Saturday, January 4, 2025

Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup


Today I went out with my sister. I wanted something that would be ready for dinner when I got home. Cue the slow cooker. The recipe is from
Pure Wow. I did make a couple of edits to the recipe.

This is the version of the recipe that I made. I cut the recipe in half and left out the mushrooms and garlic.

It was quite good. We both went back for seconds. 


Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients-

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

1 stalks celery, sliced

1/2 cup wild rice

1 bay leaf

3 cups chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup heavy cream


Method-

Place the chicken breast, onion, carrot, celery, wild rice, bay leaf, and chicken broth in the bowl of a slow cooker.

 

Turn the slow cooker on low, and cook until the chicken and rice are tender, 6½ to 7 hours.


Season the soup with salt and pepper and stir in the heavy cream. 


Cook until heated through, 15 to 20 minutes. 




Today was my Mom's birthday. It was nice that I got to spend the day with my sister. 
I think Mom would have been pleased with how we spent the day.

What Are We Making For Dinner This Week

Okay, okay, I know I've been a bit MIA lately. Life gets busy, right? But I'm determined to get back into the swing of things, and what better way to do that than by sharing my weekly dinner plans? Let's be honest, trying to figure out what to make for dinner after a long day is the absolute WORST. I simply cannot operate without a plan. 

So, every Thursday, I dedicate a little time to menu planning and grocery list making. It's my little ritual, and it saves me so much stress during the week. Some weeks, like this one, I'll be relying on my freezer stash of pre-made meals (a true lifesaver!).

Without further ado, here's what's cooking (or reheating!) in our kitchen this week:

Saturday, January 4th: Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup (New Recipe Alert!)

I'm super excited to try this new recipe I found on Pure Wow! It's a Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, and it sounds absolutely perfect for a chilly January evening. I love anything I can just throw in the slow cooker and forget about, and this creamy, comforting soup seems like just the ticket. I'll be sure to share how it turns out!

Sunday, January 5th: Classic Comfort Food: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Zucchini

Sunday is for comfort food, and nothing says comfort quite like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a side of zucchini. This is a family favorite. 

Monday, January 6th: Freezer Rescue: Chicken Cutlets with Noodles and Veggies

Time to raid the freezer! On Monday, I'll be pulling out some pre-made chicken cutlets and serving them with noodles and a side of veggies. It's a quick and easy meal that's perfect for a busy weeknight.

Tuesday, January 7th: Freezer Find: Stuffed Peppers

Another freezer favorite! These stuffed peppers are packed with flavor. I usually make a big batch and freeze them for easy weeknight meals.

Wednesday, January 8th: Freezer Staple: Baked Macaroni

Who doesn't love my Mom's baked macaroni and cheese? This is another freezer staple in my house. It's cheesy, comforting, and always a hit.

Thursday, January 9th: Freezer Surprise: Shepherd's Pie

Rounding out the week with another freezer gem: Shepherd's Pie! This hearty and satisfying dish is the perfect way to end a busy week.

So there you have it! My dinner plan for the week. I hope this gives you some inspiration for your own meal planning. Stay tuned for updates and maybe even some recipe shares! What are you cooking this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Tuesday, December 31, 2024

The "Best" Meal of the Year


Apparently, I unknowingly entered a cooking competition tonight, and I WON! Okay, maybe it wasn't a formal competition, but after dinner, Chris declared this meal the best of the year. I'll happily accept that compliment! 

The real credit, however, goes to The Original Dish blog for this amazing recipe. I even made the sauce yesterday, taking a tip from the comments section to let it sit overnight and develop even more flavor. Trust me, it was worth the wait!

Click here for the original post-

Braised Short Rib Spaghetti from The Original Dish Blog.


Unfortunately, Milo was not invited to dinner.

Ingredients-

3 lbs bone-in short ribs

kosher salt, as needed

freshly cracked black pepper, as needed

vegetable oil, as needed

1 small onion, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

1 celery stalks, diced

1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 cup red wine

1 (8 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce

1 bay leaves

1 large sprigs of thyme

1 sprig of sage

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 tbsp butter

1/2 lbs spaghetti

high-quality grated parmesan, to garnish

fresh parsley or fried sage, to garnish


Method-

Let the short ribs sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. 

Season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. 

Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. 

Add enough vegetable oil to just coat the bottom of the pot.

Working in batches, sear the short ribs really well, about 3-4 minutes on all four sides. 

Transfer each batch of meat to a foil-lined sheet pan or plate once seared.

To the pan drippings, add the onion, carrots, and celery. 

Season with salt and black pepper. 

Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes until tender and caramelized.

Stir in the flour and let cook for a minute or so, stirring continuously. 

Deglaze the pot with the red wine. 

Bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan to release all of the flavors. 

Let simmer for another minute.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaves, thyme, sage, and another pinch of salt. 

Let the tomatoes simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in the beef stock. 

Add the short ribs back to the pot. 

Bring the liquid to a simmer. 

Cover the pot, leaving a small crack open to allow some steam to escape.

Turn the heat all the way to low and let the short ribs braise for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

To Assemble:

Prepare of large pot of boiling, salted water.

After 3 hours, remove the short ribs from the pot. 

Strain the sauce, using a wooden spoon to really press and release all of the flavor from the vegetables and herbs.

Pour the sauce back into the pot. 

Using a folded paper towel, blot as much fat off the top as possible. 

Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat. 

Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce cook and reduce for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, use your hands and a pair of gloves to shred the meat, discarding any large chunks of fat, bone, and connective tissue.

 At the same time, drop the spaghetti into the boiling, salted water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package’s instructions.

Once the sauce has reduced and thickened, whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. 

Stir the shredded meat back into the sauce. 

Taste and season with more salt and freshly cracked black pepper as needed.

Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. 

Alternatively, ladle the sauce over the spaghetti. Serve with the parmesan cheese and herbs on top.

Monday, December 23, 2024

Overnight Panettone

On Friday night, I started my favorite Panettone recipe from the King Arthur Flour site, Overnight Panettone. I baked it on Saturday, and we dove in on Sunday morning. It was delicious! This recipe never fails.


Read more on my baking blog, Friday Night Baking. Click here.















Monday, December 9, 2024

A Little Baking for a Class Reunion

Let me introduce the Class of 1972.



Last night, Saturday, December 7, we were having a class reunion. The call went out for desserts. Of course, I answered the call!

I wanted to keep with the Reunion theme. I decided to decorate Anginettes with maroon and gold sprinkles, the school colors.

Thursday and Friday I used my last two vacation days to stay home and bake Christmas cookies. Some people use vacation days to travel but I prefer baking.

I made the Anginettes on Thursday and decorated them last night.


When I woke up this morning I remembered I also baked the Cranberry and Orange Shortbread yesterday. Maroon and gold!!!!

Eleanor Lombardi's Anginette Cookies-

7 to 9 dozen cookies, depending on size


Ingredients-

5 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

9 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

1 cup All-Vegetable Shortening

6 eggs

rind from 1 orange

1/3 cup orange juice


Method-

Preheat oven to 350˚.


Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.

Cut in the shorting (mix like pie crust)


In a separate bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Mix this with the flour mixture, rind, and juice.


Roll into small balls, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on cookie trays for 5 minutes.


For Icing - 1 cup confectionery sugar and 4 1/2 tsp orange juice. Mix sugar and juice until smooth. You may have to add a little more juice.


Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

2 1/2 dozen cookies


Ingredients-

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup sugar, divided 1/4 c and 1/2 cup

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter, cubed and COLD

zest of 1 orange

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbsp fresh orange juice


Method-

Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine cranberries and 1/4 cup of sugar in a food processor and process just until the cranberries are broken down into small pieces. Set aside.

Combine the flour and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter to cut in butter. You want very fine crumbs.

Stir in extract, cranberries and sugar mixture, orange zest, and orange juice.

Knead dough until it comes together and forms a ball. Don't overwork it.

Shape dough into a log about 2 inches in diameter, Wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate 2 hours or more.

Preheat oven to 325˚.

Cut slices of cookie dough about 1/4 inch thick.

Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies are set. Do not overbake.

Let cookies cool for several minutes on the baking sheet before removing to the cooling rack.

Store in an air container for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.