Crescent Chicken

 Loving this recipe.I have made this several ( hundred) times now and it's still a family favorite!! It was wonderful! I boiled the chicken (  whole leg quarters) with some broth, wine, carrots, garlic, sage, and onion. But any rotisserie chicken will do.

Comfy in the Kitchen's Crescent Chicken ( with minor adjustments)

• 1 1/2  (8 or 6 jumbo count) packages refrigerator crescent rolls
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 can of milk (using soup can)
• Preheat oven to 350
• Prepare soup using milk and set aside.
• Separate crescent rolls.
• Spoon chicken and cheese onto each crescent; roll and seal to enclose filling.
• Place in a 9×13 baking dish.
• Pour soup over rolls.
• Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 mins.

                                              Before the oven

Baking and browning, smells so good!

* My notes*  

Made a whole 13x9 pan)

After shredding the chicken I added Old Bay seasoning, a pinch of celery seed, and some poultry seasoning to the chicken for added flavor. I also added white wine, parsley, garlic powder and salt and pepper to the sauce.

I highly suggest trying these, they are even a hit with the kids! 

Cinnamon Roll Dutch Apple Pie

After seeing the crust recipe on Pinterest about 1,001 times, I finally went for it. Combined with the apple filling, and the topping...heaven on a plate!  I have to totally give all the credit to Taste for Adventure, but I  wanted to have it here on my blog for easy reference.
First is the crust.. the video is on Taste for Adventure's site, it is just pie crust, I had to use two, but you spread about 2 tablespoons butter on the rolled out crust, sprinkle with a bit of sugar and cinnamon...

 Then roll up and slice as evenly as you can.

Press into pie plate and up the edges, don't leave any holes. Brush with melted butter. ( this was my addition so the crust doesn't get soggy. )

Fill with about 8 cups of sliced apples mixed with about 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tablespoons flour. 

I forgot the pic on this one.. oops, LOL

Then top with 1 stick softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

( you make a struesel topping by combining all ingredients)

Like she said, it looks obnoxiously huge but it does shrink while baking, which, by the way, is 40 min at about 400. I did use the directions exactly, and I should have checked it a bit sooner...

OOPS, I forgot the icing... I have a 3 year old mind you that has to be watched while all this is happening.. 

Icing~ 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla..

it may not be pretty, but sure is a delight! I used Granny Smiths and some Cortland for the apples. 

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you try this soon!

Caramelized Sausages and Apples with Pumpkin Angel Hair and Cider Sauce

I'd like to say this recipe was mine all  mine, but I can't. The lovely people over at MyDeliciousRecipe.com encouraged me to check out their site yesterday when I was having a bit of a "Food Block". You know what it is... all of us are guilty of it at one time or another. Eating the same thing and just tired of "chicken, pork, and beef". Not that there is anything wrong with those things...
Anyway as the description of this recipe they talk about it being a great dish for those cold and cozy nights, which is perfect for us in New Hampshire at the moment. It has been below zero and quite bitter for my taste!
Here are a few photos taken this past week.

See what I mean? Definately time for some warm comfort food!
The recipe for the sausages and apples is their basic RECIPE, which smells wonderful when roasting in the oven.
12 Italian sausage links ( we chose hot)
3 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored , and quartered.
3 large sweet onions, peeled and sliced thin.
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons maple syrup ( I was out, *gasp* so I used Apricot syrup with superior results)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Roast at 375 for about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile make sauce .. theirs calls for creme freche, reduced cider , and dijon mustard.
I changed it a bit by using

1 can  apple juice concentrate, simmered till reduced by half
2-3 Tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons basalmic vinegar
3 Tablespoons apricot sauce ( you can use whatever sweetener you used in the sausage mixture)
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce apple juice. Whisk in next 3 ingredients till smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and keep warm.

This can be served over mashed potatoes, or pasta.
I made my own pasta since I hadn't tested out my "gently used" pasta maker a friend gave to me.
                        ~~~~~~~~~~~Pumpkin Angel Hair~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 4 1/2 cups of flour
 2 eggs
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup of  pumpkin puree
Mix all ingredients in pasta maker.Follow instructions.

  Finally, here is the finished dish. I now it is "beige", I didn't have much on hand for colorful garish... the flavor profile well than makes up for the color. The salty and possibly spicy sausage, crunch of apples and onion, the sweetness of the sauce, the texture of the noodles.

I know it was a long one but I hope you enjoyed and will give it a shot!
Thanks again to MyDeliciousRecipe.com for the inspiration!!

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

 My inbox has been full  of soups and slow cooked meals that have my mind littered with thoughts of pumpkins, apples, squash, crock-pots, and all things fall. Thank you all for posting such wonderful recipes!!

 A neighbor happened to have an excess of butternut squash on hand and brought a box-full over to us, and i just happened to stumble upon an immersion blender on sale at a local "junk shop" for 8 dollars.. still in the box. I was dying to try it out and came up with this creamy dreamy soup.
Also, the good folks at Champlain Valley Apiaries, in Middlebury, Vermont had sent me some of their freshly made honey, which i was more than happy to incorperate into my recipe. Their website can be found here at champlainvalleyhoney.com
I do want to say that all ingredients are approximate, you can adjust to your taste buds of course.

1 butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and cooked until soft. I like to bake mine for maximum flavor.
2 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large carrots, run through the food processor
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup honey
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup cooked rice, I used brown rice
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sage
Curry paste to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
In large pot cook onion and carrots in butter till soft. Add chicken stock and  and simmer for about 15 minutes.Blend with immersion blender or run through food processor. Add honey, half and half, Old Bay, sage, curry, and salt and pepper to taste.

As always, thank you so much for stopping by and i hope you are enjoying this beautiful *snicker* fall weather..

Champlain Valley Apiaries sent me some of their honey to sample for this blog. I gladly and proudly represent their products without being paid.

Northeastern Pumpkin Walnut Bread

It's a chilly, wet autumn day here in New Hampshire. What better to do that fire up the oven and make some good use of the pumpkin I had already roasted.

16 oz roasted pumpkin puree  (15-oz can pumpkin puree can be substituted but add 1 Tablespoon more oil)

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup honey

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

toasted walnuts

1 cup toasted oats

cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two  loaf pans.    

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, sugar, honey, and vanilla until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger,and toasted walnuts. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans. Toast your oatmeal on a flat pan with a bit of cinnamon and sugar. It only need a few minutes. Add to the top of the unbaked bread.  Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

sugar

Bacon Choux Pastry Waffles with Caramel Apples

I have so many requests on Facebook for this recipe, i had to post it. besides, i also want it saved for future reference. My friend Marina had sent me the recipe for choux pastry that had an alternativefrom making them into waffles. No if anyone knows me, KNOWS i love choux pastry, which, normally is made for puff pastry or eclairs. The bacon addition is just something i came up with on a whim, and it worked. It really worked!
The house smelled so good while the apples were cooking , the whole family could barely stand it.
The waffles seem to take a little bit longer to cook than my usual recipe, it might be that my waffle iron is going to pot, or maybe because the batter is so rich.
Please leave your much welcome comments below, and if you have a blog and would like me to read, leave your comment as "name/url"

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups water
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 eggs
1/2  of a 16-oz package bacon
Cook bacon till crispy. Crumble and set aside.
Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil, in a large, thick-bottomed, saucepan. Add the flour, all at once, reduce the heat; stir with a wooden spoon, cooking the mixture until it separates cleanly from both pan and spoon. Remove from heat; incorporate the eggs, one-by-one, beating well. The dough should be glossy and soft, but hold its shape.
Add milk. For each cup of prepared choux paste, work in about ½ cup whole milk, to form a thick smooth batter, which runs off the spoon in a ribbon. Add cooked bacon crumbles Heat the waffle iron, brush with oil or butter; use a portion of batter small enough to allow room for expansion. Cook until golden. makes 7 waffles.

~THE CARAMEL APPLES~
Combine the following in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl:
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate or boiled cider
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon orange zest, juice or extract ( optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, (you can substitute corn syrup if you don't have a thing for maple)
5-6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced fairly thin.
1 cup minced, toasted pecans (walnuts can be substituted)
Combine all ingredients in large skillet over medium heat, let cook down until apples are soft and mixture becimes thickened. It might take up to 25 minutes if the apples are juicy, but uit is well worth the time.
Pour over waffles and serve.

Maple Brined Pork Chops w /Autumn Chuntney

A leaner cut of meat is always good with a brine.
I find pork loin, chicken breast, and turkeys are so much more tender and flavorful after soaking for 24 hours in a bath of salts, spices, herbs, sugars and/or other seasonings.
 Our chops were tender and moist and will be making this again!
My previous post is an Autumn Chutney made specificaly for this dish, where the flavors of fall really come through.

2 quarts water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 whole clove
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons allspice
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
6 thick boneless pork loin chops(about 1 pound each)
Olive oil, for brushing
In a large pot, combine the water, salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, vinegar, clove, bay leaves, allspice, mustard , sage and pepper. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Let the brine cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 hour. Add the pork chops to the brine and refrigerate for 7 to 8 hours ( i did for 24), turning the chops from time to time. Remove the pork chops from the brine and pat dry.
Light a grill. Lightly brush both sides of the chops with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire, for 18 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 155°. Transfer to plates and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Top with Autumn Chutney.

 

Sweet Bacon Wrapped Chicken

 My friend Kim gave me this recipe years ago, and it had been a family favorite since then.

It is so versatile, you can cut the chicken in smaller chunks and wrap with bacon or skewer by weaving the bacon in and out of the chicken on the stick. I highly recommend marinating in the chili powder/brown sugar/ garlic powder mixture for a couple of hours to let the flavors soak in. 

1 pound bacon 
1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 4)
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

Cut chicken into 1" cubes. Slice bacon into 1/3 pieces. Wrap each cube of chicken with bacon a secure with toothpick.  Bake in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 160 F.  Grill 6-8 min on each side . 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Dulce de Leche Topping

Ok, i know it’s spring and alot of you are probably saying “bread pudding???” The weather is cold, raining and dreary, and what better way to use this delightful little loaf of cinnamon raisin bread we found a couple days ago. i usually don’t care for raisins, but this time i am making an exeption for the beautifully smooth taste and texture of this dish. Comfort, on a plate.

12 slices day-old cinnamon raisin bread
1/4 cup butter, melted
8 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dulce de Leche or caramel.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Break bread into small pieces into an 13×9 inch baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over bread.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.
Drizzle with dulce de leche or caramel.

Mushroom and Wild Rice Stuffed Red Peppers

They have a crunch-like texture from the peppers, a mellow creamy taste and texture from the filling , and a nice tang from the fresh tomatoes. We had these for lunch, but they certainly could be made for dinner also. My amounts of the ingredients are estimates. I did plenty of tasting as i was making the filling and marinara. A great shortcut would be jarred marinara or sauce, but this was worth the trouble!
 Also, some cover them with foil while baking but i did not this time. The result was a drier, crunchier pepper.

  4 large red peppers, or green if you prefer, washed, tops sliced off and seeds removed
olive oil, for brushing
3 cups cooked long grain and wild rice
8 oz  finely chopped portabella mushrooms
3 Tablespoons minced onion
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 Tablespoons each parmesan and romano cheese ( you can use one or the other)
Salt and pepper to taste
After rinsing and de-seeding peppers, coat with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle inside and out with a bit of salt.  Cut a thin slice off from the bottoms of each pepper so it will sit balanced in pan.
Saute onions in butter till tender. Add mushrooms  just long enough so that they can absorb some of the creamy goodness, they will continue to cook while in the oven.
Mix rice, mushrooms, onion, mozzarella, parmesan, and romano in a medium bowl. Add seasonings to taste.  Pack each pepper well with mixture.  Set in an ovenproof pan. Add marinara ( below) and bake in 350 oven for about 50-60 min.

Marinara
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
 3 garlic cloves, minced
4 large tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons  basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 Tablespoons white wine, optional
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients in bowl and let sit while working on peppers. Add around peppers in pan before baking.
Thanks for reading!