I'm the cook in the house and a get in a rut of cooking the same rotation of easy dinners. Post any relatively easy cooking ideas you like for weekday dinners. Here is mine - crispy skin roasted chicken with jus/gravy. Preheat oven to 375. Cast iron pan. Season two skin on/bone in chicken breast w just salt and pepper, sear on medium plus heat for three minutes, skin side down. When complete, take out chicken. Cut up onions, celery, carrots ( garlic if you like). Place in cast iron pan. Add a cup of chicken broth. Heat till simmering. Turn off. Put chicken breasts on top, bone side down. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Cook for 35 mins. Use meat thermometer, it's ready when internal temp is 165. Remove chicken to rest. Drain pan, discard veggies. Use glorious liquid to make a pan sauce by thickening with quarter cup of corn starch/water. Or use butter/flour to make a roux, then add liquids. Or do nothing to thicken and just season the liquid to use as a jus for the chicken. I like a little dash of worsteshire sauce. Cook your preferred veg and starch while the pan is in oven. Serve, feast. Restaurant quality, healthy meal in 45 mins.
I love to modify this: Serious Eats' Halal Cart-Style Chicken and Rice with White Sauce http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/...tyle-chicken-and-rice-white-sauce-recipe.html I love to cook but I don't really use recipes. I just find ones I like and play with them. Serious Eats is my go-to source for recipes, Kenji Lopez really knows his stuff. I just usually stuff like chicken with a pan sauce, burrito bowls, pork tenderloin and then whatever I throw on the grill. I just bought a sous vide precision cooker so I am playing with that as well.
My fast go to dishes are : potatoes ograten, okra with chicken and tomato sauce, spinach and cheese pie with bought fillo, one ratatouille dish we call Briam. This is the Briam recipe if you want (takes about 50 min-1hr) : https://www.cooklikegreeks.com/en/recipes/multicolor-briam.html You just put what vegetables you have and you can also put ready tomato sauce if you have instead of tomatoes Then eat with feta and black bread and is perfect for a fast and very easy lunch.
Also making pies is not only very easy but also practical. You can save what is left and serve it as side dish the next day, take it to work for lunch or even have it for breakfast. A good pie is also very good to impress guests if you have a dinner party.
No... no. You said this was a family secret and you gave it to me *boom* just like ****in' that. You spill the secret family recipe today, maybe you ****in' spill a lil' somethin' about me tomorrow. Am I right in assuming that?
Well, this is a recipe for the backyard grill but this pork tenderloin is amazing: 1 pork tenderloin 6 tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce 3 tablespoons of fresh Lemon juice (squeeze out one large lemon or two small lemons) 1/2 cup of honey 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I use the pre-minced glass jars) Mix all ingredients in a bowl (mix until the honey is in pure liquid form and no longer sticky) Put pork tenderloin in a large ziplock bag and dump marinade into the bag. Let it sit overnight in fridge (big flavor difference vs a few hours) Grill the tenderloin and serve. All of our friends love it when I cook this
How well does this marinade hold up on the grill? Does it over-carmelize? Or do you rinse off the marinade before placing it on the grill? I love me some pork tenderloin.
Another great recipe for the grill: 4 chicken breasts In a bowl, mix the following: 1/4 cup cider vinegar 3 tablespoons whole grain mustard 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (I use 3 teaspoons of the pre-minced stuff out of the jar) 1 lime, juiced 1/2 lemon, juiced 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 6 tablespoons olive oil ground black pepper Let sit overnight in large ziplock bag and grill An easy grilled chicken recipe is also using half a bottle of zesty Italian dressing and 1/2 cup brown sugar Put in ziploc bag along with chicken breasts and shake vigorously to dissolve the brown sugar. Marinate overnight and then throw on the grill.
It holds up well. Do not wash it off. If you mix the honey well it is a pure liquid marinade and doesn't "stick" and solidify on the pork. It doesn't over-carmelize at all but gives a very thin, nice sweet crust. Just be mindful that you don't burn it. I have a ceramic grill and get it to 400 degrees and flip every 5 minutes or so for about 20-25 minutes until internal temp is 145. You can also place it on indirect heat for longer once you sear both sides for 5 mins but it will take longer. Just have to watch the pork. Let it sit for ten minutes and slice.
I do an easy Spicy Beef Chili with diced sirloin rather than ground beef: -2 lbs. sirloin (diced) -3 tablespoons veggie oil -3 cups beef broth -1 can red pinto beans (optional) -1 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes (do not drain) -1 15 oz. can tomato sauce -1 6 oz. can tomato paste -1 tablespoon cider vinegar -2 large onions (diced) -1 large green bell pepper (diced) -6 cloves garlic (minced) -6 tablespoons chili powder (3 ancho/3 pasilla if you want to be fancy) -1 tablespoon white sugar -3 tablespoons cumin (comino) -1 teaspoon thyme -1 teaspoon oregano -1 teaspoon black pepper -1 teaspoon cayenne (goes a long way: a teeny tiny bit more for more spicy, a teeny tiny less for less spicy) In big pot: Dump onions, bell pepper to begin cooking. In pan: Sear sirloin on hot skillet for 30 seconds, dump into pot with onions and pepper with the veggie oil. Continued in big pot with beef, onions, bell pepper: Stir over medium heat until onions become translucent. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, sugar, thyme, cayenne, oregano, and black pepper. Continue on medium heat for 12 minutes, stirring quite a bit. You really want to coat the meat and veggies in the seasoning. After 12 minutes: pour in beef broth, beans (optional), diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and cider vinegar. Stir well. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Let simmer for at least 2 hours. Eat or refrigerate (even better the next day out of the fridge for some reason)
Honestly a cheap and quick Neal I just threw together is surprisingly tasty. Buffalo chicken Mac n cheese w/broccoli. Bake boneless chicken breasts. Shred and toss in buffalo sauce. Meanwhile make Mac and cheese (however you prefer). Also at the same time cook up some broccoli cuts. When all is done mix in big pot and serve. Btw I'm a single 20 something male.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. There’s still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato...baby, you got a stew goin!
Great thread idea. I will be printing these out. A very simple recipe for a crock pot that I love: Orange Chicken 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4-5 bundles green onion, diced 1 large can of frozen orange juice concentrate Flour the chicken along with salt and pepper and brown it in a frying pan with olive oil. Put chicken in crock pot. Add diced green onions to the same pan and sweat them a bit. Add to crock pot. Pour (mostly defrosted) orange juice concentrate over everything and add salt and pepper as desired. It does need a decent amount of salt and pepper, though. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until ready. It's really great served with baked or mashed potatoes or white rice.
I forgot to mention that I always brine my chicken, even though it's probably not that necessary for crock pot cooking.
this poblano mac and cheese recipe is killer. Get the white cheddar at the deli counter and ask them to cut it into large cubes (you later grate it). From a great cookbook called the homesick texan http://sweetlifebake.com/2011/09/09/the-homesick-texan-cookbook-poblano-macaroni-and-cheese/#axzz41iVTBcT4
She has a website as well..... http://www.homesicktexan.com/ Jumbo Shrimp Stuffed with Cilantro and Chiles INGREDIENTS 8 jumbo shrimp, in the shell (about 1 1/4 pounds) 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup) 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning Freshly ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, chopped 1/2 large jalapeño, with seeds 2 scallions (white and green parts) 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves DIRECTIONS Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium-high fire. Without removing the shells, slit about 3/4 of the way through the shrimp down the ridged back and remove the vein that runs down the center. Rinse and pat the shrimp dry. Whisk thyme leaves, lime juice, 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, 1/2 tsp. of salt and black pepper, to taste, in a shallow, nonreactive bowl or dish. Lay the shrimp cut side down in the lime mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a food processor, pulse the garlic, jalepeño, scallions, remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, to make a coarse paste. Add the cilantro and pulse just enough to incorporate into the mixture. Spoon the mixture into the opening of the shrimp and close the shrimp. Grill the shrimp, shell side down (to keep the filling from falling out) for 3 minutes. Turn to the other side, cover and grill another 2 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are slightly firm to the touch. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
