Slow Cooker Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I saw this recipe on a slow cooker facebook group but I think it could go either oven or slow cooker.  Since it's hot, I'll be using the slow cooker for now, but once it cools down I'll give it a go in the oven.

Ingredients

Chicken breasts
Ham
Feta
Sundried Tomato
Mustard
Spinach
Mushroom
Twine/chicken ties
French Onion Soup Mix
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/4 Cup Water
Baby potatoes

Lay the chicken breasts flat, smooth side facing up.  Slice them vertically from the top and then horizontally inside the breast, kind of like an upside down T to make a pocket.  Line this pocket with a slice of ham to shore up the inside so that the filling doesn't fall out during the cooking process.

Stuff the pockets with the filling then tie them shut in two to three locations to keep them from falling open.

Brown them in a pan then transfer to the crock pot with the soup mix, water, and wine and surround with baby potatoes.  Cook on low for 4 hours, basting several times with the juice.

Chicken Chasseur

Chicken Chasseur

2kg chicken pieces
2 small onions chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
For sauce combine
1 packet of French onion soup mix
4 Tb spoons tomato paste
200 mls white wine
100 mls water
1-2 cloves chopped garlic.

Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. 

Will serve with mash potato.

Balsamic Pork Chops

Balsamic Pork Chops


1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 (3/4-inch-thick) boneless pork chops
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Garnish: fresh rosemary sprigs

Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions; keep warm.
Combine flour, 1 teaspoon rosemary, salt, and pepper. Dredge pork chops in flour mixture.
Melt butter with oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add pork chops, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove pork chops.
Add broth and vinegar, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Cook 6 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Add pork chops, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Serve over rice. Garnish, if desired.

Verdict:

AMAZING.  This was absolutely delicious, so so good.  The only changes I'll make in the future will be to double the spices and use powdered garlic in the flour mix instead of in the skillet since it almost burned at such high temps.

Pasties

Pasties aka Coal Miners Pockets ~Frisky

For the dough- (this will make 6-8)

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening or 1 cup lard
3/4 cup ice water (the colder the better!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1 Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
2 Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (or 2 forks or a fork and butter knife)
3 Add ice water a little at a time, tossing with a fork to make a pastry-like dough.
4 Add a bit more water if it seems dry and won't hold together when squeezed lightly.
5 Gather into a ball and divide into 6-8 pieces, press firmly now, then wrap with plastic wrap and chill while preparing the pasty ingredients (see below ).
6 Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface (or on top of a piece of plastic wrap which can easily be folded over and then peeled off once the pasty ingredients are loaded).
7 Edges of pasty should be brushed with a smidgen of water and then crimped VERY firmly with a fork (and I fold them and crimp again -- so none of the liquid seeps out). Also put 3 small slits in the top for steam to escape
8 Brush tops of finished pasties with milk (or whisked egg) to enhance the crust (it will bake to a beautiful golden brown).
9 NOTE: Like pastry dough, pasty dough should be handled as LITTLE as possible to ensure flakiness. So, *handle with care* !

For fillings-
( I always make these in the winter with leftovers from the week) anything from beef stew to turkey, stuffing, veggies and gravy ) and you can make these with taco mixes in them , sloppy joes anything you can think of

For filling from scratch -

8 ounces ground beef
4 ounces rutabaga, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup picked fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes These freeze very well after you bake them and last for about 6 months You can reheat them in the oven at 300 F for about 20-30 minutes

My changes:

I use leftover beef stew for this recipe, it's much more savory and tastes amazing.  It's a pretty labor intensive project, but soooo worth it.  I chop up the leftovers into very small pieces and warm them in a pan while I make the dough.

For the dough, I make a savory dough with thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.  I've debating on adding dried rosemary I've crushed in my mortar and pestle and I think I'll try it again.

The verdict:

We were FIGHTING over the last ones.  They saved nicely and warmed up perfect and crisp in the toaster oven the next day.  This is a labor intensive and time consuming project so save it for a rainy day when you feel like getting creative in the kitchen.  I'd say start to finish, it took about two hours.

Salmon Burgers

Two cans boneless, skinless salmon, drained
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs (or 3/4 crush Ritz crackers and 1/4 cup cornmeal)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use low fat)
4 teasp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teasp black pepper
1 teasp salt


I beat the eggs first, then take all the ingredients and mix together in a bowl. You might need to adjust the amount of bread crumbs a little to make sure you can form the patties.

Form the mixture into eight patties (similar to hamburgers)

On medium heat coat a frying pan with vegetable oil, then melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan.

Fry your salmon patties for about 4 minutes on each side until they are a beautiful golden color.

Set on a paper towel to blot any extra oil.

Serve on a bun with your choice of toppings. We like lettuce and mayo at our house.


- See more at: http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/salmon-cake-sandwiches/#sthash.0GGEjzZ6.dpuf

I've yet to make these with this specific recipe, but I've made salmon croquettes many times in the past.  When I make mine I'll prepare some mayo in the morning and add a bit of dill to allow the favors to blend.  Dill and salmon go together like peas and carrots in my world.

Cheddar Potato Soup

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons butter
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
½ large red onion, chopped fine
½ cup shredded carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds of red potatoes, skins may be left on, chopped into bite sized pieces
3 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon course kosher salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Crumbled cooked bacon (optional)


Instructions
In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Saute the celery, onion, carrots, and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Slowly add the milk, stirring the entire time you are pouring in the pot.
Continue to stir as you bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Remove bay leaf.
Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes in the pot. You could also puree half the soup in a food processor.
Add the cheese and stir until melted.
Top with crumbled bacon when serving (optional).

Changes:

I used half coconut milk/half coconut creamer (plain) for this recipe in lieu of milk since we're milk free. I also used my immersion blender instead of a food processor or masher.

The verdict:

It was okay and I may make it again, but double the potatoes to make it thicker, it was quite soupy.  I'll also reserve some potatoes in cube form to add after blending the soup to give it a bit more chunk.

- See more at: http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/cheddar-potato-soup/#sthash.ExbERnyr.dpuf