My kitchen Staples

Hello Fellow Foodies! If you're like me, your kitchen is like an art pallette with endless possibilities...or at least that is how we would like it to be.  Well no matter how creative I get in the kitchen, I always find that items which I go back to time and time again and those things have essentially become my kitchen staples.  You will find that some are generic to any kitchen but some some are particular to me.  These are merely suggestions as every cook eventually develops their own list of staples.  My hope is that this may be a guide to some of you cooks finding your way in being more creative and comfortable in the kitchen. 

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
-Poetic Cook

Seasoning/Spices/Condiments/Oils:

Salt - kosher salt, sea salt, truffle salt, table salt
Pepper - black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
ground mustard
dried oregano
dried basil
dried parsley
paprika
poultry seasoning
curry powder
five spice powder
Lawry's seasoning salt
Goya Adobo
chicken bouillion packets
sugar
hot sauce
soy sauce - regular and low sodium
worcestershire sauce
honey
Italian salad dressing
prepared broth - chicken, beef and vegetable
panko breadcrumbs
olive oil - extra virgin and extra light
truffle oil
vegetable oil

Produce/Canned and Frozen vegetables:

lemon
lime
oranges
cilantro
Italian parsley
onions - red and yellow
garlic
shallots
green pepper
cabbage
potatoes
lettuce
kirby cucumbers
plum tomatoes
canned tomatoes - stewed and diced varieties and tomato paste
frozen green beans
frozen peas
frozen mixed vegetables
frozen corn

Starches/grains:

potatoes
rice - jasmine, sushi and brown
pasta - elbows, spaghetti, linguini fini, angel hair, and penne rigate
corn - frozen and small cobs

Meat/Poultry/Seafood:

chicken pieces
whole chicken
steak - I like NY Strip, flank and skirt steak
ground meat - beef, chicken and turkey
shrimp
lamb - I usually stock up when it is on sale since in my area it tends to be expensive. I tend to buy shanks cut up for stew, lamb chops and ground lamb.

Dairy:

milk - 2% percent and half and half
cheese - cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan and monterey jack
eggs

Just Good Fried Chicken

Hello fellow foodies! I apologize for not posting in a few days but I'm hoping this yummy comfort food recipe makes up for it! This recipe was inspired by a dear friend of mine whom I think makes the most amazing fried chicken! I never got the exact recipe but I think I figured out a pretty good substitute when I need a fix! I've definitely gotten some great reviews from the family on this one so I hope you enjoy!

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- Poetic Cook

 

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. chicken pieces (I love drumsticks)
Vegetable oil
2 cups buttermilk
6 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup corn flour
Salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
Poultry seasoning
Louisiana style hot sauce

Directions:

Wash chicken and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, poultry seasoning and hot sauce.  Make sure chicken is well coated.  Note: Do not be afraid to coat the chicken well with the hot sauce as it adds more flavor than spice in this process.  Let seasoned chicken sit for at least 20 minutes.

In a medium size bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, and a little salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir until mixed well.

In a large plastic bag or a deep bowl mix all purpose flour, corn flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt and poultry seasoning. Mix well.

Heat vegetable oil in large frying pan or deep fryer. 

Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then in flour.  Make sure each piece is fully coated. For crunchier chicken repeat dipping and coating process. Once coated well place in hot oil, cook chicken thoroughly on all sides and until internal temperature is 165 degrees or higher.  Remove chicken when done and place on paper towel to drain extra oil.

 

Voila! Enjoy!

Asian Party Wings

 

Hello fellow foodies!  This recipe was created because a girlfriend of mine recently underwent a medical procedure. Her recovery required a relatively low salt diet but she's a foodie like me so I wanted to make her food that tastes good but that would also help her stick to the low salt diet.  So I came up with the recipe below.  The only difference of course is the kosher salt.  For a low salt diet you would either leave it out or leave it to a small pinch.  In any event, the wings were a hit and now they will be added to my party food staple list! I hope you enjoy them as she did!

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- Poetic Cook

  

 

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken wings split, excluding wingtip
Honey
Low sodium soy sauce
Fresh juice from half a large orange
Sugar
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Ground ginger
Five spice powder
Parchment paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place chicken in a large bowl. Add honey, soy sauce and orange juice to chicken and coat chicken well. Them add all the rest of the ingredients to the chicken. Mix chicken around to make sure seasoning has coated all pieces well. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chicken on lined baking sheet in single layer. Make sure none of the pieces are touching. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Roasted Asparagus

 

Hi fellow foodies!  So every now and then I will share one of my quick go to recipes for a busy day.  I keep asparagus in my refrigerator for such a time which happens more than I would like to admit!  This quick and easy dish goes well with fish or a nice steak that you can broil in minutes. Hope you enjoy this simply yummy side dish!

 

 

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!

- Poetic Cook

 

 

• Ingredients
• 2 pounds fresh asparagus
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the tough ends of the asparagus and, if they're thick, peel them. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast the asparagus for 25 minutes, or until tender but still crisp.

Roast Duck

Hello fellow foodies!  One Thanksgiving when I lived in Brooklyn, I was planning a big dinner for friends and family and so I wanted to do something a little different.  I decided to make duck! Now I had never cooked a duck before in my life but I knew I wanted something that would bring out the flavor of the duck but that wasn't too complicated. I searched and searched the internet for a simple recipe but found nothing that, on its own, peaked my interest.  So I combined bits and pieces from each recipe and added my own touch to the mix and this is what I came up with. It is a sure fire win at any dinner party!

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- Poetic Cook

Ingredients
1 whole duck completely defrosted (I used a 6lb bird) clean and pat dry
1 cup of honey
soy sauce
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
five spice powder (can be found in most asian spice sections)

Directions
Combine honey and seasonings in a bowl to taste (Note: I try to find a balance between the sweet and savory of the ingredients so I taste a few times before adding to duck). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush duck entirely with mixture including inside. LET DUCK SIT WITH MARINADE FOR ONE HOUR. Cook uncovered on rack inside pan for about 2 to 2.5 hours turning bird every 35 minutes. After first 30 minutes of cooking, turn oven down to 300 degrees. Duck is done when nice and brown and temp is 180 degrees.

Voila! Enjoy!

Baked Mac and Cheese

Hi fellow foodies!  So I've been making baked macaroni and cheese for years but it was only recently that my husband discovered that he had a sensitivity to gluten.  I have therefore learned ways to either eliminate or minimize it in certain dishes.  I think you will find that the recipe below, not only works with regular pasta extremely well, but if you try the gluten sensitivity version that it will surprise you to a point where you may never go back to regular elbow pasta! I know I may not! Give it a try!

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- Poetic Cook

1 12oz. package gluten free elbows (I use Bionaturae Organic Gluten-Free Elbows)

1 8 oz block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 pint half and half

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon Onion powder

2 pinches of Ground mustard

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 tablespoon Goya Adobo (without pepper)

Salt

Black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil elbows according to directions until aldente. Strain but do NOT rinse. Pour pasta into a small casserole dish (approximately 8 in). Stir the butter into the hot pasta until completely melted and mixed well. Then add eggs and stir thoroughly but quickly. Add entire container of half and half. Stir mixture. Add shredded cheese and stir well until distributed proportionately to pasta in dish. Add seasoning and stir well. Note: If you like more onion flavor you can increase the onion powder to a tablespoon. The salt and pepper are not measured out so they should be added to your taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top starts to brown. 

Supreme Chicken Salad

 

Hello fellow foodies!  Today's recipe is one of my most requested recipes especially during the summer months.  I was determined to create a chicken salad recipe with a certain flavor. I wanted it to be fresh, light and unique...and I did just that!  My friends and I love to eat this with everything from melba toast to hearty whole grain bread...or it is just great at the tip of a big spoon!

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- Poetic Cook

 

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized thin sliced chicken breasts
• 3 healthy tablespoons of light mayo
• 3 teaspoons of deli mustard with horseradish
• ½ cup cucumbers (finely diced)
• ½ cup tomatoes (finely diced)
• ½ cup red onions (finely diced)
• ½ cup green peppers (finely diced)
• ½ cup roasted red peppers (finely diced)
• ¼ cup celery (finely diced)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Goya Adobo (w/o Pepper)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for mixture)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper (for mixture)
• Salt
• Black pepper

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken breasts with a generous amount of salt and black pepper on both sides (in the end should be mostly salt with a light sprinkling of black pepper). Bake at 350 degrees on a non stick baking sheet for 30 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over half way through cooking time. Do not let chicken dry out.
2. Cut chicken into cubes for cooling. Once the chicken is cooled, pull the chicken apart with your fingers until your desired chunkiness. Then add all diced vegetables, mayo, mustard, and lemon juice. Mix well until everything is coated. Add salt, pepper and Adobo. Stir well. Add optional salt and pepper to taste.

Voila! Enjoy! 



Seafood Pasta Jambalaya

This dish was inspired by my love for pasta and a craving I had one day for some jambalaya.  I searched for a way to combine the two but everything I found involved cream based dishes.  I am not a fan of cream based sauces in most cases so figured I needed to come up with something for my specific palate.  So here you have it! It was better than I could imagine and now a staple recipe for me.  Hope you love it as much as I do!

 

 

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!

- Poetic Cook



 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

2 cups of chicken stock

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chicken breast meat, cut into strips

16 (21/25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed

1/2 cup crawfish tails

1/2 cup sliced andouille sausage

1/3 cup sliced yellow onion

1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper

1/3 cup sliced green bell pepper

1 can stewed tomatoes

4 cups of your fav short cut pasta i.e. penne, rotini or cavatappi

The following seasoning to your desired taste:

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Creole Seasoning (whatever seasoning mix you can find locally)

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Your favorite hot sauce

 

Directions

Heat a large skillet over moderately high heat, Add butter and melt. Add onion, bell pepper, seasonings, chicken, and andouille and sauté 1 minute or

until chicken is almost done. Add shrimp, crawfish tails and sauté 1 minute. Add stock and stewed tomatoes and cook over medium heat until liquid begins to boil (Note: before the mixture boils this is your chance to taste it to see if you need to add more of the seasonings). Cook pasta until al dente, drain well. Turn off pan with jambalaya mix in it and pour pasta into the pan, coating all pasta with jambalaya. Let sit for 3-5 minutes to let flavors sink into pasta.

 

Voila! Enjoy!

 

Welcome!

This blog is a long time coming for the fellow foodies who have followed me on Facebook and beyond...BUT IT IS FINALLY HERE! I hope you join me on a regular basis as I set off on many culinary adventures and share the recipes and photos with you (and for some of you the actual meal)...

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
- The Poetic Cook