BIC: December-Holiday Treat

Every time Heidi does that thing she does I think “I want to join in too!”  But it’s harder than it looks, this blogging and trying to keep life together thing.

This time I thought I’d post a very simple recipe.  That’ll work, right?

Microwave Peanut Brittle
(demonstrated at the Alaska State Fair, Palmer, September 2009)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1 cup roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Butter a cookie sheet well.
2. Dump sugar and Karo syrup in a big microwave safe bowl; microwave on High for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add peanuts; microwave 4 minutes.
4. Add vanilla and butter; microwave 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add baking soda and stir fast.  Pour into a buttered pan.  Let cool and break up.

BIC: Potatoes!

This is my entry in Heidi’si Blogstyle Iron Chef Challenge! Join us over there, she’ll be picking winners this week. Try new recipes and vote on your favorites, what’s not to like about that?

This is actually my second choice for recipe, since SOMEONE posted a recipe that was identical to the one I planned to post . . . before I was able to link up.    That’s life, huh?  But that’s ok, because this is one of our all-time favorites.

Bubble And Squeak (Which is named for the sounds it makes during and after dinner.    )

Ingredients:

1/2 pound bacon, diced OR crumbled bulk sausage OR sliced link sausage
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
8 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

1. Fry the bacon or sausage over medium heat until slightly cooked; drain off (and reserve) all but about 2 Tablespoons of fat.
2. Add onions and potatoes on top of bacon or sausage.  Add a little bit of water; cover and lower heat.  Simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost soft.  Use a big spatula to turn the potatoes twice while cooking, trying to get the potatoes all browned and crispy.  If needed, add a little of the reserved fat and more water to keep the potatoes moist.
3. Add cabbage and simmer, covered, another 5 to 10 minutes; less time if you like crisper cabbage, more time if you like it soft.
4. Add pepper and salt; use the spatula to turn and mix the cabbage in; serve.
5. Try not to eat it all in one sitting!

BIC: Crock Pot

So, Heidi does this thing and I thought I’d join her this month.  Since I love my crock pot, ya know.

This is a recipe from the book that came with my crock pot (that was a wedding gift nearly ten years ago.)  So, it’s not an original recipe.  But it is a delicious recipe.  I’ve made it so often in times past that the cookbook’s binding has broken and the book lies flat at this page. 

Chicken Delicious from Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine by Rival (1995.)

Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 whole chicken breasts, boned and halved
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper
• celery salt
• paprika
• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (10.74 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
• 1/3 cup dry sherry or white wine
• grated Parmesan cheese
• fluffy rice

Instructions

1. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry
2. Season with lemon juice, salt, pepper, celery salt, and paprika.
3. Place in Crock Pot.
4. In medium bowl, mix mushroom and celery soups with sherry.
5. Pour over chicken breasts.
6. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
7. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours.
8. Serve chicken and sauce over hot fluffy rice.

My variations:

I usually make this with bone-in chicken (thighs, breasts, etc.) and it works just fine.  Cooking it so long makes the chicken very tender, as in falling apart, though; you have to watch out for those bones.

I substitute cream of chicken soup, as The Bull does not like mushrooms.

I also substitute a basic white sauce for one of the cans of soup.  There is too much sodium in canned soup, and this makes it a little less expensive too.  And since it cooks for so long, I don’t make the sauce first.  I just add the flour and milk to the canned soup and let the crock pot cook it down.

If I’m out of sherry I’ll just use water, or chicken broth.

And, I’ve never been able to make fluffy rice.  So we have sticky rice.