Chicken Barley Stew

I made this yummy soup last night and I must share it with everyone. Trust me when I say the moment you enter your home at the end of your work day, your olfactories will be pleased with what you have simmering in the slow cooker.

Chicken Barley Stew

Ingredients
32 oz. low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp cilantro
1/4 tbsp dill
2 bay leaves
1/2 tbsp fresh ground black pepper
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast cubed (uncooked)
1/2 cup uncooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked through
1/2 cup barley1 medium sweet onion, cubed
20 oz. potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 oz. carrots (3 large), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
8 tbsp low-fat sour cream (optional)

Instructions
Fill a slow cooker with broth, 8 oz. water, garlic, herbs and pepper. Add chicken, peas and barley, then layer onion, potatoes and carrots. Liquid should just cover vegetables. Do not stir. Allow to simmer overnight, at least 4 to 6 hours. Remove bay leaves and stir before serving. Spoon 1 cup into each bowl and top with 1 tbsp. sour cream, if desired.

May Pie - Broccoli Tomato Quiche

I finally made a savory pie for the month of May. My mother adapted this recipe from a Weight Watcher's cookbook. So, you can use the no fat/low fat options and it probably still tastes good.

I was too lazy to get thyme out of the garden, so dried worked fine.

Broccoli-Tomato Quiche

2 t. oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (10 oz.) box chopped broccoli, thawed
1 deep dish pie crust
3/4 c. evaporated milk
2 large eggs
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 T. grated Parmesean cheese
2 t. chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in large skillet to medium high. Add onion and garlic, stirring until soft, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli for 2 minutes.
Lightly beat evaporated milk, eggs, sour cream, salt & pepper.
Sprinkle Swiss cheese over the bottom of the crust. Top with the broccoli mixture, then pour egg mixture on top.
Cover top with tomato slices, thyme, and Parmesean.
Bake until knife comes out of center clean, about 35-40 minutes.

April Pie - Strawberry

I couldn't wait until May for strawberry pie. The stores had them looking yummy, so I had to do it now!

Growing up, this was my first introduction to strawberries. I wasn't much of a fruit kid, so I wouldn't touch it unless it was in something for dessert. I got this recipe from my momma.

For this recipe, I didn't make my own crust but used a frozen deep dish variety.

Strawberry Pie

Deep dish pie crust

1 pint strawberries, washed and halved

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

4 T. strawberry Jello

3 T. cornstarch

dash of salt

Bake pie shell as directed and cool. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pour into a small saucepan, add water, and cook until mixture is clear. Add jello and stir until it dissolves. Cool the gelatin completely. Layer strawberries in the cooled pie crust and pour the cooled mixture over them. Refrigerate until the pie sets. Put a dollop of Cool Whip on top and ENJOY!

Confession of March Pie

Yes, three months into my Year of Pies and I dropped the ball. March got away from me and I failed to deliver a March pie. However, I plan to make 2 pies in April to make up for it. I made the first one this weekend for Easter. This pie is crustless and almost custardy.

I was craving a Buttermilk Pie and found this from Paula Deen. This is a very easy pie and not too sweet.

Olivia's Buttermilk Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup biscuit mix (recommended: Bisquick)
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and blend for 1 minute with a handheld electric mixer. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes.

February Pie - CHERRY

I chose cherry for two reasons: Valentine's Day and George Washington. I squeaked in the cherry pie on the last day of February and I'm pretty pleased. I'm becoming much better with the crust making, but the lattice could have been better. I found this recipe in Southern Living 1992 Annual Recipes book. ENJOY!

Lemony Cherry Pie

2 (16 oz) cans tart, red pitted cherries

1 c sugar

3 T cornstarch

2 T butter

1 T lemon juice

Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Set both aside.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan; stir in reserved cherry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring contatnly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in cherries, butter, and lemon juice; cool.

Roll half of pastry to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Place in a 9-inch pie plate; trim off excess pastry along edges. Pour cherry mixture into pastry shell.

Roll remaining pastry to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch strips. Arrange in lattice design over cherries; trim strips even with edges. Moisten edge of piecrust with water, and gently press cutouts around edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

2009 The Year of PIES

I have declared 2009 the year of pie making. Each month I will attempt to make a pie, savory or sweet, and share with you all. January's pie slid in at the end of the month. It was Pecan Pie. I received this recipe from my friend, Ali. Now, because this is all new to me, I am making my own crust. However, a frozen crust would be just as good and much less work. Pastry is something I am trying to learn and no longer be intimidated by. Also, I used light corn syrup because it was in the pantry. It was still very yummy.

Mom's Pecan Pie from Southern Living
Prep: 10 min.; Bake: 1 hr., 5 min.
For a richer flavor, try using dark corn syrup. Both variations received high marks in our Test Kitchens.
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9-inch) deep-dish frozen unbaked pie shell

1. Spread pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients; stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie shell.
4. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until set, shielding pie with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Serve warm or cold.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Mrs. Smith's Deep Dish Frozen Pie Shell.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

February's pie will be Cherry Pie. Stay tuned.

I HEART Avocado

This Christmas I received the niftiest kitchen gadget. I don't know about you, but sometimes I have a time getting the pit out of the avocado without demolishing the green flesh. If you destroy the green flesh, then the slices aren't right. Well, this handy avocado slicer does a number of things. First of all, it scrapes the avocado out of the skin all the while perfectly slicing the yummy goodness. To top it off, the end is sharp enough to pop the pit out without damaging the avocado. Isn't this the greatest thing you have ever heard?