I have absolutely fell in love with Pinterest.  Although I could never give up my passion for recipes from blogs, cookbooks, magazines, foodie sites, friends etc. truthfully you can’t find a better place than Pinterest to find amazing food with beautiful pictures!  Two such recipes found their way into my Easter dinner yesterday.   Although I shared a picture of each with you hop on over to their sites for better pictures as well as the original recipes.  You won’t be disappointed trust me! The Cherry Pie Bars from Julies Eats & Treats (http://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/2012/12/cherry-pie-bars/ )  Honey Yeast Rolls from Pastry Affair ( http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/4/3/honey-rolls.html )  Both of these recipes have earned a spot in what my family calls “Keeper” recipes and will be repeated often.  The cherry pie bars were simple to make and uses a jelly roll pan so there is plenty to go around.  The use of almond extract in the dough and in the icing makes it extra special and tasty and hard to walk by and not get a piece every time you pass them!  The honey rolls let me just tell you…your kitchen smells awesome as they bake and they have that perfect little touch of sweetness and yeast that you just can’t stop eating them.  The Hubby and I buy those little Hawaiian Rolls for sandwiches and he said these were much better and could I please whip up another batch!  I hope you visit these sites and enjoy these recipes as much as I do.  Enjoy!

Besides pasta I enjoy nothing more than a nice warm bowl of soup on a cold day, a sick day, a frustrated day…well just about any day!  After a recent trip to Olive Garden and having their chicken gnocchi soup I decided to try making it at home.  I searched Pinterest and found a great recipe for Chicken Gnocchi Soup by Jamie over at Jamie Cooks It Up.  http://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/03/chicken-gnocchi-soup/  I  also ran across a tasty sounding Mushroom soup by Reese & Mark over at Season With Spice    http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2011/12/cream-of-mushroom-soup-recipe.html.  Being unable to decide I went with a combo of both soups.  Chicken Mushroom Gnocchi Soup became the mission and the trial and error process started.  We have now had this soup three times and have shared it with friends and so far it has been met with approval.  I hope you get a chance to try all the soups and visit with Jamie, Reese & Mark.

Chicken Mushroom Gnocchi Soup

 

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An tasty combination of chicken, mushrooms and gnocchi in a creamy soup with vegetables and seasonings.

Author: Best Foodies

Recipe type: Soups

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 carrot shredded
• 12 ounces mushrooms
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 box bold beef stock
• 1 box rotisserie chicken stock
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup water
• 1 box gnocchi
• 1 cup cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon country seasoning (rosmary, thyme, basil)

Instructions

1. Melt butter and add onion and carrot. Cook until slightly tender. Add mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper and country seasoning.
2. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add beef broth and diced chicken. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix flour and water to a paste and stir in.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to soft boil. Add gnocchi. Cook 4-5 minuts or until gnocchi floats to top.
4. Stir in cream. Cook on low until thickened. Serve with sprinkle of parmesan.

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One of our favorite places to eat is Yats, a creole restaurant with several locations around town. I can’t eat very spicy food due to Crohns Disease but they have many offerings that aren’t quite as hot and they offer many sauces to add if you need that extra zing. I started out with White Chicken Chili as my favorite but once I decided to duplicate that at home I needed a change. My daughter makes me feel special because she says my white chicken chili is better than Yats…doubtful but makes me smile! Anyway I decided to try a couple new dishes. My first try was the Spinach Mushroom Etouffee, one of their vegetarian offerings. I have to say it is now tied with my second favorite which is the Chicken Maque Choux (pronounced Mock-Shoe). They offer a half and half meal which is what I usually get so that I can have both dishes. Yats serves their meals with a zesty garlic bread and my family enjoys the same at home with creole dishes. Maque Choux is traditional Louisianna dish made with corn, peppers and tomtoes and is best made with fresh corn to add to the creaminess. My maque choux is based on Yats version which contains chicken and is served over rice with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkled with cheddar cheese with makes it a hearty man dish. There are a couple secrets to the maque choux. One is using fresh corn although frozen Birds Eye Baby Gold & White Corn is a great substitue in the off season. I also make mine using an etouffee base as I think Yats does and I start off with a deep brown roux. Cooking the maque choux slowly and letting it simmer for awhile just deepens the taste. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family does!

Chicken Maque Choux

 

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A traditional creole dish with the addition of chicken and rice making it a hearty meal.

Author: Best Foodies

Recipe type: Main Dish

Cuisine: Creole

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• ½ cup flour
• 1 large onion topped
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 1 can rotels drained
• 1 teaspoon Zatarains creole seasoning
• 1½ Tablespoons tomatoe paste concentrate
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 8 ounces half and half
• 2 chicken breasts grilled and diced
• 2 cups carmelized corn and red peppers
• cooked white rice
• cheese and sour cream
• Carmelized Corn & Red Peppers:
• 4 ears of corn cut off the cob or bag of frozen mixed corn
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 red pepper diced
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup half and half

Instructions

1. Saute corn, red peppers, butter and sugar until tender. Stir in half and half and simmer for few minutes. Should be thick.
2. Cook chicken as desired…I season mine with a little salt and pepper and stir fry in a little olive oil. Can use any cooked chicken cut in cubes.
3. Make a roux by melting butter in a dutch oven and stir in flour. Simmer until flour turns a deep brown.
4. Add onion, pepper, garlic, creole seasoning, tomatoes, tomatoe paste, brown sugar, & worcestershire. Cook stirring constantly until veggies are tender.
5. Add broth and cook until thickens. . Add half and half and cook until thick.
6. Add chicken and corn mixture. Simmer stirring occasionally, the longer it simmers the deeper the flavor.
7. Serve over rice topped with sour cream and cheese.

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