7 Spooky Days of Recipes ~ #5 "Moldy" Cheese Balls

"Moldy" Cheese Balls

 8 ounces neufchatel cream cheese

1 tablespoon Wildtree Onion & Chive Blend

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 cups spinach, shredded

1/4 cup chives, chopped

 

Prepare the Onion & Chive dip as directed before stirring in the Monterey Jack cheese. Spoon out the cheesy dip and roll into balls; approximately 2 tablespoons each. Roll the balls in the shredded spinach and chopped chives until fully covered. Serve with crackers and/or veggies.

 

To order all your spooky groceries, please go to www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com.

Retro Recipe...Chicken a la King

Chicken á la King served over Onion Chive Mashed Potatoes with Steamed Broccoli and Apple Cranberry Jelly.

There are certain recipes that take me back to my childhood...meatloaf and baked potatoes, veal cutlets, baked chicken wings and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding to name a few. And one recipe that will forever remind me of cozy winter nights growing up on Cape Cod is Chicken a la King. I never thought I could enjoy it in my new allergy filled world...until I stumbled upon a recipe from the blog Cognizable. I am always up for trying a recipe that is gluten free, dairy free and egg free! I made some slight adjustments to the original recipe and it was delicious! I honestly believe that has to do with the chicken stock I used, but more about that later. Oliver gave the dinner a thumbs up which is always gratifying as a Mum!

Chicken á la King
(Gluten Free Dairy Free )

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 TBSP dairy free margarine (I used Earth Balance Organic brand)

4 TBSP finely ground brown rice flour
4 cups warmed chicken broth (I used homemade)

1 cup of cooked chicken, chopped

sea salt (or Herbamare) and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
Warm chicken broth in a small sauce pan until slightly steaming, but not boiling.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt the dairy free margarine over medium high heat. Slowly add rice flour one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly and quickly to make a thick, dough-like mixture called a roux.

Slowly pour in chicken broth, continuing to stir constantly and quickly, to incorporate the broth with the roux into a thick, gravy-like mixture. It is important to work fast during this process so that the ingredients blend smoothly. If the base has too much broth, shake in a bit more rice flour one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly.

Reduce temperature to medium heat and continue to stir to avoid scorching. Add cooked chicken, salt and pepper until well combined and warmed throughout. Serve over mashed potatoes seasoned with Wildtree's Onion & Chive Blend, steamed broccoli and Wildtree's Apple Cranberry Jelly

Cook's Notes:

** You can add 1 1/2 cups of sauteed, chopped shiitake mushrooms and 1-2 TBSP of sherry in the final step for added flavor.

** You can also serve Chicken a la King over toasted English muffins with a sprinkle of freshly topped rosemary.

To order any Wildtree products please go to www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com

A Family Favorite...Roast Chicken

This has to be one of my family's all time favorite meals...roast chicken and mashed potatoes. It's a guarantee every time that everyone's tummy and soul will be filled with good food and love ~ the most important ingredient you can use in cooking!

There are no measurements needed for this dish.

Pre-heat an oven to 375 degrees.

Slice an onion into thick rings and create a bed in roasting pan. I like to use a Pampered Chef Rectangular Baker (which are on sale in October) because it browns beautifully. Place a 4 - 5 pound chicken on top of the onions, breast side down. Rub Garlic Grapeseed Oil on it and then sprinkle with Rodeo Rub, CA Garlic Pepper and Hearty Spaghetti Blend. Next, peel and slice some veggies such as carrots, parsnips or rutabagas. Place them around the chicken, drizzle them with Garlic Grapeseed Oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Cook the chicken for 45 minutes and then flip it over, re-season the breast side with oil and herbs just as you did before and place back in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then turn the oven down to 350 and continue cooking until the chicken is beautifully browned and the meat is done. It takes about 30 minutes per pound to roast a chicken. Let the chicken rest for at least 20 minutes before carving it.

Serve with Onion Chive mashed potatoes, butternut squash roasted with garlic grapeseed oil and sea salt, and Wildtree's Apple Cranberry Jelly.

Additional Recipes

Onion Chive Mashed Potatoes

Peel and quarter a couple pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes. Cook them in salted, boiling water until fork tender. Drain and return to pan. Add butter, milk, Wildtree's Onion & Chive Blend and mash until smooth and creamy. I use rice milk and vegan butter. 

Roasted Butternut Squash

Peel, seed and cut a butternut squash into large bite size pieces. Toss them with Wildtree's Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil and sea salt and spread in a single layer on a roasting pan. I prefer to use Pampered Chef's Large Bar Pan for premium caramelization! Place in the oven with the chicken for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the squash is soft and starting to brown.

Cook's Note

To make life simpler, you can roast the chicken entirely right side up from the beginning and skip the flipping part.

'On a Budget' Bundle

Is Whole Foods eating up your whole paycheck?

If you've read the "Value of Wildtree' post, you know that good, healthy food does not have to be expensive. To help you create cheap yet delicious, healthful meals, I have created the 'On a Budget' Bundle. You will receive 9 products plus a recipe booklet that will allow you to make a multitude of dinners!

Perfect Pizza Sauce (Makes over 30 batches of sauce for everything from pizza to stuffed shells.
Quick & Easy Pizza Dough
Sloppy Joe Blend (16 servings)
Rotisserie Chicken Blend (32 servings)
CA Garlic Pepper (One of my favorites and too many servings to count!)
Wicked Good Slow Cooker Sauce
Onion & Chive Blend
Skillet Meal of your choice (Can feed up to 10 people.)
January Gift - Tortilla Soup (6 servings)

Bundle valued at… $75.50
Only pay… $67.50
My Culinary Club Price… $54!

Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese

These potatoes are a perfect accompaniment to one of my freezer meals this month... Old Fashioned Meatloaf!

Smashed Potatoes and Cream Cheese (adapted from Rachel Ray)

Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds small red potatoes or baby Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk 8 ounces plain cream cheese or veggie cream cheese, cut into pieces 1 TBSP Wildtree's Onion & Chive Blend (add more to suit your taste) Salt and pepper

Directions: Boil potatoes until tender, 15 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, drain them and return them to the hot pot to let them dry out a bit. Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and Onion & Chive Blend and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Dilled Scallops with Orange Chive Mayonnaise

 A delicious dinner from the sea with citrus accents!

Dilled Scallops with Orange Chive Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Wildtree’s Butter Grapeseed Oil
1 tsp Wildtree’s Dill Blend
2 TBSP orange flavor liqueur or orange juice
2 TBSP Wildtree’s Onion & Chive Blend
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 cup of mayonnaise
2 lbs sea scallops
4 oranges, sliced
2 tsp grated orange peel

In a small bowl, mix the mayo, onion & chive blend and grated orange peel (this will be used as the flavored mayonnaise). Mix the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and then add the sea scallops. Place the scallops in a grilling basket or tin foil basket. Grill until scallops are white and then serve on top of sliced oranges with orange chive mayonnaise on the side.

To order any of the Wildtree groceries listed please go to www.jenwarr.mywildtree.com.