The easiest meal you will ever make…

Sorry for the lack of posts over the past couple of days.  Being new to the blogging world, I must admit my mistakes…I keep forgetting to take pictures of what I have made.  Usually, I am so ready to sit down and taste that we serve plates and dig in…about halfway thru the meal, one of my kids will say, this is pretty good, did you take a picture?  Uhhh, no…. think anybody wants to see a plate of half eaten pot roast?  Yea, me either!

I spent some time on Sunday with a pot roast.  It was good, actually pretty good, but not great and I thought it had a lot of steps.  While I am not trying to make every recipe I post here “quick and easy”, I do want to make sure the end result is worth whatever amount of effort is put in.  I don’t mind fussing with a roast on a Sunday afternoon if it is amazing….this roast had many steps, lots of ingredients and was just OK…so I am not sharing it.  When I find a great, easy roast for working folks, I’ll post it.

So today, I want to tell you about the easiest dinner you will make.  I mentioned it a few days ago; it is a Chicken Tortilla Soup.  I have to give credit to both my sister MC and Trader Joe’s for this.  As she was in  Trader Joe’s one day last year, the end-cap of an aisle had on it the following items and a recipe for

Chicken Tortilla Soup

(1)    Can of  Chicken

(1)    Large Box Chicken Broth

(1)    Jar Roasted Garlic Salsa

       Tortilla Chips

 You basically dump a large box of broth, the large can of chicken and the jar of salsa in a pot and heat it up.  When it is hot, crunch the tortilla chips in a soup bowl and spoon the soup over it.  Now, this indeed sounds too simple to taste like much….right?  Wrong!  The first time I made it, we finished the pot immediately.   The next time I did add about 3 teaspoons of chopped cilantro at the end, just because I had it in the fridge, and topped it with sour cream, however I have made it without both of these and it is fine. I have made this also with several different salsa’s…the key is to get one that is chucky and flavorful.  Trader Joe’s stopped carrying the Roasted Garlic Salsa shortly after this became a staple at my house, but I recently noticed it was back (they do that with lots of items).    Last week I spent a good deal of time making a “home-made” version of the same soup, and everybody thought it was inferior.  I am not a big fan of canned chicken…it has its place (like canned tuna), but it can taste pretty much like cardboard.  However, I have used both the Trader Joe brand, and Swanson from my Publix and they both work.  If I have some leftover chicken from another dish (or about ½ of a Rotisserie chicken), that is even better.  This is THE recipe to always have in your pantry…it is seriously about 5 minutes to make and everybody gets a good meal…  You can dress it up (chopped fresh tomato on top, add peppers if you want etc), or leave it alone…I think everybody will enjoy it regardless, and you know on the nights you come home late, tired and hungry you are minutes from a nice meal.   Thanks to MC and Trader Joe’s.

Football Worthy Food

Well this was not last night’s dinner (even though there was a football game on).  Last night was a time consuming Chicken Tortilla soup that was not nearly as tasty as the one I have with 3 ingredients – I will post the easy one here soon.   Last night’s recipe card was tossed quickly (a quote note…if you take the time to make something and don’t like it, either make a note in the cookbook or throw away the card…I have wasted time and money cooking something I didn’t like once and a year later I make it again!)

 I made these pizzas last weekend on a very rainy Saturday when I knew we would be sitting around watching SEC football most of the day (Football is close to religion in my family).  There are certain foods that you need with football – chips, dips, finger foods, nothing fancy etc.  I think there is becoming (at least in the South) a whole new category of food classified as “Tailgate”.  Even though we were not going to the game, I wanted tailgate worthy munchies.  Well, after some searching I went back to my friend Rachael Ray.  If you study her recipes you will find that many of them are a standard dish with a new spin.  (For example the Sheppard’s Pie stuffed potatoes…same ingredients, new presentation).  Anyway, she had a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizzas.  Wow…two for one on the snack foods, pizza and Buffalo chicken!  They were fun, easy and everybody gobbled them up.  When I do them again (and I will), I may try whole wheat English Muffin or something a little smaller would be easier to handle.  These tasted great, but we all ended up with forks and having some of the chicken fall off the flat bread.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Pizzas

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, chopped into bite size pieces

Salt and Pepper

2 Tbsp butter

½ cup Franks Red hot Sauce

4 flatbread rounds (or 8 English muffins, see above)

3 ribs of celery sliced thin on the bias

¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

¼ cup blue cheese crumbles

Pre-heat oven to 450

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan on EVOO, about 2 Tablespoons.  Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then add them to the pre=heated skillet.  Sauté until cooked through and golden brown, 4-5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet to melt.  Add the hot sauce and cook stirring occasionally, until the sauce had thickened and coats the chicken (Be careful not to take a deep breath over the pan or the hot sauce fumes could burn your sinuses!)

When the chicken is ready, place the flatbread rounds on a baking sheet and divide the chicken equally between all four rounds.  Scatter the celery over the chicken and top each round with some shredded cheese and blue cheese crumbles.  Bake until the bread is crisped and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

Floods and Comfort Foods...

As many of you may know, the Atlanta region has had a pretty horrible week of rain.  It started last Thursday and really just finished yesterday.  I have heard lots of different totals, but the area got around 2 feet of water and several counties received much more.  Monday was the worst with some parts of East Cobb County getting 15 inches in one day.  The devastation is horrific and most people who don’t have flood insurance have lost everything.  We were lucky, our house is pretty elevated and we had no issues, my Mom had a small amount of water in her bathroom that was manageable.  However, there are thousands who are really hurting now and a few extra prayers sent their way would be appreciated.

In the midst of this amazing rain, I really felt the need for some comfort food.  I have seen lots of lists which name mashed potatoes, grilled cheese, ice cream, fried chicken and a host of other foods at the top of the “Comfort Food” chart.  I guess it is just further proof that my taste buds are a little off…my list topping comfort food is…. Beef Stroganoff.   And, not just any beef stroganoff but my Mom’s recipe which is a little strange to start with.  Further proof that the food you grow up with tends to be what you crave.  This recipe turns out pretty orange in color where most is dark brown.  It uses chicken stock rather than beef, and includes ketchup and brown sugar along with other spices….but it all works together and the house smells like pure love… Serve on top of some nice fluffy white rice and the world just seems like a better place.

It would be great if you could start this about 4:00 in the afternoon, but I am usually not hanging out in the kitchen then.  Please note it takes about 2 hours so either cook it one night for dinner the next day, or just tell your family to get a snack because it will be a late meal, but oh so worth it.  It may work well in the crock pot, but I have not tried it that way.

I would love to know your top 5 comfort foods to see how different everyone is and what make you feel like home…

2 lbs round steak cubed

2 Tbsp butter

2 small onions, chopped

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp brown sugar

salt & pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c ketchup

2 Tbsp Worchestershire

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 big cans of mushrooms, drained

1 pint chicken boullion

Corn Starch

16 oz carton sour cream

Hot cooked Rice

Brown the beef in butter in a dutch oven and add the onion and garlic cooking until the onion is translucent.  Add all of the ingredients down to the chicken boullion.  Simmer for 1-1/2 hours.  Thicken with corn starch and let simmer for a few minutes.  Add the sour cream right before serving and serve over hot rice.

I don't bake, but these are great brownies!

I don’t bake…it’s just not something I really enjoy doing like I do cooking.  I think everybody is programmed to have some amount of creativity…may be it is artistic, or fashion or home decorating etc…none of which I am any good at…but I cook.  I like to think that is my creative outlet.  I may only wear a couple of colors that I know match,  and my house looks great after the decorator leaves…and it still looks that way years later since I don’t have the confidence  to change it.  But give me a pot, pan and knife and I can toss stuff together that will be edible and usually pretty good.  So what does this have to do with “I don’t bake”?  Baking is a science…it requires exact measurements, specific instructions and a determined order (dry ingredients first, then wet; no substitutions etc).  Baking is really a giant science experiment that you can enjoy afterwards…but get creative about it and you usually don’t get to eat it.  My daughter J is a great baker…she follows the instructions, she measures and it always turns out excellent…Oh, and she excels at Science too – see the connection?  Anyway, sometimes you have to try to push yourself outside the proverbial box…and I did this weekend by baking brownies!  I apologize for the picture...not one of my best...

I had seen this recipe in a Food Network magazine that I picked up at the store.  The brownies (yea, I know pretty elementary baking….but you have to start somewhere) had both cinnamon and cayenne pepper in them…which intrigued me.  They also called for Mexican Cocoa powder, but since we were in remote North Carolina at the lake house, the possibility of finding Mexican Cocoa powder was slim to none.  I did use Dark Chocolate Cocoa (Hershey’s) and the brownies were great – moist, very dark (almost black) and extremely flavorful.  I would encourage you to try these…with some good vanilla ice cream…UMMMMMM

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground Mexican cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish very well with butter or cooking spray.  Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium low heat - do not boil.  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.  Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

Add the cocoa, flour, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and baking powder and mix until smooth.  Spread the batter in the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out fudgy.  (20 - 25 minutes).  Cool in the pan on a rack and then slice and remove the brownies.

Bar Beans

Wow, I am so happy its Friday!  It has been a crazy week of school meetings, birthdays, out of town friends, oh yea, work... But we made it!  Last night G had a meeting and dinner out but I really felt like we had not had much family time this week and I wanted to have a nice dinner.  I knew I had some Yukon Gold potatoes from the CSA bag so I started there.  A quick run thru Trader Joe's found a great price on boneless pork chops (3 for $5) and some nice Marsala sauce.  Add to that what I found out was the number 1 seller at Trader Joes - the skinny green beans and we were set.

So the pork chops were just covered with salt, pepper and an equivalent of McCormicks steak seasoning (great stuff if you don't know about  it) and then browned.  After browning, I put them in a small casserole and covered with the TJoe's Marsala sauce. (If you don't have a Trader Joe's I am sure a regular pork gravy would have been fine)   The potato's were easy too...take a sharp knife and carefully slice them almost all the way thru, then carefully spread them apart.  Drizzle the inside with salt, pepper and olive oil and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.  Test for doneness after 30 and then sprinkle some cheese (white cheddar last night, but I have done this with Parmesan also) on top and run them back in for another 5-10 minutes.

Now the beans....that's the title of the post.  Several years ago our oldest son "A" was travelling for work and met some folks in a local bar.  Instead of popcorn, peanuts or chex mix, the bar served green beans as a snack item. At first A thought this was crazy and then he popped a couple of beans in his mouth and loved it!  If you know our son, he can talk anybody into just about anything and before he left, he had the waitress tell him the recipe for the beans.  Basically, it is just skinny beans, low to medium heat and olive oil and garlic.  I do mine in a large skillet and keep the heat between low and medium and most of the time I used the pre-chopped garlic when I am in a hurry.  The trick is NOT to stir them around a lot and they get all brown and crispy.  Both of my (younger) kids will eat the beans this way, and are full of nothing but complaints most every other way I prepare them...give it a try - with a cold beer or a pork chop they are delicious.

Tomorrow is a big day of football and I'm working on some fun munchies while we watch!  Have a great weekend and please let me know what you think about the blog so far.

Fun Birthday, Great Restaurant

So yesterday started my 50th year - with my 49th birthday.  All in all it was a fun day and I had a pre-planned dinner with some old friends that I worked with 20 years ago!!!  I am not sure we had all four been together in 20 years so it was a lot of fun getting caught up and remembering.  Therefore...the family was on its own for dinner (thank you Stouffer's for providing the meal in my absence).

I do want to give credit to a great restaurant chain, Season's 52.  I know there are a couple of locations in Atlanta and I think in Florida as well...it is based upon the fresh concept and their menu changes weekly.  It is also (in my mind) the absolutely correct portion size.   The meals arrive sized somewhere between dinner at a spa (too small for my taste) and one of those places where you eat on your meal for 4 days.  Also, if  I remember correctly (and don't quote me) all of the entrees  are under 500 calories.  The desserts are presented in a shot glass and you get about 3-4 bites of an amazing dessert without killing your waistline.  You can have a gourmet meal and leave the restaurant with your belt still in its rightful place.  It is really a great concept and while this is not intended to be a restaurant review blog....its worth your time and money to visit Seasons 52 if you have one close by.  Oh, and they have over 60 wines by the glass as well...just in case you are so inclined.

Tonight we have tickets to the Braves game...so our family meal will probably be hot dogs (MAJOR difference from last night)...but we will be eating together!  I think next week should be back to a more normal routine.

I feel rotten.....but they gotta eat!

Wow, I woke up this morning with a big case of the crud....so dizzy I could not walk down the hall without bumping into the walls...good thing it was 6:00am or my kids would think I was into the wine bottle pretty early! I was nearly human (but not quite) by lunch and realized that if I recovered I was supposed to go to a meeting at J's school...and we would need a quick dinner.  Not feeling real inspired I wandered aimlessly into the pantry and spotted..... The Crock Pot!!! Yea.  I quickly found the Taco Soup recipe we had enjoyed last winter and thankfully it is pretty much a "open can and dump in crock pot" kind of plan.   The picture really doesn't do justice to the taste....very good.  If you have young kids or don't like too much spice, make sure you get the "mild" version of the Rotel tomatoes...that is where a good deal of the heat comes from.  There are a ton of good vegetables hidden in the soup so you may just be able to sneak some corn, tomatoes, and beans into your eaters without their knowledge!

 You can add or delete any ingredient based upon family preference.  It is more like a stew consistancy than a soup.

Taco Soup
2 cans kidney or pinto beans or 1 of each
2 cans of corn or frozen corn equivalent to 2 cans
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and chilies (Rotel)
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 lb ground beef or turkey (or chicken)
1 can green chilies
1/2 tsp or more chili powder
a few shakes hot sauce
salt & pepper
Garnish:  shredded cheese, sour cream, crunched up chips

Brown the meat or turkey and drain the fat.  Add the meat to the crock pot wilth all other ingredients except garnish.  The beans should be drained and rinsed but the corn and tomatoes should have the juices.  Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10.  Check seasonings about halfway through.

Serve with cheese, sour cream, chips or anything you would put on a taco.