Gordons beer battered fish fillets
sour cream
taco seasoning
corn/flour tortillas
shredded cabbage
a lime
cook the fish fillets according to the directions, then drain on paper towels
mix a tablespoon or two of sour cream with 2tsp or so of taco seasoning. Sorry, ive never really measured it. it turns out a pink color.
warm up the corn tortillas in a skillet with a little oil, then spread some of the sauce down the middle, add some shredded cabbage and a fish fillet.
squeeze a little lime juice over the top of each taco (or even add some to the sauce before you plate it if you love lime like me:)
makes 10 tacos
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Crispy burritos
I used to make a batch of this every week, and then when anyone was hungry i could just pull the bowl of filling out of the fridge and whip one up. so easy and cheap!
can of black beans
burrito size tortillas
spanish rice Rice Sides from Knorr
cup of cooked chicken, chopped (optional)
your fav kind of cheese
handful chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Cook the Rice Sides rice as directed, then take half of it and put it in a mixing bowl. Freeze the rest and you can use it for next weeks batch.
add to the bowl a drained can of black beans and the chicken.
mix well.
To assemble the burritos put the cheese in the middle (I favor pepperjack) then 2 big scoops of the mix.
Get a skillet nice and med/high hot and spray the bottom of the burrito with spray oil. Put it oil side down on the skillet then spray the top of it with oil. When the bottom of it is crispy, flip it and crisp the other side.
thats it!
when you make a burrito from a refridgerated state, nuke the mix open on the burrito before you wrap it up to make sure the center is warm when you eat it. maybe 25-30 seconds.
can of black beans
burrito size tortillas
spanish rice Rice Sides from Knorr
cup of cooked chicken, chopped (optional)
your fav kind of cheese
handful chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
Cook the Rice Sides rice as directed, then take half of it and put it in a mixing bowl. Freeze the rest and you can use it for next weeks batch.
add to the bowl a drained can of black beans and the chicken.
mix well.
To assemble the burritos put the cheese in the middle (I favor pepperjack) then 2 big scoops of the mix.
Get a skillet nice and med/high hot and spray the bottom of the burrito with spray oil. Put it oil side down on the skillet then spray the top of it with oil. When the bottom of it is crispy, flip it and crisp the other side.
thats it!
when you make a burrito from a refridgerated state, nuke the mix open on the burrito before you wrap it up to make sure the center is warm when you eat it. maybe 25-30 seconds.
Angie's Pasta
Had to name this one after my friend:) since she was the one who gave me the recipe.
It makes a lot but you can also double it for a huge group.
1/2 box bowtie noodles
1.5 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
8 oz chive and onion cream cheese
big head of broccoli cut into florettes
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into slivers (optional)
cup chicken broth or half a can
1 clove minced garlic
in a skillet/saucepan cook broccoli, bel pepper, garlic and broth until tender crisp
dump cream cheese in and simmer till creamy
add chicken and salt/pepper
toss with cooked noodles
It makes a lot but you can also double it for a huge group.
1/2 box bowtie noodles
1.5 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
8 oz chive and onion cream cheese
big head of broccoli cut into florettes
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into slivers (optional)
cup chicken broth or half a can
1 clove minced garlic
in a skillet/saucepan cook broccoli, bel pepper, garlic and broth until tender crisp
dump cream cheese in and simmer till creamy
add chicken and salt/pepper
toss with cooked noodles
Raisin bran muffins
In a large container mix these dry ingredients:
7 1/2 cup raisin bran (15 oz box)
5 cups flour
3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
smaller container mix these wet:
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 qt buttermilk
add wet to dry and mix thoroughly.
scoop into medium muffin tins.
bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
refridgerate extra batter
Makes A LOT! you wil have breakfast covered for weeks :)
7 1/2 cup raisin bran (15 oz box)
5 cups flour
3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
smaller container mix these wet:
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 qt buttermilk
add wet to dry and mix thoroughly.
scoop into medium muffin tins.
bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
refridgerate extra batter
Makes A LOT! you wil have breakfast covered for weeks :)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Chinese sweet potato
this is my breakfast version of a Chinese favorite:)
Ingredients:
half of a sweet potato
2 eggs
3-4 pieces of bacon
2 green onions
peel and dice up the sweet potato into small pieces
slice the bacon up into slivers.
thinly slice the green onion.
scramble up 2 eggs in a seperate bowl
start cooking off the bacon in a skillet. Once cooked through, carefully scoop the slivers out and lay them aside. now stir fry the potato in the bacon drippings. you should have a good amount of them left in the skillet.
once soft add back the bacon. now move everything away from the center and add the eggs. When they start to set, carefully swirl them around in the middle and then start mixing in the rest of the pan. keep mixing and turning until the eggs are cooked through then add your green onions. once you can smell them your dish is done!
*toddlers love this dish! of coures anything cooked in bacon is good;)
Ingredients:
half of a sweet potato
2 eggs
3-4 pieces of bacon
2 green onions
peel and dice up the sweet potato into small pieces
slice the bacon up into slivers.
thinly slice the green onion.
scramble up 2 eggs in a seperate bowl
start cooking off the bacon in a skillet. Once cooked through, carefully scoop the slivers out and lay them aside. now stir fry the potato in the bacon drippings. you should have a good amount of them left in the skillet.
once soft add back the bacon. now move everything away from the center and add the eggs. When they start to set, carefully swirl them around in the middle and then start mixing in the rest of the pan. keep mixing and turning until the eggs are cooked through then add your green onions. once you can smell them your dish is done!
*toddlers love this dish! of coures anything cooked in bacon is good;)
End of the week Banana Bread
Its the end of the week, and you are out of eggs, you bought too many bananas and they are already brown. That means its time for some banana bread:)
Take 3 old bananas and mash them up in a bowl.
In another bowl cream together a cup of sugar and a stick of butter.
Add dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
using a hand mixer or stand mixer is best.
once blended (it will seem super dry) add the bananas and beat till smooth and fully incorporated.
optional: add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
pour into well greased loaf pan. I love my silicone one from Target because the bread pops right out when it's done.
optional: add more nuts to the top of the loaf and sprinkle with sugar.
this gives it an almost crumb cake top. yum!
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min to an hour. whenever an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
once out of the oven let it sit and cool for about an hour before you cut into it so that it can firm up.
*now give half of it away before you eat the whole thing!! :)
Take 3 old bananas and mash them up in a bowl.
In another bowl cream together a cup of sugar and a stick of butter.
Add dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
using a hand mixer or stand mixer is best.
once blended (it will seem super dry) add the bananas and beat till smooth and fully incorporated.
optional: add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
pour into well greased loaf pan. I love my silicone one from Target because the bread pops right out when it's done.
optional: add more nuts to the top of the loaf and sprinkle with sugar.
this gives it an almost crumb cake top. yum!
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 min to an hour. whenever an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
once out of the oven let it sit and cool for about an hour before you cut into it so that it can firm up.
*now give half of it away before you eat the whole thing!! :)
Monday, March 19, 2012
DIY Taco Seasoning
Found a great one with no MSG or corn flour. I can't believe that I used to use that crap.
For 1 lb of ground beef:
1 tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Onion powder
Red pepper flakes
Oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper.
For 1 lb of ground beef:
1 tbs chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Onion powder
Red pepper flakes
Oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper.
If you decide to make a huge batch of it to save for future use, then use 2TBS of the mix per pound of ground beef.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The Great White Soup
This is my all time favorite recipe, partly because it makes the
menfolk rant and rave(and I often have Jeff's police friends over
requesting it), and also because any toddler will scarf it down and its
loaded with veggies. I made it tonight with fat free half and half,
since Jeff is on a new diet for his heart, and it didnt seem to make
much of a difference! So if you wanna lower the calories, try that:)
Ingredients:
the meat from one de-boned rotisserie chicken (equaling about 3 cups shredded)
6 cups chicken broth
1 heaping 1/2 cup scoop of long grain rice (not instant)
2 zucchini, halved and sliced about 1/4 in. thick
2 celery stalks, sliced the same
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly
4 green onions, sliced thinly.
For the Roux:
6 tbs butter
6 tbs flour
2 cups half n half
Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then add the rice. Gently boil for 10 minutes
Add the zucchini, carrots and celery. Cook on medium for 10 minutes.
In the meantime work on your roux.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan (preferably one with sides) and whisk in the flour. Keep stirring and let it start to turn a peanut color and thicken. Slowly add the half and half, and intermittently whisk it until it becomes the consistency of a thick alfredo sauce. Add about a cup of the soup broth to think it a little, and then add the whole thing to the soup once the vegetables are soft.
Add the chicken and the green onions and stir until warmed throughout:)
**Side note. There are a few variations as far as how thick you want it. If you want a true soup, then keep the lid on the pot the whole time you are cooking the rice/veggies. If you like it a little thicker (like we do:) leave the lid off the pot for either the rice 10 min, or the veggies 10 min.
This should feed your whole family plus leftovers..unless you have any eaters like my husband who goes back for 3rds...If you shred your chicken ahead of time (or even cut your veggies too) this soup doesnt take too long to make. It is EXCELLENT with leftover turkey from thanksgiving as well.
Also, it freezes really well.
Ingredients:
the meat from one de-boned rotisserie chicken (equaling about 3 cups shredded)
6 cups chicken broth
1 heaping 1/2 cup scoop of long grain rice (not instant)
2 zucchini, halved and sliced about 1/4 in. thick
2 celery stalks, sliced the same
2 medium carrots, sliced thinly
4 green onions, sliced thinly.
For the Roux:
6 tbs butter
6 tbs flour
2 cups half n half
Bring the chicken broth to a boil, then add the rice. Gently boil for 10 minutes
Add the zucchini, carrots and celery. Cook on medium for 10 minutes.
In the meantime work on your roux.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan (preferably one with sides) and whisk in the flour. Keep stirring and let it start to turn a peanut color and thicken. Slowly add the half and half, and intermittently whisk it until it becomes the consistency of a thick alfredo sauce. Add about a cup of the soup broth to think it a little, and then add the whole thing to the soup once the vegetables are soft.
Add the chicken and the green onions and stir until warmed throughout:)
**Side note. There are a few variations as far as how thick you want it. If you want a true soup, then keep the lid on the pot the whole time you are cooking the rice/veggies. If you like it a little thicker (like we do:) leave the lid off the pot for either the rice 10 min, or the veggies 10 min.
This should feed your whole family plus leftovers..unless you have any eaters like my husband who goes back for 3rds...If you shred your chicken ahead of time (or even cut your veggies too) this soup doesnt take too long to make. It is EXCELLENT with leftover turkey from thanksgiving as well.
Also, it freezes really well.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Chipotle Chicken Chili
This recipe is freakin fantastic. I make it every other week because it makes so much i can freeze half of it and eat it for lunch almost every day. If you cant handle spicy, make sure you de-seed the chipotle peppers as well.
To make it Paleo approved just omit the kidney beans.
Ingredients:
10 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
To make it Paleo approved just omit the kidney beans.
10 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 jalapeno chile, halved (seeded if desired)
1 white onion, peeled and halved
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chili powder
Salt
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained
Directions
- Preheat broiler, with rack 3 inches from heat source. Arrange tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic, cut side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until starting to char, about 5 minutes. Pulse tomatoes and jalapeno in a blender or a food processor until chunky. Chop onion and mince garlic.
- Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably enamel cast-iron) over medium-high heat. Add oil. Working in batches, brown chicken in a single layer, allowing to sear before stirring, 5 to 6 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet. Cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add chili powder and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in chipotles, and add chicken. Raise heat to high. Add tomato-jalapeno mixture. Cook, scraping up browned bits, until fully incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in stock; simmer for 20 minutes. Add beans; simmer for 10 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.
The perfect accompaniments:
Krustez brand honey cornbread muffins. So far the best kind I've tried.
Or, the paleo happy side, sweet potato fries. Just grab a handful of them and mix then in the bowl.
Perfection the next day over scrambled eggs and topped with cheese. That's a nice high protein start to your day:)
Also, you can spoon some over chips, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 for 4 minutes, then broil for 1. Makes super tasty nachos.
Thanks to Lucinda Scala Quinn for this recipe:)
Best pancakes ever
These pancakes are simple, and use only ingredients every cook should have on hand. I got the recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook about a decade ago and they are still the best I've ever tried:)
Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl whisk together:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbls sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients:
I like to do this in my 2-cup pyrex measuring glass:
1 cup milk
1 egg
Mix the two together with a fork and then slowly mix in
3 tbls melted butter
If you do it slowly enough you wont curdle the mixture
Get that griddle piping hot. about 325 degrees
If you haven't bought a big electric griddle yet GET ONE!! At Christmas time they are under $20 and the most fantastic way to cook off a whole package of bacon or make sliders by the dozen. If you are doing this in a skillet, it will probably take many rounds.
Once the griddle is ready, pour the wet into the dry and give it a quick whisk until just incorporated. If you see bubbles forming you did it right. I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop out and pour my batter, but you can make them any size you want. My griddle makes 8 pancakes at a time at this size though, and the whole thing only takes 2 rounds.
flip when the edges start to set and the bubbles start popping through.
ENJOY!!
If you have lots of kids or just love pancakes, double the recipe and then freeze the extras in bags. you can microwave them or throw a few in the toaster oven to reheat them.
**Added bonus** Since these already have sugar in them, they do NOT require syrup. This is ideal for really young kids and toddlers that would make a sticky nightmare of your table. Just hand them a whole one and let them eat it dry.
Fun variations:
-you can substitute half of a cup of flour for wheat flour and it doesn't change the consistency.
-1 tablespoon of flax seed ground up in your coffee grinder, and added to the batter at the end gives it an almost nutty taste and added protein.
-I'm sure you can add blueberries to the pancakes after you pour them. I don't like cooked fruit, so I would would never:)
Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl whisk together:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbls sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients:
I like to do this in my 2-cup pyrex measuring glass:
1 cup milk
1 egg
Mix the two together with a fork and then slowly mix in
3 tbls melted butter
If you do it slowly enough you wont curdle the mixture
Get that griddle piping hot. about 325 degrees
If you haven't bought a big electric griddle yet GET ONE!! At Christmas time they are under $20 and the most fantastic way to cook off a whole package of bacon or make sliders by the dozen. If you are doing this in a skillet, it will probably take many rounds.
Once the griddle is ready, pour the wet into the dry and give it a quick whisk until just incorporated. If you see bubbles forming you did it right. I use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop out and pour my batter, but you can make them any size you want. My griddle makes 8 pancakes at a time at this size though, and the whole thing only takes 2 rounds.
flip when the edges start to set and the bubbles start popping through.
ENJOY!!
If you have lots of kids or just love pancakes, double the recipe and then freeze the extras in bags. you can microwave them or throw a few in the toaster oven to reheat them.
**Added bonus** Since these already have sugar in them, they do NOT require syrup. This is ideal for really young kids and toddlers that would make a sticky nightmare of your table. Just hand them a whole one and let them eat it dry.
Fun variations:
-you can substitute half of a cup of flour for wheat flour and it doesn't change the consistency.
-1 tablespoon of flax seed ground up in your coffee grinder, and added to the batter at the end gives it an almost nutty taste and added protein.
-I'm sure you can add blueberries to the pancakes after you pour them. I don't like cooked fruit, so I would would never:)
Introduction
Hi, my name is Rachel, and I am a wife and a mother to 3 great kids; all of whom I cook A LOT for. On any given day there might be an extra kid or two at my house too, so i find that cooking, and cleaning up from cooking takes a giant chunk out of my day.
One of the most awesome resources that has recently become available is Pinterest. Thousands of new recipes are at my disposal daily! Problem is, people pin them without necessarily trying them. It has become a constant problem that most of the fabulous recipes I pin turn out to be bland or not very tasty at all.
I'm going to dedicate this blog to trying some of those out, and only posting things worth making. Along the way Ill add some of my family's favorite recipes.
Here is what you should expect from this blog:
Meals that
-make large portions
-are inexpensive
-you would be proud so serve your husband's friends
-are not casseroles. I didn't grow up with that traditional type American fare and it grosses me out.
-low carb/paleo/gluten free options. I recently got my Better Homes and Gardens magazine and there was not ONE recipe in it that didnt contain flour :P For such a big market out there you would think...
Hopefully I can convince my mom to post as well, because she is an excellent cook:)
One of the most awesome resources that has recently become available is Pinterest. Thousands of new recipes are at my disposal daily! Problem is, people pin them without necessarily trying them. It has become a constant problem that most of the fabulous recipes I pin turn out to be bland or not very tasty at all.
I'm going to dedicate this blog to trying some of those out, and only posting things worth making. Along the way Ill add some of my family's favorite recipes.
Here is what you should expect from this blog:
Meals that
-make large portions
-are inexpensive
-you would be proud so serve your husband's friends
-are not casseroles. I didn't grow up with that traditional type American fare and it grosses me out.
-low carb/paleo/gluten free options. I recently got my Better Homes and Gardens magazine and there was not ONE recipe in it that didnt contain flour :P For such a big market out there you would think...
Hopefully I can convince my mom to post as well, because she is an excellent cook:)
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