Feeling Like Fall

With the cooler temperatures today I was really feeling like something "Fallish", so for dessert tonight I made a really yummy yet very healthy Quick Baked Apple. I usually don't use my microwave for anything more than steaming vegetables or re-heating leftovers but I do use it for Quick Baked Apples. 

In a Ziploc bag add 1 apple, cored and sliced
1/4 tsp cornstarch and a few shakes of cinnamon.
You can also add a small handful of raisins or dried cranberries.
Zip the bag but leave a small opening in the zip-top
for steam to vent. 

Microwave for 2 minutes and then dump in a bowl.
(I added a few dark chocolate chips at this point)

And what's dessert without a small splurge of real whipped cream?

So "Fallish"......................So easy...........................So good!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

I have been meaning to add this recipe for a few weeks. We invited some dear friends of ours over for dinner earlier this month and I wanted to try something new. Our friends were bringing freshly baked bread (so good it would knock your socks off) and I thought that a hearty soup would be a great accompaniment. After several Internet searches, I settled on this recipe by Aaron McCargo Jr. from the Food Network. I did make three substitutions, I used turnips instead of potatoes, I used one packet of Swanson's Chicken Flavor Boost instead of bouillon cubes, and I used chicken broth instead of water. Enjoy!

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced small

2 quarts water

 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbs. bouillon flavoring

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 small white onion (about 1/4 cup)

2 stalks of celery, diced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

1 1/2 lbs. frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup heavy cream

pinch of salt

1 refrigerated pie crust

Directions:

Add diced potatoes to a large bowl filled with cold water. Set aside. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to a simmer and allow to poach; about 8-10 mins. Dice the chicken when cooled. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the celery, cooking until translucent, 2 min. Stir in the flour and whisk until it forms a roux. Add the Italian seasoning and pepper and cook for 3 more minutes. Whisk the roux into the broth and bring back up to a boil. Drain the potatoes. Add the potatoes and the chicken to the broth over low heat. Stir in the frozen vegetables. Place a lid on the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cream and a pinch of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Preheat the oven as directed on the pie crust package. Lay the pie crust on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Cook according to package instructions or until the pie crust is golden brown. When the crust is cooled break it up into pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pie crust. Makes 6-8 servings.

Slow Cooker Sunday's

Well... last week came with a flurry of craziness including a trip to the ER so my wonderful husband took me out for a cozy dinner after church therefore....no slow cooker Sunday. This week I needed another quick to put together recipe using what I had on hand so I turned to my favorite low-carb cookbook. Today we enjoyed Carolina Crock Pork. This recipe usually calls for a pork shoulder roast but I used boneless pork ribs today and it was just as delicious. The recipe also instructs you to brown the roast before you put it in the crock-pot, which I usually do, however I didn't know how the ribs would hold up to the browning so I skipped that step. I honestly couldn't tell any difference. When the roast is done it can be shredded and served on your favorite sandwich rolls. Bon Appetit!

 Carolina Crock Pork

1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds pork shoulder roast
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp dry mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup tomato paste ( I used a 6 oz. can)
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the pork roast on all sides. Place in a Crock-Pot with remaining ingredients. Cook on high for 5 to 7 hours or on low for 8 to 9 hours. When done, shred with two forks and serve with Crock-pot juices.

Slow Cooker Sunday

I really enjoyed the '31 days challenge' that I took part in during the month of October and I didn't want to loose steam, so to speak, and fall behind with my blog postings. I really enjoyed the Five For Fun Series I did a while back so I thought it was time for another one. Introducing....

Slow Cooker Sunday

 Because of our responsibilities at church when we get home everyone is starving and if we haven't planned ahead we wind up going out or ordering in. So in an attempt to have a nice Sunday dinner waiting for us when we get home I am turning to my crock pot. Years ago, I used my crock pot every Sunday but when we combined households with my mom for some reason I got away from it. So for my first week I chose a "go to" recipe that I got from my cousin Angie. 

Easy Salsa Chicken

1 Whole Chicken

3 cups of your favorite salsa

Put the chicken in the crock-pot and pour the salsa over it. Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours or until done. 

 That's it. I told you it was easy! The chicken stays so moist and the salsa cooks out to make a wonderfully flavored sauce. We have served it over rice or pasta. Any of your favorite Mexican sides would go nicely or keep it simple and just add a salad. (It tastes like chicken cacciatore without all the work.)  This recipe gets even better. I have made this with a frozen chicken too. I keep a cleaned, whole chicken in the freezer for times when I know I will be out all day and need a quick dinner prep in the morning. Just throw it in the crock-pot frozen, pour over your salsa and cook on high for 6 hours. The sauce is thin but you could thicken it with some cornstarch before you serve it if you desire. I use medium salsa so it's not too spicy for the kids. Enjoy!