Last night's dinner was an adventure. Let's back up to Monday, when I went to SuperTarget to shop and discovered they had boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a price somewhere around $2.29/lb. I was pretty sure I could find a better price, so I passed. Fast forward to Tuesday afternoon. I go to my go to spot for chicken thighs (Stater Bros.) to discover they don't even have any in the store. I was bummed because I was tired and wanted to get home and get dinner started. So I had to go back to SuperTarget. Imagine the joy this bargain shopper had when I got to the chicken thighs and found they had a $3.00 off coupon on the package! This bumped the price of the chicken thighs I got to just under $.99/lb. Oh yea!!!
Well, I got home and got started on dinner. The recipe from the Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook was Sweet Glazed Chicken Thighs. Putting it all together to put in the slow cooker is speedy; I think I had it together in less than 6 minutes. So I sat back and relaxed while they got going. Little did I know the hard part was yet to come.
When the chicken is ready (tested with a thermometer), the recipe states: "Whisk together water and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to sauce in slow cooker, increase heat to HIGH. Whisk constantly until sauce begins to thicken, about 6 minutes later." What happened six minutes later? Besides an arm cramp, absolutely no thickness - none. So I added more cornstarch...and then a little more....and then, at the 15 minute mark - I gave up. So we had chicken and rice. Nothing else. Sad dinner. I was even going to get some broccoli going, but my arm hurt! The saving grace for the recipe is the chicken is really good and tender, if a bit dry.
To my husband's chagrin, I rarely make the same meal twice. This is the chronicle of the meals made and the kitchen used.
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow cooker. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Back to Basics
After a monthlong lack of posting and planning, I am back and ready to cook again. I cooked a couple times in the last month, but mostly relied on the kindness of friends and the greed of the fast food industry to get us through.
So I thought I would wade into the shallow end and then work back up to full speed (yes, that's a mixed metaphor). Thank goodness for a slow cooker and lots of recipes to try. Tonight's came from Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook - Cheesy Chicken Casserole. Don't you just love the recipes that don't try too hard in the name department? This one is simple to throw together. It is also nice because you can start it later in the day than most SC recipes and it is still ready in time for dinner. I served it with salad. When we tried it, Drew said it is called Chicken Devan (sp?) and tastes like what his mom made. This is a pretty good compliment for Drew and then the compliment of all compliments for every displaced Southern woman...He went back for SECONDS! So this one was a hit! I enjoyed it too, I think it could have been a little less creamy, but it was great in the taste department.
Oh and by the way, wading into the shallow end does not include taking pictures of the results...sorry, deep end later in the week.
So I thought I would wade into the shallow end and then work back up to full speed (yes, that's a mixed metaphor). Thank goodness for a slow cooker and lots of recipes to try. Tonight's came from Southern Living Slow Cooker Cookbook - Cheesy Chicken Casserole. Don't you just love the recipes that don't try too hard in the name department? This one is simple to throw together. It is also nice because you can start it later in the day than most SC recipes and it is still ready in time for dinner. I served it with salad. When we tried it, Drew said it is called Chicken Devan (sp?) and tastes like what his mom made. This is a pretty good compliment for Drew and then the compliment of all compliments for every displaced Southern woman...He went back for SECONDS! So this one was a hit! I enjoyed it too, I think it could have been a little less creamy, but it was great in the taste department.
Oh and by the way, wading into the shallow end does not include taking pictures of the results...sorry, deep end later in the week.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Slow Cooker Success!
It has finally happened! My slow cooker has produced an edible and enjoyable meal! I have been doing some soul searching in regards to the slow cooker and I came up with a solution to the problems I have been experiencing. The solution: fill the slow cooker at least two thirds full and make sure there is plenty of liquid for the food. Applying this newfound strategy to tonight's dinner produced a success!!! Yea!
The recipe from Fix it and Forget It Slow Cooker Magic: Cream of Broccoli soup. I served this, as you can see, in a bread bowl for two. We are large fans of the soup/bread bowl combo. This soup was no exception. I would say I followed this recipe as a guide rather than following it verbatim. I changed almost every ingredient in the list. The changes included using different soups (I mean they are really mostly the same), different cheese, and different milk (fat-free milk...are you kidding me?). In the future, I would blend the final result so the broccoli is much smaller a la Panera Bread. Overall, a pretty foolproof recipe. As always, I was happy to cook while doing other things around the house. Gotta love the slow cooker...when it is good, it is oh so good; when it is is bad...well, lets not revisit that.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
It all depends on the tools you use.
Anyone who gets in the kitchen on a regular basis knows (for the most part) success depends on the tools used in making or baking what you desire. I have come to understand this in my 5 years of cooking and have subsequently thrown out some of the lesser tools of my trade in favor of tools of higher quality. I think women should not register for the bulk of their wedding gifts until they have spent some time in the kitchen, figuring out their style and needs. I know this is true in our own marriage. We registered for and recieved an immense amount of stuff (all of which were good and perfect gifts)...then we got married and started using them. Some of them have faired better over the years than others.
We have also thought long and hard about certain purchases and have had mixed results in that area. If you ever are searching for THE perfect blender, look no further than a Breville. On the other hand, be very careful and cautious about the purchase of a slow cooker. We were given, very generously, our first slow cooker and I have always enjoyed it. I messed all that up last year by deciding I needed a bigger one for other recipes. I could not have been more wrong. Each time I use our new one, I am left frustrated with the results and regretting its creation in some far-off factory. Remember, when I said some of the tools have been thrown out? Large slow cooker, you are on notice!!
All that to say tonight's dinner was a slow cooker recipe from Fix it and Forget It: Ham and Hash Browns. Maybe I am using said slow cooker in an improper manner, but I thought they had plug-and-play capabilities. Well, this one heats up WAAAY too fast and ends up burning the entire "crust" of whatever I am cooking (Note: this was the same slow cooker that served up the worst tomato soup known to man!). Thus, after cooking for less than half the cook time, the edges are brown working on black and the center is mushy/soupy. I honestly don't think it is the recipe's fault. This post just turned into a review for our slow cooker, instead of the recipe. Another reason its the tools that matter in the kitchen.
So here's the rundown on the actual recipe: The flavors were ok if a little bland and I would definitely try this in another slow cooker. It would be good paired with some scrambled eggs for a quick meal. I don't think Drew liked this. He mentioned, whilst eating this dinner, another similar slow cooker recipe which he did like (we had that over a year ago...I think I am turning him into an encyclopedia of successful meals). You know you are eating something that is not that enjoyable when, in mid bite, you are thinking of other better food you would rather be eating.
We have also thought long and hard about certain purchases and have had mixed results in that area. If you ever are searching for THE perfect blender, look no further than a Breville. On the other hand, be very careful and cautious about the purchase of a slow cooker. We were given, very generously, our first slow cooker and I have always enjoyed it. I messed all that up last year by deciding I needed a bigger one for other recipes. I could not have been more wrong. Each time I use our new one, I am left frustrated with the results and regretting its creation in some far-off factory. Remember, when I said some of the tools have been thrown out? Large slow cooker, you are on notice!!
All that to say tonight's dinner was a slow cooker recipe from Fix it and Forget It: Ham and Hash Browns. Maybe I am using said slow cooker in an improper manner, but I thought they had plug-and-play capabilities. Well, this one heats up WAAAY too fast and ends up burning the entire "crust" of whatever I am cooking (Note: this was the same slow cooker that served up the worst tomato soup known to man!). Thus, after cooking for less than half the cook time, the edges are brown working on black and the center is mushy/soupy. I honestly don't think it is the recipe's fault. This post just turned into a review for our slow cooker, instead of the recipe. Another reason its the tools that matter in the kitchen.
So here's the rundown on the actual recipe: The flavors were ok if a little bland and I would definitely try this in another slow cooker. It would be good paired with some scrambled eggs for a quick meal. I don't think Drew liked this. He mentioned, whilst eating this dinner, another similar slow cooker recipe which he did like (we had that over a year ago...I think I am turning him into an encyclopedia of successful meals). You know you are eating something that is not that enjoyable when, in mid bite, you are thinking of other better food you would rather be eating.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fix it and FORGET it
If you thought my Pampered Chef review from a week ago was scathing, wait until you read the comments on tonight's dinner. Let me preface this discussion by saying we have an unspoken, spoken rule in this house. When you make something new every time you cook, you are going to hit those recipes that are just...off. After lots of practice, you can get a good sense, while cooking, which recipes are going to be questionable. They could go either way and you are really hoping for GOOD (sometimes, even the best hopes fail). On these nights are rule is: If this is horrible, we will go out and get something else that tastes good. I know this is not the most frugal way to live, but it is better than eating the inedible. Just so you know, this does not happen very often!
Well tonight I did a slow cooker menu Fix it and Forget it. It was Simple Soup Supper including Fresh Tomato Soup and Broccoli Corn Bread. As mentioned before, I love cooking while doing other things, so you can imagine my happiness when all day, whilst cleaning the house, the smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly. I was so excited to try this soup that smelled like the best beef vegatable stew I have ever smelled. It was the Broccoli Corn Bread that concerned me. It too was a slow cooker thing and I was slightly disturbed by the fact that you could chose to cook it at differing cooking times depending on the texture you were looking for (obviously not disturbed enough not to try it). Well, imagine my surprise when we sit down to dinner, with Morgan, and I try the broccoli corn bread first while Morgan and Drew take a spoonful apiece of their respective soups. I look up from my broccoli corn bread and say, "this tastes good." To which Morgan responds, "it tastes like blood, " referring to the soup. Drew takes another bite and nods his agreement and then I taste half a bite of mine. To my horror, it DOES! Each of us moved our bowls toward the kitchen sink and moved our plates of broccoli corn bread toward ourselves. We immediately began discussing where we would be getting food for dinner. IT WAS FORGETABLE. The sad thing in this house is that forgetable is actually memorable because it happens so infrequently. Oh well, now Drew needs two hands to count the amount of dinners that were, in his word, FAIL.
Thank God I get a break from cooking for the next couple of days as we go out of town to celebrate our anniversary. Have a great weekend, back on Sunday night!
Well tonight I did a slow cooker menu Fix it and Forget it. It was Simple Soup Supper including Fresh Tomato Soup and Broccoli Corn Bread. As mentioned before, I love cooking while doing other things, so you can imagine my happiness when all day, whilst cleaning the house, the smell coming from the kitchen was heavenly. I was so excited to try this soup that smelled like the best beef vegatable stew I have ever smelled. It was the Broccoli Corn Bread that concerned me. It too was a slow cooker thing and I was slightly disturbed by the fact that you could chose to cook it at differing cooking times depending on the texture you were looking for (obviously not disturbed enough not to try it). Well, imagine my surprise when we sit down to dinner, with Morgan, and I try the broccoli corn bread first while Morgan and Drew take a spoonful apiece of their respective soups. I look up from my broccoli corn bread and say, "this tastes good." To which Morgan responds, "it tastes like blood, " referring to the soup. Drew takes another bite and nods his agreement and then I taste half a bite of mine. To my horror, it DOES! Each of us moved our bowls toward the kitchen sink and moved our plates of broccoli corn bread toward ourselves. We immediately began discussing where we would be getting food for dinner. IT WAS FORGETABLE. The sad thing in this house is that forgetable is actually memorable because it happens so infrequently. Oh well, now Drew needs two hands to count the amount of dinners that were, in his word, FAIL.
Thank God I get a break from cooking for the next couple of days as we go out of town to celebrate our anniversary. Have a great weekend, back on Sunday night!
Friday, September 4, 2009
China in the Meantime
Dinner tonight was wonderful for a couple of reasons: 1. Slow-cooker, microwave, George Foreman Grill, and 2. Short prep time. I did a menu ("Takeout at Home") out of the Fix It and Forget It Slow Cooker Magic cookbook: Asian-Grilled Pork Tenderloins and Chinese Vegetables. It always makes me happy to be able to do any number of things (shopping, napping, Guitar Hero) while my dinner is being prepared for me. Tonight's required me to marinate the pork tenderloins for 8 hours, so after I did that I went to lunch with my dad (not good sushi - our regular place was closed), went to the bank, came home, watched tv and waited for Drew to come home so we could play Guitar Hero. I also was able to throw the veggies in the slow cooker. Here's the rundown:
Loved the veggie recipe. Really easy to throw together and very tasty. Rounded out the meal with brown rice, prepared in the microwave via the Pampered Chef rice cooker (a wonder in its own right). Heated up the George Foreman and put the tenderloins on for the last bit of the rice cooking time. Oh, I modified the recipe a little bit by adding some of the Pampered Chef Asian seasonings (love the spices from PC). Drew asked what I marinated the pork in. That was the feeback I got. Overall, a great dinner at the Hudson household.
Loved the veggie recipe. Really easy to throw together and very tasty. Rounded out the meal with brown rice, prepared in the microwave via the Pampered Chef rice cooker (a wonder in its own right). Heated up the George Foreman and put the tenderloins on for the last bit of the rice cooking time. Oh, I modified the recipe a little bit by adding some of the Pampered Chef Asian seasonings (love the spices from PC). Drew asked what I marinated the pork in. That was the feeback I got. Overall, a great dinner at the Hudson household.
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