Hard Day, Easy Dinner

You know those days when you get home from everything you had to do and realize it’s five-thirty and you haven’t prepped anything for dinner? I’ve been there. And on those days I have a go-to dish that is probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but it’s fast and easy and my kids eat it every time.

I call it: Improv Pasta.

Picture borrowed from KRAFT

Ingredients:
2 frozen chicken breasts (optional, or beef if you prefer)
1 lb (or just one box) uncooked pasta
1 stick (1/4 cup) butter
1 Tbs Italian seasoning
1 bunch broccoli (optional, or some other veggie you like or have laying around)
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan cheese (lots)

Directions:

1. Cook the meat! On short notice, I tend to not have anything defrosted so I’ll put the chicken in a pot of water and boil (while I prep everything else and make the kids wash their hands) for 20-30 minutes or until I cut into it and it’s not pink. For beef, I defrost it in the microwave and then fry it up the rest of the way, adding salt/pepper and then draining excess grease. Set your meat aside in the bowl you’re gonna mix everything in.
2. Using the same pot you cooked the meat in, boil water and then cook the pasta according to directions. 
3. If you’re adding a veggie, cook it now. I usually do broccoli and steam it in the microwave, but I have a microwave steamer. If you don’t, you can put it in a pan with a small amount of water and cook it on low heat with a lid on for about 5-7 minutes or until it’s tender enough for your tastes. 
4. Mix the pasta, veggie, and meat, including the butter until the butter is melted. Dump in salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and parmesan, and mix well. Taste it, and adjust according to your preferences. (I sometimes also throw in a tiny bit of milk at this point just to help the flavors spread a little easier and cool things down so my kids don’t have to blow on it too much.)

It’s become pretty routine in my house, and I’ve learned how to adjust it according to what I’m cooking and what I have available in my fridge/pantry. It’s pretty basic but always tasty. Sometimes if I’m feeling adventurous I’ll throw in some mozzarella or even cheddar cheese just to shake things up. Have fun with it!

Darci Cole writes fantasy novels for YA/MG readers, and is currently seeking representation for her work. She is a Gryffindor, a fangirl of many fandoms, and a wandmaker for Colevanders. She loves Dr Pepper, pepperoni-pineapple pizza, and stars.

Follow her on: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram

Two Homey Favourites!

Today, I am giving you two recipes. I do this on my blog Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate, all the time – I love to eat and I love to cook although at my advanced time of life it ain’t so easy any more.

Recently Liz mentioned camping dishes. I have only ever camped in a trailer never in a tent. I lived on a boat with my parents for many years so we didn’t go camping, but Matt (hubby) and I went camping in our trailer for several years, once we emigrated to Canada. However, this dish I invented many years ago mainly for my first husband who really liked canned corned beef. I don’t have any measurements sorry. For me it’s just one of those “cook by feel” recipes.

Jo's Corned Beef Mac & Cheese

First of all, you sauté some onions in butter, then add some flour and cook until it becomes a thick roux. You then remove the pan from the heat and gradually stir in some milk. You then put the pan back on the heat and stir continuously until the sauce thickens. When it is thicker you add grated cheddar cheese, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, you cook some macaroni and in a large baking dish you put slices of canned corned beef, tomatoes, seasoned, top with macaroni and then pour your cheese and onion sauce over the top. It can be served as is or baked in the oven for a while to get a crisp cheesy top and to warm the corned beef and tomatoes.

This is a very easy recipe to make. The quantities are decided by the amount of people you are making it for. Matt, my husband, took a bunch of juvenile prisoners on a camping trip in the UK once and he cooked this for them on their campsite, although they had to help.

I have never made mac and cheese from a packet and when we came to North America I was horrified to see how many people did so. One friend showed me how she made a cheese sauce with cornstarch which meant she didn’t have to cook the flour in butter at the beginning to make a roux – but you loose the flavour if you do it that way. The white sauce basis should have a buttery taste before you add the cheese which makes it so much richer.

Good sauces are a fundamental basis for good cooking. I find it so sad that many people just can’t be bothered any more. France used to be the home of great cookery when I was young but I am told that today French women don’t bother to learn how to cook any more. I have a nasty feeling that, in the future, people will be eating food produced by machines and probably will neither know nor care how it should taste.

If you are the type who likes your recipes spelled out for you, this is a dish we have been cooking for many years and is a great favourite of ours.

Chicken Breasts with Lemon and Capers

1/4 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
2 Skinned, boned chicken breasts about 1 lb, halved and pounded to ¼  in thickness
5 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs Capers, drained

1. FLATTEN the chicken first by placing it between two sheets of Saran wrap and beating.

2. Combine the flour, pepper and paprika on a plate. Press the chicken breasts into the mixture, coating them evenly all over and shaking off any excess.

3. In a heavy 10 in skillet, heat the canola oil over mod high heat for 1 mins. Add the breasts and cook about 3 mins on each side, do not overcook. Transfer the breast to a heated platter.

4. Add the chicken broth to the skillet scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Stir in the lemon juice and capers and heat through. Pour the sauce over the breasts and serve.

Servings: 2

Jo Wake has been happily married for almost 44 years, originally from the UK, living in Canada now. She's interested in cooking, reading and wildlife conservation.

Her blog is "Jo on Food, Life and a Scent of Chocolate" When she first signed up with blogger, they would not accept her last name for some reason, so she used a family name.

If you need any more info about Jo, a friend wrote a blog post about her some time ago. Although it claims she's interested in gardening, she's not really. She likes to look at gardens, that’s all.

Chicken CRUST Pizza

I had to double take at this recipe - I thought it was just for a yummy chicken topped pizza - NO! The chicken is the CRUST! Can't wait to try it! Thanks, SK! She'll take it from here...

So if you've followed me at all . . . you know I love pizza. 

Pizza is *almost* my spirit animal. 
(That spot goes to coffee, but that's a whole different post.)

The problem with pizza is, well, I'm allergic to carbs. As evidence by the swelling of my tummy and other parts of my body. Okay, okay, so it's called "gaining weight" but let's NOT get technical. I just merely try to brainwash myself into believing I'm severely allergic to carbs, is all. And yes, for the most part this "trick" works! :D

Anyway—as much as my lack of self control allows me—I tend to follow a low carb, high protein diet. And so . . . by the power invested in me by Google and Pinterest I've come up with an awesome Chicken Crust Recipe. I found it floating around and have tweaked it to my liking. And TRUST me when I say you have to try it! You just have to! It's EASY and DELICIOUS! Definitely perfect for those non-cheat days that you wanna 'pull one over' on yourself and pretend you're being bad. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Pound of Ground Chicken
• ¼ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
• ¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning Blend (or just some Basil and Oregano)
• Sauce and toppings of your choice. (I used Green and Red Peppers, Onion, Spinach, Sausage, Sauce and more cheese than they said, because I LOVE CHEESE!)

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°.
2. Combine the ground chicken, cheeses and spices. Line your pizza pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place the ground chicken mixture onto the pizza pan. Flatten between the two pieces of parchment paper. I used the rolling-pin to get it nice and even, but it's not necessary. Remove the parchment/plastic wrap once done.
4. Bake in the oven for 20 min or until the crust is golden. (I broiled a bit on both sides because I wanted some crunch).
5. Place your sauce, toppings and cheese on the chicken crust then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese and toppings are melted. 
6. PLEASE wait until it's cool down a bit before you bite into it! You've been warned!

And there you have it! This is what it looks like ;)

S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family, she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders . . . she is convinced they are out to get her!