HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Yes, I'm a little late in saying it, but better late than never. Besides, I spent the holidays with my aunt, who is an AWESOME cook, and I have a new recipe to share with you.
Over the holidays, Auntie made a pulled pork roast that was simply divine. And I do mean simple.
All you need is this:
1 pork roast
1 bottle of root beer (the 2 liter variety)
1 bottle of your favorite Barbecue sauce
1 crock pot/slow cooker
1 bag of hamburger buns (optional)
To make: Put pork roast in slow cooker. Pour in about 1/3 of of the bottle, drink the leftovers later or use it to make Root Beer Floats. Cook for 6-8 hours or until fully cooked. Remove pork roast from the slow cooker and place on a plate or pan or something that you can shred the meat on. When the meat is shredded, pour the bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Rays) to taste. Mix well. Enjoy. Or put it on a hamburger bun and enjoy. Either way, delicious!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Mac and Cheese: Broke Cook Style
I sincerely apologize for the lack of posts. I had some major issues with my classes + holiday drama. I'm currently in a lull period, and thought I'd share an experience I had recently.
Last week, mom made spaghetti. I hate spaghetti. And lasagna. And pizza. I know, I know, how un-American, but hear me out. It's not the actual food I hate, but the sauce. I hate tomato sauce (although I LOOOOOVE tomatoes). Anyway, mom made spaghetti, but she knows I hate it, so she usually sets aside some noodles for me to doctor up myself.
This time, however, there were not enough spaghetti noodles for all, so she cooked up some plain, leftover macaroni noodles she happened to have on hand. I didn't have the powdered cheese to go with it, so I had to get creative. I vaguely remembered watching an episode of "Giada at Home" or "Everyday Italian" making some noodle sauce with creme fraiche. What's creme fraiche, you ask? Good question, I don't know, never had, nor have I ever seen it in my local supermarket.
Instead, I added a few spoonfuls of sour cream, a handful of shredded mozzarella, a few dashes of dried parsley, and then I nuked it in my microwave until the cheese melted. Stir, done. Enjoy.
It actually wasn't bad, although next time I think I would add some ricotta cheese and some shredded asiago cheese, but that's just me. Please by all means experiment with your favorite cheeses. If you really want some flavor, I suggest using fresh parsley and bake your mac and cheese.
P.S. I have an upcoming trip ahead, but when I get back, I'll share some of my holiday recipes for you. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Last week, mom made spaghetti. I hate spaghetti. And lasagna. And pizza. I know, I know, how un-American, but hear me out. It's not the actual food I hate, but the sauce. I hate tomato sauce (although I LOOOOOVE tomatoes). Anyway, mom made spaghetti, but she knows I hate it, so she usually sets aside some noodles for me to doctor up myself.
This time, however, there were not enough spaghetti noodles for all, so she cooked up some plain, leftover macaroni noodles she happened to have on hand. I didn't have the powdered cheese to go with it, so I had to get creative. I vaguely remembered watching an episode of "Giada at Home" or "Everyday Italian" making some noodle sauce with creme fraiche. What's creme fraiche, you ask? Good question, I don't know, never had, nor have I ever seen it in my local supermarket.
Instead, I added a few spoonfuls of sour cream, a handful of shredded mozzarella, a few dashes of dried parsley, and then I nuked it in my microwave until the cheese melted. Stir, done. Enjoy.
It actually wasn't bad, although next time I think I would add some ricotta cheese and some shredded asiago cheese, but that's just me. Please by all means experiment with your favorite cheeses. If you really want some flavor, I suggest using fresh parsley and bake your mac and cheese.
P.S. I have an upcoming trip ahead, but when I get back, I'll share some of my holiday recipes for you. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Party Snacks
Sorry guys, work has exhausted me and I'm still recovering. Here's a quick party snack using chicken and a crock pot.
Take a bag of chicken wings and put it in the crock pot. Pour a bottle of you favorite sauce into it. For example, bbq, buffalo, teriyaki, etc. Set the crock pot to cook for 6-8 hours, or whenever the chicken wings are thoroughly cooked, whichever comes first (I learned this the hard way). Done. Enjoy.
Take a bag of chicken wings and put it in the crock pot. Pour a bottle of you favorite sauce into it. For example, bbq, buffalo, teriyaki, etc. Set the crock pot to cook for 6-8 hours, or whenever the chicken wings are thoroughly cooked, whichever comes first (I learned this the hard way). Done. Enjoy.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Super Easy Chicken Dinner
Tonight I was going to treat you with one of my favorite chicken recipes, but real life got in the way. Instead, I'm giving you a dish that is super duper, easy peasy, (virtually) no-one-can-screw-this-up recipe.
First, get out your crock pot. If you don't have one, get one, it will be your best friend. Make sure it's large enough to hold 4-6 chicken breasts.
Second, put in however many chicken breasts you'll need that night. If it's just dinner for one, put in two and save the rest for leftovers. For a family of four, 4-6 chicken breasts should be enough, plus leftovers for lunch the next day.
Third, pour in a jar of your favorite salsa, then set the crock pot to cook for 6-8 hours (or when the chicken is thoroughly cooked, whichever comes first. And as pointer, the longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken tends to get). Done.
Easy and painless. If you really want to liven your dinner up, get some tortillas, shred the salsa chicken, and then make a taco or a fajita out of it. Add all your favorite taco/fajita fillings. I like sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese.
I hope you like this super quick and super tasty dinner dish as much as my and family and I do. Enjoy.
First, get out your crock pot. If you don't have one, get one, it will be your best friend. Make sure it's large enough to hold 4-6 chicken breasts.
Second, put in however many chicken breasts you'll need that night. If it's just dinner for one, put in two and save the rest for leftovers. For a family of four, 4-6 chicken breasts should be enough, plus leftovers for lunch the next day.
Third, pour in a jar of your favorite salsa, then set the crock pot to cook for 6-8 hours (or when the chicken is thoroughly cooked, whichever comes first. And as pointer, the longer it cooks, the more tender the chicken tends to get). Done.
Easy and painless. If you really want to liven your dinner up, get some tortillas, shred the salsa chicken, and then make a taco or a fajita out of it. Add all your favorite taco/fajita fillings. I like sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese.
I hope you like this super quick and super tasty dinner dish as much as my and family and I do. Enjoy.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Mmmm, Chicken
Tonight I treated dad to a birthday dinner at the local hibachi grill. We got some shrimp, steak, and teriyaki chicken. Tonight I'm......not going to show you how to make easy teriyaki chicken. Sorry. As much as I love it, I have yet to nail a quick and easy homemade teriyaki (barring just pouring a bottle of goopy commercial teriyaki sauce over it, but where's the fun in that?). I do have a sauce similar to teriyaki, but that's a post for another time (as in, on my day off).
Meanwhile, here's a quick way to dress up ramen. My personal preference when making ramen is to add more water than necessary to make it into a soup. And I really don't like all the sodium, so I only use enough of the flavor packet to put taste in it.
Instead of the packet, I use other spices to flavor the ramen soup. I tend to use spices like coriander, cumin, cilantro, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and/or on occasion turmeric. This is just my personal preference. Please, by all means, experiment with your favorite spices to create a flavor all your own that you like. Or just use the packet. Your choice.
Next, I add some sliced grape or cherry tomatoes. I'm sure there are other veggies that would go good with ramen soup, but I haven't found one that suits my tastes. Again, find whatever suits your personal tastes.
And now for the essential ingredient, one small can of canned chicken, for protein. Now, I use canned chicken because I often don't have the time or energy (or money) to get a raw chicken and cook it up from scratch, especially for just a packet of ramen. The made-from-scratch approach is strictly on my days off (which are now limited). If you can afford to get raw or rotisserie and have the time to prepare it, more power to you.
(Actually, now that I think about, rotisserie chicken and noodles sounds good right about now. If I ever get a chance to try it, I'll let you know how it goes.)
Ahem. Well, that's pretty much my special ramen soup. Get the noodles, put in your ingredients, pour hot water over it. Done.
I apologize if this is overly simple. I have excuses and reasons, and none of them are very good. I'll have something better for you tomorrow, I promise. And now, off to bed, for I have work in the morning.
Meanwhile, here's a quick way to dress up ramen. My personal preference when making ramen is to add more water than necessary to make it into a soup. And I really don't like all the sodium, so I only use enough of the flavor packet to put taste in it.
Instead of the packet, I use other spices to flavor the ramen soup. I tend to use spices like coriander, cumin, cilantro, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and/or on occasion turmeric. This is just my personal preference. Please, by all means, experiment with your favorite spices to create a flavor all your own that you like. Or just use the packet. Your choice.
Next, I add some sliced grape or cherry tomatoes. I'm sure there are other veggies that would go good with ramen soup, but I haven't found one that suits my tastes. Again, find whatever suits your personal tastes.
And now for the essential ingredient, one small can of canned chicken, for protein. Now, I use canned chicken because I often don't have the time or energy (or money) to get a raw chicken and cook it up from scratch, especially for just a packet of ramen. The made-from-scratch approach is strictly on my days off (which are now limited). If you can afford to get raw or rotisserie and have the time to prepare it, more power to you.
(Actually, now that I think about, rotisserie chicken and noodles sounds good right about now. If I ever get a chance to try it, I'll let you know how it goes.)
Ahem. Well, that's pretty much my special ramen soup. Get the noodles, put in your ingredients, pour hot water over it. Done.
I apologize if this is overly simple. I have excuses and reasons, and none of them are very good. I'll have something better for you tomorrow, I promise. And now, off to bed, for I have work in the morning.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Chicken Noodle Casserole
Need a quick and easy dinner with plenty of leftovers? Look no further than the almighty casserole! Today mom made chicken noodle casserole and made some biscuits as a side dish. Yum!
Casserole is pretty simple too. All you need is canned chicken, a bag of pasta, and family sized can of Cream of Chicken, and a little milk. If you don't like canned chicken, you can always use canned tuna.
Fill a pot with water and put it on the stove. Put a little olive oil and salt (MUST use salt to flavor the noodles, a step my mom often misses) in the water, and set to boil. Once the water is boiling, added the noodles, stir occasionally until cooked. Turn off the heat. Drain the noodles and put back in the pot. Stir in a family sized can of Cream of Chicken Soup and 2 large cans of Canned Chicken. Add a little milk to the mixture and transfer the contents to an oven-safe baking dish or casserole dish. Top the casserole with crushed up potato chips or cheese. Place in the oven at 325 degrees until the potato chips are brown or the cheese has melted. Done.
Note: I prefer putting my noodles back in the pot they cooked in and stirring everything together before putting them in the casserole dish. This is because I'm spill-prone, and the pot is really big so I don't have to worry about stuff spilling out of the sides. If you happen to be good at mixing things in a smaller dish, by all means, go ahead and just put everything in the casserole dish and stir. Just remember, the heat should not be on. You do not need to cook anything on the stove after you have drained the noodles. Stir the ingredients, put them in the casserole dish, put it in the oven. I learned this the hard way.
Casserole is versatile and has lots of room to experiment. For example, my mom likes to add a can of corn to it. Some people I know add broccoli. I like adding parsley, and if I want spicy, I'll either add red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce. Have fun creating your own unique casserole!
Casserole is pretty simple too. All you need is canned chicken, a bag of pasta, and family sized can of Cream of Chicken, and a little milk. If you don't like canned chicken, you can always use canned tuna.
Fill a pot with water and put it on the stove. Put a little olive oil and salt (MUST use salt to flavor the noodles, a step my mom often misses) in the water, and set to boil. Once the water is boiling, added the noodles, stir occasionally until cooked. Turn off the heat. Drain the noodles and put back in the pot. Stir in a family sized can of Cream of Chicken Soup and 2 large cans of Canned Chicken. Add a little milk to the mixture and transfer the contents to an oven-safe baking dish or casserole dish. Top the casserole with crushed up potato chips or cheese. Place in the oven at 325 degrees until the potato chips are brown or the cheese has melted. Done.
Note: I prefer putting my noodles back in the pot they cooked in and stirring everything together before putting them in the casserole dish. This is because I'm spill-prone, and the pot is really big so I don't have to worry about stuff spilling out of the sides. If you happen to be good at mixing things in a smaller dish, by all means, go ahead and just put everything in the casserole dish and stir. Just remember, the heat should not be on. You do not need to cook anything on the stove after you have drained the noodles. Stir the ingredients, put them in the casserole dish, put it in the oven. I learned this the hard way.
Casserole is versatile and has lots of room to experiment. For example, my mom likes to add a can of corn to it. Some people I know add broccoli. I like adding parsley, and if I want spicy, I'll either add red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce. Have fun creating your own unique casserole!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Easy Chicken Marinade
Welcome back to Chicken Month. Today I had a typical chicken and mashed potatoes dinner. It was yummy, especially with mom's chicken marinade.
A trick to quick dinners is to buy chicken in bulk, divide the chicken into Ziploc bags, and place your marinade of choice into each bag and put in the freezer. If you feel like having different flavored chicken, put a different marinade in each bag.
Now for my mom's recipe. Honestly, I have no idea where she got it from, and though I wish I could say it's an old family recipe it's not. But it sure adds a flavorful dash to plain old chicken breast.
Take a jar of apple jelly, empty in a sauce pan. Take a bottle of Heinz 57 Steak Sauce and empty into the sauce pan with the apple jelly. Add a tablespoon of mustard. Cook until it turns into a creamy sauce, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, let cool, and then pour over the chicken and let the whole thing marinate for as long as you think it needs to, but preferably at least 2 hours. Then cook the chicken. Done. Personally, I like to drizzle a tiny bit of Sriracha sauce after grilling the marinated chicken for a spicy kick.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
A trick to quick dinners is to buy chicken in bulk, divide the chicken into Ziploc bags, and place your marinade of choice into each bag and put in the freezer. If you feel like having different flavored chicken, put a different marinade in each bag.
Now for my mom's recipe. Honestly, I have no idea where she got it from, and though I wish I could say it's an old family recipe it's not. But it sure adds a flavorful dash to plain old chicken breast.
Take a jar of apple jelly, empty in a sauce pan. Take a bottle of Heinz 57 Steak Sauce and empty into the sauce pan with the apple jelly. Add a tablespoon of mustard. Cook until it turns into a creamy sauce, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat, let cool, and then pour over the chicken and let the whole thing marinate for as long as you think it needs to, but preferably at least 2 hours. Then cook the chicken. Done. Personally, I like to drizzle a tiny bit of Sriracha sauce after grilling the marinated chicken for a spicy kick.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)