All of yesterday and no internet!

[smeddley]

I didn't do any pleasure surfing at all yesterday - I had a 'meeting' at work (we got free lunch while some people tried to sell us on a new thin veneer rock treatment) plus I was busy, and then we had another Royals game (two nights in a row!). Later, you may be subjected to a 'why home run music should not be a funeral dirge' rant, but we'll see. It was at least more fun last night (they won) but I was wiped out by the last few days so I flopped into bed, watched Eureka, and fell asleep. And I'm still out of it because in laziness and desperation (I was stuff and the decongestant was downstairs) I took Benadryl. I am now only barely rejoining the world of the living. (It's about noon.)

Also, I've totally been reading all of your posts but not commenting much, sorry! I may, later today, go through on a commenting binge, but right now the lingering headache might taint my usually sparkling wit. :P

So, we shall speak of... well, food. It's been brought up to my attention twice on my f-list this week, so I thought I should round it out by being the third. Although I don't actually show up on my own f-list, so it may not count... anyway. tarpo was bemoaning the lack of decent 'teach you how to cook' recipe sites, and anam_cara_ was pimping 2ingredients (which I might join, it looks interesting and I do like to cook).

So here's my recent contribution to the world of cooking:

Recently my hubby went on a subbing gig unexpectedly and left me with a bunch of chicken that had every intention of becoming Baked Chicken with Lemon Seasoning. Not my favorite dish, but not bad, either, and he likes it. And at first, I was dismayed at the change of plans, bummed to be eating alone. But then, as the roll-with-the-punches kind of girl that I am, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to make something I like, without worrying how much he'd enjoy it (believe it or not, that does influence my cooking, or everything would have jalapeños and mushrooms wouldn't be banished from most dishes). So, drawing from flavors I like, I made...

Baked Chicken and Green Beans in Adobo Sauce:



Toss some boneless skinless chicken breasts into a baking dish, dump in a can of French Cut green beans, pour in a generous amount of both vinegar and soy sauce, and season to your liking (salt and pepper, plus you can add onion and garlic). Bake, covered, in a 305° oven for about 40 minutes. Serve over rice.

It's kind of a mix-up of these two recipes, both of which are excellent:


(click for full size)


(click for full size)

And then, since we have an alarming amount of chicken in the freezer, I flipped through my chicken cookbook and decided to try 'Chicken Goulash'. Now, I've always enjoyed Hungarian Goulash, but this recipe was odd. It called for potatoes, and then serving it over noodles or with dumplings. Enough starch to immobilize a whole battalion of CEOs, let me tell you. It was... okay, but not great.

I haven't made a recipe card for it, but here's a picture of the Chicken Goulash:


And this is the recipe for Hungarian Goulash:


(click for full size)

And for all of you who read through this, here's a current picture of my basement:

Comments

[revoked-soul.livejournal.com]

Your recipes are intriguing, but I'm allergic to at least one thing in each recipe. Alas.

I learned to cook from recipes, but allergies have forced me to develop my very own, make-it-up-as-you-go-along style of cooking.

No atrocities committed yet.

Yay for basement construction! It looks remarkably tidy for a space being renovated, I have to say.

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

Allergies suck. The only food-based oddity I have is that chocolate makes me sneeze, but that's definitely not enough to keep me from eating it. :P

Most of my stuff is 'toss this together and see how it turns out', it's more fun that way. At least, my cooking is. With baking I tend to stick with a recipe.

They cleaned up yesterday, the drywaller is coming in tomorrow and will make another bloody mess!

[icecat.livejournal.com]

Your basement's looking good! What's on your floor there?

Cooking for Ted is going to be interesting, because he have near-opposite tastes in vegetables. Almost everything I like he doesn't and vice-versa, haha.

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

That's the DriCore subfloor. It'll keep the water away from the wood (no mold!) and it makes the floor warmer and springier.

Cooking for someone else can be tough, but it's a fun challenge, too. The only thing I refuse to cook is fish because I hate it, even the smell. :/

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

Mmmmm. I'm going to have to try that first recipe!! The goulash I'll pass on ;)

We have a chicken pizza recipe and a FABULOUS chicken chili recipe that are favorites in my family.

Pizza:
Ready made crust, smeared with roasted garlic and olive oil, topped with grilled chicken, feta, sometimes spinach, and mozzarella. Very good!

The chili recipe is more involved, but if you're interested, I'll write it up! It's easy, mostly throwing everything in a crockpot, but there are a lot of ingredients, and a ridiculous amount of dairy (sour cream AND 4 cups of cheese!).

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I love chili, but hubby does not, so I don't much make it. Pizza is a perennial favorite in our household, especially the personal pizzas we can customize! I shall have to try your recipe on that...

[alankria.livejournal.com]

I did something very similar to the second dish, except I overcooked the potato and it was mushy, which I thought wouldn't work, but actually it did!

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure the potato was going to work out at all, and I was surprised. The only thing I thought was that it was a little bland. It needed more spice to 'kick things up a notch'.

[poskunk.livejournal.com]

Spice Weasel!!!! Bam!

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I'll have you know that salt content was 5% below the lethal amount for humans...

[alankria.livejournal.com]

I think I went with Italian herbs (probably oregano and basil) plus pepper, and it was very yummy.

[gelsey.livejournal.com]

I need a good site that will give me some of the cooking basics. I have a good instinct for it, but it's the silly things that aren't told that I need to have help with.

I mean, I've watched my mum for countless years, so the knowledge is there, but I'm sorely lacking in the practical portion.

I might print off those recipes for her to try, though. She's in a New Recipe kick recently.

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

Eh, that's mostly practice, I think. Just try stuff, and you'll figure out what works! I have a few years of practicing on you... ;)

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

Eww, dead bird. And overcooked green beans. Sorry, I guess I just prefer my green beans lightly boiled, retaining their color...

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

Even though I sometimes feel bad about it, I'll never give up meat. I just can't. One, I'm not good enough about taking supplements, and there's no other way I'd get the vitamins I need. Plus, *sigh* I do love meat.

The green beans are canned and come that color (um, and limpness). And you should NEVER boil vegetables... it leeches nutrients out of them. ALWAYS steam, and keep it covered when you do. When I make fresh green beans, cauliflower, or broccoli I always use the steamer basket. :)

[clare-dragonfly.livejournal.com]

Eurgh, canned vegetables.

I swear I read something this summer that refuted the idea that boiling leeches the nutrients out of veggies. I can't remember what it said, though. And I haven't the faintest idea how to steam anything. My family boils. And I can't cook anyway!

[smeddley.livejournal.com]

I really hate canned anything, and try to go with frozen if I don't get fresh, but there's no way I'm going to cut my green beans up like that. That's too much work!

Probably, I could care less about the nutrients, but steamed vegetables are also crisper and taste a thousand times better. It's dead easy to do, all you need is a veggie steamer thing (http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Stainless-Steel-Expandable-Vegetable-Steamer/dp/B00004UE8F/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-4456851-6179151?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1190241992&sr=1-2). They're available just about everywhere. Put it in a pot (that has a good lid, and be sure the lid comes all the way down when the steamer is in place) and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer (it has little feet that hold it off the bottom of the pot). Pile the veggies in the steamer, crank up the heat, and slap the lid on. You'll never boil again!