Chicken for the Win!

Good afternoon my happy blogging friends! Welcome to another edition of Everyday Meals. Today, we are doing a take on Chicken Marengo. Originally, Chicken Marengo was served with chicken and crayfish, but not today! This dish was cooked for none other than Napolean Bonaparte back in the 17 and 1800's. It was concocted after the Battle of Marengo in 1800. Okay, so enough history. Let's get cooking!

Chicken Marengo

You will need:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped 
• olive oil 
• 1.5 pounds boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) canned Italian plum tomatoes, drained 
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine or dry sherry
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 1 tablespoon ground thyme 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• butter
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• juice of 1 lemon 
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley, for garnish

1. Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent. 
2. Add pieces of chicken and saute until brown on all sides. 
3. Add the tomatoes, the chicken stock and wine. 
4. Next, add the parsley sprigs, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and garlic and simmer covered for 1 hour. 
5. Melt butter in a saucepan and saute the mushrooms until tender. then sprinkle with lemon juice. 
6. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and arrange them in a dish. 
7. Strain the sauce and add the mushrooms to the sauce,then pour over the chicken. 
8. Garnish with minced parsley and bread crumbs. 
9. Serve with hot cooked pasta or rice.
10. Enjoy!

I hope you all have an outstanding day and I will catch you all on the flip side. Remember... Happy blogging!

Oh Baby It's Hot, Hot, HOT!

Good evening my amazing blogging friends and readers! I have a wonderful dish that I borrowed from my sister for everyone to try tonight. It is a goopy, cheesy, delightful dish. My sister found this recipe while gaming. She loves to game and loves games about food, so it is appropriate for this blog. Enough chatter, let's get cooking!

Hot Tamale Pie

You will need:

• 1.25 pounds ground pork
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno chile, seeds removed, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 16 ounces salsa
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 2.25 cups whole milk
• 1.75 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat your broiler.
2. Heat a 12 inch skillet over high heat until hot.
3. Add the pork and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink, making sure to break up the meat with the side of a spoon.
4. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pork to a bowl and wipe your skillet clean.
5. In the same skillet, heat some oil over medium heat. 
6. Add the green pepper, jalapeno, and onion, then cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
7. Return the pork to the skillet and stir in the salsa and corn.
8. Heat everything to boiling over high heat.
9. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.
10. Meanwhile, in a 3-quart saucepan, bring the milk and broth to a boil over high heat.
11. Reduce the heat to low, while gradually whisking in the cornmeal.
12. Cook for 5 minutes or until very thick, making sure to stir often.
13. Spoon over the pork mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
14. Place the skillet in the broiler, making sure to put it in a position closest to the source of heat.
15. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the top begins to brown.
16. Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy this lovely, cheesy delight. I will catch you all on the flip side. I send blogging love out to you all! Good night!

Chicken Marsala!

Good evening my amazing bloggers! I welcome you to another great edition of Everyday Meals. I'm Mandie and I wil be walking you through a delicious meal tonight, as always. Tonight, we have a wonderful Chicken Marsala in order. There's not a whole lot to explain about this scrumptious dish, so let's get a roll on cooking. I will meet you in the kitchen!

Chicken Marsala

You will need:

• 1/4 cup butter, divided
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken meat - cut into 12 pieces
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet. 
2. Saute the mushrooms until soft, remove from skillet and place in a small, covered bowl. 
3. Mix flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow dish or bowl. 
4. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture. 
5. Place bacon in same skillet and cook over low heat until cooked but not crisp. 
6. Add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and saute the coated chicken over medium heat for 2 minutes each side, adding the remaining butter as needed to prevent burning. 
7. Place the chicken on a dish, cover and keep warm. 
8. In a medium bowl, slowly add water to cornstarch and mix together, then mix in wine.
9. Pour the liquid mixture into skillet, together with the reserved mushrooms.
10. Heat until the mixture begins to boil and thickens, then pour over warm chicken and serve.
11. Enjoy!

I hope you all have a splendid evening and I will catch you all on the flip side. Happy blogging and stay cool!

A Surprising Dish!

Good evening bloggers. I sure have missed a lot lately. Tonight, we have a dish that is literally "thrown together" in the verbal sense. That is how this dish was invented, by throwing together left overs together. The dish we are to prepare tonight is called Stuffed Pasta Shell Surprise. And yes, what's in it definitely WILL surprise you. But do not fear, I would not feed you all something inedible. So, let's get started!

Stuffed Pasta Shell Surprise

You will need:

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 1/4 pound ground beef
• cooking spray
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon prepared pesto
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 pound finely chopped cooked ham
• 1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat
• 1 (15 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. 
2. Once the water is boiling, stir in the shell pasta, and return to a boil. 
3. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. 
4. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. 
5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef. 
6. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. 
7. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. 
8. Spray two  9x13 inch baking dishes with cooking spray. 
9. Combine the 2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, spinach, and pesto together in a bowl. 
10. Stir half of the cheese-spinach mixture into the cooked beef. 
11. Season with garlic powder. 
12. Spread about 1 cup spaghetti sauce into a 9x13 inch baking dish. 
13. Stuff 12 pasta shells with the beef and cheese mixture, then arrange in the baking dish. 
14. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 
15. Mix the remaining spinach-cheese mixture with ham and crab. 
16. Stuff the last 12 pasta shells with the ham mixture, and arrange in another 9x13 inch baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray. 
17. Pour the alfredo sauce on top, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 
18. Bake both casseroles in the preheated oven until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
19. Enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy this "surprising" dish tonight. I will be back with more delicious recipes as soon as possible. Love to all and remember...
HAPPY BLOGGING! Good night!

Chicken and Dumplings (Oooh Yummy!)

Good evening my wonderful bloggers and blog readers! Tonight, we have a special dish for you all to try out. I'm sure you are all aware of Chicken and Dumplings, correct? Well we are about to get up close and personal with the recipe ourselves. It's a bit extensive, but in the end, it will be well worth all the hard work and dedication. So, with that being said, let's go cook!

Southern Chicken and Dumplings

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 large bone-in chicken breast halves with skin
• 1 (32 ounce) can chicken broth  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable shortening, plus
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Are you still with me?

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. 
2. Stir in the onion, and cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. 
3. Place the chicken breasts into the pot, skin-side-down. 
4. Pour in the chicken broth, and enough water to just cover the breasts. 
5. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken begins to fall off the bone, about 1 hour. 
6. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the pot. 
7. Remove and discard the skin and bone; allow the meat to cool, then tear apart into bite sized chunks. 
8. While the chicken breast are simmering, prepare the dumpling dough by whisking the flour, baking powder, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt together in a mixing bowl. 
9. Work the vegetable shortening in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. 
10. Make a well in the middle and pour in the milk. 
11. Stir together until a stiff dough forms. 
12. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth. 
13. Form the dough into 12 pieces, and set aside. 
14. After you've shredded the chicken, stir the cream of chicken soup, 2 cups water, salt, pepper, and shredded chicken back into the pot. 
15. Return to a simmer over medium-high heat. Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth one at a time to keep them from sticking together. 
16. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the dumplings have puffed and are no longer doughy in the center, 10 to 20 minutes.
17. Enjoy!

I hope you all have a magnificent evening. Enjoy your new recipe and remember, don't over-stuff yourself! I will catch you all tomorrow. Happy blogging everyone!

Portobello Mushroom Tortellini

Good evening fellow bloggers. Tonight's entry comes to you a bit late today. I recently pinched my sciatic nerve (which just to note, is the nerve at the bottom of your spine). I neded some rest in order to feel better, but I'm back now! I bring to you a delicious tortellini recipe. If you are squeemish with mushrooms, this dish might not be for you, but if you love mushrooms, all the better. So, let's get started!

Portobello Mushroom Tortellini

You will need:

• 1 pound cheese tortellini
• 2 large portobello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. 
2. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, then drain. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms by rinsing and thinly slicing the mushroom caps and discard the stems. 
4. In a medium skillet over low heat, combine wine, parsley, garlic and mushrooms, making sure to stir frequently and saute for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through. 
5. Remove skillet from heat and slowly add the Alfredo sauce, stirring to blend and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Separate the hot pasta into four portions and spoon sauce over pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.
7. Enjoy!

I hope you all have a great night and I will catch you on the flip side. Happy blogging my dear readers. You are all amazing! Good night!

Deep Fried Yumminess!

Good evening bloggers. I know I've been slacking with posting lately. I have no excuse for that. But I do come to you all tonight with some deep fried yumminess that will have you all wanting more. I'm a resident of the South, so deep fried foods are a staple where I'm at. I know many of you must be screamin "NO! Not deep fried food! It'll go straight to my hips." This is true to some extent. I can vouch for that, but none the less, I need deep fried foods as much as the next person. So, it won't hurt to have one dinner that has more fat in it that the next. So, enjoy it and remember, you can jog it off or crunch it off. I know I will be later!

Chicken Fried Steak

You will need:

• 4 beef cube steaks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetable shortening for deep frying
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• kosher salt and ground black pepper

1. Pound the steaks to about 1/4 inch thickness. 
2. Place 2 cups of flour in a shallow bowl. 
3. Stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a separate shallow bowl. then stir in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco Sauce, and garlic. Dredge each steak first in the flour, then in the batter, and again in the flour. 
4. Pat the flour onto the surface of each steak so they are completely coated with dry flour. 
5. Heat the shortening in a deep cast-iron skillet to 325 degrees. 
6. Fry the steaks until evenly golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. 
7. Place fried steaks on a plate with paper towels to drain. 
8. Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid and as much of the solid remnants as possible. 
9. Return the skillet to medium-low heat with the reserved oil. 
10. Whisk the remaining flour into the oil. 
11. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release solids into the gravy. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium, and bring the gravy to a simmer, cook until thick, 6 to 7 minutes. 
12. Season with kosher salt and pepper. 
13. Spoon the gravy over the steaks to serve.
14. Enjoy!

Well, after this dinner, I'm sure we will all be begging for a gym membership. Enjoy it and I will catch you all later my lovely blogging family. Good night and happy blogging!