Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

The original recipe for this soup called for 2 Tbsp. of flour added to the onions for thickening and 3 Tbsp. of sherry.  I omitted both and added the butter to my onions and added celery which wasn't called for in the original recipe.  I also left out the carrots simply because I don't like cooked carrots.  For my chicken I used 2 plump split chicken breasts using this for my broth.  This version gave me a pot full of chicken and rice with just enough broth to make it perfect.  Due to the seasoning mix included with the rice, no salt was needed.  You could add a little garlic and maybe a touch of sage if you want but I found it perfect as it is for my taste buds.  For the full recipe visit Martha's Recipe Cabinet.

Turnip Slaw

I'm not a turnip fan.  I love turnip greens (yes I'm from the south!) but I've never cared for the turnips cooked.  I did love to eat them like you would an apple though.  I would peel, slice, salt and chow down.  To me they had the flavor of cabbage which I love just about any way it can be served.

One of the men I work with brought in 2 five gallon buckets full of raw turnips from his garden.  He didn't eat them and didn't know what to do with them.  I hate to see anything go to waste so I brought some home to see what I could come up with.  Then it hit me.  Like I said, they taste like cabbage so why not make slaw.  I had drop-in company for dinner and decided to see if I could fool them.  I asked both if they liked turnips and both said NO!  I didn't mention them again until after dinner.

I made the slaw using shredded turnips instead of cabbage.  I did realize that the color was all white so I shredded just enough cabbage to add a few specks of green.  Both of my guests raved about the slaw!  After dinner I told both they had just eaten 'Turnip Slaw.'  Neither could believe it.

More Tidbits - Water

Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent

Poppy Seed Chicken

This dish came from a site called The Girl Who Ate Everything
It's called Poppy Seed Chicken and this one is a perfect, easy to make, delicious casserole that you must try!  I made this and served it to my drop-in company and they loved it enough to ask for some to take home.  It's that good!  So here it is.

5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used 3 large split breasts)
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cps crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cubed chicken in a 9 X 13 casserole dish.  Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream.  Pour over chicken.  In a separate bowl stir together crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.  Sprinkle over chicken and sauce.  Bake 30 minutes, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly.  Serve plain or over rice. 

Additional ingredients can be added when mixing soup and sour cream:
1 tsp. Worchestire sauce
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper

Comments - I made only 1 change when making my dish.  I used 1 can of cream of chicken and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup.  I might try adding broccoli, maybe a sprinkle of cheese in with the crackers and near the end of baking maybe some French fried onions.  But believe me, this dish needs no additions. 

Banana Nut Rum Cake

This idea came to me when I discovered 2 mini-bottles of rum in the cabinet and some bananas that were ripe and needed to be used, quickly.  The 1/2 cup of rum mixed with the bananas gives this cake/bread a deliciously, unique taste.  The only changes I've come up with so far would be to add coconut instead of or with the nuts.  You could use strawberries instead of the bananas or change the flavor of the cake mix.  This is a must try! See the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet

Baked Chicken

One of the men I work with brought a piece of chicken he had cooked to the office and was heating it in the microwave.  The smell was so appealing that I just had to know what he seasoned it with.  Turns out it was quite simple.  He placed his chicken in a dish, mixed Italian dressing and enough Worcestershire sauce to turn the dressing brown.  He then poured this over the chicken and let it marinate.  When he was ready to cook he coated it with McCormick's Grill Mates' Montreal Steak and then grilled.

When I made mine I used 3 split chicken breasts, 1/2 bottle of Italian dressing and 3 Tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce.  I let the chicken marinate all day and since it was raining I decided to cook them in the oven.  After adding my Montreal Steak seasoning I cooked my chicken meat side down in a 350 degree oven until it was done, about 30 minutes.  I then turned it over and cooked an additional 10 minutes to brown the meat side. 

Comments - This chicken came out so moist and so tasty!  If you don't want to use split breasts, use whatever cut of chicken you want just adjust the cooking time.  My co-worker also said he marinates his steaks the same as the chicken before grilling them.  I can't wait for grilling weather to give that a try.

Buitoni's Grilled Chicken and Spinach Cannelloni

Looks good?  Check out my review for this product by going to The Good, The Bad, The Maybe

Key Lime Bars

Looking for a quick but tasty dessert to have on hand for emergencies?  Check out my review for Krusteaz's Key Lime Bars.

Chocolate Chip Puddin

I better hope my daughters don't read this post.  I always make Banana Puddin for the holidays but this year I didn't.  I want one of my daughters to learn and had hoped they would attempt to continue this tradition.  They didn't and therefore were a bit upset because there was no Banana Puddin for Christmas Dinner.  I've told them that they will have to make it from now on.  Well, a friend requested some so I made a big bowl today.  I normally have the perfect amount of pudding and none leftover but for some reason I made too much this time.  What to do with it?  I got creative and came up with a Chocolate Chip Puddin.  This is so easy to make.  It can be worked up in individual dishes for a really attractive dessert or made in a large bowl.  I personally like the individual dish best.

To make - Place vanilla wafers in the bottom of your dish.  Sprinkle with a few chocolate chips, add another layer of wafers, then another layer of chocolate chips.  Continue until your dish is full.  Make your own vanilla pudding or use a package of cook and serve made using the directions on the package.  While still piping hot, spoon over your wafer/chocolate dish.  Top with a couple of wafers and a sprinkle of chips.  Let cook and enjoy.

My 2 food testers that were treated to this dish both loved it.  One said it almost tasted like a chocolate bread pudding.  This is a dish that you can change to fit your own taste.  You can use different flavors of chips - butterscotch would be good.  You can use chocolate pudding and white chocolate chips or maybe peanut butter chips.  You can sprinkle in a few nuts and/or add a scoop of whipping and a cherry for added flavor and appeal.  Again - Think With Your Taste Buds!

A Book and A Dish - Finally Complete!

Finally after months of working and working and pulling my hair out, I've finally have A Book and A Dish up and running on Amazon as well as Barnes & Noble.  For those of you who know nothing about A Book and A Dish I'll tell you what it's all about. 

A Book and A Dish started out as a blog site.  I love to read so about 2 years ago I started reading and writing reviews.  Then I came up with an idea.  What if I had the authors send a recipe to go with my review of their book.  That's when I came up with the name A Book (the review) and A Dish (the recipe).  The sight has been very successful but I really felt that something needed to be done with all of those reviews and recipes.  Since I don't like to do things the traditional way I came up with another idea.  Instead of just a cookbook, how about a cookbook that included the reviews too.  I talked to some of the authors and they all seemed to like the idea so a book started taking form.

Now, what to do with the proceeds that I hope to start coming in soon.  I couldn't see making money off someone else book and recipe so why not donate.  That's when I remembered an author that I've done several reviews for who has a group of rescue dogs that he refers to as Tilly's Pack.  Author Brian L. Porter is the sole supporter for Tilly's Pack which consists of about 16 furry little friends.  Not only does Brian feed these four legged babies but he also keeps them up with trips to the vet and any medical needs that come along.  He became the perfect candidate for A Book and A Dish Vol. I. 

So, check out A Book and A Dish either through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  Not only will it help you find the perfect book to read but it will also provide you with your next dish to cook while helping out a group of rescue babies.  And did I tell you that the cost is only $.99.  Now that's a deal!

I now want to say thank you to 2 people who I couldn't have accomplished this without.  Author Mary Deal has spent hours helping me work up the reviews, recipes and book pictures into a form that could be formatted for both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  She has been a jewel.  Author Douglas Dorow was the one who really stepped in and made this venture finally come to life.  He formatted for both sites and took me through all the steps.  I'm computer blonde and Doug was the one who helped save what little hair I had left.  So, all thanks go out to both of these wonderful people.

Cheese Straws

The original recipe for this called for 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  I have about 1/2 cup of Parmesan and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheeses that needed to be used.  I combined these with 1 cup of cheddar for my cheese.  The original also called for a tsp. of pepper.  This I eliminated but did add a Tbsp. of a herb blend that included Rosemary to half of my mix.  This gave me 2 flavors and also helped me use up some leftover cheese.  So for this dish Think With Your Taste Buds!
View the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.

Smothered Pork Roast

The original recipe for this dish called for pork chops.  I've adjusted it to work with a pork sirloin or tenderloin.  I cooked mine in an electric frying pan on high for browning and then reduced the heat to 300 for cooking.  But, this can be cooked in a Dutch oven on top of the stove.  This recipe will also come out great by using a thick cut beef roast instead of pork. View the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.

Healthy Foods That Can Kill You - Part 6 Final

Most everyone admits that they don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, but before you start trying to increase your daily intake, there are a few things you should know—especially if you like to grow-your-own food or if you're a start-from-scratch cook. Some of the healthiest vegetables have relatives that could kill you.

 
“Wild” Mushrooms
Most people know that many varieties if mushrooms are toxic. This does not include cultivated wild mushrooms that you find at the grocery store. The problem is that there is no easy way to distinguish a poisonous from nonpoisonous wild mushroom. Plus, you can't make toxic mushrooms nontoxic by cooking, canning, freezing, or any other means of processing. The only way to avoid mushroom poisoning is to not eat wild mushrooms.

Rice With Chicken Casserole

This idea came from a recipe for rice and tuna which had olives, boiled eggs and lemon juice as additional ingredients.  I changed to chicken, left out these 3 ingredients and added the onions. This comes out with a slightly sweet taste from the peppers and oh so good.  I took a dish over to 2 of my food testers and they simply loved it and she doesn't care that much for bell peppers.  This is a real keeper!  Find the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.

Gracie Allen's Recipe for Beef Roast

Gracie Allen

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 6 hours, 5 minutes
Yield: 2 roasts

Ingredients:

 

1 large beef roast

1 small beef roast

Directions:

1. Take the two roasts and put them in the oven.
2. When the little one burns, the big one is done.

Shark Ninja Express Chop

Some of you follow my site The Good, The Bad, the Maybe and I thank you.  For those of you who don't I want to invite you to read my review for the Shark Ninja Express Chop.  If you cook, I don't think you will regret reading what I have to say about this product.

Author L. C. Evans

It pains me to say that Author L. C. Evans passed on yesterday.  Her family said she went peacefully while in the care of the Huntersville, NC Hospice.

I had the pleasure of reading 3 of Linda's books and my favorite has to be Jobless Recovery.  Her writing may have been a work of fiction but it still told the truth about the mess our country's job market has become.  I'm attaching her website link for those who might want to browse her work.  She will truly be missed by me.

L. C. Evans's Website

Healthy Foods That Can Kill You Part 5

Most everyone admits that they don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, but before you start trying to increase your daily intake, there are a few things you should know—especially if you like to grow-your-own food or if you're a start-from-scratch cook. Some of the healthiest vegetables have relatives that could kill you.

 
Raw Cassava
One of the most consumed carbohydrates in the world, cassava, contains naturally occurring cyanogenic glycosides.  Also known as yucca, this starchy tuber must always be dried, soaked, and cooked properly.  In Africa, improperly processed cassava is a major problem and is associated with a number health disorders, particularly among people who are already malnourished.  The toxin is primarily found in the leaves which protects it from being eaten by insects or animals, but the roots still contain a significant amount of natural poison and long-term exposure to this raw food can lead to deadly consequences.  The proper processing of cassava includes drying, soaking in water, rinsing or cooking very soon after it is harvested.

Spicy Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce

 Now and then I come across a recipe that I can't help but share.  Today I want to share a recipe from my good friend Chef Tom Cooks.  I know it's just January but it's never too early or late to start thinking about BBQ and grilling.  So here we go with Chef Tom's Spicy Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce.



1/4 cup onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups Jack Daniels
15 peppercorns
1 tablespoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons Cholula Hot Sauce (or your favorite hot sauce)
6 oz. Coca Cola
1 bottle Sweet Baby Rays barbecue sauce
olive oil

In a saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in a little olive oil.  Once they begin to sweat, add the cola and bring to a boil.  Once it begins to boil, add the Jack Daniels.  Bring back to a boil and let the alcohol burn off, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the peppercorns, hot sauce and dry mustard.  Reduce the mixture by 2/3.  Turn the heat to low and add the bottle of barbecue sauce and heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer to remove the onions, garlic and peppercorns.
Let cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

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Healthy Foods That Can Kill You - Part 4

Most everyone admits that they don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, but before you start trying to increase your daily intake, there are a few things you should know—especially if you like to grow-your-own food or if you're a start-from-scratch cook. Some of the healthiest vegetables have relatives that could kill you.

 
Rhubarb Leaves
If you are an adventurous gardener, be aware that rhubarb leaves are not the healthy, bitter green you might assume.  There is a reason that rhubarb sold in your grocery store is sold without its leaves. Rhubarb leaves contain dangerously high levels of oxalic acid which can cause serious kidney damage potentially leading to death. Even though a 140-pound person would need to eat about 10 pounds of rhubarb leaves to die, a small amount still has the ability to make a person sick. When you're making a salad with fresh greens from your garden, steer clear of rhubarb leaves.