Bella's Cooking

3.7.12

Improvise!

My friend Katie and I were talking, when she told me she forgot to get an ingredient for a recipe she planned to make for dinner tonight, chicken broth. I personally hate going to the store for that 1 ingredient, because it almost never fails, ya' end up coming out with half the weekly special because 'they were on sale just this week'.

So we put our heads together, and tried to think of things she may have now, that could make do. Bouillon? nope. Chicken noodle soup? YES! We've decided that if she mixes the soup in a bow, adds the called-for amount of water and then drains out the noodles, she will be left with a sort-of chicken broth! No one will ever be able to tell the difference, and she can stay in her jammies!

I used to think recipes would well.. make my kitchen combust if you got one ingredient or direction wrong, but boy have I learned I was wrong! The kitchen is all about improvising.. and who knows, you may just like your way better!

If you're interested, here's the recipe. Very Low Fat Broccoli Chicken Stir Fry

25.6.12

Delicious Chicken Recipe!

This is my favourite way to cook my chicken. I adapted it from a recipe I found online (click here for original).

It can be done in the crockpot (mine cooks it in around 4 hours on low, but mine is pretty intense). If you like it crispy you can add the herb mix to some flour (about a cup, depending on the amount of chicken you have) and bake in the oven (30-45 mins). This results in a home-made shake and bake. I do it both ways, depending on how much time I have etc, both are delicious!

I use thighs with skin (I am a skin fan, sorry if that’s gross) and bone-in, but really you can use whatever you like, just adapt the cooking time to suit. These measurements are just a guide, I don’t usually measure anymore.

Ingredients

1-2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 teaspooon thyme

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chopped onion

Your choice of chicken

1 cup of flour (if you choose to cook it in the oven)

Procedure:

1. Throw all the ingredients together and cover the chicken in the mixture, shake and bake style, or just a rub.

2. Cook in crockpot (4-6 hours), result is a tender and delicious yummyness.

Cook in oven (30-45 min), result is crispy and delicious yummyness.

18.6.12

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

I know this is way out of season, but it's delicious and definitely worth a try. I made it this past Christmas for my family dinner, and it was a big hit!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Time: 15 minutes prep + 4 hours refrigeration

Ingredients:

1 12 oz package fresh cranberries

1/4 C green onion, chopped

1/4 C cilantro, chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper

1 1/4 C sugar

1/4 t cumin

2 T lemon juice

dash salt

2 8 oz packages cream cheese

Process:

1. Run cranberries through a food processor, or chop them up.

2. Chop green onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper into small pieces (Remember the seeds of the jalapeno are HOT, it’s a good idea to wear gloves to protect your hands, and don’t rub your eyes!!).

3. Add all ingredients, except the cream cheese and the wheat thins, into a bowl. Mix them all together, cover and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This gives the cranberries time to sweeten.

4. When you are ready to serve, place your cream cheese bricks on a plate, spread the cream cheese out as evenly as you can, and add the cranberry mixture to the top and spread around.

5. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

Remember, recipes like this can be adapted however you see fit. I used canned whole cranberries as I couldn’t find fresh cranberries when I did the grocery shopping. It was still delicious so I can only imagine how fantastic it would be from scratch! The point is, the combination of the cranberries, herbs, and the cream cheese together is wonderful. You can also leave the jalapenos out if you don’t like the heat!

Source