Braised Paprika Chicken

January 10th, 2012 admin Comments Off

I’m not sure where I got this recipe from, but it is certainly one of my favorites. In fact, I’m planning on making it tonight with some chicken legs that I’ve picked up. If I do figure out where I got it from, I’ll be sure to add the reference in!

Even though the list of ingredients is fairly long and it does take some time to cook, it’s worth it!

It’s a Diabetic Recipe that really tastes good!

Total Time: approx 2 hours to sitting down and enjoying!

 

Ingredients

  • 3-3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, (thighs, drumsticks and/or breasts), skin
    removed, trimmed (see Tip)
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 cups finely diced onions (We don’t really like onions that much so I only use about 1/2 cup- that’s personal choice)
  • Pinch of sugar (optional)
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper (or use mushrooms and leave out the peppers or use a combination etc)
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley, dill and/or chives (I didn’t have any fresh so just used to dried type- it worked fine!)

Pat chicken  pieces dry with paper towels and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and sprinkle with sugar (leave out if you are using an onion that is fairly sweet). Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are very soft and light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in bell peppers if using or mushrooms, tomato paste, paprika and crushed red pepper. Add the chicken and stir it gently into the onion mixture.  Sprinkle with marjoram and add broth. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer over medium-low heat until the chicken is very tender, about 50 minutes.

Just before the chicken is done, whisk sour cream, flour and the remaining 1/4  teaspoon salt in a small bowl until smooth.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a plate. Stir the sour cream mixture into the sauce; return to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the sauce coats the spoon. Reduce heat to low, return the chicken to the sauce and reheat, about 1 minute. Serve garnished with parsley, dill and/or chives, if desired.

Tip: If you are using a combination of thighs, drumsticks and breasts, cut each breast in half crosswise to make pieces about the size of a thigh. And if you buy  whole legs, separate the drumsticks and thighs. When the pieces are about the same size, they’ll cook at about the same rate.

Nutrition

Per serving: 331 calories; 14 g fat ( 4 g sat , 5 g mono ); 116 mg cholesterol; 17 g
carbohydrates; 35 g protein; 4 g fiber; 384 mg sodium; 705 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Vitamin A (50% dv), Potassium (17% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 1 fat

COMMENTS AND EMAIL

January 6th, 2012 admin Comments Off

Due to the fact that I’m getting quite a few comments that have nothing whatsoever to do with my posts or this site, I have decided to disable the comments function on all of my posts. If you would like to comment on the posts or recipes that I have posted and are not just looking for someplace to post your link, please email me at admin@bubblepop.ca. I’ll post all appropriate comments.

 

Del

Delicious Cream of Mushroom Soup

January 3rd, 2012 admin Comments Off

This recipe is from http://www.enjoy-how-to-cook.com a site that has some absolutely great recipes! I made this one the other day and both my husband and I enjoyed it immensely. We will be making this one again and again! 100% better than the canned version and not that much more work! This is copied directly from the site with the owners approval.  Hope you enjoy it as well as we did!

Creamy And Delicious Cream Of Mushroom Soup Recipe

If you’re in the mood for cream of mushroom, a homemade cream of mushroom soup recipe is the way to go. Nothing can compare with the flavor of homemade. The cans are handy and versatile, but on their own… well, they pale in comparison!

It’s a bit more work than just grabbing a can opener, but it’s not actually all that hard — and it’s so worth it! Just try it once and you’ll never want to go back.

This cream of mushroom soup recipe is really versatile. You can use any kind of mushroom you like, and each will give its own subtle flavor to the soup. Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you want to know more, check out our article on making cream soups.

And if you can… use a homemade chicken stock! It’ll make the soup way better.

And now for the recipe!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Preparation Time: 15m       Cooking Time: 40m        Total Time: 55m

Servings

Serves 8.

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter
2 lbs mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, washed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock
3 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
1/4 tsp thyme, or to taste (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. In a skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat, and saute half the mushrooms until they start to turn golden. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Saute the onion, leek, garlic and remaining mushrooms until the onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Add the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Puree the mushroom/stock mixture, and set it aside in a bowl.
  5. In the pot, melt the remaining butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in the flour, and whisk until it’s smooth — this is called the roux. Cook the roux until it starts to smell nutty, and loses the smell of raw flour.
    • The roux will be like a thick paste. If it’s too thick, you can add more butter. If it’s too thin, you can add more flour.
  6. Add the milk to the roux, pouring it in slowly in a thin stream. Whisk constantly to keep it smooth. Let the mixture come to a boil, then simmer until it’s thick and smooth, whisking often.
    • If you need, stop pouring the milk and whisk until it’s smooth again, then start pouring again. It’s easier to get lumps out when there’s less liquid.
  7. Incorporate the mushroom puree and the reserved sauteed mushrooms. Stir until it’s well blended.
  8. Season to your taste with the thyme, salt, and pepper.

Tips

  • The reason you saute half the mushrooms at the beginning is to add them later, for texture. But if you prefer a smooth soup, you can skip that step and just saute all the mushroom in step 2.
  • This cream of mushroom soup recipe uses chicken stock. The gelatin in it gives the soup a better texture, and helps carry flavors. But if you want a vegetarian soup, you can use a vegetable stock, too… just make sure it’s very mildly flavored, otherwise it’ll overshadow the flavor of the mushrooms.
  • I usually use 1% milk, but you can use anything from cream to skim milk. If you use cream though, you don’t have to put as much, and you can cut down on the amount of flour. It’ll be thicker and richer on its own.

Tea with Orange and Cranberry- Hot or Cold

December 30th, 2011 admin Comments Off

This is a great tea to enjoy either hot or cold. It’s nice and warming during the winter when served hot with a cinnamon stick or refreshing in the warm months when served over ice.

Not quite the same as mulled wine, but still very good!

Ingredients

Black tea (5 tea bags or 5 tsp loose tea leaves)

4 1/2 cups cold water

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup orange juice (I use frozen and it seems to work quite well)

2 cups cranberry juice (bottled or frozen is good)

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground cloves

 

Directions

Bring water, orange juice and cranberry juice to a boil. Add sugar, cinnamon, and cloves and simmer on low for 15minutes to meld the flavors. This also gets rid of the bitterness that cranberry juice quite often has. Remove from heat and add tea bags or loose leaf tea.

Cover and let sit (steep) for approx. 10 minutes. Remove tea bags, or strain if using loose tea leaves. Serve hot or cold over ice.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings

December 26th, 2011 admin 2 Comments »

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions that are made is to start eating healthier and lose some weight! One of the best ways to do this is to start living and cooking healthy!

This bar favorite is usually dipped in batter, deep fried and served with a dressing of blue cheese that is very high in calories. Why not try a healthier version with this baked version! I first found this recipe on the food network by Alton Brown. I’ve changed it a bit in that I like to add some spices to the chicken wings before I steam them!

Ingredients


1 lb chicken wings

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp salt

1/2 cup hot sauce

1 Tbsp melted butter

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F.

Fill a large pot half way with water and coat the chicken wings with the cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes and salt.  Bring to a boil , place the wings into a steamer and steam for 30 minutes. Transfer to a baking pan (I use ungreased cookie sheets).

Bake wings for 20 minutes, turn and bake for 20 minutes longer.

While wings are baking, combine the hot sauce and melted butter. Add the wings to the hot sauce mixture and mix well. Serve hot and Enjoy!

 

For more healthy living ideas, check out please click here!

Gluten Free Lemon Shortbread

December 21st, 2011 admin Comments Off

 

I was hoping to get this recipe up sooner, but time just seemed to slip by for some reason! These are really good and quite easy to make. I’ve made them without the food processor, it just takes a bit more time and effort!

Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

 1 cup butter, at room temprature

1 1/2 cups corn flour

1/2 cup rice flour

3/4 cup icing sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

 

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and well combined.

Dust a rolling surface with corn flour and roll the dough until it is approx 1/2 in thick. Press out shapes using your favorite cookie cutters or do what I like to do- just cut them into bars. I’ve also put the dough into a small pie pan. (My mother in law used to make shortbread this way).

Place on an ungreased baking tray and prick with a fork. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cookies just start turning a light brown.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

 

Panko Coated Chicken Strips

December 19th, 2011 admin 2 Comments »

Instead of buying the premade version of chicken fingers, why not make your own? These are not only easy to make, they taste much better than the frozen variety and are much healthier for you. Panko bread crumbs are Japanese bread crumbs that are now available in a lot of supermarkets. Served with a chunky tomato sauce, this version of chicken fingers is great anytime! Read more »

Easy Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

December 14th, 2011 admin 22 Comments »

These are good any time of the year, although it is traditional to serve them at Xmas time! Easy to make and Gluten Free! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Read more »

Date Rollup Cookies

December 13th, 2011 admin 1 Comment »

This recipe came from a friend of mine. Although I’ve eaten a few of these, I haven’t made them myself as yet. The only thing I can say is that they are good!! Read more »

Quick and Healthy Mushroom and Herb Pasta

December 11th, 2011 admin 2 Comments »

This simple pasta dish features a variety of mushrooms  and herbs. Although fresh herbs taste great in  this, here on the prairies the dried version is about all we have during the  winter months! This is a quick and healthy dish that is easy to put together in  a hurry. Add a salad and some garlic bread for a complete meal. Read more »

Baked Lemon Chicken

December 9th, 2011 admin 10 Comments »

Oven roasted chicken breasts  marinated in lemon juice, soy sauce, ginger and cloves.

These chicken breasts  have a nice flavor from marinating them. I’ve often used bone in chicken  breasts for this instead as they are much easier on the pocketbook! Just  increase both the marinating and baking time. Do remove the skin before marinating! Depending on your dietary  requirements, this tastes great when made with thighs and legs as well! Read more »

Welcome to Bubblepop

December 8th, 2011 admin Comments Off

Hi Everyone;

I guess a short introduction is in order!

My husband and I moved to a small town in rural Saskatchewan approx 3 years ago. We’ve gone thru a fair amount of culture shock as we moved from a large city into a small town with a population of  fewer than 500 people.  Most of our lives were spent on the coast with a brief stay of approx 2 years in the interior of BC, so you can imagine that there have been a few changes!

I would like to say that we’ve adjusted, but everytime the cold weather hits, I have to remind myself that the sunshine we get here beats the rain and grayness that drowns the coast all winter! Overall, I’d have to say that this is the best move we’ve ever made! Miss all of our friends tho!

The only real complaint that I have about living in a rural area is the lack of fresh veggies year round. Although having acess to only frozen seafood might just come in a very close second to that issue. It’s surprising to find that you can actually create some pretty good meals using frozen food!

I’ve thought of starting a website for quite a few years now, and it seemed natural to focus on cooking and recipes as I’ve been collecting recipes for most of my adult life. Mind you, quite a few of the recipes that I have on hand don’t fit into the concept of healthy food, so I might have to consider expanding into another website that will focus on all those goodies that are supposed to be bad for you!

Hope you enjoy the site. Your feedback and comments are always welcome!

To contact us please send an email to admin@bubblepop.ca.

 

Del

Mini Frittatas with Ham and Cheese

December 6th, 2011 admin 1 Comment »

These are not only great for breakfast on the run, they also qualify for a diabetic diet. I’ve included the nutrient info at the bottom so that anyone
with diabetes has the nutritional information that they need.

I’ve varied these by using sausage or turkey bacon in place of the ham and including some chopped veggies like broccoli, mushrooms or even chopped carrots and celery on occasion.

Bake them in a miniature muffin pan and either eat them at room temperature on your way out the door or take a minute to warm them in the
microwave. Read more »

Quick and Easy Sauteed Chicken Breasts

December 2nd, 2011 admin 6 Comments »

 

 

This is a very easy dish to make that is so impressive, it can be served for dinner parties as well as a mid week meal. I’ve made these and served them with the pan sauce (real good over egg noodles!) and have also cooked them up and used them in a salad or a pasta. They are great in a sandwich, so if possible, I always try to make extra! My all time favorite is to cook them, make the pan sauce and serve them with some mushrooms sautéed in a bit of butter and some egg noodles. Drizzle the sauce over and enjoy!! Read more »

Chai Tea

November 27th, 2011 admin 23 Comments »

One of the most popular teas right now is chai tea. If you don’t want to pay coffee shop prices, or if you just don’t want to leave the house to fill that craving, here’s a basic chai tea recipe  to make at home! Read more »

« Older Entries