Asparagus, Tomato, and Mushroom One Pot Pasta

Hello fellow foodies! It's been a long time but I'm going to do better at sharing some of my yummy creations. I'm trying to eat better as I enter my final stretch to turning 40. So I've restarted my meatless Mondays. This week I was inspired by all the One Pot pasta recipes I've been seeing to create this nice and light dish. It was a hit! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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

 

 

Ingredients:

1 box pasta (I used DeBoles Jerusalem Artichoke Linguini)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves sliced thin
8 asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
1 medium tomato diced
4 oz mushrooms (I used portabella, oyster and shiitake)
1 shallot, chopped
2 tbsp fresh basil ripped into small pieces
2 tsp parsley chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups chicken broth
1.5 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp onion powder
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Heat oil and sauté garlic and shallots until softened. Add asparagus to the pot. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir often until asparagus turn bright green and start to soften,   Add mushrooms. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir often for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, basil and oregano. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir often until all vegetables are softened but not mushy (about 10 minutes). Add chicken broth. Add lemon zest, onion powder, additional salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Bring mixture to a boil. Add pasta. Use tongs to stir pasta into mixture. Stir constantly until pasta is softened, not clumped together, and fully immersed in liquid. Add cream. Cook until pasta is al dente. Serve while hot. 

Best Banana Bread

Hello Fellow Foodies!  I don't bake a lot but I do have some staple recipes that are long standing family favorites.  This is one of them.  One day I had about 5 overly ripe bananas but didn't want them to go to waste so this is the result...a moist, sweet and delicious banana bread recipe.  If you don't have brown sugar feel free to use white sugar.  That's the beautiful thing about this recipe - the ingredients are probably already in your pantry! So have some with a hot cup of tea or coffee on a crisp fall morning and let me know what you think.

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

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar 
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 very ripe bananas, mashed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Chicken Caprese Pasta

Hello Fellow Foodies! While I was recently visiting my in-laws in Kentucky, my mother-in-law, who loves pasta, asked me to make her a dish with pasta and chicken in it. That's about all the guidance I had so I decided to do a twist on a dish that I usually do with the pasta on the side.  Let's just say the "twist" was so good there were no leftovers! This is a guaranteed go to meal!   

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

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless chicken breasts (I prefer the thinner kind)
1 box thin spaghetti
1 cup tomato basil pasta sauce (I prefer Barilla)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons dried oregano, each separated
2 large firm tomatoes, diced
6-8 small balls of fresh mozzarella, pulled apart
7 fresh basil leaves, minced
Romano cheese, grated (optional)

Directions:
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. Remove chicken. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut chicken in cubes and set aside.
Cook pasta to al dente.
While pasta is boiling in a separate sauce pan heat olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add garlic, tomato and some salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Add basil. When the mixture becomes juicy (about 8 minutes) add oregano, heavy cream, pasta sauce and chicken. Sauce should boil quickly. Lower heat and add drained pasta.
Toss pasta in sauce mixture adding remaining oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Once pasta is to your desired taste add mozzarella and stir until cheese is melted through the pasta. Serve while hot and top with grated Romano cheese if desired.

NOTE: YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE PASTA SAUCE IF YOU WANT IT TO BE LESS DRY AND MORE SAUCY. YOU CAN ALSO ADD GARLIC POWDER TO YOUR PASTA WHEN YOU ARE SEASONING IT IN THE END IF YOU WOULD LIKE IT MORE GARLICKY.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

Hello Fellow Foodies! Nothing says fall flavor like butternut squash soup.  I had tasted many variations of it at restaurants and while I was okay with them generally, nothing really hit me as a recipe that I would want to try to recreate at home.  So I set out to find a recipe that was less sweet, more savory and more my speed.  After finding a variety of savory versions on line I decided to add my own twist and this is what I came up with...the perfect balance of sweet and savory fall flavors...true comfort.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.    

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

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 small potatoes, cubed
1 granny smith apple, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
30 oz of chicken stock
2 packets Knorr Low Sodium Homestyle Chicken Stock
salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly ground nutmeg

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot, and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, apples and squash 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables as well as the Knorr stock packets. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let soup return to a light boil. Serve and enjoy!

Skirt Steak Fajitas with Yellow Tomato Salsa

Hello Fellow Foodies! I started buying skirt steak these last few years especially for summer months to go on the grill.  But I also have used it to broil after this long drawn out marinating process. I had some skirt steak but wanted to do something different but flavorful with the meat.  So I decided to comb through the various approaches of marinating the meat for fajitas and ultimately formulated my own mix.  The feedback from my daughter was and I quote, "Mommy this steak fajita is A-MAZING!"  So she told me I had to share this wonderful recipe with all of you and that is exactly what I'm doing.  These fajitas are great for a weeknight meal or as a fajita bar at a party.  I hope you find them as yummy as we all did!   

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

Ingredients:
1.5 lb skirt steak, cut into 2-3 pieces
6 Medium Soft flour tortillas, warmed
Mesculin salad or your favorite lettuce, cut up
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese or mexican blend

For Steak marinade:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Teaspoon coarse mustard
Tablespoon Soy sauce
Tablespoon Lime juice
Teaspoon Fresh parsley, chopped
Tablespoon Fresh cilantro, chopped
Teaspoon, Minced garlic
Teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon black Pepper
Teaspoon Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
Teaspoon Brown sugar

For Roasted Onions & Peppers seasoning:
1/2 large onion sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper
1/2 medium orange pepper
1/2 medium yellow pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Cumin

For Yellow tomato salsa:
One large yellow tomato, diced
1 small shallot, chopped
1/2 Serrano pepper chopped
Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lime juice
Salt
Pepper


Directions:
1. Lay steak flat in a glass dish with space for each piece to marinate evenly. In a medium bowl mix all marinade ingredients together and stir briskly until well blended. (Note: taste a small bit to make sure there is enough salt. If the flavor is a bit dull add more to taste). Once well mixed brush marinate generously over steak in the dish, turning to coat all sides of each piece. Pour any remaining marinade over the top and cover dish with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for 30 min. (May be kept refrigerated up to 24 hours) Remove and let sit at room temp for another 20-30 minutes.Turn on your broiler.  Place steak on a sheet pan and put under broiler.  Cook for 15-25 minutes depending on how well you want your meat cooked, turning half way through.  
2. In the meantime mix all of the ingredients for the Onions and Peppers in a bowl and toss until the veggies are coated thoroughly with oil and seasoning.  Let sit.
3. Take all of the ingredients for the Salsa and mix them together well in a bowl then chill until ready for serving.
4. Once your meat is done remove it from the oven and set it aside to rest.  
5. Put your oven on 425 degrees.  Place your marinated veggies in another sheet pan and roast them for 10-12 minutes or until they begin to soften.  Do not let the edges of your veggies burn.
6. Once the steak has rested, slice your skirt steak and place it in your soft tortillas and build your fajita with the lettuce, cheese, salsa and onions and peppers.  Fold over and enjoy!

Seafood Stew

Hello Fellow Foodies! I love the farmers market in the fall.  The one by my house had a vendor recently who was selling fresh fish and seafood.  I decided to get a pound of mussels because I already had 2 dozen clams and a bag of jumbo shrimp at home. The wheels started to turn and after some research for inspiration this simple but yummy creation came about.  So all you seafood lovers...dig in!   

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

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup drained, diced tomatoes (from a 15-ounce can)
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
1 pound of mussels, scrubbed
1/2 pound shelled and deveined extra large shrimp
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot and garlic and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes. Add the clams and mussels, cover and cook just until most of them open, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp, cover and simmer until they are cooked through and the remaining clams and mussels have opened, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to individual bowls. Add the butter and parsley and cook over moderate heat for 1 minute, swirling the pan. Spoon the broth over the seafood and serve with crusty bread.

Macaroni and Cheeseburger Casserole

Hello Fellow Foodies! This recipe was inspired by a photo I saw on Pinterest that had no recipe attached to it.   The whole concept seemed like the ultimate comfort food. When I looked up recipes for the dish I came up with a number of combinations but none of which were completely what I thought would go over well with my family.  So I took a few ideas from them and added some ingredients of my own and ended up with recipe success!  I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did. 

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

Ingredients:

1 lb elbow macaroni, uncooked

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lb ground sirloin (can sub chicken or turkey)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 half green pepper, diced

1 can diced tomatoes with chiles

1 small can tomato sauce

1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce

1 can semi condensed cream of mushroom soup

3 packets Knorr low sodium homestyle chicken stock

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

1 lb shredded Cheddar cheese 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cook your macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat olive oil and then brown the onion and green pepper. Once onions and peppers are soft but not brown, add your meat to the skillet until it is brown and crumbled. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, can of soup, steak sauce and chicken stock; stirring well. Cover with lid and let cook for about 10 minutes until a light boil. Add some salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.  In a deep casserole dish, mix the hot macaroni with the sauce, stirring to coat well.  Add 3/4 of the cheddar and stir thoroughly into mixture. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover with foil and put in the oven. After the first 25 minutes remove foil and put back into the oven for an additional 25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve while piping hot.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Hello Fellow Foodies! I apologize for being away for a while but I am back! So this recipe is a favorite of my husband being from the South and loving Southern cooking.  While it is very hard to find green tomatoes unless you grow them yourself in New York, I was able to procure some from a friend and I have to say that these are some of the best I've ever tasted. If you have never tried fried green tomatoes you should definitely give this a whirl!  If you do let me know what you think. 

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

Ingredients
1.5 cups Vegetable or canola oil
1 Large green tomato sliced thin
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs whisked in shallow bowl
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
salt 
black pepper

Directions
In a shallow dish combine cornmeal, flour, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well.  In the bowl with the eggs add salt and pepper and mix well. In a large frying pan heat oil. Dredge tomatoes in eggs and then in cornmeal mixture then place in hot oil. Do not crowd pan.  Turn tomatoes over when oil side is browned (about 7 minutes). Remove from oil when browned on both sides and place on paper towel to absorb extra oil.  Serve hot with your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!

Easy Low Fat Lasagna

Hello Fellow Foodies! This recipe comes at the request of a fan (well actually quite a few).  Who doesn't love a good lasagna? But sometimes the guilt gets in the way.  So I decided to make a lowfat (and in my case gluten free) version of one of our favorites.  I made this for my 7 year old and she cleaned the plate!  So give it a try and let me know what you think.

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

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1/2 cup water
1 package no boil lasagna noodles (I used rice noodles because I wanted to make this recipe gluten free)
1 egg white
1 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt (if you don't like yogurt use lowfat ricotta)
1 (2 if you like it cheesy) packs of shredded lowfat Or fat free mozzarella
1 tbsp Kosher salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Dried oregano, 1/4 tsp also for yogurt
1 tsp Dried parsley, 1/4 tsp also for yogurt
1 tsp Dried basil, 1/4 tsp also for yogurt
1/2 tsp Dried thyme
2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
2 tablespoons of sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown meat thoroughly in a deep pan. Once browned, add your jar sauce, diced tomatoes and water. Turn flame down to low/medium heat and add seasonings, hot sauce and sugar. Taste and adjust as needed. Let sauce simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, put yogurt in a bowl with the egg white. Mix thoroughly. Add additional oregano, parsley and basil to mixture. Mix well and set aside.

Stir and remove sauce from heat. In a deep baking dish you will repeat the ingredients in the following layer order until at the top of your dish but finishing with sauce:

1. Complete layer of sauce (starting with bottom of dish)
2. Layer of noodles
3. Layer of yogurt mixture evenly spread over noodles
4. Layer of mozzarella cheese

Once layering is complete bake in oven for one hour or until noodles are cooked through and cheese is melted.

NOTE: IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MAKE THIS A ONE DISH MEAL, REPLACE ONE OF YOUR MEAT LAYERS WITH COOKED CHOPPED SPINACH THAT IS WELL DRAINED SO AS NOT TO ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID.

Spiced Rum Cake

Hello Fellow Foodies! I'm not a huge fan of all sweets but I am quite the sucker for a good piece of cake. With that said, one of my absolute favorite cakes to make especially for parties is this Spiced Rum Cake.  It is always a hit!  So try it for your next get together and tell me if there is any left! Enjoy!

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

Ingredients:

·         1 box (18 1/2 ounces) yellow cake mix

·         1 box (3 3/4 ounces) french vanilla instant pudding mix

·         4 eggs

·         1/2 cup water

·         1/2 cup vegetable oil

·         1/2 cup dark spiced rum

·         1/2 cup butter

·         1/4 cup water

·         1 cup sugar

·         1/2 cup dark spiced rum

Directions:

For the Cake:

1.       Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2.       Grease and flour a bundt pan.
3.       In a mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients and mix until batter is smooth.
4.       Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan.
5.       Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
6.       Invert cooled cake onto a serving plater. Using a fork or toothpick, prick the top of the cake to form small holes that will absorb the rum glaze.
For the Glaze:
1.       Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan.
2.       Whisk in the water and sugar.
3.       Slowly bring the sugar mix to a light boil and cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring.
4.       remove the sugar mix from the heat and stir in the rum.
5.       Allow the glaze to slightly cool before glazing the cake.
6.       Drizzle and smooth some of the glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to absorb the glaze and then repeat until the glaze is gone.

Pan Roasted Branzino

Hello Fellow Foodies! I'm back! So my husband loves fish and since we met, although I did not grow up eating a lot of fish, I have tried to expand my knowledge of it and ways to cook it.  Recently, I tried pan roasting for the first time (now that I have armed myself with some great high heat resistant pans) and it was an absolute success!  He actually said that it was the best fish I have ever made.  So I'm sharing my success with you. Enjoy and let me know what you think! 

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

INGREDIENTS:
·         2 Whole Branzino (1.5-2lbs), gutted and scaled (I prefer head on but feel free to remove)
·         4 tablespoons olive oil
·         Lemon, zest only
·         2 tablespoons chopped dill
·         2 tablespoons chopped parsley
·         sea salt
·         kosher salt
·         pepper
·         canola oil
·         lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Place the fish in a non-reactive dish.

2.       Lightly sprinkle fish, both inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.

3.       Mix the olive oil, zest, dill, and parsley, a dash of sea salt and pepper and smear it all over the fish - both the outside and inside. Thoroughly sprinkle the inside and outside with more of the kosher salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking.

4.       Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

5.       Heat the canola oil in a large, oven-proof skillet or roasting pan large enough to hold the fish over medium heat until almost smoking (or use multiple skillets), ensure that the entire surface of the skillet is coated in oil to avoid sticking. Lay the fish carefully in to the skillet, and cook for a minute. Flip the fish to the other side and cook for one minute.

6.       After one minute, and fish is nicely browned, Spoon some of the oil over to top of the fish to coat it, then transfer the pan(s) to the oven. NOTE: Discard any extra oil before putting in the oven for roasting.

7.       Roast the fish for about 10-12 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve immediately. You may want to squeeze some fresh lemon over it upon serving.

Spaghetti with Scallop and Shrimp in Wine Sauce

Hello Fellow Foodies! I'm back with a very successful kitchen experiment that I hope you will also find delicious.  My daughter is a young foodie so today was the first day I gave her an official cooking lesson.  I recently fell in love again with scallops at a cooking class I took so wanted to share that with her.  The result is the recipe below.  She loved it and you will too! 

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

Ingredients:

3/4 box of thin spaghetti (cooked just before al dente & drained)
1/2 lb dry bay scallops (pat dry)
1/2 lb jumbo shrimp (pat dry)
Canola oil
1 shallot diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup white wine
1 can chicken broth
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon Dry basil
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

In a bowl season your shrimp with kosher salt, black pepper and garlic e powder. Set aside to marinate.

Heat a medium pan. Add just enough canola oil to coat bottom of the pan. Reduce to medium heat and add garlic and shallots. Stir constantly. Stop stirring. Add scallops without crowding pan. Then add shrimp without crowding pan. If you cannot fit all shrimp you can put them in once scallops are done. Turn scallops and shrimp after bottoms are nice and lightly brown (about 4-5 min). After 1-2 minutes on the other side remove and set aside in a platter (do not strain oil).

Once all scallop and shrimp are removed from pan, deglaze pan by adding the white wine and the chicken broth. When liquid starts to boil add lemon zest, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil. Add kosher salt and pepper to taste. Let liquid reduce. Strain liquid into bowl discarding chunky remnants in strainer.

Wipe out any blackened material from pan and then put strained liquid back into pan on medium heat. Stir in sugar. Let boil, stirring frequently. After boiling for 5 minutes add pasta. Stir pasta in coating completely with sauce until liquid makes pasta al dente. Remove from heat. Add cooked shrimp and scallops. Toss all together in pan. Garnish with remaining parsley.

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.