Tasty dinner and really easy!
Ready? Go!
Pita
Hummus
Tomatoes
Mozarrella cheese
Spinach
Oil, pepper, basil, etc
Oven for 5-10 minutes (depending on crispy/meltiness preference)!
Suggestion*: Add the spinch and basil (if using fresh basil) with only a min or two remaining in the oven.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Broccoli Potato Soup
My mom makes all sorts of soups and stews...in fact, she makes them by the giant potful. I decided I wanted to do the same!
I really liked this one because even though it seemed cream-based, it didn't call for any cream (only milk). It gets it's creaminess from the gouda cheese (so yes, still a little fatty, but sooo good). I want to point out something else in this recipe: low-sodium chicken broth. If you find yourself eating lots of canned/boxed items, you're probably taking in LOTS of sodium (i.e. salt), as it's a preservative. Opt for low-sodium versions when available. They're usually only a few cents more, which I think, is well worth it for even a slightly healthier heart.
:)
---
Broccoli-Potato Soup with Greens
Prep time: 25 min (or less if you don't have to shred the Gouda or chop your broccoli)
Cook time: ~25 min
Ingredients
* 2 medium red potatoes, chopped (about 1 in x 1 in)
* 1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 3 cups small broccoli florets (if serving non-vegetable lovers, keep these REALLY small)
* 2 cups milk
* 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
* 2 cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
* 2 cups winter greens (such as curly endive, chicory, romaine, escarole, or spinach) (optional)
* Additional Gouda cheese, shredded (optional)
Directions
1. In large saucepan combine potatoes and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 8 minutes. Mash slightly. Add broccoli and milk; bring just to simmering.
2. In medium bowl toss flour with cheese; gradually add to soup (after the addition of the broccoli and milk), stirring cheese until melted. Season to taste with black pepper. Divide among shallow serving bowls. Top with greens and additonal cheese. Serves 4.
from bhg.com
I really liked this one because even though it seemed cream-based, it didn't call for any cream (only milk). It gets it's creaminess from the gouda cheese (so yes, still a little fatty, but sooo good). I want to point out something else in this recipe: low-sodium chicken broth. If you find yourself eating lots of canned/boxed items, you're probably taking in LOTS of sodium (i.e. salt), as it's a preservative. Opt for low-sodium versions when available. They're usually only a few cents more, which I think, is well worth it for even a slightly healthier heart.
:)
---
Broccoli-Potato Soup with Greens
Prep time: 25 min (or less if you don't have to shred the Gouda or chop your broccoli)
Cook time: ~25 min
Ingredients
* 2 medium red potatoes, chopped (about 1 in x 1 in)
* 1 14-oz. can reduced-sodium chicken broth
* 3 cups small broccoli florets (if serving non-vegetable lovers, keep these REALLY small)
* 2 cups milk
* 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
* 2 cups smoked Gouda cheese, shredded (8 oz.)
* 2 cups winter greens (such as curly endive, chicory, romaine, escarole, or spinach) (optional)
* Additional Gouda cheese, shredded (optional)
Directions
1. In large saucepan combine potatoes and broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 8 minutes. Mash slightly. Add broccoli and milk; bring just to simmering.
2. In medium bowl toss flour with cheese; gradually add to soup (after the addition of the broccoli and milk), stirring cheese until melted. Season to taste with black pepper. Divide among shallow serving bowls. Top with greens and additonal cheese. Serves 4.
from bhg.com
Lime Pepper Chicken
Corona in Chicken Form -- no joke.
I based my recipe for Lime Pepper Cornish Hen on this recipe from cooks.com.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,154160-237203,00.html
LIME-PEPPER CHICKEN
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel (optional)
1/4 c. lime juice
1 tbsp. cooking oil
dried basil
cracked black pepper
garlic salt
1 cornish hen (thawed, if necessary)
For sauce, in a small mixing bowl, stir together lime peel, lime juice, cooking oil, basil, pepper and garlic salt; set aside.
To shred the lime peel with out a zester, go at it with a serrated knife -- it worked out pretty well since you don't need that much. You could probably also just use a lime salt, if you prefer though. Pour the mixture over the bird, inside and out and even under the skin where possible. You can add more basil, salt, pepper, etc to taste on top if you wish.
Cook according to directions on cornish hen label. Super easy. Especially if you opt out of the lime peel part. Serve with salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. Fairly impressive dish and it tastes like something mom would make :)
I based my recipe for Lime Pepper Cornish Hen on this recipe from cooks.com.
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1739,154160-237203,00.html
LIME-PEPPER CHICKEN
1/2 tsp. finely shredded lime peel (optional)
1/4 c. lime juice
1 tbsp. cooking oil
dried basil
cracked black pepper
garlic salt
1 cornish hen (thawed, if necessary)
For sauce, in a small mixing bowl, stir together lime peel, lime juice, cooking oil, basil, pepper and garlic salt; set aside.
To shred the lime peel with out a zester, go at it with a serrated knife -- it worked out pretty well since you don't need that much. You could probably also just use a lime salt, if you prefer though. Pour the mixture over the bird, inside and out and even under the skin where possible. You can add more basil, salt, pepper, etc to taste on top if you wish.
Cook according to directions on cornish hen label. Super easy. Especially if you opt out of the lime peel part. Serve with salad, mashed potatoes, green beans, etc. Fairly impressive dish and it tastes like something mom would make :)
Conversions
Since recipes are almost always written for 4+ people...and I'm only 1 person (occassionally cooking for 2), I often I find myself yelling to T.Co (my roommate) about various conversions. That or I run to my room to look them up....and that almost always ends disastrously (water boiling over, burned cookies, etc).
Here are a few things to help you out. At least until you get comfortable just throwing in what "looks" to be the right amount...
dash ~ 1/8 teaspoon
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoons
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
4 cups = 1 quart ~ 1 liter
4 quarts = 1 gallon
1 oz (liquid) = 2 tablespoons
1 oz (dry) = 28 g
16 oz (dry) = 1 lb
1 lb = 2.2 kg
Here are a few things to help you out. At least until you get comfortable just throwing in what "looks" to be the right amount...
dash ~ 1/8 teaspoon
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoons
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
4 cups = 1 quart ~ 1 liter
4 quarts = 1 gallon
1 oz (liquid) = 2 tablespoons
1 oz (dry) = 28 g
16 oz (dry) = 1 lb
1 lb = 2.2 kg
Tips & Thoughts to Begin
Here are a few bits of advice that I've aquired from more experienced 'chefs', as well as my personal thoughts on each one.
"You can make anything taste good with enough butter." - My mom
This can function as a hint or a challenge. If you want a tasty meal, but you're not worried about healthiness, find a recipe with 3 sticks of butter or 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and chances are it'll taste pretty good. On the other hand, don't forget that healthy food can taste good too!
"Some people get caught up in complicated recipes and whether or not they have the exact ingredients called for. Then they get upset and never want to cook." - Paraphrased (& translated) from my Spanish host mom
So true. It's best to just find a few recipes that are good, but simple. Also, recipes that call for basic ingredients are excellent: things you typically have on hand and that you can easily substitute if need be.
"You can make anything taste good with enough butter." - My mom
This can function as a hint or a challenge. If you want a tasty meal, but you're not worried about healthiness, find a recipe with 3 sticks of butter or 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and chances are it'll taste pretty good. On the other hand, don't forget that healthy food can taste good too!
"Some people get caught up in complicated recipes and whether or not they have the exact ingredients called for. Then they get upset and never want to cook." - Paraphrased (& translated) from my Spanish host mom
So true. It's best to just find a few recipes that are good, but simple. Also, recipes that call for basic ingredients are excellent: things you typically have on hand and that you can easily substitute if need be.
Welcome to the Smoking Stove!
I've never blogged before. In fact, I'm really just technically incompetent. But we'll see how it goes...
After spending 2.5 years in the dorms and a semester with a family in Spain, I'm finally living in an apartment for the first time! At both of my previous "homes" (in St. Louis, MO and in Bilbao, Spain), my parents (& host-parents) both cooked quite a bit, but I never really learned. Upon coming to school and living in an apartment, I found that I didn't have tons of time to cook, but I also didn't know what kinds of frozen things to buy (having little to no experience with them previously).
Maybe that makes me stuck up, but all I know is that I needed to learn how to make tasty food that wasn't completely loaded with fat/salt/etc. The first thing I made in my apartment last fall was a frozen pizza. I burned the hell out of it. No joke. But it turned out not to be my fault. Over the coarse of the next month or so, I learned that my oven (tiny as it is) needs to be set 25° lower than the instructions require -- it also cooks things in about 2/3 the time.
In case smoke pouring out of my oven and that wonderful burnt smell isn't enough, I've seen flames jump out of my saute pan on more than one occassion. However, those were mostly last semester and I'm getting better and better. I've found that the more successes I have, the more I love cooking. Even though everything I've made has been really simple and easy, I've been pretty impressed with myself and thought I'd share some of my favorite recipes. I should probably also mention here somewhere that I really, really love food. All kinds. Don't ask me my favorite.
Enjoy!
RedDelicious
P.S. Feel free to comment away....
After spending 2.5 years in the dorms and a semester with a family in Spain, I'm finally living in an apartment for the first time! At both of my previous "homes" (in St. Louis, MO and in Bilbao, Spain), my parents (& host-parents) both cooked quite a bit, but I never really learned. Upon coming to school and living in an apartment, I found that I didn't have tons of time to cook, but I also didn't know what kinds of frozen things to buy (having little to no experience with them previously).
Maybe that makes me stuck up, but all I know is that I needed to learn how to make tasty food that wasn't completely loaded with fat/salt/etc. The first thing I made in my apartment last fall was a frozen pizza. I burned the hell out of it. No joke. But it turned out not to be my fault. Over the coarse of the next month or so, I learned that my oven (tiny as it is) needs to be set 25° lower than the instructions require -- it also cooks things in about 2/3 the time.
In case smoke pouring out of my oven and that wonderful burnt smell isn't enough, I've seen flames jump out of my saute pan on more than one occassion. However, those were mostly last semester and I'm getting better and better. I've found that the more successes I have, the more I love cooking. Even though everything I've made has been really simple and easy, I've been pretty impressed with myself and thought I'd share some of my favorite recipes. I should probably also mention here somewhere that I really, really love food. All kinds. Don't ask me my favorite.
Enjoy!
RedDelicious
P.S. Feel free to comment away....
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