Trying something new

We decided to try these new steam in the bag veggies. They were nice pieces of veggies and cooked up perfectly and tasted good. I think a little more expensive but handy and quick.

Mommy that's de-gusting

That's how my little one say disgusting. When I am tired and we just have pasta and sauce for dinner even thought it's usually considered a side dish.

Once a month we do a big shopping trip to get the majority of the items we need for dinners for the month. My DH helps me and sometimes he doesn't get exactly what I tell him to get. I told him Linguine and we Spinach Linguine.

On this night I decided to pull it out and try it with an alfredo sauce. No one thought it was going to be any good because it was green.

But to everyone's surprise they loved. All six of us loved it. That only happens a couple times a month. (TWSS)

I too love Basmati Rice

Anth encouraged us to try Basmati rice. So our last trip to Costco we each bought a big bag. This naturally aromatic rice tastes "dewicious" as my girls would say. We had it with stir fry but I was content to eat it plain as well. Everyone in the family loved it.

Roasted Cauliflower with Paprika

Here's another recipe from Everyday Food. I picked up some local cauliflower today and decided to oven-roast it. If you like cauliflower, you'll like this dish. The paprika gives it a teensy kick. I found it perfect for a rainy fall day!

This is the cauliflower just before putting it in the oven. Just toss cauliflower florets with 2 T olive oil and 1 1/2 tsp paprika. 20-25 minutes at 450 degrees.

Here's the finished product - delicious!

Braised Chicken with Dried Plums

from Everyday Food

First you brown 8 chicken thighs. I forgot to take a picture of the thighs browning. Oil was splattering and I had to have Dh do the flipping to avoid getting disfiguring burns. Here are the thighs sort of browned, removed to a platter:

(Raw meat. Yummy!)

Then you brown onions in the remaining oil and chicken fat, scraping up the bits. The onions get nice and soft. Add in a bit of flour and two cups of grape juice:

Then you put the chicken back in the pot. I was excited to use my locking silicone-tipped tongs for the first time:



Here is something I've realized about Everyday Food in relation to myself: I have to cook food 2-3 times longer than listed in EF. Pretty much every time I'm cooking meat. I suspect this is because my pans all suck and therefore do not conduct heat well. Someday I will have an All-Clad 12-inch and a La Crueset Dutch oven, but until then I will have to fiddle with cooking times. The recipe said cook 8-10 minutes. I had to cook these babies 30 minutes (granted, I did a piss-poor browning job, which extended the braise time).

It doesn't look that great, does it? But, oh yum!

Here is my bowl. My favorite part of this dish was definitely the sauce. Serve this dish with a crusty French bread to sop up the sauce. I could have just eaten the sauce with bread and been fine.


This dish is economical and easy. Two thumbs up!

Braised Chicken with Dried Plums
Serves 4

2 T olive oil
8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (I used a 3-lb. bag from Winco)
coarse salt & ground pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T flour
2 C dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 C pitted dried plums (aka prunes)

1. In a 5-qt Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt & pepper. Cook in 2 batches until browned, 6-8 minutes, flipping once. Transfer to a plate.

2. To pot, add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until onion begins to brown, 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary. Add flour, cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and chicken along with any accumulated juices.

3. Cover and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 8-10 minutes (or thirty if your pan sucks too!). Stir in prunes.

My Approach to Cooking

Hi. I'm Anth. EK and I have been talking about starting this blog 4-ever. It was left up to EK to take the initiative because I can sometimes be quite lazy. I am super excited to have this little forum. Even though its only readers will be myself and EK.

I love cooking. It is about as creative as I get. I like taking basic foodstuffs and combining them into something delicious and satisfying. It makes me happy when people enjoy the food I make for them.* My contributions to this blog will reflect my current cooking interests: hearty soups and stews, crockpot dinners, breads, frugal cooking, and delicious desserts and treats.

As I get more confident in my cooking ability, I find myself experimenting more. I am getting more comfortable substituting ingredients or not following a recipe too closely if I just don't feel like it. I can also be a bit of a food snob. For instance, the taste of real Parmesan is five hundred times superior to that Kraft junk. I've phased Kraft Parmesan right out of my life. It's worth it to me to spend a little more for something that tastes a lot better.


*This is why, oddly enough, my father-in-law is very fun to cook for. He really enjoys his food.

Foodies

Last week my husband complained because there was no Basmati rice to go with the Tandoori chicken, just regular white rice.

He complained about a lack of Basmati. I didn't know he even knew what that was.

I have turned my husband into a foodie! My evil plan is a success!

Getting Started

My friend Anth and I will share our love of food. We love to create fabulous dishes for our family and Friends. I am EK and I mostly in the business feeding my four kids and one husband. I love to have family and friends over. I do like to dabble in Jell-o from time to time. I am a big fan of simple and easy recipes that taste delicious. One of my goals is to learn how to decorate cakes. Anth and I both own KitchenAids which have become members of the family. I will let Anth introduce herself later but you should know she is the creative and more outgoing one when it comes to cooking. And for some odd reason her cookies always turn out better than mine.

We are excited to share our experiences and look forward to your comments and critiques.