Category Archives: Food

Food

Freezer Friday: Chicken Kiev

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Welcome to Freezer Friday. The goal here is to make our lives easier. Due to the fact I have 4 little ones and homeschool, I need all the help I can find. Simply post a recipe that can be made, frozen and then later reheated(thawed, etc) and consumed. Make sure that you include freezing and reheating instructions in your post. Then come here and add you post (not your blog) into Mr. Linky.
Now for some disclaimers:
If it isn’t a recipe, I will delete it.
If it can’t be made ahead, I will delete it.
If you don’t have a family friendly site, I will delete it.
Now onto the food fun!

Chicken Kiev is one of those dishes that always sounds so complicated but in reality is very simple. This is even a dish you can cook in bulk and finish later. This week I made 24 of these. But first, some ingredients.

Software:
Chicken Breasts
Softened Margarine or butter mixed with Garlic or Garlic Powder
Egg
Milk
Bread Crumbs
Oil for browning

Hardware:
Cutting Board
Meat Tenderizer (Mallot)
2 bowls
Skillet
Baking Dish
Toothpicks
Spatula

Procedure:
First pound out some chicken breasts to make them even thickness. Then cut a pocket in the side and place a slice of garlic butter in it. Mix egg and milk together in one bowl. Then place bread crumbs in another bowl. Dredge the chicken breast in the milk/egg mixture and then the breadcrumbs. Transfer to heated skillet and brown on all sides. Then transfer to baking dish and cook in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

To make as a Freezer meal:
After browning allow the chicken breast to cool. Then freeze. I take them out frozen and cook them for 1 hour at 350 degrees or thawed they cook 30-45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: chicken kiev, freezer friday, cooking

Food

Orzo and Asparagus

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Here is an easy side dish. You can manipulate it to serve your tastes. Orzo pasta is the rice shaped pasta. If you don’t like lemon just leave it out. It serves to brighten the flavor of the asparagus.

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter (not margarine)
2 tsp garlic
1 tbl fresh parley or 2 tsp dried
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb orzo pasta
1 tsp lemon juice

Process:
Boil the pasta 5 minutes, then add the asparagus and boil together for 3 minutes. During this time, put the butter and garlic into a skillet. Saute the garlic and brown the butter (don’t burn). Then drain the pasta and asparagus and add to the butter mixture. Stir then add lemon juice and parsley. Stir and serve.

Technorati Tags: pasta, asparagus, cooking, orzo

Food

Rice Crispy Treats

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I know that everyone has had these but they don’t put the recipe on the box anymore. So here is the basics and then I made some delicious variations.

Ingredients:
3 tbl butter
4 cups of mini-marshmallows or 1 package of big marshmallows
6 cups Rice Crispy cereal or derivative

Process:
Butter (or butter flavored no-stick spray) a 7 X 11 1/2 for nice thick squares. Melt the butter in a heavy pan and then melt marshmallows. As soon as they are almost smooth stop, otherwise you will have softness issues. Then dump in cereal and stir, stir, stir until fully mixed. Then dump into the dish. Take a sandwich bag and turn it inside out and spray lightly with no-stick spray. Then use it to push down the mixture. Let cool and eat!

Now the specials I added. I found chocolate marshmallows on Valentine’s clearance at Target (I didn’t know they existed) and used 1/2 plain cereal and 1/2 chocolate (it came in the box that way). Then I took icing in a can (also clearance) and was playing with the tips, thus the different patterns.

Food

Freezer Friday: Shredded Roast Beef

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Due to the fact I have 4 little ones and homeschool, I need all the help I can find. Simply post a recipe that can be made, frozen and then later reheated(thawed, etc) and consumed. Make sure that you include freezing and reheating instructions in your post. Then come here and add you post (not your blog) into Mr. Linky.
Now for some disclaimers:
If it isn’t a recipe, I will delete it.
If it can’t be made ahead, I will delete it.
If you don’t have a family friendly site, I will delete it.
Now onto the food fun!

Shredded Roast Beef

This is a great recipe. I like it over rice or on hamburger buns.

Ingredients:
3 lbs Beef Roast
1/3 cup Dehydrated Onion
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 oz)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1/2 cup Water

Assembly:
Mix up everything but the meat. Put the meat in the Crockpot and cover with the rest of the ingredients. Then turn it on low all day or over night. Then cool slightly and put all the stock in the refrigerator. Then shred meat with 2 forks (or by hand). Then remove cold stock from frig and remove the layer of fat. Then mix the stock and meat. The Place in muffin cups (use liners if using a muffin tin). Then freeze individually. To reheat thaw (remove paper liners) and microwave or heat on the stove.

That is it! Now add your recipe!

Food

Cheap and Easy Romantic Meal

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I think Valentine’s Day is a challenge for everyone. Do you go out and pay a lot of money, not to mention the crowds? That is IF you can find a babysitter, which is always a challenge in my neck of the woods. So what is the solution? Tire out the kids, feed them early and put them to bed. Then decide on a decadent dinner you have always wanted to eat and make it yourself. I know, I know, it sounds hard but it really isn’t. Here is one of our favorites, Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon with Whipped Mashed Potatoes. When we first discussed this (years ago) I was mortified to pay that much for meat but let us really look at it. At our Meat Market it is $14 a pound and you can get 2 good sized fillets in a pound. Compare that with at least $20 a plate and you are saving money. This way it is made how you like it, nice ambiance and no crowds. The other part is that it is so easy to make. First take bacon and wrap it tightly around a fillet. You need to overlap so it may take a few pieces. Then cook it over medium heat in a skillet on the stove. When the bacon is done give the fillet a push with your finger. If it is real squishy put it in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes. Then take the meat out of the skillet to rest. Add a little red wine to deglaze the skillet. When it has reduced a little add a pat of butter, this rounds out the sauce (or gives it a rich taste). For a finishing touch, place your fillets on a piece of toast french bread and then pour your sauce over the top. Pair with mashed potatoes that have been finished with a little cream cheese and enjoy!

Then you have a fancy dinner for a fraction of the price! Have a great Valentine’s Day.

(This is a repost from last year on Nerdfamily!)

Food

Leveling Cakes

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So I needed to level a bunch of cakes and I seemed to have found a solution (I am so proud of myself!). Take 2 boxes (I used latke mix) and put the cake in between them. Then I used the blade off of my electric knife to level them. The key to blade choice is one that is totally flat on one side. You will notice in the pictures that the white part is only on one side. If you don’t have a blade that doesn’t lie flat or is handle-free you can get a hack saw blade from the home store.

Food

Cheap and Easy Recipes: Pork Loin Chops 2 Ways

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So here is an installment of my cheap and easy recipes. Pork Loin is something that is good for you and cheap. First, I get my pork loin chops at Costco. Usually it is 9 to a tray. I then cut them in half because they start about 1 1/2 inches thick. BTW, June 19th-June 25th there is a Passport Coupon at Costco for $5 off (an even better deal!).
Baked Pork Loin:
I take 1/2 bottle of Lawry’s Marinade (any liquid marinade would do) and marinade for anywhere from 20 minutes to hours. Then preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Put into any lipped baking dish. Pop it in the oven for 25 minutes and you are done!
Breaded Pork Loin:
This takes just a bit more effort. Make a mixture of 2:1 seasoned bread crumbs to shredded parmesan cheese. To save time, buy your pamesan preshredded in the deli area. Get a large skillet or griddle and heat it up at medium high heat. Bread both sides of the pork loin chop and put it the lightly oil skillet. Cook until done. One way to see if the pork is cooked through is to watch the side. When it is completely white and the pork is firm to the touch, it is done. Usually about 7 minutes a side.

And that is it. 2 easy and different ways to make pork loin chops!

Food

Almond Buttermilk Pancakes

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In honor of Pancake Day on February 5, 2008…
I found this recipe in the July 2007 Cooking Light and it has been a big hit. NerdDad isn’t real fond of the slice almonds so often I just leave them out.

**Make Ahead Tip: Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately the night before. Then just combine and cook in the morning.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/4 cup Sliced Almonds, toasted
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Salt
1 1/3 cups Nonfat Buttermilk
1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Water
2 tbls Canola Oil
1 Large Egg
Cooking Spray

Process
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Mix wet ingredients (except cooking spray) and add to dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Cook 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges looked cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook for 2 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Yield: 12 pancakes

Food

Freezer Friday: Snickerdoodles

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Welcome to Freezer Friday and yes, this is my standard Freezer Friday intro! Since I haven’t done a make ahead dessert, here is one of my favorites!

Due to the fact I have 4 little ones and homeschool, I need all the help I can find. Simply post a recipe that can be made, frozen and then later reheated(thawed, etc) and consumed. Make sure that you include freezing and reheating instructions in your post. Then come here and add you post (not your blog) into Mr. Linky.
Now for some disclaimers:
If it isn’t a recipe, I will delete it.
If it can’t be made ahead, I will delete it.
If you don’t have a family friendly site, I will delete it.
Now onto the food fun!

Snickerdoodles:

Here is an easy snickerdoodle. You can freeze the dough once in balls and cook later. It is a great recipe do make with kids. I have the 5 yr old roll the balls and the 3 yr old rolls them in cinnamon and sugar. So on with the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 3/4 cup flour
2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

cinnamon
sugar

Procedure
1. Mix shortening, sugar and eggs
2. Add dry ingredients
3. Roll into balls the size of walnuts
4. Roll in mixture of cinnamon(1) and sugar(2)
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes