Monday, January 24, 2011

Week two of New Years Intentions


So....... I am still sticking with it. I mean, it's been two whole weeks! What a little perseverer I am! So, here is a really quick, easy, great comfort food dish that's guaranteed to warm you......especially when it's literally 5 degrees outside.

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients:
1 3 - to 4-pound rotisserie chicken, meat shredded (I used 3 and it was fine)
1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream-of-mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 10-count tube refrigerated biscuits (I used 8 and it turned out fine)

Heat oven to 400° F.

Combine the chicken, vegetables, soup, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe casserole, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, place the biscuits on a baking sheet and bake until the biscuits are golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove both the casserole and the biscuits from the oven. Uncover the casserole, place the biscuits on top, and serve. Voila'!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Morning and Evening



This December I decided it was time for a new devotional book, and found Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. Just like the title, there is a thought to start your day and one close it out. I highly recommend it. I specifically needed to hear tonight's entry, and thought perhaps others might as well.

Jesus will not let His people forget His love. If all the love they have enjoyed should be forgotten, He will visit them with fresh love. "Do you forget My cross?" says He, "I will cause you to remember it; for at my table I will manifest Myself anew to you. Do you forget what I did for you in the council-chamber of eternity? I will remind you of it, for you shall need a counsellor, and shall find Me ready at your call." Mothers do not let their children forget them. If the boy has gone to Australia, and does not write home, his mother writes-"Has John forgotten his mother?" Then there comes back a sweet epistle, which proves that the gentle reminder was not in vain. So is it with Jesus, He says to us, "Remember Me," and our response if "We will remember Thy love." We will remember Thy love and its matchless history. It is ancient as the glory which Thou hadst with the Father before the world was. We remember, O Jesus, Thine eternal love when Thou didst become our Surety, and espouse us as Thy betrothed. We remember the love which suggested the sacrifice of Thyself, the love which, until the fulness of time, mused over that sacrifice of Thyself, the love which, until the fulness of time, mused over that sacrifice, and long for the hour whereof in the volume of the book it was written of Thee, "Lo I come." We remember Thy holy life, from the manger of Bethlehem to the garden of Gethsemane. We track Thee from the cradle to the grave- for every word and deed of Thine was love- and we rejoice in Thy love, which death did not exhaust; Thy love which shone resplendent in Thy resurrection. We remember that burning fire of love which will never let Thee hold Thy peace until Thy chosen ones be all safely housed, until Zion be glorified, and Jerusalem settled on her everlasting foundations of light and love in heaven.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Becoming Julia


So........It's not very realistic for me to aspire to become a Julia Child apprentice, but a girl can dream right? After watching Julie and Julia I was a little inspired that a commoner like myself could attain greatness. I mean there are so many similarities with me and Julie already......red hair, writes on a blog, only a matter of time before I have millions of followers and a book deal, right? But with the New Year I decided I wouldn't make "resolutions", rather I would have a few New Years "intentions." So there you go...... new year's intention #1: cook more (translation: one challenging meal a week). Now, you must know "challenging" is a relative word, since I'm a grilled cheese master and spaghetti maker. So you probably won't be getting beef bourguignon recipe from me anytime soon, but here is a recipe for roasted corn and shrimp chowder I made the other night.


Nothing goes to waste in this recipe, since the shrimp shells and corn cobs make a delicate stock for the soup.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)
Ingredients
1.5 pounds unpeeled large shrimp
4 ears corn
Cooking spray
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 fresh thyme sprig (or you can do what I did and use 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup half-and-half

Preparation:
Peel and devein shrimp, reserving shells. Coarsely chop shrimp. Cover shrimp and chill. (this is the sucky part of the job- or I'm just really really slow. Part of me felt like I was back in biology class deveining the shrimp. Have fun).

Remove kernels from ears of corn to measure 2 cups, and set aside. Reserve the corn cobs.

Heat a stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp shells and onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until shells turn pink. Add corn cobs, water, bay leaf, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Drain the shrimp stock into a sieve over a bowl; discard solids.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn kernels; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine sherry and flour, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry. Add slurry to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add shrimp stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 4 minutes or until bisque starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir in half-and-half; serve immediately and enjoy!!! You will feel like you are in a restaurant!
Let me know if you make it!