Sweet and Sour Chicken

Okay, so I have to start out by saying that I had no parts in coming up with this recipe.  I only succeeded in making it deliciously without many of the items on what I consider to be a sprawling ingredient list, and in a mere portion of the time.  It turned out to be a winner with lean protein, tons of veggies and a sweet but not overly sugary sauce that everyone pretty much loves.*Brushes sugar from shoulder* Now that I'm done bragging about my culinary prowess and chameleon like adaptability in the kitchen, let's move on to the method and ingredient list.

First of all, this recipe is actually for Sweet and Sour Pork (butt) which was changed to chicken. I nixed some of the fresh items like ginger, shortened the marinate time for the chicken and eliminated the deep frying in favor of a saute in a shallow pan of oil. I also omitted the celery because it just seemed wrong to me. Celery? In Sweet and Sour Chicken?


I ended up making substitutions for about half of the ingredients, and it was a smash hit with everyone around the dinner table.  To save money, I pulled two breasts from one whole chicken cut up.  As always I stashed the neck and back in the freezer for stock making, and made the other six pieces into Oven Fried Chicken for another night.  One chicken, two meals, happiness all around!  I will post the recipe with my changes since I think that the ingredients I used are more likely to be found in YOUR fridge/pantry today since you will be making this at your next meal immediately following a thorough reading, commentary and sharing of this post via all of the social networks you are a part of.  You will.  Trust me!

 Sweet and Sour Chicken
2/3 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 ground ginger
1/2 cup flour, separated in half
2 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
Kosher salt and pepper
1 tb. oil , plus more for saute (canola, olive, whatever you like)
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 ounce honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup large diced onion
1/3 cup carrots sliced 1/4-inch thick, on a bias
1/3 cup large diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup large diced green bell pepper
1/2 can pineapple chunks

1. In a large non-reactive bowl, combine soy, garlic, ginger, and half the flour Season the pork generously with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the bowl and toss to cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hr.

2. Drain off any excess marinade and dredge the chicken in the remaining flour seasoned with salt and pepper. In a large frying pan heat enough oil to cover the pan to 350 degrees F. Fry the chicken in batches until golden brown, flipping each piece half way through. Drain on paper towels. Reserve on a warm plate.

3.In a separate bowl, combine the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, and honey. Whisk to blend.

4. In a small roasting pan heat the tablespoon of oil. Place the vegetables into the pan, allow them to soften for about 2 minutes then add the chicken pieces and cover with the ketchup mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

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Shrimp Etoufee, The Easy Way

Hello bloggers, sorry it has been so long.  Sometimes life just takes a hold of you and takes you for a ride, ya'll can understand that right? I knew you would :x <----a kiss for you

I went to a wonderful Cajun restaurant in Charlotte called Bordeaux's for Eid, and had a wonderful shrimp etoufee topped with a blackened whitefish.  It was so good I nearly ordered another one.  Not to go, to eat a second time around.  Alas, I decided one day that I would endeavor this dish at home.  When the time came for me to make it, I looked up some recipes and found ones with ingredient lists miles long.  Let the intimidation begin!

I decided to tackle this one on my own, using the ingredients and spices in other recipes as an inspiration for my own.  And guess what? It worked!  I put this dish together in about 20 minutes, then put on some rice while it simmered for about 30 minutes and as though through some divine inspiration everything came together right around the same time.  Rice: perfectly steamed, etoufee: perfectly spicy,warm and the perfect texture.  Best of all, it was easy!

Shrimp Etoufee

Prep Time: 20 mins  Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cost: $9.64      Servings: 4-6

1 lb of cleaned shrimp
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
1 chopped onion
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 tb. chopped garlic
1- 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/4 ts. cayenne pepper
1/2 ts. black pepper
1 ts. salt
1/2 ts. garlic powder
1/4 ts. onion powder
1 bay leaf
2 cups water or stock (shrimp if you have it!)

1. Add the flour and oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven to make a roux, and let it cook about 15 minutes until it is a caramel color.  Add the vegetables and garlic then allow them to soften for about 5 minutes.
2. Add in the stock,tomatoes with their juice and all of the spices and stir to combine.  Bring the mixture to a boil and turn down to low heat, simmer for 20 to thirty minutes.
3. Add shrimp and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked.

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Pizza and Pondering on a Friday Night

Sometimes I ask myself why I blog.  I am not no more of an extraordinary home cook than many bloggers online.  I don't necessarily always cook the most elaborate meals, or the most exotic.  And I certainly don't often have access to the finest ingredients money has to buy.  But I do know what I CAN do.  I can stretch 2 chickens into four meals for four people.  I can create entire meals under $5.  I can mix organic and natural foods in my family's diet on a budget.  I can make delicious food that doesn't require any level of cooking skill, intricate tools or a lot of time.  And I can certainly love the feeling I get when I go into the kitchen and make something so good that I feel like someone else needs to know about it!  So I will continue to try my best to bring you recipes, information and tips that get me through my day to day trials in the kitchen, and beyond.........Whew! With all that said, let's talk about pizza.

I don't know many people who have a whole lot of luck at making really good homemade pizza dough.  I love pizza but there's nothing I hate more than shelling out $30 for a pizza night and getting some suck-a$$ pizza! It's always 50/50 with these pizza places, sometimes a hit and sometimes a major, major miss.  Actually for me it's more like an 80/20 miss-hit ratio.  So after some research online, I found a great dough recipe and made pizza without even getting out a pot for the sauce! Not to mention the obvious health benefits of making your own food as opposed to eating out, and saving MAJOR dough (<-----pun intended).

Happy Helper/Eater #1

Happy Eater #2

The best thing about this dough recipe is that it is so simple, and can be ready to bake in an hour if you wait until the last minute on a weeknight.  Or you could fancy it up with toppings for a girls' night or game day with the guys.  If you make it ahead, this is literally at 15 minute, $5 dinner kind of night.  It also works well regardless if you like thick or thin crust.  Some variations I made on this recipe:

• I also substituted instant yeast for active dry yeast.  If you have instant yeast, you don't even have to start the yeast in warm water, just add it in with the dry ingredients before adding to the wet.  
• I also par-baked the crust for about 7 minutes before adding the toppings to prevent sogginess.  
• For the sauce, I opened a can of crushed tomatoes and spooned it onto the crust, then sprinkled lightly with garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Add movie and enjoy!

Altered from Jay's Signature Pizza Crust

 Prep Time: 5 min + 1 hr proof time    Cook time: 15 minutes

Cost:  $6.23 for two pizzas       Servings: 2 large pizzas

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (I substituted instant)
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.(Skip if using instant yeast)
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast (or water/sugar) solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour, adding instant yeast to flour if you're subbing for active dry.
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.
4. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (220 degrees C). If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it.
5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meatball Madness

Rhymes with Rasheed is not a man that takes very kindly to sandwiches at dinner time.  His definition of dinner is a protein, starch and vegetable that are separate and identifiable on a plate.  So to get him to try something a little different I thought I would take some meat and cover it with cheese!

Meatballs are a comforting, versatile way to stretch your monthly menu.  This recipe is a basic meatball that I use for meatball subs, spaghetti, Caribbean meatballs, meatballs with gravy and a number of other things.  It is flavorful but subtle, so if you wanted to you could make a bunch to freeze instead of buying the frozen ones which tend to include more "mystery" than meat. 

Meatballs 
Prep Time 3 minutes     Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Cost: $2.86                 Servings: 4

1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)  
1 1/2 ts. kosher salt, to taste  
1/2 ts. black pepper  
1/2 ts garlic powder  
1/4 ts. onion powder  
1 egg
2 slices bread
approx. 1/4 cup milk


Add salt,  pepper, garlic powder and onion powder per pound.  Soak one or two slices of torn up bread in enough milk to cover and let it soak until the bread starts to break up, and add to meat along with egg.  MIX THOROUGHLY.   Portion by the heaping tablespoon and brown in olive oil, or bake at 425 until golden brown and cooked through, around 20-25 minutes depending on size.

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For meatball subs, butter split sub rolls and toast at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden.  Add 4 meatballs to each roll and top with shredded melting cheese of your choice.   Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until cheese melts.   

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies with Brown Butter & Honey Glaze

This weekend I had a wonderful friend come from out of town to visit, so I made these cookies for her arrival.  My initial plan was to make oatmeal cookies, since I bought a HUGE tube of Quaker Oats last week.  In my search I ended up at Martha Stewart's site and the cookie of the day - Cornmeal Cookies.  Believe me, I was hesitant. Cornmeal? In cookies? I decided to step out and take a chance anyway, despite my fears. 

....And they were delicious.  Crispy, crumbly and not very corn tasting at all.  I love this recipe for a few reasons: 1. They use cornmeal which is one of those pantry ingredients that most people rarely use; but it's very versatile and very economical. 2. They are light and fresh tasting, especially with the addition of the lemon and the light glaze. 3. Unlike many cookie recipes they are not overly sweet, and I can actually see these being made into a savory snack with the addition of some herbs or cheese (hmmm, sounds like a test recipe, no?) .

They also made for a beautiful presentation (especially when Elias is cutely lurking in the background), and one of those snacks where you eat one and walk away but can't help coming back again!

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart
Prep time: 10 minutes    Cooking time: 15 minutes
Cost : $2.73  Yield: 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for shaping
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
3. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto two large baking sheets; flatten slightly with floured fingertips. Bake until edges are golden, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Brown Butter & Honey Glaze

• 4 tb. unsalted butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• splash of vanilla

 1. Heat butter over medium-low heat in a small sauce pan until it 

2. Add sugar, honey and extracts and stir until smooth. Drizzle or ice cookies.

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Beef Vegetable Stew with Black Pepper and Cheese Croutons

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When the weather is getting cool, there's nothing quite like a big bowl of something warm and good, and this beef vegetable stew really hit the spot.  But then when you add in the black pepper and cheese croutons, things really start to get good.  Really, super comforting.

My husband isn't a very big fan of light fare like soups and salads when dinner time rolls around.  I'm trying to slowly change his mind and offer lighter alternatives, but he loved this traditional stew with the twist of the black pepper and cheese croutons.  When you think about it, Americans are one of the few cultures that I know of that eat their biggest meal of the day in the evening.  The Spanish are infamous for their leisurely lunches known as la comida,the largest meal of their day, in the late afternoon and then enjoy a siesta, their afternoon nap which can last up to two hours (wouldn't that be nice!).  With all of that said, I am trying to keep as many meals as light as possible.  You can make this with any combination of your favorite vegetables, or leave out the meat altogether. This stew and cheesy crouton was just the right combination: light, but filling and oh so good!

Beef Vegetable Stew

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

Cost $6.57    Servings: 6+

1/2 of a zucchini, chopped and cubed

3/4 c. corn kernels

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup carrots, cubed, shredded or grated

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 pound stew meat or beef, in 1/2 inch cubes

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1- 28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot until it glistens and ripples.
caramelized onions

2. Brown the meat, adding it to the pan so that there is space between each piece.  If necessary, cook the meat in batches but be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Remove from pan.

3. Add the onion and fresh garlic if you're using it, and soften the onions then add the meat back to the pot.

4.Add the crushed and diced tomatoes, the tomato paste, garlic and onion powder and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture heat through, then add the potatoes.

5. Wait 5 minutes, and add the zucchini, corn and carrots.

6.Leave the soup as is, or mix two tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of butter or butter substitute in a small dish until combined and add it to the soup to thicken the texture.  Cover and on medium-low heat for 25 minutes. 

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Black Pepper and Cheese Croutons

1/2 loaf of thin sliced Italian bread

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

croutons with olive oil1/4 cup Mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

cracked black pepper

olive oil for drizzling

1.Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2.Spread the bread out on a sheet pan, and drizzle with olive oil.

3.Bake the bread for 8-10 minutes, or until the bread is browned and crisp on top.

4.Add the mozzarella or Italian cheese, then the Parmesan cheese, and top with a sprinkle of black pepper. 

5.Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and brown.  Eat. Enjoy.

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Ranch Makeover: Fat Free Ranch Dip and Dressing

After the easy oven fries recipe post, I had a request for a creamy ranch dip and dressing to eat with them.  This is a little tip, it can hardly be classified as a recipe.  So listen up: Get a Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet and a 16 oz. container of fat free sour cream. Mix. Eat.

Yes, that's really it.  It will have the same consistency as sour cream so if you want to use it as a dressing thin it out with a little water.  All the ranch flavor, none of the ranch dressing fat and calories.  A tub of sour cream is about $1.00 and seasoning packet is about $1.27, so for a little over two dollars you have dressing, dip, topping for potatoes, and more.  This seasoning packet is also an absolutely wonderful addition to the oven fried chicken recipe, for a little twist.  Plus, for the halal eaters out there there is NO GELATIN unlike so many other refrigerated dips and dressings.  Just make sure your sour cream is kosher or halal and it's a win-win my friends!

Easy Oven Fries

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Today I faced the same dilemma many of us face on many nights: eat out or eat in.  After a busy week, a night out at a restaurant can be a good break and saves some cooking and cleaning up time so there's more time for fun.  But then there's the EXTREMELY inflated price of restaurant food, and the fact that unless you're going to a unique or upscale restaurant, you're getting an added-fat, added-sodium, added-preservative version of things you usually cook at home.  Not to mention that for  those of us with little ones it means a trip, which in turn means rounding up bottles, diapers, wipes, bibs, baby this, baby that.  It's good for every now and then but it can be more trouble than it's worth.  I started out sending Shaheid to the store for a pizza, and ended up whipping up these darn tasty baked fries with a burger for our Saturday night fare.  The burger is just a 96/4 patty with 2% sharp cheddar cheese slice, grilled onions, pickles, lettuce and tomato on a whole wheat roll.  But the fries....the fries are the real star here.  Sure, they're not as crispy as deep fried potatoes, but what could be more flavorful than crispy potatoes with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and a pinch of salt that's just enough so that the flavors pop in your mouth?  All I know is that when I was eating these fries, I didn't care to know.

I used the microwave to prep the potatoes and then finish them in the oven, which makes the whole thing about 20-30 minutes from start to finish.  If you're really in a rush, you can broil them instead of baking them but you better watch out for the broiler monster, who distracts you from watching your foods until you smell the distinct smoky smell of BURNT.  They're cheapier than fast food or frozen fries, plus they taste better and you can make them in about the same amount of time as you'd make some of their flash-fried, evil step-cousins.  Potatoes are cheap, and salt and olive oil are staples, so it's practically free :)  These fries + DVR'd Grey's Anatomy = Mommy time!  You'll come back to these time and time again.  Just try not to make it the same day :)

UPDATE: I tested these fries again, and found that a hot pan makes for a bit of extra crispy-ness so you can put your baking sheet in the oven while it is preheating for added crunch.  And unless you're in a super time crunch, don't skip the baking because it removes moisture from the potato which also adds to the crisp.  Also, the "fries" won't be super brown but I promise you they will be crispy!

Easy Oven Fries
Prep time: 7 minutes  Cook time: 40 minutes
Cost $1.87     Servings: 4 

3 pounds potatoes
1/4 cup water
olive oil
kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Rinse and cut the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. 
Place the pieces in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water and cover with plastic wrap, cook on high for 8 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender but not completely cooked through.
Drain the potatoes and toss with olive oil to coat.  
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the fries are crispy.  Use a spatula to toss the fries halfway through.Garnish with kosher salt while hot.

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