He cooks: Peach/Apple Crambler

So, Cobbler isn't... enough for me. It needs to have more substance and crumble/crisp is too much. Crisps are too dry and don't work with the fruit well enough. So instead, I try and do something in the middle to get the best of both worlds.

Ingredients:

1 cup Bisquick (To try next time: Cake mix)
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups Fresh Sliced Peaches

Directions

1. Heat Oven to 375
2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Add butter
4. Add milk
5. Add peaches.
6. Dump into a casserole dish
7. Bake for 30 minutes

He cooks: Italian seared Chicken, with Pesto Tomato topping.

So I've been making a home styled "Chicken under a brick" at home for a few years now and it's one of the fastest, easiest, and tasty-ist meals we do at home. Tonight though we wanted something a bit different with Jena's pregnancy cravings and she wanted a Pesto Tomato dish. While looking online, I realized that most dishes want "baked" chicken, which in my opinion is just horrible and most often flavorless. So instead I decided to combine our recipes and make something truly spectacular.

Daddy's Italian Seared Chicken

• Chicken Breasts (Butterflied) 
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper
• Red Pepper
• Onion Powder
• Olive Oil
• Butter

Let the skillet and olive oil get pretty hot. While it's getting hot spice the chicken on one side.
Chicken needs a quick and fast sear on the grill, and the oil should be nice and hot just before the chicken goes in. Add the butter and very soon after the Chicken. Spice the other side while the chicken is in the pan. Always use tongs to turn the chicken, piercing food lets out important moisture. Sear one side, then flip. Sear the other side. If necessary, repeat until chicken is cooked throughout.

Serve over rice or pasta.



Pesto Tomato Topping

• Basil pesto
• Seared Tomatos (with garlic and salt)
• Grated Fresh Mozzarella 

Spoon the Basil Pesto onto the chicken, place the seared tomatoes on top, Top with cheese while in the pan doing the last part of the sear. Let the cheese melt.

If you'd like to get fancy pre heat the oven while cooking the chicken, and pop this in the oven to get a crisper cheese on top.

Serve on top of angel hair.

I'd have pictures but we ate everything to fast. I'll add pictures next time.

He Cooks: Paul's Pork chops (and even better Chicken Simmered)

This was a Sunday favorite of my step-dad while growing up. Pork Chops end up often dry and difficult. So he simmered this for around three hours and they turned out amazing! As I grew up, Jena doesn't like porkchops, so I started doing this with chicken instead. It makes the chicken so tender it just falls apart and tastes amazing. We served onto of Rice, but easily could be tried on a Pasta.

(I'll add pics next time I do this)

Ingredients: (If more desired, use multiple pans)

• About 4 Pork chops OR 2 Defrosted Chicken Breasts and if large, Butterflied (Cut in half through the thickness, making 4 pieces)
• Olive Oil (Or vegetable, canola if that's your thing)
• Chicken Broth
• Chicken Bouillon
• Fresh Garlic
• a whole Sweet Onion
• a Cup or so of flour (I'm tempted to try one of the following Breadcrumbs/Panco Breadcrumbs/Italian Breadcrumbs)
• Pepper
• Garlic Salt
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Lots of Butter (salted)
• I like to add mushrooms

Method:

1. First create a breading with the flour, pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder. Cover the Chicken Breasts thoroughly on each side. (This is often done by drying the breasts or chops and "dipping them in the flour". )

2. Heat the pan with butter and oil. Oil will help keep the butter from burning. Once the pan is rather hot, sear the breaded chicken on both sides until you start to see a good browning. At this point while searing the chicken, I often can't resist doing a quick re-spicing of the Garlic Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder. As always.. spice to taste.

3. Add can of Chicken Broth into the pan, ensure not to wash off the breading. Cover with water and chicken Bouillon (as per the ratio on the Bouillon) and let simmer uncovered on low.

4. Begin the Caramelizing of the Onions.

(https://toddandjena.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=W815aFIBAAA.oxlYz0eqbVT4WqzYbQ0XxGVoESt8XlYH-AXycyVgyvvMuo7y9kxQXpvTbtINFvEBgCYqxZJDLZXYiK7Ic0Q4xA.OSnPPBs6JPgYpQC6CZUu2Q&postId=972292900587017590&type=POST)

As a reminder: 

Heat Oil and butter in a separate skillet
Add Julienned Onions ( I like to add a bit of wine right away instead of later to let the sugars from the wine help the onions along)
When Onions begin to turn golden brown add salt and pepper
Just before they are finished add wine to de-glaze the pan and finish.
With the left overs in the pan, This is when I do a quick saute on the Mushrooms with the left over wine butter sauce. I also add a bit of Garlic Salt and Pepper to the Mushrooms, and add all of it in) 

5. Add the everything else (Fresh Chopped Garlic, Onions and Mushrooms) into the skillet with the porkchops/chicken.

Once simmered, serve on rice or Fetuccini and use the broth mixture to flavor. (could be reduced into a thinker gravy sauce if necessary)

He Cooks: Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

I prefer Chicken Enchiladas to Ground Beef and wanted to continue finding better ways to improve on my previous Enchilada recipes. So now onto Chicken!

Chicken Enchillada Mix

Time: 2 1/2 hours. (Mostly unattended simmering)

Ingredients:

• 3 Large Breasts
• 1 Can of Green Enchillada Sauce
• 1 Can of Green Chillies
• Onion Soup Mix
• 1 cup of Chicken Broth
• 1 Can of Cream of Chicken
• 1 Cup of Sour Cream
• 1 Cup of Frozen Corn
• 1 1/2

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Start by placing the roast in a pot or large saucepan that has a good lid. Pour the water over the roast, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Increase heat to medium/high, and brown the roast on all sides.

Once the water mostly has boiled away, (keep just a bit of the beef water) pour the beef broth, chili powder and Cumin in. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (set a timer!) or until the beef falls apart when you try to pick it up.

Take the beef out of the pan and shred the beef, using 2 forks or your fingers.

Place the now shredded beef back into the pan. There should be some great broth in with the shredded meat, to this add the Crushed Garlic, Garlic Salt, Butter, and Mixed Seasonings. Keep the everything on low, and stir everything together and let sit for a few minutes.

Turn off and let everything come down enough in temperature to use in where ever it's going.