I haven’t had much time to blog lately. Between two very big book projects, a family member in hospice, 2 dogs plus 2 dogs visiting, crazy schedules and too much travel (for my daughter to interview at medical schools), I am barely keeping my head above water. Dinners here are whatever I can throw together between 5 and 5:30. Last night I set up a make your own noodle bowl bar for the family. I boiled a package of red rice noodles, heated up a couple cups of chicken broth, chopped up scallions, Napa cabbage, ginger and carrots and set out some sprouts. I chopped one chicken breast and cooked it with one chopped garlic clove. I set out tamari sauce (gluten free), soy sauce, and  a gluten free Thai peanut sauce. This worked out perfectly and for once met all the insane dietary differences in our house:

– The two gluten free diners who like soup ate everything

– The person who now only eats chicken or fish (no meat) was happy

– The people who dislike soup ate it as noodles not soup

– The person who does not like chicken simply skipped the chicken

This has infinite possibilities. Next time I think I’ll do it with rice and cook some salmon instead of chicken. You could also cook some broccoli, saute some thinly sliced beef and offer beef broth and mushrooms as well.

I haven’t had much time to blog lately. Between two very big book projects, a family member in hospice, 2 dogs plus 2 dogs visiting, crazy schedules and too much travel (for my daughter to interview at medical schools), I am barely keeping my head above water. Dinners here are whatever I can throw together … Read more →

Chicken legs are one of my weeknight panic dishes. On the nights when I can’t think of a single thing to make or don’t have time to stand in front of the stove, I pull a package out of the freezer, dump them on a baking sheet and bake them while I am doing something else. If they’re thawed, they bake in a little over an hour. If they are frozen, it takes about an hour and 45 minutes to two hours. Usually I make a quick barbecue sauce. Every single person in my household eats theses, so it is always a winner.

One night last week when I was dealing with a deadline, had a kid to drive to his volunteer job, and had no time to think about dinner, I pulled my trusty chicken legs out of the freezer again. Only this time, I decided to change up the sauce and made this 3 ingredient maple mustard glaze that was fabulous!

 

Chicken legs are one of my weeknight panic dishes. On the nights when I can’t think of a single thing to make or don’t have time to stand in front of the stove, I pull a package out of the freezer, dump them on a baking sheet and bake them while I am doing something … Read more →

I make ham twice a year. Christmas Eve and Easter. I’m not sure why, except it’s kind of a novelty, smells good, and it does taste great, especially when I baste with pineapple juice and make a brown sugar and Dijon mustard coating! But the end result is I have tons of ham haunting me afterwards. I took the bull by the horns and whipped up this awesome casserole. It was so good I would buy deli ham just to make it again.

Ham, Rice and Broccoli Casserole

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour (I used gluten-free)

2 cups skim milk

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

2 1/4 cups hot rice (if you use leftover rice, heat it in the microwave)

2 cups broccoli florets (I used raw, but if you have leftover cooked broccoli, you can use that)

1 1/2 cups diced ham

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

2 tbsp breadcrumbs (I used gluten-free)

 

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a 9×9 square inch baking dish with cooking spray. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour, cooking it for about 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and mustard and salt and pepper to your taste, and whisk occasionally as it thickens over medium low heat. (Note that you can make this sauce in advance, but be sure to heat it up before you pour it on your casserole.)

Meanwhile, spread the rice on the bottom of the dish. Top with the broccoli, then with the ham. Once the sauce is thick, pour it on top. Sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the breadcrumbs. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 25 minutes until bubbly and browning on the top.

Oh my. This was creamy and comforting and I felt oh so virtuous for using up my leftovers. Everyone loved this, so this is definitely going to be my go-to dish to use up ham from now on!

I make ham twice a year. Christmas Eve and Easter. I’m not sure why, except it’s kind of a novelty, smells good, and it does taste great, especially when I baste with pineapple juice and make a brown sugar and Dijon mustard coating! But the end result is I have tons of ham haunting me … Read more →

I’m always on a quest to find great recipes for leftovers. My latest is a delicious combo of chicken and rice with a creamy sauce. No one will know you used leftovers to make this!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 tbsp flour (I used gluten-free)

1 cup milk

1 cup chicken broth

2 slices Swiss cheese, broken into small pieces

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups diced cooked chicken (about 2 breasts)

4 cups cooked rice (I used a combo of white and brown)

1 cup frozen peas (or cooked, leftover peas)

2 tbsp breadcrumbs (I used gluten free)

Preheat the oven to 400 and spray an 8×12 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and add onion. Cook until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Whisk in milk and broth and cook until it thickens.

Stir in cheese, thyme, salt, pepper and mustard, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in chicken and peas.

Spread rice in the baking pan. Top with chicken mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top and spray with cooking spray. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly. Serves 6.

SOO easy and yummy!

 

I’m always on a quest to find great recipes for leftovers. My latest is a delicious combo of chicken and rice with a creamy sauce. No one will know you used leftovers to make this! Chicken and Rice Casserole 2 tbsp butter 1 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, peeled and diced 2 tbsp flour … Read more →

I recently found a source for pea shoots and now I’m finding lots of ways to use them. They are fantastic just on sandwiches. I wanted to find a way to have them for dinner though, so I can up with this fantastic (and easy!) chicken salad

1 poached chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 small cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

1 small shallot, chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

10 thin slices of zucchini, chopped

1 tsp stone ground mustard

3 tbsp light mayo

salt and pepper

2 tsp good olive oil

1/2 tsp white vinegar

2 cups pea shoots

Mix the chicken and vegetables in a bowl. Add everything else except pea shoots and stir. Refrigerate. Cut the pea shoots into quarters, and toss. Place pea shoots on plate and top with 1/3 of the salad. (Serves 3)

I recently found a source for pea shoots and now I’m finding lots of ways to use them. They are fantastic just on sandwiches. I wanted to find a way to have them for dinner though, so I can up with this fantastic (and easy!) chicken salad 1 poached chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch … Read more →