WELL!
I was just happily following along the instructions of a recipe I found online, and realized that – HEY – this is not right!!!! (I’ll be nice and not reveal the source because I never had a problem with this source before and of course, errors happen once in a while – but ALWAYS really carefully read and think through a new recipe before you start!)

Chicken and rice – how easy should that be? Except, the recipe called for 2 cups of water to be mixed into the rice and celery, then later adding the peas….which was correct to get the rice cooked – but later said in the instructions to use another 1 1/3 cups water in the sauce – and that amount was not in the ingredient list!

But, while the results of the recipe are still in the oven on warm before we eat, I know I was able to make this recipe work just fine.

I put 1 cup long grain rice (yeah, the white kind – need to give some extra time and use whole grain next time!) a bit more celery than asked for – I put about 1 1/2 cups sliced celery, 2 cups water (that amount of water was called for in the ingredient list) and a tsp salt together in a saucepan and brought to a low boil and then simmered for 8 minutes.

After that, I added the 1 1/2 cups frozen peas asked for and let simmer on LOW for another 8-10 minutes.

Now, the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups cooked diced chicken (although it is not very clear about the details…)

I had 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Before starting the rice, etc., I cut each one into thirds and sauted them in a nonstick 12″pan with no oil. Once they were browned, I turned them off for a bit and then got them going again when I added the 1 1/2 cups frozen peas to the saucepan rice mix and let the whole saucepan mix simmer on low for another 10 minutes.

Once the chicken pieces were making noise cooking again, I added, in this order, the 1/8 tsp pepper (well, I estimated while grinding) a tsp of salt, then 2 Tbsp flour until all was mixed. Then I added 2/3 cup evaporated milk (I had regular open, but low or nonfat would be fine, I am sure) and 1 cup chicken stock. [NOTE: the recipe calls for 1 1/3 cups water in the directions, but NOT in the recipe list! I figured the stock, since I had it on hand, would add a nicer flavor. And, since the original recipe didn’t even have that other 1 1/3 water in the ingredient list, I thought is best to hold back on the amount.]

AGAIN – the recipe says to bring the liquid in the saucepan to a low boil until thick and then pour over the “chicken and rice mix.”…It never says to remove the chicken from the pan where the sauce is being made!

Anyway – I put the rice mix in a 9X12 baking pyrex dish, then put the chicken, then, when the sauce was a bit thick, poured it over it all, then sprinkled 1 or so cups of shredded cheese over it all. (the recipe calls for mild cheese – HAH! New York Sharp for this household. )

I baked it at 375 for about 20-25 minutes and it has been on “warm” since. I think it will be fine.

OH – I added about 1/4 cup chopped onion to the rice/celery, etc mix. Just couldn’t see a recipe without onion in it. 🙂

I am making an avocado and tomato salad, too. But, those details will have to wait… time to put that together and serve the meal!

Well, nothing like starting a part-time job outside of the home to slow down blogging! I just finished my second week, so hopefully I am settling into my new schedule and will post more often again.

The other night, I made that old stand-by: pork chops baked on a bed of rice and cream of mushroom soup. My husband loves it – and it certainly qualifies as “comfort food” for all of us brought up in the 50s and 60s. Although, I suspect that it still makes frequent appearances at dinner tables. It is so easy! BUT – I am getting bored….

So far, this is what I do: four bone-in regular (versus thick-cut) pork chops. [on Manager’s Special sale at Shaw’s, of course!]

I always use bone-in chops for this.They add flavor, as well as entertainment at dinner for those who like to knaw on bones. 🙂

4 pork chops
3/4 cups long-grained rice
1 can Campbell’s Healthy Choice ™ cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
3 medium carrots, chopped about an inch thick
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper
paprika

I mix the soup and water right in the casserole (9×12 or so), then add the rice and spread around, then the carrots and peas.

For the first time, I browned the chops first, first seasoning them with salt and fresh ground pepper. I think it made the chops more flavorful and more tender. The browning seals in flavor and moisture and helps keep the chops from being steamed versus roasted, I think.

Place the chops on the other stuff, and sprinkle with paprika. Then, cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until done. It can sit for a bit in a warm oven, too, if folks aren’t quite ready for dinner.

Fresh mushrooms are an option that I have used before. Cream of celery soup with the fresh mushrooms is good, too. BUT – I need some seasoning ideas… Perhaps a curry flavor?? Nah – that would be too weird a change for comfort food – that would be a whole new recipe sans cream of anything soup. Anyway – I’ll keep thinking on it. Be nice to spice it up a bit (so to speak).

Tonight I am doing roast chicken – butterflied and cooked at 500 degrees. I have about 2 1/2 lbs of yukon gold potatoes sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch tossed in 1 Tbsp of olive oil and salt and pepper in the bottom of a broiler pan lined with oiled foil, with the chicken on the top part of the broiler pan – rubbed a bit of olive oil on the chicken, too and sprinkled with pepper. This recipe is courtesy of Cook’s Illustrated magazine. The taters roast up basted in the fat from the chicken above it. VERY yummy! I am going to steam asparagus (on sale at Farmland til Sat 3/25) to accompany.

When butterflying the chicken, I cut the backbone out. I’m saving that to make chicken stock, along with the carcass of the rest of the chicken after it is consumed. Or, maybe I’ll do one stock with the carcass and use the uncooked backbone to supplement a veggie stock… Decisions, decisions!

I was going to make pea soup tonight. However, my “mouse” wrist is killing me. It is also my “chopping” wrist. Okay, time to seriously try the left hand for the mouse. And do sausage and pasta for dinner – with not many ingredients in the accompanying salad!

Arrrgh. Well, pea soup tomorrow, then. I am going to use ham hocks for the first time. I usually wait until I’ve cooked a bone-in ham, but my favorite brand (Cooks) is not on sale and we did have one within the past month. I’m kind of a ham snob. I don’t by the kind with “water added product” or whatever on the label.

I finally discovered that Farmland (my favorite local market in Wakefield MA) has a stash of ham hocks in their freezer section! Assuming they do the trick, that means not having to wait to cook up a ham to make really good pea soup. I just don’t like it as much unless the peas are cooked with a ham bone of some sort.

About ham – have you ever heard this definition of eternity? Two people and a ham. But, if you freeze leftovers for sandwiches and make a nice pea soup with the bone and scraps, it goes a lot more quickly!

Okay – time to visualize a happier wrist. If I can’t use the computer and can’t chop veggies, I’m in big trouble!