I just got a bread machine about 2 weeks ago at a yard sale. I have been anxious to use it, but a friend told me that you need to have special flour and yeast. So after getting those things, I was ready to try it. The only recipe I could make was this one because I didn't have powdered milk or wheat bread machine flour. So I made this yesterday. Then last night I was at Hannaford and I saw that the smallest box of powdered milk was $8.99. I didn't buy it. Then my mom told me that you only need the powdered milk if you're making it ahead, and if you're just making it right now, you can use milk for the water and not even add the dry milk powder. I told that to Steve and he said he already told me that. Well, if he did, I don't remember it. This recipe is from the book that came with the bread machine.
Cinnamon N' Raisin Bread (1.5 pound loaf)
9 oz water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 tbsp sugar
3 cups bread machine flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 cup raisins
Add ingredients to bread pan in order listed except raisins. Add the raisins when the beeping sounds during kneading (I don't know if every machine does this, but mine does).
This also says that all ingredients should be at room temperature when you start. Everyone liked this. Steve and I had toast last night after the kids went to bed, then we all had some this morning. The bread is gone already. I do have the 1.5 pound loaf-size bread machine, which apparently there is a 2-lb maker. If this bread thing ends up taking off, I may invest in a bigger machine. For right now though we'll do it this way. I have another loaf in right now, as I'm typing this recipe. I am excited to see how all this will work out!!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Oven-Barbecued Chicken
This was tonight's supper. This is from a "new" cookbook. I say that because I have had this cookbook so long that I can't even remember where it came from...maybe my grandmother, I don't know. But, I am just now starting to go through it and make things out of it. It is Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (copyright 1996 so not too new); Everything You Need to Know to Cook. This subtitle makes me think it might have come from my parents at some point, since my lack of cooking abilities used to cause much merriment among my family members. Anyway this is the same cookbook that the "Apple Tart Tanker" came from on Saturday, but I'm giving it another shot, since this is the cookbook I've been making banana bread out of for a long time.
Oven-Barbecued Chicken
3 to 3 1/2 pound cut-up broiler-fryer chicken (they did not have my usual brand of cut-up chicken at Wal-mart...I ended up getting an off brand that had the chicken parts listed on the label: 2 breasts, 4 thighs, 2 backs (huh???). So clearly this is from multiple chickens (I hope) or we have proof of that chain mail a while back that KFC was making mutant chickens to speed up their food production process is true...I have never made/eaten a "chicken back" and didn't want to start today...those went to the trash...so we have 2 breasts and 4 thighs...no drumsticks, no wings...BRING BACK THE TYSON CUT UP CHICKEN, WALMART!!!)
3/4 cup chili sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground mustard (dry)
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish (we don't like spice so I left this out)
1/2 tsp red pepper sauce (I did like 5 drops, because again, we don't like spice)(when I say we, I mean me. Steve likes it. Sam does too, to a point. But the little ones and I do not, so...you know how that goes)
Heat oven to 375. Place chicken, skin sides up, in ungreased rectangular 13x9x2 pan. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes longer or until juice is no longer pink when the thickest pieces are cut.
So this was pretty good. I kept the skin on it like the directions said, but when I cut it up for the kids I took the skin off. I took it off mine too. Steve ate his. I only like poultry skin if it's on a Thanksgiving turkey. Otherwise it seems a bit slimy and gross. I set Nathan's plate down, and he said "it's chicken, right?" I said yes. He ate it all, quite fast. I should give him more chicken every time. But as soon as I do that he'll cut way back. Not sure yet if this one is a keeper. I have to look through my recipe binder that has all my "keepers" to see if there's one like this already. But it was pretty good.
Oven-Barbecued Chicken
3 to 3 1/2 pound cut-up broiler-fryer chicken (they did not have my usual brand of cut-up chicken at Wal-mart...I ended up getting an off brand that had the chicken parts listed on the label: 2 breasts, 4 thighs, 2 backs (huh???). So clearly this is from multiple chickens (I hope) or we have proof of that chain mail a while back that KFC was making mutant chickens to speed up their food production process is true...I have never made/eaten a "chicken back" and didn't want to start today...those went to the trash...so we have 2 breasts and 4 thighs...no drumsticks, no wings...BRING BACK THE TYSON CUT UP CHICKEN, WALMART!!!)
3/4 cup chili sauce
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground mustard (dry)
1/2 tsp prepared horseradish (we don't like spice so I left this out)
1/2 tsp red pepper sauce (I did like 5 drops, because again, we don't like spice)(when I say we, I mean me. Steve likes it. Sam does too, to a point. But the little ones and I do not, so...you know how that goes)
Heat oven to 375. Place chicken, skin sides up, in ungreased rectangular 13x9x2 pan. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes longer or until juice is no longer pink when the thickest pieces are cut.
So this was pretty good. I kept the skin on it like the directions said, but when I cut it up for the kids I took the skin off. I took it off mine too. Steve ate his. I only like poultry skin if it's on a Thanksgiving turkey. Otherwise it seems a bit slimy and gross. I set Nathan's plate down, and he said "it's chicken, right?" I said yes. He ate it all, quite fast. I should give him more chicken every time. But as soon as I do that he'll cut way back. Not sure yet if this one is a keeper. I have to look through my recipe binder that has all my "keepers" to see if there's one like this already. But it was pretty good.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Barbecued Green Beans
We had this with the steaks last night. This recipe is from a cookbook that dear friends of our family gave to us, the 2008 Smith Family Reunion Cookbook. Cookbooks like this are great fun to read, but not always to cook with. Some of the older ladies that contribute always say things like "cook in a hot oven until done" or in the directions for a recipe it will say to use an ingredient that wasn't listed in the ingredient list. This trait is not exclusive to this family's cookbook, either. I've read bunches of them, and that is a common thread. But I do like having/reading them. But this recipe I saw looked like it had all the makings of a yummy recipe, so I decided to try it.
Barbecued Green Beans
4 cups green beans (I used fresh)
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Place green beans in baking dish. Brown bacon with onions. Put on top of green beans. Mix brown sugar, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce and pour sauce over the green beans. Do not mix. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.
It doesn't say to cover them. I did, but I shouldn't have. After 20 minutes the beans were hot but not cooked. After 1o more minutes of being uncovered, I said to Steve "just wanna have crunchy beans?" Everything else had been ready for a while, so he said yes. That's what we did. I think the flavor was really good, even if they weren't all the way done. I think we'll keep this and try them again, uncovered.
Addendum: I just talked to my friend whose recipe this is, she is now on FB, hooray!! She said she usually uses drained canned beans, but you could use any kind and adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Barbecued Green Beans
4 cups green beans (I used fresh)
4 slices bacon
1/4 cup onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
Place green beans in baking dish. Brown bacon with onions. Put on top of green beans. Mix brown sugar, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce and pour sauce over the green beans. Do not mix. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.
It doesn't say to cover them. I did, but I shouldn't have. After 20 minutes the beans were hot but not cooked. After 1o more minutes of being uncovered, I said to Steve "just wanna have crunchy beans?" Everything else had been ready for a while, so he said yes. That's what we did. I think the flavor was really good, even if they weren't all the way done. I think we'll keep this and try them again, uncovered.
Addendum: I just talked to my friend whose recipe this is, she is now on FB, hooray!! She said she usually uses drained canned beans, but you could use any kind and adjust the cooking times accordingly.
Savory Grilled T-bones
This was the last recipe I had marked in the July/August '09 Simple & Delicious. Can't wait to get the next issue. You guys should definitely get your moms to order you this magazine for Christmas. So many good recipes!! Anyway...the T-bones. Raise your hand if you know how expensive T-bone steaks are. **Scans the crowd** If you guessed $12 to $15 for ONE then you are correct!! How outrageous!! Must be laced with gold or something. I didn't get T-bones, needless to say. I got tri-tip sirloin, which wasn't the cheapest cut but also wasn't T-bone. I got 4 small steaks for about $10. A good compromise. If I want to pay $25 to $30 for a meal, you can bet I won't be making that meal myself. Sheesh. Anyway this turned out so good, that the cut of meat I bought was just fine. We had this with Barbecued Green Beans, which I will post separately, and the garlic bread recipe I posted a couple of weeks ago that I had intended to have with this steak.
Savory Grilled T-bones
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp wocestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 beef T-bone steaks (12 oz each)(see note above. If you actually buy T-bones, you might be crazy. Unless you get them with the yellow label on them because they are going bad that day)
In a large ziploc bag, combine the first 11 ingredients; add steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, covered, over medium heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, 145 degrees, medium, 160; well-done, 170). 6 servings.
Everyone ate this! Wahoo. Nathan said "Is this chicken?" I said, "No, it's meat." He said "pretend it's chicken." I said, "OK." So we called it chicken. He ate all but 2 of his bites, so I will call it whatever he wants me to. He thinks every juice, no matter what kind, is apple juice. Real apple juice he calls "regular apple juice." So maybe he thinks every meat is chicken. Fine by me. Sam and Emma liked it too. Sam was full of flowery compliments for his mom while he was eating (he gets that from Steve, but he lays it on pretty thick). Steve and I really liked it too. A keeper, for sure.
Of note, I made this on my non-immersible George Foreman grill. I have been using this WAY more than I ever would have predicted, considering I have almost given it away many times, since it's such a huge pain to clean. Steve cleaned it for me last night, which was so sweet (definitely the way to my heart). I shall have to start earnestly searching yard sales for one with a drip tray and removable plates...right now I have to put a dinner plate under the grill to catch the fat, and it's a delicate balancing act to try to clean this thing without getting anything but the plates wet. All while I was cooking, Steve was pretending I was George Foreman (??) and was asking me, like we were on an infomerical, "so, George, why is this better than your traditional grill?" And "what's happening to the fat here, George?" So funny.
Savory Grilled T-bones
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp wocestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
6 beef T-bone steaks (12 oz each)(see note above. If you actually buy T-bones, you might be crazy. Unless you get them with the yellow label on them because they are going bad that day)
In a large ziploc bag, combine the first 11 ingredients; add steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, covered, over medium heat for 6-10 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, 145 degrees, medium, 160; well-done, 170). 6 servings.
Everyone ate this! Wahoo. Nathan said "Is this chicken?" I said, "No, it's meat." He said "pretend it's chicken." I said, "OK." So we called it chicken. He ate all but 2 of his bites, so I will call it whatever he wants me to. He thinks every juice, no matter what kind, is apple juice. Real apple juice he calls "regular apple juice." So maybe he thinks every meat is chicken. Fine by me. Sam and Emma liked it too. Sam was full of flowery compliments for his mom while he was eating (he gets that from Steve, but he lays it on pretty thick). Steve and I really liked it too. A keeper, for sure.
Of note, I made this on my non-immersible George Foreman grill. I have been using this WAY more than I ever would have predicted, considering I have almost given it away many times, since it's such a huge pain to clean. Steve cleaned it for me last night, which was so sweet (definitely the way to my heart). I shall have to start earnestly searching yard sales for one with a drip tray and removable plates...right now I have to put a dinner plate under the grill to catch the fat, and it's a delicate balancing act to try to clean this thing without getting anything but the plates wet. All while I was cooking, Steve was pretending I was George Foreman (??) and was asking me, like we were on an infomerical, "so, George, why is this better than your traditional grill?" And "what's happening to the fat here, George?" So funny.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Orange-Maple Glazed Chicken
We had this for supper tonight. It's from Simple & Delicious July/Aug '09 issue. We have been having a lot of chicken lately, or so it seems, but I thought this one sounded good to try. I always like sticky glazes on chicken.
Orange-Maple Glazed Chicken
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 tbsp minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp grated orange peel (you can buy it like that in the spice aisle, you don't have to grate your own)
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes (mine only took like 8 minutes but I was boiling it pretty rapidly). Stir in basil and orange peel; remove from heat and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with orange juice mixture. 6 servings.
I used the broiler instead, since we don't usually grill on weeknights. Or really, any night. Maybe like 3-4 times per summer, and only when we have people over. So tonight didn't count. It seems like a lot of work when it's just us. You can comment to me about that if you disagree. Anyway if you are like me, preheat the broiler, but not the broiler pan. Spray the heck out of your broiling pan with cooking spray. Put the chicken on it, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Stick it under the broiler for 2 or 3 minutes BEFORE you put any glaze on it, that way it won't smoke and burn as much. After you broil it for 2 or 3 minutes, don't flip them yet...put on some of the glaze, broil for 2 to 3 more minutes, then flip them over, add some more glaze, and broil for like 3 more minutes. They should be done by then. If not, you can cut them in half and do one more minute...by now your glaze on the broiler pan will be smoking but the chicken itself should be okay.
We had this with a thing of free rice I got with a coupon, Uncle Ben's Ready Rice that you microwave right in the package for 90 seconds then dump on plates. Not fabulous, but free. Not sure I would pay $1.29 for it to have it again, although I did like how easy it was. And we had carrot sticks for the vegetable. I think that this was actually a "sensible dinner" in Slim Fast terms. Even though we had a glaze on the chicken, it wasn't oil based. The kids all ate their chicken, and Sam and Emma actually ate rice wahoo! Without complaining! This is progress for sure.
Orange-Maple Glazed Chicken
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp pepper, divided
1 tbsp minced fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp grated orange peel (you can buy it like that in the spice aisle, you don't have to grate your own)
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a small saucepan, combine the orange juice, maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes (mine only took like 8 minutes but I was boiling it pretty rapidly). Stir in basil and orange peel; remove from heat and set aside. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with orange juice mixture. 6 servings.
I used the broiler instead, since we don't usually grill on weeknights. Or really, any night. Maybe like 3-4 times per summer, and only when we have people over. So tonight didn't count. It seems like a lot of work when it's just us. You can comment to me about that if you disagree. Anyway if you are like me, preheat the broiler, but not the broiler pan. Spray the heck out of your broiling pan with cooking spray. Put the chicken on it, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Stick it under the broiler for 2 or 3 minutes BEFORE you put any glaze on it, that way it won't smoke and burn as much. After you broil it for 2 or 3 minutes, don't flip them yet...put on some of the glaze, broil for 2 to 3 more minutes, then flip them over, add some more glaze, and broil for like 3 more minutes. They should be done by then. If not, you can cut them in half and do one more minute...by now your glaze on the broiler pan will be smoking but the chicken itself should be okay.
We had this with a thing of free rice I got with a coupon, Uncle Ben's Ready Rice that you microwave right in the package for 90 seconds then dump on plates. Not fabulous, but free. Not sure I would pay $1.29 for it to have it again, although I did like how easy it was. And we had carrot sticks for the vegetable. I think that this was actually a "sensible dinner" in Slim Fast terms. Even though we had a glaze on the chicken, it wasn't oil based. The kids all ate their chicken, and Sam and Emma actually ate rice wahoo! Without complaining! This is progress for sure.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Sauce
Well, this is the last recipe from my sister's cookbook (BH & G 365 Last Minute Meals, except for a soup one I want to try in the fall. Even though we haven't had much of a summer I still can't bring myself to make soup during it. This one I wanted to try because I thought it would be like Thanksgiving in a sandwich. And it was pretty good.
Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Sauce
1/3 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix, crushed (I used Great Value Turkey stuffing mix)
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp sage, crushed (I didn't have any sage so ended up using poultry seasoning)
1/4 tsp salt
1 pound uncooked ground turkey
Lettuce leaves (I left these out because I didn't have any)
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (I used the jellied kind because none of us likes whole berry)
Preheat broiler. In a large bowl combine stuffing mix, milk, sage, and salt. Add ground turkey; mix well. Shape into 4 1/2 inch patties. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 11 to 13 minutes or until temp reaches 165, turning once halfway through broiling. Arrange lettuce leaves on bottom halves of buns. Top with patties and cranberry sauce. Add top halves of buns. 4 servings
EVERYONE ATE THIS!!!! I didn't put Nathan's and Emma's in a bun, I just cut it up on their plates and told them it was chicken. They ate a lot of it! Sam's I made as a sandwich just like ours. Everyone liked this because we love cranberry sauce so much. Emma had her sauce on the side. Nathan didn't want any sauce. He doesn't like it, he says. I think he will, in time. I think next time I will make stuffing to go as a side dish. We had it with curly fries and it wasn't really a good fit. A keeper for sure...also I was pleasantly surprised that ground turkey wasn't more expensive...I forget how much it was (I should try to remember these things so I can accurately report them to you, my readership), but I remember being like "Oh. That's good." So if you want a change from the ordinary these would be good. Cheap, tasty, yummy.
Turkey Burgers with Cranberry Sauce
1/3 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix, crushed (I used Great Value Turkey stuffing mix)
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp sage, crushed (I didn't have any sage so ended up using poultry seasoning)
1/4 tsp salt
1 pound uncooked ground turkey
Lettuce leaves (I left these out because I didn't have any)
4 whole wheat hamburger buns, split and toasted
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce (I used the jellied kind because none of us likes whole berry)
Preheat broiler. In a large bowl combine stuffing mix, milk, sage, and salt. Add ground turkey; mix well. Shape into 4 1/2 inch patties. Place patties on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 11 to 13 minutes or until temp reaches 165, turning once halfway through broiling. Arrange lettuce leaves on bottom halves of buns. Top with patties and cranberry sauce. Add top halves of buns. 4 servings
EVERYONE ATE THIS!!!! I didn't put Nathan's and Emma's in a bun, I just cut it up on their plates and told them it was chicken. They ate a lot of it! Sam's I made as a sandwich just like ours. Everyone liked this because we love cranberry sauce so much. Emma had her sauce on the side. Nathan didn't want any sauce. He doesn't like it, he says. I think he will, in time. I think next time I will make stuffing to go as a side dish. We had it with curly fries and it wasn't really a good fit. A keeper for sure...also I was pleasantly surprised that ground turkey wasn't more expensive...I forget how much it was (I should try to remember these things so I can accurately report them to you, my readership), but I remember being like "Oh. That's good." So if you want a change from the ordinary these would be good. Cheap, tasty, yummy.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Buttery Parmesan Garlic Bread
Originally I was going to make this with a steak recipe that's also in this issue of Simple & Delicious (July/Aug 2009). I did buy steak to make the recipe, but then with this toothache I've had, which is just now starting to get better, I had to put the steak in the freezer for a different time, and now probably it won't taste as good as it would have because it will be thawed. Oh well, that recipe will follow later. We had this recipe yesterday with oh so delicious Hamburger Helper (HH). I grew up on this stuff and it is comfort food at it's finest. We had Cheeseburger Macaroni, one of their best flavors. I always keep a box of this stuff in the cupboard because it is a good fallback if you are out of recipes. We end up eating it about once every 3 or 4 months but that's okay. Anyway this garlic bread was pretty good.
Buttery Parmesan Garlic Bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese (this is fancier than grated...but it's on the same shelf as the grated)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 loaf (8 oz) french bread, halved lengthwise
In a small bowl, combine butter, cheese, and garlic powder. Spread mixture over cut sides of bread. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake @ 400 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. 4 servings.
The french bread at Walmart said it was 13 oz (that seems like a weird random weight for something to be, but whatever). I cut it in half and froze the other half to have again later. But even with half of a 13 oz loaf of bread, which would make it like 6.5 oz, I almost didn't have enough butter. So you might need a bit more. Or else I like too much butter. That could be it. Sam didn't like this, but then he's not a big fan of garlic bread in general. Emma had hers and Nathan's, so that's one kid that liked it. Of course Steve and I liked it. This will be a keeper because it was fast & easy and will go good with HH once in a while!
Buttery Parmesan Garlic Bread
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese (this is fancier than grated...but it's on the same shelf as the grated)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 loaf (8 oz) french bread, halved lengthwise
In a small bowl, combine butter, cheese, and garlic powder. Spread mixture over cut sides of bread. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake @ 400 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. 4 servings.
The french bread at Walmart said it was 13 oz (that seems like a weird random weight for something to be, but whatever). I cut it in half and froze the other half to have again later. But even with half of a 13 oz loaf of bread, which would make it like 6.5 oz, I almost didn't have enough butter. So you might need a bit more. Or else I like too much butter. That could be it. Sam didn't like this, but then he's not a big fan of garlic bread in general. Emma had hers and Nathan's, so that's one kid that liked it. Of course Steve and I liked it. This will be a keeper because it was fast & easy and will go good with HH once in a while!
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