Easy Roasted Chicken

The husband came home early today, since I was not feeling well. I gave him a verbal action plan of what I wanted to do for dinner, and quickly excused myself for a very long and satisfying nap. Thankfully, my husband has some kitchen prowess, so I woke up to a very fragrant (in a good way) house. I tell ya, one of the best cooking smells is a roasted chicken!

There really is no "recipe" for tonight's meal, just a game plan to get the chicken cooked. If I want to be totally honest, this is a dumbed down version of Anne Burrell's Herb Roasted Chicken recipe. I kinda took the general idea, and made it a lot easier with less ingredients. Hopefully, the result will be just as yummy. We probably are not going to make gravy from the drippings. Instead, I will just recycle all the cooked juices and aromatics into a batch of homemade chicken stock later. Baked potatoes and steamed green beans will round out our roasted chicken dinner. Ummmm...I am looking forward to eating tonight!

Easy Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:
1 5 lb. whole chicken
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 onions, quartered
6 celery stalks cut in half
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a roasting pan, place cut onion quarters and celery stalks in the bottom forming a framework or bed, then set aside. Rinse chicken inside and out with water, and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowel, combine canola oil and all of the dried spices, including salt and pepper. Mix to form a paste. Smear outside of chicken (on all sides) with oil and spice mixture, making sure to rub evenly over the entire surface of the chicken. Place seasoned chicken in the roasting pan, on the bed of onions and celery, so the chicken is not touching the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour chicken stock into bottom of the roasting pan and cover with foil.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover the chicken and make sure there is still liquid in the bottom of the pan (add water or additional chicken stock, if needed). Baste chicken with pan juices and return to oven uncovered. Bake for an additional hour, chicken every twenty minutes to baste and check liquids again. Chicken is done when internal temp reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer and the juices run clear when pierced at the thigh joint. Take chicken out of the oven and cover with foil again. Let cooked chicken rest on your stove top for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve!!!

Jen's Notes:
If your bird is bigger or smaller than 5 lbs., I would adjust the cooking time accordingly.





The Result:
This turned out really good. The meat was juicy and flavorful, and the skin got nice and browned. Yum! I will say that the Anne Burrell recipe does produce crispy skin, where as this version did not. However, we don't really eat the skin anyway. I can forgo crispy skin if the cooking method is easy and the results are delicious. Overall, this was certainly a solid version of roasted chicken that was pretty easy to prepare. The chicken was cooked almost perfectly...so really, what more could you ask for?!?! I will make this version again, especially if I don't feel like fussing with the trussing and preparation of the chicken.

PW's Shrimp Quesadillas (Quesadillas de Camarones)

I know I am late posting my dinner selection this evening, but I didn't have dinner figured out until almost 5 pm. I kept going back and forth with what I was going to make, only to find out I didn't have this ingredient or that ingredient on hand. Finally, after several starts and stops, I realized that I had ever thing to make these quesadillas. Thankfully, this dish was pretty easy to assemble and came together quickly.

Instead of retyping the entire recipe, I am just going to link to The Pioneer Woman website. Her photos and step by step instructions cannot be beat!

PW's Shrimp Quesadillas (Quesadillas de Camarones)

In case the link doesn't work, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas
12 whole Large Shrimp, Peeled And Deveined
8 ounces, fluid Mexican Red Sauce
1 whole Large Onion
1 whole Red Bell Pepper
1 whole Green Bell Pepper
2 cups Cheese, Grated (Monterey Jack Is Best)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt To Taste

Directions:
Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.
Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.
In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.
Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!




The Result:
These shrimp quesadillas were fan-freakin'-tastic! So, so good!!! The flavors blended perfectly and they turned out just as promised...picture perfect and absolutely delicious. That Pioneer Woman sure knows her way around the kitchen!

Surprisingly,this dish was also quite filling. The husband and I were both stuffed after having two triangles each, so they were certainly satisfying as a main dish.

I only have a couple of notes to share with you about this recipe. First, I would definitely use a cast iron skillet in the preparation of these babies. The pan really does need to be screaming hot. Then, I only made one deviation from the original recipe; I used canola oil instead of olive oil. I only had extra virgin olive oil, which doesn't have a high enough smoke point for this type of application, so I chose to use canola oil instead. Overall, the quesadillas turned out perfectly cooked and I am ridiculously pleased with the end result.

By the way...disregard the unremarkable looking dark blob toward the back of the plate in my photo. It was a fast side dish of black beans...really, not appetizing to look at and only so-so tasting. The beans were kind of an afterthought, so nothing good to report there. (I am glad they are out of focus in the pic.)

I whole-heartedly endorse these quesadillas, though. They are about a hundred different kinds of yummy. Try them soon and you won't be sorry!

Grilled Hot Dogs, Creamy Parmesan Orzo (& Recent Meal Updates)

Last night we decided to go out for dinner to a local Mexican restaurant. We had a busy day, and I just didn't feel like cooking again. I suppose that is how it is going to go for awhile; depending on what I do during the day and how I feel afterward. It amazes me how quickly I get wiped out, energy-wise. Anyway, since we ate out yesterday, there was nothing really new to post or report.

Tonight is kinda the same way. We went out to Costco this morning and stocked up on some staples. When we got home, the husband and I worked on straightening up our pantry and picking up the house. By the time our little reorganization project was done, I was wiped out again. We decided to make an easy dinner again tonight and just grill up some regular hot dogs, served on buns. I know...nothing spectacular. To go with our hot dog feast, we are going to make an easy and yummy side dish of orzo, and then steam some frozen veggies.

Here is the link to my orzo recipe. It is truly one of my favorite side dishes!

Creamy Parmesan Orzo

Tomorrow night is another no cooking night. The family and I are going to a football party, hosted by one of the moms in my MOMS Club. There is going to be pizza and side dishes, so it should be fun for both kids and adults. I will be back on Monday with a new dinner post.

Leftovers

I have not been sleeping at all these past couple of nights, so I am super-tired today. Darn pregnancy insomnia is starting to set in! I decided to have a low stress day cooking-wise...just to make things easy on myself. The boy and I had drive-thru food for lunch, and I think I will have to make dinner just as unchallenging.
The good news is that we have some of the soup leftover from last night, so I think we are just going to do a repeat dinner. I might even give the little guy something else for dinner. That will ensure that we have enough soup to go around for the adults, and we won't have to deal with any major dinner battles. I don't typically like serving different meals to my son; but on days like today, I tend to be a little more flexible with the rules. Either way, both meals will be fast reheats in the microwave...which doesn't require any real cooking from me!

Jen's Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is one of our favorite family recipes, that we haven't had in awhile. Since the temperature here in Phoenix has cooled down to a brisk 97 degrees, I figured soup would be in order for tonight's dinner. After all, soup is the best way to celebrate fall weather, right???? Seriously, this is a yummy dish that even my three year old loves. The best part is that it is so incredibly easy that it is practically foolproof!

Jen's Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 container of salsa
6 regular cans of chicken broth (or 2 large)
1 lime, juiced
1 bag of tortilla chips
¼ cup of fresh Cilantro
* hot Sauce to taste
* shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese to taste
* cooked chicken to taste (I usually dice up 2-3 cooked chicken breasts)

Directions
1. In a large stock pot, heat olive oil.
2. When oil is heated, sauté onions until translucent.
3. Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes.
4. Add cooked chicken, chicken broth, salsa and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add cilantro, lime juice, and hot sauce to taste.
6. In individual serving bowls, place some tortilla chips in bottom and sprinkle with Monterrey Jack cheese.
7. Pour the hot soup over the chips and top with more cheese (if desired) and serve!

Baked Pasta Casserole (aka Dream Spaghetti) with Jen's Easy Homemade Meat Sauce

Here is a bonus recipe, since everyone was such a good sport about my absence!

This is the only other 'new" dish I tried during my Sabbatical. My MOPS group had a meal preparation expert come and speak with us, and this was the recipe she gave everyone to try. It turned out pretty good, and it will be one that I make again. The only issue I had was that I did not like the type of pasta that I used with this dish. I substituted in leftover whole wheat fettuccine, and it was not all that great. Next time I make this dish, I will probably use a whole wheat tube-shaped pasta, like penne or rigatoni. Also, you could probably add some veggies to make this more nutritionally balanced...zucchini would be nice. With that said, everyone at my table still really liked the recipe and it will be one I try again soon.

Baked Pasta Casserole (aka Dream Spaghetti)

Ingredients:
8 oz. of spaghetti or favorite pasta
3 cups prepared spaghetti sauce OR homemade sauce **(see notes below)**
1 ½ lbs. cooked ground beef *(*see notes below)**
8 oz. cottage cheese
4 oz. sour cream
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven for 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
Combine sauce and ground beef **(see below for my Easy Homemade Meat Sauce recipe)**
Combine cottage cheese and sour cream.
In a 9 x 13 casserole pan, layer bottom with cooked pasta, spread on the cheese mixture, top with meat mixture, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired and serve.

Jen's Notes:
Instead of using jarred tomato sauce, I make a quick homemade version. See below for my recipe.


**Jen's Easy Homemade Meat Sauce**

Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
1 can of plain tomato sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of paprika

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium high heat, place ground beef and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, and paprika. Brown the meat until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Add 1 can of plain tomato sauce and 2-3 Tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Adjust all seasoning, if needed.



The Result:
Ummmm...cheesy, yummy, pasta-y, goodness!

New Recipe Alert: Crock Pot Chops and Gravy

Hello, out there! I betcha thought I forgot all about this little ol' blog o' mine, didn't you???? Well, I didn't! You see...I told you I would be back someday, and here I am. I am finally starting to feel like a normal person again! (Well, as normal as I can feel being pregnant with twins.) The good news is that I finally hit my second trimester! My energy has somewhat returned, and I am not feeling as nauseated as I once was. Although, I am not completely "morning sickness free", I am beginning to feel much, much better. I still have tummy issues, but it is certainly less than what is was at it's peak. Hooray!!! The best part is that food is starting to interest me again. I just need to make sure the recipes are simple to prepare and not too exotic; due to the still lingering, aforementioned, tummy issues. I am all about quick and easy these days. Hopefully, I will be back into the full swing of things very soon.

During my hiatus, I have fallen in love with my slow cooker again. I really appreciate being able to throw ingredients into the crock pot early in the day, and not have to worry about pulling together a dinner when I am feeling at my worst during the late afternoon. Also, I like that the slow cooker produces home cooked flavors with minimal effort. All in all, the slow cooker is my new BFF.

Another one of my new finds is the Tasty Kitchen website. Ree, from The Pioneer Woman, created this cooking/recipe index site for home cooks. Just like her original site, Tasty Kitchen is fabulous!!!! I just did a quick search this morning for "pork chops" and found this new recipe. I had everything on hand, so I thought I would give it a go. I think I will serve this with some Jasmine rice and some of my steamed, glazed carrots. I sure hope this dish is a keeper. I would hate for the first official recipe back on the blog to be a dud!

Crock Pot Chops and Gravy
By: realmomkitchen (From: Tasty Kitchen)

Ingredients:
4 whole Lean Pork Chops
1 whole Medium Onion, Sliced Or Diced
1/2 cups Cup Sliced Mushrooms
2 cans (10 3/4 Oz Size) Mushroom Soup
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1/4 teaspoons Pepper

Directions:
Place pork chops in a crock pot (or in a baking dish for the oven). Lay onions and mushrooms over the pork chops.

Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over the pork chops. Cook on low in the crock pot for 5 to 6 hours (or in the oven on 350F for 1 hour). Serve with mashed potatoes or over rice.

Note: After baking, I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you used them) for those who like them so they can put them on their chops.

Jen's Notes:
I made a couple of quick substitutions for this dish. First, I used bone-in pork chops, since that is what I had on hand. Then, I used low-sodium cream of mushroom soup and canned mushroom slices. Last, I reduced the cooking time to 3 1/2 hours on high, since I know my slow cooker runs really hot. So far, it smells really yummy! I will let you know how it all turns out later in my review.



The Result:
This was really good! I was skeptical about putting 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce into the gravy mix, because I thought it was going to be way too salty. On the contrary, it turns out that it was not too salty (especially since I used all low-sodium products), but pretty well balanced. The gravy ended up being really savory and yummy! I am glad that I used the bone-in pork chops and reduced the total cooking time, as well. The chops were juicy and tender. Sometimes I have serious issues with meat drying out in the slow cooker; but thankfully, that didn't happen with tonight's dinner. I would recommend this recipe because it was super-easy to put together...made wholly with ingredients that are typically stocked in the freezer and pantry. My son and husband really liked it, too. Certainly not too shabby for my first dinner attempt in over a month!!!