Chicken and Sausage Creole

We had some friends over for supper and we had this recipe from Southern Living's new cookbook, 1,001 Ways to Cook Southern.  It was an easy and unique one-pot main dish that I plan to make again.  We served this with hot sauce.

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 yellow onion
a handful of celery
salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water (at least 6 cups) with onion, celery, and a dash of salt to a boil.  Add chicken and boil until cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Remove from chicken and let rest until cool enough to handle; cut into small pieces.  Drain and reserve cooking liquid.

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice
1/2 lb smoked turkey sausage, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped and seeded
2 garlic cloves
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
dash of red pepper flakes

Combine rice and 3 1/2 cups cooking liquid from chicken in a rice cooker and cook.
Meanwhile, saute sausage, onion, celery, pepper, and garlic in a large dutch oven over medium high heat about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Add chicken, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid from chicken.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove bay leaves and serve over rice.

Thick and Soft Pizza Crust

A few nights ago, I made the pizza crust that my mom loves to make.  It is thick and cooks up soft.  Grease your pan with a bit of olive oil for a crispy outer layer.  We topped ours with roasted bell pepper, spinach, olives, and Parmesan.

Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water
1 Tab yeast
1 1/2 Tab sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 Tab salt
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 Tab olive oil
1 cup warm water

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and sugar.  Let rise about 10 minutes, or until foamy.
In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, Parmesan, and olive oil.  Add yeast mixture and enough warm water to make a stiff dough.  Stir well to combine and stir some more to "knead." 
Cover with a clean dish cloth and let rise about 45 minutes. 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread dough on a greased sheet and add toppings.  Bake about 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. 

Sweet Potato Chili

This chili was even better than I remembered- the spicy/smoky flavors pair perfectly with the sweet taste of sweet potato, red bell pepper, and orange.  The ingredients are very healthy and make a very filling meal. 

Here is how I made it:

Ingredients
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Tab chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice

Place sweet potato chunks in crock pot and dump remaining ingredients on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
If you are like Art and want the sweet potato to mash in with everything else when stirred, cook it longer.
We put Chipotle Tabasco sauce on ours and it was perfect. 

Roast Chicken Breast with Potatoes, Green Beans and Mustard Pan Sauce

I wanted to try Bon Appetit's "holiday feast that comes together in just two hours."  The pictures looked awesome.  And, I loved the idea of cooking an entire meal with one recipe. 

But, I couldn't find boneless turkey breast.  So, I substituted boneless, skinless chicken breasts and adjusted the cooking time a bit.  

The chicken came out moist and flavorful.  The potatoes and green beans were perfect sides.  The leeks didn't seem to add any flavor to the dish, so next time I'll save a few minutes (and a few bucks!) and leave them out.  I spent a little extra and bought the baby potatoes, but next time I'll just get new potatoes and quarter them.  The mustard pan sauce was a great way to up the flavor- I really enjoyed the combination of tarragon and honey mustard. 

Here is how I made the dish:

Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 Tab honey mustard, divided
5 Tab chopped fresh tarragon, divided
2 1/2 Tab olive oil, divided
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2lb baby potatoes
2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 2 large)
2 8oz packages trimmed French green beans
1 cup low salt chicken broth

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
Coat 2 heavy large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray.  Whisk 2 Tab mustard, 2 Tab tarragon, and 1 Tab olive oil in a small bowl.  Spread on chicken breasts in a pie plate to coat and refrigerate 30 minutes. 
Toss potatoes, leeks, 1 Tab tarragon, and 1 Tab oil in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread on baking sheet and place potatoes in top third of oven.  Roast until tender, about 45 minutes. 
Put chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in bottom third of oven and roast for 10 minutes. 
Toss beans with 1 Tab tarragon and 1/2 Tab oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Spread beans around chicken; pour broth over beans.  Return chicken and beans to oven and continue roasting until chicken is cooked through, about 15 more minutes. 
Remove chicken and beans to a platter.  Whisk 2 Tab mustard into chicken juices in baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon some sauce over chicken and sprinkle with 1 Tab tarragon.  Serve with remaining sauce on side.

Slow Cooker Squash Casserole and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chile Cream

I have experimented with a few Thanksgiving-ish recipes this week.  Last night's squash casserole and roasted sweet potatoes were both very good.  I would happily serve (and eat) these on Thanksgiving or anytime.  And, both recipes were quick and easy to prepare.

This month's issue of Southern Living included a recipe for squash casserole that is cooked in a slow cooker.  It is full of tasty squash, zucchini, and cheese.  I spent about 30 minutes putting everything together. 

I was briefly disappointed when I saw that the final 30 minutes of cooking with the lid removed had produced a dark brown crust on the bottom of my casserole.   But, this turned out to be really tasty- it was like a cheese crust to the light, souffle-like casserole.

  Ingredients
  2 lb yellow squash, sliced
  2 lb zucchini, sliced
  1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
  2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
  2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs
  1 (8oz) container sour cream (I used reduced fat)
  2 large eggs, beaten
  1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  1/2 tsp pepper
  3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

  Cook first three ingredients in boiling water to cover in a large pot for 10-12 minutes or just until tender.  Drain well in a colander, pressing squash with a spoon. 
Stir together squash mixture, Cheddar, and next 5 ingredients.  Spoon into a lightly greased slow cooker.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.
Cover and cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until center is set and edges are golden brown.  Uncover and cook 30 minutes.  Let stand 10 minutes.

I am always excited to try sweet potato recipes.  This month's issue of Bon Appetit included a recipe for sweet potato wedges with smoked chile cream.  This recipe is a unique and healthy way to serve sweet potatoes without masking their flavor with sugar and marshmallows (not that this is always a bad way to serve them).  And, you get to eat the nutrient-rich skin.  I'm addicted.

  Ingredients
  1/3 cup sour cream
  3 Tab finely chopped green onion tops
  2 tsp chipotle hot pepper sauce
  2 tsp fresh lime juice
  3 lb sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut lengthwise into 3/4" wide wedges with skin
  3 Tab olive oil
  1 1/2 tsp cumin

  Whisk sour cream, 1 Tab green onion tops, chipotle hot sauce, and the lime juice in a small bowl.  Cover and chill.  (This can be made 1 day ahead.)
Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine sweet potatoes with oil and cumin in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Arrange potatoes, cut sides down, on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Roast until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place potato wedges on a large platter and drizzle with chile cream.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tab green onion tops.  (My chile cream was too thick to drizzle, so I just served it on the side.)

Tabouli

I tried a new recipe for tabouli.  The tons of fresh herbs made it very appealing, but also very expensive since I don't grow my own.  This recipe has more herbs and less olive oil than the recipe I had previously made.   Both were good. 

I found the tabouli recipe on the Epicurious app.  I served it with flat bread and hummus.  Here is the version I made:

Ingredients
1 cup bulgur wheat
2 Tab olive oil
2 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup diced red onion
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 Tab finely chopped fresh dill
3 Tab finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Bring water to a boil.  Stir together bulgur and 1 Tab olive oil in a heatproof bowl.  Add boiling water to cover.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes.  Drain, pressing out water and let cool to room temperature.
Transfer bulgur to a large bowl and toss with remaining 1 Tab olive oil and the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Serve cold.

Double Chip Peanut Butter Blondies

I first made these as Valentine gifts for friends in 2004.  I had so much faith in the delicious looking recipe that I gave them out without first trying them.  So, the feedback I received was unexpected: people were blown away by these peanut butter chocolate treats.  I have been making them ever since.

And, now, you can, too!  These are like very soft bar cookies.  They are very easy to make in about 15 minutes. 

I found the recipe in a small cookbook published by the Southern Living cooking school in 2001. 

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 12oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugars, beating until smooth.  Add peanut butter and vanilla, beating until blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients.  Gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed until blended.  Fold in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. 
Press dough into a greased and floured 13x9" pan. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars and serve.  Makes 2 dozen.