Karen Schmid - Chicken Divan

2 or more cups cooked brown rice
2 bunches fresh broccoli, lightly stemmed & chopped
2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (see recipe below)
½ cup mayonnaise
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp curry
½ cup grated cheese
½-3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp melted butter, optional

Since canned soups often contain MSG, I have learned how to make it from scratch, see below. It is also a lot healthier this way, because you can use whole wheat flour and raw milk, if you like. Use one recipe of the soup to replace these cans.

Combine soup (whether canned or homemade) with mayo, lemon and curry. Keep the mixture relatively thin by adding further milk or water. Additional salt may be necessary. Gently steam broccoli until tender.

Grease a 13×9 pan. Layer rice, followed by broccoli and then the chicken. Pour creamed soup mixture over the broccoli. Sprinkle cheese on top. Combine crumbs and butter, sprinkle over all. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. For freezer cooking, leave unbaked and cover to freeze. If frozen, you may have to cook 1 hr or longer.

Karen Schmid - Zuppa Tuscana Soup

Zuppa Tuscana Soup

Recently a dear friend inspired me with the idea of creating a mock Zuppa Tuscana recipe from the classic soup at Olive Garden. This has definitely been my favorite item on their menu for the occasions when we visited this restaurant. After experimenting with making it at home, and experiencing such wonderful results, I just had to share the recipe with you. I am sure there are many variations on the web, but this was our adaption. It is my favorite soup of all time, and my husband was quite impressed. It is a new regular on the menu now! Even with bacon (which is special occasion item at our house) and sausage, this dish cost less than $1 per serving, making it very frugal. Deliciously creamy, rich, and full of flavor, I am sure every family member will love it! Top with shredded parmesan cheese and you will be in heaven!

1/2 lb bacon (preferably natural, nitrate free)
1/2 lb chicken Italian sausage or bulk sausage of your choice
4-6 potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, minsed
6 cups chicken stock (you can easily replace some with water as you have available – I used 4 cups stock, 2 cups water)
2 cups whole milk, half & half, or raw cream
1 head of kale (5-6 leaves, as desired), chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese

In a small pan, cook the bacon. Save bacon grease, if desired. Cool and finely chop. In a large pot, cook the sausage, onions, and garlic (in bacon grease, if desired) until the sausage has browned. Crumble sausage as you cook it. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, turn it down to low and simmer for 20 minutes or so, just until the potatoes are tender. Add the milk, kale, and bacon and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste. Top with parmesan cheese for extra flavor! Enjoy! Makes 6-8 servings. Freezes well.

Karen Schmid Tuscan Style Potato Soup

Tuscan Style Potato Soup

5 medium russet potatoes
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 medium leeks (white and green parts), or 1 large onion, sliced and rinsed well
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
4 cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1/2 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled (save bacon grease for sauteing, if desired)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
4-5 kale leaves, chopped, more or less as desired

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and pierce several times with a fork. Set them directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hours. Let cool completely on a cooling rack.
2. Combine butter or reserved bacon grease, leeks/onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
3. Add the chicken stock/broth to the leek/onion mixture.
4. Cut the cooled potatoes in small 1/2 inch cubes. Remove peel on one or two of that potatoes. Set aside one cup of diced potatoes. Throw the remaining potatoes into the pot with the leeks/onions.
5. Puree the contents of the pot in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium low.
6. Whisk together the milk and sour cream and then whisk this into the soup, along with the reserved 1 cup potatoes, and cheese. Add chopped kale and allow to simmer for 10 minutes or so. Season more with salt and pepper as desired.
7. Serve garnished with cheese, bacon bits, or green onions, as desired.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Karen Schmid Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake

chicken and mushroom pasta bake (spaghetti tetrazzini)

main courses | serves 4
I remember meeting a lovely old couple outside my parents’ pub and when they heard I was going to Italy they told me to make sure I cooked turkey tetrazzini – I hadn’t a clue what they were talking about and then, by chance, I saw a recipe for chicken tetrazzini in an old Italian cookbook and it’s great – really tacky but gorgeous! Here’s my version...

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Put your porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover them (approx. 150ml/5½fl oz). Put to one side to soak for a few minutes. Heat a saucepan big enough to hold all the ingredients, and pour in a splash of olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them gently in the oil. Strain the porcini, reserving the soaking water, and add them to the pan with the garlic and fresh mushrooms. Add the wine, with the strained porcini soaking water, and turn the heat down. Simmer gently until the chicken pieces are cooked through and the wine has reduced a little.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions and drain well. Add the cream to the pan of chicken, then bring to the boil and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the drained spaghetti to the creamy chicken sauce and toss well. Add three-quarters of the Parmesan and all of the basil and stir well. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish or non-stick pan, sprinkle with half the remaining cheese and bake in the oven until golden brown, bubbling and crisp. Divide between your plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese before serving.

ingredients

• 20g/a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms
• olive oil
• 4 chicken thighs, boned, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 350g/2 handfuls of mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and torn
• 200ml oz white wine
• 455g dried spaghetti
• 500ml double cream
• 200g Parmesan cheese, grated
• a sprig of fresh basil, leaves picked

Maurice-Vegetables & Curry w/Naan bread

A mild curry sauce over veggies of your choice

1 large onion

2 tsp chopped garlic (I use jar garlic)

1 chicken breast

1 bunch green onions

1 bunch cilantro

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup water

2 tsp chicken broth granules

2 heads of broccoli

Curry spice mixture

Dice the onion and put into a frying pan or wok on a medium heat. Add the garlic and sprinkle 1 tbsp oil on it. Stir occasionally. Turn down to low after a few minutes.

Mix the spices. I used

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

Chop one chicken breast into 1/2" cubes.

When the onions are mostly browned, (5-10 minutes), add the chicken. Stir it occasionally.

Chop the bulb of the green onions (the white part) into small pieces. Chop the green stalks into 2" sections. Add them to the pan.

Add 1/4 cup water, and stir in the spice mixture. Cover and let it cook down for 5-10 minutes.

Add 1/4 cup milk and the chicken broth granules.

Chop off the cilantro stalks and discard them. Coarsely chop the remaining cilantro. Add half to three-quarters to the pan.

Steam the broccoli to your desired softness. Arrange the broccoli on a dish, spoon the mixture over it and serve.

Options...

Naan bread - you can buy a Naan bread mixture at Fred's. It's a bag of flour and a sachet of yeast. Follow the directions for some good yummy Naan bread. It requires letting the dough rise for 30 minutes, so I'd start the Naan bread before you start making the curry.

Naan bread - store bought pre-made (not as good as the home-baked).

Broccoli, or asparagus, or cauliflower, or any other vegetable you like.

Add more pepper or chili to the sauce

Add pineapple to the sauce, and cut down the cardamom to compensate for the extra sweetness

Add red peppers to the sauce

Serves 2