If you kept your chicken scraps from cutting up your chicken, or you saved a chicken carcass from a roasted chicken, you have another meal! Chicken bones make for great soup. In next to no prep time, you could be on your way to using up the rest of that beautiful chicken. Don't know how? Think it is too hard? Take a look!
Take your chicken bones and plunk them in a big pot. Grab some vegetables like carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, or anything that strikes your fancy. In my house, I always have those veggies on hand. Peel and cut them into small pieces. Throw them in the pot. Add about 8 cups of water (or half water and half chicken stock), 4 tsp of chicken soup powder if you didn't use stock. Add a bit of salt and pepper, and turn on that stove top. In about an hour or so, or when you see that the meat is falling off the bones, fish those bones out. When cool enough to touch, remove all of the meat you can get off of the bones and add them back to the pot. Taste and adjust flavours as you'd like.
Guess what? Your soup is done! Making soup out of bones helps to stretch a buck. The whole pot can feed 4 people for less than $5! Where can you feed a family of 4 for that? If you want to add rice, barley or pasta, cook it separately and add at the time of serving. You don't want them to sop up all of the yummy soup if it is sitting in your fridge for lunch. Nothing wrong with that, but it changes the texture of the pasta/grain. If you're like me, and texture is a deal breaker, adding them precooked makes for happy eating.
So save those nickels (since the penny is going bye-bye), and make your own soup. You get to control the fat and sodium, and can make it your own by experimenting with different veggies and spices/aromatics. Soup is a healthy, inexpensive, and easy way to feed your loved ones whether you're on a budget or not. A handy tip! Most soups freeze well for future consumption. Great for make-ahead lunches or suppers.
Remember: Soup is good for the soul.
Lisa
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
winner winner chicken dinner!
I have a bit of a guilty pleasure. I love watching cooking shows. Since getting the TiVo, I've started watching many different shows. The TiVo records suggestions, and some of them are pretty good. The one that has inspired a new recipe was on America's Test Kitchen from Cook's Illustrated. I know I've said it before, but I may never look at chicken the same way again.
This recipe calls for a whole chicken that is cut up into pieces. Turns out that it is a more economical way of buying chicken. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to save money wherever possible. You take the whole bird and cut out the spine. Don't throw it away! Then you cut off the legs and cut them again along the "fat line". Now you have four pieces! Cut off the wings and remove the tips. The show didn't use them in this recipe, but I did because who doesn't like chicken wings? Cut the breast along the breast bone. This requires a little elbow grease to snap the bone. Then cut each breast in half so all pieces are about the same size. This helps the chicken to cook at the same rate. Keep the skin on to ensure juicy chicken and flavourful veggies. Keep the spine, neck, and any other parts for a soup. The messy part is done!
Now is where you can use what veggies you actually like. Root vegetables are great for this part. I used some carrots, parsnips, potatoes, mushrooms and whole garlic. The show used shallots and brussel sprouts with their root veg, but not a big fan of those. Cut the veggies into similar sized pieces keeping in mind you don't want them to be too small, otherwise, they will overcook and you'll have mushy veggies, and no one likes that! Use as much of the vegetables as you want to cover a rimmed baking sheet. Throw them all in a big bowl so you can toss them with the seasonings.
Flavour time! For the veggies, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other mild flavoured oil), 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp fresh rosemary, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. It was cold out, so I just used dried herbs. Use less if you are using dried herbs. Toss all with the veggies and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. I sprayed/greased the sheet first because I always do that.
In a small bowl, melt 2 tsp butter. Add 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix this up. Place chicken on top of the veggie bed with the breast pieces near the middle and the dark meat around the edges. Dark meat takes longer to cook, so they will get blasted with the heat more than the light meat. With a brush, slather each piece of chicken with this mixture.
Place the baking sheet in a 475F oven for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is properly cooked. Larger chicken pieces take a bit longer. The skin will come out crispy and golden and the veggies tender. Remove the chicken and mix up the veggies with the drippings before serving.
The house smelled amazing! I've never really used herbs before, but I'm not as scared anymore! We loved the flavours, and it turned out really well. Can't wait for the leftover chicken!
Hope you like this recipe as much as we did!
Lisa
This recipe calls for a whole chicken that is cut up into pieces. Turns out that it is a more economical way of buying chicken. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I love to save money wherever possible. You take the whole bird and cut out the spine. Don't throw it away! Then you cut off the legs and cut them again along the "fat line". Now you have four pieces! Cut off the wings and remove the tips. The show didn't use them in this recipe, but I did because who doesn't like chicken wings? Cut the breast along the breast bone. This requires a little elbow grease to snap the bone. Then cut each breast in half so all pieces are about the same size. This helps the chicken to cook at the same rate. Keep the skin on to ensure juicy chicken and flavourful veggies. Keep the spine, neck, and any other parts for a soup. The messy part is done!
Now is where you can use what veggies you actually like. Root vegetables are great for this part. I used some carrots, parsnips, potatoes, mushrooms and whole garlic. The show used shallots and brussel sprouts with their root veg, but not a big fan of those. Cut the veggies into similar sized pieces keeping in mind you don't want them to be too small, otherwise, they will overcook and you'll have mushy veggies, and no one likes that! Use as much of the vegetables as you want to cover a rimmed baking sheet. Throw them all in a big bowl so you can toss them with the seasonings.
Flavour time! For the veggies, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or other mild flavoured oil), 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, 1 tsp fresh rosemary, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. It was cold out, so I just used dried herbs. Use less if you are using dried herbs. Toss all with the veggies and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. I sprayed/greased the sheet first because I always do that.
In a small bowl, melt 2 tsp butter. Add 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix this up. Place chicken on top of the veggie bed with the breast pieces near the middle and the dark meat around the edges. Dark meat takes longer to cook, so they will get blasted with the heat more than the light meat. With a brush, slather each piece of chicken with this mixture.
Place the baking sheet in a 475F oven for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is properly cooked. Larger chicken pieces take a bit longer. The skin will come out crispy and golden and the veggies tender. Remove the chicken and mix up the veggies with the drippings before serving.
The house smelled amazing! I've never really used herbs before, but I'm not as scared anymore! We loved the flavours, and it turned out really well. Can't wait for the leftover chicken!
Hope you like this recipe as much as we did!
Lisa
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Always on my Mind
It has been a while since I've talked about food on my blog, but it is always on my mind. Every day, you have to eat, so it is hard to NOT think about food. I have a confession. I HATE PLANNING MEALS. Each meal seems to be a creative battle. I try to ensure that each meal has a balance of protein, vegetable, and starch and is nutritious and delicious. Sometimes nutrition goes out the window for flavour and fat. I know flavour doesn't always come from fat, but there are days when you just want chicken wings and potato wedges.
I've challenged myself to try a few different kinds of food. I find it easier to be adventurous in the produce section. There are some scary looking things at the grocery store. I've found lemon grass, celery root, jicama, shitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and parsnips. Have you seen what celery root looks like? Talk about unappealing! Let's break that list down.
Lemon grass! Tried my hand at cooking some thai food. Thai coconut mushroom soup was a very cool adventure. I love coconut and I love mushrooms. Still haven't tweaked it to my liking, but getting there. Going to have to visit Chinatown before trying that again.
Celery root! Wow! Not the easiest vegetable to work with since you have to peel it with a knife. After chopping off the gnarly root end, it stops running around. I tried it in stew (more on stew to come), but it didn't float my boat. Then my brain started inserting it into other things I cook. Wait a second! Celery root is a root vegetable! I make a root vegetable "medley"! So in the pot it went with sweet potato, white/yellow potato, garlic, parsnip, and white turnip. Gives a nice celery flavour. Mash them up with a little butter, and what a side dish!
Jicama! Haven't figured out how I like to use it yet. The first time I bought it, I tried to make a jicama and apple salad. That didn't work so well, especially when I sliced my thumb on the mandolin. I'll have to revisit this intriguing vegetable.
Shitake mushrooms! I found this dried. Since I absolutely LOVE mushroom soup, I thought this was a natural move for me. The smell of these things leaves something to be desired. I couldn't bring myself to use the "broth" after soaking them. Hard to taste them when mixed with a ton of other mushrooms, but the chewy texture was neat.
Sugar snap peas! I discovered that these are great in pad thai. I tried eating them raw, but I didn't like them that much. I might try them as a side dish steamed with some kind of flavour boost.
Parsnips! These are becoming a regular ingredient in our week-to-week meals. These white carrot-like things are incredible! I'm trying them roasted tonight! They give a neat peppery taste that is unlike any other vegetable I've tried.
Speaking of stew... I had never made stew before. I'm starting to really get the hang of it. I tried it in the slow cooker, but it didn't really like how it turned out. I used what I learned from that to improve my stove-top stew. I browned the beef then added beef stock, bay leaves and marjoram and let that simmer for an hour or more. Oh my! The beef was so tender, just like when in the crock pot. I love stew now!
I'll try my best to be more diligent with my posts about food. I love reading about food about as much as I like talking about it.
Try something new!
Lisa
I've challenged myself to try a few different kinds of food. I find it easier to be adventurous in the produce section. There are some scary looking things at the grocery store. I've found lemon grass, celery root, jicama, shitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and parsnips. Have you seen what celery root looks like? Talk about unappealing! Let's break that list down.
Lemon grass! Tried my hand at cooking some thai food. Thai coconut mushroom soup was a very cool adventure. I love coconut and I love mushrooms. Still haven't tweaked it to my liking, but getting there. Going to have to visit Chinatown before trying that again.
Celery root! Wow! Not the easiest vegetable to work with since you have to peel it with a knife. After chopping off the gnarly root end, it stops running around. I tried it in stew (more on stew to come), but it didn't float my boat. Then my brain started inserting it into other things I cook. Wait a second! Celery root is a root vegetable! I make a root vegetable "medley"! So in the pot it went with sweet potato, white/yellow potato, garlic, parsnip, and white turnip. Gives a nice celery flavour. Mash them up with a little butter, and what a side dish!
Jicama! Haven't figured out how I like to use it yet. The first time I bought it, I tried to make a jicama and apple salad. That didn't work so well, especially when I sliced my thumb on the mandolin. I'll have to revisit this intriguing vegetable.
Shitake mushrooms! I found this dried. Since I absolutely LOVE mushroom soup, I thought this was a natural move for me. The smell of these things leaves something to be desired. I couldn't bring myself to use the "broth" after soaking them. Hard to taste them when mixed with a ton of other mushrooms, but the chewy texture was neat.
Sugar snap peas! I discovered that these are great in pad thai. I tried eating them raw, but I didn't like them that much. I might try them as a side dish steamed with some kind of flavour boost.
Parsnips! These are becoming a regular ingredient in our week-to-week meals. These white carrot-like things are incredible! I'm trying them roasted tonight! They give a neat peppery taste that is unlike any other vegetable I've tried.
Speaking of stew... I had never made stew before. I'm starting to really get the hang of it. I tried it in the slow cooker, but it didn't really like how it turned out. I used what I learned from that to improve my stove-top stew. I browned the beef then added beef stock, bay leaves and marjoram and let that simmer for an hour or more. Oh my! The beef was so tender, just like when in the crock pot. I love stew now!
I'll try my best to be more diligent with my posts about food. I love reading about food about as much as I like talking about it.
Try something new!
Lisa
Friday, January 20, 2012
Pulled Pork
I'm not sure why I've been so hesitant to try pulled pork. Seriously, pork has always been one of my favourite meats, so what was I afraid of? I was looking around online, and found this recipe at http://www.canadianliving.com/food/slow_cooker_pulled_pork.php. This recipe has changed and blew my mind! While pulling the pork, I sneaked a few tastes. It took all of my self control to stop picking here and there. I've typed it out for easy printing, just in case someone would like the recipe.
Hope you try this. I know I will be making this again!
Enjoy!
Lisa
Hope you try this. I know I will be making this again!
Enjoy!
Lisa
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
By: Canadian Living Test Kitchen
3-1/2 lb (1.75kg) pork shoulder blade roast
¾ tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground coriander
2 bay leaves
¼ cup tomato paste
1 can (14oz) tomato sauce
2 tbsp each packed brown sugar and cider vinegar
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown pork all over. Transfer to slow cooker
Add onions, garlic, chili powder, coriander and bay leaves to Dutch oven; fry stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato paste; cook, stirring until darkened, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until pork is tender, 8 to 10 hours.
Transfer pork to a cutting board and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes. With two forks, shred or “pull” pork.
Meanwhile, pour liquid from slow cooker into large saucepan; skim off fat. Bring to boil over high heat; boil vigorously until reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Add pork; reduce heat and simmer until hot, about 4 minutes.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
Lentil Soup
Some people believe that lentils are lucky. I'm not exactly the superstitious type. All I know about lentils, is that they are healthy. They don't look like much, and can be interesting to deal with. While vacationing in Malta, one of my aunts invited us over for a lunch feast. We started off with a lentil soup. I have to admit, it didn't look too appetizing, but it sure did taste good! This is how I make lentil soup.
If you want, you can saute the vegetables in a bit of oil to develop the flavours, but it isn't required.
Approx. 1 cup lentils, soaked for at least an hour
1 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small potato, diced
garlic, optional
ham or bacon, for extra flavour
vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper
Throw all of the ingredients into a pot and top with water/stock. If you want your soup to be more of a stoup (stew/soup), add less water. Keep in mind that the lentils soak up a lot of the liquids, so be generous. I add some salt and pepper to taste. Cook the soup until the vegetables are tender. With an immersion blender, blend the soup into a smooth consistency.
It is that simple! I've taken a liking to this soup, and it can be made vegetarian/vegan by leaving out the meat and using the veg stock. Great for a cold night or if you need to clean out the fridge :)
Enjoy!
Lisa
If you want, you can saute the vegetables in a bit of oil to develop the flavours, but it isn't required.
Approx. 1 cup lentils, soaked for at least an hour
1 onion, chopped
1-2 carrots, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 small potato, diced
garlic, optional
ham or bacon, for extra flavour
vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper
Throw all of the ingredients into a pot and top with water/stock. If you want your soup to be more of a stoup (stew/soup), add less water. Keep in mind that the lentils soak up a lot of the liquids, so be generous. I add some salt and pepper to taste. Cook the soup until the vegetables are tender. With an immersion blender, blend the soup into a smooth consistency.
It is that simple! I've taken a liking to this soup, and it can be made vegetarian/vegan by leaving out the meat and using the veg stock. Great for a cold night or if you need to clean out the fridge :)
Enjoy!
Lisa
Monday, December 19, 2011
Nostalgia
I was having trouble falling asleep the other night, and I got to thinking about food I remembered as a kid. Figures, I'd be thinking about food while trying to fall asleep! Maybe I was just reminiscing. These aren't in any order, and may jump around, but that is what happens when you are really tired.
Once in a while, we'd have soup and a sandwich for supper. Not just any sandwich... an oven-grilled grilled cheese sandwich! I remember watching the cheese melt when not stirring the Campbell's mushroom soup. Dad would sneak me his mushrooms. Mushroom soup is still my favourite.
Speaking of Campbell's mushroom soup, I remember taking a thermos with soup to school for lunch. It stayed warm until lunch time. I'd break crackers and add them to the soup. Once I forgot to close the lid properly, shook the thermos, and had a mushroom soup shower.
Another thermos favourite was spaghetti. Mom would make extra spaghetti, warm it before I went to school, and it would still be warm for lunch. I think I was the envy of the class because I had a warm lunch. She'd even put parmesan on top!
When mom got one of those ToastMaster thingys, I loved making grilled cheese sandwiches and jam sandwiches. I loved when the cheese oozed out and when it made the cut mark because the cheese was super crunchy. The jam was just like toast and jam and was usually cool enough to eat by the time I finished the cheese sandwich.
One of my favourite snacks was a spice cake that mom would make. I found out that it was just a cake mix, but it was so tasty! I keep a box on hand just in case I need a fix. One day I'll find a good recipe and make my own.
I remember on our visits to the Maltese "area" of Toronto when we'd go to the Malta Bake Shop. We'd go there for pastizzi. Being young, the pastizzi seemed huge. I would eat the pastry in layers and eventually have a mound of ricotta. Sometimes I still do that with the pastizzi mom makes.
Every Christmas before our next door neighbour, Tommy, passed away, we would visit to wish him and his wife a Merry Christmas. He would always have a box of red delicious apples from Algoma Orchards for me. I remember on the drive home eating at least one of the apples. I've started a tradition of buying one red delicious apple around this time of year.
Growing up, I was quite a picky eater. Still kind of am, but I've gotten MUCH better. When mom would make torta tal-pizelli, I would prefer to eat the crust. It had just enough of the flavour of the filling. Now I eat the whole thing, but still eat the crust separately. Old habits are hard to break, I guess!
I've always had a soft spot for fresh bread. I love the smell of it, the texture of it, and the taste of it. When mom and dad would get a fresh loaf of white (yes, white) bread from the bakery, I would eat it with just mayo. Please don't think less of me. I would eat a few slices with nothing but mayo on them. It was so good!
On our Saturday shopping trips to Oshawa, we would often stop at the Taunton Bakery for bread and apple fritters. I know they were bad since they were deep fried, but I just loved eating the edge pieces. I didn't want the soft doughy parts, just the edges. I haven't had one in years. I don't even know if they even make them anymore.
The kids at school always thought I was weird because I'd sometimes bring some fresh coconut for a snack. When dad would get one on our grocery shopping trips, I would watch him hammer it after draining the water. It was hard to eat, but I enjoyed it. I haven't had a fresh coconut since. I'm a big fan of coconut, so I think we'll have to experiment with one soon.
Well, as odd as some of my memories have been, I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane.
Lisa
Once in a while, we'd have soup and a sandwich for supper. Not just any sandwich... an oven-grilled grilled cheese sandwich! I remember watching the cheese melt when not stirring the Campbell's mushroom soup. Dad would sneak me his mushrooms. Mushroom soup is still my favourite.
Speaking of Campbell's mushroom soup, I remember taking a thermos with soup to school for lunch. It stayed warm until lunch time. I'd break crackers and add them to the soup. Once I forgot to close the lid properly, shook the thermos, and had a mushroom soup shower.
Another thermos favourite was spaghetti. Mom would make extra spaghetti, warm it before I went to school, and it would still be warm for lunch. I think I was the envy of the class because I had a warm lunch. She'd even put parmesan on top!
When mom got one of those ToastMaster thingys, I loved making grilled cheese sandwiches and jam sandwiches. I loved when the cheese oozed out and when it made the cut mark because the cheese was super crunchy. The jam was just like toast and jam and was usually cool enough to eat by the time I finished the cheese sandwich.
One of my favourite snacks was a spice cake that mom would make. I found out that it was just a cake mix, but it was so tasty! I keep a box on hand just in case I need a fix. One day I'll find a good recipe and make my own.
I remember on our visits to the Maltese "area" of Toronto when we'd go to the Malta Bake Shop. We'd go there for pastizzi. Being young, the pastizzi seemed huge. I would eat the pastry in layers and eventually have a mound of ricotta. Sometimes I still do that with the pastizzi mom makes.
Every Christmas before our next door neighbour, Tommy, passed away, we would visit to wish him and his wife a Merry Christmas. He would always have a box of red delicious apples from Algoma Orchards for me. I remember on the drive home eating at least one of the apples. I've started a tradition of buying one red delicious apple around this time of year.
Growing up, I was quite a picky eater. Still kind of am, but I've gotten MUCH better. When mom would make torta tal-pizelli, I would prefer to eat the crust. It had just enough of the flavour of the filling. Now I eat the whole thing, but still eat the crust separately. Old habits are hard to break, I guess!
I've always had a soft spot for fresh bread. I love the smell of it, the texture of it, and the taste of it. When mom and dad would get a fresh loaf of white (yes, white) bread from the bakery, I would eat it with just mayo. Please don't think less of me. I would eat a few slices with nothing but mayo on them. It was so good!
On our Saturday shopping trips to Oshawa, we would often stop at the Taunton Bakery for bread and apple fritters. I know they were bad since they were deep fried, but I just loved eating the edge pieces. I didn't want the soft doughy parts, just the edges. I haven't had one in years. I don't even know if they even make them anymore.
The kids at school always thought I was weird because I'd sometimes bring some fresh coconut for a snack. When dad would get one on our grocery shopping trips, I would watch him hammer it after draining the water. It was hard to eat, but I enjoyed it. I haven't had a fresh coconut since. I'm a big fan of coconut, so I think we'll have to experiment with one soon.
Well, as odd as some of my memories have been, I hope you've enjoyed my trip down memory lane.
Lisa
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Mocha Time!
'Tis the season for warm beverages, right? Since I'm not into eggnog or hot apple cider, I drink espresso. What better than to mix my two favourite drinks? Those would be hot chocolate and lattes. Simple simple drink to make if you have the equipment.
What I did was mix about a cup of whole milk(only once in a while as a treat), two heaping tablespoons (the ones for soup) of hot chocolate powder in the milk steaming carafe and steam away. I don't like my drinks super hot, so I steam until it is the right temperature for me. When that is done, I brew a shot of espresso. Again, you can make it as strong as you'd like, but I'm still green :). Mix the hot chocolate and espresso together and you have a mocha!
A nice warm and tasty drink for any day.
Lisa
What I did was mix about a cup of whole milk(only once in a while as a treat), two heaping tablespoons (the ones for soup) of hot chocolate powder in the milk steaming carafe and steam away. I don't like my drinks super hot, so I steam until it is the right temperature for me. When that is done, I brew a shot of espresso. Again, you can make it as strong as you'd like, but I'm still green :). Mix the hot chocolate and espresso together and you have a mocha!
A nice warm and tasty drink for any day.
Lisa
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