Category: PROTEINS

MUSHROOM CREAM CHICKEN

This recipe originally called for bone-in chicken and was for a slow cooker, but we MUCH prefer not to deal with bones and I wanted it to be a week night easy recipe, so we I have adjusted it to a boneless version. Plus hubby doesn’t care for mushrooms so it makes it easy to serve this way and I get ALL the mushrooms. 😀

MUSHROOM CREAM CHICKEN serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8-10 tenders
1 ½ teaspoons herbs de Provence
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
¼ cup WONDRA flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons flour
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 leek, halved lengthwise and chopped
½ cup heavy cream

  • Generously salt and pepper each chicken breast.
  • Combine flour and herbs de Provence.
  • Dredge chicken in Wondra flour mixture.
  • Heat butter and avocado oil in large skillet over medium high heat.
  • Sear chicken pieces 4-5 minutes on each side until golden.
  • Remove chicken pieces and keep warm.
  • Add leek pieces and mushrooms to skillet and sauté’ until golden.
  • Using a slotted spoon remove onions and mushrooms to the platter with the chicken.
  • Whisk together the chicken broth, white wine and 2 tablespoon of flour.
  • Add to skillet and bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Add heavy cream and whisk until well blended and you reach desired consistency.
  • Return chicken, leeks and mushrooms to pan and turn to coat with sauce.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes or pasta.

GINGER ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN

GINGER ORANGE GLAZED CHICKEN
4-6 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat removed
¹⁄³ cup WONDRA flour
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 green onions, minced, tops reserved for garnish
1 ½ cups orange juice*
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon FRESH ground ginger
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (optional – see note)
1 orange, zested and sliced

  • Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and using a rolling pin flatten to even thickness.
  • Heat large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add butter and oil.
  • Generously season chicken with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Dredge breasts in flour.
  • Add chicken pieces to skillet and sear 4-5 minutes.
  • Flip and sear second side 3-4 minutes until browned and cooked through.
  • Transfer chicken pieces to platter and keep warm.
  • Pour off most of the excess fat.
  • Add green onions, ginger, orange juice, brown sugar and mustard if using. Blend well, scrape up any bits from the bottom of the skillet and cook 5 minutes until thickened and slightly reduced.
  • Adjust seasoning as necessary.
  • Return chicken breasts to pan, turning to coat in glaze.
  • Arrange orange slices on platter.
  • Top with chicken.
  • Top with orange zest and green onion tops.

NOTE:

  • I list it as optional because I’m deathly allergic to mustard and don’t use it when I’m also eating the recipe, but am assured by my mustard loving husband that it is a must when he’s eating it. 😀
  • I like to use pineapple orange juice to zing up the flavor sometimes.

TEX MEX CHICKEN STEW ala SLOW COOKER

TEX MEX CHICKEN STEW ala SLOW COOKER serves 4
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon QUALITY honey
1 can ROTEL tomatoes, undrained
15 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 ounces pickled jalapenos or pepperoncinis
½ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons WONDRA flour
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
1 can white shoepeg corn
1-3 ounces cream cheese
1 bunch green onions, sliced for garnish

  • Spray slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Blend together the onions, garlic, canned tomatoes, pepperoncinis or pickled jalapenos.
  • Whisk together the chicken broth, honey, garlic, tomato paste and chili powder. Blend the mixture into the slow cooker.
  • Whisk together the avocado oil and flour into a paste. Blend the paste into the slow cooker mixture.
  • Fold in chicken pieces so they are submerged.
  • Cook on low for 6 hours.
  • Add corn and cook another hour on HIGH.
  • Whisk cream cheese with ½ cup of broth from slow cooker.
  • Stir cream cheese mixture into slow cooker, cooking for 15 minutes more.
  • Serve with warm tortillas.
  • Garnish with green onions.

CREAMY GARLIC & HERB BONELESS PORK CHOPS

I adapted the delicious boneless Pork Chops in a Creamy Garlic & Herb Wine Sauce from Olga at What’s In The Pan.  This a superb One pan dish is so easy to prepare and actually ready in less than 30 minutes! It is made with a dry white wine, the juice of a fresh lemon, FRESH minced garlic and FRESH thyme making these pork chops are packed with flavor and so juicy!

CREAMY GARLIC & HERB BONELESS PORK CHOPS
4 boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup WONDRA flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

  • Whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.
  • Generously season pork chops with salt and pepper.
  • Dredge pork chops thoroughly in flour mixture.
  • Reserve dredge for next stop.
  • Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • 
Add pork chops and sear them by cooking for 3-4 minutes per side, reducing heat to medium on second side.
  • Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.
  • Cover to keep warm.

CREAMY HERB & WINE SAUCE
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of the dredging mixture
½ cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
4 sprigs FRESH thyme, leaves only, minced
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped Italian Parsley

  • Return skillet to heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter.
  • Add minced garlic and cooking for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour and blend well.
  • Add in wine while constantly whisking for 1 minute.
  • Add chicken stock and heavy cream, whisking to blend well.
  • Add lemon juice, fresh thyme and Italian seasoning.
  • Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

TO SERVE

  • Reduce heat to low and return pork chops to pan.
  • Turn to coat well simmering JUST until heated through.
  • Serve with mashed potatoes, prepared pasta or rice pilaf.

GRILLED CHICKEN RAMEN with PEANUT SAUCE

GRILLED CHICKEN RAMEN with PEANUT SAUCE
3-3 ounce packages of Ramen
2 (1+1) tablespoons avocado oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and then cut into pieces
3/4 cup match stick carrots
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
3/4 cup salted peanuts

  • Prepare sauce (recipe below) and set aside.
  • Cut chicken tender in half lengthwise and then cut each of those pieces in half.
  • Discard ramen flavor packets.
  • Cook ramen in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Drain and toss in serving bowl with 1 tablespoon of avocado oil.  Cover and set aside.
  • Coat chicken pieces with remaining oil and grill or sear in cast iron until chicken is seared on the outside and cooked through.
  • Toss chicken in sauce with vegetables.
  • Serve over prepared ramen, cucumbers and garnish with green onions.

SAUCE
1/2 cup salted creamy peanut butter (see note)
2-3 tablespoons BRAGG’S liquid aminos
2 tablespoons maple syrup
+/- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, depending on your heat level
Juice of 2 FRESH limes
+/- 1/4 cup water (to thin)

  • Whisk together the peanut butter, liquid aminos, maple syrup, chili sauce and lime juice in a medium mixing bowl.
  • Add water a little at a time until a thick BUT pourable sauce is formed.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, chili garlic sauce for heat, lime juice for acidity, or liquid aminos for saltiness.

NOTE:

  • Almond butter or Cashew butter SUBSTITUTE WELL for Peanut butter.
  • If your sauce becomes too thin, add more nut butter.
  • If your sauce is too thick, thin with more water.
  • FRESH grated ginger to taste adds another great flavor.

GARLIC LIME SLOW COOKER CHICKEN

GARLIC LIME SLOW COOKER CHICKEN
8 bone in chicken thighs
½ cup Bragg’s Amino liquids
½ cup chicken broth
1/3 cup lime juice, 4 large limes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon each FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Lightly spray slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Whisk together the remaining ingredients.
  • Pour over chicken pieces.
  • Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. Watch that chicken does not dry out.

CLASSIC CLAM CHOWDER

CLASSIC CLAM CHOWDER
2-10 ounce cans BUMBLE BEE whole baby clams
1-8 ounce bottle clam juice
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
½ LARGE red onion, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
8 slices bacon, chopped small
¼ cup chopped Italian leaf Parsley
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3 LARGE gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 ½ cups half-and-half
2 green onions, sliced thin

  • In a large dutch oven, melt butter over medium high heat.
  • Cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  • Add onions, celery and half of Parsley, sauteing until soft.
  • Add flour and blend well.
  • Strain clams, reserving juice.
  • Add clam juices, white wine and chicken stock, blending well.
  • Bring to a LOW SLOW boil. Reduce heat to medium low.
  • Add potatoes and simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender and soup has thickened to desired consistency.
  • Add clams.
  • Stir in half-and-half, simmering 5-10 minutes until clams are heated through.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste.
  • Garnish with reserved Parsley, green onions and bacon.

CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER CHICKEN SOUP

CREAMY ROASTED RED PEPPER CHICKEN SOUP
3 pounds small hot house tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
avocado oil
½ red onion
¼ cup chopped parsley
3 cups diced rotisserie chicken
3 tablespoons caramelized balsamic vinegar
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
½ cup half and half
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
Crumbled bacon for garnish

  • Halve and seed red pepper.
  • Holding pepper with tongs roast pepper halves over burner flame. Set aside to cool.
  • Small dice the red onion.
  • Small dice the red pepper.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  • Fill a large bowl with ice water.
  • Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato.
  • Add tomatoes to boiling water and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 2 minutes or until skins break.
  • Using a slotted spoon immediately transfer tomatoes to ice water.
  • When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off and place tomatoes in a bowl.
  • In a small stock pot heat avocado oil.
  • Add onion, cooking a minute or so to soften.
  • Add red pepper and cook 2-3 minutes until soft and oil is absorbed.
  • Add parsley.
  • Using an immersion blender, cream tomatoes.
  • Add tomatoes to pan, stirring to blend well.
  • Season to taste.
  • Add vinegar and chicken broth, blending well. Cook 5-10 minutes.
  • Add half and half, stirring to blend.
  • Fold in chicken pieces.
  • Add butter, stirring until melted and blended well.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN COBBLER

This is one of those recipes that I cut out of a magazine and then never got around too, but also kept changing it LOL 😀 before I ever even made it.  When I finally got around to making it EVERYONE loved it!!!

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN COBBLER
TOPPING
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup powdered Parmesan cheese
¼ cup FRESH grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons COLD butter, cut into small cubes
scant ½ cup heavy cream

  • Preheat oven to 450°.
  • Line a cookie sheet with a sheet of foil and LIGHTLY spray with non-stick spray.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and powdered Parmesan cheese.
  • Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.
  • Cut in grated Parmesan cheese until well distributed.
  • Crumble mixture into a layer on the foil.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes until light golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to 350°.
  • Spray 9×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

CASSEROLE
3 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
½ cup Daisy sour cream
10 ounce can green enchilada sauce
1 can cream of Campbell’s chicken herb soup *
1 LARGE bunch green onions, chopped small
8 ounces chopped green chiles, only slightly drained
3 cups chopped or shredded rotisseries chicken pieces
2 cups grated Mexican cheese combo (pepper jack and cheddar), divided 1 ½ + ½

  • Whisk together the cream cheese and sour cream.
  • Add in enchilada sauce, soup and green chiles blending until well incorporated.
  • Fold in onions and chicken pieces until well distributed.
  • Transfer baking dish.
  • Top with 1 ½ cups of the cheese.
  • Toss the other ½ cup of cheese with the cooled topping mixture and sprinkle on top of baking dish.
  • Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes until heated through and bubbling.

NOTE: Soup Substitute recipe can be found here.

BAVARIAN MEATBALLS ala SLOW COOKER

These meatballs make a GREAT appetizer, are also GREAT on a sandwich or served over rice or pasta. But the most preferred method is with mashed potatoes so there is spot for the YUMMY gravy!

BAVARIAN MEATBALLS ala SLOW COOKER
MEATBALLS
1 pound ground chicken
½ pound ground pork
1 LARGE egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon garam masala
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

GRAVY
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup PACKED brown sugar
1 envelope LIPTON onion soup mix
12 ounces beer or ginger ale
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (optional – best on sandwiches)

  • Mix everything together until well blended.
  • Form into 1 inch meatballs. It will make about 36.
  • Coat the slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Place meatballs in the slow cooker.
  • Combine the onions, brown sugar, onion soup mix, and beer. Pour over and around meatballs.
  • Cook on low 3-4 hours until meatballs are cooked through.
  • Serve over rice, pasta or on hoagies*.
  • Top with cheese.

NOTE*: 

  • If serving on hoagies, place split buns on baking sheet, place meatballs on buns and top with cheese. Broil 4-6 inches from heat source for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
  • If making the “LOAF” mix EVERYTHING (except the cheese) together and add 1 cup Panko crumbs.  Press mixture into a 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Top with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

GINGER ALE CHICKEN

GINGER ALE CHICKEN
2 pounds bone in chicken thighs
½ cup avocado oil
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3-6 ounces ginger ale

  • Pour a VERY shallow amount of ginger ale into the bottom of baking dish.
  • Sift together the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika, ginger, cinnamon and garlic powder until well blended.
  • Rub chicken thighs with oil.
  • Sprinkle each thigh with spice mixture and place skin side up in a single layer in baking dish.
  • Bake 1 hour.
  • Coat with glaze.
  • Cover with foil and rest 10 minutes.

GLAZE
12 ounces ginger ale
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated FRESH ginger
¼ teaspoon FRANK’s original hot sauce

  • Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until glaze is reduced to ½ cup.

NOTE:  If serving with mashed potatoes, use a cornstarch slurry on the sauce and you have a GREAT gravy!

SCALLOPED HAM & POTATOES another ANTIQUE RECIPE

I’ve been experimenting with more of my “ANTIQUE” recipes and having GREAT success.  This recipe is also a blank canvas for getting creative.  I had a large jar of pimientos that was opened by accident that I drained and added to the layers.  I was also out of sweet onions so I used shallots and I used the cheese I had on hand which happened to be a garlic pepper cheddar and Gruyere.

SCALLOPED HAM & POTATOES another ANTIQUE RECIPE
5 medium potatoes
1 ham steak*
1 medium sweet Vidalia onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons WONDRA flour
1 ¼ cups milk, warmed, but not scalded
½ cup grated cheddar
½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 teaspoon Paprika

  • Preheat oven 350°.
  • Peel and soak potatoes for one hour.
  • Drain and dry potatoes.
  • Trim ham steak of fat and discard. Cut steak into diced size pieces.
  • Spray baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
  • Arrange one third of the potatoes in the baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Top with half of the onions and garlic.
  • Top with half of the ham pieces.

  • Repeat layers, ending with potatoes.
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  • Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and turns golden, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the hot milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring it to a SLOW boil.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
  • Stir in grated cheddar cheese during the last 2 minutes of cooking, along with the Paprika.
  • Pour over potato and ham layers.
  • Top with Gruyere cheese.
  • Bake one hour until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden.

*NOTE – ham steaks tend to be on the salty side so use salt sparingly until you taste test.  They also tend to be very watery.  If using a packaged ham steak, be sure to “press” excess water from steak before trimming and dicing.