Fast Fact Friday

As much as you want to believe it, plain and vanilla are not the same thing. Do not be fooled.

(makes for a very unique tasting chicken alfredo)

Make-shift Bayou Stew

Buckle up hungry readers, we have reached stage 2 cooking. Now usually the number 1 rule when requesting recipes from MOM is 5 ingredients or less - I'm poor but more importantly expertly frugal. Well tonight's meal does not apply...

Not only is that 14 over the legal limit but the spice count alone blows a .08... But after 3 years behind the wheel of these pots and pans I have actually amassed a spice rack that can handle this bad boy.

The problem was with poor planning is I didn't have onions or the can o' stewed tomatoes. Not a problem, very overrated ingredients anyways. Now there are few things I like more than some good Momma Made Jambayla....

Personal performance:B+

For a spur of the moment dish, job well done. A small part of me definitely resides in the Bayou though. I have a gift for making it just hot enough so that the sinuses begin to drip.

The Sequel

So if you recall 'what's for dinner?' last Monday, same answer tonight. A sequel can never be a carbon copy though. You have to mix it up, take a few risks, see what happens.

HEY MOM! Is olive oil still the trick for frying pan chicken if you go with some fiery 5 pepper seasoning?

"Yes, olive oil is magic. Always works."

Ok. What about throwing some black beans into the mix with the broccoli & squash?

"If you have spicy chicken to go with it that should be fine."

THANKS MA! 

As you might expect with a sequel... It's never as good as the original. Stick with the original recipe. 

Lessons learned: just because you need to get rid of an ingredient, doesn't mean you can toss it into your dish. 

Personal performance: C-

The black beans worked, but not well. Just did too much. Turned the plate into a mound of mushy mess. 

The Inspiration

So if you are looking for someone to thank for this blog of wisdom, it was the (not so) new sister, Sara Beans, who has inspired it all. Her collection of pinterest-ipes jump started my advanced course in cooking. Beans is now speed dial #2 when Mom doesn't answer.

Yummmm... Simply Jacobson

I can attest that the chicken broccoli alfredo, the breakfast casserole, chicken fajitas, salsa chicken (as a nacho topper), taco pasta bake, and the spicy sausage pasta are all worth your time.
         

Cook on peeps.

Chx-Parm

Got another quick and easy.

Dice up some chickens

Quick egg dip, Italian bread crumb slather and hot olive oil bath

Boil some noods

Add some sauce, mozzarella & stinky cheese (if you like), 400 covered for 15, uncovered for 10.

Enjoy! Don't worry MOM, I got this one...

Personal performance: A

Suggestion: dicing up the chicken was nice for eating but made prep twice as hard.

Fast Fact Friday

A 1 lb. Kroger ground chuck (80/20) meat log produces 2/3rds of a can of grease.

You're welcome.

What's for dinner?

Quick fix stir fry tonight. Seasoned down some chicken cutlets with 'chicken' seasoning, cooked in olive oil. Added in some cooked broccoli & yellow squash to get my veggies in. Mixed in some white rice as the finisher.

Personal performance: A-

Excellent flavor and portioning. Chicken was a little tough. HEY MOM! How come?

Who's on dish duty?

BBQ Sunday

So I made this BBQ in the crock pot... Kroger special on pork loin shoulder, rubbed it down with garlic salt, black pepper, ground red pepper, ground paprika, and a fiery 5 pepper seasoning. Wrapped it up last night and let the seasonings set in over night. Tossed it in the crock pot this morning and let it go for 8 hours on low. I flipped the slab over a few times to keep the top side juicy. Does this make any sense? Did to me.

HEY MOM! Is pork like ground beef, are you suppose to drain the the juice?

"I would drain most of it otherwise it will be too juicy and your buns will be soggy. Did you make a roast?"

Ummm.... I got the pork slab that was on sale.

"Yeah, you got a roast."

THANKS MA!

The meat fell apart beautifully with about 30 minutes left. I mixed in some more garlic powder, red pepper and added some cumin. Finally toppped it all off with some honey hickory smoke BBQ sauce.

Yeah, I'll take the BBQ slider trio with a side of almonds.

Personal performance: B+

Gave myself an A- after slider #1, but slider #3 proved that I may have went a little overboard with the garlic salt. Waiter... more water please!

Unwrap, microwave for 2 minutes, eat.

I am 23 years old. I am a man. And I'm a frugal grocery spender. I have been on my own for eating for almost 5 years now. I have seen some great excuses for cooking from the guys I have lived with as well as some beautiful efforts of my own. My roommate sophomore year considered sticking his corn dogs in the oven counted as cooking. This might be funny but it was about the extent of the cooking that occurred in BC11. Personally, I don't really like corn dogs or the microwave taquitos, Totinos pizza, or anything else on the microwave menu. So I had to learn to cook.  I do consider myself one of the lucky ones however. My mom is a farmers daughter. I'm 30% sure there hasn't been a microwave dinner in her family ever! It's in my genes to cook. I have a lot of questions when I pull out the pots and pans, but it's usually nothing a quick call home to mom can't fix. This is what happens when you're a young man in your 20's, Mom can cook, and you're... learning.