Reluctant Cook

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How to Make a Turkey Tender

Turkeys aren’t always tender when you roast them. But there is a simple way to make sure that your Thanksgiving turkey will come out of the oven easy to slice and tender to eat. It takes a little advance preparation but isn’t difficult or time consuming. Check out this video about how to make your Thanksgiving turkey tender.

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Filed Under: Cooking Tips, DIY Ideas

Crock Pot Liners – Are they worth it?

Crockpots, also known as slow cookers, are God’s gift to the Reluctant cook.   There is nothing better than your dinner magically cooking without you having to stand over it.

But once the meal is cooked, you still have to clean the pot.  And scrubbing that pot can be a pain in the arms as you scrub the baked on mess.

So even though this Reluctant Cook loves her Crockpot, the liners that I recently discovered are my new best friend.  All you do is line your crockpot, cook your meal, and then let your crockpot cool.  You can carefully tie off the liner and throw it into the trash leaving little to no cooked on gunk behind.  It will cut your cleaning down to SECOhesNDS!

Here is the crockpot liner that I like to use:Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners 2 Pack (8 Liners Total)

These are 8 liners for $10.98 which adds about $1.37 to the cost of your meal.  There are cheaper ones sold.  You can even find them at some dollar stores.  But many of the cheaper ones have bad reviews.

Would I use them every time I cooked a crockpot meal?  No, I’m too cheap to spend an extra $1.37 just to escape washing the pot.  But they are wonderful for those recipes that leave a gunky mess in the pot.  You just tie off the liner with one of the ties that is included and toss it.  That is when they are really worth the cost.

 

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Kitchen Stuff

Cooking Tips-bon appetit

Cooking Tips You Probably Don’t Know
From bon appetit

 

cooked steak tipDid you know that:

For more intense flavor in a grilled steak, you should let the seasoned steak sit uncovered in the refrigerator overnight.  The moisture loss bring heat conducting fat to the surface which leads to crisper skin, better browning, and more intense flavor.

Did you know that:

When you want a more intense caramel colored stock, the trick is to blacken the cut sides of a halved onion (with the skin left on) in a dry cast-iron pan.  Add the onion to your stock pot.

Did you know that:

When you want moist tender pork chops cooked on top of the stove, get your pan very hot.  Then turn the heat down to medium and add the chops.  The outer edges of the meet will get tender while the center reaches the perfect temperature.

Having trouble flipping those omelets?

Start at the edge of the omelet closest to you and use your spatula to gently roll up the omelet at about 1 1/2 intervals.  When you’re about halfway, ad a tablespoon of butter to the pan.  It will help prevent sticking and adds a nice sheen to the eggs.

What are some of your favorite tips to make cooking easier for this Reluctant Cook?

Filed Under: Cooking Tips, Kitchen Stuff

Christmas Tree Napkin Folding

The holidays will be here before you know it.  Perhaps it’s a little early to be thinking Christmas but I’m constantly on the lookout for “quick and easy” ways to make people think that just perhaps I inherited a bit of Martha Stewart’s creative genes.

I found this one today that you might want to keep in the back of your mind.  if you are planning a holiday dinner, this is a napkin folding idea that is quick and easy and will really dress up your dinner plates.  It’s so easy that the kids can even do it for you.

Filed Under: DIY Ideas, Holidays

The best way to use your Kitchen Aid

On a day when everything seems to go wrong and you have little time to spend in the kitchen, a bit of humor will go a long way. Here is mine to share with you.

Filed Under: Kitchen Stuff, Miscelleanous

Apple Turnovers the Quick and Easy Way

apple-turnovers680

We all have memories of food that we loved as children.  One of my favorites is strawberry shortcakes which were a treat we looked forward to on Friday night which was when my Dad was paid and he and Mother went grocery shopping.

I’m sure that I would probably turn my nose up at them now that I’m grown and have experienced the flavor of fresh strawberries over my quick and easy “one egg cake” with real whipped cream.  But back then, the frozen strawberries over grocery store shortcakes and whipped cream in a can was heaven for us kids.

Tana, a favorite blogger at The Cook’s Pyjamas fondly remembers the apple turnovers from the frozen food section of the grocery store that she eagerly devoured as a child and even into her college days.

Tana, is also a Reluctant Cook who looks for “quick and easy.”  She came up with a substitute that is made from two familiar grocery store staples — butter puff pastry and applesauce.   Tana’s quick and easy Apple Turnovers only take about 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to bake so you can delight your own family with them at any time.

You can find Tana’s recipe here.

Filed Under: Desserts

Corn Chowder

corn-chowder-680

Whenever summer brings fresh corn to my grocery stores and farmers markets, it’s time to make this family favorite — fresh corn chowder.  Canned corn can be used to make it “quick and easy” but the flavor of using fresh corn makes the extra time worthwhile.

Corn Chowder
 
Save Print
Recipe type: Soup
Ingredients
  • 8 ears fresh corn
  • 3 Tbsp butter, margarine, or your favorite oil
  • 5 slices bacon
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • ½ green or red pepper, cut into small pieces
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 5 cups water
  • 1 lb potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 - 3 Tbsp chopped fresh green onions
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Husk the corn and remove the silks. Cut the kernels from the cob.
  2. Cut the bacon in small pieces.
  3. Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
  4. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, red or green pepper, and bacon to the butter and cook, stirring frequently, until onion starts to brown around the edges.
  5. Add the flour and garlic and cook 1½ minutes. Slowly whisk in five cups of water.
  6. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring constantly, then stir in corn kernels and potatoes. Add thyme and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
  7. Put approximately 2½ cups of the chowder in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the pot then stir in half and half and sugar.
  8. Serve in bowls with chopped green onions and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top..
3.3.3077

 

Filed Under: Soups

The World’s Easiest Chocolate Cake

Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake

 

I discovered this recipe many years ago when my daughters were young. I’ve seen it called crazy cake, wacky cake, cockeyed cake, among other names. It is one of the easiest chocolate cakes to make and comes out beautifully dark, moist and delicious. You can serve it as is with ice cream or cool whip. Or if you have a few extra minutes, sift powdered sugar on the top or whip up a quick and easy powdered sugar frosting.

The World's Easiest Chocolate Cake
 
Save Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Author: Been around too long to know
Recipe type: Quick and Easy
Ingredients
  • 1½ coups sifted flour
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup cold water
Instructions
  1. Grease a 9" square cake pan.
  2. Put the flour in the sifter and add to it the cocoa, soda, sugar, and salt. Sift it right into the greased pan. Make three holes in this dry mixture. In one hole, pour the oil. Into the next, pour in the vinegar; Into the last hole, pour the vanilla. Pour the cold water over it all. Then mix all together until it is nearly smooth and you can't see the flour.
  3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for thirty minutes.
  4. You can top this cake with sifted powder sugar if you are really in a hurry. Or make a quick powdered sugar frosting by sifting two cups of powdered (also called confectioners') sugar. Add a teaspoon of vanilla and mix with enough milk to make the right consistency to spread. For a different flavor, add either peanut butter or cocoa to the frosting.
3.3.3077

 

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: cake, chocolate, dessert

Italian Polenta

polenta-680

I first discovered Polenta when visiting my husband’s Italian cousins who had immigrated from northern Italy where Polenta is a staple as Pizza is to the southern part of the country.

Many years later when I told an Italian friend who was from southern Italy how much I liked polenta, his comment was, “Oh, that is poor people’s food.”  Poor people’s food or not, it is one of my favorites, is healthy as cornmeal is a “whole grain,” and is quick and easy to cook.  But best of all, it has more flavor than either rice or noodles.

Traditionally, it is made of coarsely ground cornmeal but just plain old cornmeal works too. It takes the place of rice or potatoes. John and Lena were making a rabbit stew to serve over the Polenta that day when I first discovered and fell in love with it but I’ve served polenta with just about anything that I would normally serve rice or noodles with.

Italian Polenta
 
Save Print
Author: Joyce Reid
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
  • 3 cups water mixed with 2 chicken bouillon cubes or 3 cups chicken broth. Just 3 cups of water could be used but the chicken broth gives it more flavor.
  • 1 cup polenta or regular yellow corn meal.
  • About 3 tablespoons butter or margarine.
  • ½ cup shredded cheese (jack, mozzarella, parmesan or Cheddar). Optional.
Instructions
  1. In a heavy pan, bring the water (and/or chicken seasonings) to boil.
  2. Slowly stir in the polenta or corn meal.
  3. Reduce heat and cook, stirring, until very thick. This takes 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the butter or margarine until melted.
  5. Top with cheese to serve as a side dish or serve just about anything that you would serve over rice or noodles for a main dish.
  6. Tip: Place leftover Polenta in a square oiled pan. Cool. Cut into squares. In a frying pan, brown squares in a light amount of oil until it becomes crusty on the outside. Top with cheese and enjoy! I also love it for breakfast with syrup and chopped nuts on the top.
3.3.3077

 

Filed Under: Main Dishes Tagged With: Italian main dish, polenta

Easy Lava Cake

 

lava-cake
When I cook quick and easy, I also try to make sure it is healthy as well. But there are simply times when you want decadent! And what is more decadent than chocolate.

I am always on the lookout for ideas that others have discovered for quick and easy and discovered this one for microwave brownie lava cakes at The Yummy Life.

This is what Monica has to say about this recipe that I couldn’t resist:

“This just may be the yummiest and easiest dessert ever! You can cook this impressive, fancy dessert in just 1 minute in the microwave using the convenience of a brownie mix. Make these individual cakes in custard cups or mason jars. You can mix the batter in advance, hold it in the fridge, and enjoy one of these treats any time. Make a single cake or several at once. Learn my tricks for getting perfect results every time.”

Head on over there, see for yourself, and come back and tell me what you think!

 

Filed Under: Microwave Tagged With: cake, chocolate cake, dessert, lava cake

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Recent Posts

  • How to Make a Turkey Tender
  • Crock Pot Liners – Are they worth it?
  • Cooking Tips-bon appetit
  • Christmas Tree Napkin Folding
  • The best way to use your Kitchen Aid

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