Paula Deen's Strawberry Shortcake (No Butter Required)

Today marks the first day of Spring break and the 75 degree weather made me want to make something light and delicious, not to mention the fact that strawberries were on super sale at the grocery store today.

I love this shortcake recipe and have made it several times. Paula Deen is notorious for her use of butter in her recipes, but this recipe requires no butter. Yes, it does have an entire brick of cream cheese...but no butter. :)

This is a great dessert for summer parties, or if you just want something that is delicious and creamy, but not too sweet.

The Tools:

- Knife

- Cutting Board

- Trifle bowl (yes you need this, or your cake will fall over)

- Measuring cup

- Mixing bowl

- Hand mixer or wisk

The Ingredients:

- 2 cups sliced strawberries

- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

- 1 16 oz. container whipped topping

- 1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese

- 1 prepared angel food cake, sliced into three equal slices, horizontally

To Prepare:

1) Mix together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping and set aside.

2) Slice the strawberries and the angel food cake.

3) Put the smallest section of cake at the bottom of your trifle bowl and top with sliced strawberries and the custard.

4) Put the middle section of the cake on top of the custard and top with strawberries and custard.

5) Put the top layer of the cake over the custard and top with your remaining custard and some strawberries as garnish.

6) Put the whole cake in the fridge for a little bit to solidify and Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is one of those comfort foods that most of us remember eating when we were kids. Maybe your mother slaved over the stove for hours to prepare this delicacy for you, maybe you bought the frozen Marie Calendar's version just last week, or maybe you've never even tasted the deliciousness that is Chicken Pot Pie. Either way, you should really try making this some time.

Now, let's get real here. I am no baker. I hate baking. Mostly because I'm not very good at it. Most people tell me to just practice more and I'll get better. But what happens when I don't feel like practicing? I buy the frozen, pre-made pie crusts at the grocery store. Is that cheating? Maybe so, but it still tastes good to me!

So, whether you choose to make your own crust, or buy it from the store, here is a delicious Chicken Pot Pie recipe that you should make tonight.

PS: If you ever want to make chicken and waffles, or chicken and biscuits, or biscuits & gravy, or something equally as Southern. This is a great basic white gravy recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

The Ingredients:

- 2 large chicken breasts, poached (basically you just boil them in water with a little salt until they're no longer pink)

- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 1 stick of butter (yes, I know, that seems like a lot, but you can thank me later when your taste buds are rejoicing)

- Salt & Pepper, to taste

- All Purpose Seasoning, to taste

- 1/3 cup all purpose flour

- 1 can of Chicken Stock

- 2.3 cup milk

- One box prepared pie crust (two nine-inch crusts)

The Materials

- 1 pasta pot (for poaching the chicken)

- 1 sauce pan for cooking the veggies and chicken together

- 1 sauce pan for making the gravy

- A baking dish or pie plate for the final outcome

- A wooden spoon for mixing

- A wisk for...wisking

- A butter knife to trim your crusts with

- A fork to poke holes in the crust

- Measuring cups...for measuring

- A knife for knifing...wait

- A cutting board

The Directions:

1. Poach the chicken in boiling water with a bit of salt for flavor. I poached my chicken the night before, which dramatically sped up the prep time tonight when I got home from work. If you choose not to poach the chicken ahead of time, I would just dice it up and cook it with your veggies. Either way, be sure to add a good amount of salt and pepper for flavor.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If your oven runs super hot, like mine, you might want to set it at 400. I got some burned edges on my pie with a 425 degree oven.

3. Melt two tablespoons of butter in one of your sauce pans and once it's melted (not before) add your onion, celery, frozen veggies, and a good amount of salt, pepper, and all purpose seasoning. This is where you also want to chop up your previously poached chicken and/or put in the raw chicken that you have also diced. Either way, you're dicing.

4. Heat this mixture through and while it's working, start on your gravy...

5. Melt five tablespoons of butter in your other saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add 1/3 cup all purpose flour and WISK, WISK, WISK! You don't stop wisking until the gravy is done. Yes, your arm might fall off, but don't stop or you'll have lumptastic gravy. Nobody likes that. Once you have the butter and flour incorporated, add the chicken stock and milk (separately) 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure you wisk the liquid into the flour/butter mixture completely before adding more liquid.

6. After you have incorporated all of the liquid into the butter/flour mixture, add salt and pepper to taste and keep wisking until you have a somewhat thickened, gravy-like consistency. Use your best judgement on this. It might take a while to get it where you want it to be, but be patient, it's worth it. If you feel like the gravy just isn't tightening up the way you want it to, add a teaspoon of flour until you get what you want. I usually just prefer the patience method.

7. Spray the bottom of your pie plate or casserole dish with pam. Put one of your crusts in the bottom of your dish and poke it a few times with a fork.

8. Pour your chicken and veggie mixture into the baking dish and then pour the gravy over it. Be sure to leave a little space at the top for everything to party down in the oven.

9. Top the chicken and veggie mixture with your other pie crust and cut off the excess around the edges. Make a few slits in the top pie crust to let steam escape. If you don't do this part, you will have chicken pot mess in your oven.

10. Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top of the pie is golden brown.

11. Let stand for about 10 minutes, if you're able, before cutting. This will ensure that the pie stays together and doesn't run all over your plate.

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any comments about the recipe or other suggestions for pot pie alternatives. I've been thinking very strongly about make an Indian inspired, samosa-esque pot pie. I'm thinking it will have curry in the gravy, chicken, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and other Indian yumminess. I'll let you know if I end up making it.

Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad

I have been inspired to create lighter meals with the warmer weather that we have been experiencing lately. I have made this vegetarian salad many times and I never get tired of eating it. I could, however, kick myself for forgetting the Feta cheese for this recipe. I don't feel like going back to the store, so I'll probably either leave the cheese out (and add more salt) or just use some nacho/taco shredded cheese as a substitute. It probably won't be as good, but whatever.

The thing I like best about this salad is the dressing, so make sure you have the smoked paprika on hand that this recipe calls for. You won't regret buying the spice, if you don't already have it. Be prepared, this recipe makes A LOT of salad, so either bring your appetite or share it with people at work, like I do. You can find the original recipe online here on Epicurious. I made a couple of changes by leaving out the mint leaves and adding minced jalapeno.

The Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed, drained

4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained

1 3/4 cups, cubed cucumber

1 jalapeno, minced

1 1-pint container grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika (yum)

1/2 cup olive oil

The Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa and drain. Let it cool before you combine it with everything else.

2. Dice up all of your veggies.

3. Mix together the dressing ingredients (Sherry wine vinegar, smoked paprika, and the olive oil)

4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Enjoy!

The "Holy Crap My House Smells Good" Smoky White Bean Chicken Chili

Woah guys, woah. You must make this recipe tonight! Go to the store right now and get the ingredients. You can thank me later.

This recipe is a bit time consuming, but the fragrance that it emits into your living space is worth it, alone. If you like smoky food, you will love this recipe. The seasonings that it calls for (smoky paprika and Chipotle chili powder) are amazing and if you've never cooked with smoky paprika, you'll be addicted.

Without further ado, here's the recipe...

The Tools:

- Large stock pot or dutch oven

- Cutting board

- Knife

- Measuring spoons

- Can opener

- Wooden spoon

The Ingredients:

- 4 slices thick cut bacon (I bought mine from the butcher counter because I didn't want to have left over bacon sitting around since I already have a bunch of turkey bacon)

- 1 whole large onion, diced

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken, shredded or diced (I opted to dice, it's much easier than shredding)

- 1 teaspoon Smoky Paprika

- 1 teaspoon ground Cumin

- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Chipotle Chile Powder, or to taste (this stuff can be spicy, so proceed with caution if you don't like spicy foods)

- 6 cups Chicken Stock (I just put in one box and supplemented with water as needed. I didn't want mine to be too soupy)

- 1 can (28 ounces) Roasted, Diced Tomatoes (yes, roasted...not just plain diced tomatoes)

- 4 cans White Beans, Cannelini or Great Northern

- 2 cans (4 ounce size) Diced Green Chiles

- Salt and Pepper to taste (I put in a 1/2 teaspoon of each to start)

- Grated Cheese to top (the recipe calls for Cotija, but I just used shredded Nacho & Taco cheese)

- Cilantro to garnish

The Directions:

1) Dice the onion, garlic, and chop the bacon.

2) Put the bacon in the hot (medium-high heat) stock pot or Dutch oven, cook for three minutes.

3) Add the onion and garlic, reduce heat to low, and cook with the lid on the pot for 20 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. This can take anywhere from 20-30 minutes depending on your stove. Stir often to prevent burning.

4) Meanwhile, take the chicken off the carcass. It's gross, but you gotta do it. I also took the skin off of my chicken because I don't like chicken skin. You could get around this chore by using pre-cooked chicken breasts or by using canned chicken, but I don't think you'd get the same level of flavor.

5) Chop the chicken, or shred it if you like the additional torture.

6) Open the cans and set them aside.

7) Measure out all of your spices into a little dish. I think they call this prep work misenplaise, or something...

8) Once the onion is translucent, add the chicken and the seasonings and let cook on low heat with the lid on for an additional 10 minutes. This allows the seasoning to get into the chicken.

9) After the ten minutes pass, take off the lid and add all of your canned ingredients.

10) Stir it all together and let this mixture cook with the lid off until everything reduces to your liking. Add water and seasonings as needed.

11) Once the chili has reduced, serve it with cheese and cilantro.

Yummmmm! Leave me some comments and let me know what you thought of it! This recipe makes a lot, but I think you'll like it so much that you won't have to freeze any of it!

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Root Veggies (Crock Pot Recipe)

Kiss me, I'm Irish! No, seriously...kiss me...I really am Irish. Heh heh.

In all seriousness, one of my favorite things about St. Patty's Day is the corned beef and cabbage. I love the saltyness, the brine-y-ness, and the ease of preparation. If you've never had corned beef, you need to try this. You will be so shocked at how easy it is to make!

Some people are purists when it comes to their corned beef dinners. My mom likes to eat it with just cabbage and potatoes, but I like t

o add some other veg

gies and flavors to take it to the next level. Also, most people boil their corned beef and veggies on the stove, but I had to try it in the Crock Pot. Are you really that shocked?

The Tools:

- Crock Pot

- Knife

- Cutting Board

- Wooden Spoon

The Ingredients:

- Corned Beef Packet with Seasonings

- Carrots

- 1 onion

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 lbs. potatoes (I like red potatoes, but you can use any kind. No need to peel)

- 1/2 cup water

The Directions:

1) Chop all of your veggies and throw them into the Crock Pot.

2) Remove the corned beef from the packet and dump it into the crock, on top of the veggies. Make sure you get all the juices in there. I know this seems gross, but trust me, you get more flavor that way.

3. Dump the spice packet all over everything and dump the water over the meat.

Voila! That's it. Now, turn it on low and cook for 10 hours, or on high for five hours. Add the cabbage in during the last hour of cooking. Enjoy!

Spicy Peanut Asian Noodles

I had a friend over the other day for dinner who is of the vegetarian variety, and after changing my mind about what to make several times, I finally settled on an Asiany noodley stir fry sort of thing. I came up with the idea because some people at work had been talking about how they made some delicious peanut butter noodles, but I wanted something with a lot of veggies.

This is a great recipe if you want something that feels exotic, but is really super simple. This is a filling and satisfying dish that even the pickiest eater can enjoy. Sorry there's no pictures, I didn't think about it at the time.

The Supplies:

- Small Saucepan

- Wisk

- Measuring Spoons

- Boiling Pot (for spaghetti)

- Wok

- Wooden Spoon

The Ingredients:

- 1 lb Spaghetti Pasta (I like the quinoa variety, but any stringy noodle would work, even Udon noodles)

- 1 red pepper

- 1 head of broccoli

- 6 green onions

- 1 cup Shredded carrots

- 1 cup Sugar Snap Peas

- Chopped peanuts, to taste

Sauce Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup vegetable broth

- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger root

- 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten free, if that's the way you roll)

- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey (I never measure honey...it's just too sticky to make it worth it)

- 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (like Sriracha)

- 3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the kind from a jar)

The Directions:

1) Set the noodles to boil and start heating your wok with a bit of vegetable oil. Don't use olive oil, it just turns to sludge with the high heat of wok cooking.

2) Chop your veggies, as needed.

3) Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over low heat. Don't heat the sauce up too quickly because the sugars in the honey will cause it to candy if it gets too hot, too fast. I use a wisk to make sure that everything comes out smooth.

4) Once the wok is hot and you only have about five minutes left on your pasta, add the veggies and cook until warm, but still crispy.

5) Drain the pasta and toss the veggies, pasta, and sauce in a large bowl. Top with peanuts.

Yum. There you go. Enjoy!

Penne with Chicken Thighs

I always love an excuse to eat pasta, especially pasta with red sauce, and meat. I also love the Pioneer Woman. If you've never checked out her blog, or her cooking show on the Food Network, please do so now by clicking here. Ree Drummond (the Pioneer Woman) is a ridiculously wholesome lady who cooks up some of the most amazing food you'll ever taste. I have made several of her recipes and every single one of them has been amazing. Some of my favorites include the Cajun Meatloaf and the Crash Hot Potatoes. I even attempted making her chicken wing recipe, which was amazing, but a lot of work. I think I prefer going out to a restaurant for chicken wings...truth be told.

So, without further ado, here is The Pioneer Woman's Penne with Chicken Thighs recipe. Enjoy!

Penne with Chicken Thighs

Not my picture, but doesn't it look delicious?

The Ingredients:

- Chicken Thighs

- Salt & Pepper

- Olive Oil

- Marinara Sauce from a jar (I like Prego, or you could make your own)

- 1 Onion

- 2-3 Cloves Garlic

- Parmesan cheese

- Penne pasta

The Tools:

- Cutting Board

- Knife

- Wooden Spoon

- Large Skillet

- Baking Dish/Oven Safe Skillet

- Measuring Spoons

How to Make It:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. If you are using an oven-proof skillet, you will end up baking in this skillet, otherwise, prepare a baking dish with some cooking spray and set aside.

3. Sprinkle both sides of your chicken thighs with salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to wash your hands if you touch the raw chicken. I like to use tongs to avoid washing my hands too much.

4. Make sure your pan is super hot and put the thighs in skin-side down. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes. Don't touch the chicken while it's browning...just leave it alone to get the nice brown color that you're looking for.

5. Remove the thighs from the pan and put them on a clean plate, or into your prepared baking dish.

6. Drain off all but one tablespoon of cooking liquid from the chicken and turn down the heat to medium.

7. Add your diced onion and garlic to your hot pan. Make sure to stir, stir, stir so that the garlic doesn't burn. Cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add your prepared marinara sauce to the pan and add whatever seasonings you prefer. I like to add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning.

9. Heat the sauce through and then add the chicken thighs back into the sauce. If you are using a baking dish, pour the sauce over the chicken thighs.

10. Cover your skillet or baking dish and place in the preheated oven for an hour and a half.

11. In the last 20 minutes of baking, boil your pasta to taste.

12. Serve with penne and parmesan cheese.

Yum!