Finance for a Freelance Life» Recipes and Cooking Tips

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

Mrs. Micah — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:00:54 +0000

Last week, I made a delicious avocado chicken salad with a recipe I got from Cooking Light. Here’s my variation–not guaranteed to be as light as theirs, but definitely delicious.

Ingredients

1 package chicken thighs
2 TB cooking oil
1 avocado
2 chopped tomatoes or 1 15 oz can
1 lime
1/2 bunch scallions
2 TB minced cilantro (or to taste)
salt and pepper

Prep and cook time: approx 40 min.

Preparation

1. To prepare the chicken, remove any skins. Heat small amount of oil in a skillet, approx. 2TB, and brown chicken on all sides. Add 1 cup water, cover, and cook for 30 min, turning approx. every 8 min.

Mix in a bowl, the following:

2. Peel and chop the avocado into fine pieces and add.

3. Chop tomatoes or drain can and add.

4. Chop cilantro and scallions to taste and add.

5. Cut lime into approximate halves, one half slightly bigger than the other. Squeeze bigger half over salsa. Add approx 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper or to taste.

Once chicken is cooked.

6. Remove chicken from pan and cut into medium pieces. (Or do all this in advance and retrieve chilled chicken now) Squeeze other half of lime over the chicken.

Putting it all together.

7. Mix together chicken pieces and salsa. Serve over brown rice if desired.

This recipe has a few changes from the Cooking Light one. For one thing, the prep steps are more realistic. It’s fast, but not 3 minutes unless you’ve pre-cut everything. Cutting the avocado took me 3 minutes. Also, I think scallions are better than normal onions and the cilantro tastes much better as a garnish in the salsa than cooked with the chicken.

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Happy Halloween – Cookie Recipe

Mrs. Micah — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:34:05 +0000

Happy Halloween everyone! I’ve been quite busy for the last couple days, so I haven’t had much time to write a post.

But I’d like to recommend a seasonal recipe, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies at Frugal Upstate. I’m not exaggerating when I say that these are the best cookies I have had in a while. I’m making another batch today for an event at our church.

I like to think they’re a bit healthier than the normal Toll House recipe (which they’re pretty similar to) because they use a can of pumpkin and only 1 stick of butter. That’s got to be good, right?

Everyone have a safe and happy evening!

Content © Mrs. Micah 2007 – 2010. This content may only be reproduced in excerpts by legitimate bloggers.

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Badami Chicken Recipe – Indian

Mrs. Micah — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:30:53 +0000

Big fan of Indian food. Previously, I’ve posted recipes for:tandoori chicken, curried chicken, and masala rice.

This week, we tried out a Badami chicken recipe. A delicious medley of spices held together by yogurt. Goes well with broccoli that’s been cooked with a little ginger & curry over rice that’s been cooked with turmeric and chicken bullion.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs (skins removed)
2 packages lowfat plain yogurt (or nonfat)
2 small onions, chopped
1TB ginger
10 cloves of garlic (mashed)
6 cloves (ground)
1TB cinnamon
1TB cardamom (or 6 mashed pods)
1TB peanut butter
1 can coconut milk
2TB oil
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric
1TB chili powder

To Prepare:

Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and peanut butter. If you don’t have a garlic press, use the back of a fork to mash the garlic. Slice thinner for easier mashing.
In a large pot, heat oil. Add the chopped onions. Fry them till they turn golden. Add the paste and fry.
While frying, add about 1TB of water. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Add salt, turmeric, and chili powder.
Add chicken. Stir to cover chicken.
Cook for 10 mins, then add the coconut milk.
Cook till finished, perhaps another 20-30 minutes.
Cut up thighs and replace meat in pot. Add any cooked vegetables and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve over rice, or on its own. You can find the original recipe here. I had to substitute some ingredients for convenience, and reduced the onions from 6. That just seemed like too much. Black beans make a good substitute if you want a vegetarian option.

Bonus: For a delicious fall treat, try these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies posted by Frugal Upstate!

Content © Mrs. Micah 2007 – 2010. This content may only be reproduced in excerpts by legitimate bloggers.

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Tandoori Chicken Recipe

Mrs. Micah — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:00:33 +0000

Micah and I both love Indian food, especially chicken. This recipe is easy to make and pretty inexpensive if you already own these spices. It’s one of the most delicious new recipes I’ve found in a while. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare, requires at least 2 hours of marinating time, and takes 25-35 minutes to cook. You also need space for the marinating chicken to chill in your refrigerator. Your best bet is probably preparing it in the early afternoon and then popping it in about 45 minutes before dinner.

Ingredients

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch ground cloves
4 skinned chicken thighs (boneless or boned)

Also be sure you have aluminum foil and a wire rack. I’m grateful we have some neighbors whom I know from church, because I was able to borrow some foil from them. I didn’t read well enough ahead.

Steps

Stir together yogurt, garlic, and onion in a dish large enough to hold 4 pieces of chicken. Add everything except the chicken and stir until thoroughly blended. Then add the chicken and coat well. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for minimum of 2 hours and possibly overnight.
Preheat oven to 500F (this mimics the tandoori clay oven). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Coat wire rack with cooking spray (or use a nonstick one) and set it over baking sheet. Place chicken on the rack.
Bake chicken until no trace of pink in the center. Serve hot.

I served it over brown rice which was cooked with 1/4 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chicken bullion. For a side, I made cooked broccoli with a couple cloves, a pinch of curry, and a small piece of cinnamon bark. Turned out really well!

Content © Mrs. Micah 2007 – 2010. This content may only be reproduced in excerpts by legitimate bloggers.

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Recipe for Tofu with Peanut-Ginger Sauce

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:00:33 +0000

Second tofu recipe this week, I know. But despite it’s reputation, tofu is delicious if used in the right places. In the recipe I recommended on Sunday the tofu feels and tastes more like egg. In this one, it’s masked by the delicious sauce. But if you don’t like tofu, you can make this recipe with eggs, chicken, or beans. Just prepare them properly beforehand, cut if necessary, and then start where the recipe does.

I got this recipe from the EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook. Since Micah has low blood sugar issues I’ve found this a helpful cookbook.

Ingredients

Sauce

5 tablesppons water
4 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced sodium (or regular) soy sauce
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons minced ginger (or 1tsp or so ground ginger)
2 cloves minced garlic

Tofu & Vegetables

14 oz extra-firm tofu
2 teaspoons oil (extra-virgin olive or enova)
4 cups baby spinach (6 oz)
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms (4 oz)
4 scallions, sliced (1 cup)

Preparation

Preparing Sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until fairly smooth.
Preparing tofu: If water-packed, you may want to prepare an hour ahead of time by putting tofu on one plate, covering with another, and putting something on top to push out the water. Or pat dry if there isn’t time. Slice and crumble into small, uneven pieces, perhaps 1/4″ wide or smaller.
Heat oil in nonstick skillet until hot. Add tofu and cook in single layer, don’t stir, until pieces start turning golden brown on the bottom, perhaps 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5-7 minutes or more.
Add spinach, mushrooms, scallions, and peanut sauce. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are cooked—perhaps 1-3 minutes.

I served it over rice, cooked with 1 tsp turmeric and 1 1/2 tsps chicken bullion. Obviously if you’re vegan you’d want to leave out the bullion, but it adds a nice flavor for non-vegetarians/vegans.

Really delicious. After two successful tofu recipes in one week, I think I’m a bit of a convert. Even Micah’s ok with it as long as it “tastes like something…not tofu.” So curry, peanut-ginger sauce, both winners!

Content © Mrs. Micah 2007 – 2010. This content may only be reproduced in excerpts by legitimate bloggers.

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Recipe Thursday: Homemade Chinese Turkey/Chicken Meatballs

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 08 May 2008 15:00:55 +0000

Discovered a fun recipe in The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome this week. I hadn’t used it until now, but I got it for free so I’d kept it around. This gem of a recipe makes that decision worth while.

I served the meatballs with plain brown rice and broccoli, along with a dash of soy sauce. Also, instead of using a fryer, I mixed cooking oil and natural peanut butter in a deep frying pan…just enough to coat the meatballs…and cooked it that way. I don’t know if it’s healthier, but it felt that way. It was also more convenient. You may have to do two shifts, however.

Ingredients:

Meat and spices:
1.5-2lbs ground chicken or turkey (turkey happened to be cheaper)
1/2 tsp pepper (he specifies white pepper, we didn’t have it)
1/2 tsp salt (it’s important, remember? )
2 TB cornstarch
1 TB soy sauce (or more if you like)
2 egg whites (we left these out since we didn’t have eggs, no biggie)
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger. Or 1/4 tsp ground.
2 tsp cooking sherry or vinegar
4 cloves crushed garlic (I used 2)

Coating:
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup water-chestnut flour…if desired.

4 cups peanut oil for frying. Or 1 cup natural peanut butter and 2TB cooking oil.

Cooking:

1. Rinse ground poultry and put in mixing bowl. Add all spice/vinegar/egg/2TB cornstarch ingredients. Mix thoroughly. By hand, unless you really need a mixer.

2. Put 2 cups cornstarch (or 1 cup with 1 cup of the other flour if you’d like) in a smaller mixing bowl.

3. Roll the meat mixture into meatballs of desired size. Roll each meatball in the starch/flour.

4. Either put them to deep fry in several batches in 360 degree oil until balls float and are golden brown (5) or… Put 1/2-2/3 of peanut butter and oil in frying pan. Add balls and make sure they’re coated. Fry for as long as necessary…make sure that a few are well-cooked all the way through. Then taste for flavor. Repeat with reserved peanut butter and oil and any meatballs that didn’t fit. If they’ll all fit, no need for stages.

Didn’t take too long to make and wonderfully yummy. It’s hard for me to believe how good they tasted…I had mild expectations. Micah and his sister also loved them. They’ve got a definite nutty flavor and the ginger and soy sauce go with it quite well.

Let me know how this turns out for you!

Content © Mrs. Micah 2007 – 2010. This content may only be reproduced in excerpts by legitimate bloggers.

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Recipe Thursday: Ravioli and Simple Veggies

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 01 May 2008 15:00:01 +0000

This is a simple recipe, a light (ish) summer meal. It also takes less than 45 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 bag ravioli or tortellini or plain noodles
1 28oz can of chopped tomatoes, 1 15oz can of chopped tomatoes. Or cut up about 5-6 medium tomatoes.
1-2 cloves garlic
1 scallion
1 green pepper
fresh or dried (chopped) basil)

1. Start pasta cooking according to directions on box or bag. Consider adding extra noodles (like egg noodles). I put in half a bag’s worth. Be careful if they cook at different speeds.

2. While water is boiling, chop garlic (very finely), scallion, and green pepper. Reserve in a small bowl.

3. Either chop or drain tomatoes and reserve in a larger bowl. Chop (if necessarily) and add basil to taste. Recommended at least 2 tsp of dried basil.

4. Stir in the chopped garlic/scallion/pepper mixture.

5. When pasta is done, drain and set in serving dish. Stir in tomato+ mixture.

I like that it’s not a heavy sauce but it has a great flavor. Done this way, the garlic, scallion, and pepper are all crunch (which is why the first two should be small) for an almost salad-like feel. My aunt always recommends red, green, and white for a meal. Once you’ve got that, you know it’s Italian!

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Salt — Really Handy and Important Stuff

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:00:25 +0000

Salt has been a valuable commodity throughout history. Until refrigeration became common, it was a main ingredient in preserving perishables like meat. According to etymonline, the English word “salary” comes from Latin for “salt ration,” “salt buying money.” Apparently it was pretty important for the soldiers to buy their salt.

All that to say that I’m immensely grateful for salt after I managed to leave it out of all my cooking this week. Even curry and chipotle seasonings don’t substitute for salt. Bleh.

Fortunately, salt is also something that can be fairly easily added afterwards. I just take it less for granted now.

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Recipe — Tamale Pie

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:30:47 +0000

My sister-in-law (who comments as Mrs. Nathan) sent us this recipe for Tamale Pie. I made it this week and it was quite delicious. Like everything, I modified it slightly based on ingredients on hand and our fear of hot peppers*, but I’m giving you what she originally sent. I believe she got it from a cooking magazine.

If you leave off the topping, it’s low-carb. Or skip the meat for vegetarian. We used ground turkey. And added a green pepper. And I did not put in enough salt.

Tamale Pie
Serves 6 to 8

Note: We like coarse cornmeal for the crust on this pie and had the best results using Goya Coarse Yellow Cornmeal. Ground pork or turkey can be substituted for the beef.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 onion , minced
1 jalapeno chile , stemmed, seeded, and minced
Table salt
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cloves garlic , minced
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans , rinsed
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
Ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup coarse cornmeal (see note above)
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , shredded (1cup)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up large clumps, until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes.

2. Stir in the onion, jalapeño, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the beans, the tomatoes and their juices, and corn and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.

3. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and then slowly pour in the cornmeal while whisking vigorously to prevent clumping. Turn the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, until the cornmeal thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

4. Stir the cheese into the beef mixture, then scrape into a deep-dish pie plate (or other 3-quart baking dish). Spread the cornmeal mixture over the top and seal against the edge of the dish. Cover with foil and bake until the crust has set and the pie is heated through, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

(4. alternatively, stir in cheese and continue to heat in large saucepan for low carb. Or add 2 cups cooked rice for starch/carb.)

Enjoy!

* I burned my eyes on a hot pepper once. First slicing the pepper burned my hands. Then I was crying from the pain and dumb enough to touch my eyes. It was horrible.

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Recipe Thursday: Why Hamburger Helper Disappointed Me

Mrs. Micah — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:30:01 +0000

I was looking for a quick and yummy meal, so I decided to try out a little hamburger helper. I’d never used it before, but I figured it’d work. However, I was very disappointed…sort of. What I ended up with tasted good, so yay for that. But the helper itself was problematic.

Biggest complaint—what’s up with the rice? There was only 1 (uncooked) cup of white rice which was supposed to go with 1 lb of ground beef. We got a little over 1 lb and bought 2 hamburger helpers (since this was one of those bigger dishes that’s going to last us longer, but still). That’s a ridiculous combination.

So as soon as I saw how little rice it included, I started cooking up some brown rice, another 2 cups worth. I let that cook about 20 minutes (brown rice cooks more slowly than white) so that I could add it to the recipe when I added the uncooked white rice.

When you look at what we actually bought, it was just some sauce mix and 2 cups white rice. It was a good sauce mix, but I’m not sure it was worth it.

We also bought a bunch of veggies (bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms) and with double the rice it seemed like a more sensibly balanced meal.

It’s not that hard to cook, which was convenient. Only 45 minutes (the brown rice lengthened the overall time). So what I’m going to have to figure out is a way to get the spice/sauce mix all on my own. Either something similar that I can buy prepared or a recipe that I can mix up. Because I’m pretty sure the rice was overpriced compared to what we normally buy. And everything else is separate anyway.

Anyone have sauce recipes to share?

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