Chicken Pasta Salad with Tropical Fruit Dressing

This is my lunch today.

Here is the recipe with the changes I made.

Chicken Pasta Salad with Tropical Fruit Dressing

It is very good. And even better the next day.

I left out the curry, bell pepper and green onions. It is still very good. I did add salt and pepper.

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken ( I used thighs)
6 oz fusilli pasta ( I didn't measure)
1 small can pineapple tidbits, 1/4 cup juice reserved
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup mandarin orange sections, packed in juice (I used the 11 oz can and drained it
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
2 green onions, chopped

Cook chicken for several minutes in boiling water (I added 4 chicken cubes to the water) until thoroughly cooked and then cut into chunks.

Cook pasta in water from chicken according to directions; drain. Allow to cool to room temperature. DO NOT RINSE IF YOU COOKED IN THE CHICKEN WATER.

Combine pineapple juice, mayo, sugar, and curry powder. I added salt and pepper. Stir in pasta, chicken, pineapple, mandarin slices, bell pepper and green onions. Mix well and chill for 1 hour before serving.

Corn Macque Choux

Supper last night was Calucutta Chicken, mashed potatoes, and Corn Macque Choux.

Here is the recipe for the corn.

Corn Macque Choux

YIELD

 8 servings

CATEGORIES

 side dishes, corn

---

INGREDIENTS

• • 4 cups corn
  • 1 cup cream
  • 6 strips bacon
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbs sugar
  • 1 tbs salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbs season all
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

---

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. In large pot, cut bacon into small strips and cook until slightly crunchy. Add flour, onions, tomato, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until tender. Pour corn, cream and sugar into pot. Add seasoning. Cook on low till corn is tender.

Hot Dog Chili

Tonight we are having hot dogs with homemade chili. Here is the recipe we use. It makes alot but freezes really well. It is a little spicy so you can use mild rotel or cut down on the chili powder if you prefer it not to spicy.

Hot Dog Chili

INGREDIENTS

• • 5 pounds ground chuck
  • 40 oz tomato sauce
  • 40 oz water
  • 1 can rotel
  • 10 tbl chili powder
  • 2 med onions
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp red pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

---

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Boil ground meat. Drain well.
  2. Mix meat, onions, bell pepper, and all seasonings.
  3. Add water, rotel, tomato sauce. Simmer, stirring often till thickens (not to thick, as it will thicken after it sits.

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is made in the pressure cooker and I will give those directions, but you could do the same thing on the stove.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

2 tbl flour

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, diced

4 ribs celery, sliced

3 large carrots, sliced

1 tsp dried thyme

1 1/2 cups uncooked farfalle pasta

6 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and optional

1. Toss the cubed chicken breasts in flour that has been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, until all pieces are lightly coated.

2. With the cooker's lid off, heat butter on HIGH or brown until melted and sizzling.

3. Place the coated chicken in the cooker, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and thyme, and stir well, cooking 1 minute more.

5. Cover all with pasta, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Securely lock the pressure cooker's lid and set for 6 minutes on HIGH.

6. Perform a quick release to release the cooker's pressure.

7. Stir in the corn kernels and simmer 1 minutes before serving.

Steakhouse Dinner Rolls

Yeast Dinner Rolls

These are like the dinner rolls you get at a steak house, or at places like Ryan's or Golden Corral.

1 cup water
2 tbs butter
1 egg
3 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into bread machine in order given. Set to dough cycle.
If you don't have a bread machine, mix all ingredient together well and let rise for 45 minutes. Punch down. Then follow the rest of the directions.

When finished lift dough from pan, pinch off 12 balls and shape into balls. Flatten a little. Put onto baking sheet sprayed with butter flavored spray. Cover and let rise 1 hour.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

These rolls (if they last that long lol) are still soft and fresh tasting on day 4.

Loose Cabbage Rolls

Here is the story behind this. My mom was taught by someone when she was young to make russian style cabbage rolls. It was an all day process but they were delicious. She has been gone many years now and I miss those. I have tried a couple times to do them and while they are ok, they just aren't the same. The best part of hers was what she called "the trash". It was all of the leftover meat, cut off cabbage, and the small pieces of cabbage, etc put up on top of the rolls. This cabbage casserole tastes like the trash.

Here is the recipe along with the pictures.

Loose Cabbage Rolls

Start with 1 1/2 pounds ground beef in a dutch oven.

this is with the onions, bell pepper. Saute till all meat is browned, veggies are tender.

Add cut up celery, garlic

Add lots of seasoning, more then you think you need or it will be very bland.

Add cabbage and stir well.

Add in Spicy v8.

Stir well.

Put in covered pot and put in 350 oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Stir and put in oven for about an hour more. Stir again and if cabbage is cooked to your liking, take out, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. It is very hot and retains the heat for a long time.

Will post picture tonight when we eat.

Beef Tips with Noodles

Tonight's menu is Beef tips with noodles, canteloupe, dinner rolls, strawberry or blueberry shortcake.

Here's how to make the beef tips:

First you brown the meat ( I am using stew meat).

Remove the meat and saute' onions, bell pepper and celery for a few minutes in about 1 tablespoon of butter.

Add about 1 tablespoon of flour after they are starting to get tender.
Then add the meat back along with a good amount of water.

Simmer until tender. Usually a couple of hours. Add more water as needed.

I will cook the noodles right in the broth when we are about ready to eat. 

Here is finished plate other than the shortcakes which we ate later

Bacon Braised Short Ribs

this is one of our favorite pressure cooker meals!

Bacon Braised Short Ribs

YIELD

 6 servings

• 5 strips bacon
• 3 to 4 pounds bone in short ribs, trimmed of excess fat (we will use country style ribs next time)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp cornstarch, whisked into 1 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp butter
• 
  
• 1. With the cooker's lid off, heat bacon on brown until nearly crispy. Remove bacon, coarsely chop and set aside.
  2. Sprinkle short ribs with a generous amount of salt and pepper, and add to the bacon grease to brown on both sides. May need to do in batches.
  3. Add chopped bacon and remaining ingredients, except cornstarch and butter, and securely lock the pressure cooker's lid. Set the cooker for 35 minutes on high.
  4. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before performing quick release for any remaining pressure.
  5. Transfer the cooked ribs to a platter and set the cooker to brown. Bring to a simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch and water mixture into the liquid and cook for 2 minutes, until thickened. Stir in butter and a little salt and pepper if needed.

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

Hopefully I will remember to take a picture of the finished product tonight and edit this post.

Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup

1 package (usually 2 to a pack) beef soup bone (also called shanks)
2 small or 1 large package of boneless beef stew meat
2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can of beef broth
1 can of tomato sauce
seasonings to taste
about 1 tbl sugar
water to fill up big soup pot
1 large or 2 small heads cabbage, chopped
1 large or 2 small turnips, peeled and cut in quarters
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
5 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
1 can cut green beans
1 can small peas
1 bag whole kernel frozen corn
1/2 bag frozen baby lima beans

Brown meat, onion, bell pepper, and celery together adding seasoning of your choice. I use salt, pepper and garlic. Once nicely browned add beef broth and tomato sauce along with sugar. Stir well and add water to fill pot. Cover and bring to boil, reduce to simmer and simmer till meat starts to get tender.

Add cabbage and cook for about an hour. By now meat should be very tender. Add canned veggies and frozen veggies. Add turnips. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Add carrots. Simmer about 30 minutes , taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Add potatoes. Simmer till carrots and potatoes are tender. Enjoy!

Tonight I am serving it with the homemade dinner rolls. Recipe is here on the site.

Hopefully

I will start posting here again soon!

I'm Back

I tried another blog site but I was more comfortable using this one so I am back.

moving

http://cajunquiltercooks.wordpress.com/about/

to here

Just to let you know

Will post rolls and cabbage rolls recipe when I have the finished pictures. They are in process right now.

Blueberry Cobbler

January 30, 2011

I know I have not been posting much lately, but I am trying to get back on track.

Here is today's menu:

Loose Cabbage Rolls
Homemade Yeast Rolls
Blueberry Cobbler

Here is the Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

I will post the cabbage rolls and yeast rolls above this one.

Blueberry Cobbler

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
1 bag of frozen blueberries (you can make this with canned peaches, just drain and freeze the peaches)

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the stick of butter in the pan you will bake in. I use a 9x9.

Mix all ingredients except fruit together and pour over melted butter.
Sprinkle the fruit around the top of the batter.

Bake for about an hour.
Enjoy!

Chile Con Queso

Chile Con Queso

Brown ground meat in pan sprayed with cooking spray. I used 93/7 so that I wouldn't have to drain the fat. If you use a different one you may have to drain fat.

Add onions while browning the meat and saute together.

Cut up a 32 oz loaf of velveeta cheese.

Add cut up velveeta and a can of undrained rotel once the meat is browned and onions are tender.

Once the cheese is all melted, keep warm on low in a crockpot. I used a crockpot liner for easy clean up.

Tuna Dip

This is for the non cheese lover of our family (Hi Leslie lol). We all do eat it though lol.

Tuna Dip

One can of tuna in oil

One can of cream of mushroom soup

Mix both together in bowl.

Enjoy with tortilla chips or fritos.

Here is the first of many posts today

I thought I would blog each of the recipes I am making today.

Here is the first.


          
Splenda Chocolate Cake

Start by spraying a 9 x 13 pan with canola cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place a stick of butter in large bowl. It helps alot if the butter has sat out and softened.

Add  1 1/2 cups splenda.

Add 1 cup milk.

Add 1/2 cup fat free half and half.

Add 2 eggs.

Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Mix. It will be lumpy from the butter. This is ok.

In another bowl mix 2 1/4 cups cake flour.

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda.

Mix all of those together then add them to the wet mixture and stir together to combine.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 14 to 18 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean from center.

 Allow to cool completely on wire rack. Cut into 12 servings.

Steak in a gravy

Cajun Steak in a Gravy

Start by cutting up onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. 

Next get a dry black iron pot hot. Season meat with salt and pepper then brown on both sides. Remove meat from pan. Add a tablespoon of oil, and all of the veggies except for the garlic. Once there is a little moisture from the veggies, add the garlic.

Once the veggies are tender, add a little flour, couple or so tablespoons. Stir in well to the veggies and cook a minute or so to get rid of the raw flour taste.  I added the broth and if it needs to be darker you can add the kitchen bouquet.  Now just simmer, stirring occasionally till meat is tender and gravy has thickened a little.

Enjoy!

Baked Stuffed Flounder

Start by putting a little olive oil and butter in a skillet. Saute' onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic seasoned with a little salt and pepper till veggies are all soft.

Don't use the expensive shrimp and crab in this. The canned one is fine.

One of my favorite finds at Dollar Tree recently! It is to strain cans and works well.

Add the shrimp and crabmeat after draining well. Stir and add in just enough bread crumbs to tighten up the mixture. You don't want alot of breading, or at least I don't.

Once it is mixed well take off heat and allow to cool.

This went into the fridge till I was ready to stuff the fish.

Finished product. I stuffed them and seasoned with salt and pepper. Also sprayed some butter flavored cooking spray over them. Then bake for about 20 minutes at 400. Enjoy! We sure did!

Sugar Free South Seas Chocolate Pie

Here is the recipe.

1 package sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix
2/3 cup dry milk powder
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1 cup water
1/2 cup cool whip
1 banana cut up
graham cracker pie shell

Line bottom of pie shell with sliced bananas. Mix dry pudding and dry milk powder. Add water and coconut extract. Mix well. Pour into pie shell covering bananas. Top with cool whip and chill at least 2 hours. Slice into 8 slices.