Layered Veggie Bowl

Perfect For When You’re Craving A Taste Of Spring

Spring is theoretically coming, and it has us craving veggies! Fresh peas, green beans, lettuce! We want soft spring breezes and the chance to work in our gardens! Although most of the vegetables in the recipe are typically ripe in late summer to early fall, we are craving vegetables, given how weird the weather has been lately. Boost up your vitamins and enjoy plenty of protein as well with this delicious and layered dish.

• Ingredients

  1 red pepper

  1 green pepper

  1 stalk celery

  3 Roma tomatoes

  1 can roasted corn

  1 can chunk chicken

  1 cup cooked chickpeas

  3 cups spinach

  2 Tbsp butter, divided

  1 Tbsp garlic

  1 tsp garlic salt

  1 Tbsp fresh black pepper

  1 avocado, chopped

• Ingredients For The Dressing

  ¼ c sour cream

  2 Tbsp lemon juice

  ¼ tsp red wine vinegar

  1 tsp corn syrup

  ½ tsp smoked paprika

  ¼ tsp cumin

  ¼ tsp salt

  ¼ tsp chili powder

  ¼ tsp smoked chipotle pepper

• Tools

  Knife

  Cutting board

  Frying pan

  Deep heavy-bottomed pot

  Whisk

To start out, grab your peppers and tomatoes and dice them up into even pieces. Set those aside in a large bowl and grab your celery. Give your celery a rough chop and toss it into the bowl as well. 

If you can get fire-roasted corn for this recipe, that’s the best option for the flavor. If you can’t, or if you’re in the mood to be adventurous, you can always make your own ahead of time. If you purchased the corn, drain it of the liquid and set it aside. 

Next up, rinse and drain your 1 cup of cooked chickpeas; we don’t advise saving the aqua faba for this recipe, although you can use it in a variety of other recipes. 

Finally, we’re done with prepping the ingredients! Now grab your frying pan, set it over high heat, and melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Once it’s fully melted, toss in 1 Tbsp of minced garlic, and sear it. Then toss in your spinach, turning the heat down to let it wilt. Once the spinach has wilted, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. 

Next up, grab a deep, heavy-bottomed pot. Go ahead and toss in another Tbsp of butter and let it melt. Once it’s melted, add in your peppers, celery, and tomato. Once the peppers are soft, add the corn to the pot and heat thoroughly. When all you can smell is corn, you’ll know you’ve got it heated all the way.

Now add in your chickpeas, cover the pot, and allow the chickpeas to heat fully. Keep an eye on your pan, stirring occasionally as you might need to add more butter to keep everything from sticking. 

Take your can of chunk chicken, drain it, and break it up, then season it with garlic salt and fresh black pepper. Stir that into your veggie mixture, and then add the cover and allow it to warm while you make the dressing.

In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream, corn syrup, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, cumin, salt, chili powder, smoked chipotle pepper, and smoked paprika, whisking thoroughly. 

You can add additional sour cream if you want to soften the spices or a very small quantity of water if you want to thin it out. 

To serve, take a bowl and layer in the spinach, the veggie & chicken mixture, and top with the dressing and avocado. 

We can see this recipe being taken in a number of different ways. You might bulk it up by layering in even more spinach or adding in bulgar wheat. You could go full tilt on the tomatoes and add in both roasted and sun-dried tomatoes. The two of them work together along with the fresh to bring in multiple different complex textures and flavors.  Alternately, you can layer this over short-grain rice or top it with croutons if you need to ensure carbs. Let us know what you come up with over on our Facebook page! 

When you’re done, you’ve got nothing to worry about when it comes to cleaning up, everything wipes out nice and easy, and your dishwasher shouldn’t have any trouble.  If it does give you trouble, though, of the “my dishwasher isn’t getting things clean anymore!” variety, we can help. At Appliance Rescue Service, we’ll work with you to set up an appointment that works with your schedule. We’ll send out one of our expert technicians to diagnose the problem and move forward with a plan that works for you. To solve your major appliance problems, give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or head over to our contact page today. 

Jalapeno Chicken Bowtie Pasta

Warm enough to get you through winter, hearty enough to keep you healthy in spring.

We’re well into the coldest part of winter, getting hammered from all sides with cold weather and we need something to warm up! This week’s recipe is a great recipe if you’re fighting off a cold or are just sick of the cold. It’s got the same basics as a good chicken noodle soup with some extra added kick to it. 

Ingredients: 

1 medium yellow onion

3 large carrots

3 celery stalks 

salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves 

2 Tbsp butter

3 chicken breasts

1 pt of heavy cream

1 bay leaf

Fresh parsley

1 tsp of thyme 

chicken bullion 

1 lb bowtie pasta 

jalapeno slices 

Tools: Two large pots, a blender or food processor, a cutting board, slotted spoons and a few bowls 

Recipe: 

To get us started, grab a paper towel and wet it with cold water in your sink. Lay it next to your cutting board, and then grab your onion. Chop the onion into large quarters, remove the outer skin, and be amazed that your eyes aren't watering, thanks to the paper towel. Does it sound weird? yes. Does it work? Also yes. This is a trick we use all the time in our own kitchens for the ARS staff. Put the onions aside into a large bowl, and take up your carrots. You can choose to skin them, or just give them a quick scrub, it's up to you. Once you've prepped them, go ahead and give your carrots a few rough chops, breaking them down into thirds.  Do the same with your celery in terms of prep, and make sure not to leave any of the leaves on. 

Go ahead and turn your stove on high and place your large pot on the stove, tossing in 2 Tbsp of butter. Let that melt down, and then add salt and fresh cracked pepper to the pan. While that's going, take your garlic cloves, nip off the top, bottom, and the skins, and then quickly mince them. Toss that into the pan, and stir until the garlic is aromatic. At that point, add in your onion, carrots and celery, turn the heat down to medium, and let it sit. You're going to let the vegetables simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, to allow them to start softening and cooking. 

Once your onions are halfway to translucent, fill the pot with water and add in the chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the water has reduced by half. 

Turn the burner off and grab two different bowls. One bowl is just for the chicken. The second bowl is for all of the vegetables. Take up your slotted spoon and remove all of the vegetables from the stock. Make sure to lose as little stock as possible, as it's the base for the sauce.  From here, grab your blender or food processor and pour in your vegetables. You might have to do this in batches, you might not. Either way, add about 1/2 cup of stock to the blender, just to make it easier, and set the machine to chop. Once you've got the vegetables much smaller, you can switch over to blend and let the machine work until you have a smooth puree. Pour your puree back into the pot, and return the pot to medium heat. 

Pour 1 pint of heavy cream into the pot, give it a stir, and taste. This is the stage to add spices in. Add in 1 bay leaf, a few sprigs of fresh parsley, and 1 tsp of thyme. Give that a stir and let it bubble for a few minutes, then taste. At this point, we realized we needed more chicken and add in 1 tablespoon of chicken bullion, but you might not. Let the pot continue to bubble, reducing further until you have a thick sauce that stays on the spoon when you lift it out. As this works, you'll also want to skim the top and scrape the bottom occasionally to remove anything from building up. 

When the sauce is nice and thick, grab a second pot and add water, plus enough salt to make it as salty as the ocean. Bring that to a roiling boil and add in your bowtie pasta. Set a timer for six minutes, and go back to your cutting board. This time you're going to be tackling the chicken and being much more uniform than we were earlier in the recipe. Chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks, or you can shred it depending on how easily it's falling apart. Eitherway, once that's done, toss it into the sauce pot and give it a good stir to incorporate it. 

By now your pasta should be done, take that off the burner, strain it and add the pasta to the sauce. Give that a stir and let it simmer until the pasta is fully cooked. 

While that's finishing up, you've got one final choice to make. Do you like your food spicy or really spicy? If you like it just a little spicy, dish out the jalapenos in small dishes set to the side of each bowl. If you like it really spicy, add the jalapenos and the juice they come in into the main pot and let that mix. 

Either way you prefer it, once your pasta is fully cooked, congrats! You've got a healthy and delicious meal that no one will suspect has a whole bunch of veggies hidden in it. 

Let us know over on our Facebook page if you plan to give this one a try! We'd love to see how it turns out. 

If your appliances are giving you trouble, you can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). At Appliance Rescue Service, we're here for you and want to help you get your home running smoothly again.

Cajun Rice to Feed a Horde.

Or At Least Everyone You Know And Love

I Don’t Care! Take Me To The Recipe!

We're making Cajun Rice this week! For anyone that knows Cajun food, you know it's a highly subjective food with recipes being very subjective. We've tried to make our recipe a bit more standardized, but you can still add or take away as you see fit. This week's recipe is for feeding a crowd. So grab your largest pot and get ready to make some food that will have everyone asking "hey, when are you going to make that again?" 

Ingredients:

2 Large Green Bell Peppers

2 Large Red Bell Peppers

1 Large Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper

1 Medium Yellow Onion

2 Stalks of Celery 

4 Roma Tomatoes

2 Tbsp Salted Butter 

2 cups Long Grain Rice *

4 Cups of Chicken Broth *

2 cups of black beans ( cooked, or canned and drained) 

2 Links of Smoked Sausage 

3 Large Chicken Breasts

1 lb of De-veined shrimp 

Spices: +

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

• 1 teaspoon ground paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

• 1 bay leaf

• *1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Tools: LARGE pot, cutting board, chef's knife, measuring bowls, large bowl for holding foods during prep, long handled spoon. 

*Since this recipe is (in theory) sized for feeding 4-5 people, if you want to buff it up, it's going to be the rice and the stock that are the easiest to add to. For every 1/2 cup of dry rice that you add, add a full cup of stock for the recipe. 

+ Spices, much like the recipe as a whole, are very subjective. So, if you want to add things in, go for it. Just remember to always go with a little bit at first before adding more. 

Recipe

Start by grabbing your cutting board, and laying your veggies out. You'll want to be careful about cleaning out the peppers as the seeds are horrible when cooked. Cut the tops of your peppers off, cut them into either quarters or thirds, depending on the number of bumps on the bottom of the pepper. Remove the pith and the seeds, and set them aside for your favorite gardener. Now cut them into strips, about a 1/4 wide, and cut each strip into chunks. Do this with all of your peppers and toss them into a bowl for the time being.  

Grab your yellow onion and dice that up into a consistent dice. Next up grab your celery and slice it up into consistent slices.  Add both of those into the bowl and give everything a quick toss. 

Chop up your tomatoes and set them aside in a separate bowl for the time being, we'll come back for those later. 

Now, grab your bowl of peppers and onions and head over to your stove. Turn on the heat to high and toss 2 tablespoons of butter in, letting that melt down. Once it's melted, add in your vegetables and grab your spoon to start turning. You want to sauté the veggies until the onion is transparent. 

Now, scoop out your veggies and set them to the side. Give your cutting board and knife a quick wash and grab your various meats.  If you haven't cooked your sausage and chicken already, grab a separate pan and do that now. Make sure to wash the pan after every round to ensure food safety. Check the bottom of the page for temperatures for both meats. 

 If you've already got your meats all cooked to the appropriate temperatures, it's time to chop them up. 

For your sausage, slice it into 1/4 slices, and then chop those in half. 

For your chicken, go ahead and slice the chicken breasts in half width wise, and then cut them into chunks about an inch in size.  (So, essentially, you'll butterfly your chicken at first.) 

Once that's taken care of, add your broth and spices to the pot and give everything a quick stir.  Turn the heat to high and wait until your pot begins to boil. At that point,  grab a spoon and give it a quick taste. Does it taste good? Do you need to adjust the spices? Do that now. 

Now, add in your rice give it another stir, and let the pot come back up to a boil. Once it's boiling again, turn the heat down to low, add in your sausage, chicken, beans, tomatoes and shrimp and put the lid on. Keep it on low for 25 minutes, giving it a stir every 5 minutes or so, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice. 

Once the time is up, push everything to the outer edges and see if you can find any additional broth on the bottom. If you can, then you need to keep cooking for 5 more minutes, making sure to keep the lid on. If not, tell everyone to come to the table, because the meal is ready. 

Let us know in the comments below or over on our Facebook if you decide to give this a try! We’d love to hear how it goes and anything you add to it. 

If you ended up here because you need help with your refrigerator, washer, dryer, stove, oven or any of your other major appliances, we can still help. In fact that’s kind of a real business. We just provide recipes for fun. So, if any of those major appliances have broken down recently, or are just acting funny, we can help get your them back into tip-top shape. Give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or visit our appointment page.

Seared Ravioli With Italian Chicken

Comfort Food That Works On The Run

Welcome back to that lovely time every year where the weather has no better idea what it's doing than we do! Even the professionals appear to be clueless. Centuries of weather research and technology, and still the best we can do is educated guesses.

This week, let's do a recipe that can be a comfort food on chilly, rainy, dreary days... But that doubles as something easily portable in the event the weather is actually pleasant and the games or outdoor plans are good to go. (We've all had those nights, haven't we? The ones where we're sure beyond sure that the soccer games would be cancelled, only to hear from the coach two hours beforehand that the field is dry enough for the kids to play? That's just our house?)

Let's make some seared ravioli with Italian chicken!

Ingredients:

1 25 ounce package frozen cheese ravioli (or 48 ounce, depending on how much your family eats per meal)

1 pound thin chicken cutlets or tenderloins (again, adjust to how much your family eats)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 10 ounce bottle Italian salad dressing

1 8 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 of a small yellow onion

1 zucchini

2 cups fresh spinach

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

salt and pepper, to taste

Tools:

Knife, cutting board, dutch oven or deep pot with lid, colander, mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons

Fill your pot up with water, plop the lid on it and turn up the heat - we'll have to boil your ravioli for a few minutes to start off. But we can make use of the time we'll spend waiting for it to boil. Whatever you do, don't check on it too frequently. Surely you know a watched pot won't boil (okay, it will, but why bother staring at it? It's boring).

While we're waiting for the water to come up to a boil - and totally not looking at it, right? - take the half an onion and your zucchini and dice them up. Smaller chunks for pickier eaters, just like the last few veggie recipes (or if you really want to hide them, shred them with a grater). Open and drain your can of tomatoes. Put your tomato and zucchini together into the mixing bowl and set them aside for later. If you've grated the onion, you can add that here, too - but if it's diced, you'll want to sauté it. We'll address that in a later step.

By now the water should be boiling. Drop in your frozen ravioli - being mindful of the splashes, of course - and set the timer for about two minutes shy of however long the package says they'll take. For example, if the package says five minutes, it's wiser to go with three minutes for the purposes of this recipe. You can always cook them a little longer if necessary, but you can't un-boil them if you overdo it.

Once your ravioli are par-cooked, drain them into the colander and put the pot back on the burner. Add that olive oil to the pan and once it's back up to medium heat, put in your chicken. Sear the chicken for about five minutes each side. We find it helpful to put the lid on while the chicken is cooking, since it usually means fewer oil spatters to clean up later.

After you've cooked your chicken (if you're not sure, check it with a meat thermometer!), drop your diced onion into the pot and sauté it until it's translucent. (This adding-onions step only applies if you did, in fact, dice your onion instead of grating. If you grated it, skip to the next step. No, that's not an excuse to skip checking if your chicken is done.) 

Make sure you still have some oil left in the pan. If not, add a little more, because we're about to add pasta. Ravioli sticking to the pan at this stage will lead to ravioli pieces after the next step, so this ‘checking for oil’ thing is highly important for presentation value. Take your ravioli from the colander and add them to the pan in a single layer. Keep the heat on medium and sear the outsides of them. Flip once you can both smell and hear them getting a good sizzle on. You might need to remove them to make room for another wave - if you do remove some, put them in a covered dish to keep them warm, and allot a little extra time when you mix everything together just to make sure they're as warm as the rest of the meal.

When your ravioli are nice and toasty, go ahead and pour in your vegetable mix from a few steps ago. This is a good time to add your seasonings (the garlic powder, parsley, oregano, marjoram, salt and pepper) too, and to add back any ravioli you may have had to set aside. Add in your spinach, and give it a good stir - we want to wilt the spinach, but we don’t want it to disintegrate. Cover the pot again and let everything simmer for about three or four minutes.

Now comes the fun part. Taste test! Everyone reacts differently to seasonings, and everyone's preferences are individual. That's why we saved that Italian dressing until the very end. The dressing is a very punchy taste, and it can quickly take over a dish if you aren't careful. So add however much or little you prefer to your portion, and allow the rest of your family to do the same. That should prevent the worst of the "I don't like it" faces from the kids and veggie haters.

So, what’s your opinion on this one? Does it sound tasty enough for a weeknight attempt? Or are you still a little unsure? Let us know in the comments below or over on  our Facebook page. We’d love to hear from you. 

And if maybe your appliances are making you make some faces, give us a call. We can't fix it if your face gets stuck like that (thanks, Mom) - but we can do something about the machines. You can get hold of us at our website, or by calling us at ((214) 599-0055).