Chicken Divan recipe

Several people have asked about the recipe for the Chicken Divan I mentioned in my Hodgepodge post as one of the best things cooked and eaten in our kitchen this week.  Even though the photo I used is from Taste of Home, the recipe did not come from there.  I cobbled it together from a few different recipes, starting with one from Gooseberry Patch's Christmas Blessings cookbook.

So I will share just what I did. 

CHICKEN DIVAN CASSEROLE

 3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour (I used brown rice flour to make it gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon curry powder (according to your taste)
3 cups of instant brown rice, prepared with 3 cups water according to directions on the rice box
Salt and pepper
1 16-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli or florets, cooked
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, sliced or cut in bite size pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cup dry stuffing mix
1/4 cup melted butter

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.  When melted, add the flour, salt, and poultry seasoning; cook and stir until bubbly.  Remove from heat and slowly stir in the chicken broth until well blended.  Then return saucepan to heat and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture is smooth and thickened.  Remove from heat; stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder.

Grease a glass 13x9-inch baking dish and spread the cooked brown rice over the bottom.  Salt and pepper the rice to taste.  Spread the cooked broccoli over the top of the rice, and then arrange the cooked chicken atop the broccoli.

Spread the sauce evenly over the chicken, covering all of the chicken if possible.  Combine the melted butter with the stuffing mix, mixing well, and then sprinkle the crumb topping over the sauce. 

Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.  If preferred, you can cover with foil for the first 20 minutes and then remove the foil for the remainder of the baking time.  That's what the recipe specified, but I forgot it and baked the casserole uncovered for the whole time. 

This makes a lot and is very filling.  I will often make an entire 13x9 casserole of any type, even for just the two of us, so that we have leftovers to freeze or use another night.  We actually got three meals out of this and there is still a serving or two left over. 

It would be good with just a salad on the side, but one night I baked a couple of sweet potatoes to go with it, and that was wonderful.  So colorful, too!

Astute readers may notice that in preparing the chicken sauce (ingredients butter, flour, seasonings, and broth) one has essentially created a substitute for cream of chicken soup.  That's just what it is!  This quantity of ingredients replaces 2 cans of cream of chicken soup. 

So I'm going to go ahead and put my cream soup substitute recipe here again.  Hope it's helpful to someone, whether you've run out of canned soup or just prefer a healthier substitute.

* CREAM SOUP SUBSTITUTES

Do you hate buying canned soups for use in recipes? This recipe makes a perfect substitute for 1 can of soup.

3 Tblsp. margarine
3 Tblsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk or other liquid (as specified in variations)

Melt the margarine in heavy saucepan; blend in flour and salt and cook until bubbly. Remove from heat and gradually stir or whisk in liquid. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened.

VARIATIONS:
Cream of chicken: Use 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. chicken broth as the liquid. Add 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage.
Cream of celery: Saute´ 1/2 c. chopped celery and 1 T. finely chopped onion in the margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
Cream of mushroom: Saute´1/4 c. finely chopped mushrooms and 1 T. finely chopped onion in margarine before adding flour. Use milk for liquid.
Tomato: Use tomato juice as liquid. Add a dash each of garlic salt, onion salt, basil, and oregano.
Cream of shrimp: Drain the liquid from a small can of tiny shrimp into a measuring cup. Fill cup with milk to measure 1 cup of liquid. Add a dash of pepper, onion salt, curry powder, and paprika to the finished sauce, and stir in the shrimp.

This recipe came from the More-With-Less Cookbook.  The shrimp variation is mine. 

 

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

April 11 Hodgepodge

This lovely, lovely graphic is by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings.

Where does the time go?  Wednesday again -- so it's time for the Hodgepodge with Joyce and friends at From This Side of the Pond.  No Hodgepodge last week, due to exciting happenings in Joyce's life, so it's been a couple of weeks.  Time has flown!  But head on over, get the questions, and then answer them on your own blog (or in the comments if you don't have a blog).  Then go back over to Joyce's to link up!   Here are this week's questions:

1. April is National Jazz Appreciation Month. Are you a fan? If so what's a favorite you'd recommend to someone new to jazz listening?

Not really a jazz fan.  I don't mind it as background music sometimes.  I haven't listened to enough of it to have any favorites.

2. Mandolin, ukulele, harp, accordion or banjo...which would you be most interested in learning to play? Or do you already play one of the instruments listed?

I don't play any instrument at all, period.  I enjoy listening to all of those instruments on the list, with my favorite probably being the harp, and truly admire people who can play them.  I doubt I could learn to play any of them, especially not the accordion.  Too much to think about.

3. Do you judge a book by its cover? Elaborate. You may answer in either/both the literal or figurative sense of the word.

I try not to judge a book by its cover, especially in the figurative sense of the word with regard to people.  And I hope they do the same with me.

With actual books, I might be more apt to judge a book by its cover. I do know that sometimes the cover design is not necessarily what the author has in mind, but often the author does have some input.  So if a cover is off-putting to me, I'm probably not going to buy the book, though if I'm in a bookstore or library I would pick the book up and leaf through it before making a decision.

4. According to a recent study the ten most nutritious foods are-almonds, cherimoya (supposed to taste like a cross between a pineapple/banana), ocean perch, flatfish (such as flounder and halibut), chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, swiss chard, pork fat (shocking! but I don't think they mean bacon), beet greens, and red snapper. Are any of these foods a regular part of your diet? Any you've never ever tasted? Which would you be most inclined to add to your diet?

Of all those, I think the only one that's a regular, nearly daily part of my diet is almonds.  I think the only one I've never at least tasted is cherimoya, which I've never even heard of.  I'd like to try that and maybe even add it to my diet if it wasn't too pricey, because it does sound like a nice flavor.  I've been trying to add more fish to our diet, which has been less expensive recently since it was on sale often during Lent.  I'd like to add more Swiss chard (I especially like the rainbow chard) and chia seeds to our diet.

(What do you think they are talking about when they say pork fat?  Lard?)

5. Besides a major holiday what is the most recent thing you've celebrated with your people? Tell us how.

My oldest daughter's birthday.  She and her hubby and four kiddos came for supper on Sunday night.  I served Chicken Chili Lasagna

along with guacamole, tortilla chips, and fruit salad.  The salad was just layers of [mostly] thawed frozen fruit including mango chunks, watermelon balls, and a mix of strawberries, pineapple and blackberries.  The kids loved it and only a few pieces of fruit were left in the large glass bowl at the end of the meal.  My daughter baked her own birthday cake, as she had planned a special coconut cake at Easter and they were all sick.  So she just baked it for her birthday instead!

They had an interesting time transporting the cake over here.  They live on a dirt road and it's a mess this time of year.  But the cake, on its cake stand and swathed in foil, survived unscathed and was incredibly delicious.  We provided ice cream: vanilla bean and maple walnut.

In between the main course and dessert, the birthday girl opened her gifts from us.  We also watched a slideshow of pictures from a family long weekend in 2012.  Something like this happens so seldom (since our youngest and her family live way out West) and the kids were tickled to relive the memories of that time in a lakeside cabin. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

So looking forward to a short getaway later this month.  We need it!

So ends another Hodgepodge.  Happy Wednesday, all!

Hodgepodging on the fly

These photos show a place we hope to fly to in the next few months:

Northeastern Nevada

 Wednesday again!  Joyce is back so we will join her and other bloggers for the Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.  Joyce asks the questions -- so do head over there and snag them to answer on your own blog and then link up your post for today's Hodgepodge.  It's great fun!

1. Tell us about a time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'.

 Good question.  I try not to do this.  I prefer to be prepared.  I tend to remember parenting as an endeavor in which I did a lot of flying by the seat of my pants. And, it occurs to me now, I am doing eldercare in much the same way.

2.  When or where would you most like to be 'a fly on the wall'?

Since this past weekend, pondering the Resurrection of Christ, the events surrounding it as recorded in Scripture  are still fresh in my mind.  I'm thinking I would have loved to be a "fly on the wall" on the road to Emmaus when Jesus appeared and walked with two of His followers, and then ate supper with them and was "known of them in breaking of bread". ( Luke 24:35) 

I snapped this photo from the car window years ago as we were leaving a family reunion.  The butterfly was right there on the lilac bush.

3. 'Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.'-Henry David Thoreau 

Would you agree? Why or why not?

I do agree in some ways.   I have often thought that many people waste their lives living for the next big moment that they think is going to make them happy.  Meanwhile, life is going on and they are failing to enjoy it.  But if they pay attention, they can find joy and happiness in the everyday happenings that really do make up our lives.

4. Share a favorite movie, book, or song with flying in its title, lyrics, or theme somewhere.

"I'll Fly Away".  The songwriter is Rev. Gary Davis.  Some of the words go like this:

"Some glad morning when this life is o'er

I'll fly away;

To a home on God's celestial shore,

I'll fly away.

I'll fly away, O glory!

I'll fly away;

When I die, hallelujah, by and by,

I'll fly away!"

5. What is one task or chore you tend to do 'on the fly'? Is this something that really needs to be done another way?

I was trying to think of a good answer for this.  Then I added in the butterfly photo above.  One could say I took that photo "on the fly" from the car window.  And it occurs to me that I often take photos this way, just in passing, not really thinking about the composition, lighting, or anything else.  I really do need to learn to use that camera.

6. What was happening the last time you thought to yourself or said aloud, 'Wow, time flies when you're having fun', and you meant it.

Hmmm .... good question!  It has often seemed to me as if time flies whether one is having fun or not.

7. This Thursday is National Garlic Day. Will you add garlic to your menu on Thursday? Do you like garlic? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?

Photo from Taste of Home

I do like garlic. It's likely to be in my menu on Thursday, because I use garlic in cooking a lot.  One of my favorite recipes showcasing garlic is this one:

GARLIC LIME CHICKEN

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup cider vinegar
6 garlic cloves, minced (or equivalent amount of jarred minced garlic)
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tblsp. dried coriander
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
4 to 6 bone-in chicken breast halves
1 to 2 Tblsp. vegetable oil

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 8 ingredients. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat chicken with marinade. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Discard marinade. In a nonstick skillet, heat the oil and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer to a greased 15 x 10-inch baking pan. Bake chicken, uncovered, at 375º for 30 to 35 minutes or until the juices run clear.  (If preferred, this can also be grilled, for approximately the same amount of time.)

Yield : 4 to 8 servings

8. Insert your own random thought here. 

This morning I was telling a friend about the sweet wildflower "Bird on the Wing" which in my mind looks a lot like a little airplane, complete with propeller.

 And thus ends another Hodgepodge.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!

A fowl tip

Photo from Pixabay

 ... on preparing cooked chicken for the freezer.

Our local supermarket will often feature boneless chicken breasts for $1.69/lb.   I nearly always buy a large package or two to freeze.  I most often freeze them individually, wrapped in plastic, and this works out well for using however many I want for a particular meal.

This summer, though, I tried a recipe for Basic Mexican Chicken from a Gooseberry Patch slow cooker cookbook, Slow Cooking All Year Round.  I got this book for free because my recipe for slow cooker "rotisserie" chicken was published in it.

Here's what you do:

BASIC MEXICAN CHICKEN
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg, taco seasoning mix*
16-ounce jar salsa

Place chicken in slow cooker; sprinkle with taco seasoning.   Pour salsa over top; do not stir.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  Shred chicken with 2 forks; mix well with sauce in slow cooker.  Serves 6 to 8.

Julie Saifullah, the lady who shared the recipe, wrote, "I make this chicken often because it is so versatile.  You can use it to make all kinds of Mexican dishes, like tacos, enchiladas, burritos, rice bowls, nachos, or even chicken tortilla soup!"

This recipe is indeed so versatile, as I found when I tried it for myself.  From there it was a short step to thinking about freezing the cooked chicken.  I made the recipe again next time chicken was on sale, and packaged meal-sized portions of the Mexican-flavored chicken in quart-size ziplock bags.  It proved to be very handy to just pull out a package of cooked chicken to get a start on a soup or casserole.

So recently chicken was on sale again

Photo from Pixabay

and I found myself thinking about this a little more.  If Mexican-flavored cooked chicken in the freezer was so helpful, why not other flavors?

So I bought two large trays of chicken and cooked one tray with more of an Italian flavor.  I put a little olive oil in the bottom of the crock and between the layers.  I also made up a dry Italian salad dressing mix* -- a double batch, because this is a lot of chicken to season! -- and sprinkled that between the layers of chicken.  I cooked it for about 4 hours at high.  When it cooled a bit, I cut it up in cubes and again froze meal-size quantities in quart-size ziplock bags.

The next day I cooked the other tray.  I wanted this one to have more of a rotisserie chicken flavor, so I drizzled in a bit of olive oil and sprinkled the layers of chicken very generously with Montreal Chicken seasoning.  Again I cooked it about 4 hours at high and packaged it the same way.  Of course I labeled the various flavors accordingly -- Mexican, Italian, or seasoned.

(I should add that the Mexican chicken recipe, because of the salsa, comes out with a more "soupy" consistency, but I just divided the liquid among the freezer bags of chicken.  It's been fine in the recipes I've tried it in.  But if I wanted it less liquid-y, I would just drizzle the chicken with some olive oil, sprinkle with the taco seasoning, and cook it without the salsa.)

I am looking forward to having these "meal starters" at the ready in my freezer for busy days!

There are several pluses to cooking this chicken in the slow cooker which I thought I would mention.  First, of course, is that it cooks while you are doing other things.  A huge plus in my book!  And then there is the fact that several cups of nicely seasoned broth are also produced with this cooking method.  You just strain it into a clean container (I use a recycled quart-size yogurt container) and put it in fridge or (for longer storage) freezer.  Next time you need chicken broth, it's there!

And then, a very important plus is that you don't need to trim the fat off the chicken breasts before cooking.  Most of it melts into the broth (which isn't an issue because you are going to chill the strained broth and can then lift the layer of fat off the top).  What small bits of fat remain on the cooked chicken, you can easily trim off with kitchen shears and you won't have wasted a lot of meat as can often happen when trying to remove fat from raw chicken.

And also:  * My recipes for taco seasoning mix and Italian dressing mix may be found in this older post: Saving Money in the Kitchen.*

Completely random

View from my window right now

Okay, I am going to try for a blog post today.  I warn you, it will be completely random and helter-skelter because that's the state of my brain and life right now.  But here goes!

The above photo (from a previous year) depicts just what I am seeing from our bedroom window today.  A window completely filled with apple blossoms.  Glorious!  At the far right of the picture, you can just glimpse the road far below.

Our neighbor's wild cherry tree was in bloom this past weekend, but heavy rain and wind soon knocked the delicate blossoms off.

Let's see.  Some time back, I mentioned feeling the need for a getaway for Mr. T and myself.  My blog friend Arlene at Nanaland sent me this lovely card:

It refreshes me every time I look at it, so I keep it handy on the hutch.  It is slightly reminiscent of our one-hour getaway a short time ago:

which will have to do until we can book some time at the lake up north.  I so appreciate Arlene's thoughtfulness!

Speaking of Arlene, I recently won the May giveaway at Nanaland: a Vera Bradley makeup bag.Isn't it gorgeous?

You can't really tell the color from this photo.  The bag is a very pretty red.

Inside of the bag -- such a pretty print.  I love it.

It will be going along with me on that getaway whenever we can manage one.  Thank you, Arlene!

I wanted to show you a few of my recent crafts.  Simple, simple things and only a few, because my time has been so fragmented of late.

phone charger holder for my oldest granddaughter -- and a hook to hang it on

This is a gift card holder I made for my local daughter's birthday.  I got the idea from Gooseberry Patch.  You pull the ribbon and out comes the gift card.  We got her a Lowe's gift card to buy perennials with.

My granddaughter who turned 10 requested a Lego sack ... in her favorite color, of course.  This is how it looks gathered up and hanging from a doorknob.

And here is the Lego sack opened up as it would be used for playtime.  For those who are interested you can read about Lego sacks here: Lego Sack Tutorial.  I've made loads of these.  My grandkids love them.

I've managed to complete several of these-- love the color of this one.  The variegated yarn in the middle is called "Candy Sprinkles".  Fun.

I've completed two in this color combination and a couple of others as well.

You can find the pattern here: Scalloped Potholder if you should be interested.  I leave off the hanging loop and use them as hot dish mats on the table. 

And then here are a couple of scans of recent vintage finds, both of these from my parents' home.

This is about the actual size of this vintage card.

This is the cover of a coloring book published in 1970.  The designs look as if they could be from today, don't they?

 Pretty neat designs on that coloring book cover, don't you think? They are a combination of embroidery and applique.   I'd love to copy the snowman on something, and the other designs are nifty also.

Here are a few photos of spring wildflowers:

My dad's backyard abounds with these large white violets.

They even grow in concrete!

Painted trilliums are out in our back yard

Lots of violets about

I noticed yesterday that the clintonia, or blue bead lily, is starting to bloom.

 Spring is "birthday season" in my daughter's family.  They have one in March, three in April and one in May, so we have been at their home a lot these past couple of months.  One evening we saw this lovely sunset on the way home:

 Do you ever prepare chicken in a slow cooker? To my mind this is the easiest and best way to cook a chicken when you find a good deal on whole chickens.  They were 88¢ a pound at our local supermarket this past week, and I wanted to make chicken salad wraps to take to a get-together.  Cooking the chicken in a crockpot gives you meat and broth in one easy step.  Here is how I do it:

CROCKPOT “ROTISSERIE” CHICKEN

1 roasting chicken or young chicken (I have also done this with bone-in chicken breasts)
Seasoning of your choice

Remove the bag full of “innards” from the chicken and discard it. Rinse the chicken with cold water. Place the chicken in the crock pot. Sprinkle liberally with the seasoning of your choice. I prefer the Montreal Chicken ™ seasoning blend, but Greek seasoning or lemon pepper are two other tasty possibilities. That’s it -- you don’t need to add anything else.

Cover the crock pot and cook for 8 to 10 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high. You will have falling-off-the bone, beautifully seasoned chicken and nearly a quart of good broth. You can freeze the broth to use later for another purpose, or use it as a start on a soup with leftover chicken later in the week.

I want to quickly share another recipe with you.  I love these Al Fresco chicken sausages.  They are quick, healthy and delicious.  I find they are pretty pricey in our local supermarket, but very reasonably priced at Walmart, so that's where I usually buy them.  The Italian version is also very good.  I haven't tried the other flavors, but there are several more.

This would be a fantastic supper for those busy days.  It takes an hour in the oven, so you could put it in the oven and then go do gardening or yard work while it bakes.  I found a similar recipe in a magazine originally, but have tweaked it quite a bit, so here it is:

POLENTA BAKE

1 package of chicken sausage (fully cooked type such as Al Fresco) -- in the sweet apple flavor
1 large sweet onion
1 large apple (Honeycrisp is the best!) or 2 smaller apples
1 tube garlic and herb polenta
Olive oil
Salt & pepper (optional)

Have a 9 x 13-inch baking dish ready and just add the ingredients as you prepare them.  Slice up the chicken sausages.  I slice each one lengthwise and then cut them into about 1/4-inch slices crosswise.  Peel the onion, cut it in half and cut each half into wedges.  (Or cut them smaller if your onion is really huge.)  Wash, core and slice the apples into wedges.  Don't bother to peel them.  Then slice your polenta.  I cut it in quarters lengthwise and then slice it between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick.  Now drizzle some olive oil (at least a tablespoon, but it's up to you) over the ingredients in the baking dish.  Salt and pepper to taste if you like, but it's really optional.  I forgot it last time and the dish was still wonderful.  Stir everything together well.

Bake at 375º for 1 hour.

I think you could make endless variations on this dish by using other flavors of sausage and including different vegetables like peppers, zucchini, etc. rather than apples.

When I take this to our church potluck, I bake it in the morning, timing it to come out of the oven just before we leave the house.  I cover it with foil.   Then when we get to church I place it on an electric warming tray where it holds just fine until we are ready to eat a few hours later.

And finally, have you ever eaten Fiddleheads?

Photo from UVM Food Feed

An acquaintance of my hubby's harvests fiddleheads every spring and gives bags of them away.  He gave Mr. T a bag at his job site.  We did some investigating online and found the best way to prepare them -- they need cleaning and blanching.  We then sauteed them in olive oil and garlic as his friend suggested.  Absolutely delicious.  Some people say they taste like a cross between asparagus and spinach.  Well, we enjoy both of those vegetables -- but honestly, we decided fiddleheads are better than either one!

Not the best photo -- I took it spontaneously with my Kindle.  It doesn't do these delicacies justice.

We had never cooked or eaten fiddleheads before, but wow!  We hope he gives us another bag next year!  (I think we will leave the harvesting to him, though, as many ferns are poisonous.)

Lastly, but it really should be first -- remember my word for 2016?  It was Faithfulness.  I never did get time to set or even think about any goals for the new year as I usually do.  Things have been utterly crazy with eldercare and accompanying concerns, not to mention other responsibilities.  I concluded at the time, in the post referenced above, that even if I didn't get to set any goals, that just being faithful in all that God has given me to do, and trusting in His faithfulness day by day, would be sufficient.  Has that ever been tested!  To remind me, I recently took this graphic, which I made some time ago, and made it my desktop wallpaper.  (My readers are welcome to borrow it.)

What a blessing to be reminded of God's faithfulness for every step of our journey, every time I log into the computer and when I shut it down at night!  This view of one of our local lakes, with scriptural truth imposed over it, just is such a great reminder.  Yes, He, our all-wise, all-powerful Creator, is faithful!

Sharing this motley post today with Sandi's No Place Like Home and Bernideen’s Tea Time, Cottage and Garden Blog Party.  Also with Vintage Charm and Share Your Cup Thursday.

Roasted Chicken with Rosemary

Photo by Taste of Home

Winter (and this has seemed like a very long winter) always seems to put me in the mood for trying new recipes.  I tried two new recipes this weekend and hope to blog about the second one tomorrow. 

Our local market had roasting chickens for a good price this week, so I bought one.  I was looking for a way to roast it along with vegetables.  I looked at a few recipes on line and didn't see anything that appealed to me, but then I happened to be glancing through an old (1994) Country Woman magazine and noticed a recipe for Roasted Chicken with Rosemary which was a winner in that month's recipe contest featuring poultry. The photo showed a roasted chicken atop carrots, potatoes and onions.

I looked the recipe over and found that it was pretty much just what I'd been looking for.  I wanted to keep this kid-friendly, so I decreased the rosemary by quite a bit.  I was using fresh rosemary that I had frozen, so I just crumbled some of it up.  I also thought I would use half the amount of butter, but it really seemed dry partway through cooking (and I had so many veggies in the pan that it was hard to reach the broth to baste anything as the recipe directed) so I ended up adding more butter.  I think next time I might use half butter and half chicken broth.  One change that I made was to use cubed butternut squash rather than carrots.

The chicken turned out extremely tender and so flavorful.  I will definitely cook a roasting chicken this way again.  It did take a bit longer than specified, and even then the vegetables were a little bit too firm.  I think the mistake I made was not in using a covered roasting pan.  (I don't own one.)  I just used a 13x9 pan with a rack, and covered it with heavy-duty foil.  Next time, I will use a large covered Dutch oven that I have; that will probably work better.

All in all, we were very pleased with this recipe and considered it a keeper!  Maybe your family would enjoy it, too.