What's Cooking, Lake Norman?

Sous Chef Spooky

Suzanne Zick — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:48:49 +0000

: Spooks!

Behind every good chef is a great sous chef, right? I always have company beside my “prep bar”. She sits patiently on my stool that I use when my feet begin to hurt. My only problem is finding the gumption to kick her off

In honor of my feline sous chef, I offer you a recipe shared with me (and the rest of the world) by another cat loving chef named KITTENCAL. We love this homey chicken casserole!

Kittencal’s Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

2 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese (or any cheese of choice) or 3/4 cup swiss cheese (or any cheese of choice)
1/2 cup whipping cream

FILLING

4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (can use green onions)
2 large cooked chicken breasts, finely chopped (or use about 2 cups, can use cooked turkey)
1/2-3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (or use 1/2 teaspoon white salt or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 -4 tablespoons mayonnaise or 2 -4 tablespoons whipping cream
1 -2 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

Set oven to 350°F.

2 Butter a casserole dish (any size to hold crescent rolls).

3 In a saucepan, mix half and half cream, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).

4 Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).

5 For the filling — (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder (if using).

6 Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined.

7 Add in 2 tablespoons whipping cream or mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry).

8 Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste.

9 Unroll the crescent rolls.

10 Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.

11 Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.

12 Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.

13 Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don’t have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired.

14 Bake for about 30 minutes.

One more hearty recipe before lovely Spring…

Suzanne Zick — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 07:15:38 +0000

I am so ready for this deck to be bathed in sunshine instead of snow! Time for cookouts, ice cream and fruit kabobs and maybe a little suntanning, too.

Before we go all crazy with the hopes and dreams, I have a feeling we are going to need one more pot of hearty soup to get us to the Ides of March. Or to Peter Cottontail. This yummy potato soup is perfect for that order.

Baked Potato Soup

8-10 servings

4 large baking potatoes (about 2 3/4 lb.)

2/3 cup butter or 2/3 cup margarine

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4-2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

1/2-1 teaspoon pepper (to taste)

6 cups milk

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes or until tender; cool completely.

2 Peel and cube potatoes.

3 In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.

4 Gradually add milk.

5 Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

6 Remove from the heat; whisk in sour cream.

7 Add potatoes and green onions; mix well.

8 Ladle into serving bowls; top with bacon and cheddar cheese.

The Beatles Gnosh

Suzanne Zick — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:27:56 +0000

My mom introduced my little girl, Mary Ashley to the Beatles. It’s not like I didn’t know them, but you know…they aren’t on the radio right now, so I just never thought about it. She ADORES them. She is a huge fan! Her school had a Fifties program to put on, so we donned her fav Beatles shirt, some capris and a ponytail and off we went.

When Mary Ash has an interest, she dives into the subject head first, learning all she can. That sounds like I’m making her out to be some genius, but come on, it’s the Beatles, not nuclear fission. Anyway, I’ve never…never…stumped her with a trivia question about them. So, I started looking up obscure facts tonight with which to torture her and found out that the Beatles were quite funny. I know, I was surprised, too.

They especially liked to mess with the press, according to the folks at Kulichki.com. Here are a few anecdotes I found there.

Press: Does it bother you that you can’t hear what you sing during concerts?
John: No, we don’t mind. We’ve got the records at home.

Press: Can we look forward to any more Beatle movies?
John: Well, there’ll be many more but I don’t know whether you can look forward to them or not.

Press: Do you speak french?
Paul: Non.

Press: What is your favorite food?
Ringo: I’m hung up on hamburgers.
George: All four of us are mad about hero sandwiches.
Paul: I have a yen for grilled cheese sandwiches.
John: George and I usually wait until someone else orders, then say “I’ll have that, too”.

I think I have a sandwich that every single one of those boys would like. It’s simple, but brilliant in its simplicity. And delicious. I imagine them eating it on their tour bus.

Gerber Sandwich

1 loaf French bread

1/4 cup garlic butter, spread (or butter with garlic powder to taste)

3/4 lb deli ham

1/2 lb provolone cheese, sliced thin

paprika

Slice the loaf of bread lengthwise.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Spread butter on both pieces of bread.
Put a layer of ham on both pieces of bread.
Top it with a layer of cheese.
Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
Note: This is an open-face sandwich.
Put in 350°F oven for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.
You may need to adjust the quantities of ingredients depending on your taste.

Christmas Tree Shopping with a Hot Chocolate Break

Suzanne Zick — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:20:17 +0000

Christmas Tree Hunting

OK, so I’m late. I’ve been busy.

This year we decided to go to one of our local farms and cut our own tree. As we walked up and down the rows each tree seemed to be calling out to us “Pick Me!” We told those trees to shut up and went to the prepackaged Frasier Firs that came down from the mountains. I feel like a shmuck, not buying one grown right in my own back yard, but those were just…ugly. Next year, we will just drive up to those mountains to get one of the Frasiers ourselves.

The Fam

Anyway, we decided to make a day of it, and we had fun. The little farm had ornaments and other treasures for the kids to find nestled in the tree branches, a zipline (no.way.) and a carriage ride around to see the farm and its animals. We brought along our famous hot chocolate mix and a thermos of hot water and had a grand time!

Daddy's Hot Chocolate

Daddy’s Hot Chocolate Mix

30 ounces Nestles Quik

11 ounces coffee creamer

16 ounces powdered sugar

25 ounces powdered milk

1 Mix all this together.

2 Store in container.

3 When ready to use fill mug or cup with half mix and then fill with hot water.

Too late to help you this year, but this makes a fantastic gift when packed in a clear mason jar. Attach some peppermint sticks, mmmm!

CopyCat Recipe: Olive Garden Dressing

Suzanne Zick — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 04:38:23 +0000

I’ve made quite a few “copycat” recipes, most of those not quite up to snuff. The same went for a recent Olive Garden Dressing I made. I should have known when it began with a bottled dressing, but I gave it a try. Finally, I combined a recipe I found with a cruet of Italian Dressing that I prepared from 2 envelopes of Hidden Valley, and I had my dressing!

Italian Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried Italian spices

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

3 tablespoons water

Combine all ingredients in a blender on high until combined, about 30 seconds.
Pour into small bowl and cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Stir before serving.
**Don’t forget, add your 2 prepared recipes of Italian Dressing (I used Hidden Valley Brand) to this. Yes,yes, it makes a ton of dressing. Put it in the fridge, you’ll drink it later.

Chinese Done Easy

Suzanne Zick — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 05:06:40 +0000

OK, so it’s been awhile. I *have* been cooking though, I swear it.

My most recent attempts were very successful (eggrolls!) and moderately successful (Wonton Soup).

I’m giving you both recipes, because the eggrolls were so delicious, but the soup might be up your alley? I was in the minority in not liking it, so there you go. You’ve been warned.

Wonton Soup

2 green onions

1/4 lb lean ground beef

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 dash pepper

12 -18 wonton skins

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup spinach or 1/2 cup bok choy, leaves halved lengthwise,shredded

1/4 cup shredded carrot

Reserve one green onion top for garnish; chop remaining green onions. Combine chopped onion, ground beef, celery, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl; mix lightly. Place approximately 1 1/2 tablespoonsful of ground beef mixture in center of each wonton square. Lightly dampen edges of square with water. Bring together corners; pinch to seal. Set aside.

Bring broth to boil in large saucepan; reduce heat to medium. Add 1/2 of wontons; simmer 4 minutes. Remove cooked wontons with slotted spoon; keep warm. Repeat with remaining wontons. Cut reserved green onion top into thin diagonal slices. Add to hot broth with spinach and carrot. Place wonton in soup bowls. Top with broth mixture.

Egg Rolls

Beef Spring Rolls

These. are. fantastic.

1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. dried onion
1 tsp. dried garlic
Seasoned Salt to taste
2 Tbsp. water
1 bag ready-to-make cole slaw
1 pkg. spring roll wraps
1 beaten egg
Brown beef with Onion, Garlic nd Seasoned Salt in large skillet; drain. Add water and cole slaw mix. Cover; cook over medium low heat just until vegetables have softened. Place 2 tablespoons filling in corner of each wrap; roll up, folding in corners as you roll. Brush edges of wrap with egg to seal. Fry in 350° oil for approximately 4 minutes; turn at least once to evenly brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce

2010 in review

Suzanne Zick — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:09:40 +0000

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is on fire!.

Crunchy numbers

The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2010. If each view were a shipping container, your blog would have filled about 5 fully loaded ships.

In 2010, there were 16 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 268 posts. There was 1 picture uploaded, taking a total of 99kb.

The busiest day of the year was January 7th with 211 views. The most popular post that day was Penguin Drive-In.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, search.aol.com, networkedblogs.com, 74.125.67.100, and blogger.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for kitchen island, kitchen islands, biggest house, the biggest house, and flipper teeth.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Penguin Drive-In October 2008

Set up your Island December 2008

The biggest house in the Charlotte MLS December 2007
3 comments

Haunted Houses around Lake Norman October 2009
3 comments

Celeb Homes and their pools July 2009

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Suzanne Zick — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:50:41 +0000

Whenever we go to an Italian restaurant, no matter how fancy, my husband orders this. He looks at me almost apologetically when he makes his decision, passing up dishes with names we can’t pronounce that sound heavenly. So, when his birthday rolled around, my decision was easy: Spaghetti and Meatballs! This recipe was produced by combining two tried and true favorites. I hope you enjoy it!

Meatballs

1 cup breadcrumbs
4 -5 eggs
1 tablespoon parsley
2 lbs ground chuck
1 lb lean ground pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped very fine
2 teaspoons parmesan cheese or 2 teaspoons romano cheese
salt and pepper
oil (for frying)

Mix bread crumbs, eggs and parley together; add remaining ingredients except oil. Mix thoroughly; if mixture is dry, you maay add a little milk. Mixture should be workable. Roll into balls; fry in oil about 10 minutes. Put the meatballs in the marinara sauce of your choice and simmer for at least one hour.

Marinara Sauce

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 -2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pinch sugar
salt and pepper 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons basil, chopped
parmesan cheese, grated

Crush tomatoes with a potato masher. Film bottom of large wide pot with olive oil over medium heat. (I use a skillet). Add onions, saute until soft. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes. Add oregano, red pepper, sugar, salt and pepper and stir. Add tomatoes and paste, rinsing both cans with water and adding this to pan. Add parsley and lower heat to simmer 30-45 minutes. Add basil, cook a few minutes longer and serve.

What’s cooking? Ina Garten’s Homemade Gravy

Suzanne Zick — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:06:58 +0000

So last night I baked some pork chops for dinner. I decided this was the perfect opportunity for trying out the Barefoot Contessa’s Homemade Gravy recipe.

It was delicious…fattening, but delicious. Now, I comfort myself with the idea that we had baked pork chops, dry bread, green beans and instant potatoes (I should be ashamed, I suppose) so the gravy was my one indulgence. It was worth it.

Ingredients

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Defatted turkey drippings plus chicken stock to make 2 cups, heated
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1 tablespoon white wine, optional
1 tablespoon heavy cream, optional

Directions

In a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan, cook the butter and onions over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Don’t rush this step; it makes all the difference when the onions are well-cooked.

Sprinkle the flour into the pan, whisk in, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock mixture and Cognac, and cook uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add the wine and cream, if desired. Season, to taste, and serve.

What’s Cooking? Ina Garten’s Parmesan Chicken

Suzanne Zick — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:58:28 +0000

This isn’t the type of recipe that you really need a step by step instruction with pictures to make, but I took them, so you are getting them. It is the type of recipe that you need to try soon! I served mine next to spaghetti marinara and kept the salad on the side.

I got this recipe out of Ina’s cookbook Barefoot Contessa Family Style.

INGREDIENTS

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 extra-large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry

1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 6 servings