Wednesday, April 8, 2009

SWEDISH MEATBALLS

If you like Swedish Meatballs, this is a pretty good recipe. (I'm not a huge fan of swedish meatballs, and I'll eat them.)



INGREDIENTS:

*1 egg, beaten

*1/4 c. milk

*3/4 c. breadcrumbs

*1/2 c. finely chopped onion (one small onion)

-I grate mine with a large cheese grater because I don't like the crunch

- You can also use dried minced onion

*1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley

- again, you can also use dried, just use half the amount, and make sure you rub it between your palms to get the flavor out.

*1/4 tsp. black pepper

*sprinkle italian seasoning

*1/4 tsp. salt

* a few dashes of worshestershire sauce

*1/2 lb. ground beef

*1/2 lb. ground pork

- I usually just use one pound of ground beef.

- You can also use ground turkey or chicken if you'd rather.

*1 TB butter

*2 tsp instant beef boullion granules

*2 cups milk

*1/2 cup beef broth

*3 cups hot cooked noodles- I use egg noodles.


*Mix together- egg, milk, breadcrumbs, onion, spices.

*Add to meat. Mix well
* Shape into teaspoon size meatballs.

*In a large skillet cook half the meatballs at a time, in hot butter, over medium heat. This will take about ten minutes.

*Remove meatballs from skillet, set reserving drippings, and measure two tablespoons for your sauce. If you don't have enough use olive oil or cooking oil to make two tablespoons.

*Stir flour, boullion granules, salt and pepper into your two tablespoons of drippings. Cook one minute, wisking constantly.

*Add in your two cups milk and 1/2 c. broth. Stir until bubbly and thickened. It will thicken more as it cools.

*Return meatballs to sauce, and heat through.

*Serve over noodles.

- I made these last night, and thought that the sauce recipe didnt make enough to cover the noodles, so if you like sauce, double it.

-This will serve around 5 or 6 people, and takes about 45 minutes to make from start to finish.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

CHICKEN WITH APPLE GRAVY

INGREDIENTS
*1 TB Olive Oil
*2 TBS Butter
*1 TB Flour
*1/2 C. Apple Cider- Apple juice will work fine if that's what you have.
*2-3 TB Apple Sauce
*Salt and Pepper to taste
*4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves. -cut up in strip size pieces.
*1 C. chicken stock

DIRECTIONS
*Heat Olive Oil in a large fry pan over med-high heat.
*Add your pre cut chicken, salt and pepper and thyme.
*Cook until cooked through. (The center should be white- no pink left)
This should only take 5 or so minutes for each side.
*Remove chicken and wrap in tin foil. (This will keep the chicken warm)
GRAVY:
*In the same pan you cooked the chicken in, melt your butter. (Leave the pan as is, you'll want the flavor from the cooked chicken)
*Add your flour and cook for one minute over medium low heat. This will be your thickening agent for the gravy. Wisk continually until it looks golden brown in color.
*As you are wisking, add the cider, apple sauce, salt, pepper and chicken stock. Continue to wisk until the gravy has thickened up, and is the desired consistancy.

Pour the gravy over cooked chicken, and serve immediately.
This chicken should take approx. 30 mins from start to finish.

*I like to double the gravy and use it for potatoes or rice.
*Also, I usually just cook as much chicken as I know we'll eat.

RECIPES FOR MY FRIENDS

Hello Friends!
This blog is essentially, for you. :)
I decided I'd get started right away with creating this blog, so that you can enjoy your kitchens and home made family dinners. (I sound like my grandma...)
Really quickly, I just want to tell you my experience with my kitchen.
When I first moved in with Cameron, we ate out a lot and had frozen, pre made dinners quite frequently. I didn't know anything about cooking. I could barely boil pasta. But, money was tight, and we had Michael and Madison full time, so I had a full time family of five to feed. I found that making things from scratch, or almost scratch was a lot more cost effective than any other option we had tried.
I started with recipes I knew I liked when I was growing up. I asked my mom and grandma for recipes, and tried those.
Then I started watching the Rachael Ray show in the mornings. She made things look really easy, so I picked and chose recipes I thought the kids would like, and found quite a few keepers.
Now, I'm really confident in my kitchen and love to try new things. It's also a huge stress relief for me. (Something about chopping vegetables...)
So, I'm giving these recipes to you, my dear friends. All the ones I will be posting are pretty easy, and if you have any questions, we can always make it together! :)
If you are worried about introducing new things to your kids-- Don't be. Just be excited about the meal, and 9 times out of 10, your kids will be too.
The saying "happiness is homemade" really reminds me of my grandma, and I've found it's true. I believe in the family dinner, 100%. I think it makes kids secure, and gives them healthy eating habits.
So, friends, enjoy these recipes with your families.