Seriously, it's easy. I'm a big fan of easy. I'm also a big fan of dry vegetable soup mix, apparently, since I'm using it in everything lately.
Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (any kind of boneless chicken will do, but you can't use big pieces like whole breasts. If you have large pieces, cut them to be smaller so they'll cook faster.)
1 cup white rice
3 cups water
1 package dry vegetable soup mix
Brown the chicken slightly in a little bit of oil. Nothing too major. If you over-brown, that's ok. Or if you forget to brown it, that's ok too. Whatever. Either way, use a really big skillet so you'll have room for everything (I used my 12-inch cast iron and it was just big enough). Then pour in your water and the veggie soup mix, and stir it to dissolve the powder and get everything evened out. Dump in your rice, and try to spread it evenly around the skillet. Make sure there's no rice hanging out on top of the chicken where it won't be in the water. Bring the water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is done and the chicken is cooked through.
This recipe serves 4, or maybe 5 depending on how much chicken you have and what sides you serve with it. I didn't serve any sides and it served the 4 of us with a few leftovers. As with my other chicken recipe, this would be great if you cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces, but I didn't and it was still good. I'm sure you could also bake this, but I have no idea how long you'd need to bake it, so if you go that route you're on your own.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pudding Cake
super easy, super good.
you can use any flavor combo you like. we use white cake and lemon pudding because that's what we like. i have used angel food cake and strawberry jello and didn't mix the cool whip. i just used it straight from the bowl. it wasn't too bad. i use generic everything and whatever is on sale. it's just as good as name brand.
make a cake per box. let cake cool absolutely and completely before continuing on.
use the handle of a wooden spoon to make staggered holes about half as deep in the top of the cake.
make one regular sized box of pudding per box. before it sets up, pour about 3/4 over the cake and into the holes.
into the remaining pudding that has been allowed to set up, fold one regular sized bowl of cool whip. use that to "ice" the cake.
it's definitely a "spoonable" dessert.
cover and set in the fridge until ready to eat.
you can use any flavor combo you like. we use white cake and lemon pudding because that's what we like. i have used angel food cake and strawberry jello and didn't mix the cool whip. i just used it straight from the bowl. it wasn't too bad. i use generic everything and whatever is on sale. it's just as good as name brand.
make a cake per box. let cake cool absolutely and completely before continuing on.
use the handle of a wooden spoon to make staggered holes about half as deep in the top of the cake.
make one regular sized box of pudding per box. before it sets up, pour about 3/4 over the cake and into the holes.
into the remaining pudding that has been allowed to set up, fold one regular sized bowl of cool whip. use that to "ice" the cake.
it's definitely a "spoonable" dessert.
cover and set in the fridge until ready to eat.
Granny's pie crust
i got this from mother...so if it rambles or you find little hints and tips...they are hers. i just copied and pasted this one. this is the way granny makes her crust and it is wonderful and not difficult at all!
makes 4-5 crusts
makes 4-5 crusts
4 Cups flour
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
mix together and make well in center of bowl
1 beaten egg
1/2 Cup cold water
1 Tbs vinegar
mix together & set aside
13/4 Cups shortening
cut into dry ingredients
Add liquid
PS. rolls better if chilled
roll leftover into pie sized ball and freeze for later use.
keep it cold. keep what you are not actually working on in the fridge. use cold ingredients.
don't handle too much
the least amount of extra flour you work into it while rolling out the better. Too much flour which makes it too dry will make the crust crumbly not flaky.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Pumpkin pancakes
This is from Allrecipes.com. Link to the recipe is http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Pancakes/Detail.aspx.
Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
Directions
1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
*QB's notes: I used soy milk like I do in everything else, and it was fine, so you can make these dairy-free. I didn't have any allspice, so I used about 1/8 tsp. of cloves and 1/4 tsp. ish of nutmeg -- it turned out all right, but I should have used a bit more. Or else gone out and bought allspice. You really should have allspice. Anyway, these were delicious either alone or with maple syrup.
Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
Directions
1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.
*QB's notes: I used soy milk like I do in everything else, and it was fine, so you can make these dairy-free. I didn't have any allspice, so I used about 1/8 tsp. of cloves and 1/4 tsp. ish of nutmeg -- it turned out all right, but I should have used a bit more. Or else gone out and bought allspice. You really should have allspice. Anyway, these were delicious either alone or with maple syrup.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Osso Buco with fennel, and orange gremolata
Ingredients
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 fennel bulb, cut into large pieces
3 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces
4 pork shanks
19 oz/ 540 ml tin of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp/30 ml olive oil
2 tbsp/30 ml flour
1/2 cup/125 ml white wine
juice of 1 orange
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Gremolata
1/2 cup/125 ml fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp/ 15 ml orange zest, finely grated
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Method
1. Add oil to a skillet and brown onion for 2 mins. Add pork shanks and brown on all sides. Sprinkle with flour and cook for a further min
2. Deglaze with wine and orange juice and bring to the boil.
3. Place pork and onion mixture in crockpot and add tomatoes, celery, fennel and thyme.Season to taste.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5. Make gremolata just before serving by combining parsley, orange and garlic.
6. Serve over pasta or rice with gremolata sprinkled over top
Oven
1. Heat oven to 350F/ 180C. Place pork and onion mixture in baking dish with tomatoes, fennel, celery and thyme. Plus an extra 3/4 cup/175 ml white wine. Season to taste.
2. Cover and bake for 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally adjusting liquid level if necessary.
3. Prepare gremolata as above. And serve over pasta or rice
Ingredients
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 fennel bulb, cut into large pieces
3 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm pieces
4 pork shanks
19 oz/ 540 ml tin of diced tomatoes
2 tbsp/30 ml olive oil
2 tbsp/30 ml flour
1/2 cup/125 ml white wine
juice of 1 orange
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Gremolata
1/2 cup/125 ml fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp/ 15 ml orange zest, finely grated
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Method
1. Add oil to a skillet and brown onion for 2 mins. Add pork shanks and brown on all sides. Sprinkle with flour and cook for a further min
2. Deglaze with wine and orange juice and bring to the boil.
3. Place pork and onion mixture in crockpot and add tomatoes, celery, fennel and thyme.Season to taste.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.
5. Make gremolata just before serving by combining parsley, orange and garlic.
6. Serve over pasta or rice with gremolata sprinkled over top
Oven
1. Heat oven to 350F/ 180C. Place pork and onion mixture in baking dish with tomatoes, fennel, celery and thyme. Plus an extra 3/4 cup/175 ml white wine. Season to taste.
2. Cover and bake for 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally adjusting liquid level if necessary.
3. Prepare gremolata as above. And serve over pasta or rice
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Watercress Soup
Ingredients for 6-8 people:
2 bunches watercress
3/4 lb potatoes
1 onion
2 pints chicken stock
1-1/2 oz butter
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic (optional)
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons of double cream or 1/2 cup milk
Garnish: nutmeg (optional)
1 - wash watercress and discard tough stalks/ yellow leaves
2 - Peel and thickly slice potatoes and onion.
3 - Put potatoes, onion, half the watercress, stock, butter, bay leaf and peeled garlic (if using) in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.
4 - Bring soup to boil, cover pan and simmer until the potatoes and onion are quite soft.
5 - Remove bay leaf and liquidise soup (DH likes a few lumps in it - you may not!)
6 - Stir in cream or milk plus the other half of watercress chopped finely and heat soup without boiling.
Serve in heated bowls with crusty bread.
This is from Reader's Digest 'The Cookery Year' - 'tonsed' a la Beesknees ... tasty and good for you .... nice chilled as well as hot, with or without nutmeg to serve.
2 bunches watercress
3/4 lb potatoes
1 onion
2 pints chicken stock
1-1/2 oz butter
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic (optional)
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons of double cream or 1/2 cup milk
Garnish: nutmeg (optional)
1 - wash watercress and discard tough stalks/ yellow leaves
2 - Peel and thickly slice potatoes and onion.
3 - Put potatoes, onion, half the watercress, stock, butter, bay leaf and peeled garlic (if using) in a large saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.
4 - Bring soup to boil, cover pan and simmer until the potatoes and onion are quite soft.
5 - Remove bay leaf and liquidise soup (DH likes a few lumps in it - you may not!)
6 - Stir in cream or milk plus the other half of watercress chopped finely and heat soup without boiling.
Serve in heated bowls with crusty bread.
This is from Reader's Digest 'The Cookery Year' - 'tonsed' a la Beesknees ... tasty and good for you .... nice chilled as well as hot, with or without nutmeg to serve.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Vegan-friendly falafel (and not-vegan tzatziki sauce)
These recipes are from Allrecipes.com. The falafel is vegan, but the tzatziki sauce is not. But if you wanted to make it vegan, you could just substitute soy yogurt for the dairy yogurt, easy peasy. I'm not sure how everybody else eats this stuff, but we just dip the balls in the sauce and eat them that way. Super yummy.
Falafel:
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound dry garbanzo beans
* 1 onion, quartered
* 1 potato, peeled and quartered
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 cups canola oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the garbanzo beans under cold water and discard any bad ones. Place in a large pot, and cover with water. Let soak 24 hours, and rinse again.
2. Place the garbanzo beans, onion, and potato in the bowl of a food processor. Cover, and process until finely chopped. Leaving about 1 cup of the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl, pour the rest into a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl; process on low to blend thoroughly. Return the reserved garbanzo bean mixture to the food processor bowl, and add the lemon juice, and olive oil; process on low into a coarse meal. Cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Stir the baking soda into the garbanzo bean mixture until evenly blended. Using damp hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch diameter balls.
4. Pour the canola oil into a wok 1 to 2 inches deep, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the falafel balls, turning so all sides are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove falafel from oil, and drain on paper towels. Repeat to cook remaining falafel balls.
FOOTNOTES
Cook's Tip: If you don't have time to soak the dry garbanzo beans for this recipe, substitute three 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans, and start with Step 2.
Tzatziki sauce
INGREDIENTS
* 8 ounces plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
* 3 cloves pressed garlic
DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Blend thoroughly and serve.
** QB's Notes:
The sauce is better if you chill it in the fridge for an hour or so before eating. You can mix up the falafel ingredients the day before if you want to, but be warned, it will change colors. I'm not sure why. It doesn't affect the taste, but it looks different. Darker. Also, I used about twice the amount of dill in the sauce, and I ramped up the spices in the falafel. We like FLAVOR in this house. It's good the way the recipe says to do it, but if you like spicy food, feel free to play with the amounts. You can't screw it up.
Falafel:
INGREDIENTS
* 1 pound dry garbanzo beans
* 1 onion, quartered
* 1 potato, peeled and quartered
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 cups canola oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Rinse the garbanzo beans under cold water and discard any bad ones. Place in a large pot, and cover with water. Let soak 24 hours, and rinse again.
2. Place the garbanzo beans, onion, and potato in the bowl of a food processor. Cover, and process until finely chopped. Leaving about 1 cup of the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl, pour the rest into a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, cilantro, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to the garbanzo bean mixture in the food processor bowl; process on low to blend thoroughly. Return the reserved garbanzo bean mixture to the food processor bowl, and add the lemon juice, and olive oil; process on low into a coarse meal. Cover, and refrigerate 2 hours.
3. Stir the baking soda into the garbanzo bean mixture until evenly blended. Using damp hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch diameter balls.
4. Pour the canola oil into a wok 1 to 2 inches deep, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook the falafel balls, turning so all sides are evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove falafel from oil, and drain on paper towels. Repeat to cook remaining falafel balls.
FOOTNOTES
Cook's Tip: If you don't have time to soak the dry garbanzo beans for this recipe, substitute three 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans, and start with Step 2.
Tzatziki sauce
INGREDIENTS
* 8 ounces plain yogurt
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
* 3 cloves pressed garlic
DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Blend thoroughly and serve.
** QB's Notes:
The sauce is better if you chill it in the fridge for an hour or so before eating. You can mix up the falafel ingredients the day before if you want to, but be warned, it will change colors. I'm not sure why. It doesn't affect the taste, but it looks different. Darker. Also, I used about twice the amount of dill in the sauce, and I ramped up the spices in the falafel. We like FLAVOR in this house. It's good the way the recipe says to do it, but if you like spicy food, feel free to play with the amounts. You can't screw it up.
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