Woke up on a Saturday morning to my stream of YouTube videos on my Roku. In the past, I have spent a ridiculous number of hours on Pinterest pinning recipes with a variety of results. Some recipes seem to skip steps or have details that are missing. Some others seem to be missing ingredients that I think of as essential to the taste of the food and when I follow the recipe as is, it tastes like something was missing. Although I have not given up on my Pinterest based food, I have broadened by the hunt, which led me to America’s Test Kitchen channel on YouTube.
I was no stranger to America’s Test Kitchen on PBS, I’ve watched on TV for a while but the YouTube channel, for me, is a game changer. I was able to locate the information I specifically wanted from a tried and true source and watched it repeatedly to make sure I got the information I was trying to utilize.
The video I located included how to “Get the Cast Iron Crisp Roast Butterflied Chicken Recipe”. I was inspired to go out my local HomeGoods (like I needed an excuse) to purchase my own Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. I also visited my local Trader Joes and picked up a package of chicken legs because, well, it was simply cheaper than a whole chicken and we eat more legs than thighs and breast. I returned home in time to get cooking. I followed the video and was chowing down in about an hour or so.
We like eating out. But there are times when you just have to actually forego dinner out and make it yourself. I love to eat Italian inspired food at home because even if you aren’t following a real recipe if you can gather a protein, a starch, and a sauce you’re pretty much good to go.
We’ve worked angel hair noodles to the edge over the years so to mix it up a bit I decided to try polenta. I had it for the first time in June in a local restaurant and was determined to try it at home. I figured that since it was a type of grits that the protein should probably be rather chunky so we went with medium deveined shrimp (tails off) and, because I am a working mom and not a chef, a jar of rustic sauce. We tossed some fresh chopped onions and garlic in a pan with tomato paste and a can of fire roasted tomatoes. Then we added our jar sauce and seasonings. We let that simmer on low while we prepared the rest.
My son took on the shrimp while I tried my hand at the polenta. He put olive oil in the pan with some garlic and added the shrimp and liberal seasoning. Poured in a little white wine and the shrimp were good to go.
The polenta was fried in an olive oil and butter mixture until crisped edges were visible. We then plated our efforts and had a pretty hearty meal.
Mahi-Mahi , Couscous, & Salad with Cranberries & Glazed Pecans
It’s been a while since I have cooked and posted the results. I’ve been keeping busy working, moving, etc. so I haven’t really been busy in the kitchen. What drew me back in? A new grocery store just opened and I had to check it out. Picked up some Mahi-Mahi (which I’ve never cooked before), salad greens, and the tasty glazed pecans. Grabbed the couscous from the cabinet and dinner was done in about 20 minuets.
This weekend I embarked on making a recipe that mimicked a really tasty meal I had the week before. Chicken Bellagio is topped with arugula and in order to get a couple of handfuls for my recipe, I had to purchase quite a bit of the greens. It was tasty but what should I do with the leftover greens?
Strolling through the grocery store on my way home I spied the Anjou pears and finally I have an idea. I had made a salad of spinach and pears so I grabbed the pear and went home to make dinner. My son asked, that I not add the onion into the salad (later he admitted that the onions added a balance to the flavors and they were missed) so in went the greens and thinly sliced pears.
Usually, Saturday is the day we take care of our own hunger by cooking or ordering what we want to eat but this one was a little different. Earlier in the week I had to travel and simply did not have the will to cook dinner upon my return so the local pizza chain supplied dinner.
While I was out of town, I went to dinner with my co-worker at Cheesecake Factory and I ordered Chicken Bellagio. I was so taken with the dish I decided it would have to be made at home because the nearest Cheesecake Factory is over an hour long drive from my dinner table and that was unacceptable.
I searched on Pinterest and there were quite a few recipes for the dish but I settled on this pin.
I ran down to the local grocery store, grabbed my ingredients and got cooking. The recipe was straightforward and easy to follow. In about an hour we sat down to dinner. My family and I agreed that the next time I make it, I’ll double the amount of pesto and sauce. Other than that I was pretty pleased.
When I was a child my mother worked as an Extension Technician in our rural community. Extension Technicians provided Services by teachingmembers of the community how to infusenutrition into our diets, as well as spearheading outreach to the youth through 4-H. When you are the child of a singleworking mother you tend to learnthings from her career that you may not realize. I would attend 4-H meetings before I wasoldenough to evenattendschool. Summers would bringworkshops that would teachhealthyrecipes and arts and crafts. Lately, my coworker, who loves a bargain and hateswaste brought me a jar of peanut butter because he had over-bought for his family. Cool! I though maybe I could use it to make tasty treats that I would notmake from my sons peanut butter stash.
In many kitchens, I’m surepeanut butter cookies would be the way to go but after a deluge of them in Elementary School, I haven’t touched one. But there was one treat that I didnotgettoomuch of, Honey Milk balls. The original recipecalls for cornflakes as the outsidecoating but quite, frankly I had to think of another cereal because I had no need for an entirebox since no one in our householdeats them for breakfast. I used chocolate Rice Chex instead (because I do eat them outside of the recipe.) So I’ve beensnacking on childhood nostalgia since. Here‘s the recipe.
Main ingredient: Peanut Butter
Ingredients
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup cereal flakes
Directions
Mix equal amounts of peanut butter and honey. Add the dry milk a little a little at a time. Mix well after each addition.
Form into small balls about 3/4 inch across with your hands. Roll the ball in the crushed cereal flakes. Chill until firm.
Servings : 25 small balls
Description : Honey Milk Balls can be served with milk or fruit juice for a delicious snack.
We like eating out. But there are times when you just have to actually forego dinner out and make it yourself. I love to eat Italian inspired food at home because even if you aren’t following a real recipe if you can gather a protein, a starch, and a sauce you’re pretty much good to go.
