What I love, What I do, (from the Kitchen): February 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Feeling a little ambitious today as I start my largest batch of homemade noodles ever. Intending to share with others and have a meal for us as well. Wish I still had little ones to help me roll them out on the counter to dry. I will always be grateful that my mom shared this skill with me as my family was just beginning. on my large island in my kitchen the noodles filled a space of about a 4.5x 4.5 area. I think mom would be proud.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Red Lobster Biscuits

For years I have been trying to find a "copy cat" recipe for the cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster. I have tried many and they failed me. As the Gourmet Guy and I were doing some shopping at Costco we came across this Red Lobster Mix. It had to be good because it carries the Red Lobster Logo. We tried it last night, it is so easy and good. As I opened the little silver herb packet I knew that it was going to be good because it smelled just like Red Lobster when you walk in. This is a keeper for me. I may just have to experiment with some of the spices in those little packets and see if I can come upon the flavor combination. For me no copy cat recipes when I can pull this off of the shelf occasionally.

This made my day, pretty simple, but it made my day!

Monday, February 16, 2015

Crock Pot Sweet BBQ Chicken (my version of Sweet Baby Ray Chicken from Pinterest)

Crock Pot Sweet BBQ Chicken

6-8 Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Original recipe calls for Chicken breasts)
3/4 c. Noh Hawaiian Bar-B-Q Sauce
3/4 c. apricot marmalade
2 T. soy sauce (La Choy is gluten free)

Place chicken thighs in crock pot and cook on low for three hours (for easy clean up use a crock pot liner). Mix remaining ingredients and set aside. After three hours drain juices from the chicken and cover with the sauce for 30-45 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, a gluten free pasta, or rice.

(I made it with all of the specific ingredients from the original recipe and then with ingredients that I generally keep on hand. We actually liked the second one better. We like using chicken thighs because they stay more tender and don't dry out as much as chicken breasts tend to,)

Friday, February 13, 2015

Pasta Fagioli (Copy Cat with my modifiations)

Pasta Fagioli

2 lbs. ground beef (next time I will make it with sweet Italian sausage)
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c. minced dry garlic (added for my own personal taste)
1 qt. canned tomatoes (the original called for 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes), undrained
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed (white kidney beans)
3 10 oz. cans beef broth
3 t. oregano
2 t. ground pepper
5 t. parsley
1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (originally called for a full teaspoon)
1 24 oz. Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (my personal preference)
8 oz. small cut pasta

Brown beef and place in lined crock pot with everything but the pasta. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or low 5-6 hours. (for my personal crock pot 4 hours was not long enough for the vegetables to be tender) 30 minutes before serving add the pasta.

*This makes a large batch of soup in the future I will take 1/2 of the soup out before adding the pasta and freeze for another meal and add the pasta at that time. To make it gluten free just make sure the beef stock is gluten free and use a gluten free pasta. This is compared to Olive Garden in the original recipe but I don't think it is the same, but it is a keeper for me.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Parmesan Rolls (Copy Cat Magelby's-revisited with modifications)

Parmesan Rolls (like Magelby’s)

25 frozen roll dough (preferably the Terrel's brand)

1 c. Parmesan cheese (the powdered kind)
4 t. garlic powder
1/3 c. parsley flakes
1 c. butter melted

While you are preparing the rolls, preheat oven to 200 degrees, put the butter on a jellyroll pan while the oven heats. In a bowl mix together Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and parsley flakes. Roll the frozen dough in the melted butter then the Parmesan mixture. Turn oven off then place rolls in oven. Let rolls rise between 2-3 hours. Remove from oven and preheat to 350. Bake until lightly brown on top 15-20 minutes.

(I found this recipe from a woman who was teaching a class at the Little Theatre in the Orem Macey's during the time I was hosting (working) there. These are a copy cat from a local restaurant called Magelby's. The owner recently passed away and learning of this made me pull this dust off this recipe and make it again, it has been far too long! The restaurant like the owner is gone and it makes me sad but at least I can remember both when I make these.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Family Favorite Bluberry Muffins with Crumble Topping

My daughter Natalie finds these beautiful blueberries for me and I have learned to love them. We love them enough that we are trying to get a bed with a PH balance that will allow us to grow several bushes to raise them ourselves. In the mean time we get these wonderfully sweet huge berries and learn to use them in many fun recipes. This batch of berries are sweet and huge. In fact they were to big to use as many as I did for this batch and the muffins didn't hold together very well. The best part of the muffin is the crumble that is placed on the top,

Blueberry Muffins with Crumble Topping.

for the muffins:
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen don't thaw, (if the berries are really large cut down on the quantity.)

Mix milk, oil, and egg in a small bowl. In a larger bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the wet ingredients to the large bowl and gently mix them together, don't over mix. Fold in the blueberries.

crumble topping:
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 T butter, softened (not melted)

Grease muffin tin thoroughly (so the blueberries do not stick to the pan) fill the cups about 2/3 full and top with the crumble. Place in a 400 degree preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Yields 12 medium size muffins.

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The Pantry

The pantry can be a life saver if it is well stocked and can help when you just don't know what to fix for dinner.

As I have made meals over the years I have stocked up on things that are common in my recipes so all I have to do is shop from my shelves. It is easy to come up with things quickly when you have supplies on hand. It may seem like a lot to have on hand but these are some of my pantry/storage staples and if you build slowly it isn't oppresive to purchase. Watch the ads and sales in your local stores.

Canned/Storage:
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
chicken broth
beef broth
tuna
chicken
corn
olives
beans- kidney. canellini, black, refried
dried beans, red, white, pinto, split peas
creamed soups, mushroom. chicken. celery
tomato soup
bean with bacon soup
rice
flour
sugar
favorite spices
variety of pasta's
peanut butter

Freezer:
chicken breasts
bone in hams
chuck roasts pork roasts
pork chops
lean ground beef
ground turkey
Itailian sausage
vegetables

Refrigerator:
milk
eggs
butter
Tillamook cheddar cheese
Lowfat mozerella cheese
sour cream
cream cheese
mayonnaise
miracle whip
ketchup
mustard
half and half
cucumber
lettuce
celery
carrots
apples
limes

Pantry Shelf:
onions
avocados
tomatoes
garlic
potatoes, red and Idaho russet

Home Canned Items: (I love to can!)
tomatoes
chicken breasts
green beans
salsa
chile sauce

Favorite From the Pantry Recipes

Lauri's Italian Sauce

3 bottles whole tomatoes (4cans approx. 1 lb size)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 8 oz. cans mushrooms

3 T. dried Oregano
3 T. dried Marjoram
3 T. dried Basil
1 ½ T. dried Thyme
T. Fennel (optional)
dried onion or two chopped fresh onions
2 T. minced dried garlic or 5 cloves fresh garlic minced (if using fresh onion and garlic sauté them in olive oil until transparent and then add the remaining ingredients)

Combine all of the above ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer on low heat until thickened. (I usually simmer it for several hours)

Meat Sauce

4 lbs, lean ground beef
2 chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Brown the meat and add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add to the marinara sauce and simmer.

Sour Cream Enchilladas

Mix
4 lb. hamburger
2 onions, chopped
6 carrots, grated or chopped
1 or 2 green pepper chopped
2 T. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic salt

Brown beef and drain, add prepared vegetables. Cook until tender and drain, cool.*

Add to hamburger mixture
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 oz. can green chili's chopped (more if you want a little more spice)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. milk
Monterey jack and cheddar cheese grated (to your taste)
corn tortillas

Fill corn tortillas with meat mixture. Place seam down in a 9x13 baking pan. Layer with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. This can also be served lasagna style in a casserole dish. This saves time rolling the enchiladas. It just depends on how you want the dish to look on the plates.

*This meat mixture is great to use for other things as well, it can be used to make sloppy joes, tacos, or with other ground beef recipes. It is a great way to add more vegetables to meals with out children or picky eaters even knowing. Just freeze into portions in a zippered bag and thaw when you need a quick meal.

Tips

Always fill your sink with hot soapy water and wash as you go. This helps to keep the mess under control. (I love to cook to I really hate to clean up after!)

When you fix rice for a meal make extra and freeze some of it in a zipper bag. With this premeasured rice it is easy to do a quick thaw and serve or add to other ingredients for a quick and easy meal.

Post a shopping list where you can find it, when you run out of something simply write it down and teach your family to do the same. You are less likely to be caught off guard when you are making your favorite dish.

Make a menu and include your shopping list. You spend less time in the store when you have a plan. When you make more trips to the store you simply spend more money. Having worked with a large grocery chain I learned some of the tricks used to get you to buy more. Be prepared when you go!

Shop the Ads. Make your menu out with the ad and use the shopping list. Most people don't have time to run from store to store getting the best deal on just a few things. When you compare and find the best prices it saves you time, money, and gas.

When making dishes like lasagna, manicotti, chicken pot pie, and many casseroles make two at the same time and freeze the second one for rainy day or a sick friend. It takes little effort to make the extra and it can be a big bonus in your freezer.

Tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator but on your counter top. The cold causes them to break down and turn mushy.

If you need to ripen your avacados faster place them in a small paper bag with a banana or apple. The gas that they put off causes the avacado to ripen faster.

Don't store onion and garlic together because the garlic goes bad faster from the gas emitted from the onions,

Applesauce Spice Cake

2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
2 c. thick unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 t. cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. allspice
1 t. salt
8 t. baking powder (that's right)
3 c. flour
1 c. nuts chopped (optional)

Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs. Mix dry ingredients and combine both mixes. Spread on to a sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

½ c. plus 2 T. butter
5 c. powdered sugar
2½ t. Mapleline flavoring
3 T. milk

Soften butter and combine with remaining ingredients, spread on top of cake.

This is good to take to Pot Luck dinners or large gatherings. I would also freeze leftover cake in individual servings for my kids after school or when they needed a quick, small snack.

Zucchini Blues

Took it for granted
When it was planted
That I had just enough

Now during my days
I'm trying new ways
To use up all this stuff

My basement is crammed
It's been jellied and jammed
Make into bread and cake

It's been chopped and sliced
And grated and diced...
There's nothing else to make!

I've baked it and planned it
Boiled and canned it
And frozen all I need

I have had my fill
There's too much... and still
It's growing like a weed.

(After going away for a week I came home to find six zucchini that were bat size in the garden. Seems like the kids didn't look as hard as they said they did! So I thought of this poem. Anyone need some Zucchini?)