Groovily Slow Chicken and Dumplings!

This recipe is for chicken dumplings prepared in a slow cooker, so you don’t heat the house up and six easy hours later dinner is served! All cooked while you’ve been having a groovy good time!

Ingredients

4- boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2- tblsps butted

2- 12 ounce cans cream of chicken soup

2- 12 ounce cans chicken broth

1- diced onion

2- 10 ounce packages refrigerated biscuit dough

1-tsp Italian seasoning

Cut the chicken breasts into approx 1-1/2 to 2 inch pieces and place into slow cooker along with the butter, soup, broth, onion, and Italian seasoning.

Be sure that the chicken is covered, if not add water til it is.

Cover and cook on high for five hours, take refrigerated biscuit dough and tear into pieces placing them in the cooker. Re-cover and cook another hour.

Be sure to look properly exhausted before serving, as if you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day! Maybe they’ll do the dishes! Now that’s groovy!

Grooviest Potato and Egg Salad!

A very simple recipe for a summertime staple! People put a lot of different things into a potato salad to the point where, for me, it’s no longer a potato salad! This recipe is easy, simple and gives you that little something extra without changing the basic idea! Now that’s groovy!

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes (Red, Gold, and White make the best potato salad because of more   moisture content than say Russet or baking potatoes)

6 large eggs

Bacon bits (these can be found made from soy for those non meat eaters)

16 ounces of mayonnaise

The eggs should be hard boiled, bring about two quarts of water to a rapid boil and place the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon and placing the large end of the egg in first to help prevent breakage. Boil for 14 minutes, remove from heat and immediately run under cool water drain and repeat (cooling the eggs down prevents them from continuing to cook within themselves and thusly turning the yolk green, it’s still good but doesn’t look as nice for presentation)

Boil the potatoes for approximately 45 minutes depending on the exact size. The best method of determining this is the “stick a fork in them” method. It should insert easily but before the potato starts to fall apart when attempting this. So slightly firm is good because you are going to remove from heat, drain and allow to air cool (which means they will cook a bit more while cooling).

Peel the eggs.

Chop half the potatoes into bite sized pieces into a bowl, do the same with the eggs, then sprinkle some bacon bits in (to taste) Repeat with the rest of the eggs and potatoes and a bit more bacon bits and begin mixing the mayonnaise into the blend, a spoon full at a time. Continue until you have used all the mayonnaise and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate and enjoy!

Ungroovy Rust!

Today’s subject is about a question I received recently. “How do you remove rust from a cast iron pan?”

    Not an overly difficult task, there are two methods I use.

One: Place about two tablespoons of salt and an equal amount of cooking oil in the pan and use a paper towel to rub the mixture into the rusted areas of the pan. This should remove most minor rusting. And you should then re-season the pan (see below)

Two: Use steel wool on very heavy rust and then re-season two to three times.

Care of cast iron.

   Cast iron is very durable but needs to be cared for and it will last for generations.

Seasoning: preheat oven to 350 degrees and put a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom rack.

 Give the pan a light coating of oil or shortening and place upside down on the upper rack and allow to cook for one hour, and turn off oven. Leave the pan inside to cool removing when it is cool enough to be handled.

If you notice food sticking to your pan frequently that is a sign it needs to be re-seasoned

Proper care so rust doesn’t occur:

Wash using only hot water or if need be a very mild detergent and a plastic scrubber so you don’t damage your seasoned surface.

NEVER use a dishwasher!

Dry thoroughly, (you can even put it on the stove and heat it slightly to make sure all moisture is gone).

Store in a dry place without the lid on the pan (moisture may build up inside).

Finally, If storing for an extended period of time, give it a light coating of cooking spray or oil.

Some easy steps and cookware to pass on to the next generation! Now that’s groovy!

Far Out Pasta Shells

    This recipe came about because when my children were much younger, I had given to me, some “family” sized portions of stuffed pasta! A great deal for someone struggling to raise five kids, but they wouldn’t eat it! I couldn’t understand it. They were cheese stuffed and they like cheese and pasta and sauce, so what is it? They said, “It’s too dry”. Just stir the sauce into it I said, nope wouldn’t eat it. So I came up with this recipe with all the same ingredients (I did add a little meat for me but it doesn’t need to be there) and not only did they like it, it became a family staple. Plus the grooviest thing is, after each one “flew the nest” they always called and asked for my recipe for stuffed shells!

Ingredients

1 box jumbo pasta shells

2 jars 32 ounce pasta sauce or equivalent if homemade.

16 ounces ricotta cheese

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1 lb lean ground beef

Bring two quarts of water to rapid boil and pour in jumbo shells, stir occasionally, cooked approx 12 minutes. You don’t want them too tender, they should still be a little firm because you’ll finish cooking them in the oven. When done drain and rinse under cool water so you’ll be able to handle them.

Brown ground beef in skillet

In large bowl mix Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, and ground beef, add about ¼ of the sauce or about 16 ounces and stir. (at this point it will not look pretty, don’t worry)

Grease large shallow baking dish or pan

Pour about 16 ounces of the sauce into the bottom of the baking pan.

Using a small spoon begin stuffing the shells with the cheese mixture and setting them into the pan.

When they are all stuffed pour the remaining sauce over the top

Place pan in pre-heated 350 degree oven for thirty minutes

Remove and allow to cool for five minutes, enjoy!

Groovy Gooey Pizza

You know how much people spend on take out pizza or even worse those frozen things you bring home from the supermarket and they have to remind you to throw the cardboard away because they’re afraid you won’t be able to distinguish it from the pizza! Now save money and make better tasting pizza with exactly the toppings you want! You can even have fun and let the kids put their own toppings on! They’ll really think you’re groovy!

1 cup warm water

1 tsp active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour (or wheat flour is good as well)

6 ounces tomato sauce

Oregano

Garlic powder

4 ounces shredded cheese (mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella & cheddar, which I personally like)

Toppings, veggies, pepperoni, whatever you like

Pre heat oven to 500 degrees and place rack on lowest level

Generously grease or spray with cooking spray one pizza pan.

1 cup warm to hot water (I use tap water hot for temp) (not too hot or you kill the yeast) in mixing bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon active dry yeast (this is the equivalent of one of those packets, which you can also use) and mix thoroughly

(If you want a flavored crust add garlic now)

Add flour and mix till you have a dough ball, if still tacky sprinkle flour until it can be handled without sticking to your fingers.

Place dough ball in middle of pan, If you like a thicker crust let sit 15-20 minutes for thinner crust use immediately

Begin spreading evenly towards the edges of the pan (lightly dip fingers into flour to help it keep from sticking)

Once spread to edges, press down just in from the edge all the way around to form a crust.

pour on tomato sauce and spread to edges of crust and sprinkle oregano liberally, add garlic powder to taste.

Spread cheese on top, and add favorite toppings

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is lightly brown on bottom

Cajun Meatballs

This is a great recipe for a party or you can spoon it over your choice of pasta for a great tasting spaghetti and meatballs. The Cajun seasoning gives just enough kick to make it noticeable but not hot. You’ll wow them with this one and that’s always groovy!

ingredients

    4lbs lean ground beef

    6 large eggs

    16 oz  bread crumbs

    1/3 cup Italian seasoning

    1/3 cup Cajun seasoning

    96 ounces Pasta sauce (three jars or the equivalent amt of home made) (16 ounces set aside for mix) The rest for the crock pot

Place ground meat in large bowl,

add bread crumbs and seasonings, then eggs and begin mixing/kneading of all ingredients

Add pasta sauce slowly so you don't make it mushy, it should be firm and sticky

When thoroughly mixed (be sure there are no hidden pockets of spices) begin forming into 1 to 1 1/2 inch meatballs and placing on a shallow baking pan (I usually spray mine with cooking spray first cause I'm lazy)

Bake in pre heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes

Let cool 15 minutes

Pour enough sauce into crock pot to cover the bottom and begin placing meatballs in continue adding meatballs and sauce til pot is full.

Heat and enjoy! Makes 45-50 meatballs

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu'

This is a quick and easy recipe that you can throw together in very little time and combine it with some rice and a vegetable and people will think you slaved all day in the kitchen! Now how groovy is that!

Ingredients:

1-      1-whole boneless/skinless chicken breast or two pieces

2-      1-thick slice, boiled ham (or two thin)

3-      2-slices Swiss cheese

4-        Bread crumbs

5-        Cooking spray

If using a whole chicken breast, split down the middle and trim any left over fat (you can by “special trim” boneless/skinless breasts) but the cost is far more expensive than buying the regular and trimming the little bit yourself.

Next take one piece of breast and set it (what would be) skin side down on the cutting board. You will now “butterfly” the breast. This is accomplished by scoring a line down the middle of the breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Once you have scored a groove in the breast take one side of the line and pull it back while using the tip of the knife to cut sideways along the line so that the breast will be approximately half its thickness. Repeat on the other side so that you now have a thin sliced chicken breast spread out on the cutting board. Repeat with the other piece of breast.

Lay the slice of ham in the middle of the thinned breast and place the cheese on top of that.

Roll the breast back up so the ham and cheese are inside, sprinkle generously with bread crumbs and place in a baking pan that’s been well sprayed with non stick cooking spray.

Cook on middle rack of pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes depending on the size of the breast you are using. Remember it is possible to over cook chicken! If you do it will come out very dry. You can also use an oven thermometer and heat to an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Remove from oven and enjoy!