Recipes – Page 50 – The Pajama Chef

30 Before 30, Main Dishes, Recipes, Soups

Lindsay’s Chicken Noodle Soup

February 12, 2014August 16, 2015 Sarah

Let the week of LOVE continue! You guys [y’all?] I am in LOVE with this chicken noodle soup. It all started with a recipe I saw on Facebook, posted in the comment of a photo. My friend from Bloomington made this soup for her family and a bunch of people were asking for the recipe cause it looked awesome. Lindsay posted the recipe and I made it. And we loved it. And I may never make another chicken noodle soup as long as I live.

Though these photos hardly do the soup justice, you must promise me that you’ll make it! Promise? Good.

This soup undoubtedly is so good because of two things: white meat. Dark meat. Homemade noodles. Wait–that was three things. Oh well. You basically cook the chicken low and slow on the stove with some buttery vegetables, shred the meat, add some broth, add the noodles, and devour. While the chicken is a-going, you make some noodles. No big deal, right? The noodles are actually pretty simple to throw together. Mine were a little thicker than I’d like–they were almost like dumplings–but they were still delicious.

And you know what the best part of making my own egg noodles was? [Besides how good they taste???] They’re the first recipe I’ve tried as part of my 30 before 30 project! I should really make more of an effort to get on that. The months are tickin’ away. I think I may have a problem making some of the other items on my list because I’m just going to want to make these noodles all the time though! Thanks Lindsay for the great recipe. 🙂

one year ago: 60 Minute Sandwich Buns
two years ago: Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
three years ago: Tomato Tortellini Soup

Lindsay's Chicken Noodle Soup

Servings: 16
Time: 4-5 hours, including noodle prep
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from my friend Lindsay

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken [4-6 pounds]
2 bay leaves
salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
1 1/2 cups onion, diced
freshly ground pepper
4-8 cups chicken broth
1 recipe egg noodles [see below]

Directions:

Place one whole chicken and bay leaves in a large stockpot, then cover completely with water [just barely covered]. Salt water, then bring to a boil.

In a skillet, melt butter then sauté celery, carrot, and onion until crisp-tender. Season with pepper as desired. Add to pot with chicken, then cook until chicken is fully cooked with an internal temperature of 170 degrees.

Remove chicken from pot, then remove meat from bones, shred, and return to pot. Add 4 cups of chicken broth, then egg noodles–recipe below–and boil until al dente. If necessary, add up to 4 additional cups of chicken broth to thin out soup.

Homemade Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup water

Directions:

On the countertop or in a large bowl, mix together flour and salt. Next, add egg yolks and whole egg. Mix thoroughly. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes together.

Knead dough for 10 minutes until smooth and pliable. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 4 parts, then roll out each part 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Gently cut into noodle strips, then place on a kitchen towel. Repeat until all dough has been cut, then let noodles dry for 2-3 hours.

Use in any recipe calling for egg noodles, boiling to al dente as usual.

Note: Noodles can be made in advance, storing in an air-tight container at room temperature [NOT refrigerated] for up to a month.

Appetizers, Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas

February 5, 2014February 5, 2016 Sarah

Apparently February is National Sweet Potato Month! Who knew?! I know no better way to celebrate than with these awesome Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas!

Please forgive my less than stellar photos. I am so over this winter weather, it’s really killing my photos! But anyway–these quesadillas are ridiculously good. Though they require a few extra steps than a usual quesadilla, since you have to cook the ground pork and saute some jalapenos, they are well worth it! These quesadillas are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy goodness. We’ve made them for dinner a couple times, but I can definitely see them as a wonderful party appetizer too. As you can see, I served them with quite a bit of sour cream and some sauteed jalapenos. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

one year ago: Chewy Peanut Butter Brownies
two years ago: Caramel S’more Cups
three years ago: Bacon-Wrapped Feta & Almond Stuffed Dates

Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas

Servings: 4 meal-size servings, 8 appetizer servings
Time: 30 minutes
Print

from Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato
1/2 pound ground pork [chorizo would also be a great substitute]
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder [ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder also works well–but scale back depending on your tolerance of spice]
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
butter or oil, for cooking
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
2 cups cheese [cheddar, jack, Mexican blend, etc.]
sour cream, for topping
sliced pickled jalapenos [or saute a few fresh jalapenos]

Directions:

Prick a medium sweet potato all over with a fork and microwave until soft, about 8-10 minutes. When sweet potato is cooked, let cool for a few minutes and then remove the skin. Gently mash sweet potato with a fork, then set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and cook pork with chili powder, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned. Add garlic, green onions, and cooked sweet potato to skillet and stir together. Cook for a minute or so, then remove to a bowl. Stir in cilantro.

Wipe out the skillet and add about 1 teaspoon of butter or oil to the skillet. After a minute or so, add tortilla to skillet. Evenly top tortilla with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 of the pork mixture. Reduce heat to low. After cheese is melted, fold the tortilla in half over the filling and cook until tortilla is golden brown. Remove from pan and cut into four wedges. Repeat to make an additional 3 quesadillas. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of jalapenos, if desired.

Beef, Main Dishes, Recipes

SRC: Chili Relleno Casserole

February 2, 2014February 23, 2017 Sarah

Finally! Time for another edition of the Secret Recipe Club! We took a break in January, but now we’re back and it feel sooo good. 🙂 I just love being part of this club. It’s fun to get to try out new recipes and get to know new bloggers.This month for SRC, I was assigned to Ilona’s Kitchen. Ilona shares tons of recipes on her blog every month that are family tested and approved. She loves to feed her family new recipes and old classics… a great combination, I think! She’s also loves to shop, bake, and go to the gym. A woman after my own heart!! Well, I run, but you get the idea. 🙂 When perusing her blog, I found quite a few recipes I wanted to make: Blueberry Popovers, Chicken & Spinach Tortilla Bake, and Coconut Tea Cake. The last option sounds AWESOME! She just posted the recipe, otherwise that is definitely what I would have made. But alas, Chili Relleno Casserole it was. And it did not disappoint, even though it’s not the most photogenic recipe ever!

Ilona has about three Chili Relleno recipes on her blog… some have been flops and others have been great. Ilona claimed this was the best of the three, and we found it to be pretty wonderful. It seriously tasted great! I’ve never had a real chili relleno, so I can’t testify to the authenticity [it is a casserole after all], but the flavors are phenomenal. It’s just a simple mix of ground beef and vegetables, topped with eggs, oregano, garlic, tomato sauce, and cheese. What’s not to like? Plus, it’s quick and easy to throw together–perfect for those busy weeknights. Ben actually made the whole dish and it was ready waiting for me one night after work. That must be why I like it so much. 🙂 I have no doubt that we’ll be making this again soon! Thanks, Ilona, for introducing me to this great recipe! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. 🙂

one year ago: Baked Jalapeno Popper-Ranch Dip
two years ago: Fried Eggs on Pesto-Parmesan Toast
three years ago: Mini Meatloaf

Chili Relleno Casserole

Servings: 8
Time: 40 minutes
Print

from Ilona’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cans [4 ounces each] chopped green chilies
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups shredded mexican blend/taco cheese, divided
8 ounces tomato sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a skillet, brown ground beef. Drain fat and then add green pepper. Cook until tender, then stir in oregano, garlic, and chopped green chiles. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.

Layer half of the meat and 1/2 cup cheese in prepared baking dish. Top with the rest of the meat and another 1/2 cup cheese. Pour egg mixture on top of everything,

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove and spread tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese on top and return to oven for 7 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting, then slice into squares to serve and enjoy.

Be sure to check out other recipes from this week’s Secret Recipe Club reveal here:

Desserts, Other, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Champorado [Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding]

January 29, 2014February 22, 2014 Sarah

When I saw the ingredients for the January edition of Mystery Dish, the first thing I thought was “fancy, fancy.” Allie from Baking a Moment gave us a list of the following to work with: champagne, strawberries, oranges, beets, filet mignon, lobster, cream, chocolate, rosewater, and rice. Though the list at first glance is fancy, my first thought was comfort food. It must be the cold weather.

As I was thinking about what to make, I noticed rice sitting all lonely at the end of the list. I’ve never had rice pudding, so I looked up a few recipes and decided to give it a whirl. Ben is a HUGE rice addict, so we always have tons of rice in the pantry. Instead of the milky, raisin-filled, old-person-stereotype rice pudding, I wanted to use chocolate to fancify things a bit. As I researched chocolate rice pudding, I decided to take an international spin on things and make an intriguing Filipino chocolate rice pudding called Champorado. When I found out it is traditionally served for breakfast, I was sold. Chocolate for breakfast? Yes, please!

This pudding is warm, comforting, and chocolately–though it’s surprisingly NOT rich. Some kinds of oatmeal I make feel richer than this is. The recipe called for bittersweet chocolate, which certainly helps create an uber chocolate flavor without any feelings of heaviness or overindulgence. I also added a little bit of orange zest to bring a citrus zing to the dish. Chocolate and orange together is absolutely DIVINE! Another way this dish stays a lighter is the pairing. You might have noticed that bacon on my plate.

Traditionally, Champorado is served with hot, buttered rolls and salted dried fish, creating that perfect blend of salty sweet balance in a meal. Since I was fresh out of salted dried fish [aka I’ve never eaten salted dried fish before] bacon was my natural alternative. 🙂

Each bite of this pudding is comforting and delightful. It’s so versatile and can be served hot, lukewarm, or cold. Though I highly recommend it for breakfast, I think it would make a fun dessert too. I definitely will be trying more rice puddings in the future now that I know they aren’t just for old people! 🙂 Thanks, Allie and Mystery Dish for broadening my horizons once again. Scroll down for more recipes from this month’s Mystery Dish! 🙂

one year ago: Buffalo Pretzels
two years ago: Cranberry Feta Pinwheels
three years ago: Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Champorado [Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding] [from Chow]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup rice [short grain white sticky rice recommended, but I used long-grain white rice and it was fine]
5 cups water
6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate [I used a 70% cacao variety from Scharffen Berger]
1/3 cup sugar
zest of one orange
milk [regular, evaporated, sweetened condensed], for serving if desired

Directions:

Rinse rice in a fine gauge mesh strainer under running water for 1-2 minutes, until water runs clear. Then place in a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring often, until rice is tender, much of the water is absorbed, and mixture thickens, about 15-20 minutes.

Melt chocolate in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring and checking often to ensure chocolate does not burn. A double boiler would be another option too.

When rice has thickened, add chocolate, sugar, and orange zest to pot and stir together. Simmer for another 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and serve as desired–immediately [hot], cooled off the heat for 30-45 minutes [lukewarm], or cooled off the heat, then refrigerated [cold]. Serve with milk as desired.

Time: 30 minutes.
Yield: 6 servings.

1. Carmelitas by Pass the Cocoa
2. Strawberry Champagne Cupcake Trifles by The Dessert Chronicles
3. Strawberry Orange Stuffed French Toast by I Dig Pinterest
4. Strawberry Orange Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips by Joyful Healthy Eats
5. Chocolate Strawberry Pudding by See Hubby Cook
6. Chocolate Doughnuts with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing by Chez CateyLou
7. Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Pudding) by The Pajama Chef
8. Whole Wheat Orange Scones with Vanilla Cream Glaze by The Well Floured Kitchen
9. Chocolate-Filled Cream Puffs with Strawberry Sauce by Culinary Couture
10. Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes by Yummy Healthy Easy
11. Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake by I Want Crazy
12. Strawberry Rose Chocolate Verrines by Baking a Moment

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies

January 24, 2014January 23, 2014 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. In fall 2012, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January 2013, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

from June 9, 2011… I wish I had a plate of these cookies now 🙂

So you know those days when you need dessert? Not in a a couple hours, but a couple hours ago? Yeah, me too. Doesn’t that always seem to happen when you reach into your pantry and discover that you’re out of flour [or in your fridge and lament the lack of butter]? Been there, done that. Don’t want to do it again. It’s not too much fun, friends. But thankfully… next time that happens, you have a solution!

That solution is… Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies!

Six ingredients and 30 minutes later, you can have a plate of delicious cookies chock-full of peanut butter and chocolate delight-fullness. What could be better?

The only problem is that these cookies are dangerously addictive, and you just might find yourself “accidentally” out of flour or butter more often. 🙂 At least, that’s what I may or may not have found true in my life…

one year ago: {Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars
two years ago: Lime Chicken Rice Bake
three years ago: Crispy Honey Ginger Chicken

Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies [from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter [I use regular, not natural]
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, sugar, egg, and baking soda. Then gently fold in chips and peanuts and mix until just combined. Scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets in 1 tablespoon increments, shaping into balls with moistened hands. Place two inches apart on baking sheets, then bake until cookies are golden and puffy, about 12-14 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for five minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely…if they last that long! Enjoy!

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies.