CHICKEN RIGGIES


2 lb. ~ Skinless chicken breast
1 ~ Stick of butter (the real stuff)
1 Tbs ~ Chopped garlic
1 ~ Large onion (chopped)
2 ~ Green peppers (chopped)
3/4 C ~ Sweet wine (optional)
3/4 tsp ~ Dried red pepper
3/4 tps ~ Dried basil
1/2 tsp ~ Salt
1/4 tsp ~ Pepper
15 oz can ~ Tomato sauce
15 oz can ~ Diced tomatoes
1/2 C ~ Fresh chopped mushrooms
1/2 pint ~ Heavy cream
1/2 C ~ Grated parm. cheese
Box of Rigatoni pasta

~Cube and FLOUR chicken. Cook in melted butter until tender.
~Add all ingreds. EXCEPT for cream, shrooms and cheese.
~Simmer for one hour.
~Start pasta. Add remaining three ingreds. to sauce.
~Spoon over cooked pasta and enjoy!!
Serves: Never enough!
(submitted by Karin of Countryfolk Keepsakes)





Whole Wheat Chili Mac


Ingredients
12 oz uncooked lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 med onion chopped
14 ½ oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican-style, unstrained
1 ¼ c canned tomato sauce
2 tbsp canned green chili peppers, diced, drained
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 c dry whole-wheat elbow macaroni
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed or you can use black beans
½ c grated parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is browned, about 10 minutes; drain off fat. Stir in untrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili peppers, chili powder and cumin; bring to a boil.
Stir in uncooked macaroni and kidney beans. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes.
To serve, spoon into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Yields about 1 ¼ cups of chili and 1 1/3 tablespoons of topping per serving





Herb Chicken Stew


Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon paprika
2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken, dark and/or white meat, 1/2-inch dice
Canola oil, to cook
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 onions, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, 1/8-inch slices
2 ribs celery, sliced
3 large potatoes, washed, squared off, 1/2-inch dice (or 3 cups leftover cooked rice)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ginger powder
8 sprays Fire Roasted Garlic Juice (Garlic Valley Farms 800-424-7990)
1 tablespoon coarse ground fennel
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
1 quart chicken stock
In a bowl, mix together the flour and paprika and dredge the chicken in the flour. Shake off excess flour.
In a stock pot on high heat, coat with canola oil and brown the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and remove the chicken.
In the same pot, brown the onions, carrots and celery. Season.
Add the potatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, ginger, garlic, fennel, soy and stock. Bring to a simmer




Fancy Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
2 (3-pound) whole chickens
1 cup water
1 cup dry sherry
2 celery stalks
1 onion, quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 (6-ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 (8-ounce) packages sliced mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (6-ounce) can French-fried onions, crushed
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Preparation
Bring first 9 ingredients to a boil in a large Dutch oven; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is done. Remove chicken, reserving broth in Dutch oven. Let chicken cool. Pour broth through a fine wire mesh strainer into an 8-cup liquid measuring cup; discard solids. Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 4 1/4 cups reserved chicken broth for water and omitting butter. (Add water to broth to equal 4 1/4 cups, if necessary.) Skin, bone, and coarsely chop or shred chicken.


Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; add mushrooms and green onions, and sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, chicken, sour cream, and soup. Spoon mixture into 8 (2-cup) casserole dishes, 8 (5 1/2- x 3 1/2- x 2-inch) mini-loaf pans, 3 (8-inch or 9-inch) square baking dishes, or 1 (4-quart or 15- x 10-inch) casserole dish. Stir together crushed crackers and fried onions. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, paprika, and garlic powder. Sprinkle casserole evenly with cracker mixture. Bake, covered, at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 more minutes or until bubbly.

To make ahead: Cover casseroles tightly with foil, and freeze unbaked up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake as directed. (Casserole may also be baked frozen. Plan to double the baking times.) To microwave one frozen, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Casserole must be in a microwave-safe dish. Cover dish with wax paper. Microwave at HIGH 15 to 16 minutes or until casserole is bubbly, giving dish a half-turn once. To microwave one thawed, unbaked 8-inch square casserole: Follow directions to microwave a frozen, unbaked casserole, reducing microwave time to 7 to 8 minutes.
Yield: Makes 12 to 16 servings





Sourdough for the Chuckwagon (or your oven)

Starter:

2 c. flour
1 T. yeast
2 c. warm water
3 T. sugar
Mix water, sugar, and yeast. Stir in the flour, but don't fuss over the lumps. Use ceramic or plastic containers without airtight lids. I use a ceramic flour canister with the rubber ring removed from the lid. Use only wooden or stainless steel utensils to work sourdough. Keep in a warm place for 3 to 4 days, then stir well. The day before using, add up to 2 cups water, 2 cups of flour, and 3 tablespoons of sugar for each cup of starter. Starter may be increased indefinitely. I keep 3 to 4 cups on hand in the refrigerator. Warm to room temperature before using.


To make the bread:
1 c. starter
1 c. milk
2 1/2 to 3 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
Mix the starter, milk, and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Let rise all day or overnight. Pour onto 1 cup of flour on your dough board. Mix sugar, soda, baking powder, and 1/2 cup of flour together. Then mix into dough with your hands. Knead until stickiness disappears. Lightly oil your dutch oven. Pinch off balls of dough and put them into oven. Let rise for 1/2 hour. Bake with 8 to 10 coals on the bottom and 14 to 18 coals on the top. Those that don't feel like sweatin' outdoors can bake for 25 to 40 minutes at 375.