Taking a Break

I'm going to be taking a break for a little while.  I would love to hear any feedback you have on what's been published so far.  Also , if you are looking for something in particular, please send me a message.  I have a large portfolio of recipes.
thanks for reading me!

Chicken Pot Pie

I love pot pie!  Actually, I love anything that involves gravy.  I also don't mind my food touching each other.  In fact, I'm a fan of the 'perfect bite'!  So if you're like me and love that perfect bite experience, then you will love this recipe.  

This recipe is easy and flexible, especially if you have left over meat and vegetables.   Sometimes I actually make a quantity of roasted chicken or beef roast just so I can make a pot pie out of the left overs.  But even if you're starting from scratch, it's an easy one-skillet prep.  Yummy roasted meat, homestyle vegetables in a pastry crust. 

A note about the crust:  I know there are folks out there, especially bakers, who would never use a premade pie crust.  So if you want to make a scratch crust, go for it.  For me, the premade crust works fine! The key is to use two crusts - a bottom and a top (or a lid as my brother calls it).
Enjoy! 

I will be following with recipes for roasted chicken and turkey, including my mom's famous gravy in the weeks to come!

 

 

Chicken Pot Pie

By Peggy Fonke

  

2 prepared pie crusts - one deep dish and one regular

 2-3 chicken breasts - cooked

1-2 red potatoes – diced

1 small onion – diced

1 cup baby carrots

1 cup green beans

2 cups chicken gravy (canned or left over from roasted chicken)

 

1 TBL worchestershire sauce

 

2-3 TBL sugar

 

pepper

 

1 TBL Margarine or olive oil

 

Sauté carrots, potatoes, onion in a skillet with 1 TBL of Margarine until soft (about 10 minutes). 

Add green beans and sauté another 5 minutes or until tender.

Dice chicken.  Add to  sautéed vegetables

 

Blend in gravy, worchestershire sauce and sugar.

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Pour into pie shell

 

Top with remaining pie crust and seal edges

 

Pierce top crust in several places with sharp knife .  

Place pie pan on cookie sheet

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly

 

Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. 

 

This is ideal for leftover turkey and trimming.
 

Lemon Tree

This is my lemon tree.  I received this as a Mother's Day gift several years ago. It is very hearty, as I am not a very good gardener at all!  But this guy has managed to survive and product fruit each year.  Year 1 - 2 lemons, year 2 - 10 lemons, year 3 - pruned - 6 lemons. 

 The buds form in the spring and ripen in January.    It produces the best lemons ever.  Very crisp, tangy and fresh with no bitterness.  I guard them with my life!

 

I'm excited to have fresh lemons because I have several recipes that require them.  Stay tuned for some of my favorites.  

 



 

 

this is how the buds form

 

Fonke Chili

It's time to break out the chili recipes! 

 

We have wonderful neighbors!  Each year on Halloween several families gather together in the deepest part of the street and hand out our candy together.  We build a fire pit and serve Chili and libations.  It's a lot of fun especially when the weather cooperates.

 

 

 

I  learned this chili recipe from my good friend and chef-mate Katie Luby (see Spicy Shrimp recipe).  She is a font of great recipes.  There are two secrets to this recipe:   BACON and LONG SLOW COOK.  The bacon speaks for itself.  Once all the ingredients are in the pot, simmer for 1.5 hours with the lid on, then an additional 1.5 to 2 hours with the lid off.  This allows all the flavors to blend together and cook down into perfect deliciousness. 

One more secret:  FRITOS.   They are an amazing garnish. Try it!

 

 

 

Peggy’s Chili

Inspired by Katy Luby

3-4 hours cook time!

 

6-8 strips bacon cut in ½ pieces (I recommend thick cut country style bacon)

 

2-3 lbs. Ground beef

1 large onion

1 green pepper

1 can red kidney beans

1 can stewed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 8-0z can tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

2 cups beef bouillon

1 cup water

2 tsp oregano

1 tsp cumin

2 bay leaves

3-4 TBL Chili Powder

2 TBL – ¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp Kitchen Bouquet/Gravy Master

 

 

 

In a large pot add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, beef boullion and spices (not the tomato paste yet).

 

 

In a small frying pan, fry bacon pieces about ¾ of the way done.  Drain (or not) and add to the large pot.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with onions and green pepper. 

 

Drain and add to large pot.  So now everything is in the large pot.  now add the tomato paste.

 

 

 

Simmer covered for 1 ½ hours stirring occasionally. 

 

 

Uncover and simmer another 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Mixture should reduce by about an inch.

 

Garnish with shredded cheese and Fritos.

 

 

Shaq's Mac n Cheese

Get ready!  I saw this recipe for Shaqille O'Neal's mother's Mac 'n Cheese published a few years ago in Parade Magazine.  I IMMEDIATELY made it and it was INCREDIBLE!!  My beef with most homemade mac 'n cheese recipes is that they dry out easily and just aren't very cheesy.  This recipe is super moist and creamy and stays that way even reheated the next day.  This makes a huge recipe so it's great for a party, but it can also be cut in half easily.

Oh and if you ever want to pamper yourself in the morning, mix a spoonful of this mac n cheese in with your scrambled eggs!  Amazing.

Shaq’s Mac n Cheese

From Shaquille O’Neal (actually his mom) 

 

1 16 oz box elbow macaroni

1 stick margarine

1 TBL flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1 egg

1 16 oz package velvetta cheese – diced

 

2TBL sugar

1 16 oz shredded cheddar cheese – divided

1 cup bread crumbs or crushed potato chips

 

Prepare macaroni as directed.  Drain and set aside

In a large sauce pan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute until bubbly.

Add milk and egg .  Whisk  and cook for 1 minute.

add sugar.

Slowly add Velvetta cheese and half the cheddar cheese, stirring regularly   Do not let unmelted cheese rest on the bottom of the ban, or it will burn. 

Cook on low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. 

 

Pour cheese sauce over cooked noodles and stir to blend.  It will seem like you have way too much sauce  for the noodles, but don’t worry, it will all get absorbed.

Pour mixture into a 13”x9” glass pan. 

 

Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs/potato chips.

 

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.   Let cool slightly before serving (but don’t wait too long or else it might get dry) 

Chicken Marsala

I'm glad to see that cooking is coming back in style.  Back in the 90's it seemed like no one was interested in cooking anymore.  People just ate out or got carryout.  But thanks to lots of new cooking shows (and possibly the economy)  cooking is making a comeback.  I love the in-store chefs at the grocery store.  I always swing by their booth for a taste.  A few years ago, the Schnucks Cooks chef was whipping up this little gem.  It comes together quickly for a light yet flavorful spin on chicken.  Great for a weekday meal.  Given the gooey sauce, I recommend pairing with a plain vegetable and rice.   Enjoy! 

Chicken Marsala

Inspired by Schnuck’s Cooks

 

3-4 boneless chicken breasts – cut into thirds or fourths – you may need to cut the thicker pieces length-wise to  have more consistent thickness

½ cup seasoned bread crumbs

Olive oil

1 pint fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup onion – chopped

½ cup chopped thin sliced ham

½ bottle lemon/white wine finishing sauce (found in marinade aisle)

 

½ cup white wine  (make sure you pour some for yourself – quantity not included)

2 TbL lemon juice

2 cups fontina or other white creamy cheese – divided

 Sauce

In a skillet, saute onions and mushrooms until tender and mushrooms no longer weep  (about 10 minutes) .  Add chopped ham and saute an additional 2 minutes. 

 

 

 Add finishing sauce, lemon juice and white wine.  Simmer until sauce reduces by ¼ and thickens (appx 15 minutes) .  Set aside.

Chicken

Roll chicken in bread crumbs

Heat olive oil in skillet until sizzly

 

Cook chicken pieces in skillet appx 5 minutes then turn, turn heat down and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Turn only once and do not cover.  Chicken should be almost done – fairly firm when pressed in center., but not rock solid.  Do not over cook.

Transfer cooked chicken to 13x9” baking pan.  Top with half of the cheese.

 

 

Pour the mushroom sauce over the chicken.  Top with remaining cheese.

 

Bake  uncovered at 300  for 20 minutes or until sauce is gooey and bubbly. 

Again, do not over cook as chicken may dry out.