Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chicken...

Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes with Chicken

This was an off-the-cuff experiment, and they were fabulous and very filling!  I'm putting recipe here so I can remember how next time!  I didn't serve anything with these, but a salad would go nicely.

Ingedients:

2 or 3 frozen chicken thighs

2 or 3 strips bacon

2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 teaspoon of Tajin seasoning

1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:

Lay the frozen chicken thighs side by side in bottom of slow cooker.  Lay strips of bacon across the tops of the chicken.  Set on Low for 4 hours.

When the chicken has been cooking for 3 hours, flip the chicken and bacon, so that the bacon is resting on bottom of slow cooker, and chicken is on top of it, and continue cooking for remaining time.  Wash and place the sweet potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet.  Cover with foil, and place in a 350° F oven for 50 minutes.  (Rather than individually wrapping the potatoes, the bottom and top covers simplify the preparation later.)  At the end of 50 minutes remove from oven and set aside the top layer of foil.  Pierce the sweet potatoes to be sure they are cooked through, if they are, place them on what was the top layer of foil, then pick up the foil and potatoes and place over the first piece of foil on baking sheet.  This is just to make sure that any sweet juices that leaked from the potatoes during baking won't harden and make potatoes stick to that first layer of foil.  Let sit for a few minutes while you use a fork to shred chicken and bacon,

Slice one long side of each sweet potato and scoop out most of the flesh (leaving about 1/4 inch to line the skin) and place flesh in a medium size bowl and mash.  Add the remaining ingredients (except for the chicken/bacon) to the bowl and stir to combine.  Add the flesh back to the skins, top with shredded chicken and bacon, and sprinkle a little more cheese on top.  Return to the 350° oven for about 10 minutes or till heated through and cheese on top is melted.  Enjoy!

Beef & Winter Vegetable Stew...

My recipe was inspired by a recipe from Mary Roe, a friend of a friend.  Her version had only sweet potato and cranberries with the meat .  I love winter vegetables, and thought that more vegetables could only make it better.  This has some sweetness with the sweet potatoes, parsnips, cranberries, and cider.  The salty base of the French Onion soup is a good balance.

Ingredients:

1 to 2 pounds beef stew meat

1 leek, sliced thin

1 small to medium onion, sliced thin

4 to 6 parsnips, peeled and sliced

1 rutabaga, peeled and cubed

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 to 2 medium white potatoes, cubed (I used multi-colored new potatoes whole)

1/2 cup fresh cranberries

2 cans condensed French Onion soup

2 soup cans of water

1 soup can of apple cider

salt and pepper to taste

dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:

Heat a little olive oil in the bottom of a large pot.  Add stew meat in a single layer and brown on all sides.  Season with salt and pepper while browning.  After well browned, remove meat and set aside.  Add leek and onion to the pot and let cook till translucent.  Add meat back to the pan, and add remaining vegetables.  Stir to combine.  Pour the cans of French Onion soup, water, and apple cider over top of meat and vegetables.  Add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to the pot and stir to combine all.  Bring to a slow boil, then reduce and simmer for a couple of hours.  Test vegetables to make sure all are cooked tender.  Serve with cornbread, or a dark crusty bread would also be good.

(My Ninja slow cooker has a stove-top setting, so I did the meat browning and assembling vegetables and liquid together on the high stove-top setting.  Then I switched to slow cooking mode and cooked 4 hours on high slow-cook setting.)

Shrimp Salad...

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, cooked and roughly chopped
3 ribs of celery, diced
1/4 of a small onion, finely diced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sweet pickle relish
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere Original Creole Seasoning
salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

4 tomatoes
Salad greens

Cocktail Sauce:
1/2 cup catsup
2 to 3 teaspoons  prepared horseradish

Townhouse Crackers

Directions:
For the cocktail sauce, stir together the catsup and horseradish well.  Set aside.

Combine first 7 ingredients.  Adjust seasoning to taste.

With a sharp paring knife, remove the stem core from each tomato.  Starting at top of each tomato,  cut into six wedges without cutting through the base of the tomato.

Arrange salad greens on a plate.  Top with a tomato, carefully spreading out the wedges so that it stays intact.  Scoop a generous portion of shrimp salad into the center of each tomato.  Top with a dollop of cocktail sauce, and serve with Townhouse crackers.

Oven (or slow cooker) Jambalaya

(apologies for the poor photo quality)

Ingredients: 
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 to 6 celery ribs, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 pound fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
3 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cups chopped green onions
2 Tbsp minced dried parsley
1 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute the sliced sausage.  Stir the onions, green peppers, celery and garlic in with the sausage until crisp-tender.  Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.

2. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until rice is tender.

--or--

Transfer to slow cooker and cook on HI for 4 hours.

My Notes: I have a Ninja cooking system, so I did all steps in one pot. After adding rice, I set it to 'oven' setting at 250° for about 1 hour or until rice is done.

You can also add shrimp to the recipe, but wait until the last 20 minutes of cooking time before stirring them into the casserole/pot, so they don't overcook.

Slow Cooker Dublin Coddle...

I've blogged before about Dublin Coddle.  My friend LB reminded me that it needed trying in the slow cooker.  It turned out SO delicious and was so much easier since I didn't bother with the layering and oven-cooking steps.

Part of what makes it so easy is my Ninja Slow Cooker.  (not a sponsored recommendation, I just LOVE my Ninja.)  It has stove-top settings, which makes browning of meat in its non-stick liner so convenient, and no extra pan to wash.  I just sliced the sausage and bacon and put it in the liner and set on 'high' stove-top setting.

While the meat started cooking, I chopped the onions and sliced the potatoes.  Carey had picked up baby carrots instead of whole carrots, so I used those straight from the package.

As soon as the vegetables were prepped, I stirred them into the liner with the bacon and sausage.  The bacon and sausage weren't fully cooked yet, but that was okay since it was going to slow cook for four more hours.  

I poured a can of Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup over the top.  Then I almost filled the empty soup can with water and poured that over the top too, twice (or about 2 cups of water).  I pushed the potatoes down into the liquid as much as possible.  The soup is salty enough that I don't even add additional salt...maybe just some ground black pepper if I think of it.

Then I added as much torn kale (with large stems removed) as I could fit into the room that was left at the top of the pot to steam.  I put the lid on, and switch from stove-top setting to the 'high - 4 hour' slow cook setting.  When it's done, I stir the kale into the rest of the ingredients before serving.

It is SO good, and it is everybody's favorite...much more flavorful than it is photogenic.  Jared said he could eat it every day, so I make it often, as I almost always have everything on hand.  And now it's even easier in the slow cooker!

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked link sausage, sliced

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 onion, roughly chopped

5 to 6 potatoes, washed and sliced (I leave peel on)

3 carrots, washed and sliced (I leave peel on) or baby carrots

2 to 3 cups tightly packed torn kale, 

      washed and large stems removed

1 can Campbell's Condensed French Onion soup

2 cups water

Directions:

Cook the sausage and bacon a bit.  In the slow cooker liner mix the onion, potatoes, and carrots to the meats and toss.  Pour soup and water over top.  Top with kale.  Cover and cook for 4 hours on high slow cooker setting.  Stir the kale into the rest of the ingredients before serving.

Hungarian Goulash Fusion...

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

3 lb beef stew meat (or roast cut into 1 to 2 inch cubes)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder (or 3 cloves garlic finely diced)

2 large onions, roughly diced

2 bell peppers (optional)

     2 - 3 Tablespoons paprika

     2 teaspoons caraway seeds

          1 can tomato paste, 6 ounces
          1/4 cup brown sugar

          1 can mushroom stems & pieces

          1 can Campbell’s Condensed French Onion soup

          1 cup water

          1 or 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

               ¼ cup golden raisins

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan.  Add stew meat to the pan without crowding.  Season meat with salt, pepper, and garlic.  Once seared, add onions and bell pepper to the pan and stir; let cook for a few minutes until onion is translucent.  

Transfer all to a slow cooker.  Add paprika and caraway seeds and stir well so the spices don’t clump.  Add tomato paste and brown sugar, and stir to distribute.  Add mushrooms, French Onion soup, water, and sweet potato.  Let cook on high for 8 hours or low for 4 hours.  About 15 minutes before end of cooking time, add raisins and stir to distribute. 

Serve over rice.

My note:  This is started out as a Hungarian Goulash, but when I came across missing items in my spice cabinet and noodle canister, it became somewhat of a curry-less curry with the addition of sweet potato, raisins, and served over rice.  But the family loved it!  :)

Pasta Caponata with Chicken Breast...

Ingredients:
1/2 sleeve of Ritz or Townhouse Crackers, crushed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Garlic & Herb seasoning
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts


1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant (cut into about 1 inch dice)
1/2 red onion (1 inch dice)
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper (1 inch dice)
2 Tablespoons capers (drained)
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

1 box penne pasta

parsley for garnish

Directions:
Fill a large pot with water, and allow to come to a boil while cooking chicken and sauce.  Keep hot in preparation to cook pasta.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Stir together cracker crumbs, Parmesan, and Garlic & Herb Seasoning mix in a dish.  Dredge chicken breasts in cracker crumb mix and place in hot oil.  Brown lightly on both sides.  Remove from pan, and set aside on a paper towel.

Add eggplant to the skillet.  (Eggplant will absorb all the oil in the pan, but it will release it again as it cooks.  Let cook about five minutes, stirring occasionally until brown on all sides.  Remove to a plate covered with a paper towel.

Place onion in skillet, and cook stirring occasionally until tender and beginning to caramelize.  Add the celery, bell pepper, and capers and cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir to coat vegetables.  Add eggplant back to pan.  Add raisins, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and water, and stir to blend all.   Place the chicken breasts on top of the caponata sauce, cover, and simmer on low while cooking the penne pasta.

Cook penne as per package directions.  When penne is done, plate chicken and penne, and ladle caponata sauce over the penne.  Garnish with parsley.

Lasagna...

Sauce Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon whole basil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans (15 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 cans (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 box lasagna noodles (I use about 8 noodles, and save the remaining)

Cheese Layer Ingredients:
3 cups cottage cheese (I puree in food processor, but that's optional)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1 pound Mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced very thin

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a large, deep skillet.  Stir in remaining sauce ingredients, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Place a large pot of water on heat, and bring to a boil.  Cook the lasagna noodles as per package directions.  Once done, drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.

Place all the Cheese Layer ingredients in a bowl, and stir to combine well.

Preheat oven to 375° F.
Grease a 9" x 13" pan.  I put a very small amount of thinned sauce in the bottom.  
Place 4 lasagna noodles in the pan, sides overlapping slightly if necessary.
Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles evenly.
Top with half of the Mozzarella cheese.
Dot the meat sauce over all, and carefully spread to cover evenly.
Repeat layers ending with sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

My notes:  This is from a community cookbook I received as a wedding gift.  Back then ethnic food ingredients were not as readily available in local grocers as they are today.  Ricotta is probably a more authentic cheese choice, but cottage cheese is probably less expensive so I continue to use it.  My kids never liked the texture of cottage cheese, so I have always pureed it in the food processor so it wasn't easily identified.

Red Beans & Rice

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked link sausage
8 to 10 cups cooked pinto beans plus their liquid
   (at least 3 cups liquid, or add water or broth to make up the difference)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions:
Slice sausage into rounds 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Heat a deep pan and add sausage rounds to brown a little, stirring occasionally.  Add beans with their liquid, tomatoes, and spices.  Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for awhile (one hour or four hours, it's up to you).  The longer you simmer, the softer the beans will get and thicken the liquid.  Serve over white rice.

My notes:  Carey does not like spicy foods.  So I make a large pot of beans with ham, onion, and garlic and serve it with cornbread.  I save the leftover beans to make a spicier meal of red beans & rice when he's not home. 

No-Peek Chicken...

Ingredients:
2 cups white long grain rice
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 soup can of water
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 to 2 pounds of chicken pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.  Spray a 9" x 13" casserole with non-stick spray or grease lightly.  In a bowl, whisk the soups and water to combine without lumps, then add rice and stir to combine.  Pour into the prepared casserole.  Lay chicken pieces on top of the rice/soup.  Sprinkle the envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix over all evenly.  Cover well with foil (or lid), and bake for about an hour and a half to two hours.  Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.  Serve with salad or a vegetable.

My notes:  I learned to make this early in my marriage.  Not haute cuisine, but the family likes it, and it is so easy on a busy day.  You can use any chicken pieces that you prefer, you can adjust cooking time up or down depending on the size of pieces used.

Chicken Fried Steak...

Ingredients:
1.5 to 2 pounds cube steak (if very large, cut into serving size)
3 eggs
1 cup flour
salt, pepper, garlic powder in amount you prefer
1 cup of vegetable oil

• Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
• Break the 3 eggs into a pie plate or similar sized dish.  Whisk with a fork until well beaten.
• Place the cup of flour into another pie plate or similar sized dish.  Add the salt, pepper, and garlic powder and stir till mixed.
• Dredge a steak in the seasoned flour and shake off extra flour
• Dip the floured steak into the egg to coat well.
• Dredge the egg-dipped steak back into the seasoned flour and cover well with the flour.  I press the flour into the steak to make sure it is sticking well.  
• Place the steak into the hot oil.
• Repeat with remaining steak pieces.  (When all steaks are breaded, reserve the left over flour for gravy.)
• When the first side is cooked to a golden brown, turn to place the second side down in the oil.  Cook about 5 minutes per side.
• When steak is uniformly golden brown and cooked through, remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

For white gravy:

4 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons reserved seasoned flour

1 to 1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tablespoons of reserved oil from skillet

• Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.  
• Add about 3 Tablespoons of the reserved seasoned flour to the melted butter whisking constantly to avoid lumps forming.  Cook for a minute or two.  
• Add about 1/2 cup of milk while continuing to whisk.  When it begins to thicken, add another 1/2 cup of milk continuing to whisk.  
• Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the hot oil left in skillet to the gravy and whisk in.  Heat for a few minutes whisking as needed to avoid lumps.  If gravy thickens too much, add more milk.  
• Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
• Serve over steak and with mashed potatoes if desired.

Chicken Provolone...

I was conflicted when it came time to prepare dinner.  I wanted to cook from ingredients on hand, but I wanted something out of the normal rotation and filling and that would freeze well for Carey to take to work.  I really wanted Chicken Parmesan, but had no Parmesan.

I did have boneless/skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, spaghetti in the pantry, a half sleeve of crackers, a jar of spaghetti sauce, and sliced Provolone in the fridge.

Ingredients:
4 or 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/2 sleeve cracker crumbs (Ritz or Club)
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 jar spaghetti sauce
Provolone cheese (I used slices)
3 Tablespoons butter
16 ounces spaghetti 

Directions:
Pour enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a skillet and heat to medium high.  Crush the crackers into a pie plate and add flour, salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder and stir to mix well.  Dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned crumbs and place them into the hot oil and brown both sides.

Melt butter and pour it over the remaining seasoned cracker crumbs.  Mix well so that all the crumbs are buttery.

Spray a casserole dish (large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer) with nonstick spray and pour about 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the casserole and spread it out.  When the chicken breasts are nicely browned, place them in the casserole and top with slices of Provolone.  Pour about 1/2 the remaining spaghetti sauce over the chicken breasts/cheese so all were covered.  Then sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top and bake uncovered at 350° F for 45 minutes to an hour.  

Cook the spaghetti as per package directions and drain when done.  Return spaghetti to pan it was cooked in and pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over it.  Place over very low heat to warm the sauce. 

Serve the chicken alongside the pasta.  Add a salad, vegetable, and/or garlic bread.  

My notes:  Carey really liked this.  I told him I just made the recipe up as I went along, and he asked if I would write it down so we could have it again.  :)

Dublin Coddle with Kale...

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked sausage

1/2 pound thick sliced bacon

3 cups beef broth 
   (* or 1 can condensed French Onion Soup plus 1 1/2 cans water) 

6 potatoes

3 large carrots (In photo above I didn't have whole carrots and used matchstick instead.)

2 onions

1 bag of kale
salt and pepper

Directions:

Slice the sausage and chop the bacon.  Place in a pan and add 3 cups beef broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Scrub the potatoes and carrots well (or peel if you prefer) and slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.    Thinly slice 2 onions.  Wash the kale, discarding large stems, and chop roughly.

Preheat oven to 425° F.  Spray a large casserole with cooking spray, or coat bottom and sides with olive oil.  

Layer:

1/3 of potato slices in the bottom

1/3 of the sliced onions

1/3 of the carrots (in photo above I used matchstick carrots instead of sliced)

1/3 of the kale

1/3 of the sausage and bacon
a sprinkle of salt and pepper

Repeat layers twice more, then pour the hot broth over all.  Cover with a lid or foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove lid.  If it looks too dry add 1/2 cup of water.  Leave uncovered and bake for 20 more minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.

My notes:  *The second time I made this (3/16/2017) was for an early St. Patrick's Day supper.  I didn't have any beef broth, but I did have a can of Campbell's Condensed French Onion Soup that had been languishing in the cupboard for a long time.  I don't remember when or why I bought it...probably should have checked the use-by date.  :)  I used it (plus 1 and 1/2 cans of water) in place of the 3 cups of beef broth.  The coddle tasted even better than I remember it tasting the first time.  Yum!

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken with Broccoli...

Other than cropping, no adjustments were made to the photo above...straight out of the camera.  I was happily surprised with the brown glazing of the chicken thighs.

I found the same recipe in quite a few different websites, so I can't give an original attribute.  And anyway, as usual, I adapted it to what I had on hand and what our preferences are.  My version follows:

Place 4 to 6 chicken thighs in the slow cooker. (I used boneless/skinless, and I put them in frozen.)

Whisk together:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pour this over the frozen thighs, covering them evenly and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. 

 About 30 minutes before we were ready to eat, I added 2 to 3 cups broccoli florets and stirred them into the sauce.  Then I sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon dried chives over all, covered, and continued to cook for 30 more minutes while I prepared rice.

The broccoli looks a little overcooked in the photo, but it was actually just done with a little bit of crunch still.  I'll be making this again. 

Homemade Pizza with Easy Crust...

Crust Ingredients:  (makes 2)
2 cups warm water
2 packages of yeast (or 4 1/2 teaspoons from jar)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon honey
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Toppings:
sauce (I had bottled spaghetti sauce on hand, it was fine)
mozzarella cheese, grated
onion, sliced
green bell pepper, sliced
black olives, sliced
green olives, sliced
Italian sausage, removed from casings and browned
pepperoni
cherry tomatoes, halved

• Add water, yeast, and sugar to a bowl.  Stir and let proof for about 5 minutes.
• Add salt, honey, and about 2.5 cups of flour.  Mix by hand.
• Add remaining flour a half cup at a time until it doesn't feel 'sticky'
• Knead a few times
• Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise at least 30 minutes, the longer the better
• Preheat oven to 425° F
• Pat dough out to fit pizza pan or cookie sheet
• Bake for 10 minutes
• Add sauce, cheese, and toppings, then bake at 475° for 15 minutes

My notes:  Any combination of toppings can be used.  These were what I had in the fridge today, and it turned out so delicious.  I forgot to pre-bake the crust, and it still turned out fine and cooked through.

Chicken Spaghetti Especiál...

Ingredients:

12 ounces spaghetti, cooked al dente as per package directions and drained

4 Tablespoons butter

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons Chicken bouillon

4 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 15 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 cups shredded chicken (left from Crockpot Chicken Tacos)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º F.  Cook spaghetti as directed on package, and drain.

Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter in non-stick skillet.  Saute onion and green pepper till softened.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken bouillon, and stir through.  Add flour and stir to coat vegetables and cook flour a bit.  Pour a cup of milk into pan, and stir to make a sauce.  When the sauce is smooth and thickened a bit, stir in the diced tomatoes.  Stir in sour cream, Gruyere cheese, and about 1/4 cup of the cheddar cheese.  

Pour this over the cooked spaghetti, and stir to blend.  Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.  Pour the spaghetti into the casserole dish and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

My notes:  The combination of using the chicken taco meat, making homemade sauce rather than using condensed soup, the fire roasted tomatoes, and the Gruyere cheese (which was in the fridge and needed to be used up) really upped the game of my usual run-of-the-mill chicken spaghetti.  

Beef Koftas and Yogurt Flatbread...

Ingredients:
1.5 pound ground beef
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tblsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Tajin Fruit Seasoning (ground chile & lime)
1 egg

Directions:
(If making Yogurt Flatbread, prepare dough and set it to rest while preparing Beef Koftas.)

Heat oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add diced onion and minced garlic, and cook just till transparent.  Add cumin and Tajin, and stir to mix.  Place ground beef in bowl, add the onion, garlic, and seasonings, and 1 egg.  Mix well by hand.  Shape into sausage shapes.  Place non-stick skillet back over medium-high heat, and place the koftas in pan, turning to brown all sides.  When evenly browned, place koftas into an oven safe dish with cover, and put in 325° F oven to cook through while cooking flatbreads.

Serve with Yogurt Flatbread, mixed salad greens, diced tomato or halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, ripe olives, and yogurt dressing.


Yogurt Flatbread Ingredients (makes 6):
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add in yogurt, and mix with hand till well blended.  Knead in bowl for another five minutes.  If sticky, add a little more flour.  Wrap in plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for thirty minutes while preparing koftas.

Divide into six even portions.  On floured surface, and with a floured rolling pin, roll very thin.  Place non-stick pan over medium high heat and spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Place a dough round into hot pan, cook for 40 to 60 seconds till bubbled up and bottom is nicely browned, then turn and cook second side for a further 40 to 60 seconds.  Continue with remaining dough.

Yogurt Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp Tajin Fruit Seasoning
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

My notes:  These were based on Lamb Koftas and Yoghurt Flatbread from Homemade Takeaway by Julie Goodwin and blogged about by Joolz.  I made some accidental and some necessary substitutions.  Even so, they turned out quite tasty, so though I still want to make them like Joolz did, I also didn't want to forget how I made them tonight as they were a big hit with the family.

Roast with Drop Dumplings...

Roast (with horseradish), Dumplings, Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 to 3 pound boneless roast

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

1 cup water

1 to 2 envelopes of brown gravy mix

water as called for on gravy mix pkg

Ingredients for dumplings:

2 c all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons snipped parsley (opt)

2 beaten egg

½  cup milk

4 Tablespoons cooking oil

Directions:
Sear roast on all sides.  Place in slow cooker.  Sprinkle the Lipton Onion Soup over. the roast.  Add water to slow cooker.  Cook on Low for 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.  (Roast can also be roasted in oven, covered and tightly sealed, at 300 for two to three hours.

When done, remove roast to platter.

Place pan drippings from slow cooker or roaster into a large saucepan (or if you have a slow cooker with stove top setting capabilities leave in slow cooker insert).  Add envelope(s) of brown gravy and water, and whisk until smooth.  Cover and heat to simmer over medium low heat while you make dumpling dough.

Directions for Dumplings:  Combine flour, baking  powder, and salt; stir in parsley.  Combine egg, milk, and oil.  Add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork only till combined.  Drop dough by the tablespoon into simmering roast gravy.  Cover tightly.  Reduce heat, do not lift cover.  Simmer 12 to 15 minutes.   Serve.

These are 'drop' dumplings, not the rolled variety.  I'm not a fan of the rolled variety, too heavy for my liking.  I took the photo below of a dumpling I cut in half to show you how it is cooked and fluffy all the way through.

 I have never had this dumpling recipe fail...dumplings turn out light and fluffy every time.

5/30/17: Slightly alternate version.  Before work I seared roast in my Ninja slow cooker.  Added a bag of baby carrots, and 1 can of Campbell's condensed French onion soup, plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup water and cooked on low for about 11 hours.   After cooking time, I removed roast and added another can of Campbell's condensed French onion soup, and a soup can of water.  I switched from 'low' slow-cooker setting to 'medium' stove-top setting to bring liquid in pot to a low boil while I made dumpling dough.  I dropped dumplings into the broth, covered with lid, and let simmer for 15 minutes.