Cheesey balsamic mixed vegetables
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Posted:Oct 25, 2013 8:03 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
7824 Views
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Most people hate mixed vegetables, especially frozen, especially when boiled or steamed, and no one loves the entire mix of vegetables. And I'm one of those!
If you want to eat healthy, you need vegetables and mixed vegetables are tasty are a good way to do it.
I made this the same way I make balsamic veg that I've posted before but grated some cheddar cheese at the end.
Defrost some mixed frozen vegetables, put them in a hot pan with olive oil, stir, add some butter, when melted and stirred, add some balsamic vinegar and let reduce and evaporate, then serve. If you cook the vegetables too long, they will get tough and chewy.
For the cheese part, at the end before serving, grate some cheddar cheese and stir in and serve. Before this I decided to sprinkle some Italian seasoning with the vegetables.
These were very good.
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Mushroom Barley soup - my favorite
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Posted:Oct 22, 2013 7:20 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
8334 Views
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If you have been a regular reader of my blogs, I've mentioned I hate mushrooms except in three things, mushroom barley soup, chicken marsala, and tettrazini.
I first had mushroom barley soup at a health food store in Princeton NJ 35 years ago. It was the best I've tasted until this recipe. I've looked in restaurants and recipes for a great tasting mushroom barley soup and have found none. I wanted a very cream soup with vegetables and taste. The creamniest was the most important feature to me, of course besides taste.
The basis of this recipe came from a cookbook and then it was further developed by me.
This serves 8
Melt on medium heat in a 2 1/2 qt pot, 4 Tb butter plus some olive oil,
saute 1 diced onion, towards the end add 2 cloves of minced garlic, about 5 minutes, add 4 oz-8 oz finely sliced mushrooms. I cut the ends off, then cut the mushroom in half, put the half cut facing down on a cutting board and thinly slice. Cook these until completely broken down, about 8-10 minutes. Add 2 Tb tamari (a high quality soy sauce without artificial ingredients, flavorings), then begin to dice 4 medium carrots and add those and stir. Now add 7 cups of chicken stock with 1 cup barley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp grounnd pepper, 1 tsp thyne, bring to a boil, then simmer covered until the barley is very soft, about 30-45 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of marsala wine or a sweet sherry stir and serve with grated cheese on top.
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Friday night dinner - Chicken Marsala taking it up several notches!
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Posted:Oct 18, 2013 5:44 pm
Last Updated:Nov 24, 2013 9:22 am
8212 Views
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This is probably the best Chicken Marsala I've ever made. I'm always trying different things and tonight's dinner was different. First time I ever did it this way. I'm creating, cooking, eating, and sharing what I've made. My girlfriend said this was outstanding and fo rme, it blew me away, it was that good. I always like to cook with the WOW factor.
I sliced the chicken thinly across as I always do. I coated both sides with Italian salad dressing, then put just a 1 tsp of honey mustard on each piece and spread it around on. I did not want to taste the mustard, I wanted to taste something and not be able to identify the flavor so go lightly. I then sprinkled some seasoned bread crumbs on with a few 4C Chiptole Panko crumbs. I put this in a hot pan with olive oil. When done on 1 side I flipped it, and then removed it when it was not quite done.
I then added some minced garlic and the finely sliced mushrooms that were already sliced before I started cooking! I let the mushrooms bleed down some and put the chicken back in the pan, added some marsala wine, and about 1/4 cup (4 Tb) of tomato sauce. I did not add much tomato sauce as I did not want to make a tomato sauce dish. I wanted the bulk of the dish to be the juices from the mushrooms, chicken, tomato sauce, and marsala wine. I then served and grated on an Italian hard cheese.
The tomato sauce I used was homemade and made with a pork shoulder for flavor.
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Thurs night dinner - Shrimp and pasta w tomatoes, artichokes, peas, wine, mustard, tomato sauce
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Posted:Oct 18, 2013 2:23 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
8069 Views
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This was easy, never did this before. My girlfriend had a night out with the girls from the gym pizza! So I had shrimp, she hates shrimp anyway.
For this dish I used thin sphagetti, I would have also used linguine or angel hair pasta. Put this into boiling salted water.
I buy deveined uncooked medium shrimp as they are the best buy. Always devein your shrimp. That vein is not a blood vein, it's the intestines of the shrimp!
Put the shrimp in a bowl and coat with Italian salad dressing, let sit or use right away season first with Italian seasoning and Accent. I put this in a hot pan with olive oil. If you are using extra virgin olive oil EVOO I cut it in the pan with canola oil as EVOO will burn thus changing the taste of the oil. I also sprinkled both the Italian seasoning and the Accent into the hot oil to flavor the oil for the shrimp and this dish.
I added minced garlic, one diced fresh tomatoes, defrosted frozen peas and sliced artichokes, finely sliced broccoli florets would work. I then sauteed this and when almost done, I added some white zinfandel, my favorite now is Barefoot Wines, their Blushingly Pink wine is excellent with a touch of effervescence. I also added a touch of tomato sauce, heavy cream is optional for a pink sauce or to add a touch of sweetness. I served this with grated cheese mixed in.
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Oven Baked Whole Chicken - Better than Supermarket Rotisserie
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Posted:Oct 11, 2013 7:01 pm
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
7940 Views
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Problem with supermarket rotisserie chicken, it's dry!
I had bought a 7 lb whole chicken and brined it! I never cook a whole chicken or a turkey without brining it. Brining "injects" flavor into the chicken and the chicken is moister. The juices just run out.
I put the chicken in a supermarket plastic bag and put this in a stainless steel pot. I then pour the brine into the plastic bag.
For the brine, you can use any seasoning you'd like.
For today's chicken, I used 1 quart of water, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 Tb Creole seasoning, 3 Tb hot sauce such as Tabasco, for today's chicken, I used a mango rum hot sauce, 1 Tb garlic seasoning. You then brine for 1-8 hours. I brined for 3 1/2 hours.
I removed the chicken, and BREAST side up MEN, I put it on an oven tray. I have a small rectangular counter top convection oven that I use.
I then pulled the breast skin away from the chicken and squeezed a lemon, quartered, underneath the skin and left it there. I coated the inside and outside of the chicken with olive oil.
I made a rub and put the ingredients into an old spice bottle so I could sprinkle it inside and on the outside of the chicken.
1 Tb black pepper, 2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp white pepper, 1 Tb garlic powder, 2 tsp onion salt, 1 tsp celery salt, 1 Tb oregano.
I then wanted some vegetables and potatoes and laid them on the same tray with the chicken. I peeled some carrots and cut them into large long chunks. If they are large, cut them down the middle lengthwise. I halved or quartered some white potatoes, and I quartered a large peeled onion.
In my convection oven, I cooked a 7 lb chicken for 2 1/2 hours at 350 or until the thermometer into the breast is at least 165, if not 180. When done, I removed the chicken and let it sit on a plate for 15 minutes before cutting. This allows the juices to retreat into the meat fibers.
If you use a regular oven, or if there's room, put a pot of water in the oven to allow the water to evaporate and keep a moisture content. This will serve two purposes. You will get an even moister bird, and the bird will cook faster due to a higher humidity. Wet heat is hotter than dry heat.
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Peach Bread Pudding
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Posted:Oct 10, 2013 5:45 pm
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2013 5:11 am
7845 Views
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I made bread pudding today. I had some peaches that were getting soft and didn't feel like a Betty or a Cobbler, love puddings.
I first mixed and beat 4 eggs into 3 cups of skim milk. I use 1 egg per cup of whole milk but since it was skim I added an extra egg. If you have some cream, welcome to use that also. In this I added 1 cup of sugar, you could use less, 2/3 or 3/4 cup, 1/2 stick of butter since I was using skim milk, I was only using skim as that is what I had in the refrig, 1 Tb of homemade vanilla in rum, 1-2 Tb cinnamon, 1/4 cup of triple sec. I diced about 5 or so of very ripe peaches and added those, plus about 3-4 cups of diced bread. It was homemade bread made using 2/3 white flour and 1/3 whole wheat flour.
I baked this for 75 minutes at 350. I then served with a homemade blueberry sauce and another with pure maple syrup. Ice Cream anyone?
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Thursday night dinner - Curried Chicken w coconut milk, mandarin oranges, raisins, tomatoes
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Posted:Oct 10, 2013 5:36 pm
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
7730 Views
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Monday I made a curried chicken dish with almonds and mandarin organges. I wanted to improve this dish but ended tonight with an entirely different dish that was blow out excellent.
Again, never made this before, stood in front of the stove and made it up as I went.
One chicken breast diced, then sprinkled with curry powder, put canola oil in a hot pan and sprinkled the hot oil with curry, coriander, cardamon, cumin, chili powder, then added the chicken and stirred. I used more curry than anything else then about 1 tsp of the others. To this pan, I added 1 Tb of a Madras red curry paste, 1 Tb peanut butter, and 1 TB of Tahini (sesame seed paste), 1 Tb minced garlic, stirred, added 1/2 sliced onion, 1 1/2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup of crushed tomatoes, 1/2 can mandarian oranges and it's syrup, 1/2 cup of raisins. Stirred, brought to a boil then covered and simmered for 20 minutes. I put this over brown rice.
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Plan your recipes around your food cabinet
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Posted:Oct 10, 2013 8:35 am
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2013 6:43 pm
7834 Views
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I always have a turnover of food in my cabinet. I know every product I have. How do I do it?
My food cabinet is tall, 5 revolving, turning shelves, other than the spice cabinet which is separate. It's organized by types the 1st shelf being ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, some other things on the top; 2nd shelf is pasta and rices; 3rd shelf is tomato products and accrucaments, coconut milk, canned Progresso soups; 4th is dessert, jams, jellies, mandarian oranges; 5th is some organic, grains, seaweed, crushed tomatoes, bottom is also crushed tomatoes, maple syrup. Above the revolving cabinet are my vinegars, peanut butter, crackers, oatmeal, baggies, wax papper.
Not only do I use this cabinet and pull from it, I periodically go through the cabinet and plan meals around food that is in there so I have a turnover.
Look for foods that have been there for more than 2-3 months, then plan a meal around them. If you need help with ideas, look for some items that have been there for longer than 3 months, post them here, and I will give you ideas what to do with them. Such as, cereal makes a great bread crumb substitute. It and grape nuts can both be used in desserts, as a topping, or incorporated into a custard.
I have gone to friends house to cook and gone through their refrig, freezer, cabinets, and came up with an on the spot, unique, enjoyable, great tasting, meal for them.
I don't want to hear, I don't have anything!
What about a tuna fish mac n cheese using a touch of curry and nutmeg with tomatoes and frozen peas, and a variety older cheeses. That was the last on the spot meal. I used tuna, from the refrig, older sour cream and heavy cream, not turned yet, elbow macaroni, small can of older crushed tomatoes, and a cereal for the sprinkle top. The dessert was grape nut custard.
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chicken parmeginana
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Posted:Oct 9, 2013 9:33 am
Last Updated:Nov 24, 2013 9:21 am
8666 Views
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Chicken parm is so easy to make outstanding and it stinks in most restaurants.
I make it a little differently each time, always trying something different or keeping me interested!
I thinly sliced a chicken breast, sprinkle both sides of the chicken with Italian salad dressing, sprinkle Italian seasoning, freshly ground pepper, then bread with seasoned bread crumbs, and fry in olive oil.
When done on one side, flip, cook for just another minute and add minced garlic to the pan, then add crushed tomatoes, additional fresh tomatoes are an optional, sometimes I prefer coarsely crushed tomatoes or a mix, white zinfandel wine, a slight bit of triple sec is an option in addition to the white zinfandel wine. Then put some cheese on top, I like cheddar cheese! or a parm romano asiago cheese would work well, not mozzarella, a tasteless cheese unless it's soaked in something. Cover with a cover or another frying pan flipped upside down to melt the cheese, then serve.
Optionally, you can substitute some of the bread crumbs with 4C Chiptole bread crumbs.
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Easy Hearty Tomato Vegetable Soup
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Posted:Oct 9, 2013 9:16 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
7630 Views
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This is an easy soup to make using a can of Progresso Hearty Tomato soup.
I bought a hot poultry pattie from Wegman's and diced it very finely. You can use any sausage, pork, chickem as a substitute and diced it fine and cook it. When done I added 2 finely diced carrots, 1 stalk of celery, mince garlic, 1/2 diced onion, then added the can of soup, 1 1/2 cans of water, 1/3 cup of elbow macaroni, some salt, Italian seasoning, and brought to a boil then simmered until the macaroni and carrots were tender, about 20 minutes.
You don't have to use any meat in this, a little wine is good, and you can substitute some or all chicken broth for the water.
Sprinkle each bowl with some parm romano cheese.
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Monday night dinner - Curried Chicken w coconut milk, mandarin oranges
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Posted:Oct 8, 2013 1:29 pm
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
7945 Views
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I went upstairs to make a curried indian dish for dinner and never made it there. Instead, I made this. I've never made it before. As always, I stood in front of the stove and made it up as I went. It was very good but it needed some changes so below are the changes that I think it should have.
One chicken breast diced, then sprinkled with curry powder, put in a hot pan with canola oil, stir, cook, when almost done, 2 minced cloves of garlic, add 1 cup of frozen mixed vegetables, if you like vegetables use 1 1/2 cups, 1/2 sliced onion, optionally add some finely diced bamboo shoots, I did not do this, didn't have any but looked for some, add 1 small can of mandarian oranges, I used 1/2 can and it was not enough, also add the syrup that it comes in, notice the inside of the can is coated galvanized steel, a rarity in steel cans today, use to be they all use to be galvanized, toast sliced almonds in a frying pan 1/2 cup sliced almonds, do not burn them! they will turn brown very fast. Mix this in with the other, add 1/2 can of coconut milk, I also didn't add raisins but 1/3-1/2 cup of raisins would have been nice, Cover and let simmer for 10-20 minutes. I served this over brown rice. I had the great idea to mix the brown rice in with the sauce and let the rice finish cooking, softening, this was a mistake, it looked like a puky mess, I think it would have been better over the rice rather than the rice mixed in.
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Fri dinner - Chicken,lemon,wine,almonds,peas,artichokes, tomatoes,pasta
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Posted:Oct 4, 2013 6:50 pm
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
8095 Views
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Tonight's dinner was very tasty and simple to make. The ingredients can vary. I will explain.
Boiled the salted water and put spaghetti in. Any pasta will do but I think spaghetti works best.
Toasted sliced almonds, about a 1/2 cup. WATCH, they toast and burn very quickly once they start. When almost done, I put in a separate pan or dish as they will burn in the hot pan.
I thinly sliced the chicken breast, optionally put some bottled Italian dressing on the chicken breast, shook some Italian seasoning on it, dipped it in seasoned bread crumbs and put in a pan with olive oil.
Turned the chicken and put some garlic in the pan, added the defrosted frozen peas and defrosted artichokes. I cut the artichokes in smaller pieces. Optionally put some diced fresh tomatoes in the pan, added 1/2 cup white zinfandel wine, 1/2 lemon and the zest, toasted slice almonds, 1 cup of canned crushed tomatoes, optionally some red pepper flakes, some Italian seasoning, and 1/4-1/3 cup of heavy cream, cover and simmer until boiling and chicken is done which will be very quick.
Any vegetable will work, asparagus, broccoli.
The toasted almonds can be used on top of the dish after plated. I also grated some cheese on top.
The toasted almonds was the key to the dish, this and the cream. And if everything else fails, or you don't get sex tonight! Drink the rest of the bottle of White Zinfandel.
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Seasoned Shrimp or Chicken with Pasta
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Posted:Oct 2, 2013 7:06 am
Last Updated:May 1, 2024 6:27 am
8091 Views
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Not sure what to make for dinner? This is an easy dish that is foolproof.
It was late last night, I was working in the yard, my girlfriend wasn't home, I didn't come in until after dark, 7:30pm, so I needed something quick.
I put on some angel hair pasta, any pasta can be used for this dish, in salted water!
I defrosted some shrimp as they defrost very fast in warm water. I did this same dish Sunday with Chicken. It's kinda of a go to dish. Very tasty, quick, versatile.
I seasoned the shrimp, or chieken, using a discount store bought all purpose seasoning. This happens to be a creole seasoning called Tony Chachere's Original Seasoning. It doesn't taste like a creole seasoning but says so on the back. You can find it on his name website from Louisiana.
I seasoned the shrimp, put it in a pan with olive oil, added some minced garlic, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, and defrosted frozen peas, swirled it around, when almost done, added white zinfandel wine, heavy cream, and some tomatoe sauce, I also seasoned with some Italian seasoning. When done, I removed the shrimp or chicken, swirled the pasta in the sauce, and plated, topped with a grated cheese. Very simple. Very tasty. Very quick.
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