Help this newbie cook!

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[Post New]08/12/2012 16:37
quote
Anonymous
Easy shrimp and pasta (just a step up from a basic spaghetti night but easy on the fly if you keep frozen shrimp at home)

Shrimp
Olive oil
Butter
Garlic
Crushed red pepper (and/or cayenne)
Good marinara
Pasta

Use frozen UNcooked shrimp (biggest you can find--I get from Costco). Defrost under cold water and take off tails.

Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a skillet on medium or just below. Add about 3 cloves of garlic crushed. Add crushed red pepper if you want some spice. Add shrimp in an even layer and turn after about 2 min and cook until opaque but don't overcook. Salt and pepper to taste. Add good quality marinara (rao's) and turn down heat. Simmer while you cook pasta.
[Post New]08/12/2012 20:22
quote
Anonymous
bakersman wrote:Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

¾ cup of all prupose flour
1/4 cup of olive or canola oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 quart of fresh white mushrooms
1 large lemon cut
1 teaspoon of dried oregano (double that for fresh - chopped)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon of table salt) 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper

Directions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces (about an inch long and half as wide)
2. Cut the mushrooms into quarters or slice them.
3. In a plastic ziploc tyos bag, add the flour, salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake to combine.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan that has a cover. (if you stove top temp goes from 1-9 you want to be at 5). The oil is ready when is slides smoothly (it slides faster than it did when it and the pan were cold) across the bottom of the pan.
5. While the oil is heating, place a few pieces of chicken in the bag with the flour and shake to coat the chicken with the seasoned flour.
6. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until the pieces are light brown. You will want to move the turn over the pieces of chicken as you go to get the pieces evenly browned.
7. Add the oregano and mushrooms to the pan. Cover, reduce to a simmer (2-3 on the 1-9 heat scale) and simmer for 5 minutes. This will allow the mushrooms to release their water into the pan.
8. Stir everything in the pan. Use a spoon or spatula to loosen any browned flour bits from the bottom of the pan -- they are full of flavor.
9. Quarter the lemon and squirt its half the juice onto the chicken and half directly into the pan. Give everything a good stir and then add the rinds to the pan.
10. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

11. Remove the rinds and give everything a good stir. The flour from the chicken should have helped to make the juice and water from the mushrooms into a sauce. Because the amount of liquid in the mushrooms (the fresher the more water) and the size of the lemon, the sauce may be thick or thin. If it seems thick and pasty, add some additional lemon juice and/or chicken broth. If it is too thin, remove the chicken and continue to simmer the sauce until it thickens. If you have no sauce, well you were cooking at too high a heat or you checked the pan too often and let the water escape. You can remove the chicken and add some chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan to try and resurrect a sauce from the flour bits still on the bottom of the pan.

Serve with/over rice (brown or white).

Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.


Sounds delicious. Any reason to think this would be way thrown off if I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour?
[Post New]08/12/2012 20:55
quote
Anonymous
Quesadillas--SO easy and you can stuff them with anything!!

Homemade pizza-- grab dough at pizzeria or grocery store..

Baked chicken--season with garlic powder,salt,pepper,paprika and rosemary..side of mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, veggies,etc

Baked fish--season with your liking or salt and pepper.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatloaf

Chicken parmigana--bread chicken cutlets bake top with sauce and mozerella
[Post New]08/13/2012 07:39
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
bakersman wrote:Lemon Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

¾ cup of all prupose flour
1/4 cup of olive or canola oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 quart of fresh white mushrooms
1 large lemon cut
1 teaspoon of dried oregano (double that for fresh - chopped)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon of table salt) 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper

Directions

1. Cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces (about an inch long and half as wide)
2. Cut the mushrooms into quarters or slice them.
3. In a plastic ziploc tyos bag, add the flour, salt and pepper. Close the bag and shake to combine.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan that has a cover. (if you stove top temp goes from 1-9 you want to be at 5). The oil is ready when is slides smoothly (it slides faster than it did when it and the pan were cold) across the bottom of the pan.
5. While the oil is heating, place a few pieces of chicken in the bag with the flour and shake to coat the chicken with the seasoned flour.
6. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until the pieces are light brown. You will want to move the turn over the pieces of chicken as you go to get the pieces evenly browned.
7. Add the oregano and mushrooms to the pan. Cover, reduce to a simmer (2-3 on the 1-9 heat scale) and simmer for 5 minutes. This will allow the mushrooms to release their water into the pan.
8. Stir everything in the pan. Use a spoon or spatula to loosen any browned flour bits from the bottom of the pan -- they are full of flavor.
9. Quarter the lemon and squirt its half the juice onto the chicken and half directly into the pan. Give everything a good stir and then add the rinds to the pan.
10. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.

11. Remove the rinds and give everything a good stir. The flour from the chicken should have helped to make the juice and water from the mushrooms into a sauce. Because the amount of liquid in the mushrooms (the fresher the more water) and the size of the lemon, the sauce may be thick or thin. If it seems thick and pasty, add some additional lemon juice and/or chicken broth. If it is too thin, remove the chicken and continue to simmer the sauce until it thickens. If you have no sauce, well you were cooking at too high a heat or you checked the pan too often and let the water escape. You can remove the chicken and add some chicken broth and lemon juice to the pan to try and resurrect a sauce from the flour bits still on the bottom of the pan.

Serve with/over rice (brown or white).

Total cooking time is about 20 minutes.


Sounds delicious. Any reason to think this would be way thrown off if I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour?


Short answer, I don't know. The flour creates a light coating on the chicken and thickens the sauce. When I have used whole wheat flour to coat chicken for fried chicken, I found the coating to be thick, hard and not very palatable. Maybe white wheat? Or 1/2 and 1/2 white/whole? If you try it, please repor back. I'd be interested in the results.
[Post New]08/13/2012 08:13
quote
Anonymous
Use white flour, it is finer. Whole wheat is too dense.
[Post New]08/13/2012 10:52
quote
Anonymous
Wow. May be the most helpful thread ever--and not just for newbies. Thanks!
[Post New]08/16/2012 16:39
quote
Anonymous
I cooked the lemon chicken. It turned out wonderful! Thanks recipe poster!
[Post New]08/20/2012 12:53
quote
Anonymous
I cooked the lemon chicken, as well. It was very tasty. I did not have a frying pan large enough to cook all four chicken breast pieces at once. Do those of you who used this recipe have one? If so, what size is it? I think I may request one for my birthday.
[Post New]08/20/2012 19:04
quote
Anonymous
Get a cast iron skillet. Most useful pan ever. Get a 12" first -- good when a really large skillet is required (like for 4 chicken breasts).

They take seasoning and care, but it's not that hard and totally worth it.

Once you get the hang of it, if you decide you like cast iron, you can get some other useful sizes--10" is good for all purpose general use; 6" is a good "single egger" for the single cook; and there are flat griddles for pancakes and the like.
[Post New]08/20/2012 19:04
quote
Anonymous
And they're cheap -- $20 or $25 at the hardware store. Lodge is the best and most common brand. They even make pre-seasoned ones now.
[Post New]08/27/2012 11:41
quote
bakersman
Member Offline
Pork Loin with Onions and Peaches

1 1/3 pound(s) uncooked lean pork loin
2 large uncooked onion(s)
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 large peach(es)
3 item(s) rosemary sprig
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper.

Instructions

Prep:
1. Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
2. The top and bottom sides of the pork loin with three finger pinches of salt and set aside.
3. Peel the skins off the peaches. Cut an x into each peach and then lower the peach into boiling water for one minute. Remove from the peach from the boiling water and plunge into cold water to cool it down. Skin will remove easily.
4. Slice the peaches into 8-12 slices. Cut the onions in half and then, placing the flat side down on the cutting board, cut into slices no larger than ¼ inch or 5 mm thick. Chop up the rosemary into very small pieces.

Cook:
5. In a Dutch oven or a frying pan, add the oil and heat on medium heat (5 of 10 on a 10 point scale) until the oil moves across the pan easily when it is tilted.
6. Add the onions and cook until they are soft, stirring occasionally. This takes approx 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the rosemary, stir it into the onions, and cook for 30 seconds longer.
8. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the seasoned onions from the pan. If you are going to use a baking pan for the next step, add the onions to that pan. If you are going to use the Dutch oven, place into a bowl.
9. Increase the heat to medium high (7 of 10), wait 30 seconds, then add the pork loin and brown it on all sides.
10. If using a baking pan, place the browned pork loin into the pan with the onions and add the peaches around the lion. If using the Dutch oven, remove from heat and add the onions and peaches, arranging them around the loin. Season the pork with an additional two-finger pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

11. Place the uncovered pan into the oven and cook for ten minutes. Then check the temperature. When it is 145° at the center, it is time to come out.
12. Cover the pan and let it sit for ten minutes to allow the juices to redistribute in the pork.
13. Slice and serve with the onions and peaches – on top, under or next to the slices.


Dutch Oven
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_oven
http://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Ovens-Cookware-Baking-Kitchen/b?ie=UTF8&node=289818

[Post New]08/27/2012 11:58
quote
Anonymous
bakersman, you should start a youtube channel. i'm not a newbie cook and i like your recipes too!
[Post New]08/27/2012 12:23
quote
Anonymous
OP, since your challenge is timing, try one pot meals that have the whole meal in one dish. A couple of suggestions:

- risotto. Has a reputation as really difficult, but it is dead simple. Decide what you want in it. Leftovers work great, so if you have leftover steak, chicken, seafood, etc. cut it up and set it aside. Chop and saute some veggies. Set aside. Microwave or heat up on stove a whole lot of broth (like 8 cups). Saute 2 cups of arborio rice in olive oil till it smells toasty. Add some wine if you like. Then add 1/3 of the broth, stir occasionally till it is almost absorbed, add the next 1/3, then the next. When the rice still has some crunchiness add your fixings and some cheese. Turn stove off and let sit for 5 or 10 min as you set table and corral the kids. It should be a little goopy.

- Sausage and garlic greens. My meat loving family loves this one. Take a heavy bottom pot or pan and add olive oil. Heat it up, then toss in kale, collard greens, or chard. Add as many cloves of garlic as you like (I do like 4), salt and pepper, and stir. As soon as the greens wilt just a bit, put sausages on top of the greens. Put the whole pan into the oven at 350 for 35 min or so, or until the sausage is browned on top and cooked through. Take sausage out, toss in a little vinegar (any kind will do, but I use cider or balsamic) and stir it into the greens. Serve.

- do above but with chopped tomatoes, onions, and garlic. Leave out the vinegar.

- Chicken stew. Saute some onions, carrots, celery in olive oil till they get a little soft. Toss in some garlic (you can even leave it in its peel, and then squeeze the garlic mush out later). Toss in any tomatoes you have - a couple of big ones, a pint of cherry tomatoes, a small can...whatever. Add chicken - either thighs, drumsticks, or breast or a mix. Brown for a couple minutes. Add some wine if you like, then a few cups of broth. Throw in a bayleaf, and thyme and rosemary if you have fresh. Cook on very low heat (or in the oven at 350) for half an hour or so. You can serve over pasta or rice or polenta as is, or pull out chicken and bay leaf (and garlic peels) and use immersion blender to make it thick and smooth. If you want to get old school, make quick dumplings (or use biscuit dough) and drop them into the stew before you put it in the over. Make sure you cover the pot if you do dumplings. The flour from the dumplings thickens the stew and kids love the dumplings.

- stir fry. Make a pot of rice. Chop up 1 meat and 2 veggies (broccoli, onions, thin cut carrots, green beans, asparagus...). Shake salt and pepper over the meat, then saute it in a hot pan with veggie oil until done. Put the meat on a plate. Toss your two veggies into the hot pan with some more oil and cook until done. Add pre-made stir fry sauce or make your own while the rice cooks (I use soy sauce, vinegar, corn starch, water, a touch of sugar), then add the meat. Bring the sauce and stir fry to a boil if you made your own (makes the cornstarch thicken) and serve over rice.

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