Sunday Southern Days

Day two with my Crock-Pot Express (CPE), aka Instant Pot. Tonight, we are making Chicken Marsala, one of The Captain's favorites. Since I'm preparing to get back into the 21 Day Fix starting on January 15 (with the new 80 Day Obsession plan!), I'm going to enjoy the chicken and green beans only, while the rest of the family will have egg noodles with their chicken. I found a simple enough recipe on Pinterest that I'm going to adapt to work for our family's tastes a little bit better. Here is the plan: Ingredients: - 2 lbs chicken thighs, boneless, skinless - 1 T olive oil - 1/2 t garlic powder - 1/2 t salt - 1/4 t black pepper - 1/2 yellow onion, diced - 1 pint sliced baby Bella portobello mushrooms - 1 c Marsala wine - 1/4 c chicken stock or broth - 1 T minced garlic Instructions: - Set device to “Sauté” and add oil. Allow to heat for 1 minute. - Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder - Add chicken to pot and sear meat for 3 ...

Santa was VERY generous this year, and, among many other special gifts, I received a CrockPot Express Multi Cooker and am already obsessed after only one day together. If you don't know what this is, it is a multi-function kitchen appliance, that can fill a host of roles, including steamer, saute pan, yogurt maker, slow cooker, pressure cooker, rice cooker, popcorn popper, and more. The brand I received is a CrockPot, and there is also the popular Instant Pot on the market -- they do the same thing for the most part. Last night, I tried it out and make Portobello and Gorgonzola Risotto in less than 15 minutes, 12 of which I didn't even need to stand there. Here is my quickie recipe for Portobello and Gorgonzola Risotto (which reheated beautifully for lunch today too!): Ingredients: 1/2 diced yellow onion 1 T minced garlic 1 c sliced baby bellas 1 T olive oil 1 c dried Arborio rice 1/2 c white wine 1 1/2 c chicken broth 1/2 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese ...

After a rough day for both of us, Sam and I were in need of some heartier dinner food. In hopes of using up some items in the fridge and freezer, Bleu Burgers were in store. 4 Frozen or Fresh Hamburger Patties 1 t Hamburger Seasoning 4 ounces crumbled Bleu Cheese (I used Amish Bleu Cheese, which is a little saltier. Domestic, Maytag, and French work well too) 1/2 onion (yellow or white), diced 2 c slice mushrooms (I used white mushrooms) 1/2 c beef broth 1 T butter Add butter, onion, and mushrooms to saucepan over med-high heat and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add beef broth and bring to a boil. Simmer over med-low heat for an additional 30 minutes. This can be done ahead of time -- keep marinated mushrooms in airtight container in the fridge. Turn broiler on in your oven or toaster oven. Once hot, add seasoned burgers to broiler pan. After 8 minutes, flip burgers once and cook an additional 3-8 minutes, depending on your preferred level o...

We had this for dinner tonight and it was a great and FAST meal for a night were I was late coming home from work. 1 can cream of mushroom soup (condensed) -- you can use cream of chicken if you are not a mushroom eater 2 soup cans water 1 packet onion soup mix 1 1/2 c white rice 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts Preheat the oven to 325. In a saucepan, combine soup, two soup cans of water and onion soup mix over medium meat. Beat with whisk to break up condensed soup and heat just enough to mix all ingredients together (about 4-5 minutes). In 9x13 inch baking dish, spray with non-stick spray (I used olive oil spray). Pour in rice evenly and top with chicken breasts (thawed). Pour over soup evenly to coat. Cover with aluminum foil tightly and place in middle rack of the oven for 40-70 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. This also works for boneless, skinless chicken tenders (You'll cook them about 40 minutes; Thicker breasts will cook longer). Fluff rice with a fork and s...

My sister-in-law Bess, who is a fabulous cook, made this Christmas Day as a side dish and it was wonderful! I look forward to trying it again at my own home and hope you enjoy it! 3 red, orange ,or yellow bell peppers, seeded and halved 3 yellow squash (about 1 pound total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles 3 zucchini (about 12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles 3 Japanese eggplant (12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles 12 cremini mushrooms 1 bunch (1-pound) asparagus, trimmed 12 green onions, roots cut off 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup o f the oil to coat lightly. U...