When my sons were home, the older they got, the pickier they got, so the more restricted I felt in what was okay to cook. We had precious few meals that "everyone" loved. So when they left home, I swore our dinner choices would be wide open!
But alas, that has not been the case. I find that I still cook the same old boring recipes. Spaghetti, tacos, gumbo, breakfast for dinner, lasagne, stuffed bell peppers and sandwiches seem to be our standard fare.
Add to that the fact that I work a very full time job, and I have toddlers who aren't patient about waiting for a dinner that takes a long time to cook, and you can see how challenging it can be for me to cook a meal that is flavorful and not the same old junk I've been cooking for years.
So, I'm asking for your help. I would like your very favorite main dish recipe. It can be a casserole, a meat dish, a soup, whatever. But I have to be able to prepare it and cook it in less than one hour.
Here's the deal. You have to post the entire recipe on this blog as a comment, or as a link to your own blog where you have posted the recipe. The recipe must include a picture. Remember the time frame (see above paragraph). It cannot contain mushrooms or okra because I hate both of those.
I will personally cook each recipe for my family and will post that recipe (along with photos and my family's reaction.)
**Clarification** I'd like to have your recipes as soon as possible because I have to cook them all by October 31st. IF, and this is a big IF, you cannot submit a picture of your winning recipe, then I'll be gracious, because I really want that recipe! And it doesn't have to be original or anything like that, just good, easy, and family friendly (and without mushrooms or okra!) So start sending them in today!
If I receive at least 30 recipes, then the winner will receive a $100 gift card! The winner will be announced not later than October 31st (It's going to take some time for me to cook all these recipes!) which will give you some Christmas shopping money!
And as a bonus, add a dessert or side recipe that goes with your recipe and your winning dessert and/or side will win you a surprise prize! (That just means I don't know what it is yet!)
All that to say, I am hungry, and bored with my meals, and tired of looking up recipes online! And, as a "pay it forward" gift, I will cook the winning meal (including side and dessert) for a family in need of a meal. So get busy and send me your recipe!
Oh! I want to do this! When is the due date? The big hold up will be remembering to cook it and taking a picture of it :) Do they have to be our original recipe or can it be from somewhere else as long as we give credit?
ReplyDeleteMigas - Don't have a photo and quantities are a guess because I only make them for myself, but it's pretty easy to do the math. Cut strips of corn tortilla and fry them in olive oil in a skillet until crispy. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Use the same oil to fry chopped veggies. This is Mexican soul food so use whatever is on hand. Cilantro, onion and tomato are a must. No mushrooms or squash required since you have an attitude. I always add jalapenos but you're cooking for babies so use your own judgment. Fry 'em into submission then remove and drain oil on a paper towel. In the same skillet, scramble eggs along with
ReplyDeleteshredded cheese. Fold in the veggies and dump the whole thing over the tortilla strips. Some people like to add salsa. I like them with ketchup: This is known as "Migas al Gringo." (Actually I just made that name up.) Half hour tops and only one skillet to clean.
Oh, and you can add meat - sausage, bacon, stray cat . . .
ReplyDeleteDoug, pretending I don't know how to fry anything in olive oil (I'm a southerner, we deep fry when we say "fry") how much olive oil should I use? And by "fry'em into submission" does that mean until they are soft?
ReplyDeleteAnd just for grins, can you give me an approximation of how many cups of veggies I should use to egg-ratio, and how much cheese (though, really, can you have too much cheese?)
Carol - I guess on the oil and never measure the vegetables. About 2 tablespoons of oil handles 3 tortillas. 2 onion slices, two tomato slices, 1 jalapeño and however much cilantro looks right. Fry until soft, yeah, and a half- handful of cheese for two eggs. Remember, that much only feeds me. Becky doesn't eat 'em.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.texasmonthly.com/2011-04-01/feature18.php if you want something more exact.
Okay. I just made this up the other day and it was absolutely delicious. It does take longer than an hour b/c it is a crock pot recipe, but total prep time is under an hour, so I figured that made up for the slight bend in the rules. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't measure anything, so you'll have to adjust the quantities as needed.
"Pulled" BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
3-4 frozen chicken breasts
Chicken broth
BBQ sauce(s) of your choosing
Salt, Pepper, Slap Ya Mama
Whole wheat sandwich buns
Cheese slices (optional)
Sandwich veggies (pickles are the best)
IN THE MORNING: Line a large crockpot with a crockpot liner (if you've never used these, you're really missing out). Place 3-4 chicken breasts in the crockpot and pour chicken broth on top until the broth just covers the frozen chicken. Turn crockpot on LOW and go to work.
When you get home and you're almost ready to eat, open the crockpot and pull out the chicken breasts with forks and set them on a cutting board. Be careful, they will fall apart very easily.
Using two forks, shred the chicken into large chunks. Set aside 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Pour out the remaining chicken broth and any of fat that has cooked off the chicken breasts.
Return shredded chicken to crockpot, still on LOW. You can use the same liner. Add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce to the shredded chicken and mix well. I used Sweet Baby Ray's Original BBQ sauce and Sweet Baby Ray's Honey BBQ sauce. The mixture is just perfect. You can add more or less, depending on how saucy you like things. ;) The chicken should not be soaked in BBQ sauce, just barely covered. Remember, you can always add sauce to your sandwich later, and you really want to taste the chicken here, not just the sauce.
Season with salt, pepper, and Slap Ya Mama.
Add about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth you set aside. Stir well, cover, and let the mixture reheat for about 20 more minutes.
While that is reheating, slice some sandwich veggies, toast your whole wheat buns, and prepare any sides you might want.
When the buns are toasted, pile some chicken onto the bun and load it up with veggies (or not). We liked ours with just pickles, but some lettuce might add a nice crunch, too.
I served these with sweet potato fries (I buy the all natural kind at Kroger, yum!) and steamed broccoli. And the leftover chicken was great delicious the next day, too!
Let me know what you think!