Cajun Chicken Alfredo

Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Recipe courtesy of Guy Fieri

I haven't made a lot of dishes using Guy Fieri recipes. He usually features other people's cooking on his shows. But this one sounded so good when I saw it on Guy's Big Bite I had to try it.

It turned out fantastic- an instant hit. It was very good reheated in the microwave the next day also.

You know a recipe is good when suddenly there is no talking at the dinner table and everyone is just eating and making yum yum sounds. When she finally came up for air, Irene said, "You can make this as often as you want."

That's what I like to hear!

Ingredients
Kosher salt
Four 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)
Paul Prudhomme's Chicken Spice Rub
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup roughly chopped marinated sun-dried tomatoes
1 pound fettuccine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, for garnish

Directions
1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat.

2- Dredge the chicken breasts in the Blackening Spice Rub. Place in the cast-iron skillet. Blacken both sides of the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

3- Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet and place in the oven until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes.

4- Remove from the oven and slice the chicken into strips on the bias.

5- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and lightly brown it, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the wine. Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken slices.

6- Meanwhile, cook the fettuccine al dente, according to the package directions. Drain.

7- When the cream sauce is at the desired consistency, stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, the sea salt, pepper and pasta.

8- To serve, toss the pasta with the cream sauce and serve on large rimmed plates. Garnish with the green onions and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Chicken Pasta Salad

I love chicken salad. I've been refining this recipe for ten years. I finally settled on one that is very low fat, yet tangy enough for me to love it. My best chicken salad recipe ever. But first...

If you love chicken you need to know about Frankenmuth, Michigan. It's a Bavarian village in central Michigan known for their all you can eat chicken dinners.

I think they put crack in the seasonings, because I have never met anyone who doesn't speak reverently about the last time they overate when ordering the famous chicken dinner and how they anxiously await the next opportunity to overindulge. I use the secret Frankenmuth chicken seasonings blend in a lot of recipes because it is unique, versatile and reminds me of good times with family and friends.

INGREDIENTS
2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 tbs. Frankenmuth or other chicken seasoning
2/3 box of Rotini pasta
2 dozen seedless red grapes halved
5 celery stalks chopped
1 medium red onion chopped
1/3 cup Miracle whip
1/2 cup fat free Zesty Italian salad dressing
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish

DIRECTIONS
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and let cool.
3. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips, coat lightly all over with chicken seasonings. Arrange strips into a single layer in a glass dish for baking. Do not over-crowd the dish.
4. Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, chop into 1 inch cubes and let cool.
5. Combine pasta, chicken, grape halves, celery, onion, relish, salad dressing, Miracle Whip and mix thoroughly.
6. Refrigerate and try to wait to eat some!
7. Serve with red grapes, cold water, crackers and girls fanning you on the chaise.

What's left makes about 4-5 salads for lunch, if you didn't scarf it down when you made it.

Braised Beef Stew - Slow Cooker Style

The best thing about this recipe is that today at 3:30pm I realized all I had to do was heat up last night's dinner slowly in a crock pot and I was going to have THIS! for dinner again tonight at 5:30. I couldn't go anywhere and get this dish for any amount of money.

I admit, it was quite a bit of effort the day before. I think it took me 45 minutes to put this together and then it takes 4-5 hours to cook. But it is worth it.

INGREDIENTS
Extra virgin olive oil, for sautéing and drizzling
4 onions, very thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
3 pounds chuck, bottom round or top sirloin steak
1/2 cup of sweet red wine
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4-5 starchy potatoes
2 cans Italian tomatoes (32 oz.), sliced or roughly crushed
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped, divided
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 handfuls)

PREPARATION
1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a thin layer of olive oil. Add the onions and garlic to the hot olive oil and sweat them until very soft and very light caramel in color, 20-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and reserve.
2. Add a thin layer of olive oil in another skillet and heat to medium high. Pat the meat dry and season very liberally with salt and pepper. Brown the meat to a deep brown all over in the skillet, 12-15 minutes.
3. Peel the potatoes and very thinly slice them lengthwise into planks. Slice the tomatoes, working over a bowl to catch their juices.
4. Turn the crock pot on high and add the beef. If the meat is thick slice it in two and cover the bottom in one layer approximately 1- 1 1/2" thick.
5. Deglaze the meat skillet with 1/2 cup of red wine and add the sauce and drippings to the meat in the crock pot.
6. Arrange half of the onions over top of the meat. Season with salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme.
7. Arrange half of the potatoes over the onions and dress with a liberal drizzle of olive oil, about 1 tablespoon, salt, pepper, half of the rosemary and a handful freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Top the potatoes with on can of tomatoes and their juices and season with salt and pepper.
9. Repeat the layers.
10. Cover the crock pot and cook on high until the meat is very tender, 4-5 hours.
11. To serve, cut down through the layers of the potatoes, tomatoes and onions to portion the meat. Serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread and pan juices....or cool and store for make-ahead meal.

Adapted from Rachael Ray's "Grandpa's Braised Beef".

Serves 5-6

Big Mike's Pork Chops and Rice

This is a simple recipe adopted from a Trisha Yearwood recipe. I like dishes you can throw in the oven and forget while you make the rest of dinner.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup long grain white rice
4 pork chops, bone in
salt or steak and chop rub to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
One 10-ounce can beef broth, plus more if needed
4 onion slices (red or yellow), separated into rings


Directions
1- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2- Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper or your favorite steak and chop rub.
3- In a medium skillet, melt 1 tbs. butter over high heat. Brown pork chops on both sides to get a nice crispy crust and color, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and reserve.
4- In the same skillet, melt 3tbs. butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and saute until it is light brown, about 5 minutes.
5- Spread the rice in a 9- by 13- by 2-inch casserole. Arrange chops on top of the rice. Pour the broth and 2/3 cup water over the chops. Spread the onion rings over the chops and sprinkle them with the pepper. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the pork chops are tender, about 45 minutes.
6- Change the oven to broil, add a bit more broth if the rice is dry and return the dish to the oven for a couple of minutes until the pork is browned.

Serve with green beans, green bean and tomato salad or other green and red dishes for contrast, color and presentation.

Picture above is half recipe for two, utilizing red onions.

Dill Pickle Soup

As seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Recipe courtesy Ted Wietrzykowski, Polish Village Cafe

My wife is Polish and loves dill pickle soup.
I finally learned how to make it for her. It's pretty simple,
and it tastes great.

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter or margarine
5 medium carrots, shredded
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 large potatoes, cubed (about 2 cups)
3 large dill pickles, shredded
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
Salt
Pickle juice

Directions
Saute carrots and potatoes in a saucepan.
Combine 3 cups water, chicken broth, butter, carrots and potatoes in the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add the pickles and continue to boil.

Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, sour cream and salt in a separate bowl. Add enough water to make a paste, then slowly, to avoid curdling, add the mixture to the soup to thicken. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add pickle juice, to taste.

Big Mike's Greek Roasted Stuffed Peppers

Everyone has a stuffed pepper recipe. I borrowed the concept of mine from Ellie's Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers. After making it, posting the results getting some feedback from friends and family I modified it and the results were outstanding. The biggest thing I changed was to roast the peppers before stuffing them. I like the peppers to be softer than the original recipe made and I love the extra flavor from the roasting process. I also added lamb to the meat mixture. I mean, hey, this is supposed to be a Greek recipe, right? It doesn't matter if you make red or green peppers, you'll love this recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup white rice (cooked)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large red or green bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
3/4 cup good marinara sauce
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions
Cut and core the peppers, then place them on a roasting pan open side down and broil them in the oven for 5-10 minutes (until they are scorched a bit and softened).
You can do this on the top burners of your stove also, I prefer doing them all at once in the broiler.
Remove from broiler and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the beef, lamb, spinach, zucchini, onion, rice, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.

In another bowl combine the stewed tomatoes and marinara sauce and mash with a potato masher until the tomatoes are broken into smaller pieces.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Pour the tomato marinara mix over the peppers. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer.
Sprinkle with the feta cheese and serve.

Big Mike's Sausage Gravy

I've grown to have high expectations when I go out to eat because, frankly, I can usually cook something as good or better myself if I stay home. This is really true of breakfast. When I ask for my hash browns to be well done, I know what I'm expecting - nice crispy hash brown potatoes- not greasy grill tasting frozen potatoes. Omelets - don't get me started!

The last time I went out for breakfast I asked for well done hash browns and biscuits and gravy. Pleh, it was awful. More often than not, restaurant hash browns taste like burnt grease to me, but how can you screw up biscuits and gravy?

My recipe is simple and it makes the bomb gravy. I confess, I use store bought biscuits, like Pillsbury Grands or Grands Jr. I'm still working on my baking skills.

Ingredients
1 pound breakfast sausage (I use Bob Evans original)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (Lowry's is fine)
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, more to taste (I like lots)
Biscuits, fresh out of the oven, for serving

Directions
1- Break the sausage into small pieces and add them in a single layer to a large heavy skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
2- Sprinkle on half the flour and let it soak into the sausage and cook. Add the rest little by little. Stir it around and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk slowly, stirring constantly.
3- Cook the gravy, stirring frequently, until it thickens. This may take about 10 minutes.
4- Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick and luscious. If it gets too thick too soon, just splash in another 1/2 cup of milk or more if needed.
5- Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits and serve immediately!

Makes 4-6 servings

Giada's Beef and Cheese Manicotti

Giada's Beef and Cheese Manicotti

This dish took a lot of prep and a lot of thought. For example, I used a baggie with the corner trimmed off like a pastry bag to stuff the manicotti. I've never done this before, but it just seemed like a better idea than trying to stuff those pastas with my fingers or a spoon.

This turned out fantastic. I don't think I will change a thing.

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions
Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Tyler's Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe from Tyler Florence is a lot of work in prep time, about an hour. But it is so worth it. These are the best enchiladas I've ever made.

Total Time: 1 hr 15 min
Yield:16 enchiladas, 8 servings
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
16 corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
1. Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
2. Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
3. Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
4. Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
5. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving.

Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Giada's Chicken Cacciatore

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis' recipe on Foodnetwork.com. I used boneless skinless meat to reduce the fat and I used some pickled red peppers I had leftover from another recipe instead of a fresh red bell pepper.

She claims you can make this in less than an hour. Not me! It took me all of 90 minutes from start to plating. 

Total Time: 60-90 min

Yield: 4-6 servings

Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved crosswise

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour, for dredging

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large Italian style pickled red peppers 

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons drained capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

1. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly.

2. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 

3. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers and oregano. 

5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, and 20 minutes for the thighs.

6. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Chicken cacciatore is not a pasta dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or palenta and some green vegetables.

Paula's Chicken Dinner Stir Fry

I've been trying to do stir fry that was as good as what I could get in restaurants for years, but never really tried that hard because it gave me something to order when we go out. I prefer to order things that I can't (or don't) make at home for a variety of reasons.

Then I started hearing about Hoisin sauce. It's a mixture of soy, garlic and red chiles that results in a dark, somewhat thick sweet and salty sauce used for glazing meat and dipping. I hunted around for a stir fry recipe utilizing this secret ingredient and found a Paula Dean stir fry that has all the ingredients I was looking for. I substituted snap peas for mushrooms, since Irene doesn't like mushrooms, and I use a few more carrots that the recipe calls for - but other than that, I didn't mess with the recipe much.

Hoisin sauce is the mystery ingredient I've been hunting for. It imparts that distinct oriental flavor I was craving. I love the flavor of the sauce on the chicken, carrots, peas and broccoli. This dish has turned out great every time I've made it and it has become my go to chicken dish if I want something special. It also makes enough for us to have it twice in a week for dinner and I can sneak a lunch or two out of the batch. What could be better?

Chicken Dinner Stir Fry

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
1 package fresh snap peas
2 to 3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, diced
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions
In a large skillet, heat the oils over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Add broccoli, peas, carrots, pepper, and onion and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the water chestnuts.
In a small bowl, combine broth, hoisin sauce (the secret ingredient!), soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.
Add to chicken mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
Serve over hot, cooked rice noodles or brown rice.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Big Mike's Apple Coleslaw

Looks almost good enough to eat, doesn't it?

I'm making pulled pork sandwiches tonight and I've been researching apple slaw as the perfect side dish for the pork. My recipe was done a step or two at a time until I was happy with the taste. It is sitting in the refrigerator now covered by cling wrap to let the dressing work its magic on the cabbage and apples.

So here is how it ended up.
This should make 4-6 servings.

Ingredients
1/3 head of green cabbage finely sliced and shredded
1/3 head of purple cabbage finely sliced and shredded
2 carrots peeled and julienned
2 green apples, peeled, cored and julienned
2 scallions finely chopped

Dressing
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey (maybe a little more)
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside in reserve.
Slice, shred and julienne cabbage, carrots, scallions and apples. Combine in a large bowl and mix. Lightly salt mixture and add a pinch of ground pepper.
Pour dressing into mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover with cling wrap and set in refrigerator to cool while all those flavors marry into the mixture (at least one hour).

I think an option I might try day two with the leftovers is to add dried cranberries to the mix. That sounds yummy!

This might also benefit from a dash of cayenne pepper, but I'll experiment more once I've nailed the basic recipe.

Big Mike's Cheesy Garlic Bread

I got tired of the pre-made garlic bread in foil, so I decided to try making my own cheesy garlic bread. I checked out some recipes online and settled on these ingredients. It turned out even better than I thought.

Ingredients
1 fresh Italian loaf, horizontally cut in half
1 stick butter, melted
6 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups shredded cheese (Parmesan, provolone, and Mozzarella blend)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place both sides of the Italian loaf on a cookie sheet with the crust side down and the cut side up.
3. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on baguette halves.
4. Bake bread for 15 minutes and remove from oven. Change the oven setting to high broil.
5. Evenly sprinkle cheese over the halves of bread, sprinkle parsley over cheese and stick the cookie sheet back in the oven. Broil for 1 minute or until cheese has completed melted and shows a few golden bubble marks.
6. Remove from oven, slice bread in diagonal pieces and serve.

Store remaining slices of bread in the freezer in a ziplock bag to use in the future. 

Rachel's Sausage, Pepper and Onion One-Pot

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

This one is on the menu for March. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Ingredients
2 pounds Italian hot and/or sweet sausages
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 red chile pepper, thinly sliced
2 cubanelle peppers, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
2 large red or yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce or stewed tomatoes
A generous handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
A loaf ciabatta bread*
Cook's Note: Wrap the bread in plastic or freeze if not using within 24 hours

Directions
1. Place the sausages in a high-sided skillet or Dutch oven and add 1-inch water and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat a bit and allow the water to boil away. The sausages will gently cook through in the water, and then the oil will crisp the casings up to a deep brown. Remove the sausages to a plate.

2. Heat extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turn of the pan, in the same skillet over medium-high heat, stir in fennel seed and chile pepper, then add in the peppers, onions, and garlic as you slice them, season with salt and pepper and cook 15 minutes to soften. Stir in the tomato paste 1 minute, then wine for 1 minute more. Add the chicken stock and canned tomatoes. Finish with parsley.

3. Slice the sausages on an angle and add to the pot. Cover, cool completely, and store for a make-head meal. Reheat, covered, over moderate heat or in moderate oven.

4. Crisp up chunks of bread in a warm oven just before serving for mopping up your plate!

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/sausage-pepper-and-onion-one-pot-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Big Mike's Texas Chili

Chili is the ideal one pot dish. You can make everything in one pot, serve it from one pot, store it in one pot and when you are done - clean one pot. What's not to like about that?

For this recipe, I've added some new twists to my standard chili recipe, particularly, adding some new peppers into the ingredients list.

Ingredients
2 Pablano peppers roasted, peeled and deseeded
1 red bell pepper roasted, peeled and deseeded
2 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - diced small
1 medium onion
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 40 oz. can Bush's chili hot beans
2 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes (I like the ones seasoned with Jalapenos, garlic and cumin)
1 28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato paste
1 tbs. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
4-5 tbs. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
2 tbs. dried cilantro
4 oz. frozen corn

Directions
(Do this prep work ahead of cooking the chili. It's fun, easy and worth every extra minute.)
Preheat broiler to high
1. Place Pablano peppers and a halved red bell pepper on a cookie sheet (I like to use no stick aluminum foil), and place on the highest rack of the oven under broiler flames. Broil for about 10 minutes on each side, or until the Pablanos are black and bubbly looking. The red pepper will be blackened a lot too. Don't worry we like this!

2. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with shrink wrap to steam them. Set aside and let cool until they are cool enough to handle. When they are cool enough to touch, unwrap them and peel the loose papery skin off them by gently pulling on the membrane. It should come off very easily. Take out the seeds and chop into 3/4 inch pieces. Save in a bowl for later.

3. As long as you are chopping peppers, you can also take out your chipotle peppers and chop them up fine also. Save in a small bowl for later.

Two hours before serving:
4. Splash some olive oil in the bottom of a hot Dutch oven. Brown ground sirloin until about half done. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

5. Add onion, cilantro, red pepper, and a dash of chili pepper. Cook until onions are tender and meat is completely browned.

6. Everybody in the pool! Add chili hot beans, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, roasted peppers, chipotle peppers and remaining chili powder. Simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, stirring frequently.

One hour before serving:
7. Add frozen corn and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking on low and stirring occasionally.

8. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy with buttered corn muffins or a hardy crusty bread for sopping. It's even better the second day, so plan on a leftover party.

The Smoky Meatloaf Experiment

Inspired by an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Made" on Food Network, I decided to try making my next meatloaf a "smoky" one, based on some ingredients in the TV recipe. The main secret ingredient was going to be barbecued potato chips in place of bread crumbs. It also has some smoky heat to it from the chipotle peppers in adobo.

Now that we've had the first loaf, my impression is this: It turned out about as good as I thought, maybe even better than I expected, but you know what? My regular meatloaf is so good I doubt I will try doing this again. Bottom line: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If you're looking for something different and want to try it, there is nothing wrong with this recipe. Next time I make 'Big Mike's Classic Meatloaf', I'll post the recipe here for that.

Ingredients
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped fine
6 ounces barbecue potato chips
3 cloves garlic
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground pork
2 large eggs

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the ketchup, tomato paste and chipotle peppers in a large mixing bowl. Remove 1/3 cup of the mixture and set aside.

3. Crush the potato chips in a freezer baggie until they are a coarse breadcrumb consistency. Transfer the potato chips to the bowl with the ketchup mixture.

4. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch cast-iron pan set over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion mixture, sage and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and begin to brown slightly, approximately 5 minutes. Add the mixture to the mixing bowl with the potato chip mixture and stir to combine and cool the vegetables slightly.

5. Add the ground sirloin, pork and eggs and use your hands to thoroughly combine.

6. Form into 2 small 1lb. loaf pans. Bake at 350 for one hour. At about 45 minutes brush the remaining wet sauce on the top of the loaves and return to baking.

7. Remove and let rest at least ten minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve with mashed potatoes and peas or greens.

The original inspiration is a much more complicated recipe available here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/smoked-party-meatloaf-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Amy's Midwestern Fried Chicken and Gravy

From Amy Thielen (food network)

Pan fried and then finished in the oven.
Plus a bonus gravy recipe. Gravy is really 10% recipe, 90% love.

Ingredients
One 4- to 4 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
1 cup buttermilk
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
7 cloves garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cups plus 5 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup finely ground butter crackers, such as Ritz or Club (about 1 sleeve)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
About 2 cups lard or canola oil, for frying
1 small bunch fresh sage
2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low-sodium store-bought or homemade
Mashed potatoes, for serving

Directions
1. Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, and add the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the thyme, and 4 of the garlic cloves. Marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature or, refrigerated, overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and set a baking sheet fitted with a rack on the middle shelf.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the chicken coating: Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, the ground crackers, 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and the paprika in a large bowl. One at a time, take the chicken pieces from the buttermilk and dunk them in the flour dredge, pressing hard to make the coating adhere to every spot. Set aside on a plate.
4. In a large, high-sided cast-iron pan, add lard or oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sprinkled on the surface sizzles loudly.
5. Give the chicken pieces a fresh roll in the flour mixture if they've absorbed it, and add as many pieces of the dark meat (thighs, wings, and drumsticks) as will fit comfortably in the pan. Fry, turning as needed, until all sides turn dark golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to the baking sheet in the oven. Continue frying the rest, saving the white breast meat until last, and being careful not to burn the residue forming at the bottom the pan; that's your gravy base. When it is browned, add the chicken to the baking sheet. (Ideally the dark meat should bake in the oven for about 20 minutes and the light meat for about 10 minutes, until cooked through.)
6. Pour off most of the fat in the pan, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil and the brown sludge at the bottom of the pan. (But if any of it looks burnt, discard that as well, because that is the base of your gravy.) Let the pan cool down for a minute. Then add the remaining 3 garlic cloves and the sage, and fry for 1 minute. Add the remaining 5 teaspoons flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and light brown, about 2 minutes. Add the stock and whisk until smooth. Cook the gravy over low heat until it thickens softly, about 5 minutes.
7. Season the gravy with salt and pepper to taste, remove the garlic and sage, and pour it into a spouted pitcher to pass behind the hot chicken and the mashed potatoes.

Amy's Swiss Chard with Honey Roasted Garlic

From Amy Thielen (food network)

This is the perfect side dish for Amy's fried chicken, gravy and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients
2 heads garlic
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 bunches (almost 2 pounds) Swiss chard, stripped of stems and cut into 1-inch pieces (10 cups)
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the top 1/2 inch off each head of garlic, exposing the cloves. Set the garlic in the center of a square of heavy aluminum foil. Pour 1 teaspoon of the honey and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over the garlic, replace the tops, and fold up the sides of the foil to make a package, crimping the top tight. Bake until very tender and golden, 40 to 45 minutes.
3. Transfer the baked garlic to a bowl, including all the juices in the foil pouch. When cool enough to handle, remove the garlic heads and carefully pop out the garlic cloves by pushing up from the bottom; try to keep the cloves intact. Add the remaining teaspoon honey and tablespoon olive oil and gently stir to combine.
4. Heat a very wide skillet over medium heat, and add the butter and pine nuts. When they begin to sizzle and turn golden brown, add half of the Swiss chard. Cook, stirring, until the greens wilt, a minute or two. Add the remaining chard. Once all of the chard is wilted, season with salt and pepper, and cook until most of the liquid has simmered off, another 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the honey-roasted garlic to the chard, mix very gently to combine, and serve.

Big Mike's Vegetable Beef Stew

This recipe is the result of about ten years of experimentation. I think we've got something special now.

Ingredients

extra virgin olive oil

1.25 lbs. stew beef

1 cup red wine

3 cloves garlic chopped fine

3 tbs butter

1 medium yellow onion diced

3 carrots peeled and sliced

4 celery stems large dice

1 Idaho potate diced

2 tbs AP flour

1.5 - 2 cups beef stock

2 tbs ground sage

2 tsp dill

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup mushrooms
large can of whole tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen corn

Directions

1. Lightly coat skillet with olive oil, bring to high heat.

2. Seer beef and brown on all sides to trap juice and create flavor leavings in pan. Use tongs and/or a spatula to manipulate meat.

3. Remove beef to glass bowl. Deglaze pan with red wine. Reduce by 1/3 or 1/2. Scrape up all the delicious goodness for the broth. Pour the red wine and scrapings over the beef as a marinade.

4. Peel and fine chop 4 garlic cloves and add to the beef and marinade.

5. Heat butter in skillet, add onion, carrots, celery and potato. Cook to slightly tender crisp. Add flour, mix in, continue to cook for a few minutes.

6. Add beef to mixture and add beef stock to just cover meat and vegetables.

7. Add sage, dill mushrooms, tomatoes and frozen corn.

8. Bring to a boil and then let cool slightly. If you want thicker sauce add Wondra blended in water to thicken.

9. The broth will have a red wine note. Salt and pepper to taste at serving.  

Linda's Pork Chops and Apples

Courtesy Linda Henden

Simple and delicious. I've made this several times and gotten rave reviews.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
6 boneless, center-cut pork chops
4 med. (6 small) apples, peeled, cored, & sliced
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
Salt to taste

Directions
1. Heat butter or margarine in skillet.
2. Brown pork shops on both sides.
3. Place in baking dish (with juice from skillet).
4. Add salt.  Top with apples.
5. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over apples.
6. COVER and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
7. Move pork chops to top of apples and bake another ½ hour, uncovered.

Rachel's Smoky Chicken and Cider

From Rachel Ray on food network

Ingredients
1/2 lb. chopped bacon
whole chicken cut up
salt and pepper
2 medium yellow onions
4 carrots sliced on an angle
2 bay leaves
2 tbs chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 cups cloudy apple cider
2-3 tbs AP flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup dark amber maple syrup
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
2 Golden delicious apples sliced with skin on

Directions
1. Cook bacon in light oiled skillet over medium high heat to done. Remove from skillet, leave drippings.
2. Salt and pepper chicken on one side, place in skillet season side down. Season top side of chicken. Cook to golden brown and crunchy.
3. Remove chicken from skillet to cool.
4. Add onions, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper to skillet. Cook to tender crisp.
5. Add 2 tbs. flour to veggies to help make sauce. Mix it in and let it cook.
6. Add cider vinegar (back off, or you'll clear your sinuses!)
7. Add apple cider, maple syrup and chicken stock. Bring to a bubble.
8. Cut up potatoes and apples and add to the stew mixture.
9. Add bacon to the top, and top off skillet with browned chicken.
10. Cover and cook until apples and potato are done and sauce begins to thicken, 15-25 minutes.
11. Remove from heat, place chicken on serving plate, remove bay leaves, spoon mixture all around chicken for good presentation.

You can make this in advance and save for a few days. When ready to eat, bring the skillet to a bubbling boil then serve.

Big Mike's Chicken Pot Pies

Who doesn't love chicken pot pies? After years of experimenting this recipe is simply awesome.

Big Mike's Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients
5 chicken thighs, cooked, skinned, deboned and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped into 3/4" cubes, slightly boiled
1/2 yellow onion chopped small
3 celery stalks chopped small
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen corn
teaspoon (or more) ground sage
salt
cracked black pepper
2-3 tbs flour
1 1/2 cups lo-sodium chicken broth
1/2 stick butter
1 egg
ready made pie crusts

Directions 
Pre-heat oven to 365 degrees.
1. Cook chicken thighs covered on medium heat in a splash of canola oil. Season with salt, pepper and ground sage lightly, especially on the underside away from the skin. Remove from pan and let cool.
2. Heat chicken broth in small sauce pan. Deglaze chicken pan with a tbs. chicken broth. Add 1/2 stick of butter, carrots, onion and celery. Cook gently over medium heat.
3. Partially boil potatoes in another sauce pan. Don't let them get soft or they break up in the mixture.
4. Add flour to veggies slowly and cook until combined and browned. Add chicken broth slowly mixing continuously. Season with sage and S&P.
5. Skin, debone, shred and chop chicken.
6. Add potatoes and chicken to mixture, cook slowly over medium low heat.
7. Add frozen veggies, remove from heat, let mixture cool.
8. Line baking dishes with pre-made crust. Use lid as template to trim top crust. Load dishes with mixture, cover with top crust. Fold edges of bottom crust over top crust edges. Flute edges and press with fork to finish.
9. Make egg wash with a splash of water. Brush egg wash over top crust. Slit top crust to vent.
10. Cook at 365 for 35-40 minutes.
11. Remove and let cool, if you can.

CAUTION: CONTENTS WILL BE HOT!

Sausage and Apple Quiche

This is the best thing I've ever made. I saw this recipe in an expensive cookbook twenty years ago and had to have it, so I bought the book.

Ingredients
1 (9”) pastry shell
(I use the pre-made frozen ones, mostly thawed out at prep time.)
1/2lb. spicy pork sausage (I like the savory sage, I think it’s Bob Evans)
½ cup chopped onion
¾ cup peeled shredded green apples (lotsa work, but worth the effort)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
1 ½ cups half and half
¼ teaspoon salt
ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.
1. Crumble sausage into large skillet; add onion. Cook over medium heat until meat is browed and onion is tender. Spoon off and discard pan drippings.
2. Add apple, lemon juice, sugar, and red pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 4 minutes or until apple is just tender and all liquid is evaporated. Let cool. (If you get impatient, the hot stuff melts the piecrust. Wait…have a Mimosa or something)
3. Spoon sausage mixture into pastry shell; top with cheese. Whisk eggs, half and half, salt, and a dash of black pepper in medium bowl. Pour over sausage mixture. (Go slow and let it settle down in the mixture, displacing the air pockets.)
4. Bake 35-45 minutes or until filling is puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it stand 10 minutes, if you can, before cutting.

Makes 6 servings if you have company, 4 if it’s just the two of you!
I usually make two since the frozen pie crusts come in pairs. Then you have breakfast for days.

Big Mike's Toastinis

These toastinis can be used as an appetizer, a side dish in an Italian meal, or as late night snack.

Ingredients

4 pc. Fresh baked sliced Italian bread

1/2 cup shredded colby jack cheese

8 thin slices organic tomato

1 tbs butter

garlic salt

grated Parmesan cheese

oregano

cracked black pepper

Directions - pre-heat broiler

1. Lightly toast bread in toaster.

2. Lightly butter each slice.

3. Sprinkle garlic salt on each piece.

4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on toast to cover.

5. Add 2 pieces of tomatoes to each slice of toast.

6. Sprinkle with black pepper and oregano and coat with layer of Permesan cheese..

7. Broil close to flame until cheese melts or something catches on fire.

8. Dowse flames and eat immediately.

Big Mike's Savory Celery and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 tbs butter
6 celery stalks rinsed and chopped
(include several of the tender inside stalks with leaves)
3 carrots peeled and sliced
1 yellow onion chopped
2 skinless chicken breasts
2 celery stalks (green outside stalks only)
4 scallions finely chopped
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbs. ground sage
1/4 tsp. dill
1/2 tbs. Frankenmuth chicken seasoning
salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees.
2. Slice chicken into 1/2" wide strips and place in a glass baking dish.
3. Season with half the cracked black pepper, sage, garlic salt and chicken seasoning.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Melt butter in pan over medium heat.
6. Add onion, then carrots, then celery and cook until tender and browned.
7. Add chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until there are no large chunks left.
9. Pour into soup pot and add water and remaining seasonings. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
10. Remove chicken from oven and let cool. Chop into 1/2" cubes and add to soup.
11. Split remaining two celery stalks down the middle and chop into small pieces. Add scallions and celery to soup.
12. Cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.
13. Add salt to taste.

NOTE: This recipe creates a spicy peppery soup. You may want to back down on the pepper to start and add as needed at the end.