I haven't posted any updates lately because I haven't cooked anything worthy of sharing. As a former food snob, all of my recipes came from Food Network chefs and they were always good. Lately, I've been testing out easy things I find on Pinterest and have been underwhelmed. Then I get annoyed and frustrated and cook something tried and true that I've already posted on here (Mexi Mix, spaghetti, etc.). The latest disappointment was these crock pot chicken and dumplings: http://www.bubblecrumb.com/2010/02/14/crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/
Now as a true GRITS (Girl Raised In The South), I know my dumplin's. These were not my mama's dumplin's and it just made me angry. The onion was overpowering and stunk the house up for days. The biscuits did not cook up in 30 minutes and never got that fluffy, dumplin' texture. They just didn't hit the spot. Thank the baby Jesus for a boyfriend who eats anything or else I'd be really mad. Luckily, they don't go to waste and he's so patient with all my experimenting when he probably secretly wishes I'd just cook the dinners that are both delicious and make me happy!
One thing I did make from Pinterest that was pretty good and easy was this Pizza Pasta Casserole: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pizza-Pasta-Casserole
My one complaint is that the jar of spaghetti sauce I used was a little sweet for my liking. I don't do sugar in my homemade sauce, so I would probably just make my own next time.
I do plan on trying a few things out for the Super Bowl, so hopefully they'll be good enough to post about. Stay tuned and wish me luck!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Crock Pot Adaptaions - Learning from Failure
I had an underwhelming cooking day on Sunday. I wanted to stay in the kitchen so I wouldn't care about the Falcons game (yep, they lost), so I decided to make this s'more cobbler and a variant of this chicken, rice, and broccoli. Well, the s'more cobbler was a'right. It was rich and gooey and needed less melted marshmallows and more graham crackers. The chicken, rice, and broccoli was just a mushy mess. It was the first I'd ever heard of converted vs. unconverted rice and I tried to speed the process along by cooking it all on high for 3-4 hours instead of on low for 6-8. I think that's what caused the mushiness. However, my bf eats anything and both are all gone 4 days later. Whew!
My friend Heather has requested I take a stab at converting this recipe here for Great Green Chili to a crockpot recipe. Given the crockpot mushiness, I'm not sure how good at this I'll be, but I've learned a few things from my failures. Namely, rice needs to be cooked low and slow and undisturbed OR cooked separately and stirred in at the end. I've also learned other little tricks, such as small veggies (mushrooms, green peas, pearl onions, etc.) don't need to cook all day. You just add them in for the last 30-60 minutes. Also, fresh herbs added just before serving add a little freshness to anything!
So, if I were to cook this in the crockpot (and I just might have to try it soon), this is what I would do:
1. Let's combine their steps 1 and 2 for the most part. Put the chicken, chilies, garlic, cumin, jalapeños and hominy* in the crockpot. Mix the gravy mix with the broth and pour on top of everything else.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours or high on 3. I don't think anything will turn to mush here.
*A note on hominy. I don't have much experience with it. If this does turn out mushy or you're scared of the hominy going mushy, add it for the last hour of cooking.
3. You'll notice I left out the cilantro, one of my most favorite flavors. I would add that 1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro during the last 30 minutes or so to just keep the flavor extra fresh.
4. Proceed with steps 3-5 and enjoy!
Heather, if you try this in the crockpot, do let us know how it turns out. And if it sucks? Well, I apologize in advance! Thanks for the blog post suggestion!
My friend Heather has requested I take a stab at converting this recipe here for Great Green Chili to a crockpot recipe. Given the crockpot mushiness, I'm not sure how good at this I'll be, but I've learned a few things from my failures. Namely, rice needs to be cooked low and slow and undisturbed OR cooked separately and stirred in at the end. I've also learned other little tricks, such as small veggies (mushrooms, green peas, pearl onions, etc.) don't need to cook all day. You just add them in for the last 30-60 minutes. Also, fresh herbs added just before serving add a little freshness to anything!
So, if I were to cook this in the crockpot (and I just might have to try it soon), this is what I would do:
1. Let's combine their steps 1 and 2 for the most part. Put the chicken, chilies, garlic, cumin, jalapeños and hominy* in the crockpot. Mix the gravy mix with the broth and pour on top of everything else.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours or high on 3. I don't think anything will turn to mush here.
*A note on hominy. I don't have much experience with it. If this does turn out mushy or you're scared of the hominy going mushy, add it for the last hour of cooking.
3. You'll notice I left out the cilantro, one of my most favorite flavors. I would add that 1/2 cup of fresh chopped cilantro during the last 30 minutes or so to just keep the flavor extra fresh.
4. Proceed with steps 3-5 and enjoy!
Heather, if you try this in the crockpot, do let us know how it turns out. And if it sucks? Well, I apologize in advance! Thanks for the blog post suggestion!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
French Pot Roast - In a Slow Cooker
I've been meaning to post this one for a while, but I got sidetracked with the holidays and an impromptu escape to Key West. My friend Heather pinned this on Pinterest and I immediately repinned it to my own board. I left work one day at lunch and threw it all in the crockpot. Definitely couldn't whip up Julia's boeuf bourguignonne in that amount of time, huh? http://recipes.womenshealthmag.com/Recipe/french-pot-roast.aspx
It was good. Not great. Just good. But it was easy and there weren't any leftovers, so it was still a success. I originally served it with buttered egg noodles and roasted broccoli, but the bf ate it for numerous lunches with some leftover mashed potatoes (which he preferred, I think).
I definitely added more peas and mushrooms and onions than it called for. It just still tasted like it was missing something to me. Given that it's from Women's Health magazine, maybe the problem is just that it didn't have enough fattening deliciousness for my tastebuds?
It was good. Not great. Just good. But it was easy and there weren't any leftovers, so it was still a success. I originally served it with buttered egg noodles and roasted broccoli, but the bf ate it for numerous lunches with some leftover mashed potatoes (which he preferred, I think).
I definitely added more peas and mushrooms and onions than it called for. It just still tasted like it was missing something to me. Given that it's from Women's Health magazine, maybe the problem is just that it didn't have enough fattening deliciousness for my tastebuds?
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