AzN8tive Cooks

Chicken-Andouille Gumbo

2011-11-06T16:08:00.000-06:00

I love Southern Living Magazine! It has been an unlimited source of all things Southern for this AzN8tive since moving to North Alabama in 1990. Their recipes are 9 times out of 10 delicious. The only recipe of theirs that I made that wasn't a success was their Butternut Squash soup. It's the only recipe that I threw out before it made it to the table and then called out for pizza, but I digress. Last month's issue was full of interesting recipes and I decided to put a few on our 'Let's try this' list. Here is the first one...

Chicken-Andouille Gumbo
(recipe courtesy Southern Living, October 2011)

1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup peanut oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
1 (48-oz.) container chicken broth
2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breasts

1. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 7 minutes or until browned. Remove sausage; drain and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Heat oil in a stainless-steel Dutch oven over medium heat; gradually whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 18 to 20 minutes or until flour is caramel-colored. (Do not burn mixture.) Reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is milk chocolate-colored and texture is smooth (about 2 minutes).
3. Increase heat to medium. Stir in onion, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, ground red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually stir in chicken broth; add chicken and sausage. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes or until chicken is done. Shred chicken into large pieces using 2 forks.

TRY THIS TWIST!
Chicken-and-Shrimp Gumbo: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 3. Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 lb. peeled and deveined, medium-size raw shrimp (3 1/40 count). Cook 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.

I didn't try the twist, but will in the future because I love shrimp. We served it with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Dressing

2011-09-25T17:34:00.003-05:00

This meal is so easy and delicious! It's another of our Fall staple meals.

Chicken and Dressing

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen chicken breasts)

4-6 slices swiss cheese or any cheese that you like

1 can Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup

1/4 cup water

Seasoned stuffing mix, crumbs (I use Pepperidge Farms Herb Flavored stuffing)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

In a measuring cup, mix the soup and water together, set aside. Arrange chicken breasts in single layer in a 9x13 baking dish. Top each piece with one slice of cheese. Evenly distribute the soup mixture over chicken. Sprinkle evenly with stuffing mix. Drizzle melted butter over crumbs Bake for 45-55 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Serve with a green veggie and favorite beverages.

Enjoy!

Skillet-Roasted Okra and Shrimp

2011-09-12T12:16:00.003-05:00

Southern Living Magazine is my favorite magazine. I've been a subscriber for the better part of 20 years, essentially since we moved to North Alabama in 1990. It always has at least one recipe that I want to try and I'm almost never disappointed...we won't mention the Squash Soup I tried many years ago.

This month's issue doesn't disappoint.

I love shrimp, okra and tomatoes. So when I read the article, "Lowcountry Style," I knew I had to try at least one of the recipes using shrimp/okra/tomatoes. The only changes I'm going to make to this recipe the next time is to cut the okra into disks and use canned tomatoes.

Without further ado...

Skillet-Roasted Okra and Shrimp
recipe courtesy of Southern Living, September 2011

1 lb. unpeeled, large raw shrimp (31/35 count)
3 cups (about 8 oz.) fresh okra, cut in half lengthwise
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 pt. heirloom cherry tomatoes
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1. Peel shrimp; devein, if desired.
2. Saute okra in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Cook tomatoes in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes or until skins are charred. Place in bowl with okra.
4. Saute shrimp, garlic and dried crushed red pepper in remaining 1 Tbsp. hot oil in skillet over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Stir in okra and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Makes: 6 servings

I served this with rice as a main dish.

It was a big hit with my husband, so I'll be making it again.

Enjoy!

Home-made Taquitos

2011-07-14T07:34:00.003-05:00

What can I say...my kids love taquitos, but I don't always have them on hand in the freezer. So, being the ever resourceful mom, I went to the Internet in search of a taquito recipe.

They were yummy! I used the canned chicken though I'm sure that the refried beans would be just as good. My son loved them!!!

Homemade Taquitos
Edited from Family Kitchens

1 (15 oz.) can refried beans or (12.5 oz) can of cooked chicken
breast
1 small can of mild green chili’s
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. onion powder or 1/2 finely diced onion
1/2 tsp garlic salt or 1 finely minced clove of garlic
1 package of small flour tortillas (warmed slightly in the
microwave to prevent cracking)
non-stick baking spray (olive oil or butter flavored preferred)

In a large bowl, combine refried beans (or chicken), cheese, lime
juice, cumin, onion powder and garlic salt. Stir together until well
combined. Spoon 2-4 Tablespoons of mixture into the center of a
tortilla. Wrap tortilla tightly around mixture, then set taquito in a
cookie sheet or large baking dish which has been generously
sprayed with cooking spray. Continue wrapping remaining
taquitos. Once finished, spray a fairly heavy layer of cooking
spray over each tortilla, making sure to spray all areas of each
tortilla. Bake in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 15-20
minutes, or until the edges of the tortillas are crisp and
browned. Serve with sour cream, tomatoes, chopped cilantro
and salsa.

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2011-05-14T17:17:00.009-05:00

I love this dish! I don't make it very often because it's very rich.

This recipe was given to me by a former AZ co-worker's wife, who is an excellent cook. Just wish I could've gotten her tamale recipe.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1 can diced green chiles
18 small corn tortillas
1 cup diced onion
shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Boil chicken in water until tender. Remove skin, cut into bite-size pieces.

In saucepan, heat together soup, sour cream, chiles and chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Arrange 6 tortillas in bottom of large pan (12x9x2). Pour sour cream mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with onion and cheese. Repeat layer again, ending with remaining 6 tortillas. Pour remaining soup mixture over enchiladas. Top with cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Enjoy with your favorite Mexican beer, Margarita or Sangria!!!

Teriyaki Chicken

2011-03-08T09:01:00.004-06:00

This is one of my children's favorite dinners and usually I make it from scratch. However, the last time Hubby and I perused Costco, I came across teriyaki chicken in the frozen section and thought we'd try it. The consensus was that it was a little on the salty side and not much quicker than making it from scratch. I think I'll just stick to making it myself and freeze any extras for future meals.

Teriyaki Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled and cut into bite-sized pieces

Sauce:
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice, unsweetened
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened.

To the sauce, add in the grilled chicken. Cook an additional 3 minutes or until chicken is warmed through.

Serve with rice and a green vegetable (we usually have broccoli).

Enjoy!

Pot Roast

2010-11-11T10:02:00.003-06:00

Fall...crisp days, trees changing, Halloween, Thanksgiving and lots of comfort food. This is my absolute favorite time of year!!! I love to cook. I especially love the way the house smells when there's something cooking in the crockpot. Here is one of my family's favorite meals to enjoy during the fall and winter months. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Pot Roast

1 3-5 pound chuck roast, frozen or fresh
1 whole yellow onion, peeled
1 can Beefy Mushroom soup
1 can French Onion soup
1/2 carton beef stock
4-5 medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 small bag of baby carrots, cut into pieces

Place roast and the following four ingredients in crockpot on Low. Cook for 8 hours (frozen) or 6 hours (fresh). Three hours before serving, add potatoes and carrots to the crockpot. That's it! Serve with spoonbread and a green vegetable.

First Pot of Chili of the Fall

2010-10-04T15:27:00.003-05:00

I've been craving chili for more than a month now, but it's been way too hot. However, this past weekend, it FINALLY cooled off here in No. AL and it actually feels like fall! :) WooHoo!!!

Time to break out the dutch oven and make some chili!

Here's my take on chili...

1 pound ground round
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cans diced tomatoes with zesty mild green chilies
1 can white shoepeg corn
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans, medium sauce
1/2 cup beef stock

Brown ground round in dutch oven. Add remaining 7 ingredients; bring to a boil and reduce heat so that it just simmers. Let simmer for 2 hours.

Serve with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips and favorite beverage.

Enjoy!

P.S. - This recipe can also be made in a crock-pot. Just brown the meat in a skillet and add to the crock-pot. Let cook on low all day.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

2010-09-19T12:52:00.004-05:00

I must give a HUGE hat-tip to my mom for this recipe. Over the course of the last week, I have made 4 batches of this wonderful casserole. It's super easy and most of us have all the ingredients on hand. So without further ado...

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole
recipe courtesy of my Mom

1 cup cooked, de-boned and diced chicken breast
1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 pkg. Uncle Ben's Original Long Grain and Wild Rice

Topping

1 cup mayonnaise (I used light mayo)
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

Cook rice according to package directions. Combine topping ingredients in medium mixing bowl and set aside. Mix together first 5 ingredients and place in 11x7 baking dish or 2 qt. casserole dish. Spread soup/mayo mixture on top, sprinkle with paprika (optional) and bake, covered, at 325 for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Mexican Food and Homemade Ice Cream

2010-06-07T08:04:00.003-05:00

Every so often I get a craving for my Mom's Mexican Meat Mix. It's soooo good and most of my family loves it...my son would rather just have regular 'ol tacos.

Mexican Meat Mix
courtesy of my Mom, with some alterations

5 lbs. Beef Roast (I use a chuck roast)
3 T. Crisco
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilis
1 14-oz. jar green chili salsa
4 T. flour
4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
Juice from Roast

Place roast in crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours. I start out with a frozen roast, so it takes 8 hours on low. Do not add salt or liquids to the roast. Drain meat, save juices, cool meat, remove bones (if any), shred and set aside.

Melt Crisco in large skillet; add onions and garlic. Saute onions and garlic until just beginning to carmelize, then add green chilis, saute 1 minute. Add salsa, flour, salt and cumin. Cook 1 minute over medium-low heat. Stir in meat juices and meat, cook 5 minutes until thicken.

From this recipe you can make, green chili burros or chimichangas. It's also good with tortilla chips.

Mexican Meat Mix can be frozen up to 6 months.

Homemade Ice Cream

1 cup plus 2 T. sugar
3 T. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups whipping cream
1 T. vanilla

Combine sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into the beaten eggs. Add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly. Cook 1 minute; remove from heat. Refrigerate 2 hours. Combine whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl; add chilled mixture, stirring with wire whisk to combine. Freeze as directed in the ice cream maker of your choice.

Makes 2 quarts

Cocoa Brownies
Adapted from Alton Brown

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
8 oz. butter, melted
1 1/4 cups cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 and grease/flour 9x13 baking dish, set aside. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into.

I hope that you and your family enjoy this meal as much as mine does.

Enjoy!!!

Southern Spoonbread

2010-04-16T08:58:00.002-05:00

I've had several requests for my spoonbread recipe. It is a BIG favorite at my house, so much so that I make a double batch every time. My children love to snack on it.

Southern Spoonbread
recipe courtesy of my MIL

3/4 cup self-rising cornmeal
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cornmeal, oil and salt. Stir in boiling water slowly and beat until smooth. Add baking powder to eggs and combine with milk; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring well. It doesn't matter if the batter is lumpy. Pour into a greased baking dish. For single recipe, I use an 8x8 glass baking dish. If I double the recipe, I use a 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake for 45-55 minutes.

We serve spoonbread with roast, carrots and potatoes.

Enjoy!

Mom's Beef Stew

2009-09-13T16:30:00.003-05:00

This has got to be one of my favorite fall recipes. It brings back many happy memories for me. I hope that you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Mom's Beef Stew

1.5 pounds stew meat, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon Crisco
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon Nature's Seasons
1 bay leaf
6-8 small red or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 small bag of baby carrots, cut into chunks
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
5 tablespoons flour

Melt Crisco in a 4-qt. sauce pan. Add beef, cook until browned. Add onion, saute' until golden brown. Add 4 cups boiling water and seasonings, cover and simmer 1.5 - 2 hours or until meat is nearly tender. Add vegetables and 2 cups boiling water, continue cooking 30 minutes longer or until vegetables are done.

To thicken, add cold water very gradually to flour, mixing until smooth. Add to simmering stew, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until thickened. Serve with biscuits.

Cooking with Hubby (aka Rocket Scientist)

2009-09-06T16:16:00.002-05:00

It has been a typical Sunday here at Casa AzN8tive. Lounging and cooking - not necessarily in that order.

It's been a busy day in the kitchen - making breakfast for this morning and for the next ~ two weeks and getting dinner started on the smoker.

Breakfast was French Toast, much to the kids delight. I allot 1 egg per two pieces of french bread (sliced on the bias about 1/2" thick). Beat the eggs with 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dip bread in the egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides and place on a hot griddle (I set mine at 350). Cook about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

And because our children are breakfast eaters and need protein to get them through to lunch, we have started making our own bacon-egg-cheese biscuits. These are much better than the frozen ones and less expensive than going through the drive-thru every morning - not that I do that because all the fast-food restaurants are not on our way to school. We don't do anything special - just scramble some eggs, cook the bacon, bake some biscuits, assemble with half a slice of American cheese, let cool, wrap in plastic wrap and pop them in the 'fridge. The biscuits can be reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds. Yum!!!

Dinner tonight will consist of smoked chicken, smokey mashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts. I can't post the recipe for the chicken because it's Hubby's secret recipe, but suffice it to say it is OUT OF THIS WORLD. He placed the potatoes in the smoker water pan to cook all afternoon and I'll mash them just before dinner is ready. This is the first time we've tried the potatoes this way, so I'll let you know how they turn out. As for the brussel sprouts, I bought fresh ones at our local supermarket because they were on sale ($1.49/lb) and we love them. All that I do is rinse and cut them in half, toss with some olive oil, layer on a large baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, sprinkle with some kosher salt and bake for 40 minutes at 425. They are to die for, that is...if you like brussel sprouts.

Well...that's about it. Hope you enjoy!

Book Club Dinner

2009-08-30T14:33:00.004-05:00

This past Friday, I hosted our monthly Book Club. It's a group of 8-10 women that I've been friends with for years. While the main purpose is to discuss that month's selection and enjoy dinner, we always end talking about anything and everything. It's always a GREAT time!

I prepared chicken & dressing with roasted green beans, Pinot Grigio and chocolate cake for dessert.

Chicken & Dressing

8 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
8 slices Provolone cheese**
2 cans Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 of a 16 oz. package Pepperidge Farms Herb-Seasoned stuffing
1/2 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Arrange chicken breasts in 2 9x13 baking dishes. Place a slice of Provolone on each chicken breast. Combine the soup and water in a measuring cup and pour evenly over each chicken breast. Sprinkle the stuffing over all the chicken and drizzle with butter. Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

*I use Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breasts from Costco and yes, I do put them in the baking dish frozen. The chicken stays moister that way.
**I've used provolone, swiss and mozzarella interchangeably for the cheese. You could even use cheddar if you like.

Oven-roasted Green Beans

1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed and patted dry
Olive oil
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 14x18 jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Spread the green beans evenly on the pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a pinch of salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the green beans are crisp-tender.

Chocolate Cake
recipe adapted from Hershey's Kitchens

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to serving plate. Cool completely. Enjoy!

Pasta Troutman

2009-08-19T16:54:00.001-05:00

This has got to be one of my favorite dishes! Hubby first made it for a very late dinner after my first dance recital. We've made adjustments to it over the years and here's the latest rendition.

Here's what you'll need:

1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
black and green deli olives, coarsely chopped (as many as you like - I never measure these)
1/2 cup olive tapenade (you can pick this up in the deli section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, coarsely chopped
1 box of thin spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
salt for the cooking water
Fresh basil and parmesano reggiano, garnish (optional)

Prepare a pot with salted water and the 2 smashed garlic cloves, bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until it's al dente usually about 7-8 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion and garlic until the onion has carmelized. Once the onion has carmelized, add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the temperature and simmer until the pasta is ready. Drain pasta, discard garlic cloves and divide among warmed plates. Top with the 'Sauce' and garnish, if desired, with fresh basil and parmesano reggiano curls.

Serve with a dry Italian (or your favorite red) wine.

Ciao!

Chicken & Veggie Stir-fry

2009-08-19T16:26:00.001-05:00

Okay, I've finally done it. I've had several people ask for my recipes. Bear with me as I try to organize and post them.

Today's recipe is Chicken and Veggie Stir-Fry - actually it was dinner last Friday night. I hope that you enjoy!

Here's what you'll need for this recipe, remember you can substitute your favorite vegetables.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 8 oz. package carrot chips
1 8 oz. package broccoli florets
1/2 bunch bok choi; chopped, separating the greens from the ends
1 can chopped baby corn, drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
rice or rice noodles
3 ladles of rice cooking water

Cook rice/rice noodles according to package directions. Reserving 3 ladles of the cooking water.

Heat oil in large saute pan. Add chicken, garlic and ginger. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add carrots to pan, saute until softened. Add broccoli, bok choi ends, baby corn, and water chestnuts. Cooking until broccoli is crisp-tender, then add the bok choi greens. Return chicken to pan. Combine soy sauce and cornstarch, whisk until smooth and add to pan along with the 3 ladles of rice water. Stir until sauce is thickened. Serve over rice or rice noodles. Enjoy!