Chicken 'n Noodles

Nothing is as basic and simple as popping some chicken in a pan and making a skillet meal out of it. So basic in fact that it's hard to make a proper introduction to the meal. Yup. Quick and simple. Right then, let's get to it.

Ingredients:

Cleaned chicken breast halves

garlic powder

paprika 

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp dried basil

salt & pepper for taste

~2 cups frozen vegetables 

~2 cups egg noodles

Step 1: Coat chicken in a mix of paprika and garlic powder. Place in skillet and brown both sides.

Step 2: Add in broth, basil, salt and pepper, vegetables. I used a frozen fajita mix, but you can also try broccoli, carrots & peas, green beans.

Step 3: Bring to a boil.

Step 4: Stir in noodles. Try to submerge as many as possible.

Step 5: Reduce heat to low. Cover pan and let simmer for 10-15 minutes (until chicken and noodles are cooked)

Step 6: Serve. Claim this meal was more difficult than it was.

Meatloaf: A necessary evil

When I brought my meatloaf leftovers into work the other day, I learned that I am not the only one who doesn't go gaga for meatloaf. In some homes meatloaf is a staple of comfort food. In other homes, meatloaf is a quick fix dish for people without the time or energy to make something fancy. This recipe is excellent for those busy nights you want to make something simple with a nice kick to it. Even if it is meatloaf.

Served with steamed green beans and Crash Potatoes.

Ingredients:

• Loaf: 
• 1 - 1/2 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2  cup milk
• 1 cup mashed saltines
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp milk

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a meatloaf pan or regular pan.
Step 2: Saute the onions lightly. This isn't necessary but it will bring out the flavor.
Step 3:Mix together ground beef, egg, milk, onion, saltines, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce.
Step 4:Shape meatloaf. If the meat isn't the proper consistency, add more milk (softer) or breadcrumbs (harder).
Step 5: In a new bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and milk. Stir together. Generously spread out the sauce all over the top of the loaf.
Step 6: Bake for one hour.

Mexican Helper!

Are you sick and tired of tacos, hamburgers, sloppy joes and basic ingredients for your ground beef? So was I. Don't get me wrong, I love taco night. I just would like to defrost my ground beef without a sense of resignation. As if it wasn't exciting enough, this is also a 1-pot dish. Rejoice! An easy cleanup!

Way tastier than it is photogenic...

Ingredients:

~l lb ground beef/turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup corn (frozen, canned, cobbed)
1/2 cup water
1 cup pasta of your choice (I chose shells)
Shredded cheese (I used taco cheese)
for taste:
chili powder
taco seasoning
oregano
garlic powder
onion powder
salt

Step 1: On a medium heat, cook the ground beef and onions in a large skillet until meat is browned and the onions are tender. Drain.
Step 2: Add tomatoes, corn, water and spices. Season to your liking. Bring to a boil.
Step 3: Add macaroni. Stir it in so it is all submerged by the mixture.
Step 4: Reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are cooked.
Step 5: Add cheese on top and let it melt.

A Simple Chicken Soup...

When I play the South, they say "y'all" in the South. They take out the "O" and the "U". So when I'm in the South I try to talk like that so people understand me. "Hello, can I have a bowl of chicken noodle s-p? Come on, I'm in the South, you understand. I mean I'm in the S-th, and I want some s-p! -Mitch Hedberg

This long posting pause was brought on by a move from the suburban sprawl of New Jersey to south of the Mason Dixon Line in North Carolina. I can't think of the south without thinking of the quote above, so I think my first southern recipe post will be some good ol' fashioned chicken sp. I mean soup.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrots

1 large box/2 cans chicken broth

1/2 cup water

cooked chicken breast

~1 1/2 cups egg noodles

for taste:

basil

oregano

salt

pepper

garlic powder

Step 1: In a large pot, melt butter and cook the onion and celery until they are a bit tender (about 8 minutes).

Step 2: Add chicken, broth, noodles, and carrots. Add spices until it is to your liking. Go easy on the oregano, that taste really comes out once the soup is cooked thoroughly.

Step 3: Bring everything to a boil, then lower the light and let everything simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Step 4: Serve. Enjoy. Let people praise you for this dish. Take bad and artsy pictures (see below) that don't look nearly as appetizing as they really are.

I really ought to learn how to make proper

food porn pictures...

An explanation...

I moved! Finally! The last two years really were spent living with someone else, I didn't forget the blog or get lazy. I just didn't have my own kitchen.

I moved in June and have finally settled in enough to reboot this blog. I'm torn between just posting the things I cook or finding a niche. I'm thinking of perhaps only posting super easy recipes and trying to appeal to those who claim they can't cook.

Well, let me post a little bit and we'll see where it goes...