Recipe - Easy Chicken Gravy

I like to try to get recipes that go together, posted together. My last recipe for chicken hash could be topped with some pepper gravy, ketchup...OR chicken gravy. Don't let it intimidate you. Gravies use to worry the snot out of me, mostly because I ended up with nothing but wet lumpy dough most of the time. But this is a chicken gravy that anyone can manage!

Top off your favorite chicken with this recipe for Easy Chicken Gravy!

Ingredients

4 T. butter or margarine
4 T. flour
2 c. chicken stock
1 t. black pepper
1/2 t. thyme


Directions

Melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer until thickened to desired consistency. Stir in pepper and thyme. Freeze flat in freezer bag for easy and long-term storage.

Recipe - Chicken Hash

Being a down home, country girl, I absolutely love recipes that include potatoes. And a big plate of mixed up food always makes me smile. So when I put a lot of thought into it...who could resist a mix of chicken, and potatoes?! Psh...not me! This is another one of those one-pot wonders, and to make it even easier, I have shredded chicken vacuum sealed in the freezer, and frozen containers of diced onions and diced peppers. So this meal really is a quick fix.

Mix it up with this recipe for Chicken Hash.

Ingredients

3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter or margarine
6 potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
4 carrots, shredded
2 c. cooked and shredded chicken
2 t. salt
2 t. black pepper
1 t. paprika


Directions

Heat olive oil and butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until they just start to brown on one side.

Add the onion and green pepper. Continue cooking until onion is translucent, about another 5 minutes.

Stir in the carrots, chicken and seasonings. Cook, stirring often, until potatoes are tender and browned all over, about 10-15 more minutes.

Serve with pepper gravy, chicken gravy or ketchup!

***TIPS***
This recipe is pretty versatile. I like to top mine with cheese sometimes. Or mix in some broth and cream of chicken soup for something creamier that goes great with rice. Sometimes when it's too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, I'll top this plate with some eggs and bacon and serve with biscuits.

Recipe - Chicken Cacciatore

I always enjoy cooking something that pretty much makes its own side. If it cooks in a sauce and I can pour it over rice or pasta, it always gets put in my favorites spot. Include the fact that it simmers on its own for an easy cook, and the one-pot convenience and I have a top 10 recipe.

Make sure you try this recipe for Chicken Cacciatore.

Ingredients

3 T. Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. salt
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken pieces (breasts or thighs)
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 c. chicken stock


Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, carrots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until veggies are cooked but still a little crispy. Stir in seasonings.

Add chicken to the skillet. Cover with tomatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a slow boil, cover and simmer at least 30 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked by this point, but a longer simmer time will result in more flavor. Before serving, you can cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces if desired. Serve over spaghetti or rice.

***LEFTOVER ALERT***
Put leftovers in freeze bag and lay flat on cookie sheet to freeze. Store frozen leftovers flat. When ready for dinner, all that is needed is to cook some spaghetti or rice and reheat frozen cacciatore.

Recipe - Whole Wheat Tortillas

The last recipe I posted was for some tasty enchiladas. And while many times, I buy flour or corn tortillas from the store, I do like to make my own if I have time. I have a very basic go to recipe that I've used for years. I don't have a tortilla press, so I roll them between sheets of parchment paper or saran wrap.

Wrap up with this recipe for Whole Wheat Tortillas.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat bread flour
1/2 cup shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
all-purpose flour for rolling


Directions

In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flour, and salt. Rub in the shortening by hand until the mixture is the texture of oatmeal. Make a well in the center, and pour in the boiling water. Mix with a fork until all of the water is evenly incorporated. Sprinkle with a bit of additional flour, and knead until the dough does not stick to your fingers. The dough should be smooth.

Make balls the size of golf balls, about 2 ounces each. Place them on a tray, and cover with a cloth. Let stand for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over high heat. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a tortilla to your preferred thinness. Fry one at a time. Place on the griddle for 10 seconds, as soon as you see a bubble on the top, flip the tortilla over. Let it cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Roll out the next tortilla while you wait for that one to cook. Repeat until all of the balls have been cooked. Tortillas can be refrigerated or frozen.

Recipe - Beef and Rice Enchiladas

I am an avid Mexican food eater. There is absolutely nothing I love more, and in fact, if I could find a good-looking Latino who knew how to cook, I would consider leaving DH, lol. (: So after many failed attempts, I managed to find a great recipe for enchiladas. And while they don't compare to the quaint little restaurant here in town, they're pretty good for being cooked my a white girl, haha.

Tempt a trip to south of the border with this recipe for Beef and Rice Enchiladas.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 onion, diced
2 c. fully cooked brown or white rice
2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
2 t. salt
2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/3 – 1/2 c. water
10 tortillas
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 1/2 c. Pepper-Jack cheese, shredded or cubed
1/2 c. sour cream


Directions

Combine ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Cook completely and drain. Add rice and seasonings to the skillet. Stir in water. Bring water just to a boil and simmer just until absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Fill each tortilla with beef and rice mixture. Roll up and place in a 13×9 casserole dish.

In a small saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Continue stirring until cheese is completely melted. Stir in sour cream.

Pour sauce over tortillas and either cover and refrigerate or bake right away. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until heat through and sauce is bubbly.

Recipe - Caramel Flan

I used to be scared of flan. I used to be scared of a lot of food, actually. But I decided that when we went out to eat, I was going to order something different. I went from cheeseburgers to Jalapeno burgers, and from alfredo to chicken parmesan with roasted red pepper alfredo. And I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was loving eating different foods. So it was this revelation that lead me on a quest for a great flan recipe.

Open your mind to fine Mexican cuisine with this recipe for Caramel Flan.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Sugar
3 Beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups Milk
1/3 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Fresh fruit (I like to use mango, strawberries or bananas)


Directions

In a heavy, medium skillet place 1/3 cup sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt (do not stir); shake skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly. Reduce heat to low and cook until sugar is melted and golden brown; stir as necessary after sugar begins to melt. Pour caramelized sugar into an 8-inch quiche dish. Tilt dish to coat bottom. Let stand 10 minutes.

Combine eggs, milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well combined. Place quiche dish in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan on the oven rack. Pour egg mixture into prepared quiche dish. Pour boiling water into the baking pan around quiche dish to a depth of 3/4 inch. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Carefully lift quiche dish from water. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely and cover and chill up to 24 hours. Loosen edge of dish with a spatula or knife, slipping point of spatula down sides to let air in. Invert onto a serving platter. Garnish with fruit.

Recipe - Beer-Braised Pork Chops

This is a tender version of pork chops that provides a sweet and savory flavor. To cut the budget a little, I buy the pork loins in bulk when they're on sale and slice them into chops. Then I vacuum seal and freeze them. A $14.00 loin turns into 10-15 chops easily, and more for us because we like them sliced extra thin.

Make sure you try this recipe for Beer-Braised Pork Chops.

Ingredients

2 teaspoon(s) olive oil
4 center-cut, bone-in pork chops
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Anjou pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
1 bottle(s) (12-ounce) lager beer
3/4 teaspoon(s) dried sage


Directions

Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sear until lightly browned, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.

Add pears to skillet and sauté over medium-high heat until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer pears to plate with pork chops.

Add beer and sage into pan. With a wooden spoon, scrape up caramelized bits from bottom. Add pork chops and pears back to pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Partially cover skillet with lid, reduce heat to low, and braise until chops are cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove chops and pears from pan. Skim away any fat from liquid, increase heat to medium, and cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Serve pork chops topped with pears and sauce.