Creamy Baked Chicken/Turkey and Wild Rice Casserole

 This is a Recipe from Heidi and it is great with leftover Turkey also. Doubling the Chicken/Turkey and the Topping makes this meal much better. By doubling both the meat and the topping this casserole will feed 8 hungry people!

Ingredients

6 T unsalted butter, plus more for the casserole dish

5 cups water

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

2 T Salt

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or a store bought rotisserie chicken works well)

1 1/3 cups wild rice (I use Lundburg Wild Blend Rice, I don't care for just wild rice)

6 T dark brown sugar

1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen

2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/4 Cup bread crumbs (I use panic)

5 oz button mushrooms, quartered (about 2 cups, I use pre-sliced for convince)

1 small onion, chopped

2 1/2 C heavy cream (I use 1/2 & 1/2 or a combination of it and heavy cream)

1/2 t ground cinnamon

2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (Swiss)

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, thyme, bayleaf, salt and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add chicken and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, dice into 1/2 inch cubes.

Return the water to a boil, add the wild rice, and cover. Cook over medium heat until the rice grains split, 40 to 45 minutes (or according to package directions) Drain the excess water, transfer the rice to a bowl and set aside.

In a small pot, over medium heat, add 2 T butter, when melted add the brown sugar, cranberries, rosemary, bread crumbs and a pinch of salt.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is uniform. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

In a large straight-sided sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 Butter, add mushrooms, onions, and a pinch of salt. Saute until the mushrooms and onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream/ 1/2 & 1/2 and the cinnamon bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer about 2 minutes to thicken slightly. Add Cheese and mix well. Add the rice and chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, to taste, they transfer to the prepared casserole dish. 

Spread the cranberry mixture evenly over the top of the casserole and bake until golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes. (if you make ahead, it will take a little longer in the oven to be bubbly, cover and bake, then remover the cover to let the bread crumbs brown)

Freezer Apple Pie Filling (4 pies)

Ingredients

15 cups of apples, peeled and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup corn starch

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

Directions

• In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.
• Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Ladle into 4 freezer containers or gallon freezer bags, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.
• Seal and freeze. Can be stored for up to 12 months.
• To Bake Pie
• Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust; trim even with edge. Fill with thawed apple mixture; dot with butter. Roll remaining crust to fit top of pie; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in crust.
• Beat egg white until foamy; brush over crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil or silicone crust shields. 
• Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20-25 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

To avoid a pie bottom from getting soggy, allow the bottom crust to heat more rapidly than the rest of the pie. To do this, place a baking sheet in the oven while preheating and then bake your pie on the pan.

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Freezer Peach Pie Filling

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ziplock freezer bags
• pie crust dough (homemade or store-bought)

directions

1. Place sliced peaches in a large bowl, then add in brown and white sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss everything together until evenly coated.
2. Pour filling into freezer bag, carefully squeeze out excess air, then seal tightly.
3. Place freezer bag into a standard pie dish and place dish in freezer for at least 4 hours, or until frozen.
4. Remove pie dish and repeat with as many fillings as desired, stacking frozen fillings in freezer until ready to use.

to bake pie

1. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Place pie crust in pie dish, trimming off excess dough. Remove freezer filling from freezer (it can be frozen or thawed) and place or pour into pie dish.
3. Cover with remaining pie dough. Trim edges of pie dough, leaving a small overhang, then crimp edges as desired. Use a fork or paring knife to create steam vents in the center of pie dough, then place pie dish in oven.
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes (if filling is thawed) or 60-70 minutes (if frozen), until center is bubbling. Place aluminum foil or silicone guards if crust becomes too brown. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool before serving. Serve warm with vanilla or peach ice cream.

Lipton Garlic and Herb Pork Chops

Ingredients

6 pork chops about 3/4 "

1 package Liptons Savory Garlic and Herb dry mix

3 Tablespoons EVOO

1/2 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 425

Mix Dry Mix with Olive Oil, brush on all sides of the pork chops and arrange them in a shallow glass dish

Bake for 25 minutes or until a temp of 170 is reached

Put pork chops on a serving platter and add 1/2 cup of water to the drippings in the pan and stir vigorously. Divide the juice into small serving bowls for each guest. 

Serve with a green veggie and sautéed or roasted potatoes.

Mamaw Bread

Difficulty Medium ∙ Source Louise Head (neighbor from Tequesta in the ’60's)

Notes

1. You must use bread flour in the starter. 
2. Should yield 5 loaves.

Ingredients

• Refrigerated starter
• 5 cups of water (up to the water line)
• 5-5½ cups Bread Flour (I use KAF flour)

Directions

The night before bread-making day:

1. Remove the starter from container and put in a large bowl. Add 5 cups of water. Stir using an electric mixer or immersion blender to dissolve to a milky liquid. (During the summer, use cool water; during the winter, use lukewarm water.) 
2. Stir in enough bread flour (about 4½-5½ cups) to make the sponge into a very stiff LIQUIDY batter. Let this concoction sit overnight. It will become very light and full of bubbles. If you should get a bit of foam on the top, stir it down before you take your new starter out in the morning. (I use the full 5½ cups. I think it helps give me the 5 loaves.)
3. Clean the starter's container, so you don't forget to keep out your starter  in the morning! I keep the container on the counter where I work the dough.

Baking Day

Ingredients

• For the starter:
• Approx. 3 cups starter that grew overnight (up to the starter line)
• 1 cup sugar
• In the morning, pour the starter up to the "starter" line in the plastic container, and add 1 cup of sugar. Let it grow. It will grow and crawl up over the sugar. Once it has consumed the sugar, stir it up and let it sit out another hour or so. It may rise up again. Stir it down and refrigerate. Put the date on the jar so you know when you last baked. Try to bake monthly but at least every 3 months. 

Now to make bread:

Ingredients

• Put approximately 3 cups of stater batter in the Kitchen Aid (because of the capacity of my Kitchen Aid, I process in 2 batches)
• Approx. 4 ½ cup of bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 1 tbsp dough enhancer
• ¼ cup golden flax meal (optional, but it adds more nutrition to the loaves)
• Oil to coat the bowl in which the dough rises and to coat prepared dough balls before placing in baking pan.
• Flour to keep dough from sticking on hands and kneading board.

On baking day:

1. To the rest of the sponge (which has been growing overnight and from which    you took your new starter: put half of the starter (approx. 3 cups) into the Kitchen Aid upright mixer, gradually add 4½ cups of bread, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tbsp dough enhancer, and 2 tbsps of vital wheat gluten (1 tbsp per loaf), (and ¼ cup golden flax meal, if you want) Turn on your mixer and mix well--I start the dough with the regular mixing paddle, then when it’s hard for it to beat, I switch to the dough hook. If it is a still a little sticky, add a little bit of flour at a time until you get it so that you get it to where you can handle it. (At this point, it is better for it to be a little sticky and then add flour on the board while kneading the dough than for it to be too stiff before you knead it.) Since you are using the Kitchen Aid for part of the kneading, knead the dough about 50 times.
2. Smooth up and grease the ball. Put a little oil (1-2 tbsps) in a bowl or pan. Put the dough ball in upside down and turn over. Let this rise to approximately double. Poke with your finger and if the dough bounces back, it is probably OK to proceed. (Note: if it is really cold out or you are in a hurry, you can set it over a pan of warm water to help it raise.)
3. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the rest of the sponge!
4. Once the dough has risen, punch it down, then cut the raised dough into 1.4 lb pieces. Knead each piece until smooth: about 25-30 times. Be careful not to add too much flour at this point. You need just enough so that the dough doesn't stick to your board or hands. (I also spray Pam on my hands and wrists. This helps cut down on the stickiness.)
5. Spray the bread pans with Pam or grease your pans. Grease each ball well with oil and put in loaf pans. Let rise until at least doubled or more. (You can speed things up here by putting the pans over a bowl of warm water. Just change the water every 30 minutes or so.)
6. Start bread in a COLD oven set at 275°F. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn up the temperature to 325°F and continue cooking for another 25-30 minutes. The bread should be nicely browned when done. If it hasn't browned, turn the oven up by 25° and cook another 5 minutes or so.
7. Remove bread from the pans and butter the tops of the loaves.

Quick Spaghetti Sauce

This is a Mel's Kitchen Cafe recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef, turkey or pork or any combination (I omit this as I like to use frozen meatballs)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil (I add a little fresh basil toward the end)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp coarse, kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. In a large 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground meat, Drain any excess grease.  (if you are using meat in your sauce)

2. If not using meat, sauce Onion, garlic, salt and pepper in 1 Tbs. EVOO.

3. Stir in the tomato paste, and herbs. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells fragrant.

4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar and soy sauce. Stir to combine.

5. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes (or as long as you like/need)

6. Serve over hot noodles, make meatball subs or save leftovers for a pizza sauce. I often times double the recipe so I have leftovers, it freezes really well also.

Broccoli Salad

this is Heidi's Version

Serves 4

4 cups of broccoli cut into bite size pieces
1/8 cup red onion diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup bacon crumbled
1 1/2 Tbs cider vinegar
1 Tbs sugar or monk fruit sweetener
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Whisk together vinegar, sugar/monk fruit sweetener, mayo, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside

2. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, onion, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and bacon. Pour the prepared dressing over and mix well

3. Refrigerate for an hour before serving.