Christine's Pantry: April 2011

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Chicken With Honey Mustard

My mom was a wonderful cook and baker. One of my favorite foods growing up was chicken. I love chicken. Yum! Often mom would serve mash potatoes and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with the chicken. Nothing fancy, just good home cooking. I have so many wonderful memories cooking with mom. I'm happy I get to share my family recipes and recipes that I create with y'all.

What was your favorite food growing up? Leave me a comment below. Love to hear from y'all.

Chicken With Honey Mustard

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

2 or 3 dashes Louisiana hot sauce

1 tablespoon minced onions

vegetable oil

honey mustard, recipe below

Directions:

Preheat oil to 350 degrees. Cut chicken into long strips, set aside. Beat eggs in a bowl, add couple of dashes Louisiana hot sauce. In separate dish add bread crumbs and add minced onions, mix. Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Fry chicken in hot oil for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove chicken and place on paper towel lined dish. Serve with honey mustard. Enjoy!

Honey Mustard:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon spicy mustard

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Serve with chicken. Enjoy!

Monday, April 25, 2011

My First Giveaway

My First Giveaway

This is my first giveaway. I'm giving away a vented multi pot with straining lid. Handy for soup, sauce or warming milk. Ideal for cooking or steaming small portions. Use to mix and pour pancake or omelette batter and scrambled eggs. Simply turn the lid to seal in steam or drain vegetables, pasta and soup through vent / drain holes. Measure, mix and pour with standard and metric measurements.

No company is paying me for this giveaway. I am doing this on my own. You might ask why? I want to show my friends I appreciate them. Thank you to all my friends.

I will pick one winner at random. Contest starts today and ends on May 1, 2011 at midnight (CST). The winner will be announce on May 2, 2011. I will announce the winner here and on facebook, so you can get back to me and I can get your prize out to you as soon as possible.

I'm excited to see who the winner will be.

To enter this giveaway, leave me a comment below. Good luck!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Parsley Dill Potatoes

The Spanish conquistadors first encountered the potato when they arrived in Peru in 1532 in search of gold, and noted Inca miners eating chuñu. At the time the Spaniards failed to realize that the potato represented a far more important treasure than either silver or gold, but they did gradually begin to use potatoes as basic rations aboard their ships. After the arrival of the potato in Spain in 1570, a few Spanish farmers began to cultivate them on a small scale, mostly as food for livestock.

From Spain, potatoes slowly spread to Italy and other European countries during the late 1500s. By 1600, the potato had entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal and Ireland. But it did not receive a warm welcome.

Throughout Europe, potatoes were regarded with suspicion, distaste and fear. Generally considered to be unfit for human consumption, they were used only as animal fodder and sustenance for the starving. In northern Europe, potatoes were primarily grown in botanical gardens as an exotic novelty. Even peasants refused to eat from a plant that produced ugly, misshapen tubers and that had come from a heathen civilization. Some felt that the potato plant's resemblance to plants in the nightshade family hinted that it was the creation of witches or devils.

Frederick the Great of Prussia saw the potato's potential to help feed his nation and lower the price of bread, but faced the challenge of overcoming the people's prejudice against the plant. When he issued a 1774 order for his subjects to grow potatoes as protection against famine, the town of Kolberg replied: "The things have neither smell nor taste, not even the dogs will eat them, so what use are they to us?" Trying a less direct approach to encourage his subjects to begin planting potatoes, Frederick used a bit of reverse psychology: he planted a royal field of potato plants and stationed a heavy guard to protect this field from thieves. Nearby peasants naturally assumed that anything worth guarding was worth stealing, and so snuck into the field and snatched the plants for their home gardens. Of course, this was entirely in line with Frederick's wishes.
Info by History Magazine

Parsley Dill Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds potatoes, unpeeled and quarter

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried dill

Directions:

Wash potatoes and quarter, place in large pot and cover with salted water. Cook until fork tender. Drain well. In microwave safe bowl, add butter, salt, parsley and dill, melt butter. Pour over top of potatoes and gently stir, making sure all potatoes are coated. Add more parsley, if desired. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Ham And Bean Soup

I love soup. Soup is quick and easy. And one pot wonders. If you have any leftover ham from Easter dinner, this soup would be great. You can add just about anything to pot with stock and call it soup. The foundation of any soup is the stock. You can cook a soup in 30 minutes or less, but it will taste like you cooked the soup all day. Soup is versatile one pot wonders. This is affordable meal. I made this soup for less then $7.00.

Cannellini beans very popular in Italy, especially in Tuscany. Cannellini are related to kidney beans, among others. Cannellini have many health benefits, low in fat, high in protein and high in fiber.

When you get old you need all the fiber you can get. - Giggle -

Cannellini beans are very popular in many types of Italian cuisine. A staple in soups and salads. Cannellini beans makes a great addition to any pantry. I always have beans in my pantry. Low cost, long shelf life. So, give this soup a try, I think you will be happy you did.

Ham And Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups cooked ham, chopped

2 (15 oz ) cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 cups chicken broth

parsley, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot over medium heat, cook onion and ham, stir often, until onion just tender. About 3 to 5 minutes. Add beans, bay leaf, garlic powder, thyme, salt, pepper and chicken broth. Simmer uncovered, about 20 to 25 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Egg Rolls

Egg rolls (and their lighter counterpart, spring rolls) date back to ancient China. Wonton (thin unleavened dough with fillings or as noodles) are a traditional part of the Chinese diet. It is quite likely that egg-roll type foods were made and consumed in the USA by the first Chinese settlers in the mid 1800's. It is also just as likely that most Americans never heard of them until about 50 years ago. Vietnamese spring rolls employ different tastes. Why are they called egg rolls? The dough is traditionally made with egg. Spring rolls are lighter, omitting the egg.

Egg rolls are thin coverings of upraised dough, wrapped around various meat, seafood and vegetable mixtures, and then usually deep fried. Originally, these were special snacks served with tea when relatives and friends came to visit after Chinese New Year. Since the time was early spring, they came to be known as spring rolls...the egg roll, said to have originated in Canton and more familiar to Westerners, is larger...thicker. Egg rolls are served either as hors d'oevres or with dinner at any time of the year.

Spring roll...An Asian-American appetizer made of crisp dough wrapped around a filling of various ingredients such as vegetables, meat, shrimp, and seasonings. Sometimes synonymous with "egg roll," it is considered somewhat more "authentic" and delicious than the latter. The name, which dates in English print to 1943, comes from the Chinese tradition of serving them on the first day of the Chinese New Year, which is also the first day of the lunar year's spring.
Info by foodtimeline

Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

vegetable oil

1 (16 oz) bag slaw mix

1 (16 oz) package egg roll wrappers

soy sauce, for dipping

Directions:

Place just enough oil to cover bottom of skillet, over medium heat. Add ground pork, ginger, garlic powder, salt and pepper, cook until pork no longer pink. Cool slightly. Open and place slaw mix in a bowl, add pork, and gently toss. Place 1 egg roll wrapper on flat surface with one corner pointing toward you, lightly brush corners with water. Spoon about 1/3 cup of pork mixture in center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom of corner of wrapper over filling.Then fold right and left corners over filling. Tightly roll filled end toward remaining corner, press gently to seal. In a deep fryer, add enough oil to a depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry egg rolls (cook in batches) about 2 to3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Serve with soy sauce. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Orange Twist Cake

Recipe courtesy of Linda Burgett at mykindofcooking.blogspot.com

I would like to take a moment and thank Linda for allowing me to post her wonderful recipe.

I like to doctor up cake mixes. The mandarin orange keeps the cake moist and flavorful. This cake would be great for any occasion. Easter right around the corner. This would be a great dessert on any table.

Well my friends, I have a few people asking me when I am going in the kitchen and make dinner. I have some hungry folks on my hands. I think tonight will be clean out the refrigerator. I have some leftovers that need to be eaten before they go bad.

Orange Twist Cake

Recipe courtesy of Linda Burgett at mykindofcooking.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans mandarin oranges
1 (18.25 ounce) box French vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, pour 1 can mandarin oranges with juice. Drain remaining can of oranges, add to bowl. Add cake mix, eggs, and oil. Mix well. Pour batter into greased 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting or whipped topping. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Creole Tilapia

Tilapia

When I was a little kid, my dad and I would go fishing. Dad would fill the cooler with soda and water. Mom would make us sandwiches and chips. I'd help dad load the truck up with fishing poles and fishing tackle boxes. Dad would crab the coolers. And off we go with the boat in tow behind us. I was so excited about fishing with dad.

We did a lot of fishing at Lake Champlain. Beautiful lake. Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America. Locate within Vermont and New York, but partially situated across the US and Canada border.

You may have heard about the mystery around Lake Champlain, the Champ. Reminiscent of the Loch Ness Monster, Ogopogo. Champ is a giant aquatic animal that makes the lake it's home. Sightings have been sporadis over time. Locals have developed something of a fondness for the creature. At one of the parks on the lake, there's a huge sign of Champ with names of folks who have seen Champ. I have never seen Champ.

Today, I still enjoy eating fish. I don't get to go fishing as much as I would like to.

I like going to the fish market, and I always have my camera with me.

Salmon

Creole Tilapia

Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets

extra virgin olive oil

nonstick cooking spray

creole seasoning, to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the tilapia in a baking dish and drizzle olive oil over top of fish, then sprinkle evenly with creole seasoning. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Debo's Seafood Salad

Clouds in Texas. Having a bad storm.

This is the time of year when we have violent storms that hits my area. We are in the middle of tornado alley. It can be very scary. On minute the sky is blue and then the sky turns black. Unfortunately, my home doesn't provide shelter from the violent storms. I have no basement. Nothing close by to go to for shelter. I have a small closet in the hallway, that's where I'll go for shelter, if needed. Hopefully, I will not need to go to the closet for shelter from the storms. Home should provide safety from storms and the dangers from the world outside. A home should be full of warmth, because of the people living in the home. There is no place like home.

Debo's Seafood Salad

Ingredients:

1 (4 oz) can tiny shrimp, drained

1 (6 oz) can fancy white crab meat, drained

1 (6 oz) can lump crab meat, drained

1 (5 oz) can solid white Albacore, drained

1 (8 oz) Pollock & Crab mix, chuck style

1 small white onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dill weed

1 (8 oz) sour cream

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Store in airtight container. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Coconut Chocolate Chip Lace Cookies

If your kids are like mine, the first thing they want after school is a snack. When I was a kid, I looked forward to the after school snack. My mother knew how to bake, and she was a good baker. We always had homemade snacks. I would grab a few cookies from the cookie jar, then walk around the kitchen to see what else mom was baking. Y'all know that saying “got caught with my hands in the cookie jar”, well that was me. I always had my hands in the cookie jar. Mom started calling me the cookie monster. - Giggle -

I always had my friends over after school. There was a trail of kids walking threw the front door. Looking for goodies. They knew mom was always baking something. And the kitchen was always smelling good.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Lace Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup flake coconut

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add egg, oil and vanilla. Stir well. Drop by teaspoon on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Enjoy!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Macaroni Salad With Ham

I love a good macaroni salad. Growing up, I remember all the cookouts we had. Mom grilling hamburgers and hot dogs. She usually had macaroni salad, potato salad, chips, soda and all the fixings you would expect at a family cookout. Many times we would have a cookout at the lake, which was fun. The kids would swim for hours. When dinner was ready, mom would yell “kids dinner is ready”. After we ate, right back in the water we went, swimming until sunset. At sunset we would pack it up and head back to the house.

Still today, I enjoy a cookout with family and friends.

I took my mom's recipe and adjusted it, just a little. I added the ham and changed the seasonings. Taste good!

Macaroni Salad With Ham

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked macaroni

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 cup cooked ham, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic herb seasoning

pinch salt

1 teaspoon pepper, more if desired

1 tablespoon sweet relish

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1/2 cup mayonnaise, more if desired

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed. Chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Coconut Fried Chicken

Light and Crispy!

This is a new recipe. I never ate coconut fried chicken. I wasn't sure how this would come out. I am happy to say... the coconut chicken came out well. Light and crispy. You can taste the coconut, but it's not to sweet.

I am entering a recipe challenge at http://blogstew.net/foodfrenzy. Voting begins on April 15th. On April 24th voting ends and the winner is announced. Anyone can vote.

Coconut Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into strips

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups coconut, shredded

1 tablespoon pepper

2 dashes Louisiana hot sauce

peanut oil

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pan. 350 Degrees. Place flour in a resealable bag, add pepper and bread crumbs. In a separate resealable bag, add coconut. In a bowl, add eggs and hot sauce, beat well. Cut chicken into strips. Add chicken to coconut, making sure chicken coated. Then add chicken to the flour, making sure chicken coated. Then add chicken to the egg mixture, coat well. Then add chicken to flour, coat well. Add chicken to oil. Add a few chicken strips at a time (cook in batches). Cook chicken until brown. Remove chicken from pan and place on paper towel line dish. Enjoy!