I made last night a delicious, tasty and easy meal. Perfect for a dark and stormy evening too!
I will update with the recipe later this afternoon. I also took pictures this time of the cooking process for both the soup and the raw berry pie.
The only thing I would do differently is actually own the dishes you can broil the cheese on top with. Instead my husband and I made cheesy croutons/bread strips in the oven and then dipped them into the broth and it was super good that way.
Tonight is just going to be plain ole steak with salad and yams. I prefer a more simple dinner on a Friday evening. However, I did make the raw berry pie recipe last night and it firmed up in the fridge overnight and will be ready for us to eat when we get home! Here is a picture before it went into the fridge.
This weekend I need to finish making the recipes I posted last Saturday. I think for this Saturday evening I will try making Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and for Sunday evening the sweet and sour chicken stir fry.
Because our grocery store is super busy on the weekends we will be trying to do our shopping during the week after we have already eaten dinner. I will start posting my recipe list for the week on Sundays instead of Saturday mornings.
Kyle will be guest posting again soon his family's favorite appetizers, Sausage Rolls! You think you know what these are but you probably guessed wrong. So yummy he made a double batch so we could eat lots and lots of them ourselves without anyone knowing! We'll now you know.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Chicken Tacos
So, I haven't taken the plunge yet at making fancy alternative tacos with ingredients like squash or cherries. Instead I made plain ole delicious chicken tacos. Very tasty and I really enjoy the easy and quick part.
I just took two chicken breasts and cooked them on the stove in a large covered skillet on medium heat. Simmered and flipped a few times. Once the chicken was cooked almost through I removed it and cut the chicken into pieces on top of a cutting board. I find it a lot easier to cut the chicken after it has been cooked.
Once cut to small pieces I returned the chicken to the same skillet and added a packet of taco seasoning and a 2/3 cup of water. While the chicken simmers for another 5 minutes I shredded some cheese and cut up some radishes and made a side salad.
Kyle and I tried a new brand of salsa as a sample in our grocery store and I have been waiting to try it again.
The chicken turned out tasting great! Two tacos with a small salad and I was super full! No room even for chocolate chip cookies.
Nothing wrong with a taco night. I need to learn how to make Spanish rice so next time I can serve it as a side dish to the tacos. I have only ever made it from a box before and it didn't taste very good. I am eager to try making my own version. I am planning on trying to make french onion soup tonight with my raw berry pie mentioned on a previous post. I will update tomorrow how it turns out. Kyle's favorite soup is french onion so I am trying my fist attempt at making it here rather than only eating it in restaurants.
I just took two chicken breasts and cooked them on the stove in a large covered skillet on medium heat. Simmered and flipped a few times. Once the chicken was cooked almost through I removed it and cut the chicken into pieces on top of a cutting board. I find it a lot easier to cut the chicken after it has been cooked.
Once cut to small pieces I returned the chicken to the same skillet and added a packet of taco seasoning and a 2/3 cup of water. While the chicken simmers for another 5 minutes I shredded some cheese and cut up some radishes and made a side salad.
Kyle and I tried a new brand of salsa as a sample in our grocery store and I have been waiting to try it again.
The chicken turned out tasting great! Two tacos with a small salad and I was super full! No room even for chocolate chip cookies.
Nothing wrong with a taco night. I need to learn how to make Spanish rice so next time I can serve it as a side dish to the tacos. I have only ever made it from a box before and it didn't taste very good. I am eager to try making my own version. I am planning on trying to make french onion soup tonight with my raw berry pie mentioned on a previous post. I will update tomorrow how it turns out. Kyle's favorite soup is french onion so I am trying my fist attempt at making it here rather than only eating it in restaurants.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Moose Meatballs
So I am going to be a special guest contributor! Who am I? I am referred to in all of Fulfilling's posts as 'the husband'. My name however, is Kyle (thank you very much!).
Moose Meatballs. Yeah, I said it. Moose....Meatballs. A little strange sounding at first but moose can bring a surprisingly full and robust flavor to a bowl of spaghetti. Technically moose is Venison because Moose are Deer (no really! Trust me!). Furthermore, moose cannot be commercially sold. See this explanation.
First of all, getting moose. I was lucky in that my father went on a moose hunt this year and was successful. As such he has been generous with sharing the moose. Particularly the ground moose. Now ground moose gets cut with a tiny bit of pork and a tiny bit of beef. But not the meat, the fat. You see, Moose is an incredibly lean red meat. This means it will cook fast like Bison or Lamb. See what the University of Nebraska has to say about Game Meat. So note, this can cook and burn fast.
Ingredients:
Ground Moose
Olive Oil (or other oil)
Salt
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
First get your moose formed into balls. Smaller are generally better. You technically could pull off the single large meatball like people can do with Beef, but if its your first time, don't get crazy. They should be around the diameter of a quarter to a silver dollar in the USA.
Then get your pan hot. Our stove goes from 1 to 10, I cooked them on a 6. Pour in some olive oil. Here I say some because simply put, I tend to cook by feeling rather than exact measurements (I'm lazy that way). However from the spout of our pour bottle, I held it a good 4 seconds, so I would guess 1-2 tablespoons. With it being lean, if you put too little it will burn and stick.
Then spread in your seasoning above. Now you can mix them into your moose meatballs, but I did not. Not because of any reason, just did not think about it.
Cook until desired temperature. I don't cook them to less than medium and they still taste great.
When done serve with your favorite pasta and sauce!
-Kyle
Moose Meatballs. Yeah, I said it. Moose....Meatballs. A little strange sounding at first but moose can bring a surprisingly full and robust flavor to a bowl of spaghetti. Technically moose is Venison because Moose are Deer (no really! Trust me!). Furthermore, moose cannot be commercially sold. See this explanation.
First of all, getting moose. I was lucky in that my father went on a moose hunt this year and was successful. As such he has been generous with sharing the moose. Particularly the ground moose. Now ground moose gets cut with a tiny bit of pork and a tiny bit of beef. But not the meat, the fat. You see, Moose is an incredibly lean red meat. This means it will cook fast like Bison or Lamb. See what the University of Nebraska has to say about Game Meat. So note, this can cook and burn fast.
Ingredients:
Ground Moose
Olive Oil (or other oil)
Salt
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
First get your moose formed into balls. Smaller are generally better. You technically could pull off the single large meatball like people can do with Beef, but if its your first time, don't get crazy. They should be around the diameter of a quarter to a silver dollar in the USA.
Then get your pan hot. Our stove goes from 1 to 10, I cooked them on a 6. Pour in some olive oil. Here I say some because simply put, I tend to cook by feeling rather than exact measurements (I'm lazy that way). However from the spout of our pour bottle, I held it a good 4 seconds, so I would guess 1-2 tablespoons. With it being lean, if you put too little it will burn and stick.
Then spread in your seasoning above. Now you can mix them into your moose meatballs, but I did not. Not because of any reason, just did not think about it.
Cook until desired temperature. I don't cook them to less than medium and they still taste great.
When done serve with your favorite pasta and sauce!
-Kyle
Updated Top 5 Favorite Recipe List
I updated my top 5 favorite recipes that I have made so far. This adventure on become a better cook and foodie has been a great one so far. I have added two new favorites. The list with links is below but I also always have it on the right side of my blog for anyone to see.
Top 5 Favorite Recipe List
Greek Food Festival
Our town has a Greek food festival every September and I absolutely love it. The weather is usually always good and it spans over 4 days. You pay money for tokens and then use the tokens to try all the delicious Greek food. It has savory dinners, and yummy desserts. My favorite desserts use to be baklava of course and also the fried donuts covered in honey. The bees loved that one too!
I am going with my husband again this year and we always are looking forward to it when the banners go up on the streets to remind us. I will take pictures of the food we try this time and post them here. We will hopefully go tomorrow night for our dinner.
There is a Mediterranean deli/food store nearby that sells all the needed ingredients to make the food we will try at the festival. My hope is to learn how to make our favorites so we can enjoy them more than just once a year!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
How to Select the Right Wine for Cooking
So, I keep finding recipes that want me to find Marsala wine or a dry white wine. I sort of go. Huh? I mean I drink the stuff but I don't know much about it other then, "Oh, pretty label and I wants it!"
So, to help with the confusion I found this great website that helps explain things.
I learned a dry white wine is good for chicken and to use a Chardonnay. I enjoyed the tips for cooking with wine listed at the bottom of the page the most. I learned a lot, my favorite tips I wrote here. To see the other great recommendations check out the website winefolly.com
Cooking with White Wine Tips
1. When cooking shellfish, add a wine to the broth to steam the shellfish.
2. White wine that has been already opened can be kept in the fridge for a week and is good for cooking for up to two weeks.
So, to help with the confusion I found this great website that helps explain things.
I learned a dry white wine is good for chicken and to use a Chardonnay. I enjoyed the tips for cooking with wine listed at the bottom of the page the most. I learned a lot, my favorite tips I wrote here. To see the other great recommendations check out the website winefolly.com
Cooking with White Wine Tips
1. When cooking shellfish, add a wine to the broth to steam the shellfish.
2. White wine that has been already opened can be kept in the fridge for a week and is good for cooking for up to two weeks.
Dinner for Two- Chicken Marsala with Shrimp Scampi Recipes
I made Chicken Marsala this holiday Monday afternoon with Shrimp Scampi. Both are new recipes for me to try. I decided to make them together since I only bought 1 lb of shrimp and it was recommended to me for the next time I make the shrimp dish to make it with linguine pasta. Despite no pasta to pair it with the shrimp scampi turned out super good! I will definitely make it again and try it on top of pasta next time.
To help fill our stomachs I decided to pair the shrimp scampi with the chicken Marsala recipe and some rice on the side. My husband was a big help with getting the mushrooms chopped up. I forgot about the step where I needed to add them into the pan until I read the next line "Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes". Oops! I needed them right away and he started chopping. I was very grateful!
The shrimp scampi was amazingly good. Had a great lemon flavor and was crispy and flavorful! I mixed it together first and then stored it in the fridge till the chicken and rice was close to being done. The shrimp dish only takes about 10 minutes to bake in the oven.
Shrimp Scampi Prep Time: 10-15 min (if shrimp are already peeled and de-veined) Cook Time: 10-13 min Clean Up: 5 min! (two bowls and the baking dish)
1 pound of shrimp
To help fill our stomachs I decided to pair the shrimp scampi with the chicken Marsala recipe and some rice on the side. My husband was a big help with getting the mushrooms chopped up. I forgot about the step where I needed to add them into the pan until I read the next line "Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes". Oops! I needed them right away and he started chopping. I was very grateful!
The shrimp scampi was amazingly good. Had a great lemon flavor and was crispy and flavorful! I mixed it together first and then stored it in the fridge till the chicken and rice was close to being done. The shrimp dish only takes about 10 minutes to bake in the oven.
Shrimp Scampi Prep Time: 10-15 min (if shrimp are already peeled and de-veined) Cook Time: 10-13 min Clean Up: 5 min! (two bowls and the baking dish)
1 pound of shrimp
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 of 1 stick of
unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes
1. Butterfly the shrimp pieces and place in a bowl. Add to the bowl: olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Toss gently and let sit in the marinade at room temperature while you mix the bread crumbs in a separate bowl.
2. In a small bowl, mix softened butter with garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
3. Arrange the shrimp in a baking dish or a gratin dish. Lay them cut side down with the tails curling toward the center of the dish. Pour the marinade over the shrimp that is leftover from inside their bowl. Now spread the butter mixture over the shrimp evenly.
4. Bake at 425F for 10-13 minutes if you want the top browned broil for 1 minute at the end.
The dish at the end still has liquid in the bottom but the bread crumbs are crispy and delicious. I imagine this dish would be very good served over a pasta dish. That is what I will try the next time I make this. This time I cooked it with the Chicken Marsala and Rice
Chicken Marsala Prep Time: 10min Cook Time: 30min Clean Up: 15min
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence Spice (recipe at end)
2 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
3 cups cubed shiitake mushrooms
3/4 cup Marsala (a wine you can find at the grocery store, $10 at our local Haggens)
1 cup chicken stock or better than boullion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Make Essence Spice first, then heat a large skillet on medium/high heat and add oil until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of butter right before adding chicken that has been seasoned, see step 2.
2.On a plate combine the flour and 1 tablespoon of Essence Spice. Coat the outside of the chicken breasts in the
seasoned flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess flour.
3. Cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides, for about 3 minutes each side. While the chicken is cooking, cube or slice the mushrooms to your desired size.
4. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a plate. Cook the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of butter added to the cooking pan. Stir frequently and once the mushrooms have browned add the Marsala wine and bring to a boil. When the wine is reduced to half, add the 1 cup of chicken stock to the pan and cook for 3 minutes before lowering the heat to medium and adding the chicken back. Cook until the chicken is done for about 5-6 minutes each side for thicker cuts of chicken. Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter with some salt and pepper to taste.
Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight
jar or container.
Sorry, dental pain left me not in good spirits to update
I haven't updated this weekend yet and I apologize. I should have time tonight to update with all the delicious recipes I made the past few days. A few are from my husband and I shall let him guest post for me on how he made sausage rolls (great appetizer!) and his moose meatballs for spaghetti night.
I over the weekend made Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Marsala. Both were amazingly delicious, quick to prepare and clean up.
I did buy fresh shrimp and I will try this dish also with frozen to see if it tastes the same, sometimes the frozen shrimp is cheaper at the grocery store then the fresh seafood section. I was able to buy mine at $10.58/lb and only bought 1 lb. My husband wanted 2lbs so then we could have extra to cook on the grill. I will know to do this next time.
I over the weekend made Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Marsala. Both were amazingly delicious, quick to prepare and clean up.
I did buy fresh shrimp and I will try this dish also with frozen to see if it tastes the same, sometimes the frozen shrimp is cheaper at the grocery store then the fresh seafood section. I was able to buy mine at $10.58/lb and only bought 1 lb. My husband wanted 2lbs so then we could have extra to cook on the grill. I will know to do this next time.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Dinner for Two- next weeks dinner ideas
We are going grocery shopping tomorrow and I need to come up with the list of recipes today for next weeks dinners. What to do? How about....
1. Tacos (chicken)
2. Steak, yams and salad
3. Chicken Marsala with roasted potatoes and tomatoes
4. Baked shrimp scampi with salad
5. French onion soup with bread
6. Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and salad
7. Sweet and sour chicken with fried rice
1. Tacos (chicken)
2. Steak, yams and salad
3. Chicken Marsala with roasted potatoes and tomatoes
4. Baked shrimp scampi with salad
5. French onion soup with bread
6. Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and salad
7. Sweet and sour chicken with fried rice
Update on Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
A great success, the rolls ups cooked well in the oven and tasted great. I would make it again with some help. That would make it more fun. The recipe takes a bit more effort than regular lasagna but that is probably why it tasted so good!
For tonight my husband is going to make the homemade spaghetti sauce and we will have spaghetti with moose meatballs. The sauce recipe is posted on the blog.
Not sure about Sunday night, but Monday is going to be homemade pizza for dinner. Going to get the toppings from the grocery store tomorrow. I'll post soon what the next weeks meal plan is going to be.
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