Ham and Lentil Stew

Woo-hoo! Go Ravens!

The Ravens are now Har-Bowl bound, and I couldn't be more excited! Now, the question is, will they bring the Band, or even the Pep Band, to New Orleans? In my dreams!
I had this evening off, and was able to watch the game from the comfort of my home. I prepped tonight's dinner last night, and Tom started it in the crock pot this morning.

Ham and Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 3 cups diced cooked ham
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 2 cups chopped carrot
• 2 cups dried lentils, sorted, rinsed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 1/2 cups Progresso chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)

Directions

1. Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 9 hours.

I think it turned out well, but seemed to be missing something. Maybe salt? But it should be salty enough with the ham, right? And there were seasonings in the chicken broth, so I'm not sure. The lentils had a little hardness to them, also, which I wasn't expecting since I've never had them before. I was expecting a softer bean texture, but got a harder one. Tom liked it, too. He said it was a good, comforting soup, and we both liked the flavor.

Purple Friday - AFC Championships

Woo-hoo! The Ravens are AFC Championships bound! Purple Friday was good, we didn't have to perform outside very much. People were excited, and our stops were pretty good. This picture is from our stop at the Gallery in the Inner Harbor.

I'm the one on the left end in the front row.

Chile Chicken Chowder

In an attempt to get the Saturday crock pot thing at work started, I decided to bring in this recipe from a 2010 Pillsbury newsstand booklet called Slow Cooker. I chose the Chile Chicken Chowder by Sandra Lee.

Chile Chicken Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 pounds uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded), cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped onions, thawed
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 can (14.75 oz) Green Giant® cream style corn
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 can (7 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions

1. In 4-quart slow cooker, stir together all ingredients except half-and-half and cilantro until combined.
2. Cover; cook on High heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
3. Stir in half-and-half. Spoon into soup bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Despite needing a little salt, I think it was delicious. The chile flavor was not overpowering, and I was concerned about that because I couldn't find a 7 oz. can of chiles, and ended up using 2-4.5 oz. cans. Everyone said they loved it, and one girl said she might bring in something next week - I'll try to have something on standby, just in case.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Tonight, for dinner I started this year's New Year's resolution, and tried out a new recipe that I found on Pinterest for Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half (like you're butterflying, but finish the cut)
• 12 slices deli honey ham
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 pounds thinly sliced Swiss cheese

Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter; set aside.
3. Lay the chicken breast halves in a single layer in the baking dish. Top each breast with two slices of ham and 2 slices of Swiss cheese. It's okay for the ham and cheese to overlap, as long as the entire breast is covered. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top of the chicken.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (clear juices), the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are golden brown.
5. While the chicken bakes, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a roux, cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly, make sure there are no clumps. Stir in the bouillon and salt. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm.
6. Remove chicken from oven, plate, and top with sauce.

We really enjoyed it. Tom even went back for seconds! Tom loved how the breading stayed crunchy, and the overall flavor - but he didn't try the sauce. I know the sauce doesn't look pretty in my picture (I left it on the stove too long and it got too thick), but it was delicious.

Ravens vs. Colts

Today's Wild Card Playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts was pretty awesome.

It helps that the Ravens won, and will continue on in the playoffs, but since it was Ray Lewis' last home game, it was especially bittersweet.

After the games, an area is set up in front of the band for interviews, and we usually leave the stadium before the interviews happen, but we were late leaving today, and Ed Reed came out for an interview. He got his picture taken with the flagline, and interacted with one of the drum majors.

When I got home, I took a quick nap, and headed over to the Tidewater for our annual Employee Appreciation Party. It was good times, with eating, drinking, and dancing to the tunes of DJ RedFox. I got this fun gift in the Chinese Gift Exchange.

Tom was kind enough to drive me therre and come get me afterwards so I could "have fun." I did.

Purple Friday - Playoff Edition

Woo hoo, the Ravens are going to the playoffs! I really didn't think they'd make it, but they pulled it out. And since they did, there was a Purple Friday Caravan.

Our stops were, of course, sponsors of the Ravens and assorted schools. We stopped at a Greene Turtle, a couple of elementary schools, a Smyth's jeweler, some M&T Bank locations, a couple of Verizon and Giant grocery stores, Hightopp's Grille, and Bill Bateman's Bistro. Along the way, logos got spray painted on the pavement.

It's always a long day, but worth it to see the fans!

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone's holidays went well, and that the New Year started out right. Last year, I resolved to cook a new recipe every week, but as things got hectic at the restaurant, I amended that to trying out at least 52 new recipes this year, with one a week as a general guideline. For once, I was successful! I didn't know until today, when I returned to work, that I even exceeded my goal with 54 new recipes! That being said, I think I'll try it again this year. I'm also resolving to lose weight. I've been pretty cavalier about my weight for many years, but for Christmas, Tom got me a Fitbit, which is a fancy pedometer that tracks on-line and you can even track your food, weight, and sleep patterns. I'm excited to see how that all works out, and if I can stick with these resolutions.