Chicken Pot Pie

In large soup pot bring 2-3 quarts water to a boil with:
1-2 T. chicken bouillon,
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T dried sage
1-2 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp poultry seasoning
1-2 T. dried parsley
1 large chicken breast

Reduce heat (med) when boiling and cover.
Boil until chicken breast is cooked through.

While chicken is boiling....
in a smaller saucepan (2.5 quart) add 1 quart chicken broth. Season with same seasonings as above but smaller quantities. (I don't have measurements) add 1lb. bag of frozen mixed veggies (I like peas, corn, carrots and green beans...no lima beans). Bring to boil and cook until vegetables are soft.

While vegetables and chicken are boiling...

Dumplings:
In separate bowl, mix:
-3 cups dry Bisquick (I make my own and keep in freezer...doesn't taste chemically... look online for recipe)
-3/4 cup milk
Mix with a fork until dry ingredients are just combined (should be lumpy and not very wet/sticky). If needed, add more milk or Bisquick to correct consistency.

When chicken is cooked through, remove from liquid and set aside (covered). Leave liquid boiling and break off 1/2-1" blobs of dumpling dough with fork and drop them into boiling liquid. Continue until all dough is added.

Whenever vegetables are cooked enough for your liking (I like them quite soft), pour entire boiling contents of vegetable/chicken broth combo into dumpling combo. Cook on medium heat, letting the dumplings' flour thicken the mixture...stirring frequently to prevent sticking on the bottom.

While it's cooking, chop boiled chicken into chunks and add to pot.

If you have a pie crust (or want to make one... see pie crust recipe on blog... I know there's one attached to coconut cream pie recipe), my cheater method is to pour the thickened soup into a pie plate, cut vent holes into the crust and lay over the soup, pressing down the edges. Then I bake on 400° for about 20 mins or until crust is golden.

If I don't have or don't want to make a pie crust, I just serve it as soup. Yum!

*note.... If I'm going to put it in the oven, I don't cook the veggies quite as long as they continue cooking in the oven.

Chicken Curry

This is a loose 'recipe' that varies every time I make it, depending on what kind of curry I have available and what veggies I have on hand.

Diced chicken (I usually use one large-ish breast)

One large onion

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder (to taste)

Chicken Broth (1 box)

One can coconut milk (optional)

Possibly water and chicken boullion

Several carrots (3 or 4, depending on size and how many people I'm feeding)

A couple potatoes (same as carrots... depends)

Whatever other veggies I want/have... zucchini, fresh green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc)

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Rice (I use 3 cups uncooked to feed whole family)



Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat.  Dice onions and add to olive oil.  Cook for 2 or 3 minutes.  Add diced chicken to onions and cook through, stirring frequently. If you have raw veggies like beans or zucchini, add them a few minutes before chicken is done.   Do not cover. 

In a separate pot, add chicken broth (and some water/boullion, depending on how many potatoes/carrots you need to cook (need to be covered by the liquid).  Bring to a boil and add potatoes, carrots, squash or sweet potatoes.  Add curry mix to this concoction as well and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cover for 15 or 20 mins, or until veggies are soft.  Throw in chicken/onion toward the end and add coconut milk.  Simmer for a few mins until done. 

Serve over rice.

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White Rice directions:

1 c. dry rice
2 c. water
1/2 t. salt

Water:Rice is a 2:1 ratio...

If you do a cup of rice, you will use 2 cups of water.  If you do 2 cups of rice, you will do 4 cups of water. 

Add water, rice and salt to pot.  Stir.  Bring to boil and immediately cover and turn heat down to low. Keep covered and let simmer for 20 minutes for white rice

Baked Homemade Macaroni

Ingredients:
8 cups noodles (macaroni, shell noodles, rotini, whatever...)

1/2 c. butter (one stick)

1/2 c. flour

2 t. Dijon mustard

2 c. hot water

1/4  t. salt

1-2 t. Nutmeg

4 c. grated cheese

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Frozen Petite Peas (side)

Kielbasa (side)

Olive Oil (~ 2T)

One med-large onion, sliced or diced. (if desired)



Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Fill large pot with water about 1/2 full.  Bring to boil.  Add noodles and cook until not quite done... still quite firm (noodles will cook more in oven).  Drain when done and set aside (with lid).

On medium to low heat and in a medium saucepan, melt the stick of butter and then add in the flour with a wisk... blend out the lumps.  Add the dijon mustard.  Add in a small amount of the hot water, whisking it all in the flour/butter mixture until smooth... then add more, and mix until smooth, again. (it's a good idea to take this off the heat when you are doing this part), gradually add all the water, mixing as you go until smooth (this slow method prevents lumps that occur when you dump it all in at once).

Add the nutmeg and salt and then stir in the milk.  Put back on the heat (medium heat) and stir until warm.  Add the grated cheese and stir until melted.

Put cooked noodles into a 9x13 pan and pour cheese mixture over noodles and carefully stir around until evenly distributed.  Smooth out in pan and sprinkle Panko bread crumbs over the whole thing.

Bake in oven at 375 for 25 minutes, or until bread crumbs are golden brown.

Remove from oven.

While noodles are baking, add olive oil to skillet on medium-low and, when warm, add onions and saute for about 4 minutes.  Dice kielbasa and add to onions.  Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring frequently.  Do not cover.

Boil frozen peas.

Eat and enjoy. :)