Posts Tagged ‘parody’
Easy Stroganoff
Posted on: February 16, 2011
This is one of my favorite dinners – and not just because you only need 1 big pot to make it in.
In a large pot, crumble 1 pound of hamburger for browning.
Add the following seasoning:
- 1 packet low salt Beef Oxo
- garlic – several cloves minced, chopped or crushed – or ready made minced garlic.
- large onion – cut it up yourself or a package of those pre-chopped ones at the grocery store
Mix the seasonings into the browning beef. When the beef is fully browned, add:
- two cans of mushroom soup
- 1 soup can of water
- 1 soup can of milk – skim to homo, or even cream, as your taste.
Turn the heat to high and stir frequently until the mixture boils. Turn the burner down to medium, then add:
- 1 bag (300 grams) of egg noodles – yolk or no yoke variety
Put the lid on the pot and let simmer for 10-12 mins, stirring every 3 mins or so.
Once the noodles have absorbed the liquid, remove the pot from the heat and :
- 250 mls sour cream.
Stir well, garnish with optional chopped chives or green onion.
1 pot to cook in and 1 bowl to eat out of.
Now that’s a good enough thing.
Nancy
Preparing the Kitchen
Posted on: October 29, 2010
One downside of not liking to cook means that you actually do have to buy a number of kitchen appliances.
Not the crazy specialist tool level that people who like to cook have – you want to ensure that any kitchen utensil or appliance can be used on at least two things.
No sense cluttering your drawers with a tool that can only be used to hull strawberries and nothing else – unless you really really like strawberries.
French Beaners – let’s not even go there.
With apartment and condo sizes getting smaller – and that works for houses too. Despite being bigger and bigger on the outside – monster houses are often carved up into a number of small suites.
Gone are the days of the Brady Bunch when Alice had two wall ovens to cook for that lot.
But, when you’ve been cornered into preparing a meal and you have to cook a roast and a pie at different temperatures – or just to compensate for power planning of cooking sequence to get everything out more or less at the same time – it helps to have something that can cook on the counter top.
Counter top roasters are very nice – so save yourself from having to wash a roasting pan and drop the roast or chicken into a counter top roaster and save the oven for hot appies or making dessert.
When the meat is cooked, the insert from the counter-top roaster can go in the dishwasher right away.
Well, unless you want to try your hand at gravy making – but I think it’s safer to not go there. Unless the roast is really dry.
If it is, remove the roast to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to capture the steam and allow the meat to rest – it will get a bit juicier.
Turn the roasting pan up high.
Run the hot water until it’s very hot and get about 2 to 3 cups.
Add some flour up to a half cup to the hot water and stir to the flour is absorbed into the liquid.
Pour this into the roasting pan and mix into the drippings.
Use a spoon to taste and if it needs a bit more flavour, add some salt reduced Oxo powder – beef for roasts, and chicken or vegetable flavoured for chickens, turkey or pork.
What’s actually a bit nicer than the power or cubed Oxo is a similar but moister product called “Better than Bouillon” – it’s in the same area of the grocery store as Oxo but is a thick paste in a glass jar. It comes in beef, chicken, turkey and vegetable flavours.
Either one is a great way to perk up gravies.
After all, the purpose of food is to convey sauces into your mouth.
And that, is a good enough thing.
Nancy
Throwing Parties
Posted on: September 3, 2010
If you enjoy having a party but hate the housework that goes into it; here’s a way to get the maximum bang for your dozens of minutes of housework:
Throw Two Parties
Yes, that’s right throw two parties back to back.
That way, you have only to do one really good clean – don’t worry, you can reward yourself with a good enough clean for the second party.
Clean the house, make food – have the first party.
The next day, the house will only need a small amount of tidying and if you planned the menu properly – you can make one batch of foods for both parties.
Better yet, you provide the party space and have everyone attending the first party to bring a dish. You can suggest a cuisine theme or be global and everyone bring a favorite.
That way, for your second party, you have a wide range of leftovers that no one has to be the wiser about and they will all be impressed with your sudden range and versatility in the kitchen. (Let’s face it, everyone you’d invite to your party would know you hate cooking too.)
Until next week, remember don’t stress – it only has to be a good enough thing.
Living Well 