Chicken Pillows

I just served these to the missionaries and they seemed to think they were a big hit, so I thought I would post them on here. Plus, this is super easy, which is what I am always shooting for when it comes to dinner!

Ingredients:
- 4oz. cream cheese
- 1/4 c. butter
- 3/4 c. fresh mushrooms (Can also use the "Green Giant" canned ones, that are sliced)
- 1 1/2 c. boiled chicken
- Parsley
- Dried Bread crumbs
- Pillsbury crescent rolls (8 rolls to a can)

In a medium bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth; add mushrooms, boiled chicken, salt, pepper, and parsley. Put about 3 tablespoons of mixture in the center of crescent roll; form into pillow (or fold over and press all around the sides, so they stick together as best as you can. The mixture usually spills out a little & that's ok.) Sprinkle bread crumbs over the tops of each pillow. Bake at 375 for 12-15 min. Watch them and make sure they don't burn! They should brown nicely. Eat up, buttercup!
(it may not seem like it, but these little guys are pretty filling!)

I have also doubled this recipe, by just using two cans of the Pillsbury rolls without doubling the amount of mixture and had a little left over.

White Bread

1 c warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar

Dissolve until foamy (about 10 minutes)

Then add:
1 c warm water
3 T sugar
2 tsp salt
2 T oil
3 1/2 - 4 Cups flour

Knead with hands until elastic consistency let rise 1hr .
Punch down with hands,let rise until doubled about 30 minutes

You can use a bread pan that is greased with Crisco and cover with flour, or just shape and put on a prepared cookie sheet. Preheat oven and bake at 350 for around 30 minutes. The top should be a nice golden brown. Depending on the pain if the bottom is a little more done than the top turn oven down to 300 for the first 20 minutes and 350 for the last 10.

Tips for better bread:
No ac have house warm while it raises. The less you handle it the better the end texture will be. After you bake it, take out of pan and cool. Let sit for 30-40 minutes... letting bread sit and cool will help it be more moist, and finish baking. If you want a shinny finish spread a little butter on top while bread is hot.

Makes one loaf
Time:2 h 10 minutes

Hot Pastrami Sandwiches!

So, the other day I was craving a hot pastrami sandwich. I really wanted it to be like one you would buy at "The Italian Place" and found a pretty close recipe that is really easy and so good!

Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped up (optional)
- 1 lb Beef Pastrami (which they have at IGA right now)
- Deli Rolls (they sell some good ones at IGA)
- 4-8 slices of Swiss cheese
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Butter
- Water (just a little)
- Dill Pickle (optional)

Thinly slice or chop the onions into small pieces and cook in a small amount of butter over medium heat until they are nicely browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Cut the roll in half & spread the butter evenly over the inside of the deli rolls.

In another skillet, heat the pastrami with a little bit of water until it is steaming hot. Place one of the deli rolls, buttered side down in the skillet you used to cook the onions. Lightly toast the inside of the rolls and if you want, flip to the other side and toast a little. Remove from the pan and put mayo and mustard & top with the chopped onions, on the roll. Then, add the hot pastrami and Swiss cheese! Presto! You are done! Enjoy and imagine you are at "The Italian Place!"
(Serve with a sliced dill pickle and your favorite deli style salad.)

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I am a bit lazy today so I am just going to post the link to the recipe. I made these Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast this morning and they were amazing. They are a bit of work but oh they are worth it! Enjoy!

Silky Potato Leek Soup

2.5 oz of butter (1/2 cup)

1 lb. Leeks chopped about 3 (you can use broccoli as another option)

6 cups of chicken stock

24 oz Potatoes diced or about 6 small

3/4 cup of cream or half & half

salt pepper

Melt the butter in a large pot over med heat, add the leeks and cook to soften but not brown. add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. turn the heat to med. high and add the potatoes and cook for about 20 min. or until the potatoes are soft. add the cream and take off the heat. Puree the soup with an immersible blender until the desired consistency.

It is yummy! Don't worry if you don't have exactly the amount - it always tastes good.

Spinach Meatloaf

Get your picky eater to eat his vegetables by hiding them in meat! Another exciting use for instant potatoes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground meat (I prefer turkey)
• 1/4 cup instant potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 cup parmesean cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 onion chopped fine
• salt and pepper to taste
• flavoring (choose an option, both are tasty!)
• option A: 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce & 1 teaspoon cumin
• option B: 1 teaspoon each of sage, rosemary, thyme
• 5oz frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F or 175C. Thaw out your spinach by putting it in a colander and running water over it.
2. Mix first nine (9) ingredients and choose the kind of flavoring you'd prefer. Worcestershire goes better with beef, while herbs go better with ground chicken or turkey. Both flavors are tasty and merit trying.
3. Lay out a piece of aluminum foil, wax paper or other disposable flexible surface. Spread the meat mix over the foil to make a 1/2 inch-thick rectangle that should fit into your baking pan.
4. On top of the meat, make a uniform layer of spinach. Ideally, leave a 1/2 inch border of meat not covered by spinach.
5. Use your flexible surface to lift one side of the meat and gently form a roll. You'll likely have to work slowly and peel the meat off the foil a bit as you go. When you get to the end, press the end meat into the roll so in blends into a solid roll. You can also smoosh together the ends a bit to obscure the spinach there. The spinach should now be nicely hidden, visible only in cross-section.
6. If you're really careful with aluminum foil, you can now enclose your lovely meat roll in the same piece of foil, then place in your baking pan. This helps minimize cleanup. Definitely still use a pan, though, to keep the meat juices from oozing out into your oven.
7. Bake the meatloaf in the middle rack for 45 minutes or so (took me about twice that here, but I have no idea how hot my oven is with the goofy tank). This should serve 4-5 people and freezes easily either before or after baking.

Instant Potato Crusted Fish/Chicken

I know you've been on pins and needles waiting for another way to utilize those instant potatoes. Who needs breadcrumbs!!

• 1 lb white fish filet or chicken
• 1/2 cup instant potatoes
• 1/4 cup grated parmesean/romano cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
• salt & black pepper to taste
• optional: 1 egg or a few tbsp mayonnaise
  
• plastic baggie or shallow bowl
  

1. Preheat oven to 400F (205C).
2. Grease a glass baking dish or use a non-stick baking dish.
3. Mix all the ingredients together in the baggie or shallow bowl.
4. Wet your fish or chicken. You can use a gluing agent such as a beaten egg or mayonnaise to help the batter stick to the meat. Then put one piece at a time into the crust mix and coat thoroughly.
5. Put the meat into your baking dish.
6. Bake the fish or chicken until it is cooked thoroughly (20 min for boneless chicken, 40min for bone-in chicken, 30-40 min for thick fish filet)

If you're more of a skillet person than baker, just put a little cooking oil in the skillet and go to town. Heats up the house a little less and your food is finished faster. There's also the grilling option.