Yankee-Belle Cafe: Speedbo

Showing posts with label Speedbo. Show all posts

Monday, March 7, 2016

Speedbo Recipe Re-run: Baked Parmesan Chicken

This is an anniversary of sorts. Three years ago this month I received a fabulous present from my UPS man - the author copies of my first book. I can't describe the feeling of opening a box of books (Oh, don't you love that fragrant aroma of ink and paper!) and finding your name on the cover of every. single. copy.

"The Prodigal Son Returns" is still available in digital format.Just click on this caption to head over to Amazon.

March is also Speedbo time - a time when a lot of writers attempt to write a novel in a month. Very similar to NaNoWriMo...but in the spring. And you set your own goals. You can read about (and even join!) this year's Speedbo here.

When you get that many writers working as hard as they can to produce the best book that they can...well...sometimes their families suffer. Laundry languishes in the hampers. Library books are always overdue. And meals? Forget it!

That is, unless you pre-plan a few scrumptious, quick dinners that your family will love. :)

In honor of Speedbo 2016, I'm sharing this post from Speedbo 2013. And yes, this dish is on our family menu this week!

Quick Prep and Good Eating: Baked Parmesan Chicken

Jan here, with a quick, easy meal that most families love....
(forgive the skimpy helping of broccoli on this plate - I was at the end of the line!)

Baked Chicken Parmesan is perfect for Speedbo. It takes about 10 minutes to put it together, stick it in the oven for an hour (rack up some more words for your daily word count), and then spend about 15 minutes at the end of the hour fixing the side dishes and setting the table.

Perfect, right?

So here's the recipe:

Baked Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast for each member of your family

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (or bread crumbs with basil, oregano, garlic and parsley mixed in)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use the powdery kind for this dish - not the more expensive fresh)

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Step one: melt the butter - Preheat your oven to 350°. Put the butter and olive oil in a 9x13" baking dish, and put it in the oven to let the butter melt while the oven is heating up.

Step two: prepare the chicken - I buy boneless chicken breasts that are HUGE. Too big for one person. So I cut them in half top to bottom, making two nice sized chicken breasts half as thick as the original.

Step three: prepare the crumb mixture - Measure the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic onto a plate and mix with a fork.

Check the oven - is your butter melted?

Step four: with tongs or a fork, coat the chicken on both sides with the butter/olive oil, then dredge in crumbs/cheese mixture, then place in the baking dish.

Step five: bake - cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more.

And you're done!

If you want to make the prep even quicker, coat the chicken in the butter/olive oil, and then sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the chicken.

This same recipe is also great for chicken nuggets. Just cut the chicken breasts into chunks, put the crumbs in a bag, put your chicken chunks in and shake. Arrange evenly in a greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with pasta tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese, your favorite vegetable and a salad.

And for dessert? Ice cream, of course, from your favorite local ice cream parlor. Our fav,Armadillos, just opened for the season last week! The sherbet flavor of the day is Lemon today, but I always get chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone...how can you go wrong with chocolate?

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Easy POSOLE for the last leg of the writing journey!

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I've got a repost from a few years ago.
It's almost the end of Speedbo and I'm very close to writing the end to my second Cane River Romance! (Even though I never officially signed up for Speedbo, it's really hard not to join in when everyone you know has taken a month to write until their arms fall off.)

When I'm working hard on the end of a book, I try to cook something that everyone will like. I don't have time to prepare multiple dishes. I just go for the favorites! And posole is a big favorite in our house.

Posole! Say it with me! (Oh, pronunciation? Po-ZO-lay.)

So, here we go: (gratuitous shot of our attempt at Jan's garlic cheesy twist bread. Mmm.)

One whole medium onion chopped with three cloves of garlic minced, 2 TBS olive oil, sauteed in the bottom of a soup pot.

Add two cans of tomatoes and 1 tsp salt. (These are our tomatoes from the garden, I added two quarts, and the sea salt was a gift, yee haw! I don't think it made much of a difference, but it was fun to pretend we were in Sicily... cooking posole.)

Hominy. 50% off. I have no idea where this came from, but it was in the pantry. Probably planted by my husband. This was a huge can, but even with this, it seemed a little short on hominy. So don't add a small can unless you're hoping to get a bowl without any. Add 6 cups of water or chicken broth. If not chicken broth, you can season with bouillon. If not bouillon, just let the chicken gently boil with some salt and a tsp of thyme, it will be good anyway.

At this point, you'll get it to a rolling boil, including 4-5 chicken breasts. Some recipes call for a deli chicken deboned. But who can buy a deli roasted chicken and save it for posole?? That sucker would be 'deboned' within minutes in this house. So, some frozen chicken breasts (which NO ONE wants to see) into the pot, boiled, and then simmered for 30 minutes.

During the final phase, you add the CUMIN powder. I put that in caps because don't think you can add oregeno and get away with it. That would be something else entirely.

Cumin is related to caraway which is related to parsley which is related cilantro which is related to feet. It smells a little musty, but in a good way. Cumin powder- 3 tsp. You can add some hot sauce at this point, but I didn't.

Here's a dish for one of the kids. It smells delicious!!

Usually, there is shredded cabbage and corn chips, but I just plopped some lettuce and sour cream on there and called it good.

So, I hope everyone is happy about their word Speedbo wordcount! True to form, I spent the first two weeks milling around, and the last two writing like I was on fire, for a total of 67K new words this month.

More than that, I love this story, and these characters! The Pepper in the Gumbo was my favorite of all of my books until I wrote this one. Now I'm in love with a whole new crew. I'll post the cover when it's done but so far... I'm all heart-eyes.

Until next time!

Monday, March 23, 2015

Winter Vegetable Soup with Garlic Twist Bread

We're on the downside of March with only one more week left of this year's Speedbo (Seekerville's annual writing challenge - go here for details. It isn't too late to sign up!).

Even though it's spring for our southern peeps, we're still enjoying cool (i.e. cold) temperatures in the north, and even a little (or a lot of) snow. So before soup weather disappears, I thought we'd take a rerun look at one of my family's favorites. I hope you enjoy these recipes from 2012!

This soup is one of those you can make with almost any veggie – except potatoes. If you add potatoes, then it’s potato soup, right?

Here’s the official recipe:

Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter

2 medium sized turnips, chopped

1 rutabaga, chopped

2 parsnips, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 ½ quarts stock – chicken or vegetable

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme, or one sprig fresh thyme

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup heavy cream

2 cups kale

1 Tablespoon each, butter and olive oil

In a large soup pot (I use an 8-quart pot), melt the butter. Add your turnips, rutabaga, parsnips, carrots and onions.

Cook on medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After the 30 minutes, add your stock, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring it all to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer and cook for an additional 30 minutes or so until the vegetables are soft.

When your veggies are nice and soft, it’s time for the blender. (If you used fresh thyme, remove the sprig now.)

If you have one of those handy immersion blenders, this is the time to put it through its paces. Just stick it in the pot and blend until the soup is smooth.

I don’t have one of those, so I put the soup – about a quart at a time – in my big blender and blend away. As each part gets done, I put the blended soup in a large bowl and do the next batch until the whole pot of soup is nice and smooth. Then I return it to the soup pot and put it back on the stove on medium heat.

While the soup is coming back up to temperature, tear the kale into 1-inch pieces.

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet until melted. Add the kale and stir to coat. Add salt to taste. Cook at medium heat, stirring, about 3 minutes. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and let the kale steam for about 5-7 minutes, or until soft.

While the kale is cooking, add the cream to your soup and let it heat slowly. You don’t want to heat it too quickly or let the soup boil or the cream will break.

Serve the soup in bowls with a nice dollop of kale for a garnish.

Now, soup for dinner begs to have bread on the side, and the fresher the better.

For this yummy Garlic Twist Bread you need:

one loaf of bread dough

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 3 cloves)

¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon dried Basil

The garlic twist idea comes from my friend Martha Greene. Check out her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MarmeeDearAndCompany.

Since I make my bread six loaves at a time, it’s easy to use one lump of dough for this recipe…

OR, you can buy a loaf of frozen bread dough from the grocery store…

The main thing is to have bread dough ready to go.

On a baking pan (greased or lined with baking parchment), spread your dough out into a rectangle, about 9 inches by 12 inches.

On this rectangle, spread 2 Tablespoons softened butter.

In a bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 teaspoon dried basil.

Spread this mixture evenly over your dough.

Now, roll up your rectangle from the side, jelly-roll style.

Next, cut the roll up the middle.

If you don’t have a pair of kitchen shears, buy one. They’re way too handy not to own a pair.

Oh! When you’re cutting, stop just before you get to the end!

Now, carefully twist the two halves of the roll around each other. This isn’t as easy as it looks, but it works.

Warning: you’re going to make a mess. Just put any spilled filling back on top of your bread.

Brush the top of the loaf with an egg beaten with a tablespoon of water, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. (This step isn’t crucial to the recipe, but it sure makes the loaf look professional!)

Let it rise for about 20-30 minutes, and then bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.

Mine got a little browner than I wanted – my oven doesn’t keep an even temperature, but I’m shopping for a new one. My dear husband insists we make the purchase before the Christmas baking season...

Now, doesn’t that look like a great cold-weather meal?

I hope you enjoyed our flashback. I'll be making this for my family this week or next, whenever the next chilly evening comes around - because in a couple months, it's going to be too hot for soup, right?

Meanwhile, if you're a writer, how is your Speedbo month going?

My word count doesn't match my goals, but I did meet today's editing deadline. Even though I haven't worked on my WIP as much as I planned, I have put in steady days of work all month long.

And if you're a reader, aren't you glad your favorite authors have been working so hard???

Monday, March 10, 2014

Quick Delicious Chicken for Speedbo!

About half of you are reading that title right now and thinking, "What in the world is Speedbo?"

Speedbo is Seekerville's version of write-a-novel-in-a-month. You can read more about it here!

March madness has nothing on 165 authors putting everything aside to make writing their top priority for a month!

But one thing that doesn't have to suffer is your cooking. Here at the cafe, we're known for putting quick, easy meals together. Just scroll through the list of labels in that right-hand bar over there until you get to "Speedbo" and "Speedbo Meals." There are loads of great ideas!

Today's recipe is another one. Quick, easy, and everyone in my family loved it. It's a perfect dish to start in the crock-pot early in the morning, and then forget it until suppertime. Add some veggies and noodles or rice, and you have dinner!

Delicious Chicken in the Crock Pot
serves 6

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup cooking sherry (or substitute chicken broth)
grated Parmesan cheese

Place the chicken in your crock pot, and sprinkle with lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and celery seed. (I use those crock pot liners for quick and easy clean up.)

In a small bowl, mix the soups and cooking sherry (or chicken broth) together.

Pour the soups over the chicken, and then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.

Turn your crock pot on low, and leave it for 8 to 10 hours.

That's it! About 20 minutes before you want to serve it, cook your noodles (or rice), and add a veggie and/or salad, and you're good to go!

Now, can it get much easier than that?

Are you Speedbo-ing this month? Or is there another reason you love quick meals? Let's chat about it!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Sausage and Penne Pasta--with Tina Radcliffe

Today, I'd like to welcome Tina Radcliffe to share her Speedbo recipe! Tina, take it away...

Tina's Quick Sausage and Penne Pasta

Happy Friday! This is a quick meal for meat and pasta eating writers.

1 lb. mild Italian Sausage (no casings)

1 lb. Penne pasta

1 jar (24 oz. sauce) (your choice)

1 small onion diced

Olive oil

Grated Cheese ( I love this Romano, Parmesan, Asiago mix)

Brown onion in a tablespoon of olive oil. Then add sausage. The goal is browned sausage crumbles.

When the sausage is brown add your sauce (you can drain off fat if you like-but I don’t) and reduce heat to simmer.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Add your sauce and sausage. Top with cheese and serve.

As you are eating you can read Mending the Doctor’s Heart, my April Love Inspired release.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Bookin' It

Okay, I admit it. I have no post. I haven't cooked all week. Well, at least not anything I haven't already posted about.

I'm sure you can relate. Especially if you're up to your ears in Speedbo.

Me?

I'm up to my ears in books. As ACFW's Carol Awards coordinator, I'm all about books this time of year. I mean loads of them. So what's a girl to do?

Hey, it's a classic for a reason. It travels well, though one must have a napkin for those jelly drips.

What about you? What's your last resort? What drives you to it?

As we round the bend to the finish line of Speedbo, you'll see me in the stands, cheering you on.

You're a lean, mean, writing machine!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Quickest Salad Ever!

Missy, here. With a quick post. Yes, I'm probably taking the easy way out for a post. But truly, this tip is so very easy, that's it's perfect for Speedbo month!

Would you like a quick, healthy salad?

Well, open a bag of greens (pre-washed is what I use, so it's extra quick).

Pull a box of LeanCuisine Salad Additions out of the freezer and follow the directions. :) Then dump on top of the greens/lettuce. That's it!

Granted, it's a little strange to put warm veggies/fruit on top of the greens. So you may want to let it cool a little. But the flavors are fantastic! I love the dressings. And there are several options. Cranberry and chicken is my favorite. I also love the Asian chicken version.

Since it's LeanCuisine, it's a low calorie option.

Enjoy!

Now, back to Speedbo...

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Clari Dees Quick Chicken Parm and Veggies!

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan

Hello, Yankee Belle readers. Clari here, waving from the Show-Me state.

I have a confession to make.

Uhm…I am not a cook.

That doesn’t mean I can’t cook.

It means I’d…well…rather not. I also tend to forget that there are real people around that need real food. Unlike fictional people who happily exist on fictional food.

So when my mom—who is an awesome cook—found out that Ruthy had asked me to share a quick and easy recipe during Speedbo month, she did what all loving mothers would do. She laughed.

Not with me. At me.

Humph!

After I killed off a character in my manuscript for therapy, I pulled out my cookbook (I hear that snickering. Yes, I do have my own cookbook. Tiny, though it may be), and flipped through it for an easy, peasy recipe.

And here it is…dial 555-5555, and in thirty minutes you’ll have a piping hot pizza.

Sorry. I couldn’t resist. ☺

Okay, where was I?

Oh, yes. Easy recipes.

You’ve served Chicken Parmesan in the Cafe before, but this version is a bit simpler and even though I—the non-cook of the family—make it, my siblings will eat it and actually say they like it. So at the risk of being redundant, here you go.

Oven-Baked Chicken Parmesan

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.

1 egg, slightly beaten

¾ cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 jar Ragu Old World Style pasta sauce (or your favorite pasta sauce)

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese (Or more. We like a lot of cheese on ours.)

Since we feed seven to eight people at our supper table, I doubled the ingredients—which is really easy with this recipe.

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Dip the chicken in the beaten egg, then in the bread crumbs, coating well.

In a glass baking dish, arrange chicken.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Pour pasta sauce over the chicken and bake an additional ten minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Top with cheese either right before it comes out of the oven or right after.

You can serve this with pasta if you prefer, but I added a favorite vegetable instead.

Steamed broccoli with lemon-butter sauce. Yum! I like green vegetables so much more since we started adding this citrusy twist.

It’s really easy, too.

Just melt 3 parts butter and 1 part lemon juice together and sprinkle in salt, pepper, and parsley flakes to taste.

(Fresh parsley tastes the best, but dried flakes work well, too.)

Pour the sauce over your steamed veggies and serve.

And presto, the non-cook presents…

It’s so easy, even I can do it.

And no taste-testers were harmed in the process.

Pshew! And now back to writing, where if someone whines about being hungry, I can shove them an imaginary bowl of porridge and they think I’m a gourmet chef.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Quick Tuscan Bean Salad from Missy

Missy, here, with another Speedbo recipe for you! This is quick and amazingly delicious! And if you don't do tuna, then you could add tofu or shredded chicken or just make it an olive and bean salad.

I got the original recipe off a pack of Bumblebee tuna but modified it . When I tasted it, I decided Kalamata olives would be the perfect addition.

Now, it's time to admit I threw the package away, so had to go online to find the recipe when I wanted to make the recipe again. I had it pulled up on my phone, but when I sat down to write the post, THE RECIPE WAS GONE FROM THE WEBSITE! Sooooo... I'm having to try to do this by memory. The main ingredients I'm not sure about are the amount of olive oil and vinegar. Sorry!

In a Speedbo month, I don't have many brain cells left. So I hope this turns out! Please adjust as needed.

Tuscan Bean and Tuna Salad

1 5-ounce pack tuna (This makes 2 servings. I've also used the single serve pack and cut everything else in half for myself for lunch)

1 can Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained and rinsed

1/2 can diced fire roasted tomatoes (or chopped fresh tomato)

Finely diced red or sweet onion (to taste. I think I used about 2 Tbsp)

1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1-2 Tbs red wine vinegar

6-8 Kalamata olives, chopped or sliced

Mix everything together and serve over salad greens. I LOVE this quick and easy salad!