Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Chicken

So this recipe was inspired by one of my friends and old roommates, and I decided to try it out on some guinea pigs, aka Kirk and Linda :) Again, I didn't really work from a recipe but used my knowledge of how long chicken typically takes to cook and estimated everything! What you need:

-Spinach
-Mushrooms
-Cream Cheese (or Philadelphia Cooking Creme)
-Chicken Breasts
-Toothpicks!

We started out by butterflying the chicken breasts, or just cutting a pocket since some were a little on the small side. After doing this, I thought it might have been better to flatten out the chicken first so they would lay flat, but that's how you learn, right!?


In a mixing bowl, we mixed together some spinach with approximately half of the Cooking Creme-we used savory garlic, but regular cream cheese would probably work fine too :)


After mixing those two ingredients together, we chopped up some mushrooms and put them in the mix as well.


After mixing everything together, we divided it into three portions, one for each chicken breast. Then, I strategically stuffed each one with the mixture and sealed it with toothpicks. This part was probably the trickiest seeing as I've never done anything like this before! :D


We wrapped each one individually in foil to make sure nothing leaked out, and baked them for 15 minutes in the oven on 375. After the 15 minutes was up, I took them out and put on some seasonings and such and turned them over. Put them back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Once the 2nd 15 minutes is up, decided to open the foil and put them under the broiler/500 degrees for 5 minutes to brown the tops for your aesthetic pleasure ;)

The final product!

We paired it with some herb linguine which was very tasty and a cucumber, tomato, green onion and green pepper medley :) Let me know if you try it, or if you have any other types of stuffing that might be yummy!

Brown rice risotto with porcini mushrooms

Hi family! Thanks, Becca, for reminding us to be posting! I really want to get back into posting too. I forgot how much fun it is! I usually make several meals a week, I just have to remember to take photos! Last night I made a delicious risotto I wanted to share with you....

Background: I've been trying to switch us to using only brown rice. While I can throw a bowl of white rice in the microwave and have it done in a half hour without thinking, for some reason brown rice has given me a lot of trouble. In the microwave it always boils over and is never cooked through. On the stove it gets super sticky and makes a huge mess, and is sort of crunchy. I thought maybe trying it in risotto would be the key!

I found a couple brown rice risotto recipes online, and combined 2 of them. The trick is to boil the rice for about 20 minutes, drain, and then add your aromatics and broth like you would in a normal risotto recipe. Here's the ingredients and step by step:

• 1 1/4 C. brown rice
• 3 C. water
• 1 1/2 - 2 C. chicken stock
• parmesean cheese
• 1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp. water
  
• onions, garlic, mushrooms, etc. - whatever you want in your risotto!

First, bring rice and water to a boil. (You can toast the rice first for a few minutes, then add the water) Once it boils, turn the heat down and simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until rice is getting soft.

While the rice is boiling, start sauteing your add-ins. Normally you would do this and then add the risotto, but this is different! I started with olive oil, garlic & onions, and some porcini mushrooms. I also had some fresh thyme leaves, which made this AWESOME.


(I may have also added some butter....shhhh)

Don't forget salt and pepper!

The veggies got done before the rice was ready, so I added some white wine to coat the bottom and prevent anything from burning. It added a really nice flavor and I'd totally do it again.

Once the rice is almost al dente, strain out the excess liquid (there won't be much), and add the veggies. Add about 1 cup of your broth, and stir. Let simmer until liquid is absorbed and then add another half cup of broth, repeating until broth is gone (or rice is done as you like it). You can heat the broth if you want - I just stuck it in the microwave for a few minutes so it wasn't cold.

Once the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed, add in your cornstarch/water mixture - this thickens it slightly and makes it more like an arborio rice risotto. Then check seasonings, grate in a TON of parmesean cheese, and maybe add some more butter.

And you're done!

And yes, that was the only picture I took. :( We were actually having a friend come over for dinner and I was rushing towards the end. But it turned out so well, I will definitely be making brown rice risotto again!! (plus brown rice is totally way cheaper than arborio rice)

Let me know if you try it, and if you have any more tips for risotto!

It's been a while...

Hi Momma and Sissies! So it has been TOO long since anyone has updated on here, and since I finally have some free time to cook and experiment in the kitchen, I thought I'd share with y'all what yummyness I had for dinner tonight :) I didn't remember to take pictures until after so there are only a few.

I call it: "Sherry Chicken and Mushrooms"

So I had a chicken breast that I needed to use up and was searching through the Grace cookbook for ideas, which is where I found my inspiration I guess you could say. (Yes, I said one chicken breast, that's what happens when you are cooking for one :D) Anyways, I cut the breast into three or four strips and dipped them in milk and then breaded them in a mixture of bread crumbs, rosemary and garlic, and parmesan cheese:



After covering the pieces in the breading, I sauteed the outside of the chicken in butter, and then put them in a greased baking pan. In the same pan I seared the chicken in, I sauteed mushrooms in butter and sherry cooking wine (delish, btw!). While the mushrooms were sauteing, I mixed together about 1/4 cup of the sherry and 1/4 cup of condensed cream of chicken soup and poured that over the chicken. I topped the chicken with the mushrooms once they were to my liking, and sprinkled some shredded monterrey jack cheese over top. Cover with tin foil, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After the 30 min, remove the foil and cook for another 5 min.

Now all that's left to do is enjoy!!! The whole time it was cooking it smelled amazing, and I am extremely satisfied with the way it turned out--especially since I wasn't really going by a recipe. It was sooooo yummy. It will be my dinner for tomorrow :) I paired it with green beans and texas garlic toast, which was also tasty. Here's the finished product:


Any feedback/tips are welcomed....and if you make it let me know what you think! :)

No such thing as luck: Six Months Old

No such thing as luck: Six Months Old

Peanut Crusted Tilapea

We've had this meal twice, and it is one of our favorite ways to have fish now! I looked online to get some ideas, but in the end kind of made the recipe up myself.

First, I chopped up about 1/2 cup or so of peanuts. I used my Pampered Chef slap/chop type thing. Then I set up my station:

• A plate of flour with some pepper and a dash of salt
• A beaten egg in a bowl
• Plate of chopped nuts
• Cast iron skillet with some olive oil

 Pat the fish dry with a paper towel, cover in the flour mixture, dredge in egg, then coat with nuts. Here's what it looks like:

It browns up nicely...

We paired it with a nice salad and some roasted potatoes this night.

Also, I whipped up a peanut sauce to go on the fish. Again, I looked online to get some ideas for the recipe, but in the end just made it up based on taste. The basic ingredients were:

• peanut butter (about 1/2 cup)
• soy sauce (a few T.)
• lemon juice (1-2 T.)
• milk (1-2 T)
• ginger, garlic, salt, pepper (to taste)
• Cholula (for a little extra kick)

I might have also added a little rice wine vinegar, I can't remember now. Basically, just play with it until it tastes the way you want!

Salad, anyone???

Hi sissies and momma :) I wanted to ask y'all for some salad recipes that you've made and really liked. This saturday we're having a ladies night at church and each person is bringing a different type of salad and I have no idea what kind to bring! I figured I can use this as a way to kind of poll you all and hear back several different ideas. Thanks!!!!! Post away! :)

Pizza Casserole

I was going through my recipe box this morning and I came across this recipe I used to make when everyone was home.   I know you all are pizza fans, and, while it's not pizza, it certainly has a similar taste.  Served with a salad, it's a nice, easy meal that you can prepare ahead of time, or something you could make for a crowd (it is easy to double).  The recipe I will post is for about 4.

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teasp. garlic, chopped
1 teasp. oregano
1/2 teasp. salt
1 can tomato soup (or 14 oz. sauce)
1/3 cup water
2 cups cooked wide noodles
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any kind--you could use more if you want)

Brown ground beef with onion and seasonings, stirring to separate meat.  Add soup, water and cooked noodles.  Place in greased casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.