Coming soon: New recipes (as well as a new "section" in my recipe index)- Freezer recipes! Of course, freezer recipes do require a bit of prep work (not to mention freezer space & freezer/oven-safe containers), but once they're done it's absolutely fantastic to be able to pop one in the oven & have a home cooked meal...
For a certain (and in my opinion, fairly costly!) fee, you could go stand around in a few different chain businesses' "kitchens" and put together meals with their ingredients, but if you can prep ingredients yourself, you'll save a boatload of money!
I have a few yummy make-ahead recipes already, but I've been scoping out Amazon's selection & putting those books on reserve at my library... hopefully there will be some more winners!
Look out for recipes soon!
11.11.2009
11.07.2009
Crockpot Pot Roast
Crockpot Pot Roast
Ingredients:
3-lb pot roast
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 (16 oz) bottles diet cola
Potatoes, if desired
Directions:
1. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. In large bowl, mix together mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix, and cola. Pour over roast in cooker.
3. Cover. Cook on low 6 hours.
Spaghetti Pizza Casserole
Spaghetti Pizza Casserole
Ingredients:
1 (7 oz) package spaghetti
1/2 c. egg substitute
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (26 oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms (baby bella are delish!)
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain. In a large bowl, toss the spaghetti with egg substitute and Parmesan cheese. Spread evenly into a 15x10 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasonings. Heat through.
4. Spoon over spaghetti. Top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Easy Arroz Con Pollo (chicken with rice)
I stumbled upon this recipe in a magazine or newspaper insert & no longer have the source to site, but my family found it to be very yummy... and I found it to be just as it's titled- EASY!
Easy Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)
Ingredients:
1 3/4 c. uncooked instant rice
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
garlic salt & pepper to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 c. picante sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 c. shredded Mexican cheese
Directions:
1. Spread the rice in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish, Sprinkle both sides of chicken with garlic salt and pepper’ place over rice. In a bowl, combine the broth, picante sauce, tomato sauce, onion and green pepper; pour over the chicken.
2. Cover and bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until rice is tender and chicken juices run clear. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Crockpot Southwestern Chicken
Crockpot Southwestern Chicken
Ingredients:
2 (15.25 oz) cans corn, drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 c. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Combine corn, black beans, and ½ cup salsa in slow cooker.
2. Top with chicken. Pour remaining salsa over chicken.
3. Cover. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 7-8 hours.
4. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover 5 minutes for cheese to melt.
Crockpot Chicken & Sundried Tomatoes
Sundried tomatoes are kind of an acquired taste of sorts, but if you enjoy them, you'll love this recipe!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. white wine
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 tsp dried basil
½ c. chopped sun dried tomatoes, cut into slivers
Directions:
1. Heat oil in skillet. Add several pieces of chicken at a time, but make sure not to crowd the skillet so the chicken can brown evenly.
2. Transfer chicken to slow cooker as it finishes browning.
3. Add garlic, wine, chicken stock, and basil to skillet. Bring to a boil. Scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Pour over chicken. Scatter tomatoes over the top.
5. Cover. Cook on low 4-6 hours.
Crockpot Mexican Cornbread
One of our new favorites- the cornbread is so delicious, you could just make that by itself and it would be delightful!
Crockpot Mexican Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 lb extra-lean ground chuck
1 (16 oz) can cream-style corn
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 c. oil
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. taco sauce
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
Directions:
1. Brown ground chuck in nonstick skillet.
2. While meat is browning, combine corn, cornmeal, baking soda, salt, oil, milk, eggs, and taco sauce. Pour half of mixture into slow cooker.
3. Layer cheese, onion, garlic, green chilies, and ground beef on top of cornmeal mixture. Cover with remaining cornmeal mixture.
4. Cover. Cook on high 1 hour and on low 3 ½ to 4 hours, or only on low 6 hours.
Baked Spaghetti
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... I love baked spaghetti- it's so savory & yummy and just, to me, better than the typical spaghetti & meatballs.
Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) spaghetti
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10.75 oz) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 c. water
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 c. (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions:
1. Break spaghetti in half; cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soups, tomato sauce, water, brown sugar and seasonings.
2. Drain spaghetti; stir into meat sauce. Add ½ cup of the cheese. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Crockpot Chicken & Stuffing
Crockpot Chicken & Stuffing- if you like chicken, stuffing and mozzarella, you'll love this recipe! It's just so comforting!!! :)
Ingredients:
3-4 Tablespoons light butter or margarine
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 fat-free mozzarella cheese slices
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
6 oz. package stuffing mix
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in slow cooker sprayed with non-fat cooking spray.
2. Top each breast with a slice of cheese.
3. Combine soup and water. Pour over chicken.
4. Toss the stuffing mix, its seasoning packet, and butter together. Sprinkle over chicken breasts.
5. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.
Taco Casserole
Taco Casserole
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp dried minced onion
1/2 c. frozen corn
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 (7 oz) pkg tortilla chips
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese
Directions:
1. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Add onion, corn, tomato sauce and chili powder; simmer for one minute.
2. Arrange enough tortilla chips to cover the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 baking pan; press down lightly to crush chips coarsely.
3. Spoon beef mixture over chips. Mix soup and milk; spoon over top. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with remaining tortilla chips.
Crockpot Beef Burgundy
Beef Burgundy is another family favorite (for those in my family that will eat beef). I'm so crazy about crockpot recipes, since they're generally* easier to make & just toss it in the crock pot and go about your business.
*I will caution that this recipe is a tad more complicated than just throwing stuff in the crock pot... not too difficult, but just be aware of it!
Crockpot Beef Burgundy
Ingredients:
2 slices lean turkey bacon, cut in squares
2 lbs lean sirloin tip or round steak, cubed
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
1 c. burgundy wine
1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
Noodles (egg noodles or other for accompaniment)
Directions:
1. Cook bacon in nonstick skillet until browned. Remove bacon, reserving drippings.
2. Coat beef with flour and brown on all sides in bacon drippings.
3. Combine steak, bacon drippings, bacon, seasonings, garlic, bouillon, and wine in slow cooker.
4. Cover. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.
5. Add mushrooms.
6. Dissolve cornstarch in water. Add to slow cooker.
7. Cover. Cook on HIGH 15 minutes.
8. Serve over noodles
New recipes coming soon :)
I'm completely feeling like a slacker for not updating this blog in over a month! I suppose those of you that reeeeeally know me understand that I generally attack a project with all my energy (and do it quite compulsively) for a little while, and then my ADHD gets the best of me and I move on to something else. I'm currently trying out a new game plan where I have several projects going on at once... so maybe my attention can continuously be divided between all of them, so nothing gets "old" or neglected.
Regardless, though, what I HAVE done is raid my local library's cookbook collection quite frequently & search for new recipes that are either good on their own or need just a little bit of tweaking to be top notch! I'm also beginning to ponder holiday foods as well, so I'll probably post some of those recipes- I prefer to post things once they get 'tested & approved' by my "panel" (whether it be the family or friends)... Once I get more 'holiday staples' in my pantry [read: more sugar, flour] and also get a certain baking pan that I'm fascinated with, I'll start my testing season. Since the holiday season is coming quickly, it's time for me to get on the stick!
Oh... also, I just thought I'd add that for the most part (minus holiday goodies), things are going to be healthier- not that I really did much of the ultra fattening stuff before, but it's healthier. Of course, if you wanted to use full fat stuff instead of the fat-free/reduced fat stuff, that substitutes just fine... but it's also tasty without the extra fat!
Stay tuned for fresh recipes!
9.22.2009
Bisquick's Impossibly Easy Barbecue Chicken Pie & Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
Want to make something easy & delicious? Bisquick's "Impossibly Easy" pie recipes fit the bill! I'm including two recipes- a barbecue chicken one & a cheeseburger one.
Bisquick's Impossibly Easy Barbecue Chicken Pie
Ingredients:
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce
3/4 cup french-fried onions
Additional barbecue sauce, if desired
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Layer chicken, corn, and 3 Tablespoons of the parsley in pie plate.
2. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk, 1/4 cup barbecue sauce and eggs with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Brush 2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce over top of pie. Sprinkle onions evenly over sauce.
4. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until onions are golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Serve with barbecue sauce, heated.
Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup original bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400. Spray 9 inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beefis thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate; sprinkle with cheese.
2. In medium bowl, stir all remaining ingredients with wire whisk or fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.
3. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Both of these are quite delicious! enjoy!!!
Paula Deen's Luscious Vidalia Onion and Sweet Corn Spoon Bread
Mmmmmmmm.... I love cornbread, but I really find this spoon bread delicious. It's so soft & smooth & flavorful! It's also a Paula Deen recipe (from the Deen Family Cookbook)... so it's definitely a winner!
Paula Deen's Luscious Vidalia Onion and Sweet Corn Spoon Bread
Ingredients:
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch of salt
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion with the pinch of salt and saute until golden and softened, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, half and half, and the remaining 4 Tablespoons butter to a boil over medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornmeal very slowly to avoid lumps; simmer until very thick, about 5 minutes.
4. Let stand off the heat for 5 minutes to cool.
5. Stir in the eggs, chives, pepper, baking powder, and the 1 teaspoon salt.
6. Pour the batter into the baking dish and scatter the onions over the top.
7. Bake until golden and firm, about 40 minutes. Serve hot!
This goes quite well with barbecue!
Cheesy Beans and Rice
Black beans aren't really MY thing, but the rest of my family enjoys them. My Mom made this recipe, so I thought that I'd share!
Cheesy Beans & Rice
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions. Transfer to a bowl; add the beans. In a nonstick skillet, saute the onion in oil for 4-5 minutes until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, chili powder, and salt. Bring to a boil; remove from the heat.
2. In a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer a third of the rice mixture, cheese and tomato mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining rice mixture and tomato mixture.
3. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
Chicken Parmesan with Rice
Chicken Parmesan is, to me, a wonderful meal. When we found this recipe in 'my magazine,' we were instantly intrigued. It was quite a hit!
Chicken Parmesan with Rice
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon oil
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 pound) [thighs okay]
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions:
1. Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken; cover. Cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through (165F)
3. Remove chicken from skillet; cover to keep warm.
4. Add spaghetti sauce and water to skillet; stir. Bring to boil.
5. Stir in rice; top with chicken.
6. Sprinkle with cheeses; cover.
7. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.
8. Refrigerate any leftovers (but I doubt that there will be any!)
Bon Appetit!
Easy Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing
Alright... I'm going to start this by saying that I'm well aware that the ingredients in this recipe are a bit unconventional... HOWEVER, this is by far one of my favorite pork recipes. It's so easy to put together & so very flavorful.
Easy Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing
Ingredients:
6 boneless pork chops
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package (6 ounce) stuffing mix (like stovetop)
1 can (21 ounce) apple pie filling (I prefer no sugar added)
dash of cinnamon (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
1. In a large skillet, brown the chops in the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Prepare the stuffing according to the package directions.
3. Spread the apple pie filling on the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Place the Place the chops on top of the filling, sprinkle with cinnamon, and then spoon the stuffing over the chops.
4. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
Cali Casserole
This is a somewhat spicy dish that is incredibly yummy. If you aren't crazy about bell pepper, either reduce the quantity or remove it altogether!
Cali Casserole
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium bell pepper, chopped (can be omitted)
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (14 3/4 ounce) cream-style corn
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) condensed tomato soup, undiluted (healthy request okay!)
1 can (10 ounces) tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms (whole or sliced)
1 jar (4 ounces) chopped pimientos, drained
1 can (2 1/4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
1. In a large skillet, cook beef, green pepper, and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
2. Add the next 11 ingredients; mix thoroughly.
3. Add the noodles; mix well.
4. Pour into a Dutch oven or large baking dish.
5. Cover and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
6. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
Chicken Spaghetti
Cooking for a large family or making an entree for a potluck? This recipe makes PLENTY of food. My household (5 adults) could really make 2 meals of this... usually, though, we have it for dinner once and then eat leftovers for lunches during the week. It's very tasty!
*NOTE: If you're not crazy about bell pepper, reduce the amount or remove it completely.*
**I really like the taste/sweetness that vidalia/sweet onions provide the dish**
***You can prepare the dish through step 5, then place it (covered) in the fridge until you're ready to bake***
Chicken Spaghetti
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use thighs, but breasts would be fine)
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
2 (4.5 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups frozen English peas, thawed (15 ounce can okay)
1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken & mushroom would be fine)
1 (3.8 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (8 ounce) packages shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 (7 ounce) packages vermicelli broken into 2 inch pieces, cooked and drained
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 4-Quart baking dish.
1. In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion, and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
2. Stir in chicken, tomatoes/chilies, mushrooms, peas, chicken broth, cream of mushroom soup, olives, salt, and pepper until combined.
3. Add cheese, stirring until melted.
4. Add vermicelli, tossing gently to combine.
5. Spoon into prepared dish
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
Bon Appetit!
Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits
I love cinnamon rolls... they bring back so many memories from my childhood. I remember how exciting it was to get up in the morning and smell them cooking- I still get excited!
This recipe is unique because instead of being the sweet dough that you'd find in a bakery (or pillsbury) cinnamon roll, it's a biscuit dough. Now that I'm more grown up, I really enjoy the taste of this- not too sickly sweet, but very tasty and wonderful!
Glazed Cinnamon Biscuits
Ingredients:
For biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
5 teaspoons milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450.
1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
2. Cut in 4 tablespoons of the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in milk just until moistened.
4. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently 8 to 10 times.
5. Roll into an 11-in. by 8 in. rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Melt remaining butter; brush 1 tablespoon over dough.
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter.
8. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with long edge.
9. Cut into 12 equal slices.
10. Place with cut side down in a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Brush with remaining butter.
11. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.
12. Cool for 5 minutes.
13. Combine glaze ingredients; spread over warm biscuits. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!!!
Alton Brown's Delicious Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Do you like oatmeal cookies? If so, do yourself a favor and try out this recipe. I found it in one of Alton Brown's baking cookbooks- it's absolutely terrific.
The original recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies... Sure, it's a lot of cookies, but they freeze quite well... and they'll keep for about 2 weeks or so in an airtight container according to the cookbook (but they've never around for too long at my house- just a few days or so with my brother's friends around... or taken for lunches, etc.)
Alton Brown's Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients:
5 sticks (2 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 cups rolled oats (traditional, NOT quick cook, instant, or irish!)
2 cups raisins
Parchment paper for cookie sheets
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
1. Cream together butter, brown sugar, & sugar.
2. Add in eggs & vanilla.
3. In medium/large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Spoon in flour mixture into creamed mixture.
4. Once dough is formed, stir in oats.
5. Add raisins.
6. Scoop and drop tablespoon balls of dough onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheets with each mound of dough approximately 2 inches apart.
7. Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating the pans after 8 minutes, until the cookies have begun to brown on the edges.
8. Remove from oven and hold the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.
YUM!
Mexican Marinade for Chicken
This is an absolutely wonderful (and easy!) mexican marinade... the cocoa powder just gives it that little 'something extra' that makes it delightful!
***Just like many other marinades, the longer you let it marinate the more flavorful it becomes!***
Mexican Marinade for Chicken
Ingredients:
6-8 chicken thighs (breasts are fine!)
1/2-2/3 cup lime juice (bottled is ok!)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar (I prefer using dark brown sugar for marinades)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce (lite/low sodium is fine)
4 teaspoons oil (canola or vegetable oil)
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cocoa powder (unsweet)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (the more you add, the spicier it is!)
Directions:
1. Mix lime juice, sugar, soy sauce & oil in a large freezer bag. Allow sugar to dissolve.
2. Mix garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cocoa powder & red pepper flakes in a small bowl with the end of a spoon until it becomes almost a paste (like using a mortar/pestle)
3. Add garlic/spice paste to bag and shake.
4. Add chicken.
5. Marinate in fridge 6-24 hours (the longer, the better!) turning occasionally
6. Grill chicken until cooked.
9.18.2009
Paula Deen's Chicken Brunswick Stew
Yet another recipe that's a hit with anyone that's eaten it. Chris, my brother, wouldn't touch barbecue with a 10-foot pole so he didn't vote on this one. My Grandfather (93!) gets excited when Tommy & I make it and bring him some... though he's convinced that we make it with pork, not chicken.
We tweaked the recipe a teeny bit by cooking the chopped onion the recipe calls for, as my Mom & I really don't like biting/crunching on chunks of raw onion. If you like the crunch, then skip the sauteing step & just mix the chopped onion with the rest of the ingredients.
You can view the original recipe here.
**Want to make this recipe even quicker? Purchase a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store. Remove the chicken skin, pull the meat off the bones, shred chicken & continue with the rest of the directions. Homemade chicken stock is nice, but I've hardly ever had to use it in the recipe itself, so it's not going to be that big of a loss if you don't want to deal with cooking chicken!**
Paula Deen's Chicken Brunswick Stew
Ingredients:
1 (2 1/2 pound) fryer chicken (bone-in thighs work... short on time, buy a rotisserie and skip the chicken-cooking-time)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, sweetened with 1/3 cup sugar
1 can (14 ounces) creamed corn
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tablespoon liquid smoke (in grocery stores near barbecue sauces)
1 onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter/margarine
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper
Cooked rice, as an accompaniment
Directions:
1. In a large pot, place chicken and enough water to cover chicken and bring to a boil. COok chicken until meat falls off the bone, approximately 45 minutes. Drain the chicken and reserve 2 cups of stock. Remove skin and bones. Let cool & then shred finely.
2. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter/margarine and add onions. Cook until translucent.
3. In a separate pot, mix the shredded chicken with the remaining ingredients (except the rice). Simmer slowly for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add a little bit of the stock if the stew becomes too thick.
Serve over steamed rice.
Bon Appetit!!!
9.17.2009
Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
This was what I made for dinner... another crockpot creation. It turned out delicious! The recipe calls for white mushrooms, which I did use... but I think that baby bella mushrooms would be wonderful as well.
Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean beef stewing meat, trimmed of fat (I used round steak)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream (reduced fat is fine)
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except sour cream in crockpot.
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours.
3. Stir in sour cream.
4. Cook on high for a few minutes to heat sour cream.
**Note: This works very well served over egg (or no-yolk) noodles. YUM!**
9.16.2009
Paula Deen's Squash Casserole
Paula Deen is another culinary figure that I admire. Her food, to me, is some awesome comfort food. Now, I'm not about to go and eat her Krispie Kreme Bread Pudding, but I do love some of her casseroles and some other dishes! If you want to view the squash casserole recipe in its original form, Click Here.
Squash is by far my favorite vegetable. My 93 year old Grandfather is ALWAYS happy to tell about the many times that I had squash casserole for breakfast... :-p Here's the recipe!
Paula Deen's Squash Casserole
Ingredients:
6 cups large diced yellow squash
vegetable oil
1 large onion (preferably Vidalia or other sweet onion)
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream (a little more if you'd like!)
1 teaspoon House Seasoning (recipe further down)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed crackers (Ritz or Townhouse work well)
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
*Combine and store in airtight container.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute the squash in a little vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it has completely broken down, about 15-20 minutes. Line a colander with either a clean tea towel or several paper towels. Place the cooked squash in the lined colander. Squeeze out excess moisture from the squash. Set aside.
In a medium size skillet, saute the onion in butter for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and mix all ingredients together except cracker crumbs. Pour into a buttered casserole dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
As Paula Deen would say... "I wish you love and best dishes- from my kitchen to yours"
Alton Brown's French Toast
Tommy & I are fairly huge fans of Alton Brown & the food that he makes. We also love how he explains all the different uses for various instruments... He, along with Paula Deen, were pretty much the inspiration to Tommy & I learning more about cooking.
One of our new favorites to make is his french toast. If you want to see his recipe on the food network site, click there... we've tweaked ours just a bit to better accommodate us. (we rarely have old loaves of bread, and we never buy brioche or challah... so mine will look different than his. Ours is GREAT though!
Alton Brown's French Toast
Ingredients:
1 and 2/3 cup half-and-half
5 large eggs
3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 (inch thick) slices bread (texas toast style loaf) [set out for a few hours to dry prior to cooking.
6 1/2 Tablespoons butter
Directions:
In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 12 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream, fruit, or dust with powdered sugar.
We generally serve with either sausage or bacon and grits!
Bon Appetit!
Printable Recipe Index
This particular post will be updated each time that I update my beloved blog. There, for now, will be some empty categories... but rest assured, it will be rounded out eventually! I continue to ponder (and stare) at this crazy creation of mine in the hopes that it can be as user friendly as possible... because, again, most food blogs drive me batty in that I have to "copy & paste... copy & paste... copy & paste...print" instead of "click, click, print." So... since I have complete creative control over this, it WILL just be "click, click, print". Gee whiz, I feel accomplished!
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