ULTIMATE CHICKEN DIVAN

My family always loved Chicken Divan. It was an easy way to get my kids to eat broccoli. I don't normally cook with processed foods, but in this case, two cans of

soup are essential in making this casserole so delicious and easy. 

3 medium boneless chicken breast halves

2 cups chicken broth or stock

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets, stems removed

3 T unsalted butter

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed 

2 (10 ½-oz) cans cream of chicken soup

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup whole milk

1 t curry powder

8 oz (about 2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 butter crackers, crushed in a resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin

1 t paprika

Cooked rice or wide egg noodles

In a large skillet, fitted with a lid, bring chicken and broth to a low simmer. 
Cover and cook for 12 minutes.  
Remove chicken to a large bowl or baking sheet and let cool. 

When cool enough to handle, cut or shred into bite-size pieces. 
Transfer chicken to a casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the same large skillet, cover and simmer broccoli in the broth for about 2 minutes.  

Remove broccoli and lightly mix in with the cooked chicken.

Reserve ½ cup of the broth and set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet and sauté the onion for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent.

Add the garlic and sauté a couple more minutes.

Spoon evenly over the chicken and broccoli.

In the same large skillet pour in the reserved chicken broth, whisk in the soups, milk, curry powder, and most of cheese.

Stir to combine. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Pour over chicken and broccoli and gently mix in.  

Top with remaining cheese.

Scatter the crushed crackers over top of casserole and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly hot.

Serve over hot cooked rice or wide egg noodles.

Serves 4 to 6

CAJUN SEAFOOD GUMBO WITH ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

This is a recipe for Cajun seafood gumbo.  It is not made with tomatoes (New Orleans style) and the roux is a not real dark because of the seafood.  Gumbo is one of our favorite stews.  Now that we're in the midst of winter, it is a perfect warming dinner. 

6 T avocado oil or peanut oil, divided 

12 oz smoked andouille sausage, halved lengthwise, and sliced into ¼-inch pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 T Cajun Seasoning (recipe follows)

1 t smoked paprika

3 cups seafood stock or clam broth

1 bottle Abita beer or other amber beer

1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup sliced okra

1 T filé powder (dried and ground leaves of the North American sassafras tree)

1 lb white fish, such as, cob, red snapper, or haddock, cut into bite-size pieces

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb cleaned lump or jumbo crab meat

3 scallions, chopped, for garnish 

Louisiana or Crystal hot sauce, for the table

In a large cast-iron Dutch oven, fitted with a lid, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the sausage until light brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and set aside.

Stir in the “holy trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Remove with a slotted spoon to the bowl with the sausage.

To make the roux, add the rest of the oil, whisk in the flour.

Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. 

Let the roux cook until it’s a light tan.

Move the pot around if you have a hot spot on your stove.  

Burnt roux will make your entire gumbo taste burnt.

Lower heat to medium-low and let roux cook until it is a shade darker, (like the color of a new penny) about 3 to 4 more minutes.  

Add the Cajun Seasoning, paprika, seafood stock or clam broth, Worcestershire, beer, bay leaves, holy trinity, and the browned sausage.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Partially cover with a lid and simmer 5 minutes.

Add okra and fish and simmer another 5 minutes.

Add fish and simmer another 2 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in filé powder and let sit for 5 minutes, while you set the table.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with scallions and serve with cooked white rice and French crusty bread.

Serves 4 to 6

Cajun Seasoning

3 T sweet or smoked paprika

3 T ground black pepper

2 T sea salt

2 T garlic powder

2 T onion powder

2 T dried thyme

1 T cayenne pepper

Pour above ingredients in a jar fitted with a lid. Shake well and store in a cool dark place for up to one year.

PUMPERNICKEL BREAD

This is a very easy and quick recipe for making pumpernickel bread. This bread is absolutely delicious served with Mixed Sausages and Sauerkraut. It has a slight sweet taste from the honey and molasses.

1 ¾ cups warm water

1 T active dry yeast

2 T honey
2 T espresso powder
⅓ cup dark molasses
2 cups bread flour
2 ½ cups dark rye flour
2 t sea salt

1 T melted butter

Pour warm water into the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a dough hook.

Sprinkle in the yeast and let proof for 10 minutes.

Add the honey, espresso powder, molasses, bread flour, 1 cup of the rye flour,  and sea salt.

Turn on mixer and slowly mix while adding the rest of the rye flour, a little at a time.

Mix for about 3 to 4 minutes, then turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a couple more minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and place in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.

Form dough into an oblong shape and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Let rise another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

With a very sharp knife, cut diagonal slits on top of dough.

Brush with melted butter and bake in oven for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool.

GRAND MARNIER FRENCH TOAST

When making French toast, you first have to start with a good dense bread. I used a locally made sourdough bread, that I sliced myself. You also need to soak the bread in the custard mixture for 1 minute, each side. You can divide the recipe in half to serve two for breakfast or brunch. A Mimosa would be excellent to serve with this for brunch.

6 large eggs

1 cup whole milk
3 T granulated sugar

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of 1 orange

3 T Grand Marnier, or other orange flavored brandy

1 t vanilla extract

½ t ground cinnamon

A pinch of ground nutmeg

8 slices sourdough, artisan, challah, or brioche bread

2 T unsalted butter, for cooking

2 T avocado oil, or other neutral flavored oil
Confectioners' sugar, for serving
Pure maple syrup, for serving

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs very well.

Whisk in the milk, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, brandy (if using), vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Dip 2 slices of bread into the mixture, letting it soak up some of the custard for about 1 minute each side.

Lift bread out of custard, letting excess drip back into the bowl.
Cook slices in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with some of the butter and the oil.
While bread is cooking, put two more slices of bread in the custard mixture to soak.

Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 225 degree F oven while frying the rest of the bread.

Place 2 per plate and serve with a garnish of confectioners' sugar and maple syrup.

Serves 4 

KILBASA SAUSAGE WITH SAUERKRAUT & POTATOES

You can have this dinner on the table in 1 hour, from start to finish. Choose any type of sausage you prefer. I also mixed up a spicy mustard by using, Dijon, whole grain, honey Dijon, spicy brown mustard, and prepared horseradish. There are many gourmet mustards to choose from in your grocery store, from spicy to mustards spiked with whiskey and stout, but this is what I had in my pantry.

2 packages, (13.5 oz) Polish sausages (Kilbasa) cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces

1 T unsalted butter

1 T avocado oil

1½ lbs small yellow potatoes, cut in half  

2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and sliced

2 clove garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

1 cup apple juice

1 bottle of brown ale

1 T caraway seeds (optional)

32 oz bag of sauerkraut, drained in a mesh colander and rinsed

Pinch of ground allspice

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Over medium heat, brown sausages in butter and oil in a large cast iron skillet. Remove sausages and set aside. 

Add potatoes and brown for 5 minutes.

Add onions and cook another 10 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. 

Add bay leaves, apple juice, ale, and caraway seeds. 

Stir in sauerkraut and allspice. 

Nestle in the sausages and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Cover and place in oven for 40 minutes.

Remove bay leaves and serve with pumpernickel bread, mustard, beer or Riesling wine.

Serves 6 to 8

NUTTED WILD RICE WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

This is a great side dish to take to a potluck dinner or to have with grilled chicken.  Serve this at room temperature.

2 cups raw wild rice

4 cups chicken broth or stock

1 cup cold water

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

Grated zest of 1 large orange

Juice of 2 large oranges

¼ cup chopped fresh mint

6 scallions, thinly sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ t sea salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

Rinse rice in a large mesh colander with cold water and place in a medium size saucepan.

Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

Pour off any remaining liquid and place rice in a large bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently.

Set aside for 2 hours and serve at room temperature.

Serves 8 to 12

HUEVOS RANCHEROS - RANCHER'S EGGS

This is easy to put together as long as you make the Salsa Fresca first and set aside. You can also buy already prepared salsa to make it even easier on yourself. Chop or shred the cheese, have the beans heated, cook the potatoes and chorizo, if you want to include them in your meal. Chop up the cilantro and slice the avocado after you scramble your eggs.

Salsa Fresca
2 cups finely chopped tomatoes
2 T finely chopped red onion
1 T finely chopped jalapeño pepper
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 scallion, chopped
½ t red wine vinegar
Zest and juice of ½ lime
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

2 flour tortillas
1 can enchilada red sauce
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or finely chopped
1 can black beans, heated
4 eggs, scrambled
1 avocado, sliced
Cilantro leaves
Chorizo sausage, optional
Country fried potatoes, optional

In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, toast one side of the tortilla. 
Spread on a ladle of the enchilada sauce. 
Sprinkle on half of the cheese.

On half of the tortilla, add some beans and then top with half of the scrambled eggs.
Fold the tortilla over and using a large spatula, place on a baking sheet and keep warm in a 225 degree F oven while preparing the other tortilla.

Place each tortilla on warm plates.
Tuck in some salsa, avocado slices, and cilantro.
Place a scoop of sour cream on the side and serve with Chorizo and potatoes, if desired.

Serves 2