Right Wing Nation

Have I ever mentioned what vigilant guard dogs we have? Minnie — our Queen Alpha Bitch of all Queen Alpha Bitches — is guarding the floor:

And Minnie, the puppy, is guarding the couch:

I let the chicken stock go all day yesterday and turned it off about seven last night (I started it around noon). I put it back on when I got up early this morning, and just strained it. But I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to make scalloped chicken today.

What that means depends on who you talk to. There are as many versions of scalloped chicken as there are insect species. To me, scalloped chicken must be baked, and it must have some sort of buttery crumb or cheese topping (also to me, it must have noodles, but I don’t count that as a requirement for bearing the title “scalloped chicken.”)

Here is a recipe for scalloped chicken. This is what I know as the minimal, most chicken-y, and least embellished recipe (and kids love this).

Scalloped Chicken

3 c. chicken stock
2 chicken breasts, 1/2 chicken, or 3 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 T. each: oil and flour
1/2 T. rubbed sage
1/2 t. each: salt, pepper, dried thyme
1/4 c. each: parmagiano, dried bread crumbs
4 T. cold butter, cut into bits
spanish paprika

Noodles

1 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

First make the noodles. Mix the flour and salt together, and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and egg yolk to the well, and mix the flour into the eggs until the dough clears the sides of the bowl (depending on the humidity, you may need a bit more liquid, so add water by tablespoons if so). Knead the dough for at least fifteen minutes — the longer you knead it, the chewier the noodles will be. Cut the dough in half and for each half, flatten it, then roll it out to 1/8-inch thickness (the dough will be resilient — this is easier to do if you let it rest thirty minutes or so after you’ve kneaded it). Cut into noodles, toss to separate, and leave to dry while you tackle the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 350. Poach the chicken in the stock until barely done and reserve chicken (if you’re using cooked chicken, you can skip this step). When chicken is cool enough to handle, bone and chop. Bring the stock to a boil, add the noodles, cover tightly and simmer until the noodles are done, about fifteen minutes. Remove noodles and measure the stock. If you have more than two cups, reduce it over high heat until you get two cups. Reserve, and rinse and dry the pan, then place over medium heat. Add the oil, and when the oil is hot, the flour, and stir until smooth. Add the seasonings and the stock, and stir constantly until thick. Add the chicken and the noodles and pour into a baking dish. Mix the cheese and crumbs and sprinkle over the top. Dot with the butter, and sprinkle with paprika (this helps give a lovely brown color). Bake until bubbly and the top is brown, about 30 minutes.

You can do anything you want to this recipe, which is probably part of the reason there are so many versions of it. You can add asparagus. You can add mushrooms. You can add slivered almonds. You can add roasted red peppers or pimentos. Instead of using all stock, you can use part white wine, sherry, cream, use your imagination. You can change the seasonings. Be creative.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

My childhood was one church pitch-in after another — we were always going to chuch socials. The best thing about them, of course, was the food, though this was (ahem) the early and mid 60s, and cooking with Campbell’s soup was all the rage — something most sneer at these days (though I must say that I don’t miss the jell-o salads.)

This was one of those church pitch-in specials, and yes, it’s got Campbell’s soup in it — three kinds. This is one of the best of the genre, something I still make — with no shame whatsoever, I might add. The rice is wonderful, and the chicken is moist.

4-6 chicken pieces
1 can each: cream of celery, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans milk
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 c. rice
1 stick butter
paprika

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a baking dish, then add the rice, onion, and celery. Mix the soups and milk, then pour nearly all (reserve about 1/2 c.) in the baking dish. Mix the rice, onion, celery and soup mixture and smooth out. Place the chicken on top, pour the reserved soup mixture over all, cover tightly, and bake for 1 hour. Remove the cover, sprinkle the top with paprika, and bake another half hour, until the top is golden brown.

It’s officially winter in this part of the country, with below freezing temperatures (and up here on the mountain ridge, painfully cold, howling winds — Friday, it got up to a balmy 15). Cold weather demands filling, satisfying food that warms both body and soul. So I bring you the Winter Comfort Food edition of the Carnival of Recipes.

We have some really wonderful submissions, too (and in some cases, I’ve taken the liberty of adding another recipe from one of the blogs, just because it sounded so good).

Main Dishes

Lisa’s Cookbook has a recipe for blackened walleye that I have to try.

I howled with laughter when I read the submission from Blog d’Elisson: A particularly vile, yet tasty, luncheon. Check it out!

While we’re on seafood, Everything and Nothing has submitted an astounding recipe for Andouille Sausage and Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce. Oh. My. Gosh. Since I live in a Jack Sprat household with regard to seafood, I’ll have to drop hints for an invitation to try this (hint, hint, hint). And speaking of astounding recipes — and serious winter food — check out the recipe for Fast White Bean Stew (I have to try this).

And here’s yet another thing I have to try (scallops are the exception to the Jack Sprat rule here): Pan-Roasted Scallops with Sesame Sauce, from In The Headlights.

Scribbit was also inspired by scallops to produce this (tell me you don’t want to try this right now): Scallop-Stuffed Peppers with Pesto and Parmesan.

Speaking of things I have to try, here’s another serious comfort food recipe, Turkey Shepherd’s Pie with Mashed Sweet Potato, from Keewee’s Corner.

And if pot pies are what you’re looking for, here’s another one from Thrifty Mommy: Savory Vegetable Pie.

Be sure to try this recipe for Honey Mustard Tenderloin from World Famous Recipes. Just reading it makes my mouth water!

Inspired or obsessed, Kevin Weeks created a masterpiece here: Stuffed Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions.

Chicken Recipes has submitted this recipe for Bloody Mary Chicken — which sounds not only incredibly easy, but intriguing as well.

Disease Proof has two recipes: Russian Corn Salad and Tomato Leek Greens soup, which also really sounds good. Check them out!

If you’ve never eaten posole, you’re missing out. Checkered Rooster has graciously shared the recipe here!

Sometimes, all you need to see is the title of the recipe: Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, from Triticale. Do you people have any idea how hungry you get putting together this carnival?

Wow. A Geezer’s Corner submitted a paella recipe that really sounds good. While there, I looked around, and the geezer has a lot of recipes, some of which I’ve added, just because they really sound delicious. Try this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coriander and Cumin, or this recipe for Sweet Onion Kielbasa (have I mentioned how much I love kielbasa?)

Speaking of paella, here’s a recipe that sounds wonderful: Spanish Chicken and Rice Casserole, by World Famous Recipes.

Speaking of great, Wise Bread has some really good tips for soup. Seriously.

Can it get any more homey than this? Third World Country has a recipe for Another Hominy Stew. I figured if this was another, there had to be a first, and I was right. Check out the Hominy Stew recipe while you’re there.

Eating on a Budget is on my wavelength, with this recipe for Homemade Tomato Soup (easier than my recipe).

Speaking of my wavelength, I’m afraid I overdid it just a bit with my submission. See, I started it last week, and I kept thinking of things to add, and well, it just turned into a whole lot of recipes. So I humbly and apologetically offer you Soups, Stews, and Bread.

Sides

Thrifty Mommy has submitted two of what I call serious comfort food: Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese (I feel like a kid again!), and Sweet Potato Casserole. Thrifty Mommy has some very lucky kids!

We were woefully low on side dishes, so I tossed together a few recipes here. I hope you don’t mind!

Desserts

Oh boy! Not only did we get several submissions, but we got some seriously wonderful sounding submissions! I don’t know about you, but I love carrot cake — and Dewey’s Treehouse sent Blinky-Blink Carrot Cake (and links to this wonderful sounding recipe for Cinnamon Raisin Bars).

I’ve said before that I love almonds — and that probably my favorite thing of all time is coconut. And folks, I have to try Trinity Prep School’s recipe for Almond Joy Cake. Oh gosh . . . you have no idea what just reading this recipe does to me!

If you don’t want to bake, why not try one of my recipes for poached pears?

Speaking of chocolate, Coffee Works is well on her way to becoming the Tart Queen of Arizona with this recipe for Chocolate Marshmallow Tarts.

I’ve never been sure why, but nobody in my family made apple crisp. Apple crisp was a school cafeteria specialty (one of the very few, by the way). Start Cooking has a video and recipe for Apple Crisp — and did I mention that I love apple crisp, that I begged my mother and grandmothers to make it, and had to do with eating it at the school cafeteria?

Miscellany

I love bean dip. I love chile con queso. World Famous Recipes submits the two rolled into one: Con Queso Bean Dip.

One thing that seems popular here in Pennsylvania are homemade mixes (you see them some in Indiana, but not like you do here). You can even buy homemade mixes in stores here. Thrifty Mommy has submitted a recipe for Hot Chocolate Mix (and what’s more wintry than hot chocolate?) Yes, I know, hot chocolate isn’t technically a dessert — but isn’t it really?

Me-ander is requesting submissions for the Kosher Cooking Carnival — get your submissions in!

Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by Thrifty Mommy (with the really lucky kids!) Submit your entries by 12 pm (CST) Saturday, February 3, here, or email your entries to recipe.carnivalATgmailDOTcom. If you’re interested in hosting the carnival, send a message to recipe.carnivalATgmailDOTcom with HOST in the subject line.

This has been a lot of fun — and now I’m really hungry, so I’m going to go cook something.