I haven't posted on this site in almost two years. Since I've had two children, I really really suck at blogging. I don't even update my personal one anymore and I'm ashamed. But, be sad no more! I come bearing a gift! A ridiculously simple, unbelievably delicious recipe for Butterfingers using only THREE INGREDIENTS and a microwave! I know, I know. But I swear! It's true!
The flavor of these babies is spot-on to their store-bought counterparts and the texture isn't exactly the same, but it's close. These are more crumbly and less flaky. But holy moly they're good. (And you will be SHOCKED by their magical ingredient!)
Here's the link. Please, go to the store today and make these tomorrow.
http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/11/homemade-butterfingers.html
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
I found my favorite Chili recipe EVER.
Chili is defined as a thick, stewlike concoction of beef or other meat in a tomato base with chili powder and typically onions, peppers, and legumes such as kidney or pinto beans.
I have found THE best chili recipe. Ok, well, it's definitely my favorite chili and the rest of my family loved it too. (And it's definitely the easiest chili recipe I've found and it's cheap to make. THE. BEST.) Seriously, we're talking 5 stars.
You may be asking yourself, "Where did she find such a magnificent chili recipe?" I would be telling you, "P-Dub... Pioneer Woman... Ree Drummond... Y'know, THAT lady," and then I would go on to tell you that this recipe is only available in her cookbook and not on her website (which is a sin!). Then I would go ahead and give you the recipe, because I know you will want to kiss me because of it. Here we go:
2 lbs ground beef (whatever kind makes you happiest)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T chili powder
1 T cumin
1 t oregano
1 t salt
1/4 t cayenne pepper (This really didn't make it hot, I promise. Neither of my kids complained)
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4 c masa (corn flour) or cornmeal
OPTIONAL:
1 can kidney or pinto beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 fresh jalapeno (with or without seeds, depending on how brave you are), diced
1 small onion, chopped
Brown beef in a pan with garlic (and optional onions- I left 'em out and didn't miss 'em!). When done, drain off fat.
Add in tomato sauce, spices, and salt. Stir well.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring ocassionally.
After 1 hour, mix masa (or cornmeal) with water... 1/2 c water for masa, only 1/4 c water for cornmeal.
Dump the cornmeal or masa mixture into the chili and stir together well.
Now is the time to add in any "optional" ingredients.
Simmer for 10 minutes and then serve to the people you love. They will love you even more after you feed them this chili.
For the record: The only optional ingredients I included in our chili were canned diced tomatoes and then I put 1 whole jalapeno (seeds included) in the half that I set aside for my husband. Is it wrong that I love spicy stuff but would prefer my chili to be on the mild side?
Monday, December 28, 2009
Green Chile Chicken Soup
I invented this today. It's fast. It's easy. It was made up of things I had in my home at the time. It received accolades from my husband, 5-yr-old son, and 17-month-old daughter. I'd say it's a pretty great soup.
Actually, this was supposed to be a stew. I suppose you could still call it a stew, but I felt as though the broth was simply too thin and therefore it became a soup.
Make this soup soon. You'll like it! (We ate it with corn bread.)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 chicken breasts, cut into cubes (Please leave your chicken raw [Don't boil it beforehand] and let it cook in the soup. It is so much more flavorful that way!)
3 small potatoes (or 2 large potatoes), cut into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
4 c water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2- 4oz cans diced green chiles (I used both mild, for the sake of my children.)
14 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt (I used 1/2 tsp and felt it was a wee bit too salty. Do yourself a favor, add 1/4 tsp, and add more if you feel the need.)
1/4 tsp pepper
Add everything in to a big pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and allow it to cook until potatoes are tender. I discovered that the longer it cooked, the more I loved it. When you're satisfied with its done-ness (Leave me alone and don't correct me!), remove the soup from heat and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before you serve it.
Voila! Easy dinner with stuff you (hopefully) already have in your pantry!
**update: I've now made this several times and it is one of my kids' very favorite meals. yum!**
Actually, this was supposed to be a stew. I suppose you could still call it a stew, but I felt as though the broth was simply too thin and therefore it became a soup.
Make this soup soon. You'll like it! (We ate it with corn bread.)
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 chicken breasts, cut into cubes (Please leave your chicken raw [Don't boil it beforehand] and let it cook in the soup. It is so much more flavorful that way!)
3 small potatoes (or 2 large potatoes), cut into 1/2 inch(ish) cubes
4 c water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2- 4oz cans diced green chiles (I used both mild, for the sake of my children.)
14 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt (I used 1/2 tsp and felt it was a wee bit too salty. Do yourself a favor, add 1/4 tsp, and add more if you feel the need.)
1/4 tsp pepper
Add everything in to a big pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and allow it to cook until potatoes are tender. I discovered that the longer it cooked, the more I loved it. When you're satisfied with its done-ness (Leave me alone and don't correct me!), remove the soup from heat and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes before you serve it.
Voila! Easy dinner with stuff you (hopefully) already have in your pantry!
**update: I've now made this several times and it is one of my kids' very favorite meals. yum!**
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce - the way I do it.
Ever made bland chicken enchiladas? Never again, my friend! The secret to this is all in the chicken. Never put plain boiled chicken in your enchiladas ever, ever, ever again! Also, the sauce is pretty dang delicious if I do say so myself.
So, here are your ingredients:
for the chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed with the handle of a knife
2 T butter (I use the real stuff. That stuff in a tub makes me want to yack.)
1 t black pepper
1/4 c cilantro
3/4 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 c chicken broth (reserved from boiling the chicken- you'll see!)
1 T + 1t tomato paste
for the sauce:
8 oz sour cream (i used reduced fat but wouldn't recommend fat free- yuk!)
1/3 c half and half
4 oz can green chiles (i used HOT, but in reality i thought they were medium heat, at best)
1/2 can cream of chicken soup (so cook something the next night with the remaining 1/2 can lol)
1/4 t corn starch (mix with a bit of half and half)
you'll also need 10 corn tortillas
Begin by placing the chicken breasts, sliced onions, and smashed garlic into a large pot with some water. Boil until chicken is done. I cheated and used my pressure cooker- so the chicken only took about 15 minutes. (If you don't have a pressure cooker, I promise you it would be a great investment! I LOVE mine!)
mmmmmm..... hot green chiles! and it even reminds me of a good friend of mine (if you're reading this, you know who you are and why it makes me think of you!)
So I forgot to take a picture before I blended these ingredients together... While the chicken is boiling, grab a small saucepan and toss in all your sauce ingredients. Heat 'em up and mix 'em together, and this is what you get. 100% pure deliciousness. Keep the sauce on low heat while you finish up the chicken.
Now I love enchiladas. Love 'em, love 'em, LOVE LOVE 'em. But, that stuffing and rolling business is for the birds! I stack up my 10 corn tortillas and cut them into fourths. I then layer and make this into more of a casserole. It may not look at pretty, but it tastes the same and it'll save you lots of time. Win, Win, hooray!
Once the chicken is done, carefully remove it from the pot and shred it up using two forks (if you're brave and perhaps a superhero, you can shred this piping hot chicken with your hands. I, however, am only a mortal. So I recommend two forks).
In a large saucepan or skillet, melt 2 T butter. To that, add the cilantro (I cheated and used dried but I would've preferred fresh- mine was all wilted and gloopy, so I chose not to use it), the pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and tomato paste. Mix it all together until it's well combined.
Add the chicken broth (y'know, the stuff the chicken boiled in) and stir it up well.
Add the shredded chicken to the spice mixture, stir it up well and let it cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Give it a chance to absorb all the delicious flaaaavor.
In an 8x8 or 9x9 Pyrex dish, spoon a layer of sauce on the bottom. Then place the pieces of tortilla on top of that- just enough to cover the sauce.
Next comes a layer of chicken, then another layer of sauce (are you getting the pattern here?). You should have enough stuff for another layer of tortillas, then another of chicken, then another of sauce, then another of tortillas, then a bit of sauce over the top. We, personally, choose to not put cheese on our chicken tortillas. But, if you want some, feel free to add a layer in there or just sprinkle some on top.
When the layering's through, place the "enchiladas" in the oven (preheated to 350 degrees) and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly. There ya go! You're all through. Eat 'em fast, because everyone else is going to want to eat 'em too!
So, here are your ingredients:
for the chicken:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed with the handle of a knife
2 T butter (I use the real stuff. That stuff in a tub makes me want to yack.)
1 t black pepper
1/4 c cilantro
3/4 t cumin
3/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 c chicken broth (reserved from boiling the chicken- you'll see!)
1 T + 1t tomato paste
for the sauce:
8 oz sour cream (i used reduced fat but wouldn't recommend fat free- yuk!)
1/3 c half and half
4 oz can green chiles (i used HOT, but in reality i thought they were medium heat, at best)
1/2 can cream of chicken soup (so cook something the next night with the remaining 1/2 can lol)
1/4 t corn starch (mix with a bit of half and half)
you'll also need 10 corn tortillas
Begin by placing the chicken breasts, sliced onions, and smashed garlic into a large pot with some water. Boil until chicken is done. I cheated and used my pressure cooker- so the chicken only took about 15 minutes. (If you don't have a pressure cooker, I promise you it would be a great investment! I LOVE mine!)
mmmmmm..... hot green chiles! and it even reminds me of a good friend of mine (if you're reading this, you know who you are and why it makes me think of you!)
So I forgot to take a picture before I blended these ingredients together... While the chicken is boiling, grab a small saucepan and toss in all your sauce ingredients. Heat 'em up and mix 'em together, and this is what you get. 100% pure deliciousness. Keep the sauce on low heat while you finish up the chicken.
Now I love enchiladas. Love 'em, love 'em, LOVE LOVE 'em. But, that stuffing and rolling business is for the birds! I stack up my 10 corn tortillas and cut them into fourths. I then layer and make this into more of a casserole. It may not look at pretty, but it tastes the same and it'll save you lots of time. Win, Win, hooray!
Once the chicken is done, carefully remove it from the pot and shred it up using two forks (if you're brave and perhaps a superhero, you can shred this piping hot chicken with your hands. I, however, am only a mortal. So I recommend two forks).
In a large saucepan or skillet, melt 2 T butter. To that, add the cilantro (I cheated and used dried but I would've preferred fresh- mine was all wilted and gloopy, so I chose not to use it), the pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and tomato paste. Mix it all together until it's well combined.
Add the chicken broth (y'know, the stuff the chicken boiled in) and stir it up well.
Add the shredded chicken to the spice mixture, stir it up well and let it cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Give it a chance to absorb all the delicious flaaaavor.
In an 8x8 or 9x9 Pyrex dish, spoon a layer of sauce on the bottom. Then place the pieces of tortilla on top of that- just enough to cover the sauce.
Next comes a layer of chicken, then another layer of sauce (are you getting the pattern here?). You should have enough stuff for another layer of tortillas, then another of chicken, then another of sauce, then another of tortillas, then a bit of sauce over the top. We, personally, choose to not put cheese on our chicken tortillas. But, if you want some, feel free to add a layer in there or just sprinkle some on top.
When the layering's through, place the "enchiladas" in the oven (preheated to 350 degrees) and let it cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly. There ya go! You're all through. Eat 'em fast, because everyone else is going to want to eat 'em too!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Baked Chicken Nuggets
i have two kids, ages 1 and 5. they are both really picky eaters (aren't most kids, though?). today, i whipped up a super easy (so easy i can't believe i'm even posting it on here) lunch for them.
8 frozen chicken tenders
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup milk
3 slices of toast, made into crumbs in food processor (i've also used multi-grain club crackers when i was out of bread- i like it with the crackers even better, i think.)
put frozen chicken tenders, ranch dressing, and milk into a gallon ziplock bag. allow the chicken to thaw (shouldn't take long at room temperature- an hour or two) but DO NOT MICROWAVE to thaw them. while the chicken thaws, it will soak up the delicious flavor of the ranch.
once chicken is thawed, cut each tender in half into a nugget size.
place bread crumbs into a medium-sized ziplock bag (quart size? i think.) toss nuggets, one at a time, in bread crumbs. remove and place on a baking sheet. (i even lined my baking sheet with foil to make my life even easier).
bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. YUM.
8 frozen chicken tenders
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup milk
3 slices of toast, made into crumbs in food processor (i've also used multi-grain club crackers when i was out of bread- i like it with the crackers even better, i think.)
put frozen chicken tenders, ranch dressing, and milk into a gallon ziplock bag. allow the chicken to thaw (shouldn't take long at room temperature- an hour or two) but DO NOT MICROWAVE to thaw them. while the chicken thaws, it will soak up the delicious flavor of the ranch.
once chicken is thawed, cut each tender in half into a nugget size.
place bread crumbs into a medium-sized ziplock bag (quart size? i think.) toss nuggets, one at a time, in bread crumbs. remove and place on a baking sheet. (i even lined my baking sheet with foil to make my life even easier).
bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. YUM.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Lazy Enchiladas / Mexican Stack
pardon my lack of blogging. i take pictures but never post them.
this recipe has become a regular around our house. we love enchiladas, but they're such a pain to make. we actually call this "mexican stack" around our house because my 5-yr-old son would probably not even taste something with the word "enchilada" in it.
1/2 lb cooked taco meat
8 oz shredded cheese (more or less, depending on your tastes)
enchilada sauce (i use Texas Red Enchilada Sauce) hint: i usually double the recipe for the sauce, freeze half of it, then add a teeny bit of water when i thaw it out and it's just as good as new. you'll only need the single batch for the enchilada stack, though.
10 corn tortillas, cut into thick strips
chopped onions (optional)
pickled jalapenos (optional)
in a 9x9 pyrex dish, place a layer of corn tortillas. layer beef, cheese, then about 1/4 of the enchilada sauce. if you're using onions, jalapenos, or any other additional veggies, put a small amount of those before the sauce.
continue layering until all ingredients are used, saving enough enchilada sauce to completely cover the top.
i chose to put all my jalapenos on top, right before i put the last layer of enchilada sauce on. *notice i left jalapenos off one section for my son :)
you can see the layers here. there is actually one layer you can't see. 4 layers of tortillas and 3 of filling.
it may not look that beautiful but it tastes just like restaurant-quality enchiladas. an easy dinner, for sure!
this recipe has become a regular around our house. we love enchiladas, but they're such a pain to make. we actually call this "mexican stack" around our house because my 5-yr-old son would probably not even taste something with the word "enchilada" in it.
1/2 lb cooked taco meat
8 oz shredded cheese (more or less, depending on your tastes)
enchilada sauce (i use Texas Red Enchilada Sauce) hint: i usually double the recipe for the sauce, freeze half of it, then add a teeny bit of water when i thaw it out and it's just as good as new. you'll only need the single batch for the enchilada stack, though.
10 corn tortillas, cut into thick strips
chopped onions (optional)
pickled jalapenos (optional)
in a 9x9 pyrex dish, place a layer of corn tortillas. layer beef, cheese, then about 1/4 of the enchilada sauce. if you're using onions, jalapenos, or any other additional veggies, put a small amount of those before the sauce.
continue layering until all ingredients are used, saving enough enchilada sauce to completely cover the top.
i chose to put all my jalapenos on top, right before i put the last layer of enchilada sauce on. *notice i left jalapenos off one section for my son :)
you can see the layers here. there is actually one layer you can't see. 4 layers of tortillas and 3 of filling.
it may not look that beautiful but it tastes just like restaurant-quality enchiladas. an easy dinner, for sure!Thursday, June 25, 2009
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Pecans
if you don't love buttery, cinnamony, sweet deliciousness- then please, by all means - AVOID this recipe!
my parents live on an old pecan orchard (they have about 70 pecan trees!), so we always have pecans in our freezer. i use them a lot for baking, but sometimes i just have to make these roasted pecans. they make great gifts, too (they're kind of christmasey but i like them all year 'round!)
let the deliciousness begin!
i meant to have this picture turned horizontally but oh well. here we have
1 lb pecans (maybe a little over) on the plate
1 egg white (beaten)
1 T water
1 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
in the bowl
meanwhile, 1 stick of butter (i used unsalted) is melting in a 13x9 inch pan.
after stirring the pecans into the egg white/sugar mixture, the mix gets poured into the pan full 'o' butter.
after 90 minutes of cooking @ 250 degrees and stirring every 15 minutes (the stirring is a very important step that should NOT be skipped!), here are the delicious pecans- ready to eat!
my parents live on an old pecan orchard (they have about 70 pecan trees!), so we always have pecans in our freezer. i use them a lot for baking, but sometimes i just have to make these roasted pecans. they make great gifts, too (they're kind of christmasey but i like them all year 'round!)
let the deliciousness begin!
i meant to have this picture turned horizontally but oh well. here we have1 lb pecans (maybe a little over) on the plate
1 egg white (beaten)
1 T water
1 c sugar
1 t cinnamon
in the bowl
meanwhile, 1 stick of butter (i used unsalted) is melting in a 13x9 inch pan.
after stirring the pecans into the egg white/sugar mixture, the mix gets poured into the pan full 'o' butter.
after 90 minutes of cooking @ 250 degrees and stirring every 15 minutes (the stirring is a very important step that should NOT be skipped!), here are the delicious pecans- ready to eat!now what could be much easier than that???
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