Good for the Soul Gumbo

or this Northern girl's take on a Louisiana classic

Well, here it is - my 100th post!!! (cue the balloons, streamers, Chinese lanterns, and celebratory music)  I know, I know, I should have hit it last year at the latest but I am still thrilled to reach this milestone and to have each and every one of you along for the ride.  I truly appreciate your interest in my thoughts and recipes whether this is your first visit or you are a regular viewer.  To me recipes are to be shared and not hidden away as "secret" so the original cook is the only one who can make them "just right."  Inspiration comes from many sources and whenever I can recall who or what inspires me I do my best to credit the source, though often I take bits and pieces from friends, the web, and various books so it is hard to trace.  I hope that you are enjoying the recipes that I am sharing here and are able to make them your own by adding the flavors and ingredients that you love because that is where food and cooking really come to life.

I thought about what may be an appropriate recipe to share that properly celebrates reaching this milestone and one practically sprung to mind - Chicken and Sausage Gumbo.  This is one of my husband's new favorite dishes, it even ranks right up there with Shepherd's Pie and I thought nothing could possibly reach that level.  This dish is a labor of love.  It is not a quick weeknight meal for us but rather one to savor from the moment the vegetables are sauteing until the last bowl of leftovers has been enjoyed.  It just makes you feel good when you are eating it and warms you from the inside out.

I learned a base for gumbo in a cooking class so I used that basic technique for the process, then I adjusted the seasonings and ingredients to fit our tastes.  I have no idea how true this is to what is traditionally considered to be gumbo, but I highly suspect that mine lacks the strength of spice that is used so if you are used to more spice you may want to adjust it to taste and can expect to have to add a fair amount.  We love it just as it is.  Here is how this northern girl takes on gumbo:

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

8 tbsp (1 stick) of butter
1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup cut or medium dice celery
1/2 cup cut or medium dice carrots
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 tsp fresh minced garlic
8 tbsp flour
1 tsp Gumbo file
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp house seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes (12 oz)
8 cups chicken stock
2 fully cooked boneless chicken breasts
9 oz Kielbasa (about 2/3 of a 14 oz package)
1/4 - 1/3 cup very small dice mixed bell peppers
1-2 cups cooked rice

Hardware: dutch oven or large stock pot
Time investment: 1 hr 30 min

1. Melt butter in the bottom of the pot with the oil (to help prevent burning). Add celery, carrots, and onions. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

2. Add in the flour, mixing well, and continue to cook until the roux becomes a medium brown (you will need to stir frequently, being careful not to burn). Approximately 7-8 min.

3. Season with Gumbo File, minced garlic, Cajun spices, and Top Secret. Blend spices into the roux.

4. Add the tomatoes, and then stir in the chicken stock until evenly blended. Continue to simmer for at least 45-50 min

5. Add in the cooked chicken breast, kielbasa, and peppers.  Stir to combine.  Heat for an additional 15 min, then turn the temperature down to low and cover to keep warm until ready to serve. Stir in the cooked rice before serving or place in the bottom of the bowls before pouring the gumbo over top.

Serve with fresh cornbread or biscuits.

I don't have a picture, I am sorry.  Every time I make it I forget until after we have eaten it all.  Hopefully I will remember next time and be able to add one for you all!

Fast from Frozen: Pressure Cooker Chicken in Duck Sauce

or how I got my husband to like frozen chicken

So once again I forgot to defrost chicken the night before, and since my husband claims the texture of frozen chicken seems off I generally have to take it out the day before so it can go in the slow cooker in the morning.  Well, some days that is just a bust.  So what can I do with frozen chicken?!  Turns out, boneless frozen chicken cooks just fine in the pressure cooker.  That's right, my beloved pressure cooker has a new purpose in life - to save me from failure to plan.  I have used it for applesauce, quick and easy risotto, pork ribs, and of course my all time favorite - corned beef (among other things).  But I had no idea it could work with frozen foods too.

I was inspired by an entry on the blog Frieda Loves Bread that used frozen chicken breasts and BBQ sauce in an electric pressure cooker.  I tried a variation on hers first with the frozen thighs, I used more sauce than she did (though less honey) and coated both sides before cooking.  I also had to shorten the time for the thighs since they are smaller.  They turned out great!  So I decided to go on a search for other sauces I could do this with and found quite a few possibilities.  I settled on a sauce inspired by Chinese Duck Sauce.  I like one pot meals that are quick and easy, this was pretty close to perfect in that sense (it lost one point because rice has to be cooked separately).  That was made up though because it was easy enough that I could do most of it with my toddler on my back in our Ergo, though she did have to step aside when we got to the pressure release part.  And the huge bonus?  My husband doesn't notice any texture differences from fresh chicken!  This was a winner all around.

Here's what I did:

4 boneless chicken thighs frozen (or 3 chicken breasts)
2 carrots peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
½ cup bell pepper (mixed varieties) cut into strips
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup pear sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons honey

Hardware: Pressure cooker (I use a standard cooker, but an electric one would work too)

1. Put everything except the chicken and vegetables in the pressure cooker pot and heat to a simmer uncovered. Stir until everything is dissolved and well blended.  This will only take a minute or so.

2. Add the prepared vegetables to the pot.  Then place the chicken facing up in the sauce to coat the bottom with the sauce, after a minute flip over so they are upside down in the cooker in a single layer. Secure lid and bring to high pressure. Cook for 9 min for thighs, 12 min for breasts (from frozen, time is shorter from fresh - probably 4 to 5 minutes instead).

3. Remove from heat and release pressure according to manufacturer guidelines. Remove the lid and flip the chicken over again to coat with sauce, allow to sit for a couple minutes.*

Serve over prepared rice or noodles (I like white rice or udon noodles but other styles would work well too).

* If you desire a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and vegetables to another container and cover lightly with aluminum foil. Bring the liquid in the pot back up to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches desired consistency. I would recommend adding a bit of a slurry (equal parts cornstarch and water) to speed this up.

We were out of rice when we made this last but it was definitely delicious as is!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

or how to thaw out on this cold winter days

Can I just say it?  I am done with the cold weather.  I have lived in Michigan most of my life and adore the change of seasons, but this winter is definitely one of the most frigid that I can remember.  We have set records for low temps as well as snowfall this year and I am ready for the thaw!  I am generally warm blooded and have been known to go the entire winter season without ever donning a sweater for fear that I would melt in the warmth.  This year I have felt like I couldn't get warm no matter what I have done on multiple occasions.  So yes - in case you are so unwise as to risk your life and ask - it is indeed cold enough for me.  I know I will be the first to complain when the temperature goes over 80 F this summer and I feel no shame, all I am asking for is a balmy 32 F so my daughter can play in the snow that is piled up around our house.  Well, enough of my rant, but I do feel a bit better getting that out.

What it comes down to is how can I possibly stay warm?!  I don't drink coffee, it upsets my stomach and the caffeine is just too much.  I love tea, both with and without honey, but can only drink so much.  I have always liked hot chocolate but the aftertaste you get from many commercially made mixes was a big turn off.  So I started looking into making my own.  It can't be that hard, right?  Well there are a ton of tasty recipes on the web.  And no doubt the very best involve melting chocolate of various types on the stove top with milk, but that is hardly portable and they simply don't have a stove top in the office.  The mix I decided on was based off of Alton Brown's recipe here.  I made a couple changes but you can't really mess too much with perfection.  The type of cocoa powder makes a big difference, I am happy with something like Hershey brand cocoa but it would be divine with higher end dutch cocoa.  The best part of this recipe is that there is no chalky or weird aftertaste, and you can always adjust the mix by adding more or less cocoa and/or sugar to your tastes.  I use a food processor or blender for this, it makes the particles smaller and they dissolve more easily, but you can simply mix by hand if you prefer.  Here's how I stay warm:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups powdered whole milk
    (if using granulated the food processor/blender is essential)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch

Hardware: food processor or blender

1. Pour the powdered milk into the food processor and pulse until smooth.  Next add in the granulated sugar and repeat.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and pulse a few times until it appears to be consistent throughout.

3. Use 2-4 tbsp per 6 oz serving depending on how strong you like the flavor.  You can mix into hot water, hot milk for extra creaminess, or try my favorite - hot water with an ounce of heavy cream and a teaspoon of honey.  Store remaining mix in an airtight container.  

Italian Inspired Greek Yogurt Chicken

or Italy and Greece in harmony in my oven

There has been a recipe floating around the internet for "melt in your mouth chicken."  It has made appearance across the board on Facebook and Pinterest.  So I would like to preface this with saying that this is not a 100% original recipe, it is a modification on that base.  I would not describe it as "melt in your mouth" even when I did follow the original, but it is quite tasty and I believe greatly improved by a few small adjustments.  I love the use of Greek yogurt in place of the more traditional mayo in this type of baked chicken but I did not like the top texture of the mixture when baked and felt it needed a different seasoning base.  Because of this I adjusted some of the measurements and added Italian breadcrumbs both in the mix and over everything to give it a bit of a crispy top.  The mixture that tops the chicken is also great as a thin layer of filling in crescent rolls or as a white sauce for homemade pizza.

This recipe gets bonus points for very short prep time so I can spend the 45 min cook time elsewhere, it is also a "little helper" friendly prep since a toddler or kid could help stir the topping blend before applying.  Both of these greatly reduce stress in my kitchen.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!  Here's how it's done:

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp + 1 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp house seasoning

Hardware: small mixing bowl, baking dish or cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Spray baking vessel with cooking oil then add the chicken breasts evenly spaced (they can touch if using a smaller dish)

2. Add the remaining ingredients (with the exception of the 1 tbsp of breadcrumbs) to the mixing bowl and stir until you reach an even consistency.  Divide the mixture between the chicken breasts and spread out to cover the top of each completely.  Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over top.

3. Place in the oven and bake for 45 min or until the internal temperature is 165 F

Delicious Dill Pickle Dip

or the dip that conquered the world

I know, it has been ages since I have posted.  I have this crazy thing called a toddler that just draws all my attention away from everything else most days.  I absolutely love it.  But I do need to keep better track of my recipes and this blog helps me to do that.  t also helps me to remember just how much the act of cooking and experimentation in the kitchen helps me to relax and find balance in my life.  My darling girl is not yet 2 years old, but when she reaches that point this Spring she will be joining me in the kitchen in her learning tower.  She wants so badly to help her mama out and I can only hold her during certain things.  So in order to help myself refocus on utilizing my stress relief tools in the kitchen I am going to try to dedicate at least a little of my time back to this blog.  I hope that you all enjoy the connection and recipes I have to share as well.

I decided to make my return debut with a recipe that I have been making since November that has been getting rave reviews.  It is a perfect balance of creaminess, salt, and texture.  It is incredibly versatile and can be served in many ways.  I have to make it to bring places or I will sit down and eat the whole bowl by myself!  It has quickly become one of my top three party dips - Dill Pickle Dip (it often goes alongside my other two homemade dips/spreads fromage forte and french onion dip).  It is easy to make and easy to eat.  If you have leftovers (somehow) it makes a great sandwich spread too.  Here is how I do it:

16 ounces Sour Cream

1 package Cream Cheese (8 Oz.) softened 

Garlic Salt And Garlic Powder To Taste 

Pickle Juice from the jar of pickles used (add Until Dip Is The Right Consistency) 

Pickles (dill or bread and butter variety) 

½ tsp Dill weed 

1. Beat sour cream, cream cheese, seasonings. 

2. Gradually add pickle juice until you reach your desired consistency. 

3. Finally stir in diced dill pickles. 

4. Refrigerate for a couple hours or even overnight to enhance the flavor. Serve with rippled potato chips, veggies, or pitas

Dill pickle dip is in the top of the three part dish, 

the other two dips/spreads are fromage forte on the left and french onion on the right

Better Than Basic Baked Chicken Drumsticks

or economical and delicious weeknight chicken

Things certainly ebb and flow with a toddler in the house.  Add into the mix two parents constantly re-adjusting their "groove" to the season at hand and it adds up to chaos at dinner more nights than not.  With our budget tighter than before it doesn't give a whole lot of flex room for impromptu inspiration either, so I have been working on dinner planning and digging up some old favorite recipes to add into the rotation.  Summer is giving way to Fall so our stir fry/veggie sautes are turning to the roasted route and our oven is making its grand return to use.

This week we revived my old chicken drumstick recipe and served it alongside a delicious mix of roasted veggies from the Farmers' Market (recipe to come soon).  This was great because the chicken was on sale, we used farm fresh local veggies, the rest of the ingredients were already in our pantry, and the leftovers were cut up and mixed together for an easy lunch the day.  I have done several variations of this recipe and they have always turned out great, alternate ideas are included in the ingredient list to shake things up.  The chicken is so tender it practically falls off the bone, you can reduce the liquid by half a cup if you want to make sure it is more of a finger food type of meal.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!  Here's how the chicken goes down:

Chicken drumsticks - 6 to 8
House spice blend - 1 tbsp
Paprika - 1 tsp (can replace with 1/2 tsp sage for more traditional flavor)
Chicken stock - 1 cup
White wine - 1/4 cup (optional, replace with chicken stock if desired)
Dried minced onion - 1 tbsp
Salt & pepper

Hardware: glass baking dish large enough to fit chicken without overlap

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. Add chicken stock, wine, and dried minced onion to the baking dish.  Stir to combine.

2. Next add in the drumsticks, alternating direction so they fit loosely together like a puzzle (there should be a little space between each if possible)

3. Season the chicken with spice blend, paprika, salt and pepper.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 min.

4. Remove the foil and turn the oven up to 450 F, return to oven for 10 min uncovered.

5. Turn to broil for a few minutes to crisp the top.  Carefully flip the drumsticks over, season with spices again, and broil to crisp skin.  Remove from oven and place the chicken on a plate separate from the stock mixture.

Optional: heat the stock mixture until simmering, slowly stir in a couple tablespoons of a slurry mixture (equal parts cornstarch and cold water), and season to taste.  Serve as gravy with the chicken.

Baby Steps - Baby Food Days

or hey, I am alive and well, how about you?

My cooking these past few months is, well, uninspired.  But I have been doing more experimentation than I thought when I reflect on it now.  It is very challenging to find the time to explore the world of food int he way that I used to when I have a very mobile baby/toddler cruising around.  What I have realized is that while my cooking did not come to a complete halt, it did in fact dwindle, but it never came to a complete stop.  I have spent several months focusing my culinary energy on that darling little benevolent dictator of mine.  We have had a lot of fun exploring the world of foods with this bundle of ever energetic joy and I am here to share a few tips with you as I begin a mini series of posts on my dearest daughter's journey through food.

Here is some of what I have learned:

1. There is no one true way.  I was a bit afraid of baby led weaning but I did not want to feed my child overly processed foods.  So we did homemade purees, modified BLW, and baby cereals (primarily oatmeal, made with breastmilk).  I am happy that we did all of this, I believe the combination made the process easier on all of us.  It gave us healthy foods for our little one, the independence of finger foods, and the convenience of baby cereals combined with the nutrition of extra breastmilk.

2. Do not give up on new foods.  Everyone says it, and to be honest I was fed up with hearing it for a few months there, but it is completely true.  There are days when our sweet child will down over a half a cup of green beans in a single setting, and others where she will turn her nose up at it the second it hits the plate.  There is no way to predict which way it will go.  Just keep trying new foods, give them to them over and over again, and keep back-up options on hand.  It saves a lot of stress to have a container of cooked peas and one of homemade applesauce in the fridge for just such an occasion.

3. Be inspired by your child.  For us the exploration of food along with our little one has brought us back to the table together for dinners.  We decided early on that we wanted to establish the table as the place to eat and made a point of sitting down together every night for dinner starting around 6 months old.  This has become an important part of our evenings.  We share food, events of our days, and just enjoy each other.  Our daughter doesn't get toys at the table.  Instead she gets options for food and drink.  If she starts playing with her peas and feeding them to the dog (whose stomach has been taking a hit as a result lately), we switch to potatoes, if she gobbles that up we move back to the peas or move on to bread.  We spend the time chatting about our days as well as hers.  We engage her as well as each other.  We had been in a rut and meals were themselves inspired but the experience of consuming them was not.  I feel like this level of eating has added a lot of enrichment to our lives.

It has been the start of a new phase in our lives and it has been a whirlwind.  The next few posts will highlight how we progressed from nursing to transitional foods to toddler foods as our child has grown.  I hope you enjoy this divergence from my standard posts.