Mustard Baked Chicken
This is from my all-time favorite cookbook. Everything in it is six ingredients or less.
1 chicken, cut up
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Seasoning Salt
Coat chicken pieces with flour. Combine melted butter and dry mustard in shallow, flat bowl. Dip chicken in mixture to coat. Place chicken, skin side up, in greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake at 400* for 50-60 minutes, basting frequently with the drippings.
Serve with baked potatoes baked right along side the chicken for super easy cooking. Also serve with a side of your favorite vegetable for a balanced meal. Presto! Meal complete.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Food 911
Truly desperate for a fast, easy dinner? Try making BLT's (bacon, lettuce & tomato) or grilled cheese sandwiches served with tomato soup.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Summer is in the Air
What a beautiful day it was today here in Sonoma County, California. The temperature was in the low 80's and no fog or wind to spoil our evening outdoors. Perfect.
Who wants to cook in the kitchen when the warm spring weather is beckoning us outside? Not me. Fortunately, my sister-in-law taught me a complete meal BBQ trick. I employ this trick ad nauseum during the summer months.
If you live in a place with 1/2 way decent weather, I recommend getting an outdoor gas grill. Gas grills heat faster than regular coal ones. They are also easy to maintain. We have one, and we use it almost nightly during the summer. We are even known to use it in the winter when it's down pouring rain. My brother, who lives in northern Minnesota, will even use his grill when it's -40* in blizzard white-out conditions. My point is, there is no excuse...
Anyway..... my simple meal trick is this:
Take some chicken pieces or tri-tip steaks and marinate them in your favorite marinade in the fridge overnight. We use Greta's marinade, which is available at Costco. Again, don't knock yourself out trying to find Greta's, you can use some Italian salad dressing or whatever oil and spices you have on hand that sounds like an appetizing marinade to you.
ALWAYS BRING YOUR MEAT TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE COOKING OR GRILLING. You won't believe how that little trick will make the meat so much better.
Pre-heat your grill.
Take a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place some cut up onions chunks on the bottom of the foil, followed by cut up quartered potatoes and carrots. Drizzle some olive oil on top along with sprinkling on your favorite seasonings. Wrap up foil around vegetables and seal shut.
Place foil package of vegetables on the center of the pre-heated grill for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes, move the foil vegetable packet to the higher rack. If your grill does not have an upper rack, simply place the vegetable foil packet to the side of the grill to continue cooking.
Grill your meat as usual.
By the time your meat is done grilling, your vegetable foil packet should be ready to eat with tender veggies.
You will have your meat, potato, and vegetable with absolutely NO cleanup. YEAH!!!!!!!!
Who wants to cook in the kitchen when the warm spring weather is beckoning us outside? Not me. Fortunately, my sister-in-law taught me a complete meal BBQ trick. I employ this trick ad nauseum during the summer months.
If you live in a place with 1/2 way decent weather, I recommend getting an outdoor gas grill. Gas grills heat faster than regular coal ones. They are also easy to maintain. We have one, and we use it almost nightly during the summer. We are even known to use it in the winter when it's down pouring rain. My brother, who lives in northern Minnesota, will even use his grill when it's -40* in blizzard white-out conditions. My point is, there is no excuse...
Anyway..... my simple meal trick is this:
Take some chicken pieces or tri-tip steaks and marinate them in your favorite marinade in the fridge overnight. We use Greta's marinade, which is available at Costco. Again, don't knock yourself out trying to find Greta's, you can use some Italian salad dressing or whatever oil and spices you have on hand that sounds like an appetizing marinade to you.
ALWAYS BRING YOUR MEAT TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE COOKING OR GRILLING. You won't believe how that little trick will make the meat so much better.
Pre-heat your grill.
Take a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place some cut up onions chunks on the bottom of the foil, followed by cut up quartered potatoes and carrots. Drizzle some olive oil on top along with sprinkling on your favorite seasonings. Wrap up foil around vegetables and seal shut.
Place foil package of vegetables on the center of the pre-heated grill for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes, move the foil vegetable packet to the higher rack. If your grill does not have an upper rack, simply place the vegetable foil packet to the side of the grill to continue cooking.
Grill your meat as usual.
By the time your meat is done grilling, your vegetable foil packet should be ready to eat with tender veggies.
You will have your meat, potato, and vegetable with absolutely NO cleanup. YEAH!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Popcorn
My older sister, Holly, makes the best popcorn in the world. She has done so since age 10. She is now 47 and has had it down perfectly for decades. I will be forever in her shadows trying to perfect her popcorn methodology.
For home made popcorn, I recommend a cranker. A cranker is a popcorn maker from Indiana with a manual 'crank' that stirs the bottom of the popcorn maker like the ones you see at the movies. The ones at the movies are automatic and large for commercial use , but the 'cranker' is manual and is for home use.
Place about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in bottom of 'cranker' over medium high heat.
Add about 2/3 cup of yellow popcorn
"Crank" slowly until pops have slowed (about 1-2 per second)
Dump popcorn into large bowl
Melt about 4 Tablespoons butter over medium heat in saucepan until *almost* burned. Drizzle melted butter over popcorn. Shake. Add Mille Lacs popcorn salt (popcorn salt is powdered salt that is especially fine) or just use regular salt if popcorn salt is not available in your area.
Enjoy! It's especially good on a Friday night with a movie snuggled up on the couch with your favorite somebody;)
For home made popcorn, I recommend a cranker. A cranker is a popcorn maker from Indiana with a manual 'crank' that stirs the bottom of the popcorn maker like the ones you see at the movies. The ones at the movies are automatic and large for commercial use , but the 'cranker' is manual and is for home use.
Place about 2 tablespoons of canola oil in bottom of 'cranker' over medium high heat.
Add about 2/3 cup of yellow popcorn
"Crank" slowly until pops have slowed (about 1-2 per second)
Dump popcorn into large bowl
Melt about 4 Tablespoons butter over medium heat in saucepan until *almost* burned. Drizzle melted butter over popcorn. Shake. Add Mille Lacs popcorn salt (popcorn salt is powdered salt that is especially fine) or just use regular salt if popcorn salt is not available in your area.
Enjoy! It's especially good on a Friday night with a movie snuggled up on the couch with your favorite somebody;)
Monday, April 7, 2008
Chicken McNuggets
Every once in a while I get the craving for chicken McNuggets. You know, those nasty deep-fried pieces of mystery chicken parts you get at McDonald's? It must satisfy some primal craving, as anybody who analyzes the ingredients of McNuggets should get instantly turned off by them. I especially crave them after being ill (don't ask me why) as I have been ill for the past week or so. Instead of caving in to the call of the golden arches, I've come up with an alternative to satisfy the fast-food urge without as much grease, salt and fat.
Home Fried Chicken McNuggets
1.5 pounds of chicken tenders
about 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
about 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
Pappy's seasoning
Cooking spray
2 eggs lightly beaten in a separate bowl for dipping
Preheat oven to 450* and line a cookie sheet with foil . Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Mix together in a gallon size zip lock bag the bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, salt, and pepper.
Take the chicken tenders and cut into bite sized pieces.
Dip chicken pieces in egg and place into zip lock bag with crumbs (a few at a time) and coat. Place coated chicken pieces on lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle Pappy's Seasoning (available at Costco -- or use your favorite seasoning mix you have on hand. Don't feel compelled to buy something for this) on the chicken pieces. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray and put into oven for about 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and turn pieces over. Return to oven for about another 5-6 minutes.
The nuggets bake rather quickly, depending on your version of 'bite sized.'
I'll often make 'oven fries' to accompany the McNuggets to complete the fast-food craving. Oven fries are just cut up potatoes drizzled in olive oil and baked instead of fried.
Home Fried Chicken McNuggets
1.5 pounds of chicken tenders
about 1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
about 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
about 1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
Pappy's seasoning
Cooking spray
2 eggs lightly beaten in a separate bowl for dipping
Preheat oven to 450* and line a cookie sheet with foil . Spray lightly with cooking spray.
Mix together in a gallon size zip lock bag the bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, salt, and pepper.
Take the chicken tenders and cut into bite sized pieces.
Dip chicken pieces in egg and place into zip lock bag with crumbs (a few at a time) and coat. Place coated chicken pieces on lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle Pappy's Seasoning (available at Costco -- or use your favorite seasoning mix you have on hand. Don't feel compelled to buy something for this) on the chicken pieces. Lightly spray nuggets with cooking spray and put into oven for about 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and turn pieces over. Return to oven for about another 5-6 minutes.
The nuggets bake rather quickly, depending on your version of 'bite sized.'
I'll often make 'oven fries' to accompany the McNuggets to complete the fast-food craving. Oven fries are just cut up potatoes drizzled in olive oil and baked instead of fried.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Vegetarian Chili
This is a slow cooker recipe I got off the internet. It has a lot of flavor, but not too much heat. My entire family eats this -- including my fussy daughter.
16 oz. tomato sauce
32 oz. kidney beans, drained
16 oz. canned corn
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
16 oz. tomato sauce
32 oz. kidney beans, drained
16 oz. canned corn
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
In slow cooker combine all ingredients and stir. Cover and cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Great leftovers! 6-8 servings.
Serve with cornbread.
Serve with cornbread.
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