Corn bread with creamed corn

One advantage of this recipe is that unlike many, it doesn’t call for buttermilk, which I never automatically have on hand.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups plain cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons sugar (omit if that offends you)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 (14.75-ounce) can creamed-style corn

Preheat oven to 425. Prepare 10-inch cast iron skillet (grease – butter or reserved bacon grease preferred)

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl; mix wet ingredients separately and add to dry. Mix until just combined.

Bake 17-21 minutes; pull before it overbakes and dries out.

If necessary, slide a table knife backward around the sides to make sure it will come loose from the skillet. Place cooling rack on top of skillet. Using potholders or oven mitts, flip.

Serve with butter and whatever – molasses, honey, syrup, fruit, jam. Or with chili or bean soup.

 

 

 

 

 

 Oven chicken thighs with veggies and honey hot sauce

 

Oven chicken with mushrooms, onions, garlic, and a chili-Worcestershire-soy-honey-vinegar sauce, served with couscous. I like couscous because it takes 3 minutes to make and is good at soaking up delicious sauce.

 

I can't actually give a recipe for this, but I can tell you what I did.

Chopped an onion and started sweating it over medium heat, with salt. I used my cast iron chicken fryer, which is deeper than a skillet. A Dutch oven would clearly work, also.

Peeled and chopped two cloves of garlic and added to the pot.

Made a marinade/sauce of red wine vinegar, honey, red chili sauce (the chunky kind, Chinese), Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. I kind of did it by glugs and spoons and taste.* For four boneless, skinless chicken thighs, I used about 2 tablespoons of the chili sauce, but be careful -- you can add but you can't remove! The goal is to have enough of the combined ingredients to generously coat the chicken pieces, and more is clearly better. So it's fine to add and taste and add and taste.

Preheated the oven to 425. 

Soaked the four chicken thighs in this sauce for about 15 minutes while I slowly sweated the vegetables on medium low heat:

To the onion/garlic, I added about two cups of sliced "baby bella" (aka cremini) mushrooms and some chopped up roasted red pepper, which was in a jar in my pantry; I used about half the jar. It would probably be one pepper if you roasted one from scratch. 

I arranged the four chicken thighs on top of the vegetables and poured all the sauce over the whole thing. 

Put it in the oven to cook for half an hour, turning the thighs over after 15 minutes.

After checking that the chicken was done, I made couscous. It's 1-1/2 cups liquid -- water or broth -- to 1 cup couscous. Bring it to a boil, turn off the heat and slap a lid on it. I like to add a generous blob of butter, especially when I use water instead of broth, but that's up to you.

Serve the chicken and veggies over the couscous. That's it. 

Clearly, you could add any vegetables that you want to, and even add something like cashews or other nuts; olives might be good, too. You could add tomato paste or barbecue sauce or lemon juice to the sauce, as the mood strikes you.

 *I made another batch of this, measuring this time:

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tablespoons chili garlic sauce (less if you don't like spicy)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup honey, or to taste (use less if you are using balsamic vinegar, for example)

I think this would also be a good dipping sauce for things like fried shrimp. Remember that when it is cooked with the chicken and veggies, it gets "diluted" with their juices, so it will be stronger as a stand-alone sauce. Might want less chili sauce in it, for example.

 

 

 Thrice cooked chicken (really)

Now that I have an air fryer function on my toaster oven, I have been experimenting. This one turned out great.

I accidentally discovered that rice flour is better than wheat flour if you want crispy fried chicken.

Then I discovered that, although it isn't a great idea to try to cook "breaded" items from scratch in the air fryer, it makes breaded things really crispy.

And I have always known that undercooked chicken is inedible, but overcooked chicken is nasty, too. Dry and stringy.

And I have also learned over the years that marinating chicken for an hour or two before cooking it really does help keep it moist and juicy.

Then a friend reminded me of an old trick for breading the chicken, which is to put the flour in a paper bag, with seasonings of your choice, and shake it. It's much less messy than using the tray system. And if you have marinated the chicken, it is already moist on the outside, so no egg wash is needed to get the flour to stick.

So I combined all of these things.

This was about 1.7 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about two cups of rice flour, and assorted condiments.

1. In a container that has a lid and is big enough to hold the chicken and about an equal amount of liquid, put water, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, a couple of teaspoons of sugar and maybe a little salt, some freshly ground pepper and whatever else floats your boat. Put the lid on and shake it up. Add the chicken and refrigerate for an hour or two.(I eyeballed this. You could put the chicken in first, mix condiments in a separate container, then add them and enough water to just cover the chicken. )

2. Put about two cups of rice flour in a brown paper bag, add salt, pepper and whatever else you like. I like ancho chili powder. Shake it up.

3. Put about two inches of canola oil in a cast iron chicken fryer or Dutch oven and heat it up. Again, I just guess at this, but if you sprinkle a few drops of water, carefully, and it spits, it's hot enough. Be careful. 

4. While the oil is heating, put the chicken into the bag, one or two or three pieces at a time, depending on the size of the bag, and shake 'em up. If any part isn't coated, stick your hand in and roll the chicken pieces around. 

5. Turn on the oven to 350.

6. Fry the chicken in the oil, in batches so they aren't touching. I could get three thighs in at the same time, so two batches. Be sure to put the chicken in from front to back, so that if any oil splashes, it splashes away from you, not onto you!

7. After a few minutes, turn the pieces over. They will be a light golden brown.

8. After a few minutes on the other side, transfer to an ungreased ovenproof pan. I have a cast iron one that is a griddle/Dutch oven lid. Put in oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until interior temp is 150-160 on an instant-read thermometer.

9. Transfer to air fryer basket and "fry" at 450 for 8-10 minutes. 

These came out crispy on the outside and fully cooked but succulent on the inside. I will make them this way again.

When I am more experienced using the air-fryer function, I can probably skip the oven step and put the partly-fried chicken into the air fryer, probably at 350 first and then 450 to crisp it up.

 

Pasta della casa

My Italian inlaws will probably be appalled at this, but I have come up with a simple pasta dish that I absolutely love. I almost always have the ingredients, so it is a good "I don't feel like grocery shopping" dish.

1 onion, chopped

3 – 6 cloves of garlic, or (gasp) garlic powder

1 lb. of Italian sausage. I use the mild blend from my supermarket, because I can always add spice if I need to. This is the “loose” kind, not the kind in casings. If you have the kind in casings, you need to squeeze it out, and that’s kind of gross.

About half a box of Angel hair pasta (it’s a one-pound box)

1 28-oz can of whole tomatoes, preferably Roma

Splash of red wine

About a cup of chicken or beef or veal stock

Maybe a T of anchovy paste (optional, but once you have tried it, you'll be sorry if you leave it out)

3T tomato paste (buy the kind in the tube so you can keep it in the fridge and squeeze it out like toothpaste)

Salt, pepper, herbs that you like

Parmesan cheese that you grate or that you buy grated, because I’m not looking

A little bit of butter or olive oil

Equipment: A cast iron pan and a non-reactive dutch oven such as Le Creuset. You do not need  pot and colander for the pasta, which will be explained later in the instructions.

Sweat the onion in the butter or oil in the cast iron pan and move into the Le Creuset dutch oven.

Brown the sausage in the cast iron pan. I know you could do this in the Le Creuset, but I like to put it in the cast iron pan in big pieces and use my metal spatula to break it up into meatball size chunks, and you  shouldn’t use metal in the Le Creuset because it will damage the enamel. The metal spatula won’t hurt the cast iron skillet, but the acid from the tomato sauce might (not permanently, but would hurt the seasoning of the cast iron, which is what keeps things from sticking. That’s why I use two pans, but only two.

When the sausage is really crispy browned – and I like it to even be blackened on some sides – move it over to the dutch oven. Pour in the tomatoes, juice and all. You can cut up the tomatoes if you want, or put the in the metal pan and chop them roughly with the spatula, which is what I do, before quickly moving them to the enamel pan, where they won't hurt my lovely cast iron. Throw in the peeled and chopped cloves of garlic, as much as you want. And herbs. And the splash of wine. And the broth. And the tomato paste. And the anchovy paste. Simmer for as long as you can stand it, stirring only because you want to check to make sure it hasn’t boiled dry. Add more broth or wine or even water if it is getting kind of dry. 

Make sure that you have at least three inches of liquid at the top of the pot. Bring it up to a boil. Then take about ½ pound of the angel hair pasta, break it in half (probably do this in three or so bunches) and drop it into the boiling liquid. That’s right, don’t boil the pasta separately and drain it, just throw it right in to the sauce. It will cook right there.

The pasta will thicken the sauce and absorb the sauce and taste wonderful, and because it is angel hair, it will cook pretty quickly. When it is all bendy and opaque, taste the sauce to see if you even need to add salt and pepper, then scoop some of the pasta and sauce into your preferred bowl or plate, add grated cheese, pour a glass of wine and sigh.

This reheats wonderfully, even in the microwave. The pasta really soaks up the sauce, so you will probably need to add liquid.

I'm pretty sure you could riff on this as much as you want. Saute some mushrooms with the onions? Why not? Want more sauce? Sure, use more tomatoes. Want it spicier? Knock yourself out.

Crispy oven-baked chicken thighs

I love crispy chicken, too. This uses the skinless, boneless chicken thighs that were on sale at my store, and uses crushed crispy rice cereal (I used generic, but you know what brand).

about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about seven or eight, depends on your store
cornstarch -- about a cup or a cup and a half. You will waste some, but you don't want to skimp
2 cups crispy rice cereal, crushed (the best way is in a gallon zip bag and a rolling pin)
 soy sauce
worcestershire sauce
salt, pepper, whatever seasonings you want
1 or 2 eggs, beaten with a little water, salt, pepper, other seasonings you like
canola oil or whatever oil you like


Start about an hour and a half before you want to eat. And yes, you season each thing so that it is all seasoned.

In a microwave-safe container -- I use a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup, which is useful for so many things -- make a quick marinade of a couple of teaspoons of soy sauce, a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, some garlic powder or garlic bits, pepper and any other seasoning that strikes your fancy. Add a little water. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add water to the 3 cup mark or so.

Put the chicken thighs in a gallon zip-lock bag or a container that will let you cover them. Marinate for about 30 minutes. Don't marinate too long -- this is not like brining a turkey!

Preheat the oven to 400.
Lightly oil a sheet pan -- not a cookie sheet, the kind with sides that will catch the oil.

Put the cornstarch in a bowl or pie pan. Keep the crushed cereal in the zip bag.  Add salt and pepper to each.

Drain the marinade off the chicken and dip each piece in the cornstarch, one or two at a time, then in the egg, then in the cereal. Place on the baking pan. Drizzle a little oil on top of each piece -- not too much.

When they are all coated and the oven has reached 400, put the sheet pan in the oven and turn it down to 350.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, then turn and bake another 5 minutes or so.
Chicken should be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Stir-fried chicken and veggies

 So easy. Makes two servings.
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast 
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced (slice up the rest and save for next time)
about 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 to 3 scallions, sliced, whites and greens'
rice, couscous or whatever, as desired
cornstarch, about 1/2 cup
soy sauce, about 1/4 cup
dash of Worcestershire sauce
Sweet chili sauce, the good kine, about 1 Tablespoon, more if you like it
garlic, either fresh or "buds" that can be rehydrated in the liquid.
 Canola oil, about 1/4 cup or less
Any other veggies that you want.

Cut the chicken into pieces about 1 inch by 1 inch. Put in a bowl with about 2 T of the soy sauce, the chili sauce and the garlic for about 20 minutes -- not longer, it isn't tenderizing, it's flavoring.

Take out the chicken and dredge it in the corn starch.  
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until really hot. Fry the chicken, about 2 minutes per side. Remove.

Meanwhile, mix up the leftover "marinade" with the rest of the soy sauce, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and the cornstarch that's left from dredging the chicken. Don't worry, you're gonna boil it. Add about cup of water. Be prepared to add more later.

Stir-fry the veggies for about a minute. If you are using "hard" veggies like carrots, put them in first and cook them longer, unless of course you have wisely shredded them very fine.

Add the chicken back in. Add the sauce. Watch the sauce boil up and thicken. Add more water if necessary (depends on how much cornstarch was left over and how it thickens).

Serve over rice or whatever.

Spicy Crispy Beef
beta version-- I expect to refine this, which will eliminate some of the question marks. Also, I would be tempted to make an even bigger batch of the sauce because it is delicious.

Beef, cut into thin strips -- about 8 oz for 2 moderate servings
Veggies: I used mushrooms, red bell pepper, green onions, sliced. You can use as many veggies as you want!
Sauce: Soy sauce, about 1/2 cup? ; water or stock, about a cup?; dash of Worcestershire sauce, about 2 T sweet red chili paste, dash of hot chili oil; minced garlic, about 4 cloves worth; crystallized ginger (minced or diced, about a tablespoon or more) -- or use grated fresh ginger, not ginger powder, but then plan on adding honey or sugar, maybe brown sugar. You need to keep tasting this as you mix it up so you have it as spicy and sweet as you want but not more than you want!
Cornstarch -- lots.  Maybe as much as 1 cup, although it doesn't all get used.??
Peanut oil or canola oil -- something with high smoke point -- for frying. About 1/2 Cup?

Put water on to boil for rice. In saucepan, it takes 2 cups water for 1 cup long-grain white rice.When it boils, reduce to simmer, cover, stir occasionally. Or use rice cooker.  Long-grain rice takes 20 minutes in saucepan, so meanwhile you can do the rest.

Cut up the beef and veggies.
Mix up the sauce and marinate the beef strips in it for about an hour. Optional waiting period, but worth it.
Pull out the beef strips, keeping the sauce, preferably in a microwave-safe vessel, and dredge or toss the beef in cornstarch to thoroughly coat. Let sit and dredge again to ensure complete coverage.
Put about 1/2 inch - 3/4 inch of oil in cast iron skillet (or use a wok) and heat until a piece of beef sizzles immediately on hitting the pan. Fry the beef in batches -- about 1/2 at a time in a 12-inch skillet. Set aside.
Add veggies to skillet. I had some cornstarch left in my dredging bowl, so I gave the veggies a quick toss there, too. Cook until tender but not soggy, just a minute or two. Remove from pan.
Thoroughly heat the sauce; I start in microwave and then in the pan; when it is bubbling in the pan, add the beef and veggies back in.

Serve over rice, or if you prefer, as I often do, noodles or couscous.