Because I so vehemently hate cleaning, I feel compelled to spread whatever tips I find to anyone else who may also vehemently hate cleaning. I found this a while ago, it's a quick, comprehensive guide on what products are best at killing and removing mold:
http://blackmold.awardspace.com/kill-remove-mold.html
Friday, November 11, 2011
Lemony/Peppery/Herby Chicken Dinner Over Couscous
Maybe one of you fine readers can help me think up a more eloquent name for this dish.
You'll Need:
4 chicken breasts
1 medium sweet onion
1 large yellow squash
1 large bell pepper, any color
Small grain couscous
1 17 oz. container of chicken broth
Butter
Olive oil
lemon juice
Cracked black pepper
Salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic, dried
1 teaspoon dill
Baking pan deep enough to hold the chicken breasts
Meatloaf pan (for the veggies)
Large saucepan
1) Set your oven to broil. Place chicken breasts in pan with 4 tablespoons of butter; sprinkle both sides of the breasts generously with lemon juice. In a bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsps cracked black pepper, and 1 tsp dried oregano. Sprinkle half of the spice mix over the chicken breasts, flip the breasts and sprinkle with the other half of the mix.
2) Slice the squash, onion, and pepper, and lightly coat with olive oil. Place in meatloaf pan and season with salt and pepper.
3) Place chicken and vegetables in the broiler, making sure to flip the chicken and stir the veggies every three minutes until done (should take 9-12 minutes total to cook).
4) While the chicken and veggies are cooking, begin making the couscous according to the directions on it's package. Instead of water, use chicken broth to make the couscous in. Once the couscous is done, stir in 1 tsp dill, and season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Serve chicken and veggies over couscous.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Boeuf Bourguignon / Beef Burgundy with Mashed Potatoes
Not quick, not cheap, but ridiculously delicious and fun to make if you've got an extra 5-10 hours (seriously. this dish takes forever). And despite the length of the directions, it's really not hard to make. You can shorten your cooking time by using regular onions instead of pearled, and already chopped mushrooms. You can save yourself some work by serving the beef over noodles (which is more traditional), but I prefer it over potatoes.
You'll need:
3 lbs stew beef
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 bottle red wine, preferably burgundy or chianti
1 32 oz. container of beef broth
1 small sweet onion
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 leaves fresh sage
2 bay leaves
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
3 large carrots
1 container mushrooms
2 bags fresh pearl onions (or one large sweet onion)
olive oil
flour
butter
salt and pepper
See below for mashed potato recipe
1) Marinate the beef with half the bottle of wine. Cover and place in the fridge for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
2) While the beef is marinating, cut the bacon into matchstick-size pieces
3) Once the beef is done marinating remove from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Pat the beef dry (this is important, to get it to brown properly). Season the beef with salt and pepper, and coat with flour.
4) Fry the bacon in a deep pan. Once cooked, remove the bacon into the crockpot, keeping the bacon fat in the pan.
5) Fry the beef in batches in the bacon fat, making sure not to crowd the beef in the pan. Fry just enough to brown, about 3 minutes, and remove to crockpot. If you start running out of fat to cook the beef in, add a little bit of olive oil.
6) Once all the beef is browned and in the crockpot, add the marinade to the pan (while the heat is still on) to deglaze. Boil the marinade for five minutes, then add it to the crockpot.
7) Peel, root, and quarter the small sweet onion, and add it to the crockpot. Add the thyme, sage, and bay leaves. Add enough beef broth to cover the beef, stir, and cover the pot. Set the crockpot for four hours on high.
8) While the beef's cooking, peel and chop your potatoes (chop into fours or sixes) and boil. Chop your mushrooms and carrots and set aside, then prep your pearl onions.
9) To peel pearl onions: Set a pot of water (large enough to hold all the onions) to boil. While the water boils, pull off the initial flaky skin of the onion and cut off the root end. Once the water reaches boiling, dump the onions in and boil for about 2-3 minutes. While the onions are boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. Drain the onions and immediately put in ice water bath. Once the onions are cooled, drain again, and the tough outer skin should pop right off! (Note: it'll look like you're losing a lot of onion once you peel them, but that's okay, cause two bags is a lot of onions to begin with)
10) An hour before the timer on your crockpot is done, add the carrots and crushed garlic and cover.
11) Saute the mushrooms in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until the mushrooms begin to give off a lot of their liquid. Remove from heat and set aside, with liquid.
12) Saute pearl onions in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until they start to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside with butter/juices.
13) A half hour before the timer on your crockpot is done, melt six tablespoons of butter in a pan, and stir in six tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Continue cooking roux until it starts to turn brown, then add the roux, onions, and mushrooms to the crockpot. Cover and cook for the remaining half hour.
14) While the stew is cooking for the last half hour, make your mashed potatoes according to the recipe below.
15) Serve stew over potatoes and enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes
You'll need:
6 gold yukon potatoes
1.5 sticks of butter
1 small container sour cream
Milk to consistency
salt and pepper
Peel and chop the potatoes. Boil in water (I recommend adding a couple pinches of salt to the water) until very soft. Once done, drain off water and return to pot. Mash butter into potatoes with a potato masher then mash in sour cream. Continue mashing and add milk to desired smoothness and consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
You'll need:
3 lbs stew beef
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 bottle red wine, preferably burgundy or chianti
1 32 oz. container of beef broth
1 small sweet onion
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 leaves fresh sage
2 bay leaves
1 large clove of garlic, crushed
3 large carrots
1 container mushrooms
2 bags fresh pearl onions (or one large sweet onion)
olive oil
flour
butter
salt and pepper
See below for mashed potato recipe
1) Marinate the beef with half the bottle of wine. Cover and place in the fridge for at least three hours, but preferably overnight.
2) While the beef is marinating, cut the bacon into matchstick-size pieces
3) Once the beef is done marinating remove from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Pat the beef dry (this is important, to get it to brown properly). Season the beef with salt and pepper, and coat with flour.
4) Fry the bacon in a deep pan. Once cooked, remove the bacon into the crockpot, keeping the bacon fat in the pan.
5) Fry the beef in batches in the bacon fat, making sure not to crowd the beef in the pan. Fry just enough to brown, about 3 minutes, and remove to crockpot. If you start running out of fat to cook the beef in, add a little bit of olive oil.
6) Once all the beef is browned and in the crockpot, add the marinade to the pan (while the heat is still on) to deglaze. Boil the marinade for five minutes, then add it to the crockpot.
7) Peel, root, and quarter the small sweet onion, and add it to the crockpot. Add the thyme, sage, and bay leaves. Add enough beef broth to cover the beef, stir, and cover the pot. Set the crockpot for four hours on high.
8) While the beef's cooking, peel and chop your potatoes (chop into fours or sixes) and boil. Chop your mushrooms and carrots and set aside, then prep your pearl onions.
9) To peel pearl onions: Set a pot of water (large enough to hold all the onions) to boil. While the water boils, pull off the initial flaky skin of the onion and cut off the root end. Once the water reaches boiling, dump the onions in and boil for about 2-3 minutes. While the onions are boiling, prepare a bowl of ice water. Drain the onions and immediately put in ice water bath. Once the onions are cooled, drain again, and the tough outer skin should pop right off! (Note: it'll look like you're losing a lot of onion once you peel them, but that's okay, cause two bags is a lot of onions to begin with)
10) An hour before the timer on your crockpot is done, add the carrots and crushed garlic and cover.
11) Saute the mushrooms in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until the mushrooms begin to give off a lot of their liquid. Remove from heat and set aside, with liquid.
12) Saute pearl onions in 2-3 tablespoons of butter until they start to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside with butter/juices.
13) A half hour before the timer on your crockpot is done, melt six tablespoons of butter in a pan, and stir in six tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Continue cooking roux until it starts to turn brown, then add the roux, onions, and mushrooms to the crockpot. Cover and cook for the remaining half hour.
14) While the stew is cooking for the last half hour, make your mashed potatoes according to the recipe below.
15) Serve stew over potatoes and enjoy!
Mashed Potatoes
You'll need:
6 gold yukon potatoes
1.5 sticks of butter
1 small container sour cream
Milk to consistency
salt and pepper
Peel and chop the potatoes. Boil in water (I recommend adding a couple pinches of salt to the water) until very soft. Once done, drain off water and return to pot. Mash butter into potatoes with a potato masher then mash in sour cream. Continue mashing and add milk to desired smoothness and consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Super Easy, Super Quick, Super Tasty Chicken Dinner
I'm all for cookin' food from scratch, but let's face it, that's extremely time consuming and not very practical with a full time job, hour long commute, and entire house to take care of. But just because you don't have time for all the washin, peelin, and choppin, doesn't mean you have to run straight to the box of potato flakes. Our happy alternative: pre-prepped veggies! Most grocery stores now will sell produce pre-washed and chopped, and they're not much more (if at all more) expensive than the whole veggies you'd find in the produce section. You can buy them ahead of time and they'll keep in your fridge for a good couple of days. Frozen veggies are nearly as healthy as fresh ones and good in a pinch; you should keep a decent stock in your freezer at all times. For an entree, a pre-baked chicken is tasty, cheap, and will last for at least three meals (two notes: it can also be organic if bought at the right place, and once picked clean, can be boiled for broth).
This meal is tasty, inexpensive (if you've kept your kitchen stocked), and wonderfully simple. You'll need:
1 baked chicken (or baked chicken parts)
1 bag washed and cut green beans
1 bag frozen sweet corn (you'll be cooking 1-2 cups)
1 bag Ore Ida or generic brand ready-to-mash russet potatoes
1 17 oz container of chicken stock
milk
butter
salt and pepper
dried minced garlic
1) The ready to mash russet potatoes should have cooking directions on the bag. Throw the bag into the microwave for the prescribed cooking time.
2) While the potatoes are microwaving, pour the chicken stock in a large sauce pan with the bag of green beans, 2-3 tablespoons of butter, and a couple shakes (about 1/2 tsp) of dried minced garlic. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, cover and set on medium heat.
3) Once the potatoes are done, stick the corn in the microwave and cook according to directions on the package.
4) Mix the potatoes in a bowl (watch out, they're HOT) with the recommended milk and butter (again, see recipe on the bag). Salt and pepper to taste.
5) Once you're done mashing the potatoes, turn off the heat on the green beans, and you're done!
So there you have it, it's only taken 30 minutes and you have a full, tasty, (mostly) healthy meal!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans
(First recipe! Yay!)
Picture to come soon.
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
1 package ground turkey
1 small onion
1 green bell pepper
1 egg, beaten
bread crumbs (optional)
worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper
ketchup
brown sugar
Green Beans:
1 bag fresh green beans
minced garlic (dried or fresh)
3 small pats bacon fat (about one tblsp)
1/2 cup chicken stock
Mashed Potatoes:
5 Gold Yukon potatoes
1 stick butter
2 big dollops sour cream
milk to consistency
sea salt
pepper (optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Finely chop onion and pepper; mix into a large bowl with the ground turkey. Mix in beaten egg, bread crumbs, and a couple heavy dashes of salt, pepper, and worcestershire sauce. Once well mixed, press the meat into a meatloaf pan. In a small bowl, mix about 1/4 cup of ketchup with a tablespoon or two of brown sugar (your preference). Spread ketchup mix on top of the raw meatloaf and pop in the oven. Set timer for 40 minutes.
Peel potatoes and cut into quarters. Place in a pot and cover with water; pour in about four big dashes of sea salt (don't worry about adding too much. you want a lot, it'll be fine), and bring water to a boil. Boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain water and put potatoes back in the pot.
Before you mash the potatoes, throw the green beans, chicken stock, bacon fat, and minced garlic (however much you want, i do about a clove's worth) in a large pan. Cover the pan and put on medium heat. For as long as it takes you to mash the potatoes, that's how long it'll take for the beans to cook.
To the pot with the potatoes, add the butter and sour cream, and mash as much as possible. Add milk to desired consistency. You shouldn't have to add any salt, the potatoes were salted enough when boiled.
When the meatloaf is done, drain off fat and set aside to cool. When you're done mashing the potatoes, turn off the green beans.
Your meal is done! Eat and enjoy (I suggest with beer). This should make about four large servings.
Hello, World!
I think the first thing I should tell you all is I'm a horrible blogger. So just try and bear with me.
So I'm not a "homemaker" in the husband-and-kids sense of the word, but I am a poor college graduate living in the DC-Metro area. I have little money, lots of work, and not very much free time. And I hate, repeat hate, cleaning. So over the years I've collected a myriad of household tips, tricks, and recipes. It's gotten to the point where my brain is so full that I need to start writing things down, and I figured that while I was at it, I might as well share it all with you fine people.
So without further ado...the blog!
So I'm not a "homemaker" in the husband-and-kids sense of the word, but I am a poor college graduate living in the DC-Metro area. I have little money, lots of work, and not very much free time. And I hate, repeat hate, cleaning. So over the years I've collected a myriad of household tips, tricks, and recipes. It's gotten to the point where my brain is so full that I need to start writing things down, and I figured that while I was at it, I might as well share it all with you fine people.
So without further ado...the blog!
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