Sesame Chicken (Crock Pot, the one Trent likes)

I've adapted this twice, and after shredding the chicken, we found it didn't have enough sauce so I upped the sauce ingredients.  We like sauce :)  This is the saucy version!

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (one quart sized bag frozen) 
2 cup honey 
1 cup soy sauce 
1/2 cup minced dried onion 
1/2 cup ketchup 
2 Tbsp vegetable or cooking oil 
2 tsp garlic powder 

 Mix all of the above, cook all day on low in crock pot. Start rice in the rice cooker. (For this next step, we do not thicken the sauce, we like the thin sauce as is).  Spoon out the chicken from the crock pot and thicken the sauce if necessary with 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water. Return chicken to the thickened sauce and warm through. Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds (optional).

Easy Crock Pot Chili

Easy crock pot chili: Just made this, delicious! One package Bear Creek Chili Mix. Prepare in a crock pot according to directions (add 7 cups water, pretty basic). Cook all day on low. About an hour before serving, brown 1 lb (or more, I think I did 1.25 lbs) hamburger and add 2 packets taco seasoning to the drained hamburger and 3/4 cup water. Add burger mixture to the crock pot and bring again to a boil, serve with cheese, onion, and some cornbread. GOOD! The Bear Creek Chili by itself was a little flat in flavor so I added the burger and taco seasoning. Thinking it probably would work sticking ALL of it in the crock pot from the beginning, but NOT the hamburger, you'd want to brown and rinse it first, otherwise it would be too greasy unless you used elk or deer burger.

Homemade Tomato Soup

I hate having to be gluten free, although now I think it's a wheat allergy, instead of all gluten.  That's slightly better I guess.
I love Tomato Soup, but the second ingredient in canned tomato soup is wheat flour.  Boo.  But I came up with an alternative and it's good.

1 can tomato sauce (14 oz can)
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pinch of Herbs de Provence
Pinch of baking soda
1 tsp butter (optional)

Combine all ingredients well and heat just to barely boiling while stirring constantly with a whisk.  Makes 2 servings.

Craisin White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup butter, salted, room temp.
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon 100% pure vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1  1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried strawberry flavored craisins
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a standing mixer, beat Crisco, butter and sugars until light and fluffy for approx. 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a medium sized bowl combine flour and baking soda; whisk.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed mixture.
5. Next, stir in vanilla milk chips, dried strawberry craisins and dried cranberries.
6. Shape cookie dough into approx 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Remove cookies from oven and let set on baking sheet for approx. 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store in a sealed container or freeze in gallon sized Ziplock bags for later use.

Creamy Chicken Italian Soup w/Gnocchi

2/3 cup butter or olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 lbs cooked chicken OR 2 cans cooked chicken

2/3 cup flour

1 quart whole milk

1 quart heavy cream

5 Tbsp Chicken Soup Base (this is the yellow powdery boullion)

Pepper to taste

1 bag fresh spinach leaves

Make your gnocchi first, by boiling it according to package directions, or make homemade gnocchi.  Set it aside.

Melt butter in a soup pot and sauté the garlic.  Add the flour and cook and stir together, cook for a minute or so for the raw flour smell to cook out.  Add the chicken and cook to combine the chicken and the flour paste.

Cool the pan a little bit by lifting it off the burner and turning the heat down, then add about a cup of the milk, and stir stir stir to get any lumps out and make it as smooth as you can.  Add the boullion or soup base and stir it in well, no lumps.  Add the rest of the milk and the cream and cook over medium low heat.  Taste it, add salt and pepper if needed.  Add the gnocchi to heat it through in the soup.  Just before serving, add the whole bag of spinach leaves and warm them through, they will cook way down.

REMEMBER:  Cream soups should never boil hard, only barely simmer so they usually take some time to heat through.  If you boil it, it scorches and separates, not what you want.  Stir it a lot, don’t let it scorch on the bottom.

Pork Chops, Fried and Oven-Finished

Best pork chops I have ever made!
In a plastic bag mix:
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp Paprika
1.5 tsp Sage
1 tsp Creole Seasoning
1/2 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Garlic salt

Heat oven to 400, place a 13x9 dish in the oven to preheat with the oven.  Get potatoes peeled, cut, and started boiling if mashed potatoes is what you want to serve it with (delish!)

Take four boneless chops, place in an egg wash of 1 egg and a couple of tablespoons water, beaten well.  Coat chops with egg wash, then drop into the plastic bag of flour coating mixture.  Shake each individually and set aside on a paper plate for 15 minutes to set the flour coating.  Heat 4 Tbsp oil, shortening or bacon fat (whatever you have) to hot in a skillet and add chops.  Get a hard sear on each side, add more oil/fat if you need to but don't cook through, this is just a hard sear (brown) on each side then take it out of the pan.

Transfer to the hot dish waiting in the oven, bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink when cut in center.  In the meantime make the gravy for the mashed potatoes, and make the mashed potatoes.

Gravy:
Use same skillet as pork chops were fried in, add 1/2 cup flour and make a roux (add more oil or fat if needed).  Cook until raw flour smell is gone, then add 2 cups chicken stock.  Cook until there are no lumps, stir A LOT, add some milk, either canned or regular, and whisk while boiling to thick.  Add pepper and Accent, more salt if needed, cook to desired consistency and wait for the chops to be done.  

Southern Chicken Salad

3-4 cups diced cooked chicken or leftover turkey
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

4 green onions, chopped well
2 stalks celery finely diced
1/2 tsp pepper (I add more to taste)
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup red grapes, halved lengthwise

1/2 cup cashews (add just barely prior to serving because they absorb moisture and get chewy otherwise.)

Mix all together and let set for flavors to blend. Serve in rolls or croissants. 

SELF NOTES: This is what I made for Courtney's wedding shower delicious. No grapes and no nuts for Trent, but he loves it :)