Chicken in Caramelized Onion and Apricot Cream Sauce

September 17, 2018 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

One of the best things about chicken is that it is so versatile. Pick a few ingredients that sound good together, add chicken and you’ve got dinner. I love a good sweet and savory combination and this chicken in an onion and apricot cream sauce hits all the right notes.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Chicken in Caramelized Onion and Apricot Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 6 ounce pkg. dried apricots
2/3 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Season chicken breasts with garlic salt and black pepper to taste.
Brown chicken in olive oil in heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Pour chicken broth in pan, cover and cook on low until chicken is done. Remove and keep warm.
Pour off liquid, melt butter and cook onions over medium heat until cooked through and beginning to caramelize.
Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up the browned bits.
Add apricots and cream.
Slice chicken in 3/4 inch thick pieces and return to pan. Heat through.
Serve chicken with apricots and sauce spooned over.

This recipe can easily be adjusted for the number of servings you need. You could also leave the cooked chicken breasts whole but by cutting them in thick slices you may not need a whole breast per person.

In this photograph I served this with a baked potato. However, the sauce is so delicious that if you have time to make mashed potatoes to ladle the sauce over, that would be even better.

You may also like these recipes:

Mediterranean Style Pork Chops ~ A Slow Cooker Recipe

Pork Chops in a Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

Chicken in a French Mustard Cream Sauce ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

This recipe is linked up at Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday.

Mediterranean Style Pork Chops ~ A Slow Cooker Recipe

September 5, 2018 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

I’ve mentioned before that we are trying to eat more of a Mediterranean style diet for health reasons. I’ve already found several recipes we really enjoy and am experimenting with some of my own. I also like having a good collection of slow cooker recipes for those busy days. I recently came up with a recipe for pork chops that fits both criteria. It’s so good I’ve already made it twice so I decided to share it with you. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Mediterranean Style Pork Chops

Ingredients

4-6 thick-cut, boneless pork chops
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
8 ounces chicken broth
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1-2 cups tiny yellow potatoes (opt.)

Instructions

Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.
Season pork chops on both sides with garlic salt and pepper then place in slow cooker.
Sprinkle with basil, oregano and paprika.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Place potatoes on and around the pork chops and then pour in the chicken broth.
Cook on low 6-8 hours or until very tender.

The pork chops will be fall-apart-tender and so flavorful. I like to add those teeny tiny yellow potatoes that Aldi has called “Steak Potatoes”. You could substitute tiny red potatoes or for a low carb version skip them altogether. The cooking liquid can be thickened by adding a paste of corn starch and cold water then bringing to a boil. This would be good over rice, mashed potatoes or pasta. Leftover pork chops make really tasty sandwiches, too!

*****

Easy Hawaiian Pork Chops ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

July 11, 2018 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

I’m all about a recipe that requires minimal attention. Bonus points if I don’t have to remember to thaw something first! These “Easy Hawaiian Pork Chops” are a perfect example.

Put frozen pork chops and a few simple ingredients in the Instant Pot, start cooking some rice and then you are free to turn your attention away from the kitchen until it’s time to eat.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Ingredients

2-4 boneless pork chops, about one inch thick, frozen
1 15 ounce can crushed pineapple, not drained
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or freshly grated)
2-3 teaspoons cornstarch (if needed to thicken)

Instructions

Season frozen pork chops with garlic salt and ginger.
Place in Instant Pot and pour crushed pineapple over.
Add soy sauce, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar, stirring a bit to combine.
Cook on manual for 18 minutes. Be sure vent is closed.
Release pressure manually or allow to vent naturally. Check to make sure pork chops are done and tender. If not, add a couple more minutes. Time may vary depending on thickness and quantity of pork chops in pot.
When done, remove pork chops and keep warm.
Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. If sauce needs to be thickened, combine corn starch with enough cold water to make a paste. Stir into sauce and cook until thickened.
Pour sauce over pork chops and top with crunchy chow mein noodles if desired.

I like to serve these with rice and pour some of the sauce over it. Top with crunchy chow mein noodles and serve with a salad or green vegetable for a delicious dinner with minimal cleanup.

Chicken in French Mustard Cream Sauce ~ an Instant Pot Recipe

June 27, 2018 By Deanna Piercy Leave a Comment

I love a good sauce and this French mustard cream sauce is absolutely decadent. And guess what? You can make this dish quickly even if you forgot to thaw out the chicken. It uses basic ingredients I tend to always have on hand, too.

Chicken in French Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

4-6 boneless chicken thighs (frozen is fine!)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
garlic salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
2 tbsp course ground Dijon mustard
2 tbsp regular Dijon mustard
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch plus water to make paste
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Set Instant Pot on sauté setting and add olive oil.
Brown seasoned, frozen chicken thighs in hot oil.
Deglaze pot with white wine, being careful to scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the Instant Pot. Turn IP off.
Add chicken broth and sprinkle chicken with Herbs de Provence.
Using manual setting, cook for 8 minutes, making sure vent is closed.
When chicken is done you can allow to release pressure naturally or use the quick release method.
Stir in both types of mustard.
Turn IP to sauté setting and bring to a boil. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken a bit. If it's very thin you can thicken with 1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch stirred into cold water to make a paste.
Stir in heavy cream, heat through and season with a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
Serve chicken with sauce spooned over.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

I served this with a salad, glazed carrots and baked potatoes. The sauce is so delicious, however, that I would suggest rice, noodles or mashed potatoes so you can spoon the sauce over. Or at least have some good, crusty bread to sop up all that goodness.

Note: This recipe was inspired by this slow cooker recipe. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, give it a try instead!

Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce ~ An Instant Pot Recipe

April 25, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Pork tenderloins are a handy item to keep in the freezer. They cook quickly and are very versatile. And if you have an Instant Pot, even better! You can whip up this Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce in about the time it takes to make a salad and a couple of side dishes. I served it alongside quartered red potatoes but the sauce is so delicious mashed potatoes or rice would be even better to soak up all that goodness.

Pork Tenderloin in Cherry Cream Sauce

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 pork tenderloin, cut in one inch slices
1 heaping Tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 bouillon cube (chicken or veggie), optional
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup pitted tart cherries (fresh, frozen or canned - no syrup)
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

Cook sliced onion in olive oil on Sauté setting until translucent.
Cut tenderloin into 1 inch slices, removing fat, and season with salt and pepper.
Add to pot, sprinkle with heaping tablespoon of flour, and lightly brown on Sauté setting.
Deglaze pot with 1/4 cup white wine (may substitute chicken broth). Be sure to scrape bottom of pot well.
Turn off heat.
Add crumbled chicken bouillon cube if using.
Add drained cherries and heavy cream. Do NOT stir.
Cook on manual setting for 6 minutes, making sure vent is closed.
Allow pressure to release naturally.
Stir and serve.

Important information: Apparently some Instant Pot users are getting a “Burn” message with some recipes. I haven’t had this happen to me (yet!) but I’m including a good article about it for you. I have an older 6 quart Instant Pot. It would seem that this happens more often with the newer versions and maybe more so with the 8 quart size.

Before you make this recipe I would encourage you to read this:

7 Instant Pot Burn Mistakes You Need to Avoid

If you have had burn issues in the past, have a newer Instant Pot, and/or an 8 quart size I would recommend substituting at least one cup of chicken broth for the heavy cream during the cooking process. After the meat is cooked, remove from the pot and keep warm. Turn Instant Pot to Sauté setting and bring to a boil. Cook a few minutes while stirring to allow sauce to reduce a bit. Turn off heat and add 1/2 to 2/3 cup of heavy cream.

Please note I haven’t actually done that myself because mine works fine with the original recipe. This is merely a suggested option.

I used Dark Morello Cherries from Aldi which are only a couple of dollars per jar (I didn’t use the whole jar). They are in a very thin liquid but do include some sugar. You should also be able to use fresh pitted cherries, frozen or canned as long as they aren’t in a heavy syrup.

Pork Chops in Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

March 28, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 3 Comments

I’m all about a good sauce. Take simple pork chops, add a delicious sauce and suddenly you’ve got something special. Wine and cream are always a good place to start. Add if you add the tang of Dijon mustard? Dinner is served!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

5 from 1 vote

Pork Chops in Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

2-4 pork chops (boneless works best but bone-in are fine)
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp flour
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Heat olive oil in oven proof skillet over medium high heat.
Lightly flour pork chops on both sides and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Brown pork chops on both sides. Remove from skillet.
Cook onions until translucent.
Deglaze pan with wine, scraping up all the browned bits.
Place pork chops on top of onions, pour 1/2 cup chicken broth over, sprinkle with dried thyme, and place in oven preheated to 325 degrees.
Cook until pork chops are done which will depend on thickness. Check at 25-30 minutes. Add more time if not done. If necessary, add a bit more liquid (water or broth) during baking so skillet doesn't go dry. You may also need to cover the skillet.
Remove from oven and place on burner over medium heat. Add remaining chicken broth and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and cook a couple of minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add cream, stirring to combine. Heat through.
Serve pork chops with sauce spooned over top.

The sauce/gravy is so delicious that you might be tempted to eat it with a spoon. When I made this the other day it had been “one of those days” so I opted for easy baked potatoes as a side dish. But I recommend serving them with mashed potatoes or rice and spooning some of the sauce over each serving.

There were three pork chops in the package I used so we had one left over. The next night I heated a couple of tablespoons of butter in the skillet, sprinkled in a little flour, cooked a minute or so then added the leftover sauce from the night before. I added some chicken broth, sliced up the remaining pork chop into the sauce and added a splash of cream. I served this over cooked rice.

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This post is linked up on Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday.

Mom’s Best Potato Salad

March 21, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 6 Comments

My mom makes the BEST potato salad! Even people who usually don’t like potato salad tend to love hers. From the time I was a little kid I was her official potato salad taster. She’d mix it up, I’d taste it and tell her if it needed more mustard or a little more pickle relish.

I’ve been making it myself my entire adult life and decided it was time to share the recipe.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

Mom’s Best Potato Salad

5 from 2 votes

Ingredients

6 medium/large russet potatoes
6 hard boiled eggs
1/2 onion, diced (Mom uses red onion but yellow or white work, too.)
1/2 cup quality mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1-2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste
Creole seasoning (optional)
paprika

Instructions

Peel potatoes, cut in 1 inch cubes, cover with cold water in large pot and bring to a boil.
Simmer 12-14 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Drain well, return pan to stove and over low heat shake pot until excess water has evaporated. You want the potatoes dry and fluffy but don't let them stick.
Season lightly with salt and pepper and let cool.
Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl combine peeled and diced eggs (reserve one for garnish), onion, mayonnaise, mustard and pickle relish.
Add cooled potatoes and gently fold into mayonnaise mixture until well-combined.
Taste and adjust seasonings, add more mayonnaise if too dry, more mustard and/or relish to suit your taste.
Smooth top of potato salad, garnish with reserved egg cut into quarters as shown. Sprinkle with paprika and black pepper if desired.

This recipe makes a generous amount of potato salad but I nearly always double it. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days and I often share it with my mom who loves it but doesn’t do much cooking anymore.

It’s great served with barbecue, with fried chicken at a picnic, alongside ham and baked beans, or my personal favorite…

Debi’s Cajun Style Jambalaya

Whatever you serve it with, “Mom’s Best Potato Salad” is a delicious treat!

Chickpea Crumb Encrusted Flounder with Tomato Cream Sauce

March 7, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Do you ever buy an ingredient and then try to decide what to do with it? That’s what happened when I ran across Chickpea Crumbs on one of my monthly grocery shopping trips. I decided to use them to coat flounder filets and they turned out really good! Of course, you can substitute bread or cracker crumbs but if Chickpea Crumbs sounds as intriguing to you as it did to me, give it a try.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

5 from 1 vote

Chickpea Crumb Encrusted Flounder with Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

2 flounder filets, thawed
1/4 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder or granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons Chickpea Crumbs (may substitute dried breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 green onion, finely chopped (optional)

Tomato Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°.
In small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Place flounder filets on greased baking sheet.
Spread each filet with mayonnaise mixture, coating well.
Sprinkle with Chickpea Crumbs. Coating should be fairly thick.
Drizzle with melted butter and bake for 8-12 minutes until fish flakes easily. Time depends on thickness of filet.
Place fish on cooked orzo, rice, couscous or grain of your choice. Spoon Tomato Cream Sauce over fish.

Tomato Cream Sauce

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium high heat.
Add diced onion and cook a couple of minutes until onion begins to soften.
Add ketchup, garlic powder, black pepper and cream.
Reduce heat to low, stir and cook until heated through.

The Chickpea Crumbs don’t impart any particular flavor but they are nice and crunchy. If, like me, you are allergic to nuts these would be a good substitute in recipes calling for crushed nuts to coat meat or fish.

You can substitute any mild, white fish or boneless chicken breasts pounded thin.

This post was selected for Full Plate Thursday. Thank you, Miz Helen!

Debi’s Cajun Style Jambalaya

February 21, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 8 Comments

Into every cook’s life, if they’re lucky, there will come that one recipe that they treasure above all others. It might be a family recipe passed down through the generations, something from a church cookbook, or perhaps that recipe they talked a chef into divulging. Debi’s Jambalaya is my treasured recipe and here is the story behind it.

David and I went to New Orleans in August of 2005. During our time there we met Bryan and Debi Ory of Debi and the Deacons who perform at Tropical Isle on Bourbon Street. We were having such a great vacation that we decided to extend it a couple of days, totally unaware the Hurricane Katrina was headed our way. By the time we realized what was happening it was too late to get an earlier flight. So we did what any reasonable people would do. We bought some bottled water and snacks, stashed them in our hotel room and then went to a hurricane party at Tropical Isle.

Bryan and Debi were performing that night. They already had their van loaded up so they and their four children and Bryan’s mom could evacuate right after they finished their show. We exchanged email addresses, partied for several hours and then wished each other well. You can read more about it here.

We were greatly relieved to receive an email from Bryan letting us know they had made it out of the city safely. Debi later told us that she had watched news footage, scanning the crowds looking for us.

And so I suppose you could say we bonded over a hurricane.

We returned to New Orleans the following April and began to go twice a year, always spending time at Tropical Isle enjoying the music of Debi and the Deacons. And then in 2007, Debi invited us to their house for dinner. She made jambalaya and I swear it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted. A couple of nights later at the bar, during one of their breaks, I asked for the recipe. And the rest is history.

I have no idea how many times I’ve made this over the years. It makes a LOT so it’s perfect when feeding a crowd. I make a pot or two every year at our annual Happyland Music Festival that we host in our backyard and everyone raves about it.

I’ve always been more than happy to share my recipes but this one just felt too special for some reason. A couple of years ago I asked Debi if she’d ever given the recipe to anyone else and she said no. I told her I hadn’t shared it, despite having been asked. Ever generous, she told me it was fine if I wanted to. I said, “Tell me I can’t share it.” She looked a little perplexed for a second and then laughed. “Okay, don’t share it.”. I just wanted to keep it to myself.

So why am I sharing it now? Sadly, Debi passed away a few months ago after a year-long battle with lung cancer. We flew to New Orleans to attend her funeral and during our time there it occurred to me that perhaps it was time to share her jambalaya recipe. I decided to wait a little while and then ask Bryan if it was okay with him.

A couple of weeks later I got a text from Bryan asking if I had the recipe for her jambalaya because he wanted to make some that day. I sent him screen shots of the handwritten recipe and asked if I could share it on my blog as a tribute to Debi. He replied, “That would be awesome.”

Debi loved nothing better than to feed people. She always seemed to have a houseful of people at mealtime – many of her relatives live in the same neighborhood. She also brought food to the bar often for the bartenders and other staff. She was everybody’s mom and always made sure no one went hungry.

I’m sharing this treasured recipe as a way of honoring the memory of a woman who loved everyone and made sure they knew it. Every time I’ve ever made this, I’ve thought of Debi. For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of knowing her, I hope you’ll think of someone you know who embodies love and share it in their honor.

Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

Debi's Cajun Style Jambalaya

Course Main Course

Ingredients

1 whole chicken
3 tablespoons butter
2 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 pounds smoked sausage
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Kitchen Bouquet
8 cups chicken broth (from boiling chicken)
4 cups rice (Zatarain's brand preferred)

Instructions

Place chicken in large pot, cover with water and simmer until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken to platter and allow to cool enough to handle. Pick meat from bones and cut or tear into large, bite-size pieces.
Strain chicken broth. Add water if necessary to equal 8 cups. Set aside
In the same pot you boiled the chicken, melt butter (or combination of butter and olive oil).
Add onions, celery, bell pepper and sliced smoked sausage and cook over medium high heat until onions are translucent and sausage is browned. Add the minced garlic the last minute or two, being careful not to let it burn.
Add chili powder, Creole seasoning, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, and Kitchen Bouquet. Stir to combine.
Add 8 cups of chicken broth then stir in chicken and 4 cups of rice. Bring to a boil. Cover with tight fitting lid.
Put in preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Stir well and serve.

I usually use yellow onions but I’ve got a combination of yellow and red in this photo because that’s what I had.

Debi’s recipe calls for smoked sausage. Sometimes I do that and sometimes I use andouille sausage. Andouille is spicier so I generally use less of it.

After cooking veggies and sausage and adding seasonings

Cooked chicken ready to add to pot

The sausage floats to the top while baking. This is what it will look like right out of the oven.

Here it is after stirring.

And finally, a plate full of deliciousness:

Debi served this with homemade potato salad and that’s what I do, too. Interestingly, her potato salad was almost exactly like my mom’s version. The combination of jambalaya and potato salad is traditional and delicious.

Here is the original recipe. As you can see by the smudges, I’ve used it many, many times. Debi started writing the recipe but didn’t have her glasses. After the word “chicken” she dictated the rest to Bryan. I added “Debi’s Jambalaya” and “preheat 375°”.

Note: The only thing I’ve changed from her original recipe is that she used margarine and I use butter or a combination of butter and olive oil.

If you’d like to know more about Debi:

Debi’s Journey

Bryan writes beautifully about her and the grieving process on this Facebook page.

#LoveLikeDebi

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.

This recipe is linked up on Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday.

How to Cook a Frozen Turkey Breast in an Instant Pot

February 7, 2018 By Deanna Piercy 4 Comments

My favorite meal of the year is the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade cranberry sauce and all the yummy extra side dishes. Delicious! It’s not the sort of meal the average homemaker has time for very often. However, you can still enjoy a tasty turkey dinner on a random Tuesday by cooking a turkey breast in the Instant Pot (or slow cooker). Life changing!

5 from 1 vote

How to Cook a Turkey Breast in an Instant Pot

An easy, no fuss way to have delicious turkey any day of the week.

Ingredients

1 turkey breast, bone-in (frozen or thawed - make sure it will fit in your pot)
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 small onion, thinly sliced (opt.)

Instructions

Remove wrappings and gravy packet (if included) and place turkey breast in Instant Pot on the trivet which comes with it.
Season with garlic salt and pepper.
Tuck 1/2 stick of butter in cavity of turkey breast.
If using onion, place slices around turkey.
Pour chicken broth around turkey and place lid on Instant Pot.
Using "Slow Cook" setting, set timer for 7 hours if thawed, 9 if frozen.
When time is up, check for doneness with instant read thermometer. It should read 165 degrees in the thickest part of the meat.
Carefully remove turkey breast and keep warm.
Strain drippings and use to make gravy if desired.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot you can do the same thing in a slow cooker and in fact, that’s how I’ve done it for years. If the turkey breast is a little too large for your slow cooker, cover tightly with foil and place the lid on top. As it cooks, it will shrink and the lid will fit.

If you are looking for how to cook a whole turkey in the oven, including my easy hack for thawing a turkey, check out this post:

Dee’s Turkey Cooking Instructions

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.