Cooking the Books: Chicken Creole

Who doesn't have one million cookbooks laying around? Do you ever use them? I'll admit I rarely do. The internet has become my 'modus operandi' if you will when it comes to looking for a good recipe. But some of my favorite recipes have come from books. And I love vintage cookbooks the best. (See photo.) The illustrations are priceless. In one of my books there is a woman dressed in heels and pearls and she is literally running toward her husband coming home from work, his drink in her hand. My husband awaits the day when he is greeted like that. Unfortunately for him, I don't think Hell is going to freeze over any time soon.

Anyway, I've decided to delve into my books more often for inspiration and the occasional dinner. In flipping through the books, I came across some really odd recipes. Porcupines in cabbage leaves, Philadelphia Scrapple and Hot Dog S'mores. (I kid you not on that last one.) But I thought I'd go with something a little more tame for my first effort. Chicken creole.


A number of years ago Jason's dad made me a shrimp creole that was to die for. A spicy, tomato based thick soup. Since then I've been wanting to try one out. In reading the recipe I soon realized that creole is a baked dish and not a soup. Darn. I really had my heart set on soup. So I changed the recipe a bit.


It was really good but my whole family decided it tasted basically like my Chicken Jambalaya but not as good. So I won't be making this again. I'll include the recipe in case you want to make authentic Chicken Creole but I can't vouch for that recipe. Which is why you come here I know. To read about and make recipes I haven't tried. What can I say? This was a cookbook fail.

I'll try the Hot Dog S'mores next time.


Chicken Creole

The Pillsbury Family Cookbook 1963 edition

3 pounds frying chicken, cut into pieces
1/4 c. olive oil
20 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 T. butter
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. leaf thyme
1 T. parsley (fresh or dried)
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. white wine
Hot cooked white rice

In skillet, fry chicken in oil until golden. Remove chicken. Meanwhile in saucepan, combine tomatoes, 1 T. butter, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, parsley, bay leaf and garlic; simmer for 30 minutes. Melt 2 T. butter in skillet. Add onions and green pepper and brown slightly. Blend cornstarch with wine until smooth. Pour into skillet, stirring until slightly thickened. Add chicken and tomato mixture. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve over rice.

The most delicious pork you will ever eat.

And that's not an understatement. Admittedly this isn't the best picture. But I wasn't going to waste time retaking them because I was in too big of a hurry to eat. That's how good this pork is. It is the most delicious pork I have ever eaten. For real. And I have eaten a lot of pork. It is moist and tender and so full of flavor. I served it on both corn and flour tortillas and the corn was way better. Just ignore the half eaten beans in the background. Next time I will serve this with whole black beans and maybe some spanish rice.

Where did this most fabulous recipe come from you ask? Well I'll tell you. Because I learned how to share in kindergarten. This fabulous girl is my sweet cousin. Her blog covers her journey following her weight loss surgery. She's awesome. Really. I admire her so much for her determination to go through with the surgery and then maintain everything afterward. And she's an awesome cook. She created this recipe all on her own. Amazing.

The only change I made was to cook it in the oven. I baked it at 325 for 3-4 hours. Just until it was fork tender. This made it slightly crunchy and browned on the edges. And I think that you are supposed to use red salsa that has green chile in it. And even though I have learned to read, again thank you kindergarten, I used green tomatillo salsa instead. But I think it was a happy accident and would make the same mistake again.

Four bean turkey chili.

See, I told you I was back. I'm gonna change it up. And surprise you with a recipe today. It's been all about the cute outfits around here, but y'all I am a girl of many talents. I cook too. Among other things.

With the cold snap here this week I was all about the soups. And this chili is a winner. Serve it with your favorite cornbread recipe and I guarantee you won't be sorry.

Here is the link for the recipe. I pretty much follow the recipe except I use about 2 cups of broth and I only drain my garbanzo beans. The others I just dump right in. It makes it a litte thicker.

This is a really lean and healthy chili. Except when you eat it smothered in cheese as Frito pie the next day. Which in my opinion is how it should be eaten. Enjoy.

Not a real post.

This isn't a real post because I don't have a real recipe. I don't have anything real important to say. And Jason says a baked potato isn't a real dinner. So. You get this picture of a potato. And I know that looks like an unholy amount of sour cream, but I assure you, the potato was heavenly.



Baked Potatoes
4-6 Idaho potatoes
1-2 T. kosher salt
1/4 c. olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Wash and prick your potatoes. Next dump the salt onto a plate and pour the oil on top. Take your potatoes and roll them around in the oil and salt until they are covered. Next, and this is the most important step, place all your potatoes in a cast iron skillet. It must be cast iron. If you don't have one, go out an buy one. Because no self respecting cook is without a well seasoned cast iron pan. Lodge is a really good brand, if you need to know. And don't even think about using aluminium foil, just place your pan, uncovered, in the hot oven and bake for an hour or until they are fork tender. The skin will be crunchy but that's what makes these so great. Crunchy and salty on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. Serve them with all your favorite toppings. I added chopped, pickled jalepenos to mine and it was unreal. ;)

The Tooth Fairy, Pumpkin Bread and Homeschool.

How's that for random? I feel like I have a lot to say without wanting to really say anything. Do you ever feel that way? Anyway, first a story, then a recipe, then a question.

Emma lost her tooth on Thursday last week. She put her tooth under her pillow and was giddy with anticipation for the next day. When Jason went to wake up the girls that morning and found Emma face down on the couch, he knew. We are the most terrible parents. He walked up to check on her and she rolls over and slowly opens her hand. Inside is her tooth. Here's how the rest of the conversation played out.

"I can think of four reasons this happened.
One. The tooth fairy isn't real.
Two. My parents forgot to put the money under my pillow. Because the tooth fairy isn't real.
Three. When the tooth fairy came, I was awake so she couldn't leave the money.
Four. She couldn't find my tooth because it was under my pillow."

I don't know how Jason kept a straight face. Emma went to school and later that evening she lost another tooth. So Jason quickly set an alarm on his phone to remind us to set out her money. He left her 3 dollars. One for each tooth and a bonus dollar plus an apology note from the tooth fairy. We thought that should cover it. However, upon waking the next morning, Emma let us know how she really felt. Her exact words on finding the money, "This is pathetic." Okay then.

I have made this bread recipe for ages. It is just a simple pumpkin bread. Nothing fancy. No nuts, no chocolate chips, no streusel topping. But it is the best pumpkin bread I've ever eaten. The other day I decided I didn't want to wait the hour it takes to bake it and made it into muffins instead. This was a revelation. Because you have to watch the bread really carefully. There is a very fine line between an undone center and a dry and burnt bread. No such problems when you make them into muffins. They are dense and moist. And the best part? They are ready to eat in under 20 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread or Muffins
2 c. pumpkin (I just use one can of Libby's)
4 eggs
1 c. oil
3 c. sugar (This seems a shocking amount. It's not. Just go with it.)

3 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. ground allspice

In a large bowl, mix the first four ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and stir until combined. Pour into 2 well greased loaf pans. If you are making muffins, line your cups with paper. It's the easiest way. Bake this heavenly concoction at 350 degrees for 1 hour for the bread and 18-20 minutes for the muffins.

And now a question. Jason and I are seriously considering homeschool. That's not a question really but a statement. I know. But I would like your advice on this. We are at our wit's end with the school here. And being a small town, we have no other option. There isn't a private school, and if there was we couldn't really afford it anyway. So what do we do? I know if we pull them out without trying to make a change in the school first it could seem cowardly? Elitist? Avoidist? Is that even a word? I don't know what I'm trying to say. But I do know that trying to fight the entire school system is not easy. They have policies, curriculum, standardized tests, etc. etc. And all these things are failing my children. But I don't know if homeschool is the answer. I'm not even sure I could do it. But I can't sit idly by anymore. So. Thoughts? Advice? Any and all are appreciated.

What a 7 layer burrito should taste like.

So, sometimes I love Albertson's. Don't get me wrong. I love the HEB. But sadly we don't have one of those in my neck of the woods. We don't have an Albertson's either. I had to drive to Saginaw. But anyway, I digress. The other day, Albertson's had pot roasts that were buy one get one. And I am not one to turn down free meat.

I put said 'free' roast in the oven with a little salt and pepper, a sliced onion and some broth. Now at this point I still didn't know what we were having for dinner. And I don't usually cook like this. I usually have a menu plan. But I was trying to use what we had on hand. So, I scrounged around in the cupboard and found refried beans and a can of duck sauce. The PW (The Pioneer Woman) first turned me on to this sauce. It is actually called 'El Pato' but it has a duck on the front so that's what we call it. Next time you need refried beans for something take a can of the yellow (they have a green can too) duck sauce and just mix it in with the beans. I use about 3/4 of a can. Seriously good.

Instead of tacos, I decided to change it up and have burritos. And by the time all the toppings were added, we realized there were 7 layers. And because I know you want to know, here are the seven layers. Start with your tortilla (not a layer), smear on some beans, add the meat, then spanish rice (I used Zatarain's), then cheese, then lettuce, then guacamole and finally sour cream. I actually added some salsa too. But Jason said that wasn't a proper layer. Just a condiment.

Jason and I quite agreed that if Taco Bell was a gourmet restaurant instead of just fast food, this is what their 7 layer would taste like. Since it isn't, and since we don't have ANY gourmet restaurants in town, I cook almost every day of the week. "It's my lot in life. It's not a lot, but it's my life." (Name that movie.) But we eat well. And you will too.

For the burritos almost everything was homemade. So this is a bonus post. You will receive not one, not two, but THREE recipes. That's right folks! Everyone's a winner today here on hartbeats!



The Roast
Pot Roast (I think mine was a 6-8 pound roast)
1 onion-sliced
2 c beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

Place your roast fat side up in a heavy pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add in the sliced onion and pour the broth over the top. I just use bouillon and water. Cover the roast and place in a 325 degree oven for 3-5 hours. Or until the roast is fork tender. When it is done, take it out and let it cool a little. Since we were eating this in burritos, I shredded the meat. I used to feel bad about using such a nice piece of meat in this way, but darn it it's just too good. And we ate this 2 or 3 times and I still had enough meat to throw in a pot of black bean chili. So just go for it!

The Tortillas
Jason has become quite the master at making tortillas. They are really easy and they are so good we hardly ever buy them from the store anymore. He started making them with a basic recipe I found somewhere, but has since modified it in his brain. I asked him what he did so that I could post it, but...

Our conversation went something like this.

Me: How do you make your tortillas? I want to blog the recipe.
Him: I just put some flour in a bowl. Then I add a little salt and some baking powder. I cut in the lard and then add some water. I mix them up and they're done.
Me: Do you have exact measurements? I want to blog this.
Him: No.
Me: Great. Just great.

So, I will provide you with this recipe. Which is basically the same. Just be forewarned. Once you start making your own, you won't go back to store bought. Oh, and use lard. It really is the best way to make them.

The guacamole
4-5 ripe avocados
2 T finely diced onion
2 T finely diced tomato
juice of one lemon
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 T chopped pickled jalapenos
1/4 t garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Start by dicing your avocados and putting them in a bowl. Next add in the lemon juice so they don't start to turn brown. Add in the tomato and onion. This is when I mash up the avocados. I like the onion and tomato to get a little mashed too. Now add in the jalapenos and cilantro. And then add your seasonings. Check the flavor and adjust as needed.

Now, I have had some really good and fancy guacamole. But this is how I usually make it. Just really simple, and really good. And a good tip on how to store your guac so it doesn't turn brown. Just cover it with saran wrap. Literally lay the stuff down right on top of the guacamole. Then put the lid on and you are good to go. You can now enjoy fresh and green guacamole for days.

Poisoned Apple Fritters

That got your attention I bet. And no I am not giving you a recipe for your enemies. The girls were watching "Enchanted" this morning. And in case you haven't seen it, there is an evil witch, a handsome prince, a beautiful princess and a poisoned apple. And they all live happily ever after. Except the witch of course.

I printed this ages ago. I had a couple of Granny Smiths wilting in the fridge and it's getting cooler here in the great state of Texas. So today it was time for Fall food!

I have fried food more times than I would like to admit. But to be honest, I have never been that good at it. I never get the temperature of the oil quite right. It's too hot and burns on the outside while being uncooked and gooey on the inside. Or I don't get the oil hot enough and it ends up being super greasy. Not appetizing at all. But today, the stars aligned for me. The oil was the perfect temperature and everything was golden brown. I didn't burn even one fritter. I may have to eat and cook fried food more often.

These fritters were so good. The exterior was super crunchy while the inside was moist and dense. The girls said they tasted like apple pie and I quite agree. I know PW says to dunk them in the glaze, but I found them cloyingly sweet that way. They only need a little drizzle on the top. With my espresso, it was a great way to start the day.

And I'm not a princess but I'm sure my day will end in a happily ever after. And yours will too. Especially if you make these for breakfast.

Pretzel Dogs

These were so good, I couldn't wait to blog them. Two posts in one week. It's almost like I'm a real blogger! Anyway, these were beyond good. I just wouldn't want someone to miss out on a opportunity for awesomeness. I know. I'm a true friend.

I printed out this recipe back in April. But she got the recipe from here. I don't know why I haven't made them before now. Probably because I thought they were going to be super difficult. But these were a piece of cake. Mostly because I didn't make the dough. Jason did. But even he said they were easy. And the dough goes together in an hour. Which for a yeast dough is really fast.

To make them into pretzel hot dogs is easy. When you roll the dough into long tubes make them 16 inches instead of 12. You'll need the extra length to go all the way around the dog. I had 12 hot dogs but we would have had enough dough for 14-16. Allow the rolls to rest for a few minutes and then take a piece of dough and start at one end and twist the dough all the way around the dog. Pinch the ends together and then set aside. When all the dogs are wrapped, boil 10 cups of water with 2/3 a cup of baking soda. This is the exact measurement you need. Don't cheat. I'll know. Next just boil the dogs for 1 minute. Transfer them to a wire rack to drip and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake them at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be golden brown. Serve with a variety of mustard. But some of that nasty orange nacho cheese would be good too.

We used two kinds of hot dogs. Hebrew National and Earl Campbell Red Hot links. I wanted a little higher quality dog than Oscar Mayer. Jason and I agreed that the Hebrew was by far the superior dog. While the Campbells were tasty, it was too much meat to pretzel. We used good old French's, Gulden's Spicy Brown and Grey Poupon mustard. And we both agreed that the Grey Poupon really complimented the Hebrew. Whew. This is a long post. But this recipe is deserving of it.

Calzones

Wow. So almost a month since my last post. So many things have happened and I just haven't made time to blog. Well, no longer. I made these two weeks ago I think. Jason was out of town for training and the girls wanted calzones. Ever one to give in to the demands of my children, I agreed. ;) Actually, they just sounded good so I got to work.

I wish I could tell you where this recipe comes from, but I have no idea. Jason used to be the master of all things yeast and this is one of his recipes. I used to be so afraid of yeast and Jason, being a loving husband, said I just needed to get over myself and refused to help me. So I got over it. And succeeded. Now I am the master.

This recipe is ridiculously easy and idiot proof so don't allow fear to control you and your menu planning. Make this today!

Dough Recipe

3 1/2 c. flour
1 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
1-2 T. honey (Just depending on your sweet preference.)
1/4 c. olive oil
1-2 t. salt

I mix this dough by hand. It is super easy and you don't have to get out your heavy mixer. And one less thing to wash is a good thing.

Start by pouring the warm water into a large bowl. I used to worry about this part. And Jason gave me some advice that has really helped. The water shouldn't be any warmer than you would feed to a baby. If it's too hot for a bottle, it will kill your yeast. Add the honey and salt and mix it up until it is well blended. Now add the yeast and mix it up a little more. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes or until the yeast gets all frothy. Add in 1 cup of the flour and the olive oil. Mix until it is well blended. Add the rest of the flour and mix well. If you want to add anything else to the dough do so now. I sometimes add in chopped garlic and black pepper.

Your dough should turn into a ball at this point. If it doesn't, it is either too dry or too wet. Add in either flour or warm water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. The dough should hold it's shape and be slightly elastic. Once the dough is balled up, I just knead it in the mixing bowl for about a minute. Doing this ensures that you build up the gluten which will yield a light and fluffy dough. Transfer this ball into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm dry place and allow to rise until it is doubled or about 45 minutes. Now you get to show the dough who's boss. Give it a good smack so that it deflates and allow the dough to rise again for another hour or so. Now your dough is ready to use.

If you want to make pizza, transfer the dough to a floured board and cut it in half. Then roll out the dough and add the toppings. I usually use a little cornmeal on my pizza board so that it doesn't stick. Bake the pizza on a stone in a 450 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes.

If I am making calzones, I transfer the dough to a floured board and cut it into 8-10 equal pieces. Flatten out the rounds onto a board dusted with cornmeal. Add just a tablespoon of sauce and your desired toppings. My favorite is pepperoni, cheese, spinach, jalapeno and just a little fresh basil. Stupid good. Seal it up and transfer to a pizza stone and bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Just tap the top. If it sounds hollow and the outside is nice and brown they are ready to eat. Enjoy!

While my Cat is away...

With the hubs out for the day and with it being the last days of summer I decided to make pancakes for breakfast. I have several recipes that I use depending on my mood and what I have on hand. The Joy of Cooking has a really excellent recipe. But today I had some buttermilk I needed to use. The other day my good friend mentioned that she rarely uses her cookbooks anymore. What with the ease of the internet and the sheer volume of recipes at your fingertips it is really easy to overlook all the books on your shelf.

But not today! I pulled out one of my favorite vintage cookbooks. The 1963 version of the Pillsbury FAMILY cook book. I love old cookbooks. From their tattered covers, to the AWESOME artwork (I'm thinking of the dutiful housewives cooking their work weary husbands a fabulous meal. In pearls and all.) and the sometimes questionable recipes. They are a look into our not so distant past. And I love it. But I digress. The recipe.

These pancakes were somewhat dense while being light and puffy at the same time. The recipe couldn't be simpler. The most difficult thing to do is beat egg whites. And if you don't have buttermilk, just sub in milk with a little vinegar splashed in. I think the exact ratio is 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Just be sure to let it sit for 5 minutes or so. I served these with scrambled eggs and some Jimmy Dean. With my espresso, it was the perfect way to start the day. And I wish I could say that I didn't clean my plate, but that would be a lie.

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. buttermilk
3 eggs, separated
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 t. vanilla

In a large bowl mix the flour, soda and salt. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla and well beaten egg yolks. Stir in butter and beat until the batter is smooth. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Bake on a hot skillet until done.

I served these with homemade syrup. I haven't bought syrup from the store in over a year. And I don't miss it. So, here is a bonus recipe for you. Next time you run out of syrup, don't panic. Just make this instead. You can thank me later.

Homemade Maple Syrup

1 c. boiling water
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar (sometimes I use half light and half dark)
1-2 t. maple extract (I use Mapeline. Which I think is best. You can find it at Wal-Mart in the blue and white box.)

Pour the sugars into a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the sugar and stir until smooth. Add the extract and serve hot. I store the leftovers in a bottle in my fridge. It keeps forever.

Butter Chicken

This recipe is so tasty! And that's where I first heard of the recipe. The PW posted it to her Tasty Kitchen blog. I made it for the first time and Jason and I about died it was so good. I serve it over plain rice. I always mean to serve it with Naan but forget at the last minute to make it. And I always mean to serve it with a veggie but can't think of what would be good with this. Steamed green something.

I make a few changes to the recipe. I use 6 chicken breasts instead of 4. There is always a lot of sauce and it will go to waste. And you don't want that. I have used a lemon instead of the lime that it calls for and have come to prefer it that way. I can't BELIEVE this recipe calls for a pint of heavy cream. There is just no way it needs that much. I use maybe a tablespoon. I just splash some in until it looks right. And I would NOT substitute half and half. I have found that when using it with tomatoes the half and half tends to curdle a little. I think the extra fat in heavy cream doesn't do that. It's not that much, so just use the good stuff! You won't be sorry.

Once everything is mixed together I take the breasts out and slice them and then put them back into the sauce. It makes the chicken go a little farther and it is easier to eat. If you like Indian food give this a try. And don't be like me and forget to make the Naan and veggies!