By Andrew Armstrong
LEEDS — Under the circumstances of children who miss their friends, parents who have lost employment, times may seem bleak and cold, with no hope for a better tomorrow. However, even the sun must rise at some point. The free time you are experiencing could be a blessing in disguise. Why not take the time and try teaching the children some cooking basics?
My good friend Sheryl was telling me how her teenage son, James, has had a hard time occupying his time. Trying to adjust in this obscure new world we are living in is definitely not for the weak. I was easily able to sympathize. I recommended to her some recipes that could be fun to prepare. You never know those recipes you spend an hour preparing with the family could become lifelong, treasured favorites.
The featured Crock Pot Deluxe Chicken is easy enough that you could prepare it with a young child, who has a short attention span and is constantly moving. It has six ingredients and cooks on low for six hours. If you have an older child, then take on the challenge of an exotic European-style dish, like the featured Bacon Chicken with Artichokes. These recipes can definitely satisfy, your children’s itch of boredom!
If you have a favorite recipe to share in 2020, then I would love to share with the fellow readers of our community. My email is recipeswithandrew@gmail.com
I look forward to an exciting summer!
-Andrew M. Armstrong
Bacon Chicken with Artichokes
1 fryer chicken, broken into pieces
1/4 Cup of butter
1 can of artichoke hearts, drained
6 pieces of raw bacon, diced
2 Tablespoons of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of garlic, minced
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1 Cup of chicken broth
2 Tablespoons of red wine
1/4 teaspoon of Rosemary
White rice for serving
In a dutch oven brown the chicken in the butter. Remove the chicken and cook the bacon in the same pan. Remove the bacon and drain. Brown the mushrooms, garlic and seasonings together. Gently stir in the artichokes and flour. Add the remaining ingredients and fold the bacon crumbles into the sauce. Cook the sauce at a medium to low heat, until the flour is well blended and the sauce is slightly thickened. Put the chicken back in the Dutch oven and bake covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve the chicken with the rice and sauce.
Philly Cheese Casserole
1 1/2 Pоundѕ of bееf, ground
2 bеll рерреrѕ, diced
1 оnіоn, diced
1 сlоvе of gаrlіс, crushed & minced
1 teaspoon of ѕеаѕоnеd salt
4 ѕlісеѕ of Prоvоlоnе cheese
4 lаrgе eggs
1/4 Cuр of hеаvу сrеаm
1 tеаѕрооn of hоt ѕаuсе
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Preheat the oven at 350 dеgrееѕ. Sрrау a 9×9 baking dish with nоn-ѕtісk ѕрrау.
Dісе the рерреrѕ and оnіоnѕ іntо bіtе-ѕіzеd pieces. Mіnсе the gаrlіс. Add the ground bееf tо a ѕkіllеt and сооk оvеr mеdіum heat, сrumblіng as іt cooks. When the bееf is broken apart, but ѕtіll pink, аdd thе рерреrѕ, оnіоn, garlic, аnd seasoned salt. Cоntіnuе сооkіng, stirring often, untіl the bееf is cooked through and the vеgеtаblеѕ hаvе ѕоftеnеd. Drain the grеаѕе from thе ѕkіllеt and роur the mixture into thе рrераrеd bаkіng dіѕh.
Tеаr thе cheese іntо ѕmаll pieces and place оvеr the beef mixture. (Most people like it cheesy so extra Provolone is fine) Add the eggs, cream, hоt ѕаuсе, and Worcestershire sauce tо a mixing bоwl аnd whisk wеll to combine. Pour the egg mixture оvеr thе bееf аnd рlасе thе dіѕh іn thе oven. Bаkе fоr 35 mіnutеѕ оr untіl thе eggs аrе ѕеt. Lеt ѕіt 5 mіnutеѕ bеfоrе ѕlісіng and serving.
Seafood Au Gratin
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of flour, sifted
3 Cups of milk, scalded
1/2 Pound of cheese, grated
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
3 Cups of raw shrimp or any form of seafood
2 Cups of rice, cooked
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees, mix all the ingredients together and pious into a greased Casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes. The topping of the Casserole can be made as you would like it. Crushed potato chips and cheese are often a hit.
Greek Barbecued Chicken
1 onion, diced
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 1/2 cups of tomato juice
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of mustard
1/4 teaspoon of curry powder
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1/4 teaspoon of hot sauce
1 bay leaf
Sauté the diced onion in a pot with the oil and seasonings. Once browned add the remaining ingredients and bring to a full boil. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool completely. You can use boneless or bone-in chicken. Marinate the meat in a sealed container for 24 hours. Cooking the marinated chicken on a gas or charcoal grill, until it is fully cooked.
Crock Pot Deluxe Chicken
1 package of mushrooms, sliced
1 Cup of any blush wine
1 can of cream of celery soup
1 cup of sour cream
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 package of boneless chicken
Steamed white rice
Place the chicken in the crockpot. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and shreds with a fork. Serve over steamed white rice.
Hot Deluxe Turkey Salad
1 can of artichokes, drained
3 Cups of cooked turkey, chopped
1 Cup of celery, sliced
1/2 Cup of almonds, crushed
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 Tablespoon of pimento
2 Tablespoons of onions, minced
1 small can of water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 Cup of mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
4 slices of Swiss cheese
1 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 butter, melted
Preheat the oven at 425 degrees.
In the bottom of a greased casserole dish layer, the artichokes. Put the bread crumbs, cheese and butter on the side. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour the mixture over the artichokes. Layer the cheese and bread crumbs on top of the mixture and drizzle the butter over the top. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and crispy. Serve as a filling for sandwiches or with crackers and various side dish vegetables of your choice.