I found a recipe for chicken piccata. I didn't have enough chicken, so I used shrimp instead. There were also lots of other ingredients that looked gross, so basically it inspired me to make this recipe. I don't know what "piccata" is, so this might not be it. Ha!
1 lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined
3 cans (14 oz each) chicken broth (about 6 cups)
12 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
1 lemon
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) quartered artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 cup steamed broccoli
Grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
Bring broth to a boil. Add pasta; cook, uncovered, until pasta is tender (use package directions), stirring occasionally. Zest lemon to measure 1 tbsp. Juice the lemon. Add zest, juice and cream cheese to pot; stir until cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add shrimp and artichokes to pot. Cook, covered, 1–2 minutes or until shrimp is cooked. Remove pot from heat; stir in broccoli. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
*****
I'm not kidding, this was DELICIOUS! I only had 2 chicken tenderloins, or I would have used cubed chicken instead of shrimp. You cut the chicken into cubes, rub some spices on them, and then fry them til they're cooked through. It also says to saute an onion. Yuck.
Since I had the 2 tenderloins, and only 2 people in my house could eat it, I breaded both chicken breasts (stir 1 egg, dip your chicken in it, then coat with bread crumbs), and baked at 350 for 15-20 minutes. (Tenderloins are smaller than whole breasts, so they don't need as long to cook.) Also, I put parchment paper down in my pan instead of greasing it. The chicken came right off, and my pan was still clean. BONUS!
Since my steam basket fits in the top of my pot, I was able to steam the broccoli while the noodles were cooking. I'd recommend using a little more broth, or just adding some water so you don't have to open another can. There wasn't enough liquid, so it took a lot of time for the cream cheese to incorporate, and by then the remaining broth had soaked into the noodles. It ended up a little dry, but very flavorful. I kept adding water, trying to even things out, and it kept soaking into the noodles before it could do any good.
Total cook time was 30 minutes, but that's because I overcooked my chicken. If I had been paying closer attention, the whole thing would have taken 20.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Italian Pork with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is from the "Better Homes & Gardens So-Easy Slow Cooker" cookbook.
Ingredients:
1 t fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 t dried oregano, crushed
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 c chicken broth
Directions:
1. In small bowl, combine spices. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle spices evenly over meat; rub in with your finger. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker. Set aside.
2. Place sweet potatoes in cooker. Add meat. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.
4. Remove meat from cooker, reserving juices. Slice meat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sweet potatoes to a medium bowl. Use a potato masher to mash sweet potatoes, adding some of the cooking juices. If necessary, to moisten. Serve meat with mashed sweet potatoes.
Notes:
Unfortunately, I don't have a price estimate for this, because it was all ingredients I had on hand. We didn't have sweet potatoes, so I used a butternut squash.
I took the pork out of the freezer last night, but it didn't have time to thaw all the way before I needed to cook it. So my first tip, is make SURE your roast is thawed before you cook. It bled out into the juices, and made these gross, foamy, cooked blood clots. I had to fish them out with a spoon, and I couldn't get them all.
My second tip, is to just cook the squash/sweet potatoes separately from the meat. I'd recommend boiling, baking, steaming, really anything other than letting them sit in chicken broth for 6 hours. They were SOOO soggy. When I mashed them, they splashed. I ended up putting them in my metal strainer for a few minutes to let some of the broth drain off them. So next time, I'll cook them some other way and just add a little butter.
Everything had sort of a sweet taste. It's hard to describe. The meat didn't have much flavor, I think it all leaked out into the broth. We ate it with steamed broccoli. The broccoli was my favorite part of this meal.
My 2.5 year-old also loved the broccoli, ate a few bites of the meat (but only because I took them off my plate to give to her) and refused to even taste the squash.
My husband loved everything. I mean, LOVED. He asked when we can have it again. He was really disappointed when I told him I didn't like it. He especially enjoyed the squash, and the gravy I made from the juices. (1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water for every cup of liquid. Heat to boiling, then boil until it thickens.)
Cookbook picture:
My picture:
Ingredients:
1 t fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 t dried oregano, crushed
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 c chicken broth
Directions:
1. In small bowl, combine spices. Trim fat from meat. Sprinkle spices evenly over meat; rub in with your finger. If necessary, cut meat to fit into a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker. Set aside.
2. Place sweet potatoes in cooker. Add meat. Pour broth over mixture in cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8-10 hours, or high-heat setting for 4-5 hours.
4. Remove meat from cooker, reserving juices. Slice meat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sweet potatoes to a medium bowl. Use a potato masher to mash sweet potatoes, adding some of the cooking juices. If necessary, to moisten. Serve meat with mashed sweet potatoes.
Notes:
Unfortunately, I don't have a price estimate for this, because it was all ingredients I had on hand. We didn't have sweet potatoes, so I used a butternut squash.
I took the pork out of the freezer last night, but it didn't have time to thaw all the way before I needed to cook it. So my first tip, is make SURE your roast is thawed before you cook. It bled out into the juices, and made these gross, foamy, cooked blood clots. I had to fish them out with a spoon, and I couldn't get them all.
My second tip, is to just cook the squash/sweet potatoes separately from the meat. I'd recommend boiling, baking, steaming, really anything other than letting them sit in chicken broth for 6 hours. They were SOOO soggy. When I mashed them, they splashed. I ended up putting them in my metal strainer for a few minutes to let some of the broth drain off them. So next time, I'll cook them some other way and just add a little butter.
Everything had sort of a sweet taste. It's hard to describe. The meat didn't have much flavor, I think it all leaked out into the broth. We ate it with steamed broccoli. The broccoli was my favorite part of this meal.
My 2.5 year-old also loved the broccoli, ate a few bites of the meat (but only because I took them off my plate to give to her) and refused to even taste the squash.
My husband loved everything. I mean, LOVED. He asked when we can have it again. He was really disappointed when I told him I didn't like it. He especially enjoyed the squash, and the gravy I made from the juices. (1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a little cold water for every cup of liquid. Heat to boiling, then boil until it thickens.)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The Lasagna Bomb
Scott has declared this his all-time favorite lasagna. It was a little more expensive (around $18) but it was worth every penny.
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c water
2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t pepper
15 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 c (more or less) ricotta cheese
2 lb (more or less) mozzarella cheese
2 c (more or less) parmesan cheese
cook beef and garlic until beef is browned. Drain. Add water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion soup, oregano, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Spoon 1/4 c sauce into a GREASED 13x9 pan. Set aside another 1/4 c sauce. Layer with 3 noodles, 1/4 of the ricotta, 1/5 of the mozzarella, 1/4 of the sauce, and 1/4 of the parmesan. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 full layers. Once those are done, place final 3 noodles down, spread remaining 1/4 c of sauce across the top, and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, uncover, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
**The cheese measurements are just estimates. Some people like theirs with lots of cheese (like us) and others like theirs without a ton, so feel free to adjust these amounts as much as you want.
**The sauce is spread pretty thin between the 5 layers. It's perfect for us because it's not oozing all over, but if you like your lasagna a little more wet you can just add one more can of tomato sauce.
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c water
2 - 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 t dried oregano
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t pepper
15 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 c (more or less) ricotta cheese
2 lb (more or less) mozzarella cheese
2 c (more or less) parmesan cheese
cook beef and garlic until beef is browned. Drain. Add water, tomato sauce, tomato paste, onion soup, oregano, sugar, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.
Spoon 1/4 c sauce into a GREASED 13x9 pan. Set aside another 1/4 c sauce. Layer with 3 noodles, 1/4 of the ricotta, 1/5 of the mozzarella, 1/4 of the sauce, and 1/4 of the parmesan. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 full layers. Once those are done, place final 3 noodles down, spread remaining 1/4 c of sauce across the top, and sprinkle with the last of the mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, uncover, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
**The cheese measurements are just estimates. Some people like theirs with lots of cheese (like us) and others like theirs without a ton, so feel free to adjust these amounts as much as you want.
**The sauce is spread pretty thin between the 5 layers. It's perfect for us because it's not oozing all over, but if you like your lasagna a little more wet you can just add one more can of tomato sauce.
Saucy Pork Chops
This one cost about $10 to make. I promise when I do my next shopping trip, I'll have better estimates for you.
4 big pork chops
3 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T oil
2 c ketchup
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 t liquid smoke
Sprinkle chops with 2 t garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in pan, and brown chops in oil.
In a seperate bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, liquid soap, at remaining garlic salt. Place in a 13x9 pan and pour sauce over chops. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on thickness of the chops.
**This wasn't my favorite recipe so far, but it was one of the better ones. I've had issues with the flavor not extending into the meat with my sauces, and this one did a decent job with it.
** The original recipe was for the crockpot, so you're SUPPOSED to cook it on low for 4 or 5 hours. I didn't see this until about an hour before dinner time, so we improvised. It actually turned out really good.
**The recipe makes plenty of sauce, so you can use more chops (we did 6) and not worry about doubling the recipe.
4 big pork chops
3 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
2 T oil
2 c ketchup
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 t liquid smoke
Sprinkle chops with 2 t garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in pan, and brown chops in oil.
In a seperate bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, liquid soap, at remaining garlic salt. Place in a 13x9 pan and pour sauce over chops. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on thickness of the chops.
**This wasn't my favorite recipe so far, but it was one of the better ones. I've had issues with the flavor not extending into the meat with my sauces, and this one did a decent job with it.
** The original recipe was for the crockpot, so you're SUPPOSED to cook it on low for 4 or 5 hours. I didn't see this until about an hour before dinner time, so we improvised. It actually turned out really good.
**The recipe makes plenty of sauce, so you can use more chops (we did 6) and not worry about doubling the recipe.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Deep Dish Pot Pie
Cost: Around $9. Would have been closer to 7 if I had paid attention to sales this week.
Clean-Up: A-MAZ-ING. Everything cooks in one pot and transfers to one pan, with a mixing spoon, knife, and cutting board suffering a little damage along the way.
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 c Italian dressing
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 T flour
2/3 c chicken broth
1-16 oz package frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust
cook the chicken in the salad dressing for 2-3 minutes, until cooked on all sides. Add cream cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in flour. Add broth and veggies, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour into a 10 in deep dish pie pan and cover with crust, fluting edges. Cut slits in crust for steam to escape, and bake about 1/2 an hour or until golden brown.
***I'm the only one who noticed, but I thought the sauce felt a little grainy. I'll probably leave out the flour next time and just cut down on the broth a bit.
***Also, the kids weren't fans of the veggies. I used the mixed bag that had green beans and lima beans in it, so if you have picky kids I would suggest sticking to a pea/carrot/corn combo.
***This does spill out the edges in the oven, so you may want to put a cookie sheet on the rack bottom rack to catch the drippings. If you don't, it leaves a HUGE mess inside the oven.
Scott and I really liked this, though Scott thought it needed some salt. Sammie didn't like how the sauce made the veggies taste "Slimy on the outside and crunchy on the inside", and Ben just didn't like the veggies.
Clean-Up: A-MAZ-ING. Everything cooks in one pot and transfers to one pan, with a mixing spoon, knife, and cutting board suffering a little damage along the way.
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 c Italian dressing
8 oz cream cheese, cubed
2 T flour
2/3 c chicken broth
1-16 oz package frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1 refrigerated pie crust
cook the chicken in the salad dressing for 2-3 minutes, until cooked on all sides. Add cream cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in flour. Add broth and veggies, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Pour into a 10 in deep dish pie pan and cover with crust, fluting edges. Cut slits in crust for steam to escape, and bake about 1/2 an hour or until golden brown.
***I'm the only one who noticed, but I thought the sauce felt a little grainy. I'll probably leave out the flour next time and just cut down on the broth a bit.
***Also, the kids weren't fans of the veggies. I used the mixed bag that had green beans and lima beans in it, so if you have picky kids I would suggest sticking to a pea/carrot/corn combo.
***This does spill out the edges in the oven, so you may want to put a cookie sheet on the rack bottom rack to catch the drippings. If you don't, it leaves a HUGE mess inside the oven.
Scott and I really liked this, though Scott thought it needed some salt. Sammie didn't like how the sauce made the veggies taste "Slimy on the outside and crunchy on the inside", and Ben just didn't like the veggies.
Stuffed shells
Cost: I didn't start keeping track of cost until yesterday, but I think this one was about $20. Keep in mind, though, that I trippled the recipe, so you may be looking closer to $8-10.
Clean-up: Not a fan. It's been 2 days, and I still haven't gotten around to scrubbing the baked-on spaghetti sauce off the pans. It leaves a huge mess on the counter while you're stuffing the shells, but I just put out a sheet of wax paper for my work surface and when I was done, I could just roll up the mess and throw it away.
7 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained.
16 oz container of cottage cheese
1 1/2 c shredded mozzerella
1 egg white
1 envelope italian seasoning mix
20 jumbo pasta shells- cooked, drained, and cooled.
1 28-0z jar spaghetti sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, cottage cheese, 1/2 the mozzarella, egg whites, and italian dressing. Add a generous tablespoon of filling to each shell. Pour 1/2 the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the pan, and place stuffed shells into the sauce with the filling side up. Top with remaining sauce and cheese, and cover with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated all the way through.
***Make sure you mix the filling REALLY well. If you're not careful, the spinach will clump together and you'll have shells where that's all you get.
***Be sure to cook an extra 5-10 shells for every 20 you plan on using. You will get some that will rip as you try to unroll them for stuffing.
***Don't waste your time trying to stuff them with a spoon.... it just makes things harder than they have to be. Just get your hands dirty and use your fingers for it.
***The foil is a must. If you don't cover it, then the exposed noodles will dry out. I learned this the hard way.
***The cheese was a bit runny, so next time I'll try to drain some of the whey off of the cottage cheese before I combine everything.
This was a huge hit with the whole family. Sammie wasn't a huge fan of the spinach, though, so she suggested that we try it with broccolli next time instead. Absolutely delicious, but makes a huge mess.
Clean-up: Not a fan. It's been 2 days, and I still haven't gotten around to scrubbing the baked-on spaghetti sauce off the pans. It leaves a huge mess on the counter while you're stuffing the shells, but I just put out a sheet of wax paper for my work surface and when I was done, I could just roll up the mess and throw it away.
7 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained.
16 oz container of cottage cheese
1 1/2 c shredded mozzerella
1 egg white
1 envelope italian seasoning mix
20 jumbo pasta shells- cooked, drained, and cooled.
1 28-0z jar spaghetti sauce
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine spinach, cottage cheese, 1/2 the mozzarella, egg whites, and italian dressing. Add a generous tablespoon of filling to each shell. Pour 1/2 the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the pan, and place stuffed shells into the sauce with the filling side up. Top with remaining sauce and cheese, and cover with foil. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until heated all the way through.
***Make sure you mix the filling REALLY well. If you're not careful, the spinach will clump together and you'll have shells where that's all you get.
***Be sure to cook an extra 5-10 shells for every 20 you plan on using. You will get some that will rip as you try to unroll them for stuffing.
***Don't waste your time trying to stuff them with a spoon.... it just makes things harder than they have to be. Just get your hands dirty and use your fingers for it.
***The foil is a must. If you don't cover it, then the exposed noodles will dry out. I learned this the hard way.
***The cheese was a bit runny, so next time I'll try to drain some of the whey off of the cottage cheese before I combine everything.
This was a huge hit with the whole family. Sammie wasn't a huge fan of the spinach, though, so she suggested that we try it with broccolli next time instead. Absolutely delicious, but makes a huge mess.
Honey Mustard Chicken
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c honey
6 T cider vinegar
2 T dry mustard
4 T diced green onions
1 T dijon mustard
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly score both sides of the chicken. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and dry mustard. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place the chicken in the pan and baste with 1/2 of the sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes, then turn chicken over and baste with remaining sauce. Continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
***This came out a little bit dry, so I'll be covering it with foil next time to see if that helps. Other than that, we all really liked it!
1/2 c honey
6 T cider vinegar
2 T dry mustard
4 T diced green onions
1 T dijon mustard
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly score both sides of the chicken. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and dry mustard. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Place the chicken in the pan and baste with 1/2 of the sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes, then turn chicken over and baste with remaining sauce. Continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.
***This came out a little bit dry, so I'll be covering it with foil next time to see if that helps. Other than that, we all really liked it!
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