Tag: carrots

Making this for someone special could create a ‘meat’ cute

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date October 16, 2025

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

I first met Joey when I was 19 years old, and even then, he was forced into being my recipe guinea pig.

I decided that I wanted to make a fancy meal for him one weekend, so I hunted for some ideas and came up with a brisket dish for two, and I decided to pair it with mashed potatoes and some veggies.

I was living at home still, and while I felt perfectly comfortable mashing potatoes, roasting some meat and cooking peas, I was terrified of making gravy.

I have to admit that my mom had to step in and give me an assist before she and Dad made themselves scarce and I was able to set the table with my big dinner, complete with candles for the ambiance.

At this point, I don’t know if Joey even remembers that night, but for me, it was formative, not only because it was the first time I put myself out there and cooked for someone I really, really liked, but also because that was the day I learned a gravy-making skill that I still use regularly.

Well, except for this week, because the recipe I tried was not only delicious, but it made its own gravy, too.

This recipe is one that my wonderful mother-in-law shared with me quite awhile ago. I’m officially mad at myself for not making it sooner. I did, however, add carrots and garlic and some seasonings in my version below.

Sunday Casserole

Sunday casserole is extremely easy, roasting in the oven for a few hours and yielding a rich, delicious beef dish that creates its own gravy and tastes perfect over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

Course Main Course

Keyword carrots, chuck roast, cooking sherry, cream of celery, dry sherry, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, onion powder, stew meat

Ingredients

3 pounds beef stew meat or roast cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces
3 10.5- ounce cans cream of celery soup
1 yellow onion sliced
3 large carrots sliced into bite-sized coins
3/4 cup cooking sherry
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
prepared mashed potatoes noodles or rice for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a deep nine-by-13-inch pan, add everything but the last ingredient (the stuff for serving), and stir to coat the meat and vegetables.
Spread everything out evenly and bake for three hours or until the meat and vegetables are cooked through.
Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles or rice.

This was so flavorful and really good.

We opted for mashed potatoes, and like I said, the dish magically created a thick, tasty brown gravy in the oven that was perfect to pour over the top of everything.

It was like a Sunday roast, but it was all ready to serve straight out of the casserole dish.

And the leftovers reheated really well, too, which was nice.

Plus, it let me think back to the very start of my relationship with Joey. (This was pre-beard, if you can imagine it.) I still like cooking for him, and we cook together quite often, too.

They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but honestly, it might just be all about the gravy.

This piece first appeared in print Oct. 16, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags carrots, chuck roast, cooking sherry, cream of celery, dry sherry, easy meal, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, onion powder, stew meat

Main Dish Soup

Turmeric-based veggie soup will help you feel golden

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date September 25, 2025

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Every time I use turmeric in a recipe, I remember back to the time I ruined the one and only manicure I’ve ever had while using it in a delicious Jamaican recipe.

Knowing it has the ability to stain everything, I have been diligent about wearing an apron when cooking with it ever since (although I’m still very willing to sacrifice my nails for the cause).

This week’s recipe featured turmeric, so I paid careful attention to what I was doing while stirring, watching the broth turn a beautiful yellow color.

I managed to get through the cooking process completely unscathed.

But then, when I sat down with my steaming bowl of soup, I realized that my capacity to make a mess went beyond the kitchen and into the dining room as I managed to spill it directly down my shirt.

So typical.

But also so worth it.

This recipe comes from the blog “Munch Meals by Janet.” You can find the original post at https://munchmealsbyjanet.com/2020/11/09/vegan-vegetable-noodle-soup/. I added extra seasoning, broth and ingredients in the version below.

Vegetable Noodle Soup

For a great low-calorie and vegan meal, vegetable noodle soup packs a ton of flavor with lots of delicious spices and fresh vegetables.

Course Main Course, Soup

Keyword bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
4 ribs celery diced
4 large carrots diced
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
4 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
2 large potatoes cubed
16 ounces pasta something tubular; I used cavatappi

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery and carrots, and saute until everything is softened.
Add the garlic and saute for a couple minutes, just until it’s starting to be fragrant, and add in six cups of broth, oregano, garlic powder, turmeric, bay leaves, salt and pepper, potatoes and pasta, and stir to combine.
Cover the pot and raise the heat slightly. Let the soup come to a gentle boil.
Lower the heat to keep the soup at a simmer, and leave the lid on for 14 to 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.
Fish out the bay leaves and discard them, and then serve.

This had so much flavor. The turmeric added an earthy, peppery flavor, and the combination of all the vegetables in the broth made it an excellent, hearty dinner.

And luckily, my stain treatment managed to slay the turmeric, and my shirt is good as new.

Next time I pull that bottle off my spice rack, I’ll have to remember that I don’t just need my apron—I might need to get a bib, too.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 25, 2025.

Tags bay leaves, carrots, celery, fresh garlic, garlic powder, minced garlic, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, turmeric, vegan, vegetable broth, vegetable stock, vegetarian, yellow onion

Main Dish

Nothing about wine-braised ribs falls short

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date September 18, 2025

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.

I am generally pretty useless when it comes to remembering the different cuts of meat.

If I’m ordering a steak, I know that a t-bone will have, well, a t-shaped bone in it, but I forget which cut has the best marbling or is the leanest, etc., etc.

But after this week’s experiment, I now understand a new one: the beef short rib. And I also know that I really enjoy eating them.

If you’re like me and have no idea what a short rib is, the easy answer is that it’s literally a short piece of rib.

According to a post from the Lake Geneva Country Meats website, short ribs come from the area between the chuck section of a cow (where we get chuck roasts and a variety of steak cuts) and the rib section. The pieces aren’t big enough for steaks, so they get to be their own cut.

They’re extremely flavorful and are a favorite of a lot of chefs. And now me, too.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Good Food Baddie” by Capri Lilly. You can find her original post at https://goodfoodbaddie.com/red-wine-braised-short-ribs/. I added extra seasoning in my version below and changed some of the directions around.

Braised Short Ribs

Braised short ribs are seared to perfection before being slow cooked in the oven with lots of vegetables and seasonings, along with wine and beef stock, to create a rich sauce.

Course Main Course

Keyword beef broth, beef stock, black pepper, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, celery, dry red wine, fresh garlic, jalapenos, minced garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, short ribs, slow cooking, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3 pounds bone-in short ribs
1 medium onion diced (I used yellow)
4 large stalks celery diced
4 carrots diced
2 to 4 jalapenos diced
24 to 30 cloves garlic about two large heads, minced
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried parsley
4 teaspoons fresh ground pepper plus extra for seasoning the meat
2 teaspoons salt plus extra for seasoning the meat
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons dried thyme
750 ml dry red wine I used cabernet sauvignon
3 to 4 cups beef stock or broth

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or pot with a lid. Meanwhile, sprinkle the short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper, to taste, and once the oil is hot, sear each rib on all sides. You will have to do this in batches.
Remove seared ribs to a plate on the side.
Add the onion, celery, carrots and jalapeno to the pot, and stir regularly, sauteing until the vegetables are starting to soften. Add in the garlic and saute for another couple of minutes, just until it starts to be fragrant, and stir in the tomato paste, parsley, pepper, salt, smoked paprika, rosemary and thyme. Continue stirring for about two minutes, letting the tomato paste brown slightly and incorporate with all the vegetables.
Pour in the wine, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get all of the browned bits incorporated.
Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower it back to medium and simmer, stirring regularly, until the wine mixture reduces by about half. (This will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.)
Pour in three cups of beef stock, and stir to combine. Return the ribs to the pot. You’ll want to make sure the meat is covered in liquid, so if it isn’t quite covered, add the other cup of the beef stock and supplement with some water until they are.
Let the liquid come back up to a simmer, put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven for about three hours or until the meat is falling off the bone.
For serving, the recipe author suggests straining out and discarding the vegetables, but we served ours as a part of the meal. Be sure to remove the bones, and then serve the meat, along with the sauce from the pot. We served ours over mashed potatoes.

This was heavenly. I love a good pot roast, and this was one step above that. The deep flavors of the wine paired perfectly with the tomato and beef to create a rich, fabulous dinner.

We ended up halving the recipe when we made it, so I was pretty bummed it was a single serving meal. I would have loved to have some leftovers.

But now that I am firmly aware of what a short rib is, I’ll be on the lookout for it in our local grocery store and butcher shop. This is definitely worthy of a permanent place in the recipe box.

And hopefully, by the next time I end up at a steakhouse, I can educate myself on the difference between a filet and a strip, too. If not, I may just have to order the chicken instead.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 18, 2025.

Tags beef broth, beef stock, black pepper, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, celery, dry red wine, fresh garlic, jalapenos, minced garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, short ribs, slow cooking, smoked paprika, thyme, tomato paste, yellow onion

Side Dish

Prepare to paint the town red with a from-scratch Mexican rice

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 17, 2025

Merely calling this dish red rice doesn’t do it justice as far as all the flavor it possesses. With a combination of fresh vegetables cooked down into white rice, it’s easy to create a tomato-y, delicious side dish for your next Mexican food entree.

Sometimes, in reflecting on my childhood, I realize just what a weird kid I was.

I’ll forever be thankful that I had supportive parents who had a “go with the flow” attitude about my idiosyncracies.

One of those strange traits flashed in my mind recently, when I decided I wanted to make a Mexican-style rice as a side for dinner. I suddenly remembered back to eating Mexican food with my family at a locally owned kiosk at the mall. We would go every so often, and the food was great—especially the Mexican rice.

I got to a point where I stopped ordering an entree. I would just get a double side order of rice, and that would be my meal. I loved it. I’m sure my parents were wondering if I was switched at birth.

Weird or not, though, I still love rice, and especially the kinds you get a Mexican restaurant, so when I tried out the recipe I shared with you last week from TV chef Pati Jinich, I had to try one of her rice recipes, as well, to go with it.

You can find the original recipe on her website at https://patijinich.com/red-rice/. I added extra garlic in my version.

Red Rice

Merely calling this dish red rice doesn’t do it justice as far as all the flavor it possesses. With a combination of fresh vegetables cooked down into white rice, it’s easy to create a tomato-y, delicious side dish for your next Mexican food entree.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword carrots, chicken broth, corn, fresh tomatoes, frozen carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas, garlic, Italian parsley, peas, pickled jalapenos, rice, vegetable broth, white rice

Ingredients

1 pound ripe tomatoes quartered
1 small white onion chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
2 cups white rice
4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley chopped
2-3 tablespoons pickled jalapeno slices
3/4 cup carrots diced (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen
1/2 cup corn fresh or frozen

Instructions

Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and salt to a food processor or blender, and blend it until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large liquid measuring cup.
Look at how much liquid is in the cup, and then measure out enough chicken broth in a separate measuring cup so that you’ll have four cups of total liquid. (Don’t mix them together yet.)
Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the rice, and stir regularly, cooking for three or four minutes until the rice is a milky color. Pour in the reserved tomato mixture, and continue to stirring regularly, letting the rice absorb most of the liquid. This will take another three or four minutes.
Stir in the chicken broth, parsley, jalapenos, carrots, peas and corn, and stir to combine.
Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. (If it isn’t cooked through and there is no more liquid in the pot, add a few tablespoons of water, cover and let it cook for another three minutes or so.) Fluff with a fork, and serve.

This was the perfect side dish, and I loved the added veggies in this rice, too. It was a nice change of pace from the more standard types of Mexican rice. If you like more spice to your food, you could add even more jalapenos. This didn’t have much of a kick to it, but letting the sauce cook a bit with the rice really made the tomato flavors pop, which I really liked.

And my parents would have been proud to see me eating rice as a side dish instead of just an entree. Let’s just not talk about how I consumed the leftovers, OK?

This piece first appeared in print April 17, 2025.

Tags carrots, chicken broth, corn, fresh tomatoes, frozen carrots, frozen corn, frozen peas, garlic, Italian parsley, peas, pickled jalapenos, rice, vegetable broth, white rice

Main Dish

Don’t skip this week’s a‘braising’ recipe

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date March 20, 2025

Making red wine braised beef is a bit of a labor of love, but the rich flavors and tender vegetables produced by this recipe make it well worth the effort.

Several years ago, my parents gifted me with a gorgeous, red braising pot.

It’s a ceramic-coated cast iron pot, and I always feel like whatever I put in it should be really extraordinary.

This week’s recipe really fit the bill for using my special pot, since I was getting ready to embark on a dinner project that was going to take some decent preparation and several hours of braising to accomplish, and boy, did it stand up to the task.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Well Seasoned Studio” by Ari Laing. You can find the original post at https://www.wellseasonedstudio.com/red-wine-braised-beef/. I added extra garlic in my version.

Red Wine Braised Beef

Making red wine braised beef is a bit of a labor of love, but the rich flavors and tender vegetables produced by this recipe make it well worth the effort.

Course Main Course

Keyword bay leaves, beef broth, beef stock, braised beef, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, chuck roast, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, leeks, mashed potatoes, onion, red wine, Sunday dinner, sweet onion, tomato paste, yellow onion

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 pound beef chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 large sweet onion cut into one-inch pieces
2 leeks halved and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups red wine I used a cabernet sauvignon
2 cups beef broth or stock
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 bay leaves
about 12 sprigs fresh thyme
3 large carrots cut into one-inch pieces
mashed potatoes for serving

Instructions

Set your roast out to come to room temperature while you prep all of your vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Using paper towels, pat the roast dry all the way around, and then season it liberally with salt and pepper.
Put a large Dutch oven (or braising pot—just make sure what you use is deep, has a lid and is oven-safe) on the stovetop and heat the oil on medium-high heat.
Add the roast, and sear it on all sides, cooking each side for about three or four minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate, and add the onion and leeks, along with just a bit more salt. Saute, stirring regularly, until they are soft.
Add the garlic to the pot and saute for one or two minutes until it just starts to brown and is fragrant.
Stir in the tomato paste, making sure to incorporate everything in the pot well.
Pour in the wine, and using a wooden spoon or spatula, scape the bottom of the pot to get all the stuck on bits up. Let this cook for two or three minutes, and then add the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, bay leaves, thyme (I tied mine together in a bundle with cooking twine so it will be easy to remove later), and carrots.
Add the roast back to the pot, pushing it down into the ingredients so that it’s mostly submerged.
Cover with a lid and put the pot in the oven. Cook until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork, which will take about three hours.
Remove the pot from the oven and use tongs to carefully put the roast on a cutting board. Let it rest for five to 10 minutes before shredding it with two forks.
Meanwhile, remove the thyme and bay leaves from the pot. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, if needed. Add the shredded beef back to the pot, and stir.
Serve the beef and veggies over mashed potatoes, along with some of the amazing sauce you created.

This was heavenly. The meat melted in your mouth, and the vegetables were cooked to perfection. We enjoyed a glass of the leftover cabernet sauvignon with our dinner, too, which made it feel extra special.

I have made plenty of chuck roasts in my slow cooker, and they’re always delicious, but this treatment just took everything up a notch, and while it does take a bit of a time commitment, I will absolutely be making this again.

After all, I need all the excuses I can get to let my pretty cast iron pot shine.

This piece first appeared in print March 20, 2025.

Tags bay leaves, beef broth, beef stock, braised beef, cabernet sauvignon, carrots, chuck roast, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, leeks, mashed potatoes, onion, red wine, Sunday dinner, sweet onion, tomato paste, yellow onion

Dessert

Once you try it, you won’t ‘carrot’ all that this pie is a little weird

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date October 24, 2024

Honey carrot pie is a whole new flavor experience. It’s lightly sweet, and with very additions of honey and vanilla, it has a pleasant, fall-like flavor. It would pair nicely with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I am not my dog’s favorite person at the moment.

K.C., despite being 15 years old, still has a great set of teeth, and her all-time favorite food to snack on is carrots.

I know, it’s a little strange. We joke that she would walk right past a steak if she eyed a plate of carrots. She’s always been that way.

So when I pulled a bag out of the fridge this week, she immediately became my best friend in the kitchen. Unfortunately for her, she only received one, little slice, as the rest needed to go into this week’s recipe.

Fittingly, the recipe is a little strange, too, because it’s a pie. With carrots. Who knew?

This recipe comes from the blog “Everyday Pie + Pastry” by Kelli Avila. You can find the original post at https://everydaypie.com/honey-carrot-pie/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

Honey Carrot Pie

Honey carrot pie is a whole new flavor experience. It’s lightly sweet, and with very additions of honey and vanilla, it has a pleasant, fall-like flavor. It would pair nicely with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Course Dessert

Keyword brown sugar, carrots, cookie crust, easy pie, fall dessert, honey, shortbread cookies, Thanksgiving dessert, Thanksgiving pie, vanilla

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients

8 ounces shortbread cookies
6 tablespoons butter melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling Ingredients

16 ounces carrots peeled and sliced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the middle.
For the crust, add the cookies to a food processor or blender and process until they are fine crumbs. Add in the melted butter, brown sugar and salt, and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Put the crust mixture into a nine-inch pie plate, and press it evenly and firmly up the sides and along the bottom.
Set the pie plate aside.
For the filling, steam or boil the carrots until they are fork tender (you want these fully cooked through). Drain them well, and after cleaning out your food processor/blender cup, add them, along with the honey, sugar, water, vanilla and salt, and process until the mixture is totally smooth.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs and cream together, and then add that to the processor/blender, and process until everything is well combined.
Pour the carrot mixture into the crust, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filling is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the pie cool completely, and then refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight before slicing and serving. Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

This was really good. I kept expecting it to taste like pumpkin pie, and truth be told, I almost put some cinnamon in the mix, but I decided to just let the flavors speak for themselves. I was glad I did. I think the pumpkin pie spices would have covered the light sweetness of the honey, paired with a very pleasant carrot-y flavor.

Combined with the shortbread cookies in the crust, it was just a really enjoyable slice of pie.

Joey and I both tried to figure out exactly how to describe the flavor profile, and we landed on it really just tasting like fall.

I haven’t decided yet if I will make this one again when Thanksgiving rolls around, just to give my family something interesting to try, but I have decided that the next time I make it, I’ll be sure to buy an extra bag of carrots.

I just can’t stand dealing with that judgmental, sad schnauzer face again.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 24, 2024.

Tags brown sugar, carrots, cookie crust, easy pie, fall dessert, honey, shortbread cookies, Thanksgiving dessert, Thanksgiving pie, vanilla

Main Dish

You have to try this delicious ‘mein’ dish tonight

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 18, 2024

Chicken lo mein is a delicious dinner with tons of flavor and plenty of fresh, sauteed vegetables over yummy Asian noodles.

An article from “Eat This, Not That” by Cheyenne Buckingham breaks down all the differences between Italian and Asian noodles.

I started wondering a bit this week, after I bought a package of lo mein noodles and the finished product really didn’t look a whole lot different from spaghetti, so of course, I had to do a deep dive on the subject.

There is a difference, it turns out. Buckingham interviewed Chef Chris Barch, who said ingredients are the main variation.

“For example, soba uses buckwheat, lo mein uses eggs, rice noodles use rice,” he said. “Italian pasta essentially has two main pasta doughs: egg dough and non-egg dough.”

So, yeah, you totally could use spaghetti instead of lo mein noodles, but you’re probably not going to get the full flavor and texture you’re looking for. So even if they’re a little tougher to find, when you try this week’s recipe, I highly recommend traditional Asian noodles.

The recipe I tried comes from the blog “Dinner then Dessert” by Sabrina Snyder. You can find the original post at https://dinnerthendessert.com/chicken-lo-mein/. I added extra garlic in my version and left out the bean sprouts.

Chicken Lo Mein

Chicken lo mein is a delicious dinner with tons of flavor and plenty of fresh, sauteed vegetables over yummy Asian noodles.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword cabbage, carrots, chicken, Chinese takeout, fresh ginger, garlic, green onions, lo mein, red bell pepper, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce

Ingredients

10 ounces lo mein noodles
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
2 large chicken breasts cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
1 large carrot cut into thin strips
1/2 cup green onions thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger minced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce or fish sauce
1/2 cup cabbage shredded
sesame seeds and/or green onions for garnish

Instructions

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions; drain them and toss them with the sesame oil. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
Saute the chicken in batches, cooking four or five minutes on each side until it is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate for now.
Add the pepper, carrot and green onion to the skillet and saute until they are cooked through to your liking.
Add the ginger and garlic to the vegetables. Saute for one to two minutes or until the garlic is very lightly browned.
In a small bowl, mix 3/4 cup water, soy sauce, cornstarch, one tablespoon vegetable oil and oyster sauce, and then pour it into the skillet. Also add the cabbage. Let it cook for just a couple minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and the cabbage wilts.
Add the chicken and noodles back to the pan, and stir to coat everything in the sauce. Turn the heat to medium-low. Once everything is heated back through, serve, topped with sesame seeds and freshly sliced green onions, if you like.

On her blog, Snyder notes that this is a lot like takeout Chinese food, and I have to agree. It was a fabulous dinner, and then it heated up for leftovers about as well as normal Chinese restaurant leftovers do. We served ours with some fried rice (Joey accused me of stacking carbs), and it made for a great dinner.

When you do this, make sure to thinly cut your vegetables and really try to get a consistent thickness on your slices. That will help everything cook quickly and evenly.

And don’t forget to get the right noodles for the job. Spaghetti is great in a lot of applications, but in this case, lo mein is a must.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 18, 2024.

Tags cabbage, carrots, chicken, Chinese takeout, fresh ginger, garlic, green onions, lo mein, red bell pepper, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce

Main Dish

A hearty pot pie is a ‘crust’-try recipe this time of year

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date November 23, 2023

Mushroom and leek chicken pot pie is hearty and delicious. Even better, it can be made using lots of Thanksgiving meal leftovers.

For a recent meal with friends, I made a cherry pie to share, and since I knew I sometimes get carried away with lattice pie crusts and run out before I’m done weaving, I made one extra crust, just in case.

Of course, once I was done making pie, I wrapped the crust up, determined I would use it for, well, something.

When Joey spotted it, he suggested something I, amazingly, have never tried making before: a chicken pot pie, pointing out that people might have leftovers around Thanksgiving that would be perfect for such a meal.

I did a lot of digging to find just the right pot pie to try and finally landed on one from the blog “Brooklyn Supper” by Elizabeth Stark. You can find the original post at https://brooklynsupper.com/mushroom-and-leek-chicken-pot-pie/. I changed things up to include more veggies in the pot pie and added extra seasonings in my version.

Mushroom and Leek Chicken Pot Pie

Mushroom and leek chicken pot pie is hearty and delicious. Even better, it can be made using lots of Thanksgiving meal leftovers.

Course Main Course

Keyword bay leaves, black pepper, black peppercorns, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, fresh mushrooms, leek, meat pie, pie crust, pot pie, potatoes, puff pastry, Thanksgiving leftovers, yellow onion

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion diced
2 large carrots diced
2 large celery ribs diced
3 bay leaves
20 to 30 peppercorns
1 pound bone-in chicken thighs or legs
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms I used baby bellas, sliced
1 leek thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes diced (I used Russet)
1/3 cup flour
1 sheet thawed puff pastry or one pie crust
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a Dutch oven or stockpot with a lid, add four cups water, onion, carrots and celery. Put the bay leaves and peppercorns in a tied-up cheese cloth or a tea infuser, and place that in the pot, too. (If you don’t have that, put the bay leaves directly in the water and just put freshly ground pepper, to taste, in the pot.) Turn the heat to medium, and place the lid partially covering the pot, letting the water start to simmer gently.
Prep the chicken by sprinkling it with salt and pepper, to taste.
Heat one to two tablespoons olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the chicken, searing on all sides until it is golden brown.
Once the chicken is golden on all sides, add it to the simmering water and put the lid back on, partially covering the pot. Let the chicken simmer until it reaches 165 internal temperature, and then carefully debone it, chopping it into bite-sized pieces as you go.
While the chicken cooks, add another tablespoon or two of olive oil to the skillet if there isn’t much fat in the pan, and add the mushrooms and leeks, sauteing over medium heat until the leeks are soft and the mushrooms are just starting to crisp up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and the flour, continuing to saute until the flour is no longer white and all of the vegetables are evenly coated—five to 10 minutes or so.
Remove the bundle of seasonings (or the bay leaves) from the broth pot, and begin spooning the broth into the skillet (along with the veggies), about one-half cup at a time, stirring well and giving the gravy time to thicken in between. Once all of the broth is in the skillet, and you’ve given the gravy time to thicken up, add flour, a sprinkle at a time, if you feel like it’s too runny.
Finally, stir in the chicken and more salt and pepper, to taste.
In a small bowl, beat the egg and have it and a pastry brush ready for the next step.
Roll out the puff pastry or pie dough into a circle large enough to cover the entire skillet. Carefully place it onto the top of the skillet, folding over any overhang back into the skillet.
Brush the crust with a quick egg wash, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and cut at least two slits in the top of the pie.
Bake for 20 minutes, turn down the heat to 350 degrees and then bake another 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and the filling is fully heated through.

This was really delicious, and it was amazing as leftovers, too.

As for using Thanksgiving leftovers, you’ll want to have about three cups of chicken or turkey broth that you’ll simmer the vegetables in, along with a couple cups of shredded turkey. Basically, you’ll just skip the step of sauteing the chicken and making your own broth.

And even if you don’t end up with enough leftovers to make pot pie, put this on your “to try” list. It’s hearty, filling and a great cold-night dinner.

I imagine it would be pretty fabulous with a side of leftover cranberry sauce or mashed potatoes, too.

This piece first appeared in print on Nov. 23, 2023.

Tags bay leaves, black pepper, black peppercorns, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, fresh mushrooms, leek, meat pie, pie crust, pot pie, potatoes, puff pastry, Thanksgiving leftovers, yellow onion

Main Dish

Combination of chicken, veggies, herbs more than just fair

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 18, 2023

Crescent roll chicken pot pie casserole comes together quickly and features lots of great flavors from some fresh vegetables, along with plenty of herbs. It makes for a fantastic weeknight meal.

We have a friend we lovingly refer to as “the human jukebox.”

He has a ton of songs floating around in his head, and all it takes to get him to launch into one is to subtly mention a lyric.

Joey and I sometimes make a game of seeing if we can make a comment that will result in him humming, whistling or singing the song later on, after it’s invaded his subconscious. He always rolls his eyes and feigns annoyance when we bust up laughing at the outset of his tune.

My secret, though, is I tend to be a bit of a human jukebox myself, especially when I’m cooking with a particular set of herbs as I was this week: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.

Simon and Garfunkel get me every time.

Getting “Scarborough Fair” stuck in my head this week was completely my own fault, though, as I decided to add a ton of seasonings to a chicken crescent roll casserole recipe I found in order to transform it into a chicken pot pie-inspired dish.

The recipe I started with comes from the blog “The Seasoned Mom” by Blair Lonergan. You can find the original post at https://www.theseasonedmom.com/crescent-roll-chicken-casserole. I added quite a few ingredients in my version.

Crescent Roll Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

Crescent roll chicken pot pie casserole comes together quickly and features lots of great flavors from some fresh vegetables, along with plenty of herbs. It makes for a fantastic weeknight meal.

Course Main Course

Keyword carrots, celery, cream of chicken, crescent roll dough, garlic, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, parsley, peas, rosemary, sage, shredded cheese, shredded chicken, thyme, yellow onion

Ingredients

Filling Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 celery stalks diced
3 medium carrots diced
1/4 yellow onion diced
6-8 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 cup chicken shredded
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon sage
garlic salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces refrigerated crescent roll dough

Sauce Ingredients

10.5 ounces cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
garlic salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray an eight-by-eight-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set it aside.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots and onion, and saute until the vegetables are soft.
Add in the garlic and peas, and saute for another couple of minutes or until the garlic is fragrant.
Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the chicken, cheese, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage, garlic salt and pepper, and stir to combine.
Roll out and separate the triangles of crescent roll dough, and place a spoonful of the chicken mixture into the center of each, loosely rolling the dough around it, and place the filled dough into the prepared baking dish. It’s OK if they are touching. (If you have extra filling after you’re done with the dough, just sprinkle it around in the pan.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.
While they bake, add all of the sauce ingredients to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk or stir until the cheese melts.
When the rolls are baked through, pour the sauce on the top, and place the casserole back in the oven for five to 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly.
Serve immediately.

This is really saucy. You could easily get away with doubling the filling, getting an extra can of crescent rolls and using a nine-by-13-inch dish instead—while using the same amount of sauce.

I didn’t mind the extra creamy sauce along with the vegetables and buttery dough, though, so it’s all about what you like.

Of course, the addition of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme complimented the chicken and veggies nicely, too. That combo is a true love of mine.

This piece first appeared in print on May 18, 2023.

Tags 30-minute dinner, carrots, casserole, celery, cream of chicken, crescent roll dough, easy dinner, garlic, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, parsley, peas, rosemary, sage, shredded cheese, shredded chicken, thyme, yellow onion

Main Dish Soup

This creamy chicken soup was fabulous, ‘gnocchi’dding

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date May 4, 2023

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.

This past weekend, Joey found whole chickens on sale and proceeded to put three on his smoker.

I told him I wanted to try a different way to make stock from the bones, once he was done pulling the meat, and he graciously put the pieces into my large crockpot for me.

Normally, we make stock on the stove, but after seeing several people online make it in their crockpots, I wanted to give it a shot, especially since the last time we made stock, our entire kitchen felt a bit like a sauna from all the boiling liquid. That’s a less-than optimum feeling when you’re staring at May on the calendar.

So, I covered the bones in water, snapped on the lid, and let everything cook on high for four hours. Then I set it to low and went to bed.

When I tell you that I woke up to the most beautiful stock I have ever seen, please believe me. It was dark and flavorful and amazing.

I immediately knew that a soup was in order, so I decided to try a recipe I had my eye on that uses lots of fresh veggies—all of which just happened to be in my fridge.

This comes from the blog, “Tornadough Alli.” You can find the original post at https://tornadoughalli.com/olive-garden-chicken-gnocchi-soup/. I added tons more garlic and some other seasoning in my version.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Chicken gnocchi soup is a creamy, Italian-style soup that features tons of flavor from fresh vegetables, lots of garlic, chicken and soft, pillowy gnocchi.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword black pepper, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, creamy soup, garlic salt, gnocchi, minced garlic, onion, parsley, spinach

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion diced
3 to 4 medium carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
16- ounce package potato gnocchi
6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 teaspoons dried parsley
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 pound chicken cooked and shredded
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat.
Once the butter is melted, add the onion, carrots and celery, and saute until the onions are translucent.
While your veggies cook, boil the gnocchi according to package instructions, drain it, and set it aside.
When the vegetables are cooked through, add in the garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes.
Stir in the flour, and let it cook for about a minute before adding the chicken broth and milk to the pot, stirring well. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any stuck-on goodies mixed in.
Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring regularly. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low to keep it at a simmer, and add in the seasonings, chicken, spinach, gnocchi and corn starch mixture. Stir well, and keep stirring occasionally until all the ingredients are heated through and the soup is just slightly thickened.
Serve.

This was creamy and flavorful and had lots of great textures between the chicken, gnocchi and vegetables. It also made a nice, big pot of soup, so we were able to put some leftovers in the freezer for another night.

And the best part is I still have eight cups of stock in my refrigerator, ready to go into another creation. After seeing how well my crockpot worked out, I’m not sure if I’ll make stock the old way ever again.

This piece first appeared in print on May 4, 2023.

Tags black pepper, carrots, celery, chicken, chicken broth, chicken stock, creamy soup, garlic salt, gnocchi, minced garlic, Olive Garden copycat, onions, parsley, spinach