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Hi my beloved Readers! I've missed you all so much (I'm still working on that posting while traveling thing---I'll practice extra hard so next time we don't have to spend so much time apart). The wedding weekend is over and reality hit us right in the face yesterday with mounds of dishes, laundry and a spunky, smelly little mutt ready to snuggle at 8am.

I know you've all been craving a new recipe and this was one of my favorite dishes my mom would make when we were growing up. She always used leftover chicken and the shortcut of a cream of mushroom soup (making leftovers new again! love that!)--but I went straight for the same idea without the leftover roasted chicken... instead I used a chicken breast and cremini mushrooms to make a friendly cousin of the dish I grew up on... 

I'll go ahead and say it--this isn't really a summer time dish--it's more of a fall/winter, but a rainy night would work just as well.

 Chicken with peas & homemade cream of mushroom

(serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are)

• one chicken breast shredded, baked or grilled*
• 10 cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/2 c milk (I used skim and it was fine!)
• 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 2 cups brown rice 
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

*if you have leftover chicken, this is the perfect place to use it, you can also substitute any cut of chicken--we just always have chicken breast in our freezer.

Bake a chicken breast if needed (I seasoned with salt and pepper and baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees). Then shred with some forks.

Prepare the brown rice as directed by the packaging.

In a deep skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for about 5-7 minutes until they become soft and deepen in color (don't salt them yet!)  

Create a well in the skillet and melt the butter. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk together, allowing the flour/butter to cook for about a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk until completely combined. Allow to simmer over low-medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens (this can take up to 10 minutes). The mixture should thicken to a consistency of gravy. Whisk in the chicken broth, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low. Allow the 'sauce' or 'soup' to bubble and thicken again (this time it should be the consistency of a creamy soup)  

Add in the peas (please add as many or as few as you like--we're peas people!) and the chicken and stir together until heated through. Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Serve ladled over brown rice.

D and I had a great weekend catching up with my family, seeing Liz & Steve get married and spending time with our niece and nephew. Check back for a post on our trip!