Chicken, Squash, & Apple Hash

I found this recipe on a coupon blog (weird, I know) months ago and we eat this probably twice a month, we all (with only one exception) love it.  I've changed several things, I'm going to list the recipe as we make it, but there is lots of room for your changes.   Original recipe from Collin at Hip2Save.com.

1 acorn squash, peeled, cleaned and cubed
1/2 - 1 medium onion chopped
1 - 2 apples diced
1 large chicken breast, cut into small chunks and pan-fried (you may want to add more chicken)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika for a bacon flavor
chopped walnuts
salt & pepper to taste

Set your oven to broil, then throw the cubed butternut squash on a sprayed cookie sheet. I spray my squash with olive oil as well. Let broil for about 8 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes. I take them out before they look done, I don't like them mushy.
While the squash is cooking,  heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped onions and stir occasionally until they are softened and starting to brown a little and add the paprika.
Now add the apples into the skillet with the onions. Stir for a minute and then add everything else (cooked chicken, broiled squash and chopped nuts). Season with salt and pepper.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

The recipe is from tastykitchen.com and it is by Jen of My Tiny Oven. We all loved it. 

3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups Orzo
3 cups chicken broth
6 tbs fresh chopped basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and saute for a few minutes, until it turns a golden brown. Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all broth has been absorbed. Removed from heat, add the cheese and basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread

I haven't posted for a long time but I am going to try to do better.  It isn't that I am not trying new recipes, it just seems like a long ways to go and get the camera to take a picture of what I have made.  I have become addicted to watching a cooking show on TV and now have some of their magazines and recipe books.  My next few posts will be from these.  This bread is from the show Cooks Country and also published in a Cooks Illustrated magazine.  It is a show on PBS.  I know that the recipe seems long and complicated but not really when you get to the end and you taste the best wheat bread in your life.  It is so light and soft and moist.  So take a little time and try it.  I will add a few comments of a few changes that I made to the recipe.

Biga

2 cups bread flour

1 cup warm water

½ tsp. instant yeast

 

Soaker

3-5 cups whole wheat flour(It calls for 3 and use 3 if you are using store bought whole wheat flour but if you have just ground your own it might take more.  You want this to form a stiff ball, when you knead it.  They probably used store bought flour and  I grind my own flour and found that it needed about 5 cups to get it to this stage.)

½ cup wheat germ

2 cups milk

 

Dough

 

¼ cup honey (I like my bread a little sweeter so I added a little extra honey, maybe a tablespoon)

4 tsp. table salt

2 Tbl. Instant yeast

6 Tbl. Butter

2 Tbl. Vegetable oil

 

For the biga:  Combine bread flour, water and yeast in large bowl and stir until completely mixed.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand at room temp. overnight. (8 – 24 hours)

For the soaker:  Combine whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and milk in large bowl and stir until it is stiff.  Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth.  Return to bowl and cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge overnight – same as the biga.

For the dough:  Tear soaker apart into 1 inch pieces and place in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook.  Add biga, honey, salt, yeast, butter and oil.  Mix on low speed until it starts to mix together.  Increase speed and knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  At this point I usually have to add an extra cup of bread flour because of the extra honey that I add.  Be your own judge of how you want your dough but mine is not real stiff.  Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and shape into ball and place in greased container.  Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes.

Gently press down on center of dough to deflate.  Holding edge of dough with fingertips, fold partially raised dough over itself by gently lifting and folding edge of dough toward middle.  Turn bowl 90 degrees and fold again.  Do this 6 more times.  Cover and allow to rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

Spray two bread pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Turn dough out onto floured surface and divide into 2 pieces.  Pat each piece into an 8 by 17 inch rectangle.  With short side facing you, roll dough toward you into firm cylinder, keeping dough tights.  Pinch the dough together.  Place the seam side down into loaf pan.  Repeat with second piece of dough.  Cover loaves and allow to rise at room temperature until double in size. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with baking stone on shelf.  Place a pan on the next rack down under the baking stone and fill with boiling water.  Place bread pans on baking stone and turn the oven temp. down to 350.  Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 200 degrees.  (It is important to use a thermometer. I thought it looked done after about 25 minutes, but when I used a thermometer it really took about 40-50 minutes and the bread was perfect.)  Let cool in pans for 5 minutes and then remove to cooling racks.

Hot + Cheesy Corn Dip

For dinner the other night chips and dip just sounded amazing so I found this recipe from http://www.howsweeteats.com, and it was to die for. So here it is. Hope you enjoy!

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

3 1/2 cups sweet corn

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

4 green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 (17 ounce) container of 2% Greek yogurt

5 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated

5 ounces monterey jack cheese, freshly grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until crispy and all fat is rendered, the remove bacon and let drain on a paper towel. Add corn to the skillet, cooking and stirring until golden and a bit caramely – about 6-8 minutes. Remove corn and add it to a large bowl. Add olive oil to the skillet, then add onions and red peppers with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in jalapeno, green onions and garlic, cooking for just 2-3 minutes. Transfer mixture to the bowl, adding in the yogurt, paprika, bacon and 4 ounces of each cheese. Stir until combined, then top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is golden on top. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or crackers.

Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls

These are absolutely amazing, and everyone needs to try to them. I adapted this recipe from canyoustayfordinner.com. She has lots of great recipes.

2 chicken breasts
Frank's Red Hot Sauce
Crumbled Feta Cheese
12 egg roll wrappers

First cook the chicken(I boiled it), then let it cool and shred. Then add some Frank's Red Hot Sauce to the chicken just until it is pretty well coated. Then layout your egg roll wrappers, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the chicken and a little bit of feta cheese. Wipe the sides of the egg roll wrapper with water, and wrap it up like an egg roll. Then fry them in oil, about two minutes on each side. Serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.