Southern Chicken Pastry

Southern Chicken Pastry 

This is something I've heard about for years. I've been craving it, even though I had no idea what it tasted like.  Something about chicken and pastry just made my mouth water.    

 So anyway, tired of waiting I realized I could probably just wing it and figure it out for myself.  Heck I know how to make a great chick soup base.  So off I went!

Ingredients:

• Whole chicken or cut up whole chicken
• Knorr Bullion, Granulated, Chicken flavored
• 3 cups flour + 1-2 cups (or more for kneading and rolling out)
• 1 egg (optional)
• 3-4 tablespoons pepper (adjust per your preference) 
• 2 tsp salt
• milk (I forgot to measure it... add 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is very sticky and holds together

  
Directions for soup base:

1. Clean the chicken, rinse well.  Add to a stock pot and fill with water.  Bring to a boil and turn down to medium low and cook until the chicken falls of the bone.  I personally start my soup at night and allow it to cook on low over night.  Once the chicken is done remove from heat and cool. 
2.  Strain broth into another container leaving the bones, skin and meat in the strainer.  Separate and remove all bone and skin and keep only the chicken meat.  Place the meat back in the broth.  Allow to warm up.  Taste and add Knorr granulated bullion as needed to get to the wonderful chicken soup base.

Directions for pastry:

1. Combine 3 cups flour, 3-4 tablespoons pepper, 2 tsp salt.  Mix well with a fork.  
2. Add egg (optional) if you do add this using the fork mix the egg into the flour mixture well breaking it up as much as possible.
3. Start adding 1/4 cup at a time of milk to the mixture, stirring well with a fork to combine.  Keep adding until the mixture sticks together and resembles a sticky blob.
4. Add flour to the counter and place the pastry on the flour.  Kneed adding flour until it is no longer sticky.  Keeping the pastry floured roll out as thin as you can get it.
5. Use a pizza wheel to cut the pastry into strips. 
6. Now walk away and let them sit to dry for about 45 minutes.

 Final Directions Chicken Pastry:

1.  Bring the soup base to a rapid boil
2. Add the pastry a handful at a time, until all are added.  Stir well.  Leave at a boil for at least 30 minutes, stirring every so often.
3. Reduce to a simmer and serve up in bowls.  This was a total hit and something I will make again on any cold winter day when I'm looking for a comfort food.  It was so out of this world. 

MMMMMMM ENJOY :) 

This makes a wonderful leftover too.  The next day it was somehow even better!!!

Best Ever Egg Sandwich adaption from Ambitious Kitchen

 This is my version of the Best Ever Egg Sandwich with Avocado, Tomato and Bacon.

 

I follow the Ambitious Kitchen blog regularly.  Monique's blog is truly an inspiration for me.  Here is my adaption of her Best  Egg Sandwich with Avocado, Tomato & Bacon.

 Since I saw this recipe I have made variations of this a total of three times.  Play around with it yourself and I bet you will find one you love too! 

This can be made open faced or closed as I have done it.  It's messy, its good.  Dig in you wont regret it.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a ripe avocado
• 2 slices of a good multi-grain bread for toasting
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of smoked thick cut bacon
• 2 slices of smoked cheddar
• green chili dust
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the avocado in half.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and green chili dust.  Mix with a fork gently  until it reaches a slightly chunky consistency. If you want more spice red pepper flakes if desired. 
2. Next toast bread to to your preferred level, once done place cheese on the toast this helped to melt it.  
3. In a small skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until your desired state crispy (or in my case crispy on the edge cooked in the center). Remove and transfer to paper towel and pat dry.  Place on top of the cheese on the toast.  Add the sliced tomato and avocado.
4. Keep the heat in on in the pan and crack egg into skillet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic salt (tiny amount) and green chili dust.  Cook your egg to the desired stage (for me its hard I don't like runny eggs) . Place the egg on the sandwich close the sandwich up and enjoy!

Variation Suggestions: 

• sausage/turkey sausage
• turkey bacon
• Canadian bacon
• green chili
• salsa
• hot sauce or cholula
• baby spinach
• spring mix
• cucumber
• pepper jack cheese, manchego cheese, queso blanco cheese, or any other have tried a lot of different ones so feel free to mix them up

Hawaiian Style Shrimp Scampi

 Hawaiian Style Shrimp Scampi

 

 

Ingredients:

•  1 pound large Shrimp, shell on, deveined
•  3/4 cup Clarified Butter (see instructions below)
•  1 head Garlic, peeled and chopped
•  1 cup Flour
•  2 Tbsp Paprika
•  1/2 tsp Cayenne
•  1/4 cup White Wine
•  1-2 tsp Sea Salt
•  CalRose rice to serve with

Clarified Butter is recommended, since it has a higher smoke point than regular butter. This will help to prevent the butter and garlic from burning as it cooks. For my easy photo guide to clarifying butter. Two sticks of butter will produce just the right amount of clarified butter for this recipe.  Cut unsalted butter into chunks. Always use unsalted butter to make clarified butter.  Here is how to clarify butter:

Clarified Butter Directions:

1. Over very low heat, slowly heat the butter until it is completely melted. Do not simmer the butter.
2. Some of the milk solids will create a foam on the surface of the butter.
3. Use a spoon to carefully skim off and discard the milk solids.
4. You will reveal the layer of clarified butter.
5. Slowly pour clarified butter into a cup, being careful not to pour in the layer of milk solids which will have collected on the bottom.
6. Two sticks of butter will produce about 6 ounces of clarified butter. It can be refrigerated until you are ready to use.

 Shrimp Scampi Directions:

1. Check that the shrimp have been deveined. 
2. Combine the flour, paprika, and cayenne pepper in a dish. 
3. Toss the shrimp in the flour mixture to coat. 
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the clarified butter  and garlic.
5. Cook for a minute or two, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, then turn the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes on the other side
6. Add the white wine and salt. Cook for a minute or two. Serve with a side of CalRose white rice and spoon over some of the sauce from the Scampi over the rice

 MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GOOOD!!!!!

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

• Fresh Tomatos (large yellow, red etc)
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (sliced not grated)
• Balsamic Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup (rated #1 in survey, click to go the site)
• Red Wine Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Basil leaves

Directions:

Slice up the tomatoes and place onto a plate.  Lightly sprinkle with Olive Oil.  Place sliced Mozzarella on top of tomatoes and add torn up Basil to each one.  Take a nice amount of the Balsamic Vinaigrette with a splash or two of the Red Wine Balsamic Vinegar into a small non stick frying pan.  Cook on low/medium heat stirring frequently until reduced to a nice thick reduced sauce.  With a spoon drizzle the sauce on top of the tomatoes/mozzarella and basil and serve immediately.

Grilled stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Grilled Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms on the Grill

Ingredients:

• Portobello Mushrooms
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Shredded Jack Cheese
• Pancetta

Directions:

Remove stems and rinse Portobello mushrooms.  Cook the Pancetta and drain the grease.  Layer the Mozzarella to a desired thickness.  Top with Pancetta and then lightly add Jack Cheese.  Place on grill on LOW and cook until cheese is melted.

Other options:

Add fresh baby spinach under your first layer of cheese. 

Home Made Sloppy Joes

Home Made Sloppy Joes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground veal
• 2 packages onion soup mix
• Garlic salt (to desired taste)
• Italian dressing (small splash)
• 2-3 small cans tomato Sauce
• Ketchup and Mustard (to desired taste)
 

Directions:

Cook them all the meats together with the packages of onion soup mix.  Drain the grease.  Add a little garlic salt and can add a touch of Italian dressing then mix well. Add 2-3 cans of tomato sauce and mix well.  Add ketchup and mustard until you reach the desired taste.

Freezes well.