beer can chicken o'brien and mom soup, with random iphone photos....

i made some kick ass soup. my first attempt at homemade chicken soup ever! i took the carcass from my beer can chicken (recipe here) and then followed erin o'brien's turkey bone soup recipe (here.)

i followed every one of her bossy, hilarious steps. i could hear her voice in my head as i shopped for ingredients... "don't buy those pre-chopped onions, ya pansy!"....."get the barilla pasta or just forget it and go home!!!" i ripped up the carcass with my bare hands, and smashed the bones. i didn't peel the damned onions. i cooked the huge pot of carcass, celery hearts, onions & carrot greens for almost 5 hours. i had a drink. i strained the junk and put it all in the fridge overnight. got up at 5am the next day and finished the steps. i spent 1/2 an hour just sorting through the "junk" to fish out the meat and then add celery and carrots (also cooked in a little broth.)

i did sneak in a few spoons of chicken soup base at my mom's suggestion. it was looking a little watery. i cooked it all on the stove for another hour after work until dan got home. i had the barilla (farfelle) pasta ready to go. it turned out so good. we ate huge bowls of it for dinner and i've got some packed for my lunch today.

there's something really fun and satisfying about learning to cook and making something so basic, essential, inexpensive and delicious.

glittergirl's top secret chili recipe...

the main ingredient is caboom chili seasoning. that's my secret.

brown & drain  lean ground sirlion and bison (50/50)
 caboom mixed in water, add to meat and simmer
black, red and white beans
((do not use black soy beans. blech.))
salsa (i used a mix of fresh salsa and chili's fire pit salsa)

that's it. you can make larger amounts (i do 3 pounds for parties) and let it simmer in the crock pot. you need the large scoop fritos, some cheddar and sour cream, if you want to do it right.

i sometimes add an extra ingredient like cumin, cinnamon, or chocolate. my mom does not like this. :)

turkey with green gravy

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup fresh sage, minced
½ cup fresh tarragon, minced
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6-pound turkey breast


Directions:
1. Combine butter, sage, tarragon, garlic, pepper and salt. Rub over turkey breast.
2. Place turkey in slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours
3. Remove turkey and add cornstarch or wondra to make gravy.

I used 2 smaller turkey breasts, and have read recipes where folks add some white wine, parsley, and onion.

The photo used is not actually my turkey. I forgot to snap a pic so this will have to do.

marvelous meatloaf

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 (8-oz.) can no salt added tomato sauce, divided
1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash® Hamburger Grilling Blend
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 375F°. Combine meat, onion, carrots, 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, egg whites and Mrs. Dash® Hamburger Grilling Blend in a medium bowl. Mix lightly but thoroughly.

2.Shape into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a foil-lined baking sheet. Combine remaining tomato sauce, Dijon mustard and brown sugar; set aside half of mixture. Spoon remaining mixture over loaf.

3.Bake 30 minutes; spoon reserved tomato sauce mixture over loaf. Continue baking 15 to 20

minutes or until internal temperature of meat reaches 160°F. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

homemade pesto & pasta salad

Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Special equipment needed: A food processor

METHOD
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.




Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS
• 4 cups uncooked spiral pasta (use rice pasta for wheat-free version)
• 1 cup fresh basil pesto
• 2 Tbsp chopped green olives, or olive tapenade
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted (or fresh if you can get them)
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• Several fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

METHOD
1 Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Make sure the water is salted (at least a half teaspoon per quart). Remove pasta from heat and strain when pasta is cooked, but still firm (al dente).

2 Put pasta in a big bowl. Mix in fresh basil pesto, green olives, and pine nuts. Gently mix in cherry tomatoes, peas, fresh basil leaves and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill or serve at room temperature.

beer in the butt chicken recipe

look how cute!





Ingredients:
1 whole 5 to 6 pound chicken
1 can of beer
1 cup spice rub



Tip 1: Before we get started. Make sure that the can of beer fits inside the chicken. You don't want to fight with this issue over a live fire.

Tip 2: Make sure that the place you are going to place this bird is tall enough for a chicken to sit up in. You don't want to lower the lid on your grill only to find that the chicken doesn't fit.

You want to cut the top of the can off the beer can. This maximizes the flow of moisture from the beer to the bird. Most any can opener can be used to cut the top off a beer can. Works great. You will need to get rid of half the beer from the can some how. I leave that up to you. Next add 1/2 cup of your spice rub to the can and give it a quick stir. The can is now ready.



Take the other half of your spice rub and apply it to the chicken. Don't worry too much about getting it on the skin. Skin won't let flavor reach the meat so you need to work your spice rub in, under the skin as much as possible. Get it inside the chicken as well. Just because you put rub in the beer doesn't mean that it will season the inside too much. The spice in the can adds flavor but not like direct contact. (I added a little butter to the chicken as well.)



You will be grilling your beer can chicken indirectly. (To do this I turned on the front and back burners but left the middle one off) Place the beer can on the grill right where you want the bird to be.



With the can in place it is time to sit this bird down. You are going to get your hands dirty here. Don't worry about it. You want to slowly and gently sit the chicken over the can. Try not to force it or put too much pressure on the bird to get into position. You might need to press it down a little, but you shouldn't have to force it.



Close the lid on your grill and wash everything. This is my rule with chicken; when the bird is on the grill everything that did or could have touched that bird has to be washed. When the chicken is done and ready to come out there shouldn't be a single germ left behind.



You want to maintain a temperature in your grill around 300 to 325 degrees F. during the cooking time. You need to cook it at a temperature several degrees above the boiling point of water or the liquid in the can won't do anything for this bird.



Depending on how even your heat is you shouldn't have much to do now but wait for your chicken to cook. Time isn't important to chicken, temperature is. When this bird reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. your bird is ready to come of the heat. Measure the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh being careful not to touch the bone with your thermometer. It isn't finished yet because you want to let it rest for about ten minutes before you begin carving it.


A 5 to 6 pound bird should take you about two to three hours to cook depending on the temperature.

Once the chicken has had time to rest (again, 10 minutes) it is ready to carve. I find that the can tends to get stuck inside the bird. Typically there isn't much (if any) liquid left inside the can. Lay the bird down and pull the can out gripping it with a pair of tongs. With the can out of the chicken, it is just like any other (just better tasting). Carve it up and enjoy.

(husband approved!)

mini burgers & grilled lettuce

my super special burger recipe:

take 1 pound of super lean ground beef and mix in whatever you feel like and have on hand. last night i added lawry's season salt, an egg, a splash of soy sauce, and a 1/2 cup of crunchy moccormick's salad topper mix.

i know, that seems odd, but it's good. there's little bacon bits in the mix that add a great flavor, and the other stuff (sunflower seeds, dried onion & carrot bits) works as well.

make small pattied and grill them, and put them on a small french roll. slice the rolls, add american cheese, and bake for a few minutes to get them toasty and the cheese melted. yum!

awesome grilled romaine lettuce recipe:

get a bag of romaine lettuce hearts and slice them in half (lengthwise) making sure stalk end stays intact (you don't want the lettuce to fall apart in leaves.) soak it in ice water for 5 minutes. take it out, dry it, and spray it with olive oil cooking spray. sprinkle with salt.

place on grill and watch for a few grill marks - this should take maybe 3-5 minutes. you want the lettuce to get a few grill marks but not burned. i keep the grill on low and turn the lettuce 2-3 times. remove from grill, cut the stalk ends and place in a large bowl. sprinkle with a balsamic vinegrette and some parmesan cheese. again, yum!

(i took pics of the grilling i did last night, but they are not available at the moment, so i'll find pics on google that look similar.)

豆腐

tofu. it gets a bad rap. it's the butt of jokes. but i have found that i like some vegetarian "fake meat" products, like morning star breakfast sausage, and boca burgers. so i'm giving the old fashioned block of tofu a chance.

i've asked for help from old friends (& hippie types, healthy vegetarians) lisa ann & todd. i've cut & pasted their tofu cooking tips, along with some stuff i found online. so let's get some coagulated soy milk and proceed!

mix ginger (from a jar is fine), 1-2 cloves of garlic, several drops of sesame oil, several tablespoons of soy sauce and water . make sure that the sauce is not too diluted, but also not too salty from the soy sauce. you can also add a drop of honey or some brown sugar if you like.

cut some really nice, firm tofu into chunks (or strips or whatever). try to use a firm enough tofu that i don't need to drain it. i hate the "firm" tofu that doesn't really stay together. it's only good when you want it crumbled up. but when i use the watery kind, i either put in the sink between two flat cutting boards and put something heavy on top of it for a while. Or I try to squeeze it out without breaking it. Paper towels would probably work. When I freeze the tofu, which makes it very absorbent, then I usually squeeze the little squares out by hand.

(here's where i "dry fryed" the tofu.) Use a Teflon pan at medium heat on an electric range, low to medium-low on a gas range. Slow cooking is the key to keeping the tofu from sticking to the Teflon and insures that the water has time to evaporate out before the outside is browned. Do NOT use oil. You want to leech all of the moisture out of your tofu, so do not use oil--leave the pan dry.

Place your tofu in the pan leaving room around pieces. You may need to fry a few batches to give it enough room. As the tofu cooks, use a spatula to frequently press down on each piece. You will see the water seeping out and sizzling in the pan. Once the bottom sides are very firm and golden in color, flip the tofu pieces and fry the other side, again frequently pressing each piece with a spatula. When they are golden and firm on both sides, they are done.

then pour a little marinade on the bottom of a flat tupperware dish (or something with a lid that seals) lay the tofu flat then pour the rest of the marinade on. cover the dish then shake it so that all the tofu is covered. then let it soak. make sure you make enough marinade so that at least the bottom half of the tofu is covered. soak it overnight, then flip it in the morning before cooking. you can broil it in the oven on high heat until it's browned, or you can put it on skewers and grill it, though you might want to brush it with oil before you do.

If you coat it with corn starch or something before frying it, that can contribute to a crispy skin.

finally, if there is a decent amount of marinade left over you can add a little bit of cornstarch to it, then pour it on stir fried vegetables in the last few minutes of cooking and it will thicken up and make a nice flavoured sauce.


i'll post pics of the final result tonight!

beans & rice

i'm looking for good, healthy, meat-free recipes. i want to make beans & rice. i found this recipe online but am not sure what "pulses" are.....

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25 g butter
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice
225 g can sweetcorn kernels
500 g can mixed pulses (or mix 3 x 225 g cans pulses choosing any combination of red kidney beans, chickpeas, butter beans, black eyed peas or flageolet beans)
½ tsp dried mixed herbs
4 sun dried tomatoes, finely sliced

Heat the olive oil and butter in a saute or frying pan. Add the onion and cook until tender, being careful not to let it burn or go crisp.

Add all the other ingredients and stir thoroughly until heated through. Serve with any kind of salad.

per wiki: Pulses are annual leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and color within a pod, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Pulses are used for food and animal feed.

magalotti's pasta fagioli soup

ingredients:
1/2 pound of bacon
drizzle of olive oil
1 onion finely diced
1 small head of garlic, finely minced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
ground pepper
1 14oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 small can (6 oz) tomato sauce
6-8 cans of chicken broth
2 knorr brand chicken bouillon cubes
the rind off a hunk of romano or parmesan cheese
4-5 cans of cannelini beans
handful of freshly chopped parsley
1/2 pound of ditilini pasta

1. partially freeze the bacon (to make it firm to cut.) chop finely.
2. render bacon over medium heat in a large soup pot, stirring frequently, until it is well browned and tender. remove the bacon from the pot and put it on a paper towel to soak up grease.
3. keep a couple tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot, add a drizzle of olive oil. add onion. sweat onion over medium heat until soft & translucent.
4. add garlic, some black pepper, and chili flakes. cook for another 1-2 minutes and stir frequently. (don't let garlic brown, that makes it taste gross.)
5. add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth and chicken bouillon. add the cheese rind. bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes on low heat.

6. while soup cooks, make ditlini pasta. drain and rinse pasta. put it in a covered bowl and srpinkle some olive oil (to keep it from sticking.) add parmesian and parsley if desired.
7. after 30 minutes, check the soup. add a little salt if need. if it seems flat, add a squeeze of lemon. if it tastes good and seems done, fish out the cheese rind.
8. rinse beans and add to soup. add cooked bacon. cook for a few more minutes with lid on.
9. add a handful parsley at the end. it's done!!!
10. keep noodles seperate and add to each bowl you eat. if you put the noodles in the soup they soak up the broth.
11. this is great with crusty italian bead & butter, parmesan and red pepper flakes. YUMMY!

cleaning it all up is a bitch though...