Sunday, December 28, 2014

Creative Leftovers

Greetings! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! If I was a good, diligent blogger I would have done a Christmas post, but I forgot to set up an automatic post for Christmas and just didn't want to when I remembered on Christmas day! ;) So, Merry Christmas 3 days late. And now we move on to the New Year...

Which is kinda what inspired today's post about leftovers. I've gotten very focused with my finances over the past few months and have been observing areas in which I can improve. One HUGE area that I have struggled with since I've been married is spending too much on groceries... and then forgetting about certain things in the refrigerator until they've turned into a smelly-make-me-gag-science- experiment-gone-wrong. That frequently happened because I cooked way more food than any 2 normal people could eat in a week, yet I'd be back at the grocery store again at the start of the next week! Soooo, one of my plans for 2015 is to be more responsible with my grocery budget and more aware of what we already have in the fridge/freezer/pantry. I've already gone ahead and started on doing that and am blown away by how much our grocery bill has gone down and how creative we can get with leftovers to make sure they don't go to waste!

Recently I made a copycat Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup for supper. While I'm not the biggest fan of anything broccoli related, I did want to try it and my husband was really excited about it! ;) It ended up okay, but seriously lacking in cheese and very broccoli-ish. (blah!) So we ate it that night and then it sat in the fridge for 3 days. It wasn't that good, but I was determined not to let it go to waste!! So, I decided to add some Orzo I had in the pantry. Then I decided to cook it in a casserole dish and add a few breadcrumbs in addition to the Orzo to make it thicker.



 Then I came across some leftover ham from a Christmas dinner and threw it in there.



 Finally, I decided to make the top more appealing by browning some Panko breadcrumbs in butter and olive oil and sprinkling them over top.



  The finished product was a broccoli-orzo casserole that didn't taste half-bad! And, I was able to use up the leftover soup rather than tossing it. Yay! Just a few simple ingredients that I already had on hand and the 'meh' soup was rescued from the deep, dark, cold dungeons of the fridge. Success!



What do you have in your pantry that you would have used to give this leftover some pizzazz? Leave your answer in the comments below!


Sunday, December 7, 2014

Chicken Biscuit Cobbler


Y'all are going to love this recipe.  It's got a little of this...



And a little of that...



Convinced yet? ;)  Anything with both bacon and butter is bound to be mouth-watering.

I found this recipe in a magazine I was browsing through recently (and for the life of me, I cannot remember the name of the magazine - it wasn't one I'm familiar with).  Anyway, I wrote it down because the photo of it looked so. so. SO. fabulous.  I was practically drooling over it.  Seriously.  One glance at the list of ingredients and the steps for making it and I knew this was a recipe I would truly love cooking up!  Just think about it - Chicken. Biscuit. Cobbler.  And then you find out, it's got bacon and butter in it too!  I'd be a fool to pass this one up.  

Truly, I enjoyed this recipe so much.  We live in a world of instant meals and shortcuts to everything.  And while that's great at times (I have a day job and know how convenient it can be to have a meal ready in 20 minutes or less at the end of the day!), I feel like as with many things, we lose a lot by making it as quick as possible.  Waiting patiently can be so rewarding.  Taking the time to cook a detailed meal is incredibly satisfying.  If I had to describe this recipe with two words I would say 'hearty' and 'warm'.  The smell that fills the kitchen while you cook this just warms you from the inside out.  Gradually adding in vegetables to saute and then making the sauce really makes you appreciate each step of the process.  This really is one of those recipes that feels... nurturing... if that makes sense. ;)

So without further ado...

Chop/slice all of your veggies.  Can I tell you a little secret?  This was my very first time ever cooking with mushrooms!  I strongly dislike mushrooms but decided to go ahead and keep them in the recipe because my husband loves them.  And it turns out, once they're cooked and mixed in with other ingredients, they're not bad.  Well, not too bad anyway. :)



Saute them so they're all a little soft.(I have no clue why I sliced the carrots that way, no clue at all.  They'd be better sliced the normal way in little rounds.)  



Then, you'll add the wine, flour, and broth (separately). 



Next comes some cream and seasonings - I love the color that the chives and parsley add!



After that you stir in the chicken.



Which by the way, was well chopped with my favorite little Pampered Chef tool - the Salad Chopper.  It makes chopping/shredding chicken sooo easy and quick.



When you're finished with that, mix the ingredients for the biscuit topping.  This is where the crispy, salty, oh-so-delicious bacon crumbles in.  (Ignore the background mess.)



Top with biscuit topping and pop in the oven!



It came out really messy because the only casserole dish I had close to the size called for was a tad to small.  But I don't care.  It did not take away from the yumminess at all!



Once you have gotten a delicious big whiff of the hot-out-of-the-oven chicken biscuit cobbler, scoop some into a bowl and enjoy.  It will make you feel so warm and cozy and full.  Perfect for a cold winter night. :)



Chicken & Biscuit Cobbler

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. butter
1 c. sliced carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
2 packages fresh mushrooms, quartered (8 oz.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 dry white wine
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cups whipping cream
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
3 tbsp. sliced chives
3 tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. chopped rosemary
2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
8 cups shredded cooked chicken (I just did 4 chicken breasts)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups chilled buttermilk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (5 thick bacon slices)
Garnishes of chopped fresh chives & parsley

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Melt 3 tbsp. of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add carrots and onion, and saute 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms; saute 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in garlic; saute 2 minutes.  Add wine; cook 2 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in cream and next 5 ingredients.  Stir in chicken, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and remove from heat.

2. Whisk together 2 1/2 cups self-rising flour and 1/2 tsp. sugar in a medium bowl.  Stir together buttermilk and 1/2 cup melted butter in a small bowl.  Stir buttermilk mixture and bacon into flour mixture until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. 

3. Return chicken mixture to medium-high heat; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until bubbly and hot.  Spoon mixture into buttered 3 qt. ceramic or glass baking dish.  Drop biscuit dough by level 1/4 cupfuls, 1/2 inch apart, onto chicken mixture.

4. Bake at 400 for 30 - 35 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

*Makes 8 servings*



Thursday, November 6, 2014

Chicken Vegetable Soup 


Fall is here and with it - the cold. Some of you may already have snow, but here we're just getting chillier bit by bit. Chilly enough to make me want to start trying out different types of soups! No doubt about it, a warm, steamy soup on a cold day really does warm a person up. To be honest, the recipe I'm sharing today is the very first soup I have ever made. In fact, a few years back I just stopped eating soup altogether because my idea of soup was the canned stuff (I know, horrible confession for a cook) and that stuff is just awful. If that was what soup was, I wanted nothing of it!  But then I realized some restaurants have really, really good made-from-scratch soups. And then I had a homemade soup that just blew my mind. My first thought was to try making a soup myself, my second thought was no way, it wouldn't turn out right, soup is hard to make. (I have no clue where these thoughts come from sometimes...) 

Long story short, now that I'm married and in my own house and all about creating a cozy ambience this fall/winter, I decided to try making a soup. This is a lite soup because I'm trying to eat better... which by the way is incredibly difficult for a girl who's mind is constantly running through delicious, rich, fattening recipes to try. ;)  It's also a really super easy soup though, too. If this is your first time making soup like myself, I recommend this recipe. You really can't mess up here. 

First thing you'll do is chop up onions, carrots, and cabbage and place them into a dutch oven.



Then you add canned or crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, salt, and black pepper.



Mix it all together and let it cook util the vegetables are soft.  



Isn't my red dutch oven pretty? It gives any meal a warm, cozy look. :)



Once the veggies are soft enough you just throw in the cooked chicken and heat until the chicken is warmed through. Then fill a bowl and warm yourself up! :)



Chicken Vegetable Soup 

Ingredients:
12 oz. chicken breast, cooked & diced
1 1/2 c. cabbage, chopped
1 large carrot, sliced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes 
1 can (or 10.75 oz.) chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt (sea salt is good, but table salt is works too)
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Place all ingredients into Dutch Oven and simmer covered for one hour or until the veggies are soft. Add the chicken and heat thoroughly.  Serves 4.


*Recipe courtesy of the 17 Day Diet*



Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Spiffing Up Dinner Rolls



Yes!  I did it!  I really did post a 2nd recipe in a one-week period.  Now to see if I'll continue this streak...

This lovely recipe today comes from the cookbook below that my husband surprised me with a couple of months ago. 



This woman makes some fabulous food and I have fallen in love with many of her recipes.  While looking through the book a few weeks ago, I came across her recipe for Buttered Rosemary Rolls.  It had me at "buttered"! ;)  I knew as I sit there drooling over the photo of the rolls that I HAD to make them - and soon!

It just so happens that I was making the Creamy Sausage Spinach Pasta that week, so I decided to pair the rolls with that dish.  It's super simple because you get to use frozen, unrisen dinner rolls.  The catch there is that they're unrisen so you need to work in the time to let them rise.  Otherwise, they're a piece of cake! 

And you cook them in a cast iron skillet - which automatically makes everything taste better - although if you don't a cast iron skillet (in which case I recommend you go buy one now!) these can be cooked in a cake pan, on a baking sheet, etc.  You just grease the pan, and set the rolls in it with space between them so they have room to expand.

Let them rise and then brush with melted butter.  LOTS of melted butter.  This is the time to be generous! ;)  Then you just sprinkle them with chopped rosemary & coarse sea salt.  And brush them with butter again.  Because there's no such thing as too much butter - at least not in my kitchen!

Then they're popped in the oven and come out golden brown, crusty, and mouth-watering. 




 Eat & enjoy!

I'm giving the Pioneer Woman credit for this one, so you can find the recipe here.  Her photos will really make you want to cook this right away!! :)



Tuesday, October 28, 2014

State Fair Results, Business Ventures, Life


So, today's post is more of a "catch up" post rather than a recipe. However, I do have another recipe post coming this way before the week's over. Yeah, imagine that, I'm actually getting around to posting two recipes in one week! ;)

First and foremost, y'all should finally know how the State Fair competition turned out, I mean, it was only a month ago... Quick refresher for anyone who never saw the first post about it here or on That Old Oven's Facebook page: Last year I entered my baking powder biscuits into the State Fair and didn't even make it to the display case. No surprise there seeing as how the biscuits were a total flop that time (why does that always happen when it's most important for it not to?) and I just had to make do. This year, I was ambitious. I entered my biscuits again. And, because I had found and altered a new apple pie recipe that was getting stellar reviews from my "panel" I entered my apple pie as well. And, because I love King Arthur Flour and all their products I entered a coffee cake into that competition as well. Aiming high y'all, I was aiming high! 

Well, fast forward a few days and my hubby and I are walking through the display cases at the fair and we came across this...



And then this...


Y'all!  My apple pie won 1st place and my baking powder biscuits won 3rd place!  Whoop! Whoop!  I made a blue-ribbon worthy pie! :)  And they were even placed in the case conveniently side-by-side. 


Or back-to-back, something like that.

 My coffee cake didn't make it, but that was to be expected seeing as how it looked gorgeous but I had never even made the recipe before so I had no clue how it tasted. What mattered was that my two favorites made it. And as someone mentioned, there are 50 states in the US, so 50 state fairs, sooo... my apple pie is in the top 50 in the US. I'll take that! ;) Needless to say, I was flying high. :)

On that note, the blue ribbon I won on the apple pie has resulted in one of my 'business ventures'. I'm now selling my apple pies to anyone who wants one! I had a few people ask about it, so I figured why not?  I've always wanted to sell pies eventually anyway. It makes me really happy and I do hope it can turn into a true business venture.

My other latest development is that I now have a 2nd "job" as a consultant for the Pampered Chef! Talk about a fun job! It doesn't even feel like work half the time and I get to put my love of food and cooking to good use. Not that it doesn't go to good use already, but I profit from it this way, so not too shabby. :) And they have great, great, great perks.  

So I'm happy with my "business ventures" right now and delighted that they both involve food. And that's life right now! Be sure to check back here Thursday and/or Friday night for a delicious rolls recipe that I'll be sharing. :)



Monday, October 27, 2014

One Dish Wonder of Yum

I want to share with y'all this super yummy, fantastic, easy, make-your-budget-happy meal. ;) I found this recipe on Pinterest one day and loved how simple the recipe looked. But I was skeptical as to whether it would really taste good, I just wasn't sure how I felt about the sausage/spinach combo.  I mean, bacon and spinach - yes. But sausage and spinach?  Hmm...

So I began cooking, first I cooked the sausage.


Then I added onions to the pan, cooked those, and poured in some tomatoes & chicken broth. Next, the uncooked noodles were added.


While that was cooking I shredded the yumminess that most people refer to as Monterey Jack cheese. (And not gonna lie, about a half cup of that didn't even make it to the pasta dish! I have a weakness for cheese... which is why the melted cheese looks rather skimpy on the finished product! ;) )


Lastly, I stirred in the fresh spinach until it was wilted and topped it off with what was left of the cheese and green onions.  And let it get all melty and gooey and fabulous. 


Turns out sausage and spinach and pasta is a delightfully scrumptious combination.  What's more, this recipe is so cheap!  And I mean cheap in the best of ways! :)  Basic ingredients, little price tags, and it all cooks in one pan, so easy cleanup.  This recipe is a keeper in my kitchen. :)



Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:
6 oz. smoked sausage (kielbasa works great too)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes 
2 cups chicken broth
8 oz. pasta (any kind!)
3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 whole green onion

  1. Thinly slice the smoked sausage and add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess fat.
  2. Dice the onion and add it to the skillet. Continue to saute until the onion has softened (about 5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet.
  3. Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is all submerged under the liquid. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.
  4. Stir in the fresh spinach, one cup at a time, until wilted. If you add it all at once, the skillet will be too full to stir. Keep the heat on while adding the spinach, so the liquid will continue to simmer and thicken.
  5. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Slice the green onions and sprinkle them over top. Serve hot!




Monday, September 1, 2014

My Day Off

Who doesn't love a day off? Holidays are always welcome and I'm pretty sure a day at home is one of my favorite things in life - seriously! I love just being able to stay at home and do my own thing on my own time. :) Today "my thing" was restocking my freezer with ready to 'heat and eat' baked goods. I prefer everything made from scratch, mainly because it's more fun, but also because it's cheaper and I know exactly what's going in my food and then into my body. Lately, I have slacked off and have been buying more rolls and pastries from the store but that starts to add up quickly (seriously, a pack of rolls can cost close to $4.00). So, I was very excited to restock my freezer with homemade goods today! My kitchen looked like this for the better half of the day...




And at the end of the day I finished with this:


Muffins, Lard Biscuits, Baking Powder Biscuits, Dinner Rolls, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Pie Crust Dough, Regular Waffles, & Chocolate Chip Waffles! Our freezer is all stocked up again with a variety of baked goods to go with any meal or craving! ;) I thoroughly enjoyed my day off and the chance I had to spend so much time in the kitchen... back to the real world tomorrow. :)






Saturday, August 23, 2014

State Fair Competition - I'm In! 

Happy Saturday!  I'm so glad it's the weekend!  Exciting things going on in my neck of the woods - one of which this post is about. :) The State Fair is coming at the end of September, just one more month.  Woo-hoo!  The State Fair has been a big part of every year for me since I was just a wee little child. I don't care if it's the same stuff every year, I never lose my excitement for it. One of my favorite things now that I've gotten older though is the competitions. Last year was my first time entering in one of them and - you'll never guess ;) - it was the baked goods competition.  I didn't get a ribbon but I still was very glad to participate. However, this year, I'm bringing my A-game. After giving some thought to what I will enter this year I have decided on the following:
  1. Baking Powder (aka - Gun Powder) Biscuits
  2. Apple Pie
  3. Coffee Cake (for the King Arthur Flour challenge)
My biscuits have always been fabulous and have just become more so over the past year, so they're a given.  My apple pie can be pretty good if I do say so myself.  I started using a different recipe several months ago and it. is. incredible.  My main challenge there, will be ensuring that the crust is not too soggy on bottom.  I don't usually bake my pies in tin foil pans, so I will need to experiment with the crust in those pans to ensure it can be a success. And the coffee cake, well, who wouldn't love a good challenge like that?  I mean, not only do the winners receive ribbons, they also get King Arthur Flour gift cards. I'm all in! :) 

So here's to experimenting over the next couple of weeks and hopefully a ribbon!  Or, at the very least a spot in the display case.  And trust me, if either of those happen there will be photos

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Hot & Spicy Baked Salmon

Today I want to share with you a delicious, simple, lite, and HOT salmon recipe.  This is one of the easiest recipes in my kitchen and perfect for any weeknight. I personally prefer it with a little less black pepper, but my husband loves hot food and so this has become a staple recipe for us. :) 

Start off by placing the salmon fillets on a piece of foil that's in a glass dish.  


You'll cover them in a marinade of garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, black pepper, lemon juice,& parsley. Phew! That's a list!


Don't ya just love my little whisk? :)

 Marinate the fillets in the fridge for about an hour (or all day while you're at work!), turn them at least once, several times if you're able. (Actually, let me be honest. A lot of times I just smother both sides of the salmon and then don't even bother with flipping. ;) )


All that's left is popping them in the oven & baking for about 35-45 minutes or as is customary with fish... until they flake easily with a fork.

Okay, so not exactly the quickest recipe, but certainly easy.  I hope you enjoy. :)


Baked Salmon
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 tblsp. light olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tblsp. lemon juice
1 tblsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 (6 oz.) salmon fillets -->(I usually do 4 and there's still plenty of marinade)

(1)In a glass bowl, mix garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, & parsley.
(2)Place fillets in glass dish & cover with marinade.
(3)Marinate in fridge about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
(4)Preheat oven to 375.
(5)Place fillets in foil, cover with marinade, & seal.
(6)Place sealed salmon in glass dish & bake 35-45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

*Recipe taken from Food.com*






Saturday, June 28, 2014

Simple Saturdays


This week's recipe is simple, easy, quick, and a well-known favorite.  Sausage balls!  Growing up, theses were a given at any party or big get together.  And there was never a single one left at the end.  I'm pretty sure just about everyone loves sausage balls so these work well for parties, breakfasts/brunches, appetizers, midnight snacks, anytime snacks... yes, definitely that last one! :)  

Up until recently, I thought that sausage balls could be made ONLY using Bisquick.  Excuse my naivete.  They can be made - quite well! - with flour and the basic ingredients that go along with it.  I don't usually make these because I don't keep Bisquick in the house since I make most things by scratch,but I wanted to make them for the hospitality table at my church in the morning and I discovered that you can indeed use flour!

Begin by mixing flour, salt, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together.  (The peppers give it a slightly hotter kick that I actually liked!)



Melt 3 tblsp. of butter...



Shred cheese by hand or in a food processor.  (You can, of course, buy the shredded cheese at the store, but it tastes WAY better freshly shredded.  And your taste buds are sick if you don't notice the difference. ;) )


Add the meat to the rest of the ingredients and mix until it looks like this blob.


Roll into balls and cook.  You could probably use a cookie scoop for this part if you didn't want to use your hands.


The finished product!  Now go enjoy. :)


That's it for today folks!  I'm off to enjoy the rest of my weekend.  I have a load of yummy dinner and dessert recipes coming your way soon, though. :)




Sausage Balls

1 1/4 c. all purpose-flour
1 1/2 tsp. baker powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more, depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz. sausage
1/2 large yellow onion, grated (grating it gives the sausage balls some onion flavor without biting into big chunks of onion)
3 tblsp. unsalted butter, melted

(1)  Preheat oven to 400.  Grease baking sheet.

(2)  Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.  Add the cheese and toss to coat with flower mixture.  Add sausage, onion, and butter.

(3)  Shaped into balls and cook for 25 minutes.  

(4)  Eat hot or refrigerated - whichever your preference!


*I recommend having fun with this recipe and trying different things in it, I think it would be yummy to add crumbled bacon, green onions instead of yellow, or even blue cheese!  What would you add to make it different?*