What to do with a leftover chicken breast or two? Make chicken and noodles for an easy meal.
Start with cutting the chicken up into bite sized chunks - if you have turkey instead of chicken, that works just as well.
Then dump a can of chicken broth and a cup of water into a sauce pan, add the chunks, bring it to a boil first, then turn it down to simmer while you cook the noodles. If you have a lot of chicken, you might need 2 cans of broth.
Cook the noodles as usual - boiling them until they're at the stage of tender that you like best. I use salted water - you may not.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and put them in a casserole dish. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the meat chunks from the chicken broth and add them to the noodles.
Your broth will have cooked down, so add water until you have about a cup and a half of liquid. Next, put about 2 tablespoons of corn starch in a cup, and add about an ounce or two of cold water. Stir it until it's smooth.
Add the cornstarch a little at a time to the broth, stirring constantly to keep it mixed well. Keep adding until your "sauce" has thickened almost to the consistency of gravy. Then take it off the stove and pour it over the noodles and meat.
To add variety, you can toss in some leftover vegetables, or a handful of frozen vegetables. I particularly like peas with noodles - you may prefer carrots, broccoli, or even green beans.
If you decide to use frozen vegetables, heat them in the sauce for a few minutes before you combine the ingredients.
If it isn't quite time for dinner, put a lid on your casserole and put the whole thing in the oven, turned on the lowest setting.
Since I love pasta in any form and ignore everything else on the table when it's there, this is enough for me. But if your family likes a "full meal" a good green salad makes a fine accompaniment.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Easy beef chuck roast recipe
Get out of the kitchen fast with this all-in-one pot Chuck Roast dinner.
Chuck roast has great flavor and is also one of the less expensive cuts you'll find in the grocer's case. It would be tough as a steak, but when you put it in the oven for a couple of hours like this, it comes out moist and tender.
Here's what you need:
* Chuck Roast
* Potatoes
* Carrots, raw or frozen
* One onion
* Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
You need a heavy roasting pan with a lid - I like a 4 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Spray a little cooking oil around inside the pan, then wash the chuck roast and lay it in the bottom. Spice it, then turn it over and spice the other side.
You can use peeled potatoes or small red or Yukon Gold potatoes with the skins on.
Cut the onion into 4 pieces and chop up one of the pieces to sprinkle around on everything else. Peel the carrots and either cut them in chunks or leave them whole.
If you have frozen carrots, you can also use those.
Put the vegetables in on top of the meat, add salt and pepper if you like it, and about 2" of water.
Now put the lid on and put it in the oven at 325 degrees. After an hour or so check to make sure there's still liquid in the bottom. If you need to, add more water. It generally takes about 2 hours, but check at half hour intervals. When your fork tells you the vegetables are cooked you can either put it on the table or turn the oven down low and leave it until you're ready to eat.
Serve this with green salad, cottage cheese, or coleslaw. If you have some rolls, heat them at the last minute to top off the meal.
Chuck roast has great flavor and is also one of the less expensive cuts you'll find in the grocer's case. It would be tough as a steak, but when you put it in the oven for a couple of hours like this, it comes out moist and tender.
Here's what you need:
* Chuck Roast
* Potatoes
* Carrots, raw or frozen
* One onion
* Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
You need a heavy roasting pan with a lid - I like a 4 quart cast iron dutch oven.
Spray a little cooking oil around inside the pan, then wash the chuck roast and lay it in the bottom. Spice it, then turn it over and spice the other side.
You can use peeled potatoes or small red or Yukon Gold potatoes with the skins on.
Cut the onion into 4 pieces and chop up one of the pieces to sprinkle around on everything else. Peel the carrots and either cut them in chunks or leave them whole.
If you have frozen carrots, you can also use those.
Put the vegetables in on top of the meat, add salt and pepper if you like it, and about 2" of water.
Now put the lid on and put it in the oven at 325 degrees. After an hour or so check to make sure there's still liquid in the bottom. If you need to, add more water. It generally takes about 2 hours, but check at half hour intervals. When your fork tells you the vegetables are cooked you can either put it on the table or turn the oven down low and leave it until you're ready to eat.
Serve this with green salad, cottage cheese, or coleslaw. If you have some rolls, heat them at the last minute to top off the meal.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Homemade Rolls for Easter Dinner?
The Bread machine does the hard work - making these homemade rolls a cinch for company dinners.
Mix the following ingredients, then put them into the bread maker:
1 1/2 cups of warm water. Not HOT, not cold, but warm
2 packets or 5 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup (heaping) of sugar
3 eggs
3 taspoons of salt
Now add 4 1/2 cups of flour, turn the bread maker on, set to the "dough" setting. When the mixture starts to look like a blob, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time. After each addition, test to see if it's still sticky. If it is, add another tablespoon. When it no longer feels sticky, stop adding flour and leave it alone.
Now you can go do something else for 1 1/2 hours while the bread mixer does its work.
When the dough is ready you'll need a large baking pan - like a lasagna pan or flat cake pan. Grease the bottom and sides well.
When the time is up, sprinkle some flour on a cutting board or well-scrubbed section of counter-top, then turn the dough out onto it.
Start kneading - which means you push it down, fold it over, and push it down again several times. If it gets too sticky, sprinkle on a little flour. When the dough starts to feel like it's pushing back, it's ready.
Pull it apart into chunks about halfway between the size of a golf ball and a baseball, smooth out each piece, and put it in the pan. Keep going until the pan is full. You might have to adjust the pieces a little as you go to try to get them all about the same size and make them cover the pan evenly.
Now grease the tops so they can't dry out, cover the whole thing with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel (NOT a heavy one), and set it in a warm (NOT hot) place for between 45 and 90 minutes - or until the dough is twice as big as it was when you put it in the pan. After about a half hour, turn the oven to 350 degrees so it will be hot when you're ready for it.
Now... put the pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. When it rings, check to see that your rolls are a nice golden brown. If they don't look quite done, give them another 3 minutes.
Mix the following ingredients, then put them into the bread maker:
1 1/2 cups of warm water. Not HOT, not cold, but warm
2 packets or 5 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup (heaping) of sugar
3 eggs
3 taspoons of salt
Now add 4 1/2 cups of flour, turn the bread maker on, set to the "dough" setting. When the mixture starts to look like a blob, begin adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time. After each addition, test to see if it's still sticky. If it is, add another tablespoon. When it no longer feels sticky, stop adding flour and leave it alone.
Now you can go do something else for 1 1/2 hours while the bread mixer does its work.
When the dough is ready you'll need a large baking pan - like a lasagna pan or flat cake pan. Grease the bottom and sides well.
When the time is up, sprinkle some flour on a cutting board or well-scrubbed section of counter-top, then turn the dough out onto it.
Start kneading - which means you push it down, fold it over, and push it down again several times. If it gets too sticky, sprinkle on a little flour. When the dough starts to feel like it's pushing back, it's ready.
Pull it apart into chunks about halfway between the size of a golf ball and a baseball, smooth out each piece, and put it in the pan. Keep going until the pan is full. You might have to adjust the pieces a little as you go to try to get them all about the same size and make them cover the pan evenly.
Now grease the tops so they can't dry out, cover the whole thing with plastic wrap or a damp dish towel (NOT a heavy one), and set it in a warm (NOT hot) place for between 45 and 90 minutes - or until the dough is twice as big as it was when you put it in the pan. After about a half hour, turn the oven to 350 degrees so it will be hot when you're ready for it.
Now... put the pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. When it rings, check to see that your rolls are a nice golden brown. If they don't look quite done, give them another 3 minutes.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Favorite Banana Bread Recipe
Do you have over-ripe bananas on the counter? Your family is bound to appreciate it if you turn them into banana bread...
Note that this recipe calls for sour milk. This is an old recipe, dating from when people kept a milk cow and sour milk was easy to come by. You probably don't have a cow, so use this easy substitute: Just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the measuring cup before you measure the milk. Do this when you first start gathering ingredients so the vinegar and milk have a chance to blend.
Preheat the oven on to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
One well-greased loaf pan
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup well-mashed bananas
Using a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and shortening together until they look smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs and bananas and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, and salt. Be sure you mix these well so the soda doesn't end up all in one spot.
Add the flour mixture and the milk to the banana and sugar mixture and mix it well.
If you like, you can mix in a handful of chopped nuts.
Now put it all in the loaf pan and put it in the oven. Start watching it after about a half hour - it may take closer to an hour to bake, depending upon the size of your loaf pan and your individual oven. Watch for signs that the bread is pulling away from the edges of the pan, then test by inserting a toothpick in the middle. When the toothpick comes out clean, the banana bread is done.
You can also bake this in "individual sized" aluminum pans - remember that with less mass the bread will bake faster.
Note that this recipe calls for sour milk. This is an old recipe, dating from when people kept a milk cow and sour milk was easy to come by. You probably don't have a cow, so use this easy substitute: Just add a tablespoon of vinegar to the measuring cup before you measure the milk. Do this when you first start gathering ingredients so the vinegar and milk have a chance to blend.
Preheat the oven on to 350 degrees.
Ingredients:
One well-greased loaf pan
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup well-mashed bananas
Using a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and shortening together until they look smooth and creamy. Add the beaten eggs and bananas and mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, and salt. Be sure you mix these well so the soda doesn't end up all in one spot.
Add the flour mixture and the milk to the banana and sugar mixture and mix it well.
If you like, you can mix in a handful of chopped nuts.
Now put it all in the loaf pan and put it in the oven. Start watching it after about a half hour - it may take closer to an hour to bake, depending upon the size of your loaf pan and your individual oven. Watch for signs that the bread is pulling away from the edges of the pan, then test by inserting a toothpick in the middle. When the toothpick comes out clean, the banana bread is done.
You can also bake this in "individual sized" aluminum pans - remember that with less mass the bread will bake faster.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Twice-Baked Potatoes
Would you like to serve your family a meal they'll talk about for days? If they like potatoes, these will turn into the meal they beg for.
Start with some large baking potatoes. Unless you have huge appetites or will make a meal of the potatoes, each will serve 2.
You can bake these early in the so you don't have to handle them while they're hot, or wait until a couple of hours before dinner to put them in the oven. If you do it early remember to leave time to get them piping hot again! Bake the potatoes without foil because the skin gets tougher, making a crust that will hold together better while you scoop out the insides.
To prepare 2 large baking potatoes you'll need:
* About 1/4 heaping cup cooked and crumbled bacon
* 1/2 cup of sour cream
* 1/8 cup of butter
* 1/4 heaping cup green onions, chopped up small
* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* salt and pepper to taste
Cut the potatoes in 2 lengthwise or remove a "cap" from the top - depending upon whether you're serving a whole potato or a half.
Now, scoop out as much of the potato as you can remove without tearing the skin.
Using a large mixing bowl, combine the scooped out potato with the butter and sour cream and beat it with a mixer until the mixture is smooth.
Reserve about 1/8 cup each of the onions, bacon, and grated cheese, then put the rest in with the potatoes and beat it with the mixer until it's smooth.
Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins. They'll be nicely domed and fluffy on top!
If the potatoes had completely cooled, put them in the oven at 350 for about a half hour. Then about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them, top each potato with cheese, onions, and bacon. Put it back in the oven to let them all melt together.
If the potatoes were still hot, they'll only need about 10 minutes more in the oven.
These take a bit of effort, but are wonderful for a special occasion. I first tried them for a birthday dinner - and the birthday boy was more excited about the potatoes than about his gifts.
Start with some large baking potatoes. Unless you have huge appetites or will make a meal of the potatoes, each will serve 2.
You can bake these early in the so you don't have to handle them while they're hot, or wait until a couple of hours before dinner to put them in the oven. If you do it early remember to leave time to get them piping hot again! Bake the potatoes without foil because the skin gets tougher, making a crust that will hold together better while you scoop out the insides.
To prepare 2 large baking potatoes you'll need:
* About 1/4 heaping cup cooked and crumbled bacon
* 1/2 cup of sour cream
* 1/8 cup of butter
* 1/4 heaping cup green onions, chopped up small
* 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
* salt and pepper to taste
Cut the potatoes in 2 lengthwise or remove a "cap" from the top - depending upon whether you're serving a whole potato or a half.
Now, scoop out as much of the potato as you can remove without tearing the skin.
Using a large mixing bowl, combine the scooped out potato with the butter and sour cream and beat it with a mixer until the mixture is smooth.
Reserve about 1/8 cup each of the onions, bacon, and grated cheese, then put the rest in with the potatoes and beat it with the mixer until it's smooth.
Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins. They'll be nicely domed and fluffy on top!
If the potatoes had completely cooled, put them in the oven at 350 for about a half hour. Then about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them, top each potato with cheese, onions, and bacon. Put it back in the oven to let them all melt together.
If the potatoes were still hot, they'll only need about 10 minutes more in the oven.
These take a bit of effort, but are wonderful for a special occasion. I first tried them for a birthday dinner - and the birthday boy was more excited about the potatoes than about his gifts.
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