It's a Ziploc Meal

Ziploc isn't a sponsor for me or anything, but after the meal I made Friday night, they could've been! I used the zip-top bags to save me some dishes in the end. I love doing that on Fridays, especially, because it means I get to relax after dinner!

Baked Cornflake Chicken Fingers and Roasted Potatoes

Chicken Fingers

1-1.5 lbs. chicken tenders, or boneless skinless breasts cut into tenders (My pack of tenders had 10 in it)

1 cup flour

seasoning you like (I use garlic salt, onion powder and black pepper)

1/2 stick melted butter

4-5 cups crushed cornflakes (make sure you crush them to oblivion -- they'll stick better)

Directions

- Mix flour and seasonings in a zip top bag and add chicken pieces; toss to coat

- Put cornflakes in a zip top bag and crush completely with a rolling pin or meat mallet. If you have a food processor, that would be awesome too

- Place melted butter in a shallow dish for dipping

- Place crushed cornflakes in another shallow dish (I use pie plates for both)
- Shake excess flour off of tenders, and dip in butter to coat, then dip in cornflakes, pressing to make sure they stick to the chicken

- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray

- Bake chicken at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes

- Serve

Roasted Potatoes

4-6 baking potatoes

2 tsp olive oil

garlic powder

onion powder

black pepper

Directions

- Thinly slice the potatoes (about 1/4" thick) and place in a zip top bag

- Add olive oil and seasonings; toss to coat potatoes

- Spread potatoes out on a foil-lined baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray

- Cook at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes

- Remove from oven; can eat as is, or sprinkle cheddar cheese over them and let it melt

Grilled Baby Red Potatoes with Herbs

This is pretty simple, but so delicious....

Grilled Baby Red Potatoes with Herbs

(Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen)

8 baby red potatoes, washed and cut into 1/4" to 1/2" slices

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tbsp coarsly chopped fresh parsley

Directions

- In a bowl, toss potatoes with olive oil, pepper, and garlic salt

- Spray a sheet of tin foil with olive oil or cooking spray, and spread the potatoes into thin layers (2-3 potatoes thick)

- Add any additional seasonings you enjoy, and fold up the tin foil, making a little packet on all sides

- Grill over medium heat, carefully flipping over once

- Cook for about 15-20 minutes

- Remove from grill and add fresh parsley before serving

Southwestern Potatoes

These were amazingly delicious! And so easy! We actually had them 3 times this week, we liked them so much LOL

They're definately being added to the "side dish" rotation, since I always have the ingredients on hand.

Southwestern Potatoes

(Delicious Meliscious)

package bacon bits (real ones not "bacon flavored") -- I omitted these

2 unpeeled large potatoes, scrubbed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup barbeque sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)

1/2 cup sour cream (optional, for dipping) -- I omitted

Directions

- Line 2 large baking sheets with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray (Melissa doesn't reccommend this, but the first time my potatoes stuck to the foil. the cooking spray helped)

- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Farenheit

- Cut potatoes into 1/4" slices

- Toss the potatoes, olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper in a large ziplock bag to coat the potatoes

- Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheets and bake until slightly browned (about 15-20 minutes)

- Brush with barbeque sauce, then top with the shredded cheddar cheese (and bacon bits if you use them)

- Bake until the cheese melts, about 3-5 minutes more

- Top or dip with sour cream if desired

Fastnachts

Have you ever heard of them? Can you even say it?
Fastnachts (fost-knots) are a huuuuuuuuge deal where I'm living now. York and Lancaster areas of Pennsylvania (south-central in the state) have a large population of "Pennsylvania Dutch" and those folks love these little doughnuts, called fastnachts.

The fastnacht is basically a fatty doughnut (read: carbohydrates from heaven) that is served on "Fastnacht Day" -- the Tuesday before Lent begins (also known as Fat Tuesday for our N'Orleans folks!). Wikipedia tells me they were originally created to use up all the lard, sugar, fat and butter before beginning Lent.

Seems like a pretty good deal to me!

There are only two places that really embrace the fastnacht -- Lancaster/York areas of Pennsylvania, and a town in Switzerland called Basel. Basel actually has a festival for the little buggers!

There are also different types of fastnachts - the german fastnacht is basically a yeast doughnut that can be filled with cream or jam, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar....but the Pennsylvania Dutch version is the best: a potato-dough, fried and dusted with powdered sugar.

Anyway -- now that you've been educated, I'm passing along a delicious recipe and some pictures. I didn't make these little wonders -- the mother of one of DH's high school friends makes THOUSANDS of these little lovlies every year on Fastnacht day, and she's always happy to share them with everyone!

Recipes vary greatly -- some fry in oil, some in lard, for example -- but here is an example that is very "Pennsylvania Dutch"

Fastnachts

(Bella Online)

2 cups milk
1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, milk, or butter added)
1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 stick margarine
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
6-1/2 cups flour (divided, 2 cups + 4 1/2 cups)
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 can (3 pounds) Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening for frying

- Scald the milk

- In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes

- Add 1/2 cup sugar plus the margarine and mix with an electric mixer (If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with next step)

- Dissolve the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in barely warm water

- Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again. Cover with a towel and let rise for 25 minutes
- Add the salt and beaten egg to the mixture

- Add 4-1/2 cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon

- Turn onto a well floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes

- Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers

- Grease a large bowl and place the dough in the greased bowl, cover with a thin towel, and let rise in a warm, draft free place for about 2 hours or until it is at least double in size
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 3/4" thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts - Cut the dough into 3" to 4" wide strips, then cut the strips into 3" to 4" pieces

- To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife

- Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-1/2" to 2" apart, on large wax paper lined trays

- Cover each tray with a thin towel. Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size
- Heat the shortening to 365º. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time.

- Drain on white paper towels. Cool completely before serving

- Store in a covered, airtight container. Makes about 20 to 24 Fastnachts, depending on size

- This recipe can be doubled with no change in preparation directions

- When cool, place in a ziplock bag with powdered sugar and shake to coat

Garlic Parmesean Roasted Potatoes

We definately struggle with side dishes in our household -- the same old sides just get boring!

I'm always looking for a new way to perk up an old favorite -- in this case, potatoes.

These are tasty, and SUPER simple to make for a weeknight meal -- that makes them woooooonderful!

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

(Picky Palate)

5 lb bag of potatoes (I used Idaho), washed and cut into 1" cubes

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

- Spread cubed potatoes on a large baking sheet and drizzle evenly with olive oil

- Sprinkle garlic salt, kosher salt, black pepper and parmesan cheese over the potatoes

- Using your hands, gently toss the ingredients together so the potatoes are well coated with olive oil and spices

- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender and golden brown

- Taste test, and add more seasoning if necessary.

Zuppa Toscana

I'm not a terribly huge Olive Garden fan, but I DO love their Zuppa Toscana soup.

DH had mentioned he was hungry for "soup, salad, and breadsticks" so instead of trying to wrestle our way into the constantly-full-takes-no-reservations Olive Garden in our town, I just made it at home!

This soup was very tasty. I liked it better than the restaurant version since I could control the fat and salt involved.

I pre-cooked the sausage on Sunday, and tossed it in a container in the fridge. Then all I had left to do was the basic 'soup' aspect on Tuesday, and while it simmered I chopped up our salad and tossed breadsticks in the oven (since it was a weeknight, Pillsbury saved the day on the breadsticks). Worked out to be a great weeknight meal.

The original recipe only served 3 people. I'm not even going to post that recipe here, because when I make soup, I make way more than that (regardless of the soup). I doubled the recipe, we ate it 2 nights for dinner, with some left over for lunches (or freezing, if that's your preference).

For the original "serves 3" recipe, click the Recipezaar link below.

Zuppa Toscana

(Recipezaar)

1 lb. spicy sausage -- we used turkey sausage (original recipe calls for sausage in cups. who measures sausage in CUPS!?)

4 medium potatoes, cut in half length-wise and cut into 1/4" slices

1 large (2 small) onion, diced
12 slices bacon (we omitted. i don't need sausage AND bacon in my soup)

3 teaspoons minced garlic -- we used jarred preminced (don't worry if this smells mega-strong when it's cooking. the garlic flavor will mellow out)

4 cups kale leaves, cut in half then sliced (I chose about 12 kale leaves at the store, and ended up tossing them all in)

4 tablespoons chicken base(bullion)+2 quarts water (I used 8 cups of chicken broth instead)

2/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

- If sausage is in links, remove from casings. Cook sausage until done and set aside.

- Cook bacon and onion over medium heat, and when bacon is crisp, take it out of the pan and leave the onion in. Add the garlic to the onion and cook1 minute (Since I omitted the bacon, and my sausage was already cooked and in the fridge, I just put a little olive oil in the bottom of my stock pot, and sauteed the onion in the olive oil until soft and transparent. Then I added the garlic and proceeded on)

- Add the chicken base, water, and potatoes; simmer 15 minutes

- Crumble bacon and add crumbled bacon, kale, and cream

- Simmer 4 minutes, then serve.

This was DH's first time with kale, and he's decided he likes it. Anybody have good recipes that use it??

"Pennsylvania Dutch" Chicken Pot Pie

A few weeks ago there was a discussion on the What's Cooking board on TheNest about pot pie in soup form.

Most had never heard of it, and those that had were centered around a very small area of Central Pennsylvania -- also known as where I currently live.

I'm not from this area, so I think this "pot pie" with no crust is a bit odd, but my husband loves it. Prefers it to my "crazy" pot pie that actually looks like a pie!

So I decided to try my hand at it. I'd never made it, and it turned out really well. The ONLY thing that would've made it more delicious is if I'd have had a whole day off to slow roast a chicken to use in it. Mmmm..slow roasted chicken.

Oh! And before we get to the recipe...a note about the noodles involved.

Part of what differentiates this type of pot pie from any chicken noodle soup recipe are the noodles. They're a thick egg noodle, cut into squares.

I made these, but I did see that in the grocery store here, San Giorgio sells Pot Pie Noodles -- they're hidden on the top shelf near the egg noodle section. Check your store and see if they have them -- I'm curious if they sell them anywhere but here!

Onto the recipe -- and pardon the bad pictures. It's getting dark earlier, and I'm also in the process of prepping a house for move-in, so dinner has been very late!

Pot Pie Squares (The Noodles)

3 cups flour

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Directions

- Mix the flour, egg, and shortening together

- Knead the dough mixture, while alternately adding small amounts of water until the dough holds together well

- Divide the dough into two or three pieces

- Roll each piece out to about 1/8" thick on a floured surface

- Cut the rolled out dough into squares - about 2" to 2 1/2" wide

- Allow the freshly made pot pie noodles to dry for about 30 minutes or more before cooking

The Soup

*3-4 cups of shredded chicken, turkey, beef, or even ham leftovers can be used instead of a whole stewing chicken for this. When using leftovers, use broth instead of the 2 quarts of water. With leftover chicken or turkey, use 4 cans of chicken broth.

1-3 lb stewing chicken

2 quarts water

5 medium potatoes - peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

2 cups chopped celery

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions

- Cook the chicken in water until tender

- Remove the chicken from the broth and separate the meat from the bones and skin

- Cut or shred the cooked chicken into bite size pieces

- Meanwhile, add the vegetables and seasonings to the simmering broth

- Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, then add the pot pie squares to the broth mixture, a few at a time, stirring frequently so they don't stick together

- After all have been added, cook gently for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the noodles are tender

- Add the cut up chicken and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes longer

- Cover, and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

**The article this recipe was taken from suggests serving it on dinner plates, or in shallow bowls. Sides are recommended as a salad such as coleslaw, pepper cabbage, or lettuce with bacon dressing --- if you REALLY want to do it "Pennsylvania Dutch" Style!

Patrice's Potatoes

I saw these on Your Home Based Mom and thought they looked tasty -- and they WERE!

Definately be making these again. This time, we served them with the PW's Crispy Yogurt Chicken.

Patrice's Potatoes

(Your Home Based Mom)

8-10 medium sized red potatoes, thinly sliced (I used organic idaho potatoes)

1/2 cube butter, melted (I had no idea what Leigh Anne meant -- she was kind enough to tell me a "cube" is a stick -- so this is 1/4 cup, or 1/2 a stick of butter)

1/4 C olive oil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cayenne powder

2 tsp mild chili powder

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

- Mix above ingredients and toss with thin sliced potatoes.

- Place on a cookie sheet.

- Bake at 500 degrees for 7-10 minutes, then turn potatoes and bake another 7-10 minutes until desired crispness.

(Note: I had a few that didn't fit on my cookie sheet -- I tossed them in a skillet and browned them up that way. Both work!)

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

When I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it --  DH LOVES gnocchi. And it looked like another fast weeknight meal. I'm ALWAYS up for fast weeknight meals!

And I share the blogger's agony with a tiny kitchen. :-) 

Her pictures are much better than mine -- it was dark by the time I was done cooking, so no natural light!

This was very tasty. I used the good old parmesan in the green can, because it's what I had, and it worked just fine. It probably would've been better with fresh, though.

DH also requested that I add some tomatoes next time. Works for me!

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

(Two Novice Chefs, One Tiny Kitchen -- adapted from "Real Simple")

2 (9-oz) or 1 (17.5-oz) package gnocchi (you can use fresh or frozen. We used frozen, and ended up adding 2 16 oz. packages. that's a whole lotta gnocchi!)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 pound italian sausage, casings removed (we used sweet italian sausage)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped (i used 1 tsp. pre-minced)

1 5-oz bag baby spinach

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnishing

Directions

- Cook the gnocchi according to the package directions; reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid

- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium/medium high heat.

- Add the onion and cook until softened

- Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned and cooked through

- Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook, tossing frequently until the spinach wilts

- Add the drained gnocchi, the reserved cooking liquid, and the Parmesan cheese, and toss.

- Divide among bowls and sprinkle with additional Parmesan.

Hot German Potato Salad

Dave loves potato salad -- especially this

vinegar-y German version.

This is fantastic because it's good hot, warm, cold, -- whatever! And it doesn't have any mayo, so it's great for picnics and outdoor activities.

**I will apologize for my poor potatoes -- I bought organic ones...and they cooked up MUCH faster than I'd anticipated. They're a bit "mashed" looking!**

German Potato Salad
(Original from allrecipes.com)
Makes 8 servings


8 potatoes, cubed
8 slices bacon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup white wine vinegar (cider vinegar is also delicious!)
1 cup chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, cook until tender but still firm (about 10-15 minutes). Drain, and cool.
- Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
- Add the flour, sugar, water, and vinegar to the skillet and cook in the reserved bacon fat over medium heat until dressing is thick.
- Place cooled potatoes, green onions, and crumbled bacon in a large bowl. Gently pour dressing over potatoes (I've found that you may not need ALL of the dressing - -add half, stir it, and taste to see if it's enough). Season with salt and pepper. Mix gently.
- Serve warm or room temperature.

Freezing February? Beef Stew is the answer!

What is better in blustery, cold February than a hearty stew? I wanted one that I could make in the crockpot, and the ladies at What's Cooking on TheNest served up this delicious recipe!
I'm posting the version I made, but I'll notate the changes I made to it.

Beef Stew
(Original recipe provided by veniceforever on 'What's Cooking')

1.5 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes (*hint: freeze the meat for 10 minutes before cutting..it makes cubing SO much easier!)
1 medium onion, chopped coarse
1 medium garlic cloves, minced (*I used already-minced garlic you can buy at the store because I had it on hand)
1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 can beef broth
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
2 beef bullion cubes
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
4 medium potatoes (red are best -- I had yukon gold on hand)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch. thick rounds
1 c. frozen peas (I omitted these -- my poor DH hates peas)
1/4 cup minced parsley (optional -- I didn't have any so I left it out)

Directions

- dry beef thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
- place all ingredients except for the peas and parsley in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or, on high for 4-6.
- add the peas and parsley and cook for another hour, or until peas are tender.

**This made enough for us to eat it (2 of us) twice, with some left over for lunch! I served it simply with crusty bread to dip in the juice...Yum!

Beef stew -- prior to cooking!

Baked Potato Soup with a Smoked Salmon Twist!

Tonight I made Baked Potato Soup -- but instead of adding your usual bacon/cheese combination, I decided to use up a pound of smoked salmon we had.
Surprisingly, it was DELICIOUS! I had read that you can substitute smoked salmon for bacon, and its actually true!

This is the original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx
And here's how mine turned out...


First, my changes:
- Made it for 8 servings (versus the original 4 servings), so we'd be sure to have leftovers
- Added 1 lb. smoked salmon
- Left the skins on my potatoes -- I like them that way
- The original recipe called for hot sauce...hate the stuff, so I left it out

I did have bacon and cheese for garnish, because I was concerned I wouldn't like the salmon flavor. Honestly, you could do without them.


Baked Potato Soup with Smoked Salmon
6 bacon strips - diced
2 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
4 large baked potatoes - cubed
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 pound fully cooked smoked salmon
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
In a large pan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream, and salmon. Heat through but do not boil.
Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Prior to garnish:

After DH got ahold of the toppings: