Let's get cookin'!

It seems I don't get much done these days.  Besides diapers and being "milk maid" I spend a lot of time (happily!) like this...

I do still enjoy having time to cook though, even if the laundry, vacuuming, cleaning, etc. get left undone.  And even though I'm not good at cooking, I love pretending that I am.  I actually find chopping and dicing relaxing at the end of a long day, and I love the creative outlet (yes I play with recipes... shhh... don't tell Jason.  He doesn't trust me as much as I seem to trust myself so he never likes anything if he knows I've strayed from the recipe).

Though I do enjoy cooking, I really haven't done much since Drew was born.  I've cooked some very simple dishes, but mostly it's been frozen meals of various varieties (meals that I had cooked and frozen while pregnant, meals that people made for us, and yes, meals from the freezer aisle at the grocery store too).  This was my first meal that I actually spent a little time preparing, and enjoyed every minute of it (including the mess I made!)

The "Chicken Broccoli Braid" is a Pampered Chef recipe that Laura reminded me is delicious.  It was one of my first few "meated" dishes after 7 years of being vegetarian!  "Great" Aunt Wynn Anne requested that I post the recipe for you!

Chicken Broccoli Braid

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 oz. (1cup) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. all-purpose dill mix
1/4 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. (8oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tbls. slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. 
2. Basically chop/shred/measure everything and throw all of it except the crescent rolls, egg whites, and slivered almonds into a large bowl and mix.
3. The "braid" can be the tough part.  I laid the triangles of crescent dough out, corners overlapping, on a circlular baking stone.  I spread the filling along the center of my circle then wrapped the points around the filling.  Here are the directions Pampered Chef gives:  
• Unroll 1 package of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough across width of 12" x 15" rectangle baking stone. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Using roller, roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1 1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep using a pizza cutter (there will be 6 inches in the center for the filling). Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip on turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid.
4. Brush egg white over dough and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 25-28 minutes.

Ours was actually on the healthier side with reduced fat crescent rolls, low fat cheese, and light mayo!

As a former Pampered Chef consultant (and to prevent being sued for copyright infringement or something) I feel the need to promote two contraptions that make preparing this dish a breeze.

First, the food chopper. One of the most popular Pampered Chef items.  I actually rarely use mine since, as I said above, I actually like chopping and dicing, but if I am in a hurry or am just not feeling it that day it is a great way to chop a ton of stuff (and let out some frustrations as you pound it!).  It's also great for onions- no more crying!

Second, the stoneware.  Pampered Chef is famous for the stoneware too and I love it!  It's all natural (no chemicals or funny metals leaching into your food), it becomes "non-stick" as you use it, it cooks VERY evenly... the color you see on top is the color your food is on the bottom, and it holds heat which means your food stays warm while you serve it.  I love my large bar pan which is great for cookies, pizzas, baking chicken, etc. I also love the pizza stone but my very favorite is the deep covered baker (currently unavailable, sad!) that I can use in the microwave to cook awesome meals like white chicken chili!