Tag Archive for 'carrots'

Chicken and Biscuits Florentine

Published by Hal on April 6, 2008 in recipes. 1 Comment

So, what’s the worst thing a food blogger could do (besides not cook, or write about it)? Not have batteries in the camera to take a picture of the food s/he is writing about. Ooops.

Well, anyway, I don’t have pictures to share, but I thought I would provide the recipe anyway, just in case I forget (because I am prone to do that, now). I came up with this because I needed to use up a lot of things: I had a can of cream of chicken soup that we bought for some reason, and I had a ton of vegetables in fridge that were calling out to be eaten. I thought I might could do a chicken primavera, but then I didn’t haven’t enough farfalle pasta. I thought linguine would be too much. So I opted for rice. But as I was eating this with the rice, I realize that the chunkiness of the veggies and the sheer volume of the spinach was calling for something else–a biscuit! So, there you have it.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 ribs of celery, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
  • 4 chicken tenders, cut in to bite sized pieces
  • 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can of milk
  • 1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and very well drained
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red pepper, diced
  • salt and pepper

Procedure

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and a dash of salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and chicken, stirring just until the chicken is nearly cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the soup and milk and stir to combine. Then, add the spinach and stir to evenly incorporate everything. Once the mixture has come to a bubble, add the peppers. Spoon over a split biscuit and serve.

One final thing to note: I upgraded my WordPress installation tonight–if something doesn’t look right, please contact me at blog [at] commonculinarian [dot] com.

Roasted Squash Soup

Published by Hal on March 14, 2008 in Hal's Hint and recipes. 0 Comments

Roasting Squash

How’s that for a post header, huh? One of my favorite things to do is to roast vegetables in the oven. There’s just something about the deep, rich flavor of roasted anything that is incredibly satisfying. Around this time of year, you can find all kinds of delicious things to roast: potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, squash…

We bought an acorn squash a few weeks ago, not really sure what we going to do with it, but it was on sale. We’ve had it for a few weeks, so I knew that I needed to use it–but what for? Suddenly, I had this great idea to make a soup! We’ve also been eating a little less healthfully lately (notice that there haven’t been any posts on Wednesdays for the last several weeks?), so a soup seemed to be a good choice, rather than some deep fat fried thing.

But, of course, it’s that time of year, so I’ve been working late and haven’t had time really to cook. Thus, my sous chef has been helping me out:

Peeling Acorn Squash

She tells me this is my blog, even after I’ve implored her to write about some of her trials and tribulations, so that’s why she doesn’t really post here. But, she’s working just as hard as I am in the kitchen, and she deserves some credit. So, there you have it!

Anyway, we bought this squash, and we’re making soup. I was just thinking of pureeing the squash with some chicken stock, but I’m glad I looked up a recipe–there’s more too it than that, but it’s still relatively simple. Just get a few basic ingredients together, and you’ll have roasted squash soup in no time!

Roasted Squash Soup

Adapted from Michael Chiarello.

Ingredients

  • About 3 pounds of squash (such as butternut, acorn, pumpkin)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced carrot
  • 1/2 cup diced celery
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Optional

  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Squash Soup OverheadProcedure

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Peel the squash and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  3. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. When the butter has melted, combine with the next six ingredients (do not add the olive oil).
  4. Toss the butter-spice mixture with the squash and spread in a single layer in a shallow baking dish.
  5. Roast in the oven about 45 minutes to an hour, until the squash is soft and has begun to caramelize (turn brown around the edges).
  6. When the squash has finished roasting, allow it to cool. When it has cooled, use a blender to puree the squash. Set aside.
  7. Meanwhile, heat a medium-large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil.
  8. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, carrot and cinnamon stick. Stir continuously, allowing the vegetables to get soft, but not to brown–about 10 minutes.
  9. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes, then add the squash puree.
  10. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then discard the cinnamon stick and add the vinegar.
  11. Use a blender to homogenize the soup in batches. Once the soup has been through the blender, reheat it gently before serving.
  12. Add this point, add the half-and-half if you’re using it. Garnish with the cheese and seeds, if desired.

Yellow Tail RieslingSome observations: This soup is already really rich between the butter and the oil. You really don’t need the half-and-half–it’s creamy enough without out. Also, when you run the soup through the blender, fill the blender less than half way, leave the pour spout open, and cover the top loosely with a clean towel. This soup will expand to at least double while the blender is running and the soup is hot. Trust me! Finally, we served with with some white wine and it when perfectly–squash is a little on the sweet side, so go for a sweeter wine. We chose a Yellow Tail Riesling. Enjoy!

How-to: Roast Vegetables

Published by Hal on March 13, 2008 in technique. 2 Comments

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Roasting vegetables isn’t nearly so scary, and it’s a great technique for coming up with a quick side dish or using up something that might otherwise go bad. The trick is to use a vegetable that’s not going to dry out, and has enough natural sugar to aid in the caramelization process. Following these steps will yield you some delicious meals and/or sides that you can whip up in a snap:

  1. Find yourself some vegetables that have natural sugar and enough moisture that they can stand prolonged high, dry heat (potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squash, onions, parsnips, carrots, turnips, brussel sprouts, etc…)
  2. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Get a bowl and cut your vegetables into even, like sized pieces (into the bowl, of course).
  4. Get some of your favorite spices and some olive oil or melted butter. Drizzle the oil over the vegetables, and add a little bit of your spices (Some good combinations: potatoes and rosemary, squash or sweet potatoes and cinnamon, garlic and/or garlic powder on just about anything. Experiment and see what works for your tastes).
  5. Place the coated veggies in a shallow baking dish and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until they are nice and soft and just caramelized.

See, that wasn’t so hard! There’s nothing to this technique at all; however, I will give you a word of caution: leafy veggies might work, but they need a lot more attention. Don’t let them hang out for 45 minutes, or you’ll be eating charcoal. Zucchini and summer squash work well, too, when cut into quarters (like a pickle spear). Have fun, and happy roasting!

Frugal Friday: Preparing Your Own Skillet Meals in Advance

Published by Hal on January 19, 2008 in Frugal Friday. 0 Comments

This post is provided courtesy of the Simple Dollar. Trent doesn’t know it, but since all articles on his site are in the public domain, I’m yanking it for use here, while I’m traveling this weekend (which is also why this has been posted on Saturday–oops!). If you like this content, and you want to know more about personal finance from an everyman’s perspective, check out his site!  (Original source)

Many busy familes (even on occasion, our own busy family) often resort to prepackaged skillet meals in order to get a hot, prepared meal on the table quickly at dinnertime. With both parents getting home at five or later and a desire to get a meal on the table early enough so that there is some semblance of a family evening, it’s not surprising that the ease of preparation, the speed, and the relative healthiness of prepackaged skillet meals have become popular.

There are a few problems here, though:

Prepackaged skillet meals are often very expensive for what you get. Skillet meals are almost always at least $6 and often cost significantly more than that. Pick up five of them at once and you’re talking a bill of $35 or so. The food in the bag often adds up to less than a pound in total weight.

Such meals are often laden with preservatives and “industrial” ingredients. As a rule of thumb, if I don’t know what that ingredient is, I don’t like to eat it. Using that rule, pick up pretty much any prepackaged meal you can find and read that ingredient list. My stomach is flopping.

Such meals are often not very healthy in terms of fat, sodium, etc. These meals are designed to be tasty, not to be healthy. Based on the nutrition facts on these items, I’d have to say that most of them don’t worry about healthy too much at all.

I generally like most of the prepackaged skillet meal offerings, I just wish they were healthier - and preferably cheaper. As a frugal parent, I’d like to find a better solution to this situation. I’d like to have a healthy and tasty meal that I could prepare quickly.

My solution? Make a whole bunch of them in advance.

All you have to do is find a good skillet meal recipe, quadruple the recipe, prepare all of the ingredients, then fill four freezer bags with the meal. Then, when you’re ready to eat them, get that bag out of the freezer, thaw it, and then cook it in the skillet until it’s nice and warm. Done!

You can find countless skillet recipes online. My usual technique is to cook the meat in advance, then add all of the needed ingredients to the ziploc bags. Here’s an example:

Trent’s Beef and Vegetable Skillet Meal

The normal recipe involves the following:

3/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 cup peas (frozen ones are okay)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups water

I add everything but the ground beef to each bag. Then, I cook up three pounds of ground beef and drain it, then add a quarter of that beef to each ziploc bag. On the outside I write “beef and vegetable skillet - simmer 40 minutes” on masking tape (so I can reuse the bag for another meal later) and I toss the bags in the freezer.

When I come home, I get out a bag, run it under hot water for a bit so that I can easily get the contents out, then I put it in a skillet on high until it’s just barely boiling, then I drop the heat until it stays just barely boiling. I cook it for about forty minutes or so, then it’s ready to serve.

A similar philosophy applies for pretty much any skillet meal you might prepare. They all work pretty well.

Making skillet meals in advance actually makes for a great weekend afternoon project that saves money and helps you to eat healthier. The meal above is really healthy - it’s loaded with vegetables and, if you cook lean ground beef and properly drain it, it’s very low fat, too.

Plus, the ingredients all together cost only a bit more than one ordinary skillet meal. Compared to the cost of four typical skillet meals, the needed ingredients save about $15, and you can have the bags ready to go into the freezer in less than an hour. That’s $15 saved (compared to prepackaged skillet meals) even without considering the positive health effects - quite a bargain in my eyes.

Frugal Friday: 5 Uses for a Store-Bought Rotisserie Chicken

Published by Hal on December 28, 2007 in Frugal Friday and recipes. 2 Comments

Source

When my wife and I plan our out weekly menu and grocery list, often times it includes a rotisserie chicken. The reason for this is because for about $5 and a half an hour’s worth of work, we can get 5-8 good meals out of one of these chickens. Here are some ideas to help you incorporate a rotisserie chicken into your weekly menu.

1. Chicken Quesadillas

Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with oil (from your Misto sprayer!). Place a soft taco sized tortilla in the skillet, add 2-4 tablespoons of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of canned chilies, and about 2-4 tablespoons of mixed Mexican style shredded cheese. Heat until the cheese starts to melt and top with another tortilla. Flip, and heat for an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve with store-bought pico de gallo, sour cream, and/or guacamole.

2. Chicken Soup

Heat a tablespoon of oil, over medium heat, in the bottom of a 3 quart saucepan. Add 1/3 cup each of diced onion, diced celery, and sliced carrots to the pan. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add 2 cans of low-sodium chicken stock, raise the heat to medium-hight and bring to a boil. Add 6 oz of dried egg noodles and 1/2 cup of shredded chicken. Cook until the noodles and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, if desired

3. Chicken Salad

Add 2 cup of shredded chicken to a bowl. Add 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1/3 cup chopped celery (about one stalk), 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts (about 4-6 halves). Mix the ingredients together until combined, adding more mayonnaise if needed. You can also add about 1 cup of halved, seedless grapes, if you desire.

4. Chicken & Macaroni

This isn’t so much a recipe, as a mix in. Prepare a box of macaroni and cheese according to the package directions, or prepare your favorite mac-and-cheese recipe from scratch. Just before serving, add 1/4 cup of shredded chicken per serving. This is an easy way to add some protein to your meal.

5. Chicken and Ramen

I’m going ultra frugal here. Add 1/2 cup of shredded chicken and 1/3 cup of frozen peas to a prepared packet of chicken-flavored ramen soup. This makes a version of chicken soup that will be quicker and easier than the more “homemade version” in number 2.

I know there are lots of other uses for a rotisserie chicken, so let’s have them! Today, I chose to write about some simple and frugal uses, but you can be more gourmet, too, by combining some basic recipes (i.e., Chicken Tetrazzini: shredded chicken, linguine, and a bechamel sauce made into a creamy Alfredo with some peas and mushrooms, topped with cheese and bread crumbs).

What’s your favorite use for a rotisserie chicken?

Leftovers: Beef Stew over Pumpkin Risotto

Published by Hal on December 16, 2007 in leftovers and recipes. 1 Comment

One of the best things about cooking at home is the next day and leftovers. This is also a great way to save money while you’re cooking–make it once, eat it twice!

I made a beef stew the other night and after a few days it got much better. I made Pumpkin Risotto last night. I needed something for lunch (and I’m still debating dinner) so I thought I would combine the two.

Basically, I put one serving of the risotto in a bowl, then covered it with the chunks of stew, then the stew liquid. I microwaved the bowl for 4 minutes at 60% power, sprinkled some shredded Parmesan cheese over the top, and this was the result:

Beef stew over pumpkin risotto

Yum!

What are your favorite left overs?