It's no secret I eat a lot of pasta because, firstly, I like it and, secondly, it's economical.
My favorite boxed pasta seems to be Rigate in various sizes although ghod knows I love Elbow too.
One simple dish I often make is just the pasta, with diced chicken breast and broccoli, some cut-up tomatos, and a simple olive oil or Italian dressing, although Ranch dressing works well for me also.
The whole preparation time is about 15 minutes including pan frying the breasts. I usually make enough to get additional lunch or the next night's dinner out of it.
Making these pasta salads once every couple weeks might actually be the healthiest meals I cook.
Care to share your own pasta salad ideas?
BTW, I'm just curious; have any of you ever used things like Hamburger Helper or Tuna Helper? Do they suck? Is it easier and better to just roll your own? I've never tried them because it just seems like they're so -- de classe but maybe I'm missing out on a tasty, easy meal.
So. You all who are hosting Thanksgiving Day feasts are probably busy getting ready and by tomorrow will be busy cooking some things ahead of time.
I'd be curious, though, what alternative dishes you folks offer besides or instead of turkey. Thanksgiving Day Ribs? I'd go for that...
Since the holidays are upon us and almost everyone will be roasting a big bird of one sort or another, let's turn our attention to one of my favorite components of a proper dinner, making stuffing.
Normally, I'm invited to family or friend's homes for Thanksgiving and this year I'll volunteer to make the stuffing. Naturally this means I'll be baking it in a glass baking dish the morning of the gathering. I know all of one recipe, but I think it's a good one, handed down to me through the ages.
The only pre-preparation is pretty easy: The night before, leave out half-a-loaf of sliced bread, slices spread apart, the night before.
Simmer 1 1/2 cup of celery about 12 minutes -- until just before it's the tenderness you would want since it'll cook a tiny bit more when baking.
Melt 2/3 stick of butter.
Lastly, finely chop a medium sized onion and cook in butter in a pan but DON'T BROWN IT. Cook it just until it gets sort of transparent.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Okay, here are the other ingrediants:
2-3 cups diced apples (peeled, of course)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon max. of salt (remember that most chicken broths have a lot of salt).
Dash of ground pepper.
2 tablespoons of suger.
and...
7-9 cups of bread crumbs. You can just crumble the slices in your hand or (stacking a couple slices at a time) cut them into more formal squares with a knife. Make sure you include the crusts!
Combine all the ingredients, mixing well, and then spread into a large buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and continue cooking (10-25 minutes) until the top looks browned and the "moisture level" suits your needs. If you're going to be smothering it in gravy or meat (meaning bird) juice, you might want it dryer. Else, you want it to be moist. If (as I am) you will be reheating it at your destination, make sure you leave it moist and not totally browned on top yet. Does that make sense?
The nice thing about this stuffing is that there are several flavors at work but they all seem to get along. Adding the cranberry sauce on top of it makes it both sweet and tart. Well, to me, anyway. The gatherings I go to typically have about 8-10 people in them and this works well, portion wise.
Okay, since this is a reader participation blog, feel free to offer all of us your favorite recipes for stuffing.
Something sweet From Reuters:
U.S. chocolate lovers in growing numbers are discovering how to pander to their addiction and simultaneously help the environment by buying organically certified chocolate.With $70 million in annual sales, organic chocolate is a tiny part of the estimated $6 billion U.S. market, but like organic coffee, it's rapidly becoming mainstream, said Chris Samuel, spokesman for Green & Black's USA Inc., at the 9th Annual New York Chocolate Show on Friday.
Organic chocolate industry revenue is growing by 40 percent a year, with Green & Black's controlling about 20 percent of the U.S. market, Samuel said.
[...]
While most consumers focus on taste and health, manufacturers also point out the environmental benefits.
Made from cocoa grown in sustainable rain forests, free of herbicides and pesticides, and purchased from farmers who receive guaranteed prices under fair trade agreements, organic chocolate helps protect the environment, proponents say.
Seriously, I'm a chocoholic. I consume about 1/2 pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream every night before going to bed. It literally puts a "glow" on me. As I'm typing this I'm eating Reese's White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
The BEST chocolate I've ever had comes from Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington, Vermont. Every Christmas a bunch of employees buy a mass order of them and folks, the truffles are to die for!
I just received a very informative email on the subject from James R. Rummel and thought I'd share it with you:
So far as which crock to buy, you should read the comment left by htom [in this post --js]. A clear lid is important so you can check on the status of your stew without losing any heat. 5-7 quarts will hold enough stew to easily feed 4 big hungry guys. Cook up some egg noodles on the stove in a separate pot if you have more guests, and have them spoon stew over the noodles to stretch things.Think it's too big? Some crocks come with an extra earthenware insert that is divided into two compartments. Or you can just put a shallow layer into the big insert and make less stew. Be warned that cooking times will be much shorter if you don't fill the pot up all the way, though.
Cheap is okay for your first crock. It just applies heat while a timer is on, so anything fancy is kind of redundant.
But what I really want to talk to about is safety.
Most people just put the slow cooker on the counter. I did it myself, until I noticed that I was smelling something that was very similar to a soldering iron. (I have a very acute sense of smell.) The counter was made from a sheet of linoleum over a pine board surface. The heat was actually charring the boards!
I don't know how close I came to a fire, but it probably wasn't that close since most people use their crock on the counter without anything bad happening. I am not a guy who likes to take chances, though.
The way to avoid any problems is just to clear off the top of your oven and place the crock there. Ovens are, after all, big metal boxes designed to heat up to temps the slow cooker can't match. Nothing to burn, you know.
If the electric socket is too far for the cord to reach, just use an extension cord. I always use one of those orange heavy duty extension cords, but there is nothing wrong with a regular cord.
My crock is one of the greatest kitchen devices I ever purchased. Soups, stews, roasts, even barbecue brisket. Toss in the ingredients, set the timer, and go look up porn on the computer. Set the timer in the morning while leaving for work and walk in the door to a house that smells wonderful because there is a real, honest-to-Betsy home cooked meal waiting for you on the stove.
It saves money because I'm not eating fast food all the time, and I eat better for the same reason. And it really buoys up my rep as a great host when I have people over. Cheap and tough cuts of meat are tender as butter after being slow roasted for 12 hours, so I can get plenty of protein without paying those high prices for the prime cuts.
Cleaning is a breeze. The crock is a machine designed to apply heat over a long period of time, right? So just put soapy water in the crock and set the timer so it roasts off the mess at low heat for 4 hours. Dump out the water and all you have to do is rinse and wipe with a sponge.
Get a crock. You won't regret it as long as you use the thing.
This is sort of a meme, too. There are four aromas that absolutely get me salivating when I walk into someone's home. Chicken in the oven, steaks in the broiler, bacon in the pan, and chocolate chip cookies being baked. Any one of those fragrances is almost an aphrodisiac to me.
Am I missing any?
Folks always like these sort of posts and while I've probably done it before, I haven't done it here and I think they're fun, so...
1) Favorite peanut butter? For me, Skippy smooth. And, being single I can eat it by spoon right out of the jar.
2) Favorite ketchup/catsup? I used to insist on Heinz (that's what I grew up with) but to be honest, I rather like Hunt's Catsup nowadays. It just seems spicier, or maybe a bit more tangy.
3) Mayo? Got to be Hellmann's. Cains doesn't cut it and I never liked Kraft Miracle Whip although a lot of people where I work prefer it.
4) Mustard? I'm not a huge mustard fan in general but I keep both French's and Grey Poupon Honey Dijon in the fridge.
5) Cream Cheese? Is there even another brand besides Kraft Philadelphia? I don't think I've ever seen another choice on store shelves (besides Shur Fine, which sucks).
There. An easy post to respond to. Maybe I'll do one of these (with different categories of course) each Monday.
After all, 'tis the season and Thanksgiving Day is just around the corner. I've never made it but assume it's just a matter of throwing a can of pumpkin pie filling into a pie crust and sticking it in the oven. Right? It can't be that easy or boring.
1) How do you make your pumpkin pie?
2) Does anyone really start with -- a pumpkin???
3) Suggested toppings?
Thanks!
Sorry for that pun but let's face it, this is hunting season. Deer season to be exact. Any of you care to offer your serving suggestions on how you prepare various venison dishes?
Update 11/4: Robert (see comments) sends this simple recipe:
