Knock-Off Shake and Bake Mix

I set out to whip up my own version of this flavor bomb and it definitely paid off. These awesomely flavored breadcrumbs can make a very fast meal out of chicken or pork chops, or makes for a great breading for nuggets, risotto cakes, or even a topping for casseroles or baked mac and cheese.

This makes a lot. I keep it in my freezer in a couple zip locks.

Knock off Shake and Bake

Ingredients:

4 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3rd cup oil (I use olive or avocado)
1 tbsp seasoning salt
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1 pinch dried oregano

Whisk together all ingredients and keep in freezer in an airtight container. 1/2-3/4 cups is enough to cover 4 pork chops or 4 chicken breasts.

I like to coat and heat up a cast iron pan. Put some oil in it. Cook the chops on one side, flip them, and put the whole thing in a 400 degree oven until the internal temp shows its done. It all depends on the thickness of the meat.

From Scratch: Homemade Hamburger Helper

So, pregnancy makes random cravings appear. And this was a result of one of those cravings.


I was actually floored at how good it turned out. I expected it to take longer, for one. Two, well, I just didn't expect it to "hit the spot" in regards to craving that boxed crap. But it satisfied!

Homemade Hamburger Helper

Ingredients:

1 lb lean burger
2 cups elbow pasta (I used whole grain)
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup hot (like hot tap) water
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp flour (or cornstarch, or arrowroot powder)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne
2 cups sharp shredded cheddar cheese


Brown meat in a large skillet (with a lid) over medium. Drain any juices.

Add pasta, seasonings, milk and water. Stir well. Cover. Bring to boil, and reduce to a simmer.

Stir often over the next 5-10 minutes. The liquid will be absorbed, but if its looking too dry, add a tad more milk/water until the pasta is cooked through.

Add the cheese, and adjust the seasonings to your taste.





You can also make baggies with the seasonings and the pasta to make this even faster (basically like the "real" thing, but you will have to add REAL cheese instead of the powder.)

Mixes, Seasonings, and Sauces from Scratch

Onion Soup Mix

2/3 cup minced onion
3 tsp parsley flakes
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp tumeric
11/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Place in a jar and shake well each use. Put 3-4 tbsp for 1 packet Onion Soup Mix. I also add 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce with the soup mix

Seasoning Salt 
(Think Lawry's)
1/2 cup salt
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp celery salt
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
2 pinches cumin
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch clove

Place all ingredients in a spice grinder, food processor, or magic bullet and pulse together for 30-60 seconds. This makes the salt and sugar a more fine texture and blends the flavors together.

Store in a airtight container.


Ranch Mix
4 tsp parsley flakes
4 tsp dill
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried chives

Place in a jar and shake before use.

Use 1-2 tbsp to 3/4 cup greek yogurt and 1/4 cup milk for a dip. Add more milk for a dressing

Pumpkin Pie/Apple Pie/Plain Yummy Spice Mix

This is great for pies, but I always add it to my waffles, pancakes, and french toast too. This makes a enough for a couple recipes.

3 tbsp cinnamon (I LOVE vietnamese cinnamon...YUM)
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Taco/Fajita Seasoning

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cumin
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp cayenne pepper (for a "medium" heat seasoning)

Use 3-4 tbsp for 1 packet of seasoning.

For tacos, add 1/4 cup water to drained and browned hamburger and onions plus seasoning and simmer until water is absorbed

For faijtas, at 1/2 cup chicken broth and 3-4 tbsps seasoning and simmer. I sometimes add a couple tsp paprika and a pinch of red pepper flake.

Burger/Steak Seasoning
(think Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Large batch:
1/2 cup coarse salt
2 tbsp black pepper, coarse preferred
2 tbsp dried onion
2 tbsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried coriander

Mix in a airtight container. Sprinkle each side of meat liberally.

Chili Seasoning
Makes enough for one large batch.
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

My Marinara Sauce is here

Teriyaki Marinade/Sauce: 

Marinade:

1 cup light soy sauce1 cup water1/4 cup brown sugar2 tbsp rice vinegar2 tbsp oil3 tbsp dried minced onion3  smashed garlic cloves1 inch knob ginger, grated

Mix in a ziplock bag and soak meat in it, in the fridge, for a few hours up to overnight.

For a glaze, cut soy sauce to 1/2 cup and water to 2 tbsp. combine in a sauce pan with a tbsp of cornstarch. Whisk together and heat on medium. Simmer until thickened. Scoop out garlic before serving.

BBQ Sauce 

Sauce:
2c ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp liquid smoke

There is a good amount of personal taste with sauces like this. Add more of whatever sounds good to you. I LOVE Worcestershire sauce, so I usually add more. 
You can make it into a asian BBQ sauce which is a nice change. Add soy sauce instead of worcestershire and rice vinegar instead of cider. Add a bit of grated garlic and ginger too. 
Just mix all together and simmer for 30 minutes, or just add to a crock pot if doing pulled pork/chicken or something.


Vanilla Extract

4 GOOD vanilla beans, sliced lengthwise
1 cup vodka or white rum

Place in a jar and shake. Keep in a dark place and shake 1-2x a week. Will be ready in 4 months about.

This is good for 7 YEARS. Just add a a bit of vodka every so often.

My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets

I am sure this will be edited and added to several times.

I just wanted to share some of my favorite tools and what I use them for. I am sure I will never get paid for this, so its all me and my opinion. :)

Also this is in no particular order.

Except my Kitchenaid will always be Numero Uno.

This is my girl. 6qt top lift Empire Red. Love her. Makes bread making a breeze. As well as mashing potatoes, whipping cream, and about a bajillion other things

http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-International-HGT-11-Folding-Mandoline/dp/B001F5RSEK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347850510&sr=8-1&keywords=mandolin

One of the newest additions to my collection. A mandoline slicer. Oh my goodness. I have been using it so much. It slices which is nice, but its the thin julienne that I love. It basically shreds things. Its faster than using a cheese grater. I actually do not own a food processor yet, so this is a great tool. Even if I did, it would still be used often because of the fast cleanup and easy access.

I do however have and love this

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-3-5-c-Food-Chopper-Empire/dp/B005GFXL2I/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347850661&sr=1-5&keywords=kitchenaid+chopper

A mini food chopper. Great for pie dough, salsa, cracker dough, pureeing sauces. Awesome. And small.

http://www.amazon.com/Microplane-46020-Premium-Zester-Grater/dp/B00151WA06/ref=sr_1_2_m?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1347850790&sr=1-2&keywords=plane+micro

A microplane! Why spend for.ev.er. mincing the garlic. Spend 4.3 seconds grating it over this bad boy. Also great for ginger and citrus zest.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-Dutch-Island-6-Quart/dp/B000N501BK/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347850914&sr=1-1&keywords=dutch+oven

Yes, you are sensing a trend. My kitchen is RED. I love it. 

Anyway, dutch oven. Slow cook, braise, and even bake bread. Love this guy. 

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KHB100ER-Hand-Blender-Empire/dp/B00008GSA5/ref=sr_1_6?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347851030&sr=1-6&keywords=kitchenaid+immersion+blender

Immersion blender. I don't use this a *ton* but its great for baby food or blending soups. 

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-577-Stainless-Scraper-Chopper/dp/B000SSZ4Q4/ref=sr_1_3?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347851099&sr=1-3&keywords=bench+scraper

Bench scraper. Use it to scoop up fresh chopped veggies off the chopping block. Or to cut dough. Or to scrape off the leftover dough off your surface.

http://www.amazon.com/KitchenArt-55210-Adjust-A-Cup-2-Cup-Measuring/dp/B000ATVOH4/ref=sr_1_11?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1347851191&sr=1-11&keywords=measuring+cup

Adjustable measuring cup. Great for mayo, peanut butter, honey, sour cream. Anything thick and a PITA to scrape out of a regular measuring cup

http://www.amazon.com/Industries-5920-Apple-Peeler-Slicer/dp/B001A6E91E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361653300&sr=8-1&keywords=apple+corer+slicer+peeler

Apple corer/slicer/peeler. Great for apple pie or crisp.

This is the best thing EVER. Totally worth the investment. No more parchment paper or the gross non stick spray! http://www.amazon.com/Silpat-Non-Stick-Baking-2-inches-Sheet/dp/B00008T960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363993696&sr=8-1&keywords=silpat

RICE COOKER! How could I forget this til last? Best thing ever! Don't need anything fancy. Basic models are great
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-RC3406-Cooked-Cooker/dp/B000UWD9OW/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1361743986&sr=8-12&keywords=rice+cooker

Homemade Yogurt, Greek Yogurt, and "Yogurt Cheese"

So, this has been something I have been wanting to try for a while. It really is incredibly easy. And cheap.

It takes a while, but the actual hands on part is brief.

If you have ever had organic yogurt, you see that its a little runnier than traditional yogurt. This is that consistency. So some people might like to turn it into Greek yogurt. But keep in mind this will cut the amount of yogurt you get in half.

I have heard that one of the key things is to make sure your milk is just pasteurized, not ultra. (lots of organic I have come across is ultra). I can't remember the source, so take it as you will. Its not that hard to follow the tip though, so why not?

You can use raw as well, but you might want to only heat it to 120 or so, otherwise you would basically kill anything raw about it.

There are LOTS of methods out there. I have only tried this one. And it worked just great! I might try other ways later on, so keep posted as I might edit this post.

You can also half this recipe if you wish. My son can go through a 32oz container of yogurt in 6-7 days, so I go big or go home :). Also, this should last 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

Yogurt:

Ingredients:

1 gallon milk (I used a good quality organic whole milk yogurt. About $6)
3 tbsp good quality plain yogurt with active cultures (I used Stoneyfield Whole Plain)

Tools needed for this method:

Large stock pot
thermometer (I used a candy thermometer but my digital meat thermometer worked too!)
whisk
4 quart mason jars
ladle
a funnel would have made life easier, but I managed without
a small cooler
a blanket


Pour gallon of milk into the stock pot. Heat over medium to 180, stirring often. Especially towards the end. I let the milk on the bottom burn a bit, so I had to strain it. No huge deal.

This will take a while. 15-20 minutes or so. I emptied and loaded the dishwasher during this step.

Once its 180, remove from heat and place in sink half full of ice water.

Annnnd this was the day before I deep cleaned the sink. So glad I captured that for all time....

Monitor temperature and stir often until it reaches 120. This won't take as long 3-5 minutes. Don't go too far away!

Whisk in yogurt well.

Ladle into very clean jars. Put lids on.

Run hot water in the sink for a few minutes until its the hottest it goes.

Place jars into cooler and fill to brim level with water. Close cooler and wrap with blanket.


Let sit 7-8 hours.

Do not open or stir or shake. Put into fridge and let cool for at least 8 hours.

Open and enjoy.

A little honey and vanilla is great with this!

Or cook a cup and a half of strawberries and blueberries with a few tbsp of honey. Cook on medium low until nice and syrupy. Mash and cool. Add to yogurt for a mixed berry flavor!


For Greek yogurt:

You need a metal strainer and either cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

Scoop yogurt into the filter lined strainer. Place over a bowl and put into the fridge for around 4 hours. Check to make sure the whey (liquid draining off) doesn't reach the bottom of the strainer.

You can use the whey for a lot of things. I don't really know what at this point, but google it. Lots of good things out there.

For "yogurt cheese" (very very similar to cream cheese):

Take Greek yogurt a bit further and strain overnight.

Thrifty Chicken Stock

I am a nerd. I have been so excited about this the last few day. Its SO easy and SO cheap. And SO good for you. Even the organic broths have "natural flavor" added (Also known as MSG). And they can be EXPENSIVE. This can make GALLONS of stock. No joke. With ONE batch of chicken bones. You can do even more with beef bones. I haven't gotten there yet, but I will sure update you with it.

Bone broth is super nutritious. Adding vinegar to the water helps leach out the minerals from the bones as well as the nutritious gelatin. THIS is the chicken soup that will help you get over a illness sooner.

It is thrifty, because you can strain the liquid out, and scoop out the veggies and start again! You can do it two or even THREE times with chicken bones! And double that for beef bones. Its unreal.

And if you are short on freezer space, there is a few things you can do. First, you can freeze in ice cube trays or muffin trays and then place in ziplock bags once frozen solid. Then you can just use what is needed. Or you can return the strained liquid to a pot and simmer on low, uncovered, for several more hours and reduce it by half. Then you can freeze in small jars and its a concentrated form. Just add water once you thaw.

This is also a great way to stretch a meal. Buy a rotisserie chicken or roast a whole chicken on your own and save the carcass. You could even save the bones of thighs and drumsticks from other meals in a baggie in the freezer and make a batch when you have enough. The added drumsticks are great to find on sale. Its a very cheap cut of meat. Save the gross bag of innards from the roaster chicken too. And all the butts of onions, carrots, or celery you cut off and throw away? Save those in the freezer too.

You can add chicken feet to it as well. I haven't gotten there yet :-)

This is about 1/3rd of ONE batch. Not reduced

Thrifty Chicken Stock

Ingredients:
I whole chicken carcass
1-2 lbs of whole chicken drumsticks
chicken gizzards, neck, etc (optional)
1 onion, halved
4 carrots, washed, peeled, in 3 inch chunks
4 celery (tops too!) washed, in 3 inch chunks
8 cloves of garlic (no need to peel) cut in half
1/2 tsp dried thyme (fresh is even better. Several stems)
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns (optional)
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice


Place all of the ingredients in a HUGE stockpot and fill with water 2 inches above the top of ingredients. If you wish, let sit at room temp for an hour. This lets the vinegar work on the bones a little. Then bring to a simmer. Cover, and keep on a very low temp. You just want to gently simmer, never boil.

Cook for about 18 hours. Check on the water lever occasionally and to make sure its still simmering. I am sure you can do this in a crock pot, but be aware many crock pots run too hot to just simmer, even on low. So pay attention the first time you do it.


Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer. Either use immediately, place in the fridge for up to 5 days, freeze for up to 3 months, or simmer uncovered to condense and then freeze.

Use in soups, to cook noodles, rice, beans, etc. Or season and sip.

How to make Cream of ___ from scratch!

I try to do as much homemade as possible. But some of my favorite comfort food recipes have some cream of goop in it.

My compromise lately has been to buy it organic. That has to cut out some of the crap, right??

Well, the last time we went to the store, I couldn't find any. Husb really wanted me to make his moms creamy chicken enchiladas. But it calls for TWO of those bad boys. :-/


So I did some searching. I always see on Pinterest a powdered mix you can make. But it calls for bouillon powder and instant milk...Is that really that much better??

So, todays search found this!! REAL food "cream of"substitute!


I really didn't need to take a picture of this. It looks like whitish yellow goop. You have all seen it before.

This makes a chicken version. For cream of mushroom, use beef broth and add some sautéed mushrooms!

"Cream of"
(makes 1 can worth. Ok maybe a little less, but we really don't need to use THAT much, ya know?)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup chicken stock/broth
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper.(don't be shy)
optional (highly recommend at least some):
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder


Essentially you are making a roux.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add flour. Cook for 3 minutes, whisking often. (It will be a bunch of clumps.

Add the milk and broth. Whisk and heat until bubbling. Stir often. Add salt and pepper (and spices) to taste.

Once thickened, remove from heat.

Thats it. 5 minutes and pennies compared to the crap you have to buy. Just keep some stock around for times like this!!