You Don't Have to Cook to Serve

Hooray for the first Dish & Serve post I have been involved with! This is Cami, and I am very excited about helping to get Dish & Serve posts happening regularly. Please let me know if you would like to participate in this wonderful experience: dish.n.serve@gmail.com



I have found that almost all of us do this already, what Dish & Serve is all about I mean. We make cookies and take them to friends, we make dinner for someone who just had a baby (I did this yesterday!) or make fresh bread and deliver to someone having a hard time. But not everyone enjoys cooking or baking, and there is a good option for those who aren't so enthusiastic about having someone else try their food creation.

My good friend, Becky, shared this experience for Dish & Serve:

    The other day I was called by a friend from church and asked to bring dinner to another lady from church whom we both had never met because she hasn't attended in a while. Her brother just passed away unexpectedly and her mind has been so preoccupied that she could use some meals for her family to give her one less thing to worry about. Well my week was pretty swamped and I wasn't sure when I'd have time or what I would make as I don't cook much (for good reason)! However I guess felt obligated to say yes. I should have been more willing because it was such a sweet experience.

    Since I'm not a great cook and didn't have time to go to the grocery store, I decided I would just order her family some Chinese food. Who doesn't love take out for free? When I arrived, this woman was so sweet. She invited me into her home and introduced me to her son and told me what was going on in her family and spent some time getting to know me as well. Although I didn't stay long, I expected to just drop off the food and leave so it was a pleasant surprise. She was just so welcoming and when I left I felt inclined to give her a hug so I did and she willingly received it. It really made my day to visit this woman I had never met and it reminded me what a sweet experience it is to serve!

Becky didn't mention here that she just had a baby 2 months ago! It's not like she has a lot of time on her hands, so this shows that even when we are busy, there is always a way to help others and take the focus off ourselves. Thank you Becky for sharing this experience!

Here is a wonderful recipe I made yesterday and delivered to our friends that just had a baby boy. I am almost 8 months pregnant myself so I am not up for standing in the kitchen for hours, which is why I love my Crock-pot. This comes from the Taste of Home cookbook, but can also be found on their website, click on recipe title to go directly to webpage. 

                                                     Fiesta Chicken Burritos

8 Servings

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Dash cayenne pepper
• Dash crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• Optional toppings: Daisy Brand Sour Cream, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes

Directions

• Place chicken in a greased 4-qt. slow cooker. In a large bowl,
• combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, jalapeno and seasonings; pour
• over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until chicken
• is tender.
• Remove chicken; cool slightly. Shred meat with two forks and return
• to the slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cover and cook 15 minutes
• longer or until heated through.
• Spoon 3/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla; add toppings

Hope you enjoyed my first post!

- Cami

Dish & Serve - Peach Crostata

Peach Crostata

A big thank you to Deborah of ....

                                                                                               for today's Dish & Serve...

I took this quote from her about page, "I love the people I cook for and I want them to live long healthy lives, so when I feed them, I want to feed them well. Friends say that dining at my house is like receiving "spa treatment". Everyone can use a little retreat from the demands of everyday life....even if that retreat lasts only as long as a meal with family and friends." I just love that, don't you!? I want to stop writing this post and make this peach crostata right now or better yet make my way over to Deborah's house for some "spa treatment" thinks she will mind??? I have never attempted something like this but I love crust and I love peaches sounds like a win, win to me! Have you ever made a crostata?

Dish -

Peach Crostata

This makes 2 small crostatas or 1 large. I prefer to make 2 small, as they are easier to transport.

For the crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

8 oz unsalted butter, chilled and cut into approximately 16-20 cubes

6 tablespoons ice-cold water

Directions

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water and stir until mixture forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and form into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or overnight). Do not over work the dough. You want to be able to see flecks of the butter.

For the filling

5-6 ripe white peaches, sliced

For the crumb topping

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced

Egg Wash

1 whole egg and 1 egg white whipped together in a bowl

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a bowl mix all ingredients. Roll dough rounds out to an 11-inch diameter. Trim out 11” circle and discard leftover dough. Place dough on cookie sheet. Fan out fruit to 9” diameter. Brush egg wash on 2” remaining dough.

Fold exposed dough over fruit. It should leave an open center to the crostata of about 6 to 7 inches. Egg wash the exterior dough. Add a few small chunks of butter to center of crostata. Sprinkle entire top with crumble mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until the crust is a flaky golden brown.

Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream or frozen vanilla yogurt.

Serve -
"I have a very close family friend whose husband has been diagnosed with vertigo after two scary trips to the ER.  These turn of events have impacted the daily lives of  my friend, her husband, and their immediate family.  Vertigo attacks can come on without warning and they leave her husband sick and practically bedridden for days after each attack.  He no longer drives independently because he’s afraid of having an attack while behind the wheel, so his wife drives him to wherever he needs to go.  My friend and her husband are into healthy whole foods, and they have all but done away with sugar in their home…but my friend has had her eye on my peach crostata for a few weeks now…and she’s mentioned  how much she’d like to try a slice.  This peach crostata has little sugar in it and if you omit the crumble topping, it has even less.  So, I decided to surprise her with a peach crostata sans the crumble topping.  However…I did take with me a small container of Haagen Dazs Frozen Vanilla Yogurt.  You have to have just teeny little spoonful of the vanilla yogurt melting on the crostata slice to experience the full effect.  It’s pure heaven!"   


Don't we all know someone who could use a little brightening to their day? Do you need a little brightening to your day? Then bust out your favorite recipe and take it to someone else! Take a few pics write a few lines and you have a Dish & Serve post. Okay the last part is optional but I would love it if someone volunteered to do one, don't make me call on you...


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Hope you enjoyed today's post my friends! Thank you for all that you do!