About Chatty Kathy

Living in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in BC, we have an abundance of fresh food to cook with, and believe me, I do! We have 5 daughters, 3 grand daughters, and lots of honorary daughters ...I love cooking for family and friends and they all keep me busy in the kitchen. Here is hoping that this blog will allow my entire family to access those recipes they ask for, and maybe even enjoy a few travel photos!

Creamy Chicken & Mushroom Soup

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

On a cool night, this creamy soup is just perfect.

I forgot to add the chicken tonight, and it was still delicious. It could be completely vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup cream

GARNISH:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 sprig rosemary
slivered green onions
cooked and crumbled bacon

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to the stockpot and cook until golden, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.
Melt butter in the stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, bay leaf and chicken thighs, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
Stir in half and half until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, rosemary, green onions and bacoN, if desired.

Chicken Mushroom soup 2

I used crimini and white white mushrooms tonight, but you could use any mushroom.

Chicken Mushroom Soup 3

I love the way soups are taken over the top with the garnishes.

Raspberry Macaroons

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

So pretty, these raspberry macaroons are absolutely delicious.

1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar, divided
1 Package (6 ounces) Driscoll’s Raspberries
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
4 packed cups unsweetened shredded or fine flake coconut (7 ½ ounces/212g)
1 Tsp. salt
1 Tsp. vanilla extract
6 Ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 Tsp. coconut oil

PREHEAT oven to 325˚F.
LINE two baking sheets with parchment paper.
PLACE 1/4 cup sugar to a medium bowl.
ADD 1 package raspberries.
MASH mixture with a fork or muddler until berries are broken down.
SET ASIDE raspberry mixture to macerate, about 2 minutes.
PLACE remaining 1 cup sugar into bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.
ADD 4 eggs whites.
WHISK mixture on high speed until foamy.
ADD raspberry mixture, 4 cups coconut, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
WHISK until well combined.
ADD more coconut as needed to make sure all liquid is absorbed into mixture.
Depending on how juicy your raspberries are, it may take up to a cup of additional coconut in order to get the right texture.
SCOOP 2-tablespoon-sized macaroons onto prepared baking sheets.
PRESS and PAT surface of macaroons with fingertips to ensure they look tidy and don’t crack while baking.
BAKE for about 30 minutes or until the tops are dry and lightly golden brown and ROTATEsheets halfway through bake.
PLACE baking sheets onto cooling racks.
Bake until just lightly golden.
ALLOW macaroons to cool for about 10 minutes.
PLACE 6 ounces dark chocolate into a microwave safe bowl.
ADD 1 teaspoon coconut oil.
HEAT chocolate mixture in microwave for 15 seconds.
STIR chocolate mixture.
CONTINUE heating and stirring chocolate in microwave in brief intervals until completely melted.
DIP bottoms of macaroons into melted chocolate.
DRIZZLE tops of macaroons with remaining melted chocolate as desired.
CHILL macaroons in refrigerator until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes.
ALLOW macaroons to come to room temperature before serving.

I watched a video on Instagram from feedfeed, and they made these macaroons with blackberries – they looked so delicious, and I had everything already in the house, as long as I worked with raspberries instead of blackberries – the recipe came from Driscoll’s Berry website.

Beautiful Barley Bowl

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

This bright and beautiful bowl is packed with intense flavour and crunchy bits along with the chewy barley combined alongside pickled radish & ginger.

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup miso paste
4 tsp honey
3 tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp wasabi paste
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup minced cilantro (use the stems!)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and give it a good whiz until it is bright and creamy.

Gather all the dressing ingredients together and it will take just a few minutes to combine.

Use the stems of the cilantro, that is where the most flavour is – mince it first before blending.

Bright, fresh, green – this dressing is a flavour packed bomb. I’m sure it would be great on anything as well as this bowl …. I’m going to put it to use in whatever way I can find.

Pickled Radish:

6-8 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Slice radishes, and sprinkle with salt and sugar, then pour the rice vinegar over. Allow the radishes to sit for at least 10 minutes.

Barley:

4 cups water
1 tsp chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp miso paste
1 1/2 cups pearl barley

Bring water, miso and stock to a boil, then add the barley. Bring to a slow gentle boil and allow barley to cook until just tender – about 25-30 minutes. Rinse under cool water and allow to drain.

This recipe was inspired by Whitewater Cooks, and her Beautiful BC Bowl with salmon ….but you can do whatever you like with it.

YOUR BOWL:

If you are cooking a protein, marinade in some of the dressing, and then grill until cooked. Grilling is by far the best – the honey will stick to any fry pan you use!

This is as customizable as your fridge! Use what you’ve got – tonight we had leftover flank steak so that made our protein, but honestly without a protein you will enjoy this just as much.

Assemble bowl with the barley, protein of choice and an assortment of toppings. Tonight we used:

roasted peanuts
roasted sesame seeds
avocado
sliced snow peas
halved cucumber slices
slivered green onions
sautéed mushrooms
sautéed red onions & sweet peppers
cilantro, roughly chopped
nori sheets – roasted lightly and slivered

Everything about this bowl is a delight! Customize it to your tastes.

Oven Roasted Chicken Breasts

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

These chicken breasts will convince you that a quick delicious meal can be on your table in 20-30 minutes. In the time this takes to roast you can have some rice made and vegetables sautéed for a complete dinner.

These chicken breasts were so moist that the juices just glistened.

JUICY CHICKEN BREASTS – super easy, super quick and delicious!

Always season your chicken breast, not just salt and pepper but choose your favorite spices and herbs. Make sure to pat the chicken dry first before seasoning because moisture causes steam which will prevent your chicken from browning.
Don’t be afraid to add a little bit of fat like olive oil or butter. Chicken breasts need some fat to keep them juicy and flavorful.

If you’ve got the time, brine your chicken for 2 to 4 hours in a solution made with water, salt and other things you may prefer like soy sauce or beer. Basic brine ratio is 1 tbsp salt to 1 cup of water.
Baking time can vary depending on the thickness of the breasts, so invest in an instant read thermometer for best results. Cooking time is generally 20 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165 F degrees.
It’s important to take it out of the oven right then and allow it to rest for all those juices to evenly distribute throughout the chicken breast.
Save the pan drippings and use them to drizzle over the chicken for extra flavor!

I used paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasonings as well as salt and pepper. The secret is to use way more seasoning than you think you will need, and top with a pat of butter. That butter seeps down into the chicken and also helps to create those delicious pan juices.

I don’t usually love plain chicken breasts without stuffing, or crispy skin but these breasts are so moist and delicious I loved them, and so will you. I found this recipe on “Jo Cooks” and couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was for this amount of flavour.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1½ cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup cranberries
1 cup coconut, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make sure you beat the butter, sugar, egg & vanilla mixture until it is fluffy before stirring in the dry ingredients. Only stir until everything is combined.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
In a bowl of a standup mixer, cream together the sugars and butter. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Slowly add the flour mixture and continue to mix in batches. Stir in the coconut, oats, cranberries and walnuts.

Using a 1¼” cookie scoop (or small spoon) drop small balls on a ungreased cookie sheet spacing 2″ apart. Bake for 12-14 min. or until golden brown. Cool on cookie racks. Store in airtight containers. Will freeze well.

Crispy on the edges, chewy in the middle, these oatmeal coconut cookies are fantastic!

Bright Crunchy Thai salad with Peanut Lime Dressing

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Brighter skies, longer days, and warm temperatures mean I’m looking for meals that are lighter and feel so good to eat! The flavours of this dressing are so good you are going to want a big batch to keep in the fridge – use it to dip any fresh vegetables in.

Served tonight with some lightly garlic buttered prawns …. a perfect meal.

Dressing

juice of 2 limes
zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp Ponzu sauce
3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 – 2 tsp grated or minced garlic (to your taste)
1 tbsp grated or minced ginger
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup cilantro (the stems are perfect for this, they pack so much flavour – just mince a bit before putting in the blender
1/3 cup roasted peanuts

Combine all ingredients in blender and whiz up until smooth and creamy.

Gather up all the vegetables that scream fresh to you and make an awesome crunchy salad.

Lightly seasoned cashews make a fantastic crunchy topping!

In a frypan combine:

1 1/3 cups cashews
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp sesame oil

Toss and heat until cashews are lightly browned and then cook for a further minute with:

1 tbsp honey
zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp black sesame seeds (lightly toasted)

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

This dressing makes more than you will need. If you want to make a complete meal out of this, then scoop out about 1/2 cup and marinate a protein for grilling. It works equally well with flank steak or chicken. I haven’t tried it with tofu, but I’m sure it would be great. Grill steak or chicken and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing. Cool before serving with the salad.

Chocolate Chip Crisp Cookies

Posted on April 1, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Cookies are such a treat! You can convince yourself (quite easily) that you are eating a nutritious cookie with the addition of wheat germ and rolled oats ….. (insert eye roll).

1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar (granulated)
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup large flake rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 – 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand held blender, beat the butter for 1 minute. Beat in the sugars until the mixture is quite light and fluffy. Scape down the sides and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend well between the 1st and 2nd egg. Beat in the vanilla and remove the bowl from the stand.

You can see how fluffy the butter, sugars and eggs are – now is the time to work it by hand.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry mixture just until combined. Stir in the oats, cereal and wheat germ. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

You don’t want to over mix cookie dough – stir just until combined.

Drop the batter in heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should be able to get about 12 cookies on a regular cookie sheet.

What are those coloured bits you ask? I had coloured rice crisps …..

One sheet at a time, bake in the centre of the oven until set and lightly browned around the edges. My oven took 11 minutes, but check after 9 – ovens can be so different! Cool the cookies on the sheet, set on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before removing to a separate wire rack to cool completely.

The results are best if you allow the cookie sheet to cool slightly before putting the next batch on to bake.

So many schools have restrictions on nuts these days – you could always replace the pecans with raisins (but not in this house) or dried cranberries.

Soft Dinner Buns

Posted on March 31, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

Admit it, you wish your house smelled this good right now!

April 1 is tomorrow, and that’s our Auntie Elsie’s birthday, or it would have been if she was still with us. We miss her every day, and while I was busy thinking of her I felt that need to make some soft white dinner buns, the kind she used to bring to every family dinner as a treat. This dough is soft and tasty, and the texture is perfect. Pretty sure she would have been proud of this effort!

Step 1:

1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 tsp. honey
6 tsp. butter
2 tsp. salt

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl and cool.

Step 2:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (not too warm, you’ll kill the yeast)
3 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. fast rising yeast

Dissolve the water and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let sit.

Step 3:

2 eggs, well beaten
6-7 cups unbleached white flour

Just waiting for this yeast to bloom a little more and I’ll be ready to start combining everything.

Mix the eggs into the first (Step 1) mixture once it has cooled to room temperature.
Add 1 cup of flour to this mixture and stir well.
Add the yeast mixture (Step 2) to the bowl and stir to incorporate.
Gradually add the remaining flour, cup by cup, until the dough gets too difficult to stir in the bowl. At this point, on a floured surface (your counter), empty the dough and knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. You will need to keep the surface floured to prevent it from sticking.
Place the dough into a greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and place in a draft-free warm area to rise.

This dough is so soft, I can taste it already….

It’s true. I’m that dork that has a re-usable cover for raising yeast dough.

Let the dough rise until doubled (about 40 minutes) and punch it down. Repeat this process once.

Yes, the yeast and time has done it’s job.

Time to release the dough and form buns.

Preheat your oven to 350 F and grease two 9x 13 baking trays (the ones with the small sides). You can use any shape of pan you want in actual fact. Cut off pieces of dough that are approximately 1/2 cup in size (doesn’t have to be exact!) and form into buns. I keep my fingers slightly floured and tuck the dough under as I stretch the dough to make it smooth on top, but you can use whatever technique you like!
Place the buns about a 1/2 inch apart on the greased pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Use this recipe for whatever you like! Today I made mini pizza shells for the grandkids to make lunches with. I call it the organic look when they aren’t all uniform in size and shape….

A tray of these is welcome at any dinner.

I thought I had Auntie Elsie’s original recipe, but couldn’t find it. This recipe is from “Fraiche Nutrition” and if you haven’t been to her website, well – get on over there. It is packed with delicious and nutritious recipes and tips.

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

I can’t tell you how light and fluffy this popcorn chicken coating is. It comes down to the potato starch I think. All the aromatics seep into the chicken with this marinade and every bite is a burst of flavour. You might think I made a quick trip to Taiwan for this recipe ….. but you’d be wrong. We tasted this first in Huatulco, Mexico and dreamt of it until I figured out how to make it.

Mercader Restaurant in Santa Cruz Huatulco, is where we first tasted this incredible bite of chicken. The owner/operators have travelled extensively and bring flavours from all over the world to play with Mexican ingredients.

Chicken
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

Marinade
1 medium head of garlic
1/2-inch ginger
3 green onions, white and 1-inch of the green part, minced
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon sweet potato starch
1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Coating
1 egg
1/2 cup cold water
2-3 cups sweet potato starch

Oil for frying.

Directions
Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks and place in large bowl. Make the marinade by mincing or forcing the garlic through a press into a small bowl. Add the minced green onions, soy sauce, Mirin, 5-spice, white pepper, sweet potato starch and cayenne pepper, stir to form a paste and then scrape into the bowl with the chicken. Mix to coat all the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, and stir together in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken as well.

Stir the chicken pieces into the marinade, and cover. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

Once the chicken is done marinating, place the eggs in medium sized bowl with the 1/2 cup of water. Beat together with a fork. Place the sweet potato starch in another medium sized bowl.

I had an egg white in the fridge today. so used just that instead of a whole egg.

Heat the frying oil in a sauté pan or wok until it reaches 350˚F. Using chopsticks or tongs, dip the chicken first in the watery egg mixture then in the starch and fry the chicken pieces without crowding them too much for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Try not to overcrowd the pan, I usually fry about 6-8 pieces at a time in the wok and 8 – 10 pieces in my 10” sauté pan.

Don’t overcrowd the oil or the temperature will drop.

Season with the salt and white pepper as soon as it comes out of the fryer.

Make a dipping sauce to take this over the top. Combine sweet soy sauce, spicy oil, a bit of sesame oil, sliced garlic and green onions.

Addictive.

I found this recipe on a great website, “Eat the love”, and it’s perfect. My only addition is the dipping sauce. I’m hope that I can also find the sweet potato starch he uses, but so far I’ve only been able to find regular potato starch.

Kale & Mushroom Risotto

Posted on March 26, 2019 by Chatty Kathy

I love this risotto! It has just a hint of parmesan, rather than being driven by parmesan richness. It is creamy, and a delicious side dish. Add some grilled prawns and you’ve got a complete meal.

This creamy risotto packs a vegetable punch with loads of kale and mushrooms.

6 to 8 cups chicken broth
2 cups mushrooms
1 large shallot
1 bunch kale
2½ tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
¾ cup white wine or brandy
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
½ tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Place broth in a medium sauce pan and heat to a simmer; reduce heat and keep warm.

Clean and chop the mushrooms and kale. Mince the shallot.

This photo may not show enough kale, but I usually have equal amounts of kale and mushrooms.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet, pot or Dutch oven, heat 2½ tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add the shallot, mushrooms, kale, and ½ teaspoon salt, reduce heat to medium, and cook until translucent, stirring often, about 3 minutes.

Love the bright kale against the earthy mushrooms.

Add 1½ cups Arborio rice and stir to combine, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add ¾ cup white wine. Cook, stirring, until liquid is almost evaporated, a few minutes.

At this point, you’re ready to start adding the broth. Add ½ cup warmed broth to skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until broth is almost absorbed. Repeat, gradually adding broth ½ cup at a time and stirring, until rice is tender but still al dente and sauce is creamy (you may not need all the broth). The process should take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Stir in ¾ cup Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until combined (or turn off the heat and cover the dish for a few minutes). Remove from heat and season to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan cheese.

This is very flexible – tonight’s version included crimini and Portobello mushrooms, but you could use any variety you like. To make a vegetarian version use vegetable stock. Make sure you love the flavor of your stock, so important to the finished product. This will lose its creaminess if you can’t serve it right away, so keep a little of the warmed broth if you need to soften it up a bit.

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