Why did the chicken cross the road....

I really do not care (in fact) if I do not see another chicken for a couple days it would make me happy!   Because this past weekend we had a chicken special at work and had 10 cases of chicken to cook off by today. (Sunday)  Our sale price was really good at $6.99 for an 8 piece...

3 cases of Double Hand Breaded Chicken, Schnuck's recipe

Close up of Double Hand Breaded Chicken

Friday, I cooked 2 cases and each case has 4 bags with 32 pieces: 8 Breast, 8 Thighs, 8 Legs, and 8 Wings.        Then Saturday, I cooked 3 cases and then today, my coworker David and myself cooked off 5 cases of chicken.  We fried 3 cases and baked off 2 cases:


David breaded and fried the chicken while I chopped and prepared a mirepoix of Onion, Green Onion, Carrots, and Celery.  Most of the vegetables for the mirepoix were already prepared as we used them from the salad bar.  Though we were out of celery and this I had to prepare.

Once my vegetables were prepared, I took the restaurant pans, sprayed them down with pan release, sprinkled about 3/4 to 1 cup of mirepoix into the bottom of the pans and placed my chicken pieces into the pans.  Due to lack of pan space, I had to crowd the chicken pieces, normally when baking chicken pieces you would leave space between the pieces.

I then put another cup or so of the mirepoix over the chicken with a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and covered the pans with heavy aluminum foil.

 Covering the pans, I then baked them for 40 minutes at 350 degrees farhenhiet and then uncovered the pans and baked an additional 20 minutes.

The recipe that I based my preparation of this Baked Chicken was Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy.  Starting with my Mirepoix of Onion, Green Onion, Carrots, Celery and freeze dried parsley.  I added a dusting of the Schnuck's Herb Roasted Chicken Seasoning, more of the mirepoix and a 1/4 cup of chicken broth.

Country Biscuits

My mother asked me about the biscuits from my baking class for culinarian's at St Louis Community College, Forest Park.  These biscuits rose well and were very flaky...

Country Biscuits

On Baking, Pg 147

Yield: 36 Biscuits, 2 ¼ oz. (66g) each

MISE EN PLACE

·         Line a sheet pan (2-3) with parchment paper.

·         Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C)

All Purpose or Pastry Flour     2lb. 8 oz.          1200 g             100%

Salt                                          0.75 oz             24 g                 2%

Granulated Sugar                    2 oz.                 60 g                 5%

Baking Powder                        2 oz.                 60 g                 5%

Unsalted Butter, cold              14 oz.               420 g               35%

Milk                                         1 ½ pt.             720 ml             60%

Total Weight:                          5 lb. 2 oz.         2484 g             207%

1.      Sift the dry ingredients together, making sure they are blended thoroughly.

2.      Cut in the butter. The mixture should look mealy; do not over mix.

3.      Add the milk and stir, combining only until mixture holds together.

4.      Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface; knead until it forms one mass, approximately five or six kneading.

5.      Roll out the dough to a thickness of ½ inch (1.2 centimeters). Cut with a floured cutter and place the biscuits on a paper-lined sheet pan.

6.      Bake at 425 F (220 C) until the tops are light brown, the sides almost white and the interiors still moist, approximately 10-12 minutes. Internal heat will continue to cook the biscuits after they are removed from the oven.

7.      Remove the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

Approximate values per biscuit: Calories 210. Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Sodium 240 mg, Total Carbohydrates 27 g, Protein 4 g, Vitamin A 10%

MANICOTTI WITH RICOTTA FILLING (Italy)

MANICOTTI WITH RICOTTA FILLING (Italy)

Italian Cuisine - Cheese Manacotti and Shrimp Risotto

 — at Stlcc Forest Park.

April 11, 2012

Yield: 4 - 8

INGREDIENTS:

            1 ½ cup           Ricotta

            ¼ cup              Parsley, chopped

            ½ tsp               Salt

            1 ea                  Egg, slightly beaten

            8 ea                  Manicotti shells

            1 cup               Marinara sauce

            ½ cup              Shredded mozzarella cheese

            ¼ cup              Grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Combine ricotta, parsley, salt, and egg; refrigerate.
2. Boil manicotti according to package directions.
3. Drain and cool in cold water.
4. Pour half of marinara sauce into 9” x 9” baking dish.
5. Stuffed drained manicotti with filling and place on sauce on dish.
6. Top with remaining marinara sauce.
7. Scatter mozzarella on manicotti and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.
8. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 30 minutes.

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP and Cheese Manacotti (Italy)

This past weekend, I made Green Onion Risotto and my family really liked it and my sister asked if I had a good risotto recipe.  Thought about it and I made this recipe in class and it was pretty good.   So I think it will fit the bill:

Italian Cuisine - Cheese Manacotti and Shrimp Risotto

 — at Stlcc Forest Park.

April 11, 2012

This is the picture of what we made in class, it pairs well with Cheese Manacotti and White Wine.

SAFFRON RISOTTO WITH SHRIMP (Italy)

Yield:  4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

    

Garlic cloves, minced	2 ea.
Onions, minced	4 oz.
Butter	507;.
Stock, seasoned	2  1/2 pnts
Arborio rice	14 oz.
Bay leaves	2 ea.
Saffron threads, crushed	pinch
Parsley, chopped	3 tblsp.
Parmesan cheese, grated	2 oz.
Shrimp, P&D, tail off, sauteed	1 1/2 lb.
Salt	to taste
Pepper	to taste

Method:

1.                 Sauté garlic and onion in 3 ounces butter

               2.                 Add rice; stir until grains are coated with butter.

               3.                 Add one-third of the stock, stir until rice absorbs liquid.

               4.                 Add bay leaves, saffron, and one-third of stock, continue to stir.

               5.                 Add remaining stock, continue to stir.

6.                 When all liquid is absorbed, add parsley, Parmesan cheese, remaining butter, and           sautéed shrimp.

7.                 Stir rice only enough to mix ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Menu of my father's birthday Dinner

Menu of my father's birthday Dinner

By Skip Graden in Multiple Sclerosis and Diet 

The menu was: Grilled Salmon, Green Onion Risotto, Grilled Asparagus, Sweet Corn, a fresh salad with Pinot Noir Vinagrette, and seedless Watermelon. 

Now someone asked me for the recipe for the Green Onion Risotto and also the one for my Pinot Noir Vinaigrette...

I did not really keep to anyone recipe but here was my responses to that question:

This is the recipe that I used for the risotto; (had my son make it while I did other task for the meal and watched over his shoulder.) 

Also added a touch of Shallot and a pinch of Garlic along with finish with a palmful of fresh chopped parsley for additional color. (hope you are able to translate that, as I did not measure them.)

If I were plating this for anyone other than my family the risotto would have been used as a bed for the salmon and asparagus.

Ingredients

4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 bunch green onions, (white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced)

1 cup arborio or medium-grain rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese or whipping cream (we used Philidelphia Cream Cheese - a little less than 20% of it with a teaaspoon of whole milk)

1 teaspoon finely grated orange peel

Preparation

Bring broth to simmer in medium saucepan over medium heat.

Reduce heat to low and keep warm.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add chopped green onions and cook untilsoft, stirring often, about 6 minutes.

Stir in rice.

Add wine; cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Add 4 cups broth, 1 cup at a time, cooking until almost all broth is absorbed before adding more,stirring frequently, until rice is tender but stillfirm, about 20 minutes.

Stir in sliced green onions, Parmesan, mascarpone, and orange peel.

Add more broth by 1/4cupfuls as needed if dry.

Season with salt and pepper.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Onion-Risotto-233936

Pinot Noir Vinaigrette

I used the general rule of thumb as you can see on Wikipedia:

"Vinaigrette generally consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots are added, especially when it is used as a sauce for cooked vegetables, grains, and the like. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinaigrette

I used a combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vegetable Oil as my mother dislikes the taste of Olive Oil. (I know she is crazy!)

Wine to make up the acid part, along with squeezing a half lemon and orange, plus the orange zest.

Sea Salt & Fresh ground black pepper to taste.

Garlic & Shallots minced along with some green onion.

A dash of minced Dill. (freeze dried)

A teaspoon of light Agave.

A touch of liquid smoke.

and finished it off with a touch of the fresh parsley again. (minced)

I made about 2 cups...

Used it to marinade the Salmon, Asparagus, and as a salad dressing.

5 points if you can tell me what a Aubergine is, without looking it up?

Convenience Food

Check out Hungry for Change

Last night, I sent myself a text with the following:

Argh! There's a gal at my work whose making a simple recipe but going with all premade stuff. Cause it's easier, "it has chicken in it, that's healthy" (canned, RIGHT)

I get so frustrated with people.  They either do not cook at all or they take short cuts.  Short cuts in and of themselves can be good.  But be careful taking short cuts are they worth the trade offs, are they stuffed with sodium, fillers, and/or unhealthy fats?


Anymore, I am becoming more mindful of these things.  Especially when it comes to "Light", "Healthy", etc...  When fats are removed, something else has to be added to make something "tasty"...  Just what is added! Salt and other things that we do not need extra of.


The day before this I found a grocery list floating along the ground with the following: Bread, Meat, & Milk.  Why is it we are trying to simplify what we cook and consume?  We either simplify with buying convenience foods filled with God knows what or we just do "bread, meat, and eggs."   Why do we do this?  Excuse readily heard is: : "It takes to much time to cook" or "cooking is so hard."


Come on: Yes it does take time to cook good and healthy food but not really as long as you think and with anything you spend time on, it can be hard.  But just like a person preparing to run a race or play a game in a sporting event.  Practice, practice, practice....


You say, "how do I practice for cooking?"  Work on preparing vegetables and fruits for other recipes and in making quick convenience food grab bags to use instead of grabbing a bag of chips.
Unless you are cooking for more than 4-6 people, it does not take as long as one thinks to cook a simple and healthy meal from scratch.


Steps in preparing a meal:

1. Plan meal/menu...
2. Gather ingredients (this may entail your weekly shopping)
3. Gather tools needed.
4. Dice/Cut and/or clean any vegetables or fruits needed.
5. Prepare food.
6. Serve

Those simple six steps could take as short a time as 20 minutes and as longs as an hour or a little over, depending on what it is you are fixing.

Think about it, how does a restaurant serve you in 10-20 minutes?  It is all in the preparation!  They have their menu, shop/order the needed ingredients, have the tools available, prepare all ingredients (for quick assembly), prepare the assembled ingredients - cooking as called for and serve to you steaming hot on your table.
Okay, you say, they do a lot of the prep work way before I order my meal.  Yes but they are preparing for 100's of dishes and you are preparing for 2-6 meals/people.  Rarely, will you cooking something that will take hours of cooking, especially when it is just for a mid-week evening meal with no guest.

Remember we said a simple meal!  Please quit thing in terms of simple as canned, boxed, or fast food drive thru!