Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Best soup ever!! I really like soup, I could eat it everyday! This morning I almost had some for breakfast! I ended up making eggs. Come lunch time I will have a bowl of soup. I Pinned it awhile ago, it kept popping in my head. Especially since the colder weather! Prep wasn't too bad either. I did do some short cuts and some upgrades.

Recipe

1 onion diced
2 medium Carrots diced
2 celery diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic minced
Fresh thyme, a few stalks put in cheese cloth and tied or remove from stalks and thrown right in!
4 1/2 cups of chicken broth (I use better than bouillon)
1 pound chicken breast cut into cubes about 1 inch
1 box quick cook wild rice mix with seasonings
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Prepare you rice mix as instructed. I went even easier and made mine in the microwave, I have a pretty good microwave cooker. It took about 8 minutes to finish.

In a large pot melt 2 tablespoons butter at medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery cook for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds add broth. Turn up the heat to med-high bring broth mixture to a small boil then cover and reduce back down to medium. Let cook for about 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked. While that is cooking in a small pot melt 6 tablespoons butter over medium heat, add flour and contiue to whisk about a minute. Slowly add milk to the flour mixture continue whisking for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Add both rice and milk mixture to the soup. Last add heavy cream and serve with garlic French bread!

My husband doesn't usually like soup so when I find one he does I get really excited! Now this will not replace his favorites but I can definitely throw this in now and then! I hope enjoy this recipe let us know if you make it!

Sourdough Bread from a Bread Machine

I am so happy that my mom gave me some of her sourdough starter - I have already used it twice and will hopefully be making bread every weekend with it!!  At first, I thought I was crazy to think about using the starter in a bread machine, but I was pleasantly surprised with the results.  It isn't as strong of a sourdough taste as some people would like, but since it is mild it is slightly more versatile.  The other 'odd' thing is that you still add yeast so it will be able to rise in the time frame your bread machine uses - traditionally it can take up to 'all day' for handmade sourdough bread to rise using only the starter.  I actually have 2 recipes to share, the first one is the one I prefer (the picture above) and the second is Eric's favorite (as he reminded me several times when eating the one above lol).  Follow the links for the original site information.

Plain and Simple Sourdough Bread

3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees or so)
1 cup sourdough starter (already proofed - see below)
2 2/3 cup flour
1/2-1 tsp sugar (I added this to the recipe, it will feed your yeast and rise better but it isn't necessary)
1 1/2 tsp yeast (in center of flour mound)
1 1/2 tsp salt (sprinkled around the outer edge of the flour mound)

Crusty Sourdough Bread

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees or so)
1 cup sourdough starter (already proofed - see below)
3 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar (I added this to the recipe, it will feed your yeast and rise better but it isn't necessary)
1 tsp yeast (in center of flour mound)
1 1/2 tsp salt (sprinkled around the outer edge of the flour mound)

Add the ingredients in the order listed to your bread machine. Choose White, Light Crust, Rapid and Small Loaf as your settings. 

As a side note:  I wasn't sure I would be able to take care of my starter as well as it needed, so I opted to put mine in the fridge.  This allows me to feed it once a week instead of every day - I don't even feed myself every day!  So when I want to use it I have to proof it before hand -  this definitely takes time and requires planning.  When I know I want to make bread, I pull my container out of the fridge and add 1/2 cup each of warm water and flour.  Stir the starter until well combined (don't use a metal utensil).  Let sit in a warm area for 12 hours (yep - 12 hours), stir in an additional 1/4 cup of warm water and flour, and let it proof for at least another hour.  Once you see lots of happy bubbles you are good to go.  Remove the amount needed and put the container back into the fridge for another day.

Have a great day!
Beth

Chicken Parmesan

I'm So glad I tried this recipe. The family loved it. So it's going in my dinner rotation.  I don't have too many of those. My husband likes a handful of recipes so when I find something that works I get excited. This recipe is pretty quick. You can even prepare it the day before or the morning of. While it baked it gave me time to cook pasta and steam broccoli.

There's something to be said about simple recipes. That's probably why it taste so good. I used jarred pasta sauce, I would like to make my own next time.

Ingredients:

4 thin chicken breast
Panko bread crumbs
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
oil for frying pan
1 jar tomato sauce
Shredded cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan are standard but I used a Swiss blend.

Preheat oven to 375 degree Fahrenheit. Set aside a 9 by 13 baking dish.

You will need two bowls or plates which ever you prefer. In one bowl pour the bread crumbs in the other break the egg and pour in the milk and mix it around. I like really thin so I laid out the chicken breast and put a piece of plastic wrap over them. Then I got a tenderizer and flattened them more. Now that everything is prepped, heat oil in a large pan. Back to the chicken, first put the chicken in the egg mixture then in the bread crumbs and last into the pan. I have a huge family pan I was able to cook three if you have a standard I would do two at a time. When all the chicken is browned on both sides then add them in the baking pan. Pour the tomato pasta sauce over the chicken spinkle cheese on top! Bake for 40 minutes, next time I'm going to check on it about 30 minutes. You want the cheese melted and the sauce bubbly. I served it with pasta and broccoli which I made while the chicken was baking.

I hope you enjoy this as we did!

Friendsgiving!

A note from Beth:  Well, I have to apologize.  I fully intended to post this on Wednesday - BEFORE Thanksgiving - but I had a hectic day and just never managed to get it finished.  Then I got sick, and the next thing I know it's Tuesday!  So, it's a little late - but at least it's finally here - our Thanksgiving Luncheon (otherwise known as Friendsgiving)...

We wanted to stick with traditional flavors, but make things more fingerfoodish.  We had a few things that were hits, and a few things we want to impove for next time - but overall it was a fun and yummy time!

The top two items are Turkey Meat Pies, which don't have a gravy like a Pot Pie.  We made some with pie crust and some with puff pastry - just to see the difference.  They were equally liked so you can choose your favorite!!  Inside they have turkey, mashed potatoes and sauteed onions, celery and carrots.  We layered the three ingredients one side then folded the other side over to make a pie.  We brushed them with an egg solution and baked them at 350 degrees.  Since everything inside was already cooked, we just cooked them until the outside looked golden.  The great thing about these is there is no set recipe for what you use inside - they are great for leftovers after the 'big' day.

The next tray has a combo of Yam Bites, Stuffing Bites and Cranberry Wontons. 

The Yam Bites were a huge hit - all the kids wanted more - and even a few adults said they tasted like candy!  We left some plain (with salt & pepper), but the ones with melted marshmallows went fast.  They were easy to make ahead.  Place uncooked yams in water on med-low for 20, then cool to the touch.  Slice to any size, brush with butter and sprinkle with either brown sugar or salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 min.  Once you are ready to serve, top the sweet ones with a mini marshmallow and bake until metled and browned.  Use a toothpick for easy eating. 

The Stuffing Bites are super easy too - make your favorite stuffing, scoop into balls and bake at 350 degrees until browned.  We cooked these a little too long, so they were a little dry, but still yummy. 

The Cranberry Wontons were an expirement - I was craving the yumminess we had when we made the Wonton Bats for Halloween.  These didn't turn out as well as I was hoping.  We mixed cranberry sauce and cream cheese, but it was a little too liquidy.  They tasted good, but most of the mixture oozed out when we cooked them.  I definitely want to try it again - I think if the cream cheese mixture was more solid it would be a lot better.

Finally, we have Mini Pumpkin Pies.  These were so good!  It's also the only thing that needs a recipe!!  They're a little more work than making one big pie - but soo worth it!

2 pie sheets store bought or homemade

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut pie dough with 2 2/1 inch circle cutter. Place in the wells of a mini muffin pan. Use a shaper that helps push dough down, or you can use your fingers just be gentle to not tear the dough. In a small bowl mix the remaining ingredients and use a tablespoon to fill your dough with the pumpkin pie mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool before eating.

*I had remaining dough so I cut out mini leaves and baked them separately until browned. I placed them on top after the pies had cooled. Also the pies are delicious with whip cream!  (Felicia)    

There you go - our Thanksgiving Luncheon (Finally!)

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with your families and friends - we did!!

The Three Peas

Croissant Breakfast Pudding

I bought some mini croissants so that I can make a breakfast casserole. Awhile ago I would make this wonderful sweet breakfast casserole it was so perfect. Of course I can't find the recipe and everyone I made it for doesn't have it either. I'm still searching for it! This one is pretty good in the mean time.

I didn't let it sit in the refrigerator like the recipe instructed and I think I prefer it this way. I know traditional bread puddings come out like one congealed piece hence the pudding name. I like having the bread be defined in each bite.

Pretty simple instructions and my favorite part is that it has a crumb topping!

Instructions
6 small or 3 large croissants
3/4 cup half and half
3 Tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 eggs
Pinch of salt
3 Tablespoon of butter cold and cubed
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (you can add more or less to your liking)
3 Tablespoon flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease a small baking pan with butter. Tear up croissant into small pieces in the pan. In a small bowl whisk half and half, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, eggs and salt. Pour over croissants and push down the floating pieces to help soak them in. In a small bowl mix sugar, cinnamon and flour, add cubed butter and work it in with your fingers into smallish crumbs. Bake for 30-40 minutes. I checked mine at 30 and added 6 minutes, I like my topping to be a bit crunchy!

Serve with fresh fruit if you like!

I hope you enjoy this!