EASY RECIPES AND STUFF

EASY RECIPE

Our new kitchen is finally done,  so I’m back at it creating easy recipes for the busy cook. This week I put together a tasty but super easy chicken curry salad sandwich.

Recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

1.25 lb. skinless boneless chicken tenders.

8 slices sourdough bread.

4 anchovies filets.

1/4 cup chopped parsley.

2 green onions- diced.

3/4 cup mayonnaise.

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese.

1/8 cup cointreau.

juice of 1/2 fresh lime.

1 tsp spicy mustard.

1/4 tsp curry.

1/4 tsp cinnamon.

salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Add chicken to a large pot of boiling water. Cook chicken on low boil for ten minutes or until no blood seeps when jabbed with fork. Stir occasionally.  Internal temperature should be 180 degree F.  Remove chicken and let cool.

To a blender add mayo, parmesan cheese, anchovies, cointreau, mustard, curry, cinnamon, lime juice.  Blend until anchovies and mixture is smooth.

Slice chicken tenders into small bite size pieces.  To large mixing bowl add chicken, green onion, salt and pepper, and mix.

Add the dressing to bowl of chicken and mix to coat.

Toast sourdough bread.

Place equal servings of chicken salad on toast, top with chopped parsley and serve.

Bonus easy recipe:

Add the world’s easiest side dish of coleslaw to your easy chicken curry sandwich. Buy pre-shredded cabbage, add enough to mixing bowl for four, sprinkle with fat free Italian dressing (just enough to coat), dash of salt and pepper and stir. And that’s all there is to it.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

My novels GOLDPLAY and VEYRON are available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com

 

 

 

 

 

MMMMMm

EASY RECIPE

Here are three great, but easy, chili recipes to help you celebrate national chili day.

Easy Chili With Meat and Beans

Recipe serve 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 15 oz can tomato sauce

1 15 oz can white kidney or pinto beans

1 15 oz can red kidney beans

1/2 white onion – diced

1/2 green or red bell pepper – diced

1 tsp garlic crushed

1 tsp jalapeno – diced (seeds removed)

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 12 0z Sierra Nevada beer (or your choice)

1/3 C fresh cilantro – chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Grated cheese for topping

Preparation

In a large pot brown the ground beef( salt & pepper the hamburger to taste). When meat is browned, spoon out most of the grease. To the the ground beef add the onion, bell pepper, and saute’ at low temperature for a few minutes. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute’ a few more minutes. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro. Stir, turn to medium high and bring to low boil, then reduce temperature to maintain simmer. Slowly add the beer taking care to avoid foam overflow. Bring back to strong simmer.

Approximately 20 minutes prior to serving, drain can fluids from the beans, rinse beans with fresh water, drain and add beans to chili. Stir and get chili back to a strong simmer and then cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or more.

Before serving the chili, top each bowl with a little grated cheese.

Easy Beer Cheese Chicken Chili

Recipe serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

2/3 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs.

1 small yellow onion – diced.

8 oz. Velveeta cheese – sliced into one inch strips to allow for quicker melting.

6 oz. beer (remainder is for the cook).

3 slices thick cut bacon.

32 oz Chicken stock.

2- 15 oz. cans White Kidney Beans – drained of canning fluid and rinsed.

3/4 C water.

2 Tbsp. olive oil (one for frying chicken and one for onions).

2 cloves garlic – minced.

1 tsp. chili powder.

1 tsp. dry cumin.

1/2 dry oregano.

Preparation:

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to large pot you will use for chili and bring to heat. Add the chicken thighs. On medium high heat fry 4 minutes each side and remove.

Lower heat to low on same pot and add second tablespoon of olive oil. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the garlic to the pot and stir.

Add the chicken stock, beer, water, chili powder, oregano, and cumin. Stir and bring heat up to bring to boil.

Shred or slicd the partially cooked chicken. Add to pot to finish cooking in the boil for 5 minutes, and then reduce heat to slow boil.

In a fry pan cook the bacon until done but soft. Put one tablespoon of bacon grease into pot. Slice the cooked bacon into 1/3 inch sections and add to the pot. Stir and continue at simmer to slow boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir constantly while adding cheese to pot so it does to stick to bottom and burn. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the white beans to the pot and stir. Increase heat to get a nice low boil. Stir occasionally, and cook until beans are tender and the sauce has thickened to a chili style thickness.

Easy Turkey Two Bean Chili

serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 lbs. pounds ground white meat turkey.

15 oz can pinto beans – rinsed.

2 – 15 oz cans red kidney beans – rinsed.

2 -15 0z cans tomato sauce.

1 – 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes.

1 small onion – chopped.

1 small green bell pepper – diced.

1 avocado.

1 Tbsp olive oil.

2 Tbsp chili powder.

1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.

1 clove garlic- minced.

1 tsp fresh minced thyme.

1/8 C Wild Turkey American Honey.

1 tsp or more of Scotty B’s Sweet Jalapeno Sauce or similar

salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

In large fry pan heat the olive oil at medium high, add the ground turkey, season with salt and pepper and brown for a few minutes. Stir the turkey to break it up and get a touch of brown on all sides.

To the browned turkey add onions, green bell pepper and saute until softened; about two minutes.

In a large pot heat the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes to a low boil. Add the chili powder, cilantro, garlic, thyme, American Honey, and Sweet Jalapeno sauce and stir.

To the large pot add the turkey mixture and reduce heat to strong simmer.

Add the beans to the pot, increase heat to get a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes. You can add a little water if you want to simmer longer.

Plate the chili, garnish with avocado, and just like that you’ve made a wonderful home cooked meal.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

My novels GOLDPLAY and VEYRON are available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com

 

EASY RECIPE

Easy Slow Cooker Santa Fe Soup

Recipe Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast

15 oz can chicken broth

15 oz can diced tomatoes

15 oz can white beans (drain packing fluid and rinse beans with water)

1/2 jalapeno -seeded and minced.

1 C frozen roasted corn (rinse in water to thaw then drain water)

1 large onion – diced

2 Tbsp fresh Italian Parsley – chopped ( and more for garnish)

1 Tbsp Olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp Scotty B’s Chipotle Fever Sauce (or similar)

salt & pepper to taste.

Grate some cheddar cheese garnish.

Preparation:

Dice onion, seed and mince jalapeno, mince garlic, chop the Italian parsley – set aside.

Slice chicken into bite size pieces.

If you have a NINJA cooking system or other such appliance turn it on to stove top setting -high (if not use a fry pan),

Heat olive oil and add the chicken salt and pepper to taste.

After browning the chicken for five minutes add the onions to sweat for a minutes.

Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, jalapeno, Italian parsley, garlic, Chipotle sauce. and stir.

Add the beans and stir.

Cover and change Ninja operating selection to slow cooker. If set to high cook for 4 hours and if low cook for 7 hours.

When timer goes off plate the dish and add a little cheese and parsley as garnish.

You just freed up a ton of time and made an awesome home cooked dinner for 4!

Easy White Bean And Chicken Soup

While in Ketchum, Idaho for a little skiing we happened onto a restaurant called The Moose Girls Cafe and decided to have lunch. The restaurant was packed, but we were eventually seated.  We examined the menu and everything looked good. I settled on the Tuscan White Bean and Chicken soup. The soup was absolutely tremendous. We round tabled what we thought the ingredients might be, and the following recipe is pretty close in appearance and taste.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 chicken breast – boneless and skinless

2 – 15oz cans of cannellini beans

1 – 14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth

3 slices bacon

1 tsp fresh thyme

1/4 tsp anise seed

1/2 onion diced

1 1/2 celery stock

1/8 C Madeira

3 cloves garlic – smashed

1/2 tsp fresh flat parsley – minced

1 bay leaf

Preparation:

In a large pot bring water to boil, add chicken, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to maintain low boil, and proceeding with the next steps.

Dice onion, slice celery, and smash the garlic (or use prepared garlic).

In a fry pan cook the bacon making certain to remove it while it is still tender. In the bacon grease saute’ the onion and celery. Add the garlic and the Madeira, simmer briefly and remove from fry pan.

Check the chicken to see if it is cooked (poke it to see if any blood comes out) and if done remove it from the water. Continue boiling the water until it is reduced to a couple inches, and then add the can of chicken broth. Bring to a strong simmer.

Strain out the packing water from one can of beans, adding only the beans to the broth and smash the beans or use a small hand held mixer to break the beans down. Next add the vegetables. Finally add the thyme and anise and simmer the soup.

Cut or tear the chicken into small bite size pieces and add it to the soup. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add it to soup. Cook soup at high simmer for five minutes.

Drain out the packing water from the second can of beans and add beans to the soup (do not smash second can of beans) continue cooking at high simmer until beans are tender. Just prior to serving add the flat leaf parsley.

And just like that you have made a wonderful home made soup that your family or friends will love!

Easy Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary, finely chopped

2 tsps Thyme

1 tsp black pepper

2 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 tsp Fennel seed

1/2 tsp Celery seed

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 qt. chicken stock

1 qt. water

3 oz tomato paste

2 Green Onions diced

1/2 Green Bell Pepper diced

1/2 stick butter

1/4 C Sherry

1 Chicken breast (boneless and skinless) cut into bite size pieces

3/4 Lb Kielbasa (pre-cooked) – sliced into coin sized rounds

1 C rice

Preparation:

In a large pot melt the butter, add the onion, green pepper, and after a minute or two add the chicken broth, water, tomato paste, sherry, and all spices. Stir ingredients in pot, and bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a strong simmer.

Slice the Kielbasa into coin sized rounds. Brown the chicken breast in 1Tbsp olive oil, taking care not to cook it through (it will cook with other ingredients in the pot).

Next slice the browned chicken into bite size pieces.

Place the chicken into the pot with the other ingredients and bring to boil. Add the Kielbasa, bring to boil and reduce to a strong simmer for 20 minutes.

About 20 minutes prior to serving add the rice, bring to boil, stir, and reduce to simmer. When the rice is tender the meal is ready to serve.

Serve this easy recipe with sliced french bread, so your family and friends can soak up the great sauce while they eat.

AND STUFF

I’m very proud to share this recent 5-Star review on my new novel VEYRON.

Reviewed By Eileen Johnson for Readers’ Favorite – 5 stars

In Veyron by Roger Scouton, Jack Fields and Amber Reyes are a high powered team hired to oversee a security job at the Marine Corps Warrior’s Hospice Car Rally, a rally of classic cars in Arizona. The most classic and most expensive of the cars in the rally is a Bugatti Veyron owned by Prince Ahmed. Jack and Amber are ex-military and clandestine operatives hired by the insurance firm in London to work with Colonel Day, whose organization is providing security for the event. Of course, the event does not proceed as planned, as priceless cars are stolen, owners are killed, and the Prince is kidnapped during the rally. Now, Jack and Amber are required to use their considerable skills and connections to solve the mystery and bring the perpetrators to justice. Veyron is a sequel to Roger Scouton’s book Goldplay in which readers were first introduced to Jack and Amber, the team of protagonists in his new novel. Not having read the first novel, I am sure there is some back story that describes how Jack and Amber ended up being a couple and a team. However, Veyron definitely stands on its own and the reader should not feel compelled to read Goldplay first. Having said that, the energy, characters, and plot line in Veyron were so interesting that I intend to go back and read Goldplay, too! The best part about Veyron is that the reader essentially gets three stories in one book. The characters are the glue that holds the book together – and the primary and secondary characters are wonderful. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes action, adventure, and mystery.
Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

Available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com

EASY RECIPE

Feel like some comfort food?  Here are three easy sandwich recipes that will fill the order.

Easy Monte Cristo Sandwich.

Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

For Batter:

3 eggs

1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

8 slices country bread

For spread:

Store bought rhubarb strawberry fruit spread

3 Tbsp Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp mustard

2 leaves fresh mint – diced.

For the filling:

8 slices deli style turkey

8 slices deli style ham

Gruyere cheese – sliced

powdered sugar

Preparation:

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, mint in small bowl.

In a large deep dish place 3 eggs, mild, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and whip together.

One by one dip bread slices into the batter, covering both sides of the bread.

Melt butter in fry pan and brown the “French Toast” on both sides. You will need to add butter as you progress through the 8 slices. Set the browned slices to the side.

On paper plate place one slice of browned bread, spread mayo/mustard sauce on top, add 2 slices of turkey, 2 slices of ham, and slices of Gruyere cheese. Spread rhubarb strawberry fruit spread on second slice of browned bread and place on top to finish the sandwich. Place in microwave on high for 40 seconds to melt cheese and warm the meat. Repeat for remaining sandwiches.

Gently move sandwich from paper plate to the serving plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, add side of fruit and enjoy.

Easy Taco Meat Hoagie.

Recipe makes 4 hoagies.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground round

4 hoagie buns

white cheese slices (white cheddar or Monterrey Jack)

chopped iceberg lettuce

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cumin powder

canned diced green chiles too taste

Ken’s Steak House Peppercorn Ranch Dressing (or ranch dressing with pepper added)

Sriracha Chili sauce (too taste)

Preparation:

While browning the ground round in a fry pan add the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir and brown. When done spoon out excess grease.

Chop iceberg lettuce.

Slice open (but not apart) the hoagie buns.

Spoon the seasoned ground round onto the hoagie bun, add ranch dressing, minced chilies, and Sriracha Chili sauce.

Add cheese and place hoagie in micro wave or under broiler to melt the cheese. Once done add the lettuce and enjoy.

Grown Up Tuna Melt. 

Recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

2- 7 oz cans Albacore Tuna in water – drain water.

3 and 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise.

1/4 C white onion – chopped.

1/4 C chopped celery.

1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro.

2 Tbsp fire roasted red peppers (canned) chopped.

1/2 tsp Sriracha chili sauce (mixed into mayonnaise).

8 slices sour dough bread (4 top and 4 bottom).

4 tomato slices.

4 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese.

1 Tbsp. olive oil.

2 clove garlic – minced.

lemon – sliced

3/4 tsp minced fresh rosemary.

ground salt and pepper.

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl combine onion, celery, cilantro, red peppers, mayonnaise with sriracha sauce mixed in, and stir.

Add the tuna and squeeze a little lemon juice on it. Mix all ingredients together.

Heat olive oil in fry pan on medium high heat. Add garlic, saute for a minute, and then add the tomato slices. Top tomato slices with 1/2 the rosemary, and then add a dash of ground salt and pepper.

After a minute flip the tomato slices and top with the remaining rosemary. After a minute or so remove the tomato slices and set aside on a plate.

Arrange 4 pieces of bread on oven sheet. To the bread add tuna, and top each with pepper jack cheese. Place on top rack of broiler. Watch to make sure the cheese melts but does not burn. As soon as you have a nice cheese melt remove oven sheet (don’t forget to use oven mitt).

Plate the tuna melts, and then top each with a tomato slice and the top bread slice. Add a lemon garnish and you are ready for a great tuna melt meal.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger

My action novels GOLDPLAY and VEYRON are available in select bookstores, and all e-book formats. Signed copies available through http://www.rogerscouton.com