Chicken Pot Pie is a management dish. You know, one that uses up the leftover roast chicken and veggies, even gravy, in the refrigerator. Have leftover turkey? Substitute turkey for the chicken – turkey pot pie is great for holiday leftovers. That’s inventory control. Or on the time management side, you can bake one and freeze one. One is for dinner tonight and the other is wrapped in foil and frozen for a dinner later. Or make and freeze more than one batch as part of a make ahead or once a month cooking project. If you don’t have leftover chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery. OR poach chicken breast in about three inches of water boiling in a deep skillet. Generally each piece of chicken breast yields about 1 cup of cubed meat so you’ll need two pieces of ... [Read More]
Meat dishes
Four Secrets to Roasting a Moist and Tender Turkey
Turkey -- tender and moist. Crispy and golden on the platter. A twelve to fourteen pound bird that roasts in 2 and a half hours instead of 4. What creates this magic? Mayonnaise makes the turkey moist and tender. And no, there is no mayo taste -- just tender turkey. The bird turns out a beautiful deep golden color. The skin will be thin and on the crispy side. How to achieve a moist and tender roast turkey? Here's secret # 1 -- Begin with a thoroughly thawed turkey -- no ice crystals. Thaw in the refrigerator according to package directions. Guidelines are 24 hours in the fridge for each 5 pounds of turkey weight. For a 12-14 pound turkey that's about three nights so that means plan ahead! If you are like me -- that planning ahead business doesn't always happen! Backup ... [Read More]
Slow Cooker Honey Pork with green beans
Honeyed Pork and green beans cooked long and slow in the slow cooker. Easy delicious one pot dinner. I tend to buy meat only when it is on sale. Usually I end up with several pieces of meat that need to be frozen or cooked immediately. This recipe works either way. Make it it right away. OR follow the Make Ahead Instructions to prepare everything ahead of time and freeze until needed. If desired, you can drop the sealed bag into another gallon bag and seal it. Then you don’t have to worry about the seal coming loose as multiple cooks (or snackers) rummage in the freezer. The first time I made this, I just dumped the ingredients on top of the meat. I assumed the heat of the crockpot would sort of melt and meld them together and they would spread over the meat as it ... [Read More]
Hawaiian Party Burgers
Hawaiian style! Party on a bun. So quick, so easy to make; the sauce is just a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy. Your family and friends will love Hawaiian Party Burgers and think you worked really hard to make them special! I’ll never tell! When you pick up the package of King’s Hawaiian Rolls in the grocery, check to see which variety you have in your hand. It should say something like “savory butter rolls” or “original sweet” or even “honey wheat”. Did you know they also make a Jalepeno Roll? I didn’t until I was ready to use it. Oh my goodness – that’s hot and spicy!!!! Makes my eyes water even thinking about it! Probably really good if you like hot and spicy – but definitely not what I was expecting. Look before you buy! I also have used slider rolls. So ... [Read More]
Fruit Pork Roast
We had some good eating in the last couple weeks before the freezer left, including this deliciously beautiful Fruit Pork Roast. When the freezer's predecessor died, I almost didn’t buy a replacement. But we just couldn’t do without – in less than a week we gathered up the spare change and went shopping for a freezer. This time we decided to list the little chest on Craigslist and buy a new one to fit the new space once we move. The people who bought it were super nice. Her sister and children were moving from Florida to live with them for the summer (and maybe longer) while the brother in law got settled in his new job and found a house in New York where he’d been transferred. I wouldn’t back down on the price (since I had a list of seven more inquiries after theirs), but when it ... [Read More]
Elegant Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Elegant Crusted Pork Tenderloin is quick and easy to make and perfect to serve guests. Holiday dinners don’t HAVE to be turkey or ham – especially if you aren’t serving a crowd. This recipe serves 6 (or 4 more generous servings). Be sure to buy the precut small tenderloin. Last time I bought a four pound package, thinking it had two tenderloins of two pounds each. It even looked like two. . . .but it was not. So I doubled the crumb portion of the recipe, got out the trusty really sharp knife and Bytes wandered through at the right time so this could happen: Pat the meat dry so the crumb and oil mixture will stick better. I usually add the seasoning to the crumb mix, but if you rub them directly on the meat instead of adding them to the crumbs the flavor comes through nicely. I make ... [Read More]
