Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Baking & Creating with Avril.  I love that her recipes are "Nothing too fancy but always made with love and happiness!"  A few of the recipes that caught my eye were her Pumpkies, Rustic Tomato Tart, and Skillet Granola. They all sound great, and the pictures that go along with Avril's recipes are mouth watering.  I finally decided that this Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce just really had to be made.

Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce
from baking & creating with Avril

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pasta (I used Penne)
• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp oil
• 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta cooks, slice chicken breast into strips.  Mix flour and salt and add chicken slices; toss to coat.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat . Add coated chicken and cook until it begins to brown and meat is no longer pink in center.  Add mushrooms, diced onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.
4.  Add broth, balsamic vinegar and thyme; bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 4 minutes to thicken slightly and blend the flavors together.  Stir in butter until melted.
5.  Add a ladle of pasta water to the chicken and sauce; reserve additional pasta water before draining (add to leftovers, if there are any).  Stir drained pasta into skillet and stir to coat; simmer for a few minutes to bring it all together; add additional pasta water if necessary.  Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper to sprinkle on top.

Avril's recipe involved a few more steps, but I like simple, so I just cooked everything together in one skillet.  (except the pasta)  It turned out really good.  My husband and I both really liked it.  He even ranked it up alongside his favorite pasta dish from The Olive Garden - just with chicken.  I'd say that is high praise.

Any leftovers heat up really well, and this is just as good, if not better, the second time.  You'll want to add some reserved pasta water to your leftovers to keep the pasta from soaking up all the moisture in the sauce.

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Chard and White Bean Stew

I'm still getting a few things from my garden.  The tomatoes are ripening, and I've been picking a few every couple days.  There are plenty of green ones still needing to ripen.  There are also quite a few small jalapenos on the plants and some bell peppers, too.  We had to cover the tomato and pepper plants for a few nights this weekend to protect them from frost, but it's warmed up again so we should be good for a while.  I've also got carrots and chard still out in the garden.  I read somewhere that carrots will taste better after a couple of good freezes, so though I've pulled several of the carrots, I'm going to leave the rest of them for a while.  Chard can survive a frost, so I should be having that for a while, too.

With all the chard and tomatoes, I started searching for a recipe that would use some of them.  There are quite a few good sounding recipes, but this one won out.  She served this with crusty bread, and a poached egg on top, but I skipped the poached egg.  It does look interesting, though.  Perhaps next time?

Chard and White Bean Stew
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 pound Swiss chard (or another green), stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine (or juice of half a lemon and water to make 1 cup)
• 2 15-ounce cans (or about 4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup chicken broth (or 2 cups broth and not bean liquid)
• 1 cup bean liquid (if using home cooked beans)
• 1-2 cups pureed tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. Prepare vegetables.  Heat olive oil in 5 to 6 quart pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and saute for 15 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add chard and cook, stirring, until chard begins to wilt. 
2. Add wine (or lemon water), scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot and cook until it has reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, salt, black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 
3. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with crusty bread.  Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar if desired.

I really enjoyed the flavors in this. My husband didn't drizzle any of the vinegar on his, but I thought that really added a nice touch.  I really love when the broth soaks into the bread.  So good!

This whole grain sourdough is the perfect complement to so many things!  I used 1 cup of the bean liquid in this batch, instead of the water.

Peggy's Original Veggie Kablooie!!!

My friend Peggy has been making this incredibly tasty and addicting stuff we call Veggie Kablooie for a while now.  It's always a big hit at potlucks, and everyone looks forward to it.  She posted the recipe a while back, and I meant to share then, but somehow I just never got around to it.  I even made my own batch of Veggie Kablooie from the recipe.  It was good, but not as good as Peggy's.  (Now you know, Peggy)

Then last night Peggy posted something on Facebook asking if she should make Veggie Kablooie for the Barn Party this weekend, and I was reminded that I never posted this.  I don't get to go to the Barn Party - since it's in Wisconsin, and I'm in Indiana - so I won't get to have any Veggie Kablooie, but I can finally get around to sharing the recipe.  Seriously, you have to try this stuff.  So good!

Posted by permission:

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This recipe evolved over a year or so until it became what it is. It's something that is welcomed with open arms (hands and mouths!) whenever I bring it to a party.

What is it??? It's good for you! Well, it must be since it is filled with vegetables! It's a snacker's delight!  It's vegetables that went.....
Kablooie!!!!!

Many of my friends have asked me for my recipe and I have given them a print out from my computer. No one has ever gotten back to me to say they made it and it's just as good as mine... or even told me they made it. So I can't say this recipe has been tested by anyone but myself, and I actually never really measure anything when I make this. I just kinda go by what looks right.
 

This is what you need for Peggy's Original Veggie Kablooie:

• A food processor

• 2 parts broccoli
• 2 parts cauliflower
• 2 parts carrot
• 1 part radish, the ones with the greens on top are the best.
• 1 part onion--yellow, white, or, for color use the purple ones
• 1 part green pepper (optional- I think it adds a brightness to the Kablooie)
• 1 part shredded mild cheddar cheese
• enough Kraft Peppercorn Ranch dressing to moisten
• 1 or more bags of Fritos Scoops (not pictured here)

Directions:

Take all the veggies and grind them up, add enough dressing to moisten, add the cheese no more than 4 hours before serving. Eat with Fritos Scoops (best), or other chips or coin shaped carrots. or scoop-cut bell peppers or other scooplike things.. NOT celery! You will ruin it with celery!

You can also stuff pita pockets, or eat it like coleslaw!

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For a complete picture tutorial, visit What!!!! You've NEVER heard of Veggie Kablooie?????

Sweet Chili Chicken Pizza

I've made this pizza several times now.  It's really good and simple to make.  I've never had Papa Murphy's Thai Chicken Delite pizza, so I can't say for sure it's the same.  But it was the inspiration.

Sweet Chili Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

• pizza dough 
• sweet chili sauce
• grilled chicken
• chopped onions
• sliced green onions
• thinly sliced zucchini
• Mozzarella cheese
• Cheddar cheese 

Directions:

1. Roll/press pizza dough out to form crust for one pizza; prick with fork and bake at 450° for 5-7 minutes..
2. Remove crust from oven.  Spread sauce over crust and top with toppings.  Sprinkle with crushed red chili flakes if desired.
3. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melted.
4. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before cutting.  Top with sliced fresh basil if desired.

I have no measurements because it's pizza, and you just put toppings on until it looks right to you. There's no right or wrong way.  I do think it's better if you slice the zucchini really thin, but it's OK if you don't too.  I seasoned my chicken with a little salt, pepper, and ground ginger when I grilled it (in my George Foreman), which was pretty good on this pizza, too.

Now I just need to make some more of that sweet chili sauce.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

It's time again for Secret Recipe Club reveal!  My secret blog assignment this month was Sarah's blog Things I Make (for Dinner), where she shares her love of cooking and the recipes she's been trying.  Sarah likes cooking challenges that take her outside her comfort zone, but she's also big on comfort food.  She and her husband love the health benefits and money saved from cooking and eating at home.  I'm with them all the way on that one!

A couple recipes that caught my eye were the Spinach Stuffed Flank Steak and this Mile High Vegetable Pie. Now that my tomatoes are starting to ripen, I am definitely going to have to try that one!

But, when I saw the recipe for Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes, I just had to try it.  Cupcakes? Sarah baked these in a muffin tin, which is where the 'cupcakes' come in.  I ended up baking mine on a baking sheet because I was afraid they'd be too big for the muffin tins, so I'm just calling them Buffalo Chicken Rolls.  It doesn't sound as fun, but I'm pretty sure they are just as yummy!

Buffalo Chicken Rolls
from Things I Make (for Dinner)

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough for one pizza
• 1 lb boneless chicken breast (or thighs) cooked and shredded
• 1 T butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c Buffalo wing sauce (such as Frank's)
• 2 c shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Melt butter in medium skillet.  Add onion and garlic, and saute until soft.  Stir in chicken and sauce; remove from heat.
2. Divide the pizza dough into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a rectangle about 1/4" thick. Spread each rectangle with half of the chicken mixture and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Starting with one long edge, roll up, pinching to seal the seam.
3. Cut each roll into 8 pieces and place, cut side down, onto well greased baking sheet. (or use parchment paper or silicon baking mat) Bake at 400° F for 15-18 minutes, until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

Ready to roll

I used a Frank's RedHot Kickin' BBQ sauce instead of the traditional Buffalo wing sauce, and it turned out really good.  I'm thinking this would be good with about any sauce you like.

Ready for the oven

Next time I think I'll bake them either in a 13x9" pan so the edges will touch and they'll hold their shape better.  Some of mine kind of fell apart - though that had no effect on the taste. Or I'm going to try the muffin tins so I'll have 'cupcakes' of my own.  However I bake them, I'll definitely make these again!  They are yummy.

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