Chicken Madeira

My husband and I celebrated our birthdays together by going to Cheesecake Factory (Our birthdays are only 3 days apart). I ordered a Chicken Madeira, and by golly it was sooooooooo delicious! I mean it! I was like, I have got to have a recipe of this. Few months later, my husband and I got tired of eating same type of recipes for chicken and wanted to try something new. I thought of Chicken Madeira and suggested it to my husband. He said that he would love to try it. I went on a research spree to find out exactly what was in it and found a website and I copied the ingredients and tweaked it a bit to our liking. It turned out fantastic and I guarantee you that you will NOT regret trying this recipe. It actually very cheap and easy to make this entree, even better than I thought.

RECIPE:  serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast
12 asparagus spears
4 sliced mozzarella cheese (shredded works fine, but bit messier)
3 cups Madeira wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
Mushrooms - Optional

1. Pound the chicken breast to 1/4 inch thick then place the chicken in a large frying pan coated with olive oil. Season them with salt and pepper to your taste. (I used peppers only).

2. Saute the chicken until it's barely done then take it out and set it aside. Remove oil.

3. Preheat the oven to a broil setting.

4. Add wine, beef broth, cornstarch, butter, and peppers to the frying pan. (Make sure you blended cornstarch with beef broth first before adding to the pan to avoid clumps) Bring to a boil then reduce heat.
5. Put chickens back in the sauce and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce is thick. (If the sauce is still not thick, you can add a little more cornstarch.) The sauce is supposed to shrink in half than it originally was.

5. When the sauce is almost ready, add the asparagus into the sauce with the chickens until the end. (Optional: add mushroom to the sauce.)

6. Once done cooking, place the chicken on a baking pan or dish, arrange three asparagus on top of each chicken then put mozzarella cheese over it. Bake it until cheese melts then serve hot!

This entree goes great with mashed potato. You can pour remaining sauce over mashed potato and chicken. It is even more delicious to be able to enjoy this gourmet taste.

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

At my wedding, my husband ate my aunt's trifle and he loved it. I had tasted it and it was wonderful. Many months had passed and my husband's grandparents and aunt/uncle were invited to our house for a dinner party.  I asked my husband what he would like me to make for dessert. He said "something chocolatey with whipped cream that you made." I was having difficulty trying to remember what he was trying to tell me. Then I  flashed back to our wedding menus and asked if the trifle was the one he was talking about. He got so excited and said "YES!" I warned him that I had never made something like that before; so, I told him that I will try to make it for the dinner party. It was a last minute dinner party and I doubted I had a lot of time on my plate to be making a bunch of food and have it ready in time, but I pulled it off! Yay me! I did tons of researches on trifles and how to make it. Boy, do I have to be amazed that most of them must be chilled in the fridge for at least 8 hours! I did not have that time but I kept looking and found the perfect ingredients that only required the trifle to be chilled for an hour or two before serving. I was being creative and it turned out delicious!! This is great for a party.

RECIPE  serves approximately 16 people (1/2 cup each)

1 large box of instant chocolate pudding
1/4 cup sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 package of brownie mix
6 bars of Hershey chocolate candy

1. First, put the chocolate bars in the freezer.

2. Prepare the brownie as directed on the box.

3. When the brownie is already baked, make sure it is cooled first. Then cut the brownie into 1 inch squares and set aside.

4. Second, make the chocolate pudding as directed on the box and then put them in the fridge to help chill it quickly.

5. Third, pour a pint of heavy whipping cream in a medium to large chilled bowl (I put the metal bowl in the freezer to help chill the bowl quickly) and use an electric mixer to whisk it for about 2 minutes then slowly add 1/4 cup of sugar and then continue to whisk until it is at its stiff peak then set aside.

6. Take the candies out of the freezer and hammer it to crush it into pieces. (I left it in the freezer wrapped and then smashed it with a hammer before opening the wrapper for a quicker process).

7. It is now time to make a layer. Use an appropriate large serving bowl or a trifle bowl and layer them in the following order: brownie, chocolate pudding, candies, and whipped cream. Save a portion of candies to decorate on top of whipped cream after layering it. Put it in the fridge and let it chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

You can substitute the brownie with any type of cake mix and candies with any other type of candies OR fruits, preferably berries. You can also substitute chocolate flavor pudding with different pudding flavor like vanilla! What I would not change is the whipped cream. It tastes great and does not tastes too sweet than necessary. A drizzle of syrup will also work great! You be the judge on how you want the trifle made.

 BE CREATIVE!

How To Separate An Egg Yolk from White

With no special egg separator tool on hand, so trying to separate an egg using the old fashioned egg shell swishing back and forth is taking too much of my time and it can get messy. It also increases the chance of breaking the yolk then all efforts is lost! Onto the next egg. Buying an expensive gadget that separates the yolk from the white makes me grimace at the sight of the prices.  I came across a video on youtube that was fascinating, easy, and priceless to separate the egg yolk. Why didn't I think of it before!? This is a total blessing for making my job so much easier separating the egg yolk from the white without worrying on breaking. Attach is a youtube video link to this blog if you want to watch a video on how it works. All it takes is an empty water bottle. YES, you heard me, an empty water bottle. It does the trick!

First you need to buy a water bottle or any other types of bottle. Wash it first before use. Break an egg into a bowl. Unscrew the cap from the bottle. Squeeze the bottle first and then touch the yolk lightly with the tip of the bottle and loosen your grip on the bottle slowly and carefully until it sucks the yolk into the bottle. YAY! It's that simple. To get the yolk out of the bottle. Just squeeze the bottle gently to push it out of the bottle into a different bowl. You can wash the bottle again and store it for later uses time and time again. You can squeeze in and out many yolks in a bottle. It's designed to hold more than 1 yolk.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4E_9iAU3RI (note: this is not me and it is not my video. You can also find many other videos that explains how to do this)

Cheesy Ziti Casserole

I remembered when I attended Indiana University in Bloomington,  IN that I ordered a cheesy ziti Casserole from the cafeteria and loved it! I thought of my time when I went there and ate that delicious food that I got in the mood to try and make it. This is my original recipe. I came up with it on my own. I hope you will enjoy this delish meal!

Recipe  Serves 6 to 10

1 lb Ground beef
1/2 c. Onion, chopped
1 8oz. Cream cheese
1 jar (24oz) pasta sauce
2-3 cups  mozzarella cheese (depends on how cheesy you want)
1 box (16oz) of penne or ziti

1/8 tsp. Oregano

1/8 tsp. Parsley

1/8 tsp. Thyme

1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/8 tsp. Basil

Dash of black peppers

First, preheat the oven to 350 degree for aluminum/metal based dish or 325 degrees for glass dish. Boil the pasta as directed on the box until soft. Brown the meat with onion seasoned with black peppers in a pan over low-medium.  Once browned, get the grease out by using a colander or paper towel. Cook pasta sauce and cream cheese in a large saucepan over medium. Add all of the herbs into the sauce. Cook until cream cheese is completely melted. This should have a result of orange cream sauce. If the sauce starts to boil, lower the temperature to avoid boiling.

Second, put the browned meat into the saucepan with the sauce and mix it up.  Put some pasta in a 9 x 13 baking dish and pour some of the sauce into the dish and mix well. Do this gradually until you completely mix the pasta with the sauce completely.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  

Thirdly, cover the dish with aluminum foil or a lid. Bake for about 30 minutes, covered. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melted. Let it cool for a few minutes then serves hot!

Guacamole

I remembered when I was invited to a Christmas party with my families.  I couldn't think of anything to make for the party but I thought of making taco layers dip. This includes the guacamole in the layers, since i am unsure if the people may like the guacamole so I had it separated. I had to find recipe to make guacamole.   I'm quite picky at how guacamole should taste.  I decided to make it from scratch based on my research on how to make it. It turned out to be very successful and delicious. Most people loved it and wanted the recipe. 

Recipe. Serves 4-8

4 ripe avocados
1 8oz. Cream cheese
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of chili powder

Peel the avocado skin off then cut in half to remove the seed. Mash the avocado well. Add cream cheese and cream together. Add garlic powder and chili powder to the mixture to your suitable taste. Blend well then serve immediately.

This guacamole is not thick, chunky, and mixed with other vegetables.  It is very creamy, smooth, and pure guacamole without anything else other than four primary ingredients. I would not recommend making guacamole the day before because they have the tendency to turn brown fast and it's no good.  To avoid browning, lemon juice will help preserve the guacamole a little bit longer

Make sure the avocados are ripe. It is supposed to look like a dark green, not bright green or too dark that's almost brown. It also supposed to feel soft as you squeeze it. If you can't squeeze it, it's not ripe. If you squeeze it and it's too soft, pay attention to the color because if it is too dark then it is past their ripeness taste.

Mozzarella Zucchini Skillet with Sausage

I received a Campbell's recipe book as a Christmas gift and I looked through the book and found the one that looked very appealing to me so I decided to  make it and throw in something extra to the original recipe.  This is a GREAT dinner meal for people who are trying to watch their calorie intakes. This is also a GREAT dinner meal for people who are vegetarians.  Enjoy!

Recipe serves 7 people (about 1 cup each)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced (about 7 1/2 c.)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 c.)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. Prego Traditional Italian Sauce
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese

Heat the oil in a 12-in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and garlic powder and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir the sauce in the skillet and heat it through. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.

These ingredients are the very basic foundation of adding multiple vegetables to the dish. The more varieties your skillet have, the more delicious it will taste. However, the more variety of other food  will make it too much to fit in a 12-in skillet so I would recommend cutting down on the amount of zucchini in the skillet and balance it with other food equaling to about 7 1/2 cups in total.  You can add sliced brats or italian sausage, green peppers, mushroom, artichokes, and tons other food to this skillet.  For meats, please brown them before cooking zucchini and remove the meat from the skillet to cook vegetables and return to the skillet right before adding pasta. For vegetables other than zucchini, mix with zucchini and cook together until they are tender-crisp. For mushrooms or artichoke, make sure they are drained completely and then add to the skillet right after the vegetables are tender-crisp and before the pasta sauce is added

This recipe is found in a recipe book and online so here is the link to the recipe at campbell's: http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/mozzarella-zucchini-skillet-25403

Applebee's Garlic Mashed Potatoes

When I went to Applebee's and tried their mashed potatoes for the first time and LOVED it! I wanted the exact recipe so I can make my homemade mashed potatoes more flavorful. I went through several website and found the perfect one that tastes quite identical to the one at Applebee's.

Recipe  serves 4 people

1 lb. red potatoes
1/4 c. milk
1/8 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1/2. tsp of salt and pepper to taste
1/8 c. garlic

If you want to use the real garlic, place a single layer of garlic cloves on a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap tightly.  Roast in 400 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes or until soft.  Unwrap and let garlic cool until touchable. Peel the cloves and mash with potatoes when they are ready.

If you want to use the minced garlic from a can, just spread it flat on a small plate and microwave it for 5 to 10 seconds then mix with potatoes.

Wash and rinse potatoes under cold water.  Leaving the skin on or off is up to you.  In a large saucepan, bring to a boil for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain in colander.  In pan or bowl, combine potatoes, garlic and all other ingredients and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer.  Keep warm and serve.

The ingredients above will taste great and will taste quite identical to the one at Applebee's. However, if you are tight on budget, but would like to make this, you could eliminate heavy cream and use a little more milk.  It still will taste great.

Eggplant Parmesan

I absolutely LOVE eggplant! They are very healthy and delicious. This will be a great vegetarian dinner that substitute chicken parmesan with eggplant parmesan.  This is the recipe that I came up with on my own.

Recipe serves 4 people

1 medium sized eggplant
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
 1 tsp oregano
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
1 c. water
6 slices mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. oil.
1 egg
 1/2 roll of butter crackers

Slice and peel eggplant about 1/2 inches thick. Mix salt and egg. Ground the crackers for coating. Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, covered in crackers and then fry them in oil pan.  Once cooked, put eggplant in layers with cheese on 9x13 dish or 9x9 dish.  Mix tomato paste, pepper, and oregano.  Pour over eggplants. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes covered with foil. Enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo

Ever since I found the crab alfredo recipe, I love the taste of the sauce so I substitute the crab for chicken.  I tweaked the recipe differently from the original recipe due to the spicy flavor that can be strong and the method of cooking chicken is something new.


Recipe serves 4 people
8oz dried fettucine
1 (8oz) cream cheese2 chicken breasts, cubed

3 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. milk
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
Dash of salt and pepper
Dash of lemon pepper seasoning
Dash of seasoning salt
Dash of paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper/cajun seasoning
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. parsley flake
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil

Boil the pasta until soft.  Cook the chicken in olive oil. Season the chicken with lemon pepper seasoning, seasoning salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper/cajun seasoning. Once the chicken is done, remove chicken from the pan. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for two minutes.  Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.  Reduce heat. Stir constantly for two minutes.  Add the milk gradually and then stir over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, and the remaining herbs. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add cooked chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Serves hot.

Crab Alfredo

I got tired of eating the same type of pasta for quite some time so I told my mom that I wanted to try something different for our dinner. I did some research and found this recipe online and tried it. It turned out to be very delicious and spicy, which I liked. I used the same recipe to make chicken alfredo as well. I will post a separate recipe for chicken alfredo.

Recipe  serves 4 people

8oz dried fettucine
3 Tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. half and half milk
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp. flour
Dash of salt and pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 (4oz) cream cheese
8 oz crab meat, flakes

Boil the pasta until soft.  melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for two minutes.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Reduce heat. Stir constantly for two minutes.  Add the half and half milk gradually and then stir over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add cream cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add crab meats and cook for 3 minutes. Serves hot.

I personally use 8 oz of cream cheese and uses milk instead of half and half.  That will make the sauce a bit more creamier.  This original recipe will make the sauce very thick and chunky. I like it to be less thick and more creamy.  I sometime substitute the crab for chicken.  The link to the recipe I found online is: Crab Alfredo

Cheeseball Dip

I remember when I went to see my grandma. She made this dip and had me try and taste it with a cracker. I tried and I became ADDICTED to it! However, eating too much causes digestive issue for me. Whoo, that's a lot of cheese! I made this myself and shared it with my family and friends. They got addicted to it and kept asking me for recipe and I had to pass it out to many people. This recipe IS a keeper! This is the best appetizer that you can serve with your friends and family at a party. I guarantee you that they will be GONE by the end of your party. (It depends on how many people).

Since this recipe makes a big batch of cheeseball (about the size of a butter tub), I suggest you to divide the dip and put the half in the freezer for later use and the other half to eat in the moment.

Recipe

3 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese
2 jars of Kraft Old English
1 jar of Kraft Roka Blue Cheese or 6oz of crumbled blue cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Cream all ingredient together until smooth. Chill then serve!

(Picture will be posted later)

The old english and roka blue cheese jars can be found next to pimento cheese or pasturized cheese  in a non-refrigerated section. It really depends on which store you go to.  A jar of roka blue cheese is very difficult to find. They are not available all year round. They are only available during the fall/winter holidays. When they are not in season, I used the crumbled blue cheese that can be found in the refrigerated cheese section.

Coleslaw - with mayonnaise

I grew up eating the delicious coleslaw my mom made. This is one of the best coleslaw I've ever had among other coleslaw with milk. This coleslaw taste almost the same as the other coleslaw with milk. It just have different ingredients. Enjoy!!

Recipe

1 c. mayonnaise or miracle whip salad dressing (personally, the salad dressing tastes better)
1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. milk
1/8 tsp or dash of celery seed (optional)
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 stalk of carrot, sliced in small pieces

Mix all ingredients together. Chill then serve!

You can actually add onion or anything you like in your coleslaw. This recipe is just basic that you can actually add anything to it to your preference.

Coleslaw - with milk

I grew up eating the delicious coleslaw that my mom made. This coleslaw is the best I ever tasted among other type of coleslaw with mayonnaise. It is so EASY to make! Enjoy!

Recipe

3/4 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp or a dash of celery seed (optional)
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 stalk of carrot, sliced into small pieces

Mix all together. Chill then serves!

You can actually add onion or anything you like in your coleslaw. This recipe is just basic that you can actually add anything to it to your preference.

Chicken Pot Pie

I got tired of eating few recipes that contains chicken as the main dish over and over. I thought of trying to expand the delicate taste of chicken in a new way that I have never done before.  I thought of banquet chicken pot pie. I thought that they tasted good, but I thought to myself if it is possible to make it. After researching and deriving ingredients to make this the best chicken pot pie ever! Yes it is possible, but very long to prepare and cook this dinner. I suggest that you should cook this when you have plenty of hours to focus on. This dinner is also freezable!  You can make it and store it for later! They are good in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Recipes  makes 2 chicken pot pies serves 6 each pie

2 c. diced potato
1 3/4 c. sliced carrots
2/3 c. chopped onion
1 c. butter
1 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. thyme
3/4 tsp. black pepper
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. milk
4 c. cubed chicken, cooked
1 c. frozen peas
1 c. frozen corn
2 pastry for 9 inch pie dish

Boil potato and carrot then reduce heat to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain and set aside.  In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, salt, thyme, and pepper until blended.  Gradually stir in broth and milk, bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add chickens, potato, and vegetables. Remove from heat.  Fill 2 pastry shells with chicken mixture.  Put another pastry on top of both pies. Cut slits.  Bake one pot pie at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.  Let it stand for 15 minutes before cutting.  You bake another pie at the same degree and length then let it cool off and then put it in the freezer. Whenever you want to eat, let it thaw and heat it up and serves hot.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

When I went over to see my grandma for Christmas, she brought out this pumpkin cake roll and asked me to have some. I tried it for the first time and fell in love with it. It tastes so rich and delicious! I asked for a recipe and it is easy to make! This is a perfect holiday dish with your family and friends gathering.

Recipe makes 1 roll

3 eggs
1 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. pumpkin (pure, not pie mix)
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger (best 1/2 tsp. in my opinion)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nut (optional)

Filling

1 c. powdered sugar
2 (3oz) package of cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat eggs for 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat well.  Combine pumpkin and lemon juice with the mixture.  Add flour, baking powder, and spices. Mix well. Spread into greased and floured 15x10x1 inches pan. Top with nuts.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. While baking. Have a clean kitchen towel spread out and sprinkle powder sugar on top of the towel.  Also make a filling by combining the ingredients. Beat until smooth and set aside when ready.When done baking, turn the pan over onto the towel. Immediately start at the end and roll the towel and cake together. (It does not matter which ends, the small end will create a smaller but fat roll while the large end will create a long and thin roll. It is up to how you want the roll to look like). Let it cool, then unroll it.  Immediately, spread over the cooled cake with a filling. Roll it up again. Chill in the fridge for a while until the filling is set, then serves deliciously.