Two Frugal Chicks

The summer weather this year has been sweltering in the mid-west and on the east coast.  We don’t know how lucky we are here in the northwest to not have the breath sucked out of you when you step outside into the humidity like you eastern folks are enduring.  Here in the Pacific NW though, we are encountering our own summer weather issues.  We can’t seem to get summer started.  We’ve had a few decent days (as in two) and up until last Sunday, I heard we have only had 78 minutes of weather above 80 degrees.  Sunday was 83 (and glorious), but yesterday, well yesterday had a mind of its own.  It only got to 62 degrees, and rained… and lightning…. and thundered.  That’s a 21 degree difference from Sunday to Monday. Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t trade our weather for the inferno everywhere else.  But…I live for the summer, I long for the summer.  Summers here are short enough as they are.

So that brings me to chicken pot pie.  With it being chilly and rainy, I just wanted something warm and comforting for dinner. (After all, I wore my summer sandals to work – wishful thinking, I know – and got my feet wet and chilled going to the store afterwards).  This chicken pot pie recipe is my lazy version. I’ll post the recipe for the longer, original version sometime in the fall.  I didn’t really measure anything, so I’ll do my best to make an actual recipe up for ya….

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 small bag of frozen peas and carrots
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of cream of potato soup
1 packet of turkey gravy mix
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 C. milk
salt and pepper
2 ready made pie crusts

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place one of the pie crusts into a 9″ deep dish pie plate. Put the chicken breasts in a pot of water and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.  Add the bag of frozen peas and carrots to the chicken and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.  While the chicken is cooking, in a skillet on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.  Add the onions and cook till almost translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.  When the chicken is done, pour the contents of the pan into a strainer.  Remove the chicken and dice into bite size pieces.  In a large bowl, combine the 2 cans of cream of potato soup, the gravy mix, milk, thyme, salt and pepper.  Stir in the onions, garlic, chicken and peas and carrots.  Pour the pot pie filling into the prepared pie pan and spread around till its even.  Place the remaining pie crust on top, folding under the sides and crimping the edges.  Cut a few slits in the top crust with a knife for steam vents.  Put the pot pie on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes..

These little pepper poppers are amazing.  Of course, pretty much anything wrapped in bacon is gonna be good.

Ingredients:
18 peppers (you can use jalapenos, or Costco and  Fred Meyer has a bag of mixed little mini red, yellow and orange peppers that are really mild)
An 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped
18 slices of bacon, cut in half
BBQ sauce

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes (be careful if you are using jalapenos!).
In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and green onions. Fill each pepper half with the cream cheese mixture.  Wrap a slice of bacon around the filled pepper.  Brush each pepper with bbq sauce.  Bake for 1 hour or until the bacon is cooked through completely..

Some parts of the country are heating up and may appreciate these recipes……

It’s cooled off here in the NW but I’ll keep these on file for a hot summer evening dessert.

Here is a link to 7 easy no bake desserts……

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The Olive Garden has this delicious Grilled Chicken Flatbread on their appetizer menu.  I made it at home the other night and it turned out really good.  Here’s my version:

Garlic flavored Naan (Indian flatbread I found at Trader Joe’s)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into thin strips and sauteed in olive oil with seasoning salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Alfredo sauce (I’m not a big fan of jarred Alfredo sauce, so I made my own by sauteing 2 minced garlic cloves in 1/2 cup chicken broth for a few minutes, then added one pint of whipping cream and about 1 and 1/2 cups of shredded parmesan and let that simmer slowly, stirring frequently, till it reduced and thickened – it took a while – about 15-20 minutes.
Jarred roasted red peppers (which I found at the dollar store)
Mozarella cheese

I lined a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, placed the naan on the foil, then spread on some of the alfredo sauce, then topped with the chicken, peppers and mozarella. Use as much or as little of the ingredients as you like. Broil till the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.

(Picture courtesy of olivegarden.com).

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This cake is full of chocolatey goodness, fun to make, and would be perfect for your 4th of July get-together.  There’s even a video on how to make it on the Kraft website.

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Here’s an easy 4th of July idea. Dipped strawberries posted by A Mom’s Impression. Click here for the instructions.

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With summer parties coming up it might be time to think on some new cocktail ideas. I saw this and thought they were pretty. Here is a link to the recipe and article.

You basically soak the skittles, drain, then mix up a drink.

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Oh my….where do I begin?  I need a word that is bigger than LOVE. Divine! Heavenly! Bliss!

This sauce tastes like the slurry you get on your plate at the end of your apple pie a la mode.

Vanilla Toffee Sauce
1/2 C. butter
2 C. golden brown sugar
1 C. dark corn syrup
2 T. water
2 T. maple syrup
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a double boiler or heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the butter.  Add the rest of the ingredients:  brown sugar, corn syrup, water, maple syrup, condensed milk, vanilla and cinnamon.  Stir until the butter combines and the brown sugar has dissolved completely and the sauce is thick and smooth – about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat, put in jars or a pitcher. Serve warm over ice cream. .

If you like coconut shrimp, you’ll love this coconut chicken.  It does take some planning as you need to marinate the chicken overnight.

Marinade:
2 C. orange juice
4-5 orange slices
4-5 minced garlic cloves
1 C. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. jerk or cajun seasoning

Chicken:
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 1/2″ strips
2 C. panko bread crumbs
1 C. flour
1 C. coconut flakes
1 can coconut milk
Canola oil

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl; add the chicken making sure every piece is coated and cover tightly.  Let sit in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Arrange the chicken pieces on a shallow cooking sheet; discard the marinade.  Bake for apx. 20-25 mins. until chicken is just done. Let cool slightly.

Pour the coconut milk into a medium sized bowl; add the cooked chicken, stir and set aside.  In a shallow dish, mix the panko, flour, coconut flakes, salt (or seasoning salt) and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan.  In small batches, take the chicken out of the coconut milk and roll in the flour mixture, pressing to coat.  Fry each piece 2-3 minutes or till just golden and crispy.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce or pepper jelly..