I don't know why I chose yesterday - a beautiful 94 degree early summer day in Louisiana - to make a pot of chili. But it was probably the best chili I've ever made, so take that, conventional sense!
The base recipe I use is Mom's. I'm sure you have it somewhere. But I always do my own thing with the seasoning, the way I usually do - I cook it down, then taste it, taste it, taste it. I add a little more of this, a little more of that, until it's exactly where I want it. This is a crucial step in cooking for me - I never, never follow the seasoning instructions of any recipe exactly as written. Please keep that in mind, because you can't really write down a recipe for chili seasoning. No you cannot.
Here's the best I can do!
______________________________________
Chili
• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 tbs flour
• 3-4 minced garlic cloves
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 chopped green pepper
* 1 chopped jalepeno pepper (scrape out the seeds for milder chili, leave some in for hot)
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
* 1 can light or dark (doesn't matter) red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2 cups water (plus more, as needed)
SEASONING - a rough guideline on where to start. Work your way from there.
• 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp whole cumin seed
• 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
* A couple generous shakes of Tony's
I ended up adding MORE of all of that, a little bit at a time.
In a big stew pot, brown the ground beef. As it cooks down, add the flour. When it's well browned, drain the meat well and add all of the other ingredients EXCEPT THE BEANS. The water level should be just enough to cover everything comfortably.
Simmer the pot (either covered or uncovered, I don't think it matters) over medium-low heat for 2 ½ hours, while you sip some iced tea with your feet in a kiddie pool on the patio. Go inside frequently to get another popsicle, and stir the chili. Add more water if it cooks down too much. Turn the heat down if it starts to boil - you just need it to simmer happily along all afternoon.
After 2 ½ hours, add in the beans. This is when you can taste and adjust the flavor to get it just perfect. This is also a good time to make cornbread muffins.
Keep the pot simmering until everyone is ready to come inside and eat. I like to eat mine with a little sprinkle of cheddar cheese on top, and a Dust Buster in one hand to catch the cornbread crumbs your nephew spreads all over the house.
Showing posts with label slow cook (take it easy). Show all posts
Showing posts with label slow cook (take it easy). Show all posts
Chicken & Dumplings
This is a copy-cat recipe of Cracker Barrel's chicken & dumplings, which are the best chicken & dumplings. I don't even remember the way I used to make them, because once I tasted these, no other recipe exists. There are some notes to make the cooking time shorter or longer, depending on how much time you want to devote to this meal. Enjoy!
________________________________
CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
• 2-3 lbs chicken - I used boneless, skinless breast. You can use a whole chicken. Or a bag of mixed chicken parts. Or whatever.
• 1½ tsp salt (to start, work up from there to taste)
• 1 smallish onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf (2 if you're using the smaller dried ones, and I am)
• 4-6 whole parsley leaves (or 1-2 tsp dried)
• ½ tsp black pepper (or more to taste - the recipe originally said 1 tsp and that was A LOT OF PEPPER. So I'm telling you, start with half that and work up if you need to)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
* 2-3 cans (7.5 oz each) canned biscuits
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. How much water? Eh, I don't know, just fill the pot a little over half full and go for it. You can always add more water later if you need it. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours (*) . Everything will smell real good.
Remove the chicken from the pot, and set it aside to cool. Remove and discard the bay leaf. This next part is up to you, and is a matter of taste. You can either strain all of the solids from the stock, leaving just the broth (this is how Cracker Barrel does it), or you can leave the solids in there. I compromised and strained about HALF of the solids out. I like visible veggies, but it did seem like a LOT of chunks in there. Whatever you decide to do is fine. You're awesome. That shirt looks great on you.
Bring your broth back to a simmer on the stove. Add pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and lemon juice (this tripped me out. It seems weird to add lemon to chicken stock. But it's awesome). While still simmering, drop in the dumplings – crack open some cans of biscuit dough (**), and pinch pieces off each round. I got about 3-4 pieces off each biscuit, and that worked out pretty well. Stir things around as you add the dough – the dumplings will swell up some, then dissolve down to thicken the broth into a gravy. Let the dumplings simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then from the bottom (so nothing sticks). Add water if things get too thick.
While that's happening, deal with your chicken. Remove any skin, bones, fat, etc (if you have that), and cut the meat into bite-size (or just slightly larger) pieces. Add the chicken to the pot, stir it up all good, and heat it through. Serve!
________________________________
(*) My God, woman. I don't have time for that!
Okay, so here's what you can do: Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, and brown it up in a skillet with a little oil. Crack open a few cans of low-sodium chicken broth and heat it to boiling on the stove. Voila. You got your chicken, and your broth. Drop in some biscuit dough, and you're done. If you like the chunky-veggie version, you can sautee some onion, celery and garlic in a skillet until tender, and dump it in there. Season it however you want!
________________________________
(**) I am a rigid traditionalist / have nothing else to do today / want to break in this new rolling pin I bought / need bragging rights, yo.
Great! Make these and tell me how it goes. I may try it when Curt moves off to college.
HAND-MADE DUMPLINGS
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, plus 2 tbs
Combine the flour, baking powder, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface, to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into ½ inch square dumplings.
________________________________
CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
• 2-3 lbs chicken - I used boneless, skinless breast. You can use a whole chicken. Or a bag of mixed chicken parts. Or whatever.
• 1½ tsp salt (to start, work up from there to taste)
• 1 smallish onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf (2 if you're using the smaller dried ones, and I am)
• 4-6 whole parsley leaves (or 1-2 tsp dried)
• ½ tsp black pepper (or more to taste - the recipe originally said 1 tsp and that was A LOT OF PEPPER. So I'm telling you, start with half that and work up if you need to)
• 1 tbs lemon juice
* 2-3 cans (7.5 oz each) canned biscuits
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. How much water? Eh, I don't know, just fill the pot a little over half full and go for it. You can always add more water later if you need it. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon of salt, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and parsley to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours (*) . Everything will smell real good.
Remove the chicken from the pot, and set it aside to cool. Remove and discard the bay leaf. This next part is up to you, and is a matter of taste. You can either strain all of the solids from the stock, leaving just the broth (this is how Cracker Barrel does it), or you can leave the solids in there. I compromised and strained about HALF of the solids out. I like visible veggies, but it did seem like a LOT of chunks in there. Whatever you decide to do is fine. You're awesome. That shirt looks great on you.
Bring your broth back to a simmer on the stove. Add pepper, the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and lemon juice (this tripped me out. It seems weird to add lemon to chicken stock. But it's awesome). While still simmering, drop in the dumplings – crack open some cans of biscuit dough (**), and pinch pieces off each round. I got about 3-4 pieces off each biscuit, and that worked out pretty well. Stir things around as you add the dough – the dumplings will swell up some, then dissolve down to thicken the broth into a gravy. Let the dumplings simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then from the bottom (so nothing sticks). Add water if things get too thick.
While that's happening, deal with your chicken. Remove any skin, bones, fat, etc (if you have that), and cut the meat into bite-size (or just slightly larger) pieces. Add the chicken to the pot, stir it up all good, and heat it through. Serve!
________________________________
(*) My God, woman. I don't have time for that!
Okay, so here's what you can do: Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, and brown it up in a skillet with a little oil. Crack open a few cans of low-sodium chicken broth and heat it to boiling on the stove. Voila. You got your chicken, and your broth. Drop in some biscuit dough, and you're done. If you like the chunky-veggie version, you can sautee some onion, celery and garlic in a skillet until tender, and dump it in there. Season it however you want!
________________________________
(**) I am a rigid traditionalist / have nothing else to do today / want to break in this new rolling pin I bought / need bragging rights, yo.
Great! Make these and tell me how it goes. I may try it when Curt moves off to college.
HAND-MADE DUMPLINGS
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk, plus 2 tbs
Combine the flour, baking powder, 1¼ teaspoons salt, and milk in a medium bowl. Stir well until smooth, then let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes. Roll the dough out onto a floured surface, to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Cut the dough into ½ inch square dumplings.
Labels:
chicken,
slow cook (take it easy)
Bacon Potato Chowder
We make a lot of bacon at our house because it’s the only thing Will knows how to cook. And because we really, really, really love it. But while two people can indeed polish off an entire pack of bacon in one sitting, we don’t recommend it. Here’s a great recipe to keep you from guilt-eating all of that yummy crispy bacon. Man, I love bacon.
Bacon Potato Chowder
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
4 cans condensed cream of potato soup
4 soup cans milk
3 large potatoes cut into ½ inch pieces
½ cup chopped fresh chives
salt and pepper
Stir bacon, onion, soup, milk, salt and pepper, potatoes and ¼ chives in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Serve with remaining chives.
The original recipe had different quantities of ingredients that I disagreed with (HA) and also added cheddar cheese at the end. I really didn’t see the need for the cheese, this soup was pretty perfect as is, and super, super simple to make, which I’m always looking for. I added the salt and pepper last, because I had no idea how much it would need, so use to taste. This soup has been potato-soup-fanatic (Danielle!) approved!
Oh, and as soon I smelled it I made the decision to serve with crusty bread and lots of butter, all warm and toasty from the oven. Now we know!
Labels:
bacon,
comfort food,
slow cook (take it easy),
soooup,
taters precious
Pumpkin Maple Bread Pudding
So, the lovely Amy sent me this recipe and I'm not sure where she got it from, but it's amazing. Holy shit.
I just sat down at my desk. This is the first thing I am doing this morning at work. I actually wanted to get up last night and post this. No, ok, I wanted to drive the two hours to your house in the middle of the night, crawl into bed with you, and spoon feed you a bowl of this. It's that good. You will die. Everyone is going to die when they eat this. I died.
This is everything I ever needed for fall. It's sweet and gooey, but not overpowering. It's the perfect amount of sugar, the perfect blend of spices, the perfect texture. It's absolutely unbelieveable. And it's EASY. It's so freakin' easy that I almost don't understand it. And the smell while you're cooking it? Will and I just hung out in the living room so we could be closer to the smell. We just sat around and sniffed at the air like cats.
Just...just make this. Tonight. Please.
Pumpkin Maple Bread Pudding
1.5 cups heavy cream
one 16 oz can pumpkin puree (2 cups)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I agree with Amy here, just get it from a damn jar)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
9 cups torn egg bread* or leftover croissaints (Albertson's makes delicious, huge, buttery croissants 4 or 6 to a pack for very cheap in the bakery...I can't remember how many come in each, but I do know I used two packs, with two croissants leftover. Or eaten before this was ever made. Whatever.)
Coat the insert of a 5-to-7 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line with a slow-cooker liner.
Whisk all the ingredients except the bread in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
Add the bread to the bowl and stir to soak the bread.
Transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert.
Cover and cook on high for about 3.5 hours, until puffed and an instant-read thermometer registers 185 degrees.
Allow the pudding to rest for about 30 minutes.
THAT'S IT. Also, serve with whipped cream. Eat in bed out of tiny bowls while you watch Magnum PI on DVD because nothing good's on TV. Get seconds. Laugh at Higgins.
*I have NO IDEA what egg bread is, but it reminds me of the egg cream scene in Squirm, so I just quoted MST all night. Telling your slow cooker that you're going to Willem Dafoe all over it does not make it speed up, sadly. I accidentally married one of the sheep!
(I still have the soup recipe from Emmy to try that we had talked about...hopefully it will stop being SUMMER and we can do that soon)
I just sat down at my desk. This is the first thing I am doing this morning at work. I actually wanted to get up last night and post this. No, ok, I wanted to drive the two hours to your house in the middle of the night, crawl into bed with you, and spoon feed you a bowl of this. It's that good. You will die. Everyone is going to die when they eat this. I died.
This is everything I ever needed for fall. It's sweet and gooey, but not overpowering. It's the perfect amount of sugar, the perfect blend of spices, the perfect texture. It's absolutely unbelieveable. And it's EASY. It's so freakin' easy that I almost don't understand it. And the smell while you're cooking it? Will and I just hung out in the living room so we could be closer to the smell. We just sat around and sniffed at the air like cats.
Just...just make this. Tonight. Please.
Pumpkin Maple Bread Pudding
1.5 cups heavy cream
one 16 oz can pumpkin puree (2 cups)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I agree with Amy here, just get it from a damn jar)
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
9 cups torn egg bread* or leftover croissaints (Albertson's makes delicious, huge, buttery croissants 4 or 6 to a pack for very cheap in the bakery...I can't remember how many come in each, but I do know I used two packs, with two croissants leftover. Or eaten before this was ever made. Whatever.)
Coat the insert of a 5-to-7 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line with a slow-cooker liner.
Whisk all the ingredients except the bread in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
Add the bread to the bowl and stir to soak the bread.
Transfer the mixture to the slow-cooker insert.
Cover and cook on high for about 3.5 hours, until puffed and an instant-read thermometer registers 185 degrees.
Allow the pudding to rest for about 30 minutes.
THAT'S IT. Also, serve with whipped cream. Eat in bed out of tiny bowls while you watch Magnum PI on DVD because nothing good's on TV. Get seconds. Laugh at Higgins.
*I have NO IDEA what egg bread is, but it reminds me of the egg cream scene in Squirm, so I just quoted MST all night. Telling your slow cooker that you're going to Willem Dafoe all over it does not make it speed up, sadly. I accidentally married one of the sheep!
(I still have the soup recipe from Emmy to try that we had talked about...hopefully it will stop being SUMMER and we can do that soon)
Chicken and Bean Burritos
This was pretty good. As in, I'll definitely do it again, but it wasn't AMAZING. I did it in a slow cooker, but you could easily do this on the stove.
Chicken and Bean Burritos
1 can of condensed Cheddar Cheese soup (I know, I know - I almost barfed when I read that, too)
1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Salt, pepper, Tony's
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Tortillas! (which I should buy stock in)
Lettuce (shredded), sour cream, fresh tomatoes (diced), cheddar cheese (grated)
Put the chicken, cheddar cheese soup, and chili and garlic powder into your slow cooker. I added a bit of water here, too, so it would stir easier (maybe like two tablespoons?). I put a couple of teaspoons of the chili powder, and one of the garlic powder. I think next time I might add some cumin? I'm not sure, if you make this, let me know what you think. Season it with the Holy Trinity and cook on low for 6 hours. While you pay invoices and take damp dollar bills from sweaty plumbers for change to buy Fritos out of the vending machine. Doesn't that make you want to eat a burrito?
When you get home, take off those shoes. Shit. Add the two cans of beans to your chicken and stir it all up. Are you serious? It's ready to eat, that's it? That's it, let's eat. Spread your tortilla with sour cream, put the chicken and bean stuff all up in it, top with cheese, lettuce and tomato, and fold it all up. Tuck your edges, that's where I usually mess up. It's like wrapping a Christmas gift.
If you're like the us, eat this while you watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. You will never feel so cool again, trust me.
Chicken and Bean Burritos
1 can of condensed Cheddar Cheese soup (I know, I know - I almost barfed when I read that, too)
1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
Chili powder
Garlic powder
Salt, pepper, Tony's
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Tortillas! (which I should buy stock in)
Lettuce (shredded), sour cream, fresh tomatoes (diced), cheddar cheese (grated)
Put the chicken, cheddar cheese soup, and chili and garlic powder into your slow cooker. I added a bit of water here, too, so it would stir easier (maybe like two tablespoons?). I put a couple of teaspoons of the chili powder, and one of the garlic powder. I think next time I might add some cumin? I'm not sure, if you make this, let me know what you think. Season it with the Holy Trinity and cook on low for 6 hours. While you pay invoices and take damp dollar bills from sweaty plumbers for change to buy Fritos out of the vending machine. Doesn't that make you want to eat a burrito?
When you get home, take off those shoes. Shit. Add the two cans of beans to your chicken and stir it all up. Are you serious? It's ready to eat, that's it? That's it, let's eat. Spread your tortilla with sour cream, put the chicken and bean stuff all up in it, top with cheese, lettuce and tomato, and fold it all up. Tuck your edges, that's where I usually mess up. It's like wrapping a Christmas gift.
If you're like the us, eat this while you watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. You will never feel so cool again, trust me.
Labels:
beans,
cheese y'all,
chicken,
slow cook (take it easy)
Garlic Studded Pot Roast
Everyone has their own way of doing pot roast. You can use whatever type of roast is on sale. You can use a variety of veggies. Or no veggies. You can cook it in the oven, or in a slow cooker. You can get all fancy-pants with it, or leave it plain and simple. There is no right or wrong way to make pot roast. Pot roast is for everyone. Okay, well, except vegetarians. Sorry about that, guys.
Here's how I like mine. And boy, do I like mine.
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GARLIC STUDDED POT ROAST
• 1 lean any-kind-of roast, somewhere between 1-3 lbs (whatever looks like the most meat for your money)
• Several cloves fresh garlic
• Salt, black pepper, white pepper, and Tony’s (OR your favorite seasoning salt of choice, of course) – to taste
• 1 large onion (or 2 smaller onions), chopped
• 1 small or ½ large bag baby carrots (left whole) or several large carrots, sliced roughly
• Coarsely chopped new potatoes (optional)
• Hot cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving
This is a Crock Pot recipe. You can make it in the oven, though, no problem. You just have to be home for several hours to watch it, and I had to go to work.
Choose a lean roast, and fresh head of garlic. Peel the garlic cloves and slice them into long slivers. I usually do about 3-4 large garlic cloves, but I like garlic. Use your best judgement on how much garlic you think you might want. I trust you.
Now, this recipe gets a little violent...using a sharp knife, poke a hole in the roast deep enough to stuff a sliver of garlic in. I poke the knife deep, then twist to make the hole wide enough for the garlic. Repeat this all over the roast (while the music from the shower scene in Psycho plays in your head), on all sides, until it’s well studded with garlic - you'll be looking at around 20-30 holes, depending on how much you love garlic.
Season both sides of the roast well with salt, black pepper, and Tony’s.
In the bottom of a large Crock Pot, lay in the chopped onion and plenty of carrots. It doesn't matter how you do the carrots. I usually get a bag of baby carrots and dump them in whole. If you want, add a few chopped potatoes in there, too. I leave those out because I'm watching my starches, but they are pretty tasty.
Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and white pepper. Pour 1/2 cup water (or beef broth/stock, if you have that) over the veggies, then place the seasoned roast on top. Cover and slow cook on low, around 8-10 hours.
Serve with rice or bread. I always go with brown rice, because I like the texture.
________________________________________________
Traditionally, I think pot roast is braised by searing it on all sides in a hot pan before slow cooking it. I don't do this, and it's fine. But you can! Especially if you're cooking it in the oven, you can add a little oil to the pot, sear the meat on the stovetop, then add in the veggies and water/stock and stick the whole thing in the oven. Ooooh.
Like I said, there are all kinds of variations. I like the garlic-studded one best because it's the one I learned from my mama. You can also add any herbs or additional veggies you like. I prefer to keep it super simple.
If you want fancy, though, Emeril Lagasse has a cheffier version of this same garlic studding technique on the Food Network site. It's got, like, wine and shit, so you know it's fine cuisine.
But me, when I want pot roast, I want:
1. Meat
2. Garlic
3. Onion
4. Carrots
5. Rice
6. No funny business
Here's how I like mine. And boy, do I like mine.
________________________________________________
GARLIC STUDDED POT ROAST
• 1 lean any-kind-of roast, somewhere between 1-3 lbs (whatever looks like the most meat for your money)
• Several cloves fresh garlic
• Salt, black pepper, white pepper, and Tony’s (OR your favorite seasoning salt of choice, of course) – to taste
• 1 large onion (or 2 smaller onions), chopped
• 1 small or ½ large bag baby carrots (left whole) or several large carrots, sliced roughly
• Coarsely chopped new potatoes (optional)
• Hot cooked rice or crusty bread, for serving
This is a Crock Pot recipe. You can make it in the oven, though, no problem. You just have to be home for several hours to watch it, and I had to go to work.
Choose a lean roast, and fresh head of garlic. Peel the garlic cloves and slice them into long slivers. I usually do about 3-4 large garlic cloves, but I like garlic. Use your best judgement on how much garlic you think you might want. I trust you.
Now, this recipe gets a little violent...using a sharp knife, poke a hole in the roast deep enough to stuff a sliver of garlic in. I poke the knife deep, then twist to make the hole wide enough for the garlic. Repeat this all over the roast (while the music from the shower scene in Psycho plays in your head), on all sides, until it’s well studded with garlic - you'll be looking at around 20-30 holes, depending on how much you love garlic.
Season both sides of the roast well with salt, black pepper, and Tony’s.
In the bottom of a large Crock Pot, lay in the chopped onion and plenty of carrots. It doesn't matter how you do the carrots. I usually get a bag of baby carrots and dump them in whole. If you want, add a few chopped potatoes in there, too. I leave those out because I'm watching my starches, but they are pretty tasty.
Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and white pepper. Pour 1/2 cup water (or beef broth/stock, if you have that) over the veggies, then place the seasoned roast on top. Cover and slow cook on low, around 8-10 hours.
Serve with rice or bread. I always go with brown rice, because I like the texture.
________________________________________________
Traditionally, I think pot roast is braised by searing it on all sides in a hot pan before slow cooking it. I don't do this, and it's fine. But you can! Especially if you're cooking it in the oven, you can add a little oil to the pot, sear the meat on the stovetop, then add in the veggies and water/stock and stick the whole thing in the oven. Ooooh.
Like I said, there are all kinds of variations. I like the garlic-studded one best because it's the one I learned from my mama. You can also add any herbs or additional veggies you like. I prefer to keep it super simple.
If you want fancy, though, Emeril Lagasse has a cheffier version of this same garlic studding technique on the Food Network site. It's got, like, wine and shit, so you know it's fine cuisine.
But me, when I want pot roast, I want:
1. Meat
2. Garlic
3. Onion
4. Carrots
5. Rice
6. No funny business
Labels:
comfort food,
cow,
slow cook (take it easy)
Chicken and Gravy
Oh, man. My big sister is sick, y’all! You know what she needs? Something good to eat. Here’s what Dr. Baby Sister recommends:
Chicken and Gravy
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
About 7 or 8 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 or 4 stalks of celery, diced
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cup of water
½ cup chicken broth
Get your slow cooker out, please, and place it on the counter. It’s that kind of meal. Put your onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom. Put your chicken in (no, don’t cut it up). Sprinkle your salt and pepper on there (and Tony’s!). Mix the soup, water, and broth together in a separate bowl until it’s combined and then pour it on top of the chicken. Cook that on low for about 7 hours, or until the chicken just falls apart. Sop it up with some frozen biscuits – we’re not getting’ fancy here.
And feel better!
Chicken and Gravy
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, diced
About 7 or 8 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 or 4 stalks of celery, diced
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cup of water
½ cup chicken broth
Get your slow cooker out, please, and place it on the counter. It’s that kind of meal. Put your onion, carrots, and celery in the bottom. Put your chicken in (no, don’t cut it up). Sprinkle your salt and pepper on there (and Tony’s!). Mix the soup, water, and broth together in a separate bowl until it’s combined and then pour it on top of the chicken. Cook that on low for about 7 hours, or until the chicken just falls apart. Sop it up with some frozen biscuits – we’re not getting’ fancy here.
And feel better!
Labels:
chicken,
slow cook (take it easy)
Red Beans!
I am so glad to hear you're starting to like red beans and rice, because it is a totally Louisiana dish, and you are so Louisiana that it was kind of ridiculous that you didn't like them before. I guess now I need to learn to eat crawfish!
This is how I make mine, based on Mom's recipe. Which isn't really a recipe, but a set of loose instructions. No measurements required, because everything is to taste. You will need:
I use half a package of beans at a time, but I can't remember if I get the 1 lb. or 2 lb. bags...ugh. I guess a good rule of thumb would be just cover the bottom of the stew pot with beans until you think to yourself, "Cool, that looks like enough beans."
The best prep method for all this is to pour the beans into the pot the night before, cover them with water, put the lid on the pot and go to bed. The next morning, rinse your beans and add fresh water before cooking. Soaking the beans overnight helps them soften and split, and it also takes some of the gassy properties out of the beans. Yes, you will want that.
If you forget to do that or don't have time, you can use the quick and dirty method - pour the beans into the pot, cover them with water, and bring the pot to a boil on the stovetop. When it just boils, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for an hour or so. The beans will soften and split that way, too.
Okay, your beans are ready. Are you going to cook them on the stovetop or in the Crock Pot? Will you be home all day puttering around the house and can keep an eye on the stove? Okay! Drain and rinse the beans, then cover them with fresh water in the pot. Bring them to a low boil on the stovetop. You can start chopping your onions/trinity now and maybe slice and fry your sausage up in a skillet, too. When the sausage is cooked, remove it from the skillet and drain it on a paper towel. Leave any sausage grease in the skillet, and sautee your onions and garlic in there until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the vegetables and sausage to the beans. Throw in some salt, pepper, Tony's and a bay leaf or two. Continue to cook them at a nice hot simmer for several hours (2-4 hours, I guess, something like that). Stir them every now and then from the bottom, so they don't stick, and keep an eye on the water level. If it gets too low, add a little more water. There's no need to cover the pot for any of this. Oh, also check your seasonings. Taste and adjust, taste and adjust until you are happy with the flavor. I usually wait until the last hour of cooking to add the thyme and oregano, and I only add a little bit at a time, because a little dab will do ya. Since you're hanging out at home, you can make your pot of rice anytime. And cornbread! You should make some cornbread, too, right?
Oh, you have to work today, but you want some beans for dinner? Can do. Add the beans to a Crock Pot and cover them with water. Chop your onion/trinity and throw it in raw, with some garlic, salt, peppper, Tony's and a bay leaf. If you want to add sausage now, fry it and drain it very well first...but I find slow cooking the sausage gives it a spongy texture I don't love. I save the sausage for later. Turn the Crock Pot on to a nice long, low setting (mine is Low - 10 Hours), and go to work. When you come home, check the water level. It's probably going to be soupier than you want, but that's okay. Ladle and pour the whole thing back into a big stew pot and stick it on the stove. Bring it to a low boil/healthy simmer to cook it down while you make the rice, mix the cornbread, fry the sausage, whatever. You can add the sausage in now if you didn't before, and taste it for seasoning. This is when I add the thyme and oregano and whatnot. Taste and adjust, taste and adjust.
The finished beans should be soft with a creamy texture, and all the veggies and spices should meld together indistinguishably. Serve over rice, with cornbread! And you know, I could learn to make cornbread from scratch, in a cast iron pan, with bacon grease or lard or whatever the traditional way is, and I am positive I wouldn't like it half as much as I love Jiffy corn muffins. *Tilt head* *Smile at camera*
My favorite thing about red beans and rice is how much better it is the next day. To reheat, just add a little water (not much) and stir it around on the stove. It will be much creamier the next day and the flavors have had more time to all melt together more...more awesomerly.
Before I go, I do need to tell you about one more thing I did last night. I put about half a cup of frozen blackberries (this is a thing with me, I guess) in a mug, defrosted them in the microwave (1 min. on defrost setting), then heated them up for about 30 more seconds so they got all warm and juicy and gooey. Then I scooped some vanilla ice cream directly into the mug and ate it with a spoon. That's all I did, but it was like THE BEST present to myself.
This is how I make mine, based on Mom's recipe. Which isn't really a recipe, but a set of loose instructions. No measurements required, because everything is to taste. You will need:
- A stew pot (and/or Crock Pot, if you want)
- A package of dry red beans
- Some white rice (I never substitute brown for this, it just wouldn't be the same)
- A large onion, finely chopped - you could also add celery and bell pepper if you have them on hand, to make the trinity - I'm not a big celery fan, and Shayne doesn't care for bell pepper, so I don't usually have those on short notice.
- Some minced garlic - fresh if you want, I just use the jarred stuff.
- Spices - any/as much as you want of the following: salt, pepper (I use both black and white), Tony's (or your favorite Cajun seasoning mix), cayenne, bay leaf, thyme, oregano.
- Sausage - any kind of hot or mild smoked sausage, andouille, or I guess even a hambone, which was the traditional meat in red beans, but who ever has a hambone lying around anymore? Honestly.
I use half a package of beans at a time, but I can't remember if I get the 1 lb. or 2 lb. bags...ugh. I guess a good rule of thumb would be just cover the bottom of the stew pot with beans until you think to yourself, "Cool, that looks like enough beans."
The best prep method for all this is to pour the beans into the pot the night before, cover them with water, put the lid on the pot and go to bed. The next morning, rinse your beans and add fresh water before cooking. Soaking the beans overnight helps them soften and split, and it also takes some of the gassy properties out of the beans. Yes, you will want that.
If you forget to do that or don't have time, you can use the quick and dirty method - pour the beans into the pot, cover them with water, and bring the pot to a boil on the stovetop. When it just boils, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let it sit for an hour or so. The beans will soften and split that way, too.
Okay, your beans are ready. Are you going to cook them on the stovetop or in the Crock Pot? Will you be home all day puttering around the house and can keep an eye on the stove? Okay! Drain and rinse the beans, then cover them with fresh water in the pot. Bring them to a low boil on the stovetop. You can start chopping your onions/trinity now and maybe slice and fry your sausage up in a skillet, too. When the sausage is cooked, remove it from the skillet and drain it on a paper towel. Leave any sausage grease in the skillet, and sautee your onions and garlic in there until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the vegetables and sausage to the beans. Throw in some salt, pepper, Tony's and a bay leaf or two. Continue to cook them at a nice hot simmer for several hours (2-4 hours, I guess, something like that). Stir them every now and then from the bottom, so they don't stick, and keep an eye on the water level. If it gets too low, add a little more water. There's no need to cover the pot for any of this. Oh, also check your seasonings. Taste and adjust, taste and adjust until you are happy with the flavor. I usually wait until the last hour of cooking to add the thyme and oregano, and I only add a little bit at a time, because a little dab will do ya. Since you're hanging out at home, you can make your pot of rice anytime. And cornbread! You should make some cornbread, too, right?
Oh, you have to work today, but you want some beans for dinner? Can do. Add the beans to a Crock Pot and cover them with water. Chop your onion/trinity and throw it in raw, with some garlic, salt, peppper, Tony's and a bay leaf. If you want to add sausage now, fry it and drain it very well first...but I find slow cooking the sausage gives it a spongy texture I don't love. I save the sausage for later. Turn the Crock Pot on to a nice long, low setting (mine is Low - 10 Hours), and go to work. When you come home, check the water level. It's probably going to be soupier than you want, but that's okay. Ladle and pour the whole thing back into a big stew pot and stick it on the stove. Bring it to a low boil/healthy simmer to cook it down while you make the rice, mix the cornbread, fry the sausage, whatever. You can add the sausage in now if you didn't before, and taste it for seasoning. This is when I add the thyme and oregano and whatnot. Taste and adjust, taste and adjust.
The finished beans should be soft with a creamy texture, and all the veggies and spices should meld together indistinguishably. Serve over rice, with cornbread! And you know, I could learn to make cornbread from scratch, in a cast iron pan, with bacon grease or lard or whatever the traditional way is, and I am positive I wouldn't like it half as much as I love Jiffy corn muffins. *Tilt head* *Smile at camera*
My favorite thing about red beans and rice is how much better it is the next day. To reheat, just add a little water (not much) and stir it around on the stove. It will be much creamier the next day and the flavors have had more time to all melt together more...more awesomerly.
Before I go, I do need to tell you about one more thing I did last night. I put about half a cup of frozen blackberries (this is a thing with me, I guess) in a mug, defrosted them in the microwave (1 min. on defrost setting), then heated them up for about 30 more seconds so they got all warm and juicy and gooey. Then I scooped some vanilla ice cream directly into the mug and ate it with a spoon. That's all I did, but it was like THE BEST present to myself.
Labels:
beans,
slow cook (take it easy)
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