Eating Our Hearts Out

(Valerie here again) Over Christmas I got a slow cooker, rice cooker, and food processor. Of course, I immediately went to work finding recipes that used them. I started by making my first-ever Spaghetti and Meatballs which required the food processor (for making breadcrumbs) and the slow cooker.

A couple of weeks ago I was scraping the bottom of the barrel with my food. I wanted to see what I could do without taking a trip to the grocery store. This is what I found in my house:

• 1/2 pound pinto beans
• 1/2 pound black eyed peas
• Several carrots
• Onions
• 1 white potato
• 1 sweet potato

Before I started the cooker

I figured, here’s my chance to use my slow cooker for what it’s best at – throwing food together and letting it do its thing. I soaked the beans, chopped up the veggies, then threw them in the slow cooker with water, thyme, bayleaves, and oregano. I turned the cooker on low and let it cook overnight.

It turned out pretty good. I wasn’t so sure when I first smelled the soup in the morning (sometimes beans smell funny). It tasted good though, especially when I mixed in some half & half to make it creamy.

This recipe is one of those that could probably taste better if you put more time into it, but in only 5 minutes, it tastes darn good.  I didn’t have a name, so Nathan made it his.

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

Ingredients:

• 4 frozen chicken breast
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/2 c. lime juice
• 1/2 T. dried cilantro
• 1/2 T. chili powder
• rice (I prefer brown, basmati)
• black beans

Procedures:

Place chicken in baking dish.  Whisk together oil, honey, lime juice, cilantro, and chili powder.  Pour over chicken.  Bake at 350 for about half an hour.  Cook rice in rice cooker.  Microwave beans.  When chicken is done, I like to shred it up so there’s more chicken surface to hold the juice.  Serve.

P.S.  I ran out of honey and used pancake syrup instead.  … pretty darn good…

When I was a kid, my brothers, sister and I use to play out in the snow all day.  When we’d finally come in, exhausted and numbed by the cold, we’d sit by the fire where my mom would bring us potato soup.  This weekend, the snow left me with cravings for childhood and potato soup.  We had potatoes, so I didn’t waste time.

One time when I was looking for a pretty easy potato soup recipe, I came across this one.  It turned out moderately well, but not at all like momma’s.  Today, I stuck with the idea of starting with mashed potatoes (though I made them from scratch just before I started in on the soup recipe).

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

Ingredients:

• 4-5 c. mashed potatoes (I made mine with butter, milk, and sour cream)
• 6 oz. (half a bottle) beer
• 1/2 pkg. bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 c. milk
• 3-4 c. chicken broth (I went cheap with water and chicken bouillon)
• 1/2 medium onion
• salt and pepper to taste (be prepared to add a lot)
• grated cheddar cheese for topping

Procedures:

In large pot, whisk together mashed potatoes, beer, milk, chicken broth, bacon, and onion.  Since all mashed potatoes come out at a different consistency, use your eye to make sure to add enough (but not too much) chicken broth for the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until thickened.  Top with cheddar.

Notes:

• In all honesty, the beer was just an excuse for me to not have to drink an entire bottle, and you likely would be fine without it.  Moreover, this certainly isn’t like momma made it growing up.  :)

We were snowed in this weekend, which turned out quite delightfully, in my opinion.  There was just enough snow/ice to keep you from venturing out, but not enough to severely inconvenience your life at all.  All weekend plans were cancelled, and forced relaxation was the perfect weekend activity.

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

Naturally, I spent the entire time reading, watching movies, or cooking; and I couldn’t have been happier.  The menu consisted of chocolate scones, chicken teriyaki, potato soup, and I just spent the past hour planning more.  The chicken teriyaki didn’t turn out at all as I had planned, neither did it the last time I made this recipe.  I have since decided that the meat can be cooked virtually anyway you please, and the trick is in the sauce.  Here’s a modified version of the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook:

Teriyaki Chicken

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. soy sauce
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1 T. corn starch
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 dash red pepper flakes

Procedures:

Stir ingredients together.  Cook over medium heat with chicken (and vegetables) until thickened.  Serve with rice.

Photo by Nathan Clendenin

I stumbled upon this recipe when I was looking for something to take to a church potluck.  It’s since become a favorite of mine (with a few modifications, of course).  The most recent time I prepared this was for the culinary collaboration.  Jennifer, a co-worker of mine, and I decided that we must have this for lunch the following day and quickly planned an evening get together over chicken casserole, Penelope, margaritas, and cooking.  I rattled off a list of ingredients, forgetting to add anything that I consider a “staple” in my own kitchen.  We agreed on adding sausage, and I added evaporated milk* to the list.

When I got to her house and actually looked up the recipe, I was suddenly worried.  I had forgotten to mention cheddar cheese, sour cream, and eggs.  Jennifer pulled eggs and cheese out of the fridge, noting that she always has them around (like me).  Then she scrounged in the fridge for some sour cream.  What she found was a bit of a surprise: an unopened container with an expiration date of 09/28/09.  She looked a little ashamed after reading the date aloud, and even more so when I noted that she had moved nearly two months after that date had passed.  Her husband gave it a try and declared it fine.  Jennifer seemed a bit hesitant to use it, perhaps worried that I would find this unacceptable.  I pushed for its inclusion.

On the whole, our job of cooking was a success.  I didn’t measure a thing, the dishes were all cleaned before we even put the macaroni in the oven, and Jennifer and I had smoothly passed off duties when I couldn’t find a mixing bowl or couldn’t work her can-opener.  I’ve never felt so in sync with someone in the kitchen before.  It seemed only natural that such an experience would be with somebody who shares my name.

A few days later, the two of us a co-taught a workshop for middle school students.  At the end of the workshop, each student completed a brief reflection on how the day had gone.  One of the questions reads “who helped you today?”  Imagine our delight when one of the answers echoed our feelings in the kitchen: “Jenny or Jennifer?  Their names were like the same!”

*America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook claims evaporated milk doesn’t curdle in baked macaroni.  I’ve never made it with regular milk, and it’s always been a success.  I’m not changing now.