Doughnuts! – I <3 my fryer

Tags

apple butter, deep fryer, doughnuts, filled, fresh, home made, James Beard, nutella, pastry cream

All Hail the might one: James Beard!  I whipped up a batch of doughnuts using the recipe from his “Beard on Bread” book. (A book that I stole from my father, so sorry, sorry that I’m not sorry.)  If you’re looking for a starting point for any dish, after asking your Grandma, next look for recipes from people named Beard, Child or Waters, (listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.) I’ve yet to be disappointed.  Mr. Beard’s doughnuts were no exception.

This is less of a recipe and more of a sales pitch for in-home deep fryers, jeez I love having one.  This was my first go at doughnuts, thank goodness I had my fireman to help!

We just rolled out the dough and cut it into squares (only because I don’t have any circle cutters…) then dropped it into the fryer.  They aren’t a really pretty shape, but who need looks when you taste so damn good?

A fireman approved afternoon snack!

Some were stuffed with pastry cream and topped with Nutella, the nectar of the gods.  The rest were stuffed with apple butter and topped with powdered sugar, you know, to be healthy.

 

Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Pan Sauce – quick and easy!

Tags

chicken, cutlets, easy, fresh, lemon, pan sauce, quick, white wine

Next up, in my poultry ponderings are these quick-cooking chicken cutlets.  I used the breasts and tenders to make up a plate of pan fried chicken cutlets, covered in a lemon and white wine pan sauce.  They looked so nice that my fireman asked what the occasion was for fancy dinner; I let him think I was spoiling him but they were so easy to make!  Little white lies are what keeps a relationship healthy, right?  🙂

This dish would be a great one to make if you have company or a special occasion but want to keep on pinching pennies!

Chicken Cutlets with Lemon Pan Sauce – served with mashed potatoes and sauteed red cabbage

Serves 4 – cost approx $.60 per serving (approx $1.42 per serving, including sides)

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts and tenders ($1.11)
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup flour ($.10)
• 4 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white wine ($.32)
• 1/2 chicken broth
• 1 lemon, zest and juice ($.50)
• 1 Tbs minced parsley ($.10)
• 2 Tbs butter

This one is fun.  You get to use your meat hammer!  (or a heavy pan…)

So, start by cutting each breast into three equal pieces, making eight pieces total, including the tenders.  Use the flat side of your meat mijolner (meat pounder, I couldn’t resist the pun) or a heavy pan and gently pound the pieces until they are 1/4 inch thick all over.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Season the chicken on each side with salt and pepper.  Put the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge a few pieces of chicken at a time, shaking off any excess flour.  Saute until golden on each side, about 3 minutes per side.

Work in small batches, removing the finished chicken and saute the remaining chicken.  When you’re done you should have all sorts of yummy brown crud on the bottom of your pan.  Drain off any remaining oil and then deglaze the pan with the white wine, being sure to scrape up all those bits of flavor off of the bottom of the pan.  Add in the broth, lemon zest and juice and parsley and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the butter to make the sauce rich and velvety, pour over the chicken cutlets.  Doesn’t that look so tasty?

Chilled Barley and Herb Salad – is spring here yet?

Tags

barley, cold, cucumber, fresh, herbs, salad, vegetarian

The weather has been so spring-like up here that I decided to make a cold barley salad with dinner, served up with some yummy falafel and pomegranate glazed squash and onions.  Also, every now and then I like to have something that tastes bright and fresh when it’s a little brisk outside.

You could use any starchy thing you like for this salad: white rice, brown rice, small pastas like orzo or dilatini, cous cous, or tabouleh.  You could also switch out any of the herbs too, it’s so basic and versatile, you can tailor it to any sort of meal you’re making.  It practically begs you to make it your own.  But, however easy and unassuming this recipe is, it’s a great one to have in your back pocket for potlucks or when you need a quick and simple side dish.

So fresh and so green!

Chilled Barley and Herb Salad – served with falafel and pomegranate glazed vegetables

(Need a good falafel recipe?  I’ve got one!:  https://fullbellyfullwallet.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/spiced-falafel-with-yogurt-herb-sauce-herb-overload-part-deux/)

Serves 4-6 – cost approx $.55 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 cups pearl barley ($.75)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro ($.25)
• 1/2 bunch parsley ($.17)
• salt and black pepper – to taste
• 1/2 lemon, zest and juice ($.25)
• 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil – since you’re not cooking with it, this is a good time to use a nicer olive oil. ($.59)
• 1 cucumber, peeled and small dice ($.50)

Boil the barley in salted water until it’s fully cooked but not mushy.  How long it needs to cook may depend on the type of barley you have as some are more processed than others.  Start to check it after 10-15 minutes.  Drain and cool your barley.

When the barley is cooled, mix in all the other ingredients and adjust the seasonings.  This dish can sit happily in the fridge for a day or so, if you prepare it ahead of time, it may be good to give it another drizzle of olive oil and fluff it up with a fork a bit when you’re ready to serve.  It’s as simple as it is pretty!