Chicken with Creamy Paprika Sauce

This recipe sounded so very good and it was easy to make in a crockpot.

10 chicken thighs, skin removed (about 3 pounds)
1 medium onion sliced
3 tblsps chicken broth
2 tblsps paprika
3 tblsp cornstarch
3 tblsp cold water
1 container (8 oz) sour cream, with chives
hot cooked pasta or spaetzle

Place chicken and onion is a 3 1/2 to 6 quart crockpot. Mix broth and paprika and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.

Remove chicken and onion from cooker using a slotted spoon. Place on a serving platter and keep warm.

Mix cornstarch and water; pour into crockpot. Cook on high for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in sour cream. Pour sauce over chicken. Serve over pasta.

NOTE: I mixed the water and cornstarch as directed and added the sour cream and my sauce came out like mud,,maybe a bit more watery but still super thick.

I served this over hot cooked gnocchi which was great.

Don't forget the wine.

Roasted Garlic White Pizza with Garlic Sauce

Roasted Garlic White Pizza with Garlic Sauce

I love garlic. It should be one of the 4 food groups by itself. It just rocks, especially when roasted and used to make a creamy white sauce for a pizza. This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe from about 8 years ago.

Start with garlic. The recipe calls for 3-4 heads of roasted garlic but I roasted more so that I would have some leftover roasted garlic for things like mashed potatoes. To start I run my hands and fingers over the heads of garlic to remove as move of the excess outside papery covering as possible. Then I cut the tops of the heads of garlic. I place the garlic on a sheet of heavy duty foil and pour olive oil over all the heads.

Then I seal up the foil very tightly and roast at 375 for about an hour. Once the garlic is done I unwrap it and let it cool.

While the garlic was roasting I sauteed up some bacon and drained and chopped some artichoke hearts.

To make the sauce:

1 cup whole milk
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Gently heat the milk and set aside. Melt the butter. When the foam subsides add the flour and cook until smooth. Cook for 1-2 minutes but do not let the flour color. Gradually add the milk while whisking constantly. Continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a boil and is thickened. Remove from heat and add 10 of the roasted garlic cloves. Pour the hot mixture into a blender , cover tightly, and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic.

I used a frozen, whole wheat pizza dough round instead of making my own.

Sprinkle your pizza pan with cornmeal. Spread , pull and roll the crust out to fit your pan. Pour the sauce on top and smooth to the edges.

Because I like a junk pizza I then sprinkled some bacon pieces on the sauce,

then some chopped up artichoke hearts,

next I added some spinach

I then topped it off with a lot of shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining roasted cloves of garlic from the 3-4 heads. I bake my pizza at 400 for about 15 minutes or until done.

Ahhh,,,awesome.

Salmon Fish & Chips

Salmon Fish & Chips

For the batter:

1 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper
1 egg beaten
1 can or bottle of dark beer

Mix the flour with the salt & pepper. Add the egg. Slowly add the beer while stirring until the batter has a nice thick and creamy texture. You will not need the entire beer, drink what you don't use.

I used a 1.25 pound salmon filet. Cut the salmon into reasonable size chunks, dust with flour.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Dip the flour coated salmon into the batter and drop into the oil a few pieces at a time. They should take about 5-10 minutes to cook.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Keep warm until the rest of the fish is cooked.

I used store bought sweet potato fries for the chips and my dinner guest brought some broccoli slaw.

This was really good and surprisingly easy.

Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hand Tarts

Sweet Potato & Chorizo Hand Tarts

I was a bit leery at first that the chorizo might be to spicy, but it was not. I actually liked the filling so much I think it would make a great enchilada filling.

The original recipe call for refrigerated pie crust,,not in my house. So I made a double batch of 2 crust pie dough. I rolled it out and cut into 8 1/2" circles using a bread plate for the pattern. Roll the dough out until its 1/8 inch thick.

For the filing:

1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 tblsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
kosher salt to taste
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 heaping tblsp finely chopped onion (I used a little more)
5 ounces Chorizo
2 ounces cream cheese
1/8 cup cheddar cheese, plus more for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss sweet potato with 2 tsps of the olive oil, kosher salt and chili powder. Spread the potatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet and roast until fork tender, about 20-25 minutes.

While the potatoes roast, mix the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a medium bowl. Brown the chorizo in a skillet over med-high heat until its fully cooked. Then pour it over the cheese mixture. Let it melt the cheese for a minute or two before mixing it in. Without wiping out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and cumin and toast for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the beans and cook until they are fully warmed through. Add the bean mixture to the cheese & chorizo; mix gently until well combined. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, fold them into the mixture.


Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Spoon a generous portion of the sweet potato mixture onto each pastry round.Sprinkle with some extra cheddar cheese. Fold the circles over and use a fork to seal the pastry.

Place them on the prepared baking sheet and cut a small hole in the top for the steam to escape. Bake the tarts for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole.

I baked these for about 30 minutes and they never got golden brown but they were really tasty.

Adapted from Willow Bird Baking.