I've been trying new recipes lately as we try to reduce our food budget. I had 3 really awesome recipes and 1 that was an epic failure. Let's start with the successes, shall we?
1. Pancakes!
Now, pancakes may seem like Cooking 101 to some of you, but I had not had much success with them in the past. They burn or are doughy or are too tough or too spongy...In any case, these are the best. Make some mix to have on hand, then whip up a batch when you need an easy dinner. Scramble a couple eggs, heat some pre-cooked sausage, and call it good. These pancakes, in my opinion, rival the ultimate pancake: the Perkins pancake. Use a non-stick skillet, and do not put in any butter or oil or cooking spray! This will make perfectly, evenly brown cakes. Use a medium heat setting (number 6 on my fancy stove) and scoop about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Keep them warm in the oven as you cook.
Homemade Instant Pancake Mix (Nigella Lawson, via FoodNetwork)
2. Ginger-Peanut Chicken
As I troll the blogs each morning, I often visit $5 Dinners for interesting and cheap recipes. One day I followed link to a separate blog to find Ginger-Peanut Chicken. This was one of the first times I read a recipe, thought it sounded good, and actually had ALL of the necessary ingredients! Sam and I both thought it was delicious (though more adventurous eaters may want a bit more spice to the sauce...add whatever it is spicy-food-eaters add to their food.)
Ginger-Peanut Chicken
3. Coffee Cake
I love breakfast sweets. Danish, doughnut, bagel; it's all good. However, the only sweet breakfast thing you can really make at home is the coffee cake. I've tried many a recipe, but none have been remarkable. Either the cake is too flat or the topping gets melty and sticky, or it is too sweet (or requires blueberries, which I don't usually have!) Intrigued by the name, I tried Jewish Coffee Cake from AllRecipes.com. We have a winner! Moist, dense cake. Crunchy cinnamon top. Not too sweet. I made it last night and have been eating it all day (seriously, that's what was in my lunch bag today--3 squares of coffee cake) I did not have sour cream to add, but I substituted ricotta cheese, and I think it turned out just fine. If you can tell me what makes it "Jewish" coffee cake, I'll make you one!
Jewish Coffee Cake (AllRecipes.com)
And now, time for the fail.
It was my 2nd failed attempt at roasting a whole chicken. Twice we have received whole chickens from a couple at our church who raise their own birds. And twice I have destroyed these beautiful things with crappy attempts at roasting. I don't know what the problem is--I have successfully roasted a turkey--why not a chicken!?!? I guess I must resign myself to boneless skinless chicken breast. Because, really, I don't want the skin, bones, or dark meat :)
Tell me, have you cooked a chicken whole? What is your secret?
2 comments:
I am pretty excited about the pancake claims as Perkins does have the king of pancake recipes. We have used Krusteaz pancake mix in the past as opposed to from scratch, and they taste great and are good for camping because you don't need eggs.
However, we recently found out two major revelations about pancakes. (1) Trader Joe's pancake mix is awesome, and
(2) Using a high-quality griddle (like the one that came with our fancy stove) is the only way to cook pancakes. The cooking surface takes forever to heat up, but it is impossible to burn the cakes.
I don't know if I can help you with roasting chicken in the oven, but I can help if you plan on doing an entire chicken on the grill this coming summer. The key is low and slow. Keep the temperature low and don't fret if it takes 2-3 hours to cook it to juicy perfection. I have smoked turkey and chicken this way, and it took over three hours to do so.
Well, we made the pancakes tonight and I must say they were delicious! I am intrigued by the coffee cake and will be trying that this week or next and as far as the whole chicken thing goes...CROCK POT is all I can say:o) I put mine in my large crock pot filled 1/3 with water seasoned with salt, pepper, and a half yellow onion sliced. It is the most moist chicken you will ever eat and it falls off the bone, i.e. you get your boneless skinless chicken very easily:o)
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