I make this a lot. It is cheap and easy, just have to have some time on your side. The recipes varies greatly depending on my mood with spices, but the basic recipe is always the same.
1 defrosted whole chicken
olive oil
onion
garlic
seasoning (you decide)
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Get out your roasting pan or your chicken roasting pan (you can find them at any Dollar General store for about 8 bux and it is worth getting, just does the job right, make sure to get the kind with the lid). Spray with PAM.
Rinse off your chicken in the sink, clean out the cavity, remove the giblets if there are any. Rub your chicken down with olive oil inside and out. Place breast side down in your roasting pan. Sprinkle your seasonings (like salt, pepper, garlic powder, whatever) in the cavity and stuff a cut up onion in there too. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with the same seasonings. COVER your chicken with either tinfoil or the chicken roasting pan lid and place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The total time of your chicken is typically 20 min per lb, but most of the ones you buy at the stores will take about 1 1/2-2 hrs of cooking time total. After 1 hour and 15 minutes remove the tinfoil or lid and start basting the chicken for another 20-40 min of cook time. During this time the chicken will brown on top, basting will help keep it moist and prevent burning, so baste at least every 10 minutes or so.
Remove and test with thermometer (160 degrees is done) or just cut the side and make sure not pink in the breast. Cut up and enjoy.
Some variations I do: Lemon juice inside and out with pepper and rosemary, garlic cloves (about 10) sprinkled inside and out and under the skin with salt and pepper, cajun seasoning, mesquite seasoning, they all turn out great.
Monday, January 24, 2011
RECIPE: Creole Style Stuffed Mushrooms
I got this idea from a weight watchers recipe and modified it to make it just a tad more tasty. It is probably a little more in points (for those of you that keep track) at 1 pt per two mushrooms, but they turned out phenominal!
Ingrediants:
12 large button mushrooms (the kind you buy individually)
1 bunch fresh spinach washed and chopped small, or 1 pck frozen chopped spinach
1 red pepper chopped small
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
creole seasoning (or any kind of cajun seasoning really)
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms and remove stems (keep stems). Wash and chop spinach, red pepper, green onions and the stems of the mushrooms only and set aside. Heat skillet and sautee all veges together until spinach is wilted and the mixture is slightly damp, remove and put in a bowl. Add bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings to taste and mix well until bread crumbs soak up moisture from veges. Add more bread crumbs if needed. Stuff your mushrooms with mixture and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, remove and eat immediately.
There were great the first night, but boy the second day they were really fantastic. I guess the mixture had time to mingle. I suggest making these overnight and baking the next day if you have time, that would be great too. Also, you can use smaller mushrooms for a party if you wanted.
This is a wonderful side dish because you don't have to make anything else (starch, veges all in one). I made a simple baked chicken and served these on the side.
Ingrediants:
12 large button mushrooms (the kind you buy individually)
1 bunch fresh spinach washed and chopped small, or 1 pck frozen chopped spinach
1 red pepper chopped small
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tbsp olive oil
garlic powder
salt
pepper
creole seasoning (or any kind of cajun seasoning really)
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Wash mushrooms and remove stems (keep stems). Wash and chop spinach, red pepper, green onions and the stems of the mushrooms only and set aside. Heat skillet and sautee all veges together until spinach is wilted and the mixture is slightly damp, remove and put in a bowl. Add bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings to taste and mix well until bread crumbs soak up moisture from veges. Add more bread crumbs if needed. Stuff your mushrooms with mixture and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cajun seasoning over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, remove and eat immediately.
There were great the first night, but boy the second day they were really fantastic. I guess the mixture had time to mingle. I suggest making these overnight and baking the next day if you have time, that would be great too. Also, you can use smaller mushrooms for a party if you wanted.
This is a wonderful side dish because you don't have to make anything else (starch, veges all in one). I made a simple baked chicken and served these on the side.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
RECIPE - Sweet and Sour Pot Roast
I highly recommend doing this recipe with a roasting oven bag, it just melds together better. I have done it in a crockpot and was not impressed with the results.
1 2lb pot roast (beef)
Small bag of carrots
1 onion
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cut up your carrots (or if they are the small ones throw in whole), dice or chop your onion, place in roasting bag with meat. Mix together remaining ingrediants well, top with meat and close your bag. Cut a few vent holes on top.
Cook for about 2 hours on 375. Test tenderness with knife. If need to cook longer than do so. It takes about an hour per lb of meat.
I make with white or brown rice and serve the meat/onions/carrots with a little juice on top.
1 2lb pot roast (beef)
Small bag of carrots
1 onion
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Cut up your carrots (or if they are the small ones throw in whole), dice or chop your onion, place in roasting bag with meat. Mix together remaining ingrediants well, top with meat and close your bag. Cut a few vent holes on top.
Cook for about 2 hours on 375. Test tenderness with knife. If need to cook longer than do so. It takes about an hour per lb of meat.
I make with white or brown rice and serve the meat/onions/carrots with a little juice on top.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
RECIPE - Red or Brown Lentils, Mexican Style (Sub Pinto Beans for Charros)
Mexican Style
1 white onion
1-3 jalapeno no seeds or with seeds if you like it hot
1 can mexican style diced tomatoes
4-5 slices of bacon or 1 chorizo sausage link (small - little goes a long way here)
Minced garlic
Cilantro
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Red or brown lentils - 1 pckg OR for charros buy 4 cans of pinto beans if you don't have time to soak beans the night before
Chicken Stock (about 5 cans or 2 large containers)
Water
Cut up your bacon into small pieces and add to a large stock pot, brown well. Cut your white onion while your bacon is cooking, add to pot with grease and bacon once the bacon is brown. Wait until your onions are clear before adding the diced garlic and cut up jalapenos. If you are using sausage instead, do your veges first but use a little bit of oil for the onions. Add tomatoes, rinsed lentils, (sausage if using) and cover all to a simmer with chicken stock and/or water if needed. If there is not enough stock to cover well and have a soup like consistency, then add water until it does. Add your spices, about 2 tsp each, taste at the end and add more if needed. I usually have to be very generous with the cumin. At the very end, add your cilantro, about a good chopped handful, for extra flavor. Cilantro does not need to cook in the pot for an hour, it can get kinda bitter. That is why you do it at the end. Cook for about 60 minutes at a soft bubble, NOT a rolling boil. Check occasionally to make sure you have enough water in the pot. If the lentils look like they have expanded and there is not enough liquid, add more stock or water. If you are doing this with canned pinto beans, it only takes about 20 minutes total as the beans are already cooked that you are using.Heat large stock pot on medium.
While you wait, make a nice mexican faijata meal, the lentils or pintos can be a side. OR make a bowl of this your meal. I probably make this version of lentils or pinto beans the most, it is a favorite in our house. We tend to make nachos out of it the next day for something different.
1 white onion
1-3 jalapeno no seeds or with seeds if you like it hot
1 can mexican style diced tomatoes
4-5 slices of bacon or 1 chorizo sausage link (small - little goes a long way here)
Minced garlic
Cilantro
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Red or brown lentils - 1 pckg OR for charros buy 4 cans of pinto beans if you don't have time to soak beans the night before
Chicken Stock (about 5 cans or 2 large containers)
Water
Cut up your bacon into small pieces and add to a large stock pot, brown well. Cut your white onion while your bacon is cooking, add to pot with grease and bacon once the bacon is brown. Wait until your onions are clear before adding the diced garlic and cut up jalapenos. If you are using sausage instead, do your veges first but use a little bit of oil for the onions. Add tomatoes, rinsed lentils, (sausage if using) and cover all to a simmer with chicken stock and/or water if needed. If there is not enough stock to cover well and have a soup like consistency, then add water until it does. Add your spices, about 2 tsp each, taste at the end and add more if needed. I usually have to be very generous with the cumin. At the very end, add your cilantro, about a good chopped handful, for extra flavor. Cilantro does not need to cook in the pot for an hour, it can get kinda bitter. That is why you do it at the end. Cook for about 60 minutes at a soft bubble, NOT a rolling boil. Check occasionally to make sure you have enough water in the pot. If the lentils look like they have expanded and there is not enough liquid, add more stock or water. If you are doing this with canned pinto beans, it only takes about 20 minutes total as the beans are already cooked that you are using.Heat large stock pot on medium.
While you wait, make a nice mexican faijata meal, the lentils or pintos can be a side. OR make a bowl of this your meal. I probably make this version of lentils or pinto beans the most, it is a favorite in our house. We tend to make nachos out of it the next day for something different.
RECIPE - Red or Brown Lentils, Traditional Style
We like a good pot of lentils with a side of cornbread from time to time. I tried the red variety for the first time tonight, they taste the same as the brown, big deal. I guess it depends on what color you want them to be. The red might have been slightly more starchy, that was the only difference I really saw.
Traditional Style
2 stalks celery
1 white onion
1 small pckg of carrots
1 can of diced tomatoes (italian style for extra flavor)
1 link of turkey sausage (or other sausage variety works too or ham)
5 cans of chicken stock or 2 large containers of stock
Water as needed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves diced
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 pckg red or brown lentils
Heat large stock pot on medium. Cut up all veges to bite size pieces, dice garlic and add to pot, add oil and mix. Let brown for a few minutes. When onions get clear, add tomatoes and add one can of stock. Simmer while you cut your sausage to small bite size pieces. Add sausage. Rinse your lentils well, add to pot. Add the rest of your stock. If there is not enough stock to cover well and have a soup like consistency, then add water until it does. Put in spices to taste, I usually do about 2 teaspoons of each, taste at the end and then add more. Cook for about 60 minutes at a soft bubble, NOT a rolling boil. Check occasionally to make sure you have enough water in the pot. If the lentils look like they have expanded and there is not enough liquid, add more stock or water. Make some cornbread while you wait. Polenta tastes good with it too if you are into that or some rice.
Traditional Style
2 stalks celery
1 white onion
1 small pckg of carrots
1 can of diced tomatoes (italian style for extra flavor)
1 link of turkey sausage (or other sausage variety works too or ham)
5 cans of chicken stock or 2 large containers of stock
Water as needed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves diced
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
1 pckg red or brown lentils
Heat large stock pot on medium. Cut up all veges to bite size pieces, dice garlic and add to pot, add oil and mix. Let brown for a few minutes. When onions get clear, add tomatoes and add one can of stock. Simmer while you cut your sausage to small bite size pieces. Add sausage. Rinse your lentils well, add to pot. Add the rest of your stock. If there is not enough stock to cover well and have a soup like consistency, then add water until it does. Put in spices to taste, I usually do about 2 teaspoons of each, taste at the end and then add more. Cook for about 60 minutes at a soft bubble, NOT a rolling boil. Check occasionally to make sure you have enough water in the pot. If the lentils look like they have expanded and there is not enough liquid, add more stock or water. Make some cornbread while you wait. Polenta tastes good with it too if you are into that or some rice.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
RECIPE - Orange BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Really this one is too easy to NOT do. It's a slow cooker meal....
1 Pork Roast
1 bottle bbq sauce (not mesquite, try traditional)
1 orange
Take your pork roast and place in slow cooker for 8-10 hours, depending on how long you need to cook. Squeeze juice of one orange over roast. Pour bbq sauce over roast. Cook. When done, pull your pork apart, it should basically just fall to pieces.
I bought the sugar free hamburger buns along with pickles/onions for garnish. You can add mayo to the bun if you like. Easy way to have dinner ready after a long day with no fuss at all. Serve with a side of coleslaw or just a salad, whatever makes you happy.
1 Pork Roast
1 bottle bbq sauce (not mesquite, try traditional)
1 orange
Take your pork roast and place in slow cooker for 8-10 hours, depending on how long you need to cook. Squeeze juice of one orange over roast. Pour bbq sauce over roast. Cook. When done, pull your pork apart, it should basically just fall to pieces.
I bought the sugar free hamburger buns along with pickles/onions for garnish. You can add mayo to the bun if you like. Easy way to have dinner ready after a long day with no fuss at all. Serve with a side of coleslaw or just a salad, whatever makes you happy.
RECIPE - Black and Blue London Broil
I am new to the world of making London Broil, honestly it makes me nervous to cook for some reason. Give me a chicken or ground meat to deal with anyday, but a large piece of meat like London Broil gets me scared. Maybe because I don't want to ruin it and have it cost me a fortune. What can I say? My Mother passed on that bargain shopping gene, just can't justify wasting money!
This turned out great though, it was tender and tasted like something in a restaurant, plus very easy to do. Totally worth doing again! Served along with mashed potatoes and some carrots, it was wonderful.
1 London Broil
2 cloves of garlic
Garlic powder
salt
pepper (prefer cracked)
blue cheese crumbled
oil
Heat oven to 425 F. Heat up a non-stick skillet with about 2 tbsp oil to medium high heat. Take your meat out and slice your garlic up. Make some shallow slits in your meat and insert garlic pieces in various spots (do both sides). Coat each side with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once skillet is hot add the meat and brown for 5 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer to a cooking sheet and put in oven for 30-35 minutes. Meat thermometer has to be at least 145 to be done, cook to desired redness. Remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes. While resting, sprinkle a generous amount of crumbled blue cheese down the middle to melt. Slice into thin slices and serve.
This turned out great though, it was tender and tasted like something in a restaurant, plus very easy to do. Totally worth doing again! Served along with mashed potatoes and some carrots, it was wonderful.
1 London Broil
2 cloves of garlic
Garlic powder
salt
pepper (prefer cracked)
blue cheese crumbled
oil
Heat oven to 425 F. Heat up a non-stick skillet with about 2 tbsp oil to medium high heat. Take your meat out and slice your garlic up. Make some shallow slits in your meat and insert garlic pieces in various spots (do both sides). Coat each side with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Once skillet is hot add the meat and brown for 5 minutes on each side. Remove and transfer to a cooking sheet and put in oven for 30-35 minutes. Meat thermometer has to be at least 145 to be done, cook to desired redness. Remove from oven and let rest for about 15 minutes. While resting, sprinkle a generous amount of crumbled blue cheese down the middle to melt. Slice into thin slices and serve.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
RECIPE - Omi's Apple Pie - Streusel or Traditional
My German Grandmother, Omi, taught me how to make her apple pies. I loved them so much I begged her to show me in person the last time I got the privilege of having her visit and stay the night at my home. She was a joy to be around and talk to. I miss her, but she gave me something to remember her by....
1 packages of pie crusts
6-8 apples, green (I throw in one red for variety)
flour
sugar
butter - 1/2 stick
cinnamon
nutmeg
vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out one pie crust and pinch into a pie dish. Soften about 2 tbsp butter and "grease" your pie crust with the butter, set aside.
Peel, core and slice your apples thinly. In a large stock pot melt about 2-3 tblsp butter (careful to not brown!) and throw in your apple slices. Mix to coat with butter and stir until just warm. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of flour across the top and mix until a nice wet flour coating is all over the apple slices. Sprinkle across cinnamon, nutmeg and throw in a dash of vanilla (about 1 tsp). Stir all well and remove from heat.
Pour apple mixture into pie crust. Top with another pie crust, pinch to close, cut x in middle and brush melted butter on top for a traditional pie. Cook at 350 degrees until bubbly and brown (45-55 min).
To make an apple streusel, do all the same but instead of a pie crust topper, use this instead:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp soft butter
Mix all together until it crumbles, spread across top of pie, cook same time until brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
1 packages of pie crusts
6-8 apples, green (I throw in one red for variety)
flour
sugar
butter - 1/2 stick
cinnamon
nutmeg
vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out one pie crust and pinch into a pie dish. Soften about 2 tbsp butter and "grease" your pie crust with the butter, set aside.
Peel, core and slice your apples thinly. In a large stock pot melt about 2-3 tblsp butter (careful to not brown!) and throw in your apple slices. Mix to coat with butter and stir until just warm. Sprinkle 2-3 tbsp of flour across the top and mix until a nice wet flour coating is all over the apple slices. Sprinkle across cinnamon, nutmeg and throw in a dash of vanilla (about 1 tsp). Stir all well and remove from heat.
Pour apple mixture into pie crust. Top with another pie crust, pinch to close, cut x in middle and brush melted butter on top for a traditional pie. Cook at 350 degrees until bubbly and brown (45-55 min).
To make an apple streusel, do all the same but instead of a pie crust topper, use this instead:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp soft butter
Mix all together until it crumbles, spread across top of pie, cook same time until brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 25, 2010
RECIPE - Ginger-Soy Chicken Thighs with Scallion Rice
This one is new - tried it tonight on the family, nothing left. It was pretty good, especially when you are craving some Chinese food but don't want the calories. This is from my Cooking Light magazine at it claims Calories are 355 per serving, fat 7.8g. Serving size is two thighs, 1/2 cup rice, 1 1/2 tbsp sauce.
1 boil-in-bag brown rice (I did two for the larger fam)
2-4 tbsp thin sliced green onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pckg skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup ginger preserves (I found in the jelly section, but if can't find use apricot preserves)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
Prepare rice according to package, drain, fluff, stir in green onions. I cooked mine with chicken broth and salted the water, it was perfect.
While rice cooks, heat skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to coat. Add chicken, cook about 5 min each side until nice and brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add preserves, soy sauce and garlic to pan and bring to a boil. Cook sauce about 3 minutes to reduce and thicken, stir occasionally. Return chicken to pan and coat on all sides. Cook chicken until sauces sticks well and the chicken browns on both sides. Check to make sure done, serve over rice.
Delish!
1 boil-in-bag brown rice (I did two for the larger fam)
2-4 tbsp thin sliced green onions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pckg skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1/2 cup ginger preserves (I found in the jelly section, but if can't find use apricot preserves)
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves minced
Prepare rice according to package, drain, fluff, stir in green onions. I cooked mine with chicken broth and salted the water, it was perfect.
While rice cooks, heat skillet over med-high heat. Add oil to coat. Add chicken, cook about 5 min each side until nice and brown. Remove chicken from pan. Add preserves, soy sauce and garlic to pan and bring to a boil. Cook sauce about 3 minutes to reduce and thicken, stir occasionally. Return chicken to pan and coat on all sides. Cook chicken until sauces sticks well and the chicken browns on both sides. Check to make sure done, serve over rice.
Delish!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Note about spices
I love spices. I am obsessed with spices. I...love...spices. And before I go further go do this: THROW AWAY YOUR EXPIRED STUFF. Yes, it does expire people, check it. If you don't remember when you used it last, get rid of it! We are all guilty of this, me included. It took having an overly OCD husband about such things that got me to pay attention to it. The reality of this is that if you are not using fresh spices, you simply are not getting the right taste from them. So - go clean out that pantry or spice rack and use it as an excuse turn over a new leaf.
I used to really not give them a second thought. Salt/pepper/garlic powder. Those were my common old standby's. The more I cook though, especially when trying to do something lean, I find that it is more satisfying to have some real taste to it.
Mark and I discovered Penzey's Spices. You can find them online, and in Houston there is a store in The Heights that is absolutely to die for. Let corriander, onion powder, dried shallots, cumin, sea salt, cracked peppers (different varieties), exotic cinnamons and vanilla beans work into you life! You won't regret it! I am sure there are a million stores that offer great spices, but Penzey's is our local favorite. We browse the grocery store aisles too. Usually the old saying rings true: "You get what you pay for." Spend an extra dollar or five on this one, trust me....
Fresh is great as well - check out your local store, sample that rosemary, basil and dill they throw out there. Dill is great for crab salads, basil goes with tomato dishes ~ even just a little sprinkle on top. Rosemary with shallots, lemon juice, sea salt and cracked pepper is a great chicken or pork marinade!
Please post your comments here on your favorite spices!
I used to really not give them a second thought. Salt/pepper/garlic powder. Those were my common old standby's. The more I cook though, especially when trying to do something lean, I find that it is more satisfying to have some real taste to it.
Mark and I discovered Penzey's Spices. You can find them online, and in Houston there is a store in The Heights that is absolutely to die for. Let corriander, onion powder, dried shallots, cumin, sea salt, cracked peppers (different varieties), exotic cinnamons and vanilla beans work into you life! You won't regret it! I am sure there are a million stores that offer great spices, but Penzey's is our local favorite. We browse the grocery store aisles too. Usually the old saying rings true: "You get what you pay for." Spend an extra dollar or five on this one, trust me....
Fresh is great as well - check out your local store, sample that rosemary, basil and dill they throw out there. Dill is great for crab salads, basil goes with tomato dishes ~ even just a little sprinkle on top. Rosemary with shallots, lemon juice, sea salt and cracked pepper is a great chicken or pork marinade!
Please post your comments here on your favorite spices!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)