Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Day 23: Chicken Parmesan

Tonight I'm cooking up a simple Chicken Parmesan. Really there's not a whole lot to this recipe....but definitely worth a post because it is super easy, cheap, and tastes great! Just fry up some breaded chicken, pile on the marinara, then cover the top with a blanket of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese and bake. The key is to fry the chicken without overcooking it, then throw it into the oven for just a few minutes. I made a sandwich the next day, and it was even better than the first night.




Ingredients:

1. Chicken Breast (1)
2. Marinara sauce (1/2 cup)
3. Egg (1)
4. Bread crumbs / Ritz crackers (1/2 cup)
5. Flour (1/4 cup)
6. Grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
7. Olive oil (1 tbs.)
8. Butter (1 tbs.)




Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Day 22: Chicken Piccata

Today I'm making a recipe as request to a dedicated viewer....Chicken Piccata. I have never done this before now....and let me tell you how simple and inexpensive this one is! The white wine is the only expensive ingredient, and really...most of it is for drinking...so perfect!


Ingedients:

1. chiken breast (1)
2. salt (pinch)
3. pepper (pinch)
4. flour (1/4 cup)
5. olive oil (1 tbs.)
6. butter (1 tbs.)
7. chicken broth (2 tbs.)
8. white wine (3 tbs.)
9. lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
10. capers (20)

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Day 21: Jamacain Oxtail Stew

Today I’m trying something new with my version of Jamaican Oxtail Stew. Just the sound of “OXTAIL” sounds delicious for some strange reason. Then go ahead and say that it’s from “JAMAICA”….and….“STEW”.…You had me at….well any of those three words really. Put them all together, and It’s got me plugging in the crock pot.
I will admit, this is not the cheapest or easiest recipe, but well worth it in the end. Just the smell of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in your kitchen all day is a great thing to have on a cold winter day. Knowing that warm food is just waiting for you, just as soon as the meat falls off the bone.



Ingredients:
1. Oxtail (1.5 lbs.)
2. White vinegar (2 tbs.)
3. Chipotle and honey rub/Cajun rub (2 tbs.)
4. Soy sauce (1 tbs.)
5. Orange juice (1 tbs.)
6. Green onion (1)
7. Olive Oil (1 tbs.)
8. Butter (1 tbs.)
9. Brown sugar (1 tbs.)
10. Sweet onion (1)
11. Carrot (1)
12. Celery (1)
13. Green onions (5)
14. Hot pepper (1)
15. Garlic (3 cloves)
16. Chicken Stock (2 cups)
17. Whole cloves (3)
18. Cinnamon stick (1)
19. Ground Nutmeg (1/2 tsp.)
20. Fresh thyme (5 sprigs)
21. White potatoes (2)
22. Butter beans (1 can)




Directions:
1. Rinse oxtail in cold water and vinegar for ½ hour.
2. Dry off and marinate oxtail with ingredients 3-6 for a day.
3. Turn on crock pot, add a splash of chicken stock, and turn on to high.
4. Chop up the sweet onion and carrot.
5. Dice up the green onion, garlic, and hot pepper.
6. Coat marinated oxtail in flour.
7. Brown meat in mixture of olive oil, butter, and brown sugar.
8. Add meat to crock pot.
9. Sauté onions for 5-7 min till just browned.
10. Add carrots, and cook for 2 more min.
11. Add green onions, garlic, and hot pepper….cook for 1 more min.
12. Throw vegetables and also ingedients 16-20 into crock pot.
13. Cook on high with the lid closed until it starts boiling (about an hour and ½)
14. Then crack the lid just a bit and cook for another 6 hrs.
15. Once the meat is falling off the bone, chop up and add the potatoes along with the can of drained butter beans. Cook for about another 15 min. until potatoes and beans are tender.
16. Steam some white rice and enjoy.



...not in the video >>>> I added the thyme....and then when the meat was falling off the bone, I added the potatoes and beans....

...to thicken the sauce at the end, I pulled out all the big chunks of stuff....then poured a few table spoons of sauce into a bowl with a little flour....whisked that up, and poured everything back into the pot.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Oxtail Stew Blues

Today I'm working on a post for Oxtail Stew....Check back tomorrow for the full "Oxtail Stew" recipe post...I'm marinating the meat for a day. It's not always easy making oxtail stew....sometimes you forget a few ingredients...or think you are cooking for hours, only to realize that your crock pot isn't even plugged in. I've actually made this recipe twice now...let me share with you a song that expresses just a little bit of my blues.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Day 20: Baked Apple

Tonight I’m hookin’ it up real simple, with a baked apple for dessert. I’m throwing this recipe into the mix, just because it’s so simple, easy, and inexpensive. All you need is an apple, sugar, cinnamon, and cream. For about a dollar, you can impress your friends with this warm, baked goodness. Just hallow out the inside of Granny Smith apple, pour a mixture of ½ sugar ½ cinnamon into the center, add a little water…..and bake until delicious. Heavy cream on top will cool it down just enough to devour at a rate of ¼ aps (apples per second).