Lasagna, that is.
I love to eat it but hate to make it.
At lunch today I suggested to Mr. Aitch that we either have spaghetti or baked ziti for dinner tonight. He said that he was hoping we could have lasagna.
Well, baked ziti and lasagna are basically the same thing but with a different shaped pasta so I had all the ingredients for either one.
And since I love Mr. Aitch, we had lasagna.
With Italian bread.
A simple salad.
And, of course, wine. =)
The box bags I talked about yesterday will be with hand sanitizer, purse-sized tissue pack, a bottle of water, a package of peanut butter cookies, and Tastykakes.*** If you’ve never had a Tastykake, you’re missing out on some fabulous goodness. My favorites are the Butterscotch Krimpets and the Cream Filled Buttercream Cup Cakes.
***I did not receive any compensation nor am I a paid spokesperson for TastyKake. I just wish I was.
That word conjures up all sorts of interesting memories for Mr. Aitch and me. My mother was the queen of substitutions when it came to recipes. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t.
If I alter a recipe, I have to be very careful when I tell Mr. Aitch that as he usually makes a face if the word “substitution” is uttered.
I was in the mood for Chicken Corn Chowder awhile ago. A few years ago is more accurate. This is really strange as I had never had it before but it sounded like comfort food in a pan. I scoured the recipe sites on-line and decided I could make my own version using what I had in the house.
It was delicious and I was smart enough to write it down as I went just in case it was good.
I use leftover roasted chicken from another meal and things that I’m sure most people have in their pantry/refrigerator.
Last night I made a batch to take to our daughter’s house today. Our plans changed so we will have it for our dinner tonight.
I’d love to show you a beautiful photo but I’m not a professional food stylist so this is as good as it gets.
Here’s my recipe…and feel free to substitute or add whatever YOU like.
Chicken Corn Chowder
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Salt
Pepper
2 cups corn (fresh, frozen, creamed or canned)
13 oz. can chicken or 2 cups cooked cubed chicken
14 oz. can fat-free, reduced sodium chicken stock
1 15 oz. can evaporated skim milk
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup milk, half and half, or cream (Optional, if soup is too thick)
Melt butter in large pan. Sauté celery, onions, and pepper till softened. Add corn, mash up with a potato masher, if desired. Stir in poultry seasoning. Add chicken, chicken stock, and evaporated milk. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Stir in milk if needed and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 4-6 servings.
Serve with salad and rolls.
I basically threw in what I had on hand. Creamed corn would work and I intended to use that but I didn’t have any so sometimes I use a potato masher to make it smoother and sometimes I don’t. I always use leftover chicken but the canned is fine. A tub of spreadable cream cheese would probably work though I’ve never tried it. Some people put potatoes in there recipe but I don’t. Obviously.
When I made this last night, I didn’t have any red peppers so I “substituted” a frozen medley of red, yellow and green peppers.
These just came out of the oven and will go quite nicely with the chowder.
Is it time to eat yet?
My mother was intimidated when it came to making pie crusts. She bought hers from the frozen foods case in the market. They were good.
Mr. Aitch’s mother was a great pie maker so when I got married, I decided that I should make my own pie crust. It didn’t seem like it should be all that difficult. Sometimes they were tough. Sometimes they were chewy. Sometimes they were perfect.
I rarely make pies any more. Except at Thanksgiving. Mr. Aitch likes my pumpkin pie better than his mother’s. He likes my stuffing better than hers, too.
A couple of years ago my daughter brought her pie crust making machine to our house to help me make pie crusts. It was so wonderful that I bought one for myself.
Do you have one of these?
It makes the BEST pie crusts. I just wish I used it more often that once a year.
To my American readers: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Be safe in your travels and give your loved ones an extra squeeze.
Knitting In Flashes 