionally with reserved marinade if grilling).  Meanwhile, stir-fry or grill veggies and prepare white rice.

Note: The sugar and soy in the marinade blackens the chicken (so good!), but be careful not to burn it.  Flipping several times will help prevent burning.


VEGGIE STIR-FRY

1 onion
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
Vegetable oil
Skewers (optional, soak in water 20 minutes if wooden)

Chop vegetables to preferred size.  Skewer if grilling, otherwise heat a small amount of vegetable oil in large pan or wok.  Add veggies and cook/stir until crisp-tender.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.  Enjoy the fresh flavor AND the colors!