we have finally found our favorite b’ham restaurant.  it sure did take a while.  the archer ale house is an english style pub house, in the basement of an old fairhaven building.  the food reminds us of one of our nashville favorites: the flying saucer.  tom loves their pizza, i’m a huge fan of their pot pie.  it is very spicy and just warms you all of the way through!  they make it to order and it is well worth the wait.

but pot pie shouldn’t just be saved for when you go out.  it is easy to throw together and even anti-pot-pie tom loves it.  i used frozen thanksgiving turkey leftovers, but feel free to use any chicken or turkey that you may have on hand.  chunked, shredded, whatever you prefer.  just try this pie.  do it.  now!

source: the pioneer woman

crust:

• 1/2 c crisco
• 1/4 c butter
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 egg, whisked
• 2 1/2 tbsp cold water
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt

pie:

• 1/4 c butter
• 1/2 c finely diced onion
• 1/2 c finely diced carrot
• 1/2 c finely diced celery
• 2 c turkey or chicken meat, cubed or shredded
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 c chicken broth
• splash of white wine
• 1 c heavy cream
• fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tsp paprika (the real hungarian kind)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. prep your pie crust.  you can use a store bought one, but this pie crust is pretty simple to throw together.  cut the flour, crisco and butter together, using a pastry cutter, until it resembles a coarse meal.
2. in a small bowl, whisk your egg, dump half out, and then add water, white vinegar and salt.
3. add to the flour mixture and stir until combined.  form the dough into a ball.  wrap in saran wrap, pat out into a disc and place in the freezer until you’re ready for it.
4. pre heat oven to 400°.
5. melt butter in a dutch oven, add onions, carrots and celery and cook until translucent.  note: i picked up a new spatula in vancouver and LOVE it.  it doesn’t get all separated on the end and works well with my non-stick pans and dutch oven.
   
   
   
6. add turkey and stir.  sprinkle flour over turkey/veggie mixture and stir to combine.  cook over medium heat and continue to stir constantly.
7. pour in the chicken broth and then splash in the vino.  pour in cream.  bring to a slow boil and let the mixture cook and thicken for a few minutes.  add thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.  don’t be too shy.  taste it, to make sure it’s right and set it aside.
   
   
   
8. remove crust from freezer (you’re ready now).  un-wrap the dough and leave on the saran wrap, dust the top with flour.  roll out crust onto the saran wrap, working from the center out.  roll out to the size of your dish.
9. pour pie mixture into your baking dish.  flip pie crust on dish, saran wrap side up, and remove the saran wrap.  (wasn’t that easy?)  cut vents in the pie crust.  see the chunks of butter in the crust?  they make things nice and flaky.
   
   
   
10. place on a pan, to catch any extra drippings and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.
    
    
    

enjoy!

this dish is very simple to throw together, but tastes like it took all day.  it is another dish that i have made a few times before blogging about it.  the most recent time, i used my new favorite kitchen “thing”… my dutch oven. swoon!

i was always anti dutch oven.  oh, they’re so expensive… oh, i can do the same thing in a crock pot… oh, i can do the same thing in a pyrex dish with foil over the top.  i’m here to say that i’m a believer in the dutch oven now and am trying to find as many dishes to make in it as possible.  thanks, hubby for the awesome christmas gift!

this dish is best served up with some garlic smashed potatoes.  the sauce can be poured over the dish.  (you will have a lot leftover!)

source: the pioneer woman

• 6 whole chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on.  (i used boneless, skinless this last time and it turned out just fine.)
• 1 tbsp evoo
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 c whiskey (i used a mix of jack and honey jack)
•  6 oz. bbq sauce
• 1/2 jar peach preserves
• 1/4 c water
• 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• green onions, sliced to garnish

1. preheat oven to 300°.
2. heat oil and butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.  place chicken thighs, three at a time, in the pot, skin side down.  brown both sides, the move to a plate until all chicken is browned.
   
   
   
3.  add onions to the pan and stir, cooking for 2 mins, until translucent and slightly brown.
   
   
   
4.  pour the whiskey in.  yum!  take a swig.  yum yum!
   
   
   
5. stir the mixture, making sure to scrape all of the good stuff off the bottom.  cook for a minute or two, allowing the whiskey to reduce.  add the bbq sauce, peach preserves, water and worchestershire sauce.  throw in garlic cloves.  stir until combined.
   
   
   
6. return chicken to the pot, skin side up.
   
   
   
7. cover and put in oven.  cook for 1 1/2 hours and then remove from the oven.
   
   
   
8. serve with smashed potatoes, make sure to put some extra sauce on the chicken and potatoes!  garnish with green onion slices.

enjoy!

after stumbling upon this soup, i have made it THREE different times.  THREE.  that is a lot of times for me to make something in a few months time.  just sayin’.  i have modified the original recipe to make it a bit easier to throw together.  the amts below will work for about 4 people.  double, quadruple, as needed.

i have also made a few modifications to the original, mainly with the sauteing oregano in evoo.  for the first time, i didn’t have fresh oregano on hand and used the dried stuff, as a substitution.  it burned and did not turn out all that well.  i never really tried it again and can’t taste that the soup is missing anything.  also, the jalapeño does not add much heat, so don’t be intimidated.  on to the recipe!

source: the pioneer woman

• 1/2 box ditalini pasta (they’re adorable!)
• 2 chicken breasts, par boiled and shredded
• 4 c chicken broth
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 whole jalapeño, diced
• 1 tsp, dried oregano
• 1 tbsp evoo
• 1 14.5 oz can, fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• parmesan rind, if you have one on hand
• 1 c heavy cream
• salt and pepper, to taste
• parmesan cheese, for serving

1. cook pasta, 1-2 minutes shy of package directions.  draine/rinse in cool water and set aside.
2. par boil chicken and shred it, set aside.
3. in your soup pot, saute onions, green pepper, celery, jalapeño and dried oregano with evoo.  cook until golden brown, for about 10 mins.
4. add chicken broth, chicken and tomatoes (with their juice).  if you have a parmesan rind on hand, throw it in the pot at this point, too.  it gives a wonderful nutty flavor to the soup.  bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
5. about 10 min before serving, add pasta, cream and stir to combine.  simmer on the lowest possible range setting until you serve.
6. top with grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

enjoy!

carrabba’s italian grill is one of my all-time favorite restaurants.  there is not a single restaurant to be found anywhere near the lovely state of wa, so i’ve had to take matters into my own hands.  i believe i first made this dish back in october to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary.  it took a lot of work to create this dish, but it was most definitely worth it!

i made a few tweaks to the original recipe, such as omitting mushrooms… we’re not big mushroom fans.  if you’re also a fellow mushroom hater, you may want to cut down the lemon butter.   other than that one tweak, the recipe is spot on!

source: recipesecrets

• 2 chicken breasts, split for stuffing, seasoned for grilling
• 2 slices prosciutto ham
• 1/4 c fontina cheese
• 1/4 c clarified butter
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic cloves
• 1/4 small onion, diced
• 1/8 c white wine
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 oz. mushrooms
• 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
• lemon butter
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

1.  grill/cook chicken breasts butterfly style on a grill/large skillet, until cooked through.  approx 3-5 minutes per side.
2. when chicken is cool enough to handle, place a slice of prosciutto on chicken breast and top with fontina.  fold the breast in half.  secure with toothpicks and set aside, on a plate covered with foil.
3. clarify butter.  it takes time, i’m still not sure if it was worth it.  basically, you heat butter over low heat to melt it and then skim the milk fats off the top.  i might just cut back the amount of butter even more next time, and just use regular butter.  it. took. for. ev. er.
   
   
4. in a large saute pan, combine clarified butter, garlic, onion and saute until tender. here are the prepped ingredients, ready for the pan:
   
   
5. deglaze pan with white wine.
6. and unsalted butter (i may even cut this in half next time) salt and pepper.  add mushrooms to the  mixture and saute another 1-2 min until cooked.
7. add basil and lemon juice, combine.
8. place chicken on your serving dish and top with lemon butter mixture.

one of the things that i miss the most about tennessee is publix.  i can’t say enough wonderful things about the store.  one of my favorite things to pick up there was pre-made pizza dough and top it with just about any topping i’d like.  pre-made dough is non-existent in wa.  i’m working on a replacement recipe (aka future post), but it is not as easy as going to publix and buying it pre-made in the bakery.  just sayin.

i suppose that this is a “things that i miss about michigan” post, too.  the inspiration for chicken mediterranean pizza comes from cottage inn pizza.  i’ve never seen a pizza like it on a menu since moving, so of course, i had to re-create it at home.

• cornmeal
• pre-made pizza dough (or any form of pizza dough that you would normally use)
• 2/3 c pizza sauce
• 1 c pre-cooked, shredded chicken
• 3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c feta cheese
• banana peppers, to taste
• evoo

while away from the blog, i discovered another site (huge time consumer) called pinterest.  don’t get me wrong, i LOVE pinterest and all of the ideas that it gives me, but it is very addictive.  i’m getting better with it, but for a while, it was pin pin pin pin pin pin pin pin. fellow pinners, you can relate.  :)  if you’re reading this blog and are a fellow pinner, you can follow my pins here: http://pinterest.com/jshoe84/pins/.

any hootenanny, this recipe was inspired by a pin from pinterest.  it’s very rich, but has lots of flavors going on.  the original recipe called for marscapone cheese, but i had a coupon for philadelphia italian cheese and herb cooking creme.  it was very good in this recipe.  next time, i may stick with the plain ol original flavor, and let the flavors from the ingredients really come through.  also, make half as much and serve it with a light salad or veggie dish.  it’s still very flavorful and i highly recommend it!

source: italianfoodforever.com

• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 pkg philadelphia cooking creme, original flavor
• pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
• 1 1/2 tbsp evoo
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 c chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 9 oz. bag baby spinach
• 1/2 package pasta (i used rigatoni, but you can use shells or whatever you’ve got around)
• grated parmesan cheese, to top

tom and i love going to the cheesecake factory.  forget about the endless search for a parking spot.  forget about the crazy wait. forget about the overpriced slices of cheesecake.  it’s entirely worth it.  the far away parking spaces help to burn the extra calories.  the wait is spent at the apple store.  the cheesecake is devoured bite by bite and lasts a few days in our fridge at home.  the food is out of this world!

tom’s favorite is the cajun jambalaya pasta.  my favorite is adam’s peanut butter cup fudge ripple cheesecake.  i figured out how to make the pasta but am nervous to even begin to find a recipe for the cheesecake.  i think i’ll just stop at the pasta and opt out of turning into the michelin woman.

slightly adapted from blog.al.com

• evoo
• 1 lb. boneless/skinless chicken tenderloins, chopped into bite sized pieces.
• 2 tbsp cajun spice blend
• 2 bell peppers (green, yellow, and/or red), cut into thin strips
• 4 oz onion, cut into thin strips
• 8 oz. shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp cajun spice blend
• 4 oz. tomato, diced into 1″ pieces
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 lb pasta
• chopped parsley and more cajun spice, to garnish

1. prep all of your ingredients, so you can place them in the pan quickly!
2. begin to boil pot of salted water for the pasta.
3. heat evoo in a large (LARGE) saute pan over medium heat.  place chicken into mixing bowl and toss with 2 tbsp cajun spice.
4. add chicken to saute pan and cook it until it is about half done.  add peppers, onions and shrimp into the pan.  continue cooking until shrimp are about half done.  add garlic, salt, pepper and 2 tsp cajun spice.
5. add pasta to the boiling water.  if using fresh, wait until the end of the next step.
6. add diced tomatoes, and broth into the pan. stir the ingredients together.  continue to cook until the chicken and shimp are done and vegetables are tender.
7. place pasta into serving bowls.  spoon jambalaya over the pasta.  garnish with parsley and more cajun spice.

enjoy!

i’m pretty good about keeping things in stock around the house.  i’m slightly ocd and making out a grocery list for my weekly trip to publix.  it usually takes a half hour or so and consulting several blogs, the publix ad and my husband to see what he’s hungry for. (which usually ends in an “i don’t care.”)  i love his willingness to eat whatever i make.

then there are the times that i forget to stock up on things.  things like taco seasoning.  i’m here to tell you that it’s really simple to make because you’ll more than likely have all of this stuff in your seasoning cabinet.  make a large batch and throw it in anything that you’d like to instantly give a smoky, spicy flavor.  ground beef, shredded pork, chicken., etc.

slightly adapted from: allrecipes.com

• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

1. mix together all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

alternatively, to make shredded chicken tacos (as pictured above):

1. par boil 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
2. remove from stock, allow to cool slightly and then shred.
3. leaving about 1-2 c stock in the pan, add shredded chicken and taco seasoning ingredients, amts as listed above.
4. allow to simmer for 10-15 min.  this keeps the chicken very moist and tender!
5. serve on tacos or nachos, including your favorite toppings.

enjoy!

zucchini was on sale at publix a few weeks ago.  i get a lot of from the sale ads which incidentally, makes tom happy because i spend less on groceries each week.  thinking about zucchini took me back to summer and out of the icy winter that we’ve been having down here in nashville.  so i found this recipe online.

it’s a recipe that needs a bit of tweaking, but was pretty tasty for a first try.

slightly adapted from: allrecipes.com

• 1 8 oz. can refridgerated crescent rolls
• 2 tbsp honey mustard
• 2 c sliced zucchini
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1/8 c butter
• 2 c cooked, shredded chicken meat
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1. preheat oven to 350°.
   
   
   
2. open the can of crescent rolls, unroll the dough and place the dough into the bottom of a 9″ x 9″ baking pan.  do not separate the rolls.  press the edges of the dough up the sides of the pan to make a crust, spread the honey mustard over the dough.
3. place the zucchini and a few tbsp of water into a saucepan over medium heat, cover and bring to a boil.  reduce heat to medium low, and cook the zucchini until tender, about 15. min.  drain and set the zucchini aside.
   
   
   
4. place the onion in a large skillet with butter over medium heat, and cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5-8 min.  stir the cooked zucchini and chicken into the onion and mix well.  let the mixture heat for about 5 min., stirring occasionally.  spread the zucchini mixture in an even layer over the crust.
5. in a bowl, beat the eggs with milk and seasonings; pour the egg mixture over the zucchini.  sprinkle the cheese over the top.
   
   
   
6. bake until the egg mixture is set and the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 20 min.  broil if needed.

enjoy!

this is probably the easiest soup recipe that i have ever made.  the original recipe that i used needs some tweaking, as it was excessively “beany.”   nevertheless, it’s very simple to make and is really good served with chicken quesadilla rolls on the side.  even better, it can cook in your crockpot all day.

adapted from: allrecipes.com

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained
• 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 8 oz. beer (i prefer blue moon and drink the extra 4 oz.  quality control is always good.)
• 2 10 oz. cans rotel, undrained
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• shredded cheese, optional
• sour cream, optional
• crushed tortilla chips, optional

1. place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer and diced tomatoes on a large bowl.  add taco seasoning, stir to blend.  cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. in the morning, pour the bowl ingredients into your crockpot.  lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down lightly until just covered by the other ingredients.  set crockpot on low, go to work.  forget about it, or don’t.  :)
3. come home.
4. remove the chicken breasts from the soup, allow to cool enough to be handled.  shred the chicken using a knife and fork.  stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, cook until you’re ready to serve.
5. serve over crushed tortilla chips and top with cheese and/or sour cream.

enjoy!