Slow Cooker Chicken Stew

 

Ingredients

 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

 4 carrots, sliced

 3 potatoes, diced

 1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken broth ( I cut this to 3 and even then it was a little soupy- I thicken it up with some added broth mixed with cornstarch)

1 cup frozen peas

 2 tablespoons tomato paste

 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and pepper, to taste

 Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken thighs at the bottom of the slow cooker.

2. Layer the sliced carrots, diced potatoes, chopped onion, and minced garlic over the chicken.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper. Pour this mixture over the slow cooker contents.

4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.

5. About 30 minutes before serving, add the frozen peas and allow them to heat through.

6. Once done, shred the chicken with two forks and stir it back into the stew. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

7. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours (low) or 3-4 hours (high)

This is an old TOH recipe. I didn't add who posted it but very happy to found it😀

 I added some celery.

Why make this when the weather is warm? A good meal is a good meal!

Old Fashioned Salmon Patties Recipe

1 can pink salmon (14.75 oz )

1 large egg

⅓ cup onion, finely chopped

Lemon Juice- freshly squeezed

Garlic Salt: about 1 tsp (optional)

Black Pepper: about 1/4 tsp

Worcestershire Sauce: about 1 tsp (optional)

Mayonnaise: about 2 tbsp (optional)

Parsley: finely minced, about 1/4 cup

1/2 cup panko

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ cups vegetable oil 

Directions:

Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet (such as a cast iron pan) over medium heat. It should be 350°F–375°F Don’t fill the skillet more than half full with oil.

Drain the can of salmon and reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice in a small bowl. Pick out any bones.

Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the salmon, ⅓ cup onion, ½ cup panko, and 1½ teaspoons salt.

Whisk 1½ teaspoons baking powder into the reserved salmon juice. Pour that into the salmon and flour mixture, and mix gently until combined.

Shape the mixture into patties, roughly 2 inches in diameter. Pack firmly but not too tightly. This helps them not to become crumbly.

*Fry in 1½ cups hot oil for 2–3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown on the other side, another 2 minutes.

Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Since I'm a disaster at frying I popped them in the air fryer! SO EASY!

Marthas Banana Bread

 

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unbleached AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas( I use frozen bananas that were VERY ripe)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine.

Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Note: Good story why I made this.

Gabe still rides his bike. Not 26 miles like he use to but still active.

He did his ride while I was at the doctors office and he had a flat.

The bike is way to heavy to walk home especially since he was 4 miles from ours. He wanted to leave the bike at someones house ( no one he knew). He knocked on a few doors and went to another house and a man came to the door and told Gabe he could leave the bike in his yard. 

Gabe thanked him and told him he would be back in a hour to pick it up with the car after he walked home. The man told Gabe that no way was Gabe going to walk - he would drive him.

This man's mother died the night before knocked on this mans door. He told Gabe that he was in bed praying and then the door bell rang- maybe Gabe was God answer!

Fluffy Cottage Cheese Blueberry Cloud Bread

 Ingredients:

4 large eggs, separated

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional, for stabilizing egg whites)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven: Set oven to 300°F (150°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whip the egg whites: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar (if using) until stiff peaks form.

Blend the base: In another bowl, blend cottage cheese, egg yolks, and vanilla extract (if using) until smooth.

Combine: Gently fold the egg whites into the cottage cheese mixture using a spatula, keeping as much air as possible.

Add blueberries: Carefully fold in the blueberries without overmixing.

Shape and bake: Spoon the mixture into rounds or loaf shapes on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and set. Cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Make sure your bowls are grease-free to help the egg whites whip properly. For best texture, use fresh blueberries and blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.

 My egg whites didn't "peak" up the way I wanted. A tiny bit of yolk  broke in the whites.

I know it didn't fluff up the way I wanted but might try it again.

Note to self- next time make it in the individual casserole dish. Came out SO much better. 

 

Cucumber Lime Detox Juice

 Ingredients

1 large cucumber, chopped

1 lime- juiced

1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves

1 teaspoon fresh ginger- grated

1 cup cold water

Directions:

Wash the cucumber well and chop it into small pieces. Juice the lime.

Add cucumber, lime juice, mint leaves, ginger, honey, and water into a blender.

Blend for 30–40 seconds until the mixture becomes smooth.

Happy St. Patricks Day! A healthy green smoothie to celebrate.

Lime from my 40 year old tree. The tree is in a large pot. We move it in the garage when it gets cold.

Chickpea Cucumber Taco Bowl

 Ingredients:

1  can chickpeas

   1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt ( you can add more if needed)

1 tablespoon honey mustard

Chopped cucumber ( I used 1 med. size cucumber)

1/3 cup chopped bread and butter pickles

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under water, then shake off any excess water, transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl, and using a potato masher or food processor, mash down on the chickpeas until they are semi-mashed,

Add the greek yogurt over the mashed chickpeas, along with the  mustard, chopped cucumber, chopped red onion, chopped bread and butter pickles, grated garlic, and chopped chives, then add in the lemon juice, and season with salt and a generous portion of black pepper, mix together until well mixed, add in more yogurt as needed

My original idea was to add the above to a bed a lettuce. I have sweet potato wraps that I used for the bowl.

It's a make again.

Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs

 Ingredients

2 pounds Chicken thighs 

⅓ cup Low-sodium soy sauce ( I didn't have low sodium and used dark soy sauce)

⅓ cup Honey

⅓ cup Ketchup

6 cloves Garlic minced

½ teaspoon Apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon Fresh ginger grated

1 pinch Crushed red pepper flakes ( didn't use)

2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Directions:

Whisk together soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic, vinegar, ginger, and optional red pepper flakes in a bowl.

Place chicken thighs evenly in the crockpot and pour sauce over them.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until chicken is fork-tender.

Remove chicken and set aside. Pour the liquid from the slow cooker into a small pot.

Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry.

Heat the sauce on medium and whisk in the slurry until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Return the sauce to the chicken or pour it over before serving.

Top chicken with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with rice if desired.

Winn Dixie had thighs on sale. Gabe went shopping and bought a very large package of thighs. He was so excited when he got home, said look how cheap these were- LOL!