Ginger Dressing

We have a Blackstone griddle and a favorite to make lately is hibachi. Noodles, rice, shrimp, chicken, steak etc. So we need Ginger Dressing.

1/2 onion

2 T lemon juice

1 T ginger

1 t garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 t white vinegar

1/4 t sugar

Blend it all up in your Ninja or blender, food processor whatever.

Chicken and Dumplings

Inspired by Rachael Ray and a friend from Lake Wiley, I originally made this last year but enjoyed this version much better. It is more work but totally worth it!

2 quarts (8 cups) chicken stock or bone broth

Olive Oil

8 pieces bone in chicken pieces (I used both leg and breast pieces)

Salt and Pepper

3 T butter

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 leek, chopped

1 bay leaf

8 sprigs thyme, tied with butcher twine

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup flour

For the dumplings:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 T melted butter

1 egg

1. In a Dutch oven, heat chicken stock to a low simmer and cover.

2. In another pan, heat oil and brown chicken seasoned with salt and pepper in separate batches, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place in heated chicken stock to cook through.

3. Add butter to the pan drippings from chicken and melt. Add celery, carrots, onions, leeks, bay leaf and thyme bundle and soften 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 minutes. 

4. Remove chicken when cooked through and let cool. While cooling, add veggies and drippings to the liquid in the Dutch oven and heat through.

5. Shred chicken and add to Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer.

6. Mix together dumpling ingredients and using two large spoons, drop into simmering soup, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies (THE classic)

 I made these for Super Bowl Sunday along with E's chili (which I am not allowed to post here). Better than Nana's!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 sticks (one cup) salted butter, softened (VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT IS SOFTENED)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 t vanilla extract

2 large eggs

12 oz package semi-sweet or milk chocolate morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granultated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes and remove to wire racks to complete cooling.

Roasted Coconut Chicken

This one takes some time and ingredients you can't find just at your regular grocery store. But it was good!

2 long red chilies, one finely minced, the other whole

1 t grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 t coconut oil

Salt and Pepper

1 cup chopped cilantro

3 lb whole chicken 

2 cups chicken stock

1 lemongrass, white part only, bruised but whole

2 kaffir lime leaves

14 oz. canned light coconut milk

Baby potatoes

1 lime

2 t coconut sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 T fish sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

2. In small bowl, combine minced chili, ginger, garlic, oil, 1/2 of cilantro, salt and pepper and set to a side.

3. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Starting from the neck end of the chicken, use a teaspoon upside down to loosen the skin from the meat across the surface of the chicken. 

4. Spoon the cilantro mixture between the meat and the skin. Use the spoon to spread it a bit, then to finish it off, use your hands on the skin to spread the mixture as far and evenly as you can. 

5. Place the chicken stock, lime leaves, lemongrass and the whole red chili into a dutch oven.

6. Place the chicken in the broth, cover and roast for 45 minutes. Remove lid, add the coconut milk and potatoes and roast for another 30 minutes.

7. Remove chicken from the broth and cover loosely with foil to rest for 5 minutes.

8. Skim excess fat off the surface of the broth.

9. Add the juice from the lime, sugar and fish sauce. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add remaining cilantro.

10. Serve the chicken with the broth. 

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwich (also known as "Roast Beef")

 I made these last week and told the kids we were having French Dips. They crinkled up their face and refused to eat. The next day, I asked Ray what she wanted for dinner because she was going to be home for the first time in awhile. She said, "Something savory. Like, roast beef." 

I was driving and almost slammed into the car in front of me. "You know we had roast beef last night, right?"

"French Dips are Roast Beef? Why didn't you tell me that? I would have eaten it!"

So that night we had the rest of the French Dip and both kids cleaned their plate. From now on, we are having roast beef...

3 lb chuck roast

Montreal Seasoning

Canola oil

Salt and Pepper

1 cup beef broth + more

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 can beer (preferably dark but use something flavorful)

Rosemary

Thyme

Garlic, chopped

1 yellow onion, sliced thickly

Hoagie Rolls

Butter

Sliced Provolone Cheese

1. Heat oil in pan. Season roast with Montreal Seasoning or just salt and pepper. Sear on each side for 3-5 minutes. Place in slow cooker.

2. Cover roast with Beef broth through onion. Cover and cook for 6 hours in slow cooker.

3. When roast is finished, remove from slow cooker and shred. Place back in juice to keep warm.

4. Butter inside the rolls and lightly grill in pan. Place shredded beef in grilled roll and cover with sliced cheese. Place under broiler until melted. 

French Toast Casserole

 I made this for Easter Brunch with the kids and they loved it. It is a lot of bread, however!

1 loaf of sourdough (or French/Italian)

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 T vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

1/2 cup butter, cold and cut into pieces

1. Cut loaf into cubes and place in a greased 9x13 pan.

2. In a bowl, mix together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread.

3. Cover pan and refrigerate overnight. 

4. Mix together topping mixture then cut in butter with the topping mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle over bread once removed from refrigerator the next morning.

5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Roasted mushroom and Wild Rice Chicken Soup

It's March and we had a long string of beautiful warm weather. Then yesterday winter re-visited and I was depressed. It was cold and rainy so I needed soup. Kids even liked it!

Butter

1 pound chicken

1 1/2 cups dry wild rice blend

4 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6-7 cups chicken stock

Thyme (2T fresh or 2t dried)

Sage (1T fresh or 1t dried)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan

2 pounds mushrooms, roughly chopped or sliced

Rosemary

4 garlic cloves, smashed

Zest from 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet lightly coated with olive oil, combine 6 T butter (sliced), mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. 

2. In a large soup pot, melt 2 T butter. Add carrots, celery, onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until softened and caramelized. Stir in the broth, chicken, thyme, sage. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Remove chicken and let cool enough to shred. While shredding chicken, pour rice into soup pot and cook for 15 minutes. Replace shredded chicken and add the mushrooms and their drippings to the pot. Stir in cream and parmesan and cook over medium heat until warmed through, about ten minutes.