Chicken can be economical if you are willing to work for it a bit. Meaning, strip off the skin at home, instead of paying for the store to do it. I will buy the warehouse pack of chicken thighs and strip off the skin, and freeze them in family sized portions.
Then what to do with them? We've got two favorites here for easy, simple, but tasty chicken thighs.
Honey Curry
- 800 grams chicken (give or take)
- 1/2 cup honey (I prefer our local honey)
- 1/4 cup prepared mustard
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
mix and pour over chicken. Bake at 375 until done. Seriously, that's it. If you want to fancy it up a bit, sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 to 1 tsp dried tarragon before adding honey mix. Awesome with rice.
Sesame Ginger
rub chicken with a couple of drops of sesame oil, then saute in a pan until golden on both sides - about 20 minutes. Then add in:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp grated ginger (hello from a bottle, way faster!)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Saute and turn often until chicken is done.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Cold Sesame noodles
The name is cold, but I actually like this best slightly warm. Probably because I can't wait to let it cool before eating it.
6 oz noodles (spaghetti is my usual)
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp hoisin sauce - which always smells SO good, and I need some more recipes with it
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
cook noodles, drain and rinse with cold water. Mix other ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes, then toss with noodles. If desired, sprinkle with chopped scallions.
This is a weight watchers recipe, 4 points per serving (8 servings total)
6 oz noodles (spaghetti is my usual)
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp hoisin sauce - which always smells SO good, and I need some more recipes with it
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
cook noodles, drain and rinse with cold water. Mix other ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes, then toss with noodles. If desired, sprinkle with chopped scallions.
This is a weight watchers recipe, 4 points per serving (8 servings total)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Old Fashioned Cake
I still giggle about the time my friend asked her then five year old daughter what kind of cake was served at my son's birthday party. It was an old fashioned one, she replied. Her mom knew then it was my chocolate cake. It 'is' an old recipe, from past times on the farm, when milk and eggs were not available... Enjoy!!
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (but I never add this)
1/2 cup corn oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water
Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a fork, blend flour with sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Using the tail end of the fork or a spoon, make three wells in the dry ingredients.
Pour oil in one hole, vinegar in another, and vanilla in the third. Pour cold water over top, and mix until well combined.
Pour into a lightly greased 9" square baking pan and bake on centre rack of oven at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until springy when lightly touched in the centre.
Makes 8 - 12 servings.
Tip: For a round cake, use a 9 1/2" spring form pan. Reduce cooking temperature to 325 F, and bake for 65 - 75 minutes or until springy when lightly touched in the centre.
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (but I never add this)
1/2 cup corn oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water
Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a fork, blend flour with sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Using the tail end of the fork or a spoon, make three wells in the dry ingredients.
Pour oil in one hole, vinegar in another, and vanilla in the third. Pour cold water over top, and mix until well combined.
Pour into a lightly greased 9" square baking pan and bake on centre rack of oven at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until springy when lightly touched in the centre.
Makes 8 - 12 servings.
Tip: For a round cake, use a 9 1/2" spring form pan. Reduce cooking temperature to 325 F, and bake for 65 - 75 minutes or until springy when lightly touched in the centre.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tonight's dinner
I realized tonight that I have been slacking off both in posting here, and in picture taking. Not posting pictures of food on what is a food blog, well, that's just poor form. Especially after reading on blogs like Bakerella's (insert drool here - those cake pops! Enough to lead anyone off a diet) So I took some pictures of what I was up to while making supper tonight.
I made up a basic chicken/rice casserole tonight. 1.5 cups rice, 1.25 cup water, can of mushroom soup, can of drained mushroom pieces mixed together. Then throw on 4 large, frozen, chicken breasts, cover and bake at 375 for at least an hour. Simple. Not terribly pretty for photo purposes though.
Good thing we had a side dish!
Ever the optimist, I am, decided to use up some fresh, spring-like asparagus. Since 60% of my family likes asparagus, it was a rather safe choice.
This is our current favorite way to serve it. Break off the icky ends, rinse and chop into 2" pieces (give or take). Saute for a couple minutes with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt - these days here, it's all about the kosher salt - then top with a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
Simple, tasty, and oh so pretty - see? Oh, that huge container of parmesan is from my most recent trip to Costco with my co-blogger. I've rarely been to Costco, but I could easily, easily be converted.
Tonight's dessert.
This one was an Allrecipes.com find. Specifically, the Berry Good Coffee Cake It was berry good indeed. Quite pretty, and a good use for some frozen raspberries.
I made up a basic chicken/rice casserole tonight. 1.5 cups rice, 1.25 cup water, can of mushroom soup, can of drained mushroom pieces mixed together. Then throw on 4 large, frozen, chicken breasts, cover and bake at 375 for at least an hour. Simple. Not terribly pretty for photo purposes though.
Good thing we had a side dish!
Ever the optimist, I am, decided to use up some fresh, spring-like asparagus. Since 60% of my family likes asparagus, it was a rather safe choice.
This is our current favorite way to serve it. Break off the icky ends, rinse and chop into 2" pieces (give or take). Saute for a couple minutes with olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt - these days here, it's all about the kosher salt - then top with a couple of tablespoons of parmesan cheese.
Simple, tasty, and oh so pretty - see? Oh, that huge container of parmesan is from my most recent trip to Costco with my co-blogger. I've rarely been to Costco, but I could easily, easily be converted.
Tonight's dessert.
This one was an Allrecipes.com find. Specifically, the Berry Good Coffee Cake It was berry good indeed. Quite pretty, and a good use for some frozen raspberries.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Mexican Chicken soup
This recipe was rather a MacGyver-type creation I came up with tonight. As my 6 year old called it the "Best soup ever, well, at least since the last soup", I decided to write it down while it's still fresh in my brain.
I boiled the two chicken carcasses from the other night for a while, and stripped the meat off. Then I strained the grease off the broth. I had quite a bit of liquid - probably 10 or 12 cups. It's tastier than commercial chicken broth, but next time, I would probably use less liquid and save the rest for another tasty recipe.
With about 10 cups of broth, and 2 to 3 cups of chopped chicken meat, I had my soup base, and needed some inspiration. Mexican style!
Here's what I added to the base
- one chopped green pepper
- 2 tbsps of tomato paste
- 3/4 cup of "instant" lentils (I'd use regular red ones next time)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup salsa - we have mild
- one jar of homemade green tomato relish (ask me if you want a jar, or just double the salsa)
- a cup or so of frozen corn
- can of black beans
Add everything, simmer about 20 minutes and serve. I topped the soup bowls with some shredded cheddar, and had sliced up tortillas on the side for dipping. Yum!
The hubby thought it could have used more spice, and I agree. However, the meal was milder with the younger members of the family in mind.
I boiled the two chicken carcasses from the other night for a while, and stripped the meat off. Then I strained the grease off the broth. I had quite a bit of liquid - probably 10 or 12 cups. It's tastier than commercial chicken broth, but next time, I would probably use less liquid and save the rest for another tasty recipe.
With about 10 cups of broth, and 2 to 3 cups of chopped chicken meat, I had my soup base, and needed some inspiration. Mexican style!
Here's what I added to the base
- one chopped green pepper
- 2 tbsps of tomato paste
- 3/4 cup of "instant" lentils (I'd use regular red ones next time)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup salsa - we have mild
- one jar of homemade green tomato relish (ask me if you want a jar, or just double the salsa)
- a cup or so of frozen corn
- can of black beans
Add everything, simmer about 20 minutes and serve. I topped the soup bowls with some shredded cheddar, and had sliced up tortillas on the side for dipping. Yum!
The hubby thought it could have used more spice, and I agree. However, the meal was milder with the younger members of the family in mind.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pineapple chicken
ok, so it's been a while. (looks around guiltily) Let's jump back in, shall we?
Last night, I roasted up two whole chickens. They came two to a package, and were on sale, so why not. I did them up Jamie Oliver style, mashing up lemon rind, rosemary and thyme in butter, and then shoving that under the skin and followed up with lemon wedges inside the birds. Then roasted both birds, eating one last night. I removed the meat from the second bird, and set it aside for another meal and threw the carcasses into my big pot for soup.
So, fast forward to tonight. I decided to make Pineapple chicken with most of the leftover chicken meat.
First, I chopped up the meat, and then marinated it in:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
While that sat, I chopped up two red peppers and about 2 dozen baby carrots. Then I threw about a tbsp of olive oil in my skillet, and tossed in the chicken. After tossing the chicken around to get coated in oil, I sprinkled a tbsp of flour on top and tossed again to coat.
After that, I added the peppers and carrots.
a 14oz can of pineapple tidbits and juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp bbq sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
and some salt and pepper
Cook it up for about 10-12 minutes, and serve with rice. The carrots were still crunchy (the way I like them) and it was really tasty.
Last night, I roasted up two whole chickens. They came two to a package, and were on sale, so why not. I did them up Jamie Oliver style, mashing up lemon rind, rosemary and thyme in butter, and then shoving that under the skin and followed up with lemon wedges inside the birds. Then roasted both birds, eating one last night. I removed the meat from the second bird, and set it aside for another meal and threw the carcasses into my big pot for soup.
So, fast forward to tonight. I decided to make Pineapple chicken with most of the leftover chicken meat.
First, I chopped up the meat, and then marinated it in:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
While that sat, I chopped up two red peppers and about 2 dozen baby carrots. Then I threw about a tbsp of olive oil in my skillet, and tossed in the chicken. After tossing the chicken around to get coated in oil, I sprinkled a tbsp of flour on top and tossed again to coat.
After that, I added the peppers and carrots.
a 14oz can of pineapple tidbits and juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp bbq sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
and some salt and pepper
Cook it up for about 10-12 minutes, and serve with rice. The carrots were still crunchy (the way I like them) and it was really tasty.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Chicken Nuggets
My kids love Chicken Nuggets, in all their unhealthy glory. Last night, I felt like something easy, and I had some chicken breasts. I decided to tweak a recipe I've made before to make mostly-healthy Chicken nuggets.
4 chicken breasts
cut breasts into "nuggets" and soak in a 1/2 cup of low fat milk for at least 20 minutes
Then mix:
2/3 cup crushed Bran Flakes
1/4 cup low fat grated parmesan cheese
dash of pepper
Dredge the nuggets in the breading, and place on greased cookie sheet (a shot or two of Pam is sufficient). Then spray the tops of the nuggets with cooking spray. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes. Tasty, and almost cancels out the ketchup my kids eat them with (right?)
4 chicken breasts
cut breasts into "nuggets" and soak in a 1/2 cup of low fat milk for at least 20 minutes
Then mix:
2/3 cup crushed Bran Flakes
1/4 cup low fat grated parmesan cheese
dash of pepper
Dredge the nuggets in the breading, and place on greased cookie sheet (a shot or two of Pam is sufficient). Then spray the tops of the nuggets with cooking spray. Bake at 375 about 20 minutes. Tasty, and almost cancels out the ketchup my kids eat them with (right?)
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