Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

It has been so hot here in the Northwest lately, which makes turning on the oven an evil thing. However, today was a lot cooler and I'd been craving chili for a while, even with the heat. So chili it was. This was spicy, but not too spicy, and hearty with lots of good-for-you beans, corn, and chicken. What more could you ask for? The only problem: I have SO much left over! Anyone want to come over for a leftovers party?

Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili

3 chicken breasts
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
2 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
12 ounces frozen corn
2 14.5-ounce cans Ro-tel tomatoes with chilies (I blended until smooth-no chunks for me!)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sour cream, cheese, and cilantro for garnish

Combine beans, Ro-tel, corn, and tomato sauce in the slow cooker.

Add cumin, onion powder, taco seasoning, and chili powder.

Add a little red pepper flake for heat.

Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low 10 hours or on high for 6.

Take chicken out and shred a half an hour before serving.

Return to slow cooker and stir. Cook for the remaining half hour. Serve topped with fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.

This is great with cheddar jalapeño cornbread!

Parmesan Crusted Cod and Sauteed Zucchini

Sometimes I get a little burned out on chicken. We don't eat much red meat in this house (thank goodness my husband is understanding!) so our options are chicken, fish, chicken, pork, and chicken. We eat a lot of chicken. So yesterday I wanted fish, but not our usual lemon pepper fish and I didn't want anything fried. So I came up with this baked fish recipe that took almost no prep work and was crispy and flavorful. This is one that I can make while Nick's at work instead of my standard baked potato or pasta. It's that good. And the sauteed zucchini, what can I say about that? Is there any way to make zucchini that doesn't taste good? I don't think so. The only thing this one needed was a little fresh chopped basil, which I will be picking up at the store today so I can try it again. Ah, I love zucchini!

Parmesan Crusted Cod (or any other white fish like tilapia or halibut)

3 white fish fillets like cod, halibut, or tilapia
1 1/2-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt about a tablespoon of margarine in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and toast until brown, 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and pour in a mixing bowl. Add parmesan cheese and stir. Line a baking sheet with foil (for easy clean-up) and place thawed or frozen fillets (I used frozen). Season with kosher salt and pepper and spread a little bit of margarine over each fillet. This will help the coating to stick and the fillet won't dry out.

Press breadcrumb mixture on fish to desired thickness. Leave 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumb mixture for sauteed zucchini, if desired.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.

Sauteed Zucchini

2 medium zucchinis
Salt and pepper
Margarine
Garlic powder
Chopped fresh basil
2-3 tablespoons of toasted panko and parmesan cheese mixture from above, optional

Slice off ends of zucchini and cut in uniform medallion slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Melt 1-2 tablespoons of margarine in the same skillet used to toast the panko. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper and a little bit of garlic powder, to taste.

Saute for 5-10 minutes over medium-high heat until seared as desired. Add panko mixture for texture.

Serve with parmesan crusted cod and enjoy!

Chicken Florentine with Lemon Mustard Sauce

Is anyone else terrified of the meat mallet? Just me? Oh, okay. I have never used an actual intended-for-the-purpose-of-flattening-meat mallet before and my attempts with frying pans have never gone well, so I was a little nervous about this one. However, it turns out that flattening meat can be quite therapeutic and I plan on doing a lot more of it in the future. About the dish: yummy. The chicken had great flavor, the spinach was a great addition, and the sauce. Oh the sauce. I could drink that sauce straight from a glass. Okay, maybe not, but my husband could. No joke. It was tangy from the dijon and lemon and sweet from the sugar. This sauce would go well in many dishes. The only change I would make in this recipe is to double the sauce amount, but this one is definitely a keeper.

Chicken Florentine with Lemon Mustard Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons margarine, divided
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, cooked, well drained, and kept warm

Pound chicken breasts to 1/4-inch thickness.

Beat eggs in a bowl and combine bread crumbs, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts into egg.

Then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Put all coated chicken on a plate and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to allow the coating to dry out so it will stick better.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of margarine.

Add the chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until browned and no longer pink in the center.

Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet and melt remaining margarine. Stir in water, mustard, lemon juice, and sugar. Simmer 1 minute or until thickened. To serve, arrange chicken on plate and top with spinach, then drizzle the lemon mustard sauce on top. Serve with perfect potatoes au gratin.

Caramel Apple Pie

What's more American than apple pie? I made this dish for the 4th of July and it was delicious. Sweet from the caramel sauce, tart from the Granny Smith apples, and a little spicy with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Add all that to the fact that it is pretty easy to make with a store-bought deep dish pie crust and you've got a real winner. I didn't take many photos because I was pressed for time, but trust me when I say this was GOOD!

Caramel Apple Pie

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust
8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thinly, about 1/4 inch thickness
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg

For the topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour to create a paste. Add water, white sugar, and brown sugar and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for five minutes. Meanwhile, place the apples in a large mixing bowl. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and toss. Pour apples into the pie crust. They will create a large mound, which will cook down. Add the caramel sauce, pouring slowly so that it doesn't run off. Make the topping by melting the butter and adding the flour and brown sugar. Mix to combine and sprinkle on top of the pie.


Bake for 15 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Yankee Pot Roast

This was our 4th of July meal, as Nick worked a 14-hour shift that day, starting at noon, so I had to have a hearty meal ready by 10:30am. I put this on overnight and it was done in the morning. Nick loved it, but I didn't like the very onion-y taste. Next time, I will leave out the cut onions and just go with the beefy onion soup mix for flavor. I also think some thyme might brighten up the dish a little bit. Overall though, this was a great one-pot meal.

Yankee Pot Roast

3-4 pound chuck roast
5 red potatoes, quartered
1/2 an onion, cut in pieces
1 packet of Lipton beefy onion soup mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1-2 cups water (enough to fill the slow cooker 3/4 full)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper

Cut up potatoes and onions and place in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker.

Make sure you leave room for the roast.

Place the roast on top of the potatoes and onions. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, water, Worcestershire, garlic, and salt and pepper. Stir well and pour over the roast and veggies.

Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours. The sauce will have made a nice gravy to pour on the meat and potatoes. Enjoy!

Crockpot Parmesan Risotto

This was so yummy! I love pasta, potatoes, and rice, but I've never had risotto before and have been wanting to try it. However, it is a very involved process that has you chained to the stove constantly stirring a pot. I didn't want to do it that way, so I found a crockpot risotto recipe from A Year of Slowcooking. Yum, yum, yum! Easy and it doesn't overheat your house-a nice bonus on a 90+ degree day like today. P.S. I'm sweltering!

Crockpot Parmesan Risotto
*From A Year of Slowcooking

1 1/4 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon onion powder
4-5 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used a little less)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat and add in minced garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute.

Pour Arborio rice in your crockpot. Add olive oil. Add in the seasoning and sauteed garlic.

Pour in the broth and white wine and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or until rice is tender. I would check it at 1 hour, 45 minutes as ours was done a little early. Stir in parmesan cheese and let it cook uncovered for about 15 minutes to let some of the moisture escape. The final product will be very creamy and have a porridge-like consistency.

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette

This recipe was far more involved than any other I've made. I had to make the dough, which was incredibly scary, but so rewarding. It was flaky and almost croissant-like, but a little heavier. The filling was delicious, full of flavor, and amazing. I will be making this again and again. We ate most of it for dinner and then we both had some later that evening. It reheated very well and was still as wonderfully delicious. I didn't miss a protein at all with this dish, and I'm excited to try new fillings with it. But I think the zucchini and ricotta will always be my favorite. Don't be intimidated by the amount of work. This one is SO worth it!

Zucchini and Ricotta Galette
*From Smitten Kitchen

For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces and chilled again
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 large or 2 small zucchinis, cut in 1/4 inch rounds
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon slivered basil leaves

For the glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Make dough: Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Sprinkle bits of butter in dough and using a pasty blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice, and water and add to the butter-flour mixture. With your hands, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Make filling: Spread the zucchini out over several layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes; gently blot the tops dry with paper towels before using.

In a small bowl, whisk the garlic and olive oil together; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon of the garlic-olive oil mixture together and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Prepare galette: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flour your work surface.

Roll the dough into a 12-inch round.

Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border.

Shingle the zucchini on top of the ricotta in concentric circles, starting at the outside edge.

Drizzle the remaining garlic and olive oil mixture evenly over the zucchini. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edges to make it fit. The center will be open. Brush the crust with the yolk glaze.

Bake 40-50 minutes until dough is browned and zucchini is slightly wilted. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let stand 5 minutes.

Cut into wedges and serve hot.

Chinese Noodle Casserole

This is one of my mom's recipes. I love it as an easy go-to dish that always tastes good and has great flavor and texture. It also reheats really well, just add extra chow mein noodles for crunch.

Chinese Noodle Casserole

1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup cashews, split
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 5-ounce can chow mein noodles (I use WAY more than this-love the chow mein noodles!)

Combine chicken and celery in a mixing bowl.

On a funny side note, here is our puppy, Gus, helping me by eating the leftover celery.

Add cashews.

Mix to combine.

Combine soup and broth until blended.

Pour over chicken and stir to mix.

Layer mixture in a greased 2-quart deep casserole dish starting with half the chicken mixture then half the noodles.

Repeat and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until heated through.

Serve over rice and enjoy!