Soup Base

I have a decent priced grocery store call Aldi’s.

When I shop, I have a list, and I usually try my best to stay on the list. There are few times I may veer off the list for extra dessert or chips or something. . .

Aldi had these soup bases, in which all you do is add meat and veggies if you wished to. . . plus so many cups of water and then let it boil. . .

The first time I got creamy potato, and I redid my budget just to get the base and try it. It turn out thick and really tasty. I got the chicken soup based next, and it had carrots. It was really good, good flavor and low salt.

The creamy potato and chicken were awesome. I used pre-made biscuit dough for dumpling when I made chicken and dumpling.

Cooking does not have to complicate when you find shortcuts like the soup bases.

I’ve even made a simple beef and veggie soup and put it over mashed potatoes or rice.

Creamy corn, chicken bake

First of all, some of my family does not like the word casserole . . . So I made a bake.

Secondly, I’ve been off mentally and physically. However anyone can make this.

Shredded chicken mixed with cream of chicken soup, then cream corn and you make a jiffy corn bread mix and put it on top. Bake until corn bread is done. (It can also be made in a crock pot.)

You can add fresh corn, peppers, tomato, …

I crunched BBQ chips on top or you can use fried onions.

Quarantine cooking

Since this virus is out, doesn’t mean good and creative cooking had to stop…I have made amazing fried pork chops and fried potatoes.

Chilli corn bread bake

I looked through my house to find something different for dinner.

I took a pound of hamburger,(I precooked) leftover salsa, two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of corn, and bunch of seasonings and then them into the crockpot for two hours.

Then I made corn bread mix and put it on top of the beanless chilli and cooked it for another 90 minutes. It turned out awesome.

Cooking Pet Peeves

I love to cook! I like being in a kitchen, turning on the radio and just making something yummy and awesome.

I enjoy making food. I really like it when I have people enjoying the food that I made. I appreciate feedback.

However, I have some pet peeves . . . (I talked this over with Turtle and Zeroman, and they agree.)

I hate cooking with people who do not know their way around food or the kitchen. (They can’t even wash a simple dish. I don’t mind serving them, but they can stay out of the kitchen if they do NOT want to learn.)
Or people who think they know it all, because they have watched two cooking shows, but try to serve raw chicken. (The Food Network is amazing, I have so many show I love on there, but you need to know the basics first because imitating someone else’s cooking style.)
Picky eaters. . . (I hate cooking for hours at a time for someone to nick-pick my food. I think you should learn to cook for yourself)

Cooking is an exploring science. (Yes, most who know the kitchen, may not measure, but I always suggest taste as you cook, especially herbs, seasons, and sauces. Even the most studied chef will experiment with seasons, meats, veggies, and flavors.)
Baking to me is precise science. (You really need a recipe and to measure to get the brownies, cookies, cakes, or pastry exactly the way you need them. Measuring cups and spoons are baker best friends.)

If you don’t like to cook, then find friends who do.

If you are picky on your food, find people who are just ask picky.

Easter Dinner (Happy Ham Day!)

Happy Easter! Or Happy Ham Day!

Over the weekend, we have been cooking ham and other goodies to celebrate the holiday as we have done in past traditions.

Sandwiches. . . growing up we joked because we would make our sandwiches “Bleed” as we had an egg Easter bread, beet horseradish sauce, ham and cheese.
Cvikla s Chrenom – Beet and Horseradish Relish (http://slovakamericankitchen.blogspot.com/2014/04/cvikla-s-chrenom-beet-and-horseradish.html )

Easter bread: Paska (https://dcslovaks.org/slovak-easter-traditions-paska-bread/)

Easter Cheese: Veľká noc Cirák (https://slaviccooking.com/slovak-easter-cheese-cirak/)

We kept it simple (we didn’t make Cvikla s Chrenom, Paska, or Veľká noc Cirák but do remember them as a kid.)

We made three hams (actually my friend and my brother made the hams.)

I focused on the sweet potatoes with marshmallows.

What is awesome is that with ham. . . there are so many things you can do with the leftover. . .

You can add it to scallop or augrutin potatoes.
You can add into bean or split pea soups.
Add it to Mac N Cheese
Yes of course you can just keep it simple and make a bunch of ham sandwiches.

Note: Ham has a lot of salt, so make sure you drink a lot of water to get a lot of the salt out of your system.

This ham is addicting that I’m dealing with a stomachache from eating too much. So I am taking a nap now.

Busy Weekend

Theme: Bacon

Zero, Turtle and I got another change to work in the huge kitchen again. Saturday we made so much. It was a really nice night, and we accomplished so much.

Zero made Mayo and BBQ chicken with homemade mashed potatoes.
The mayo chicken was creamy and really good with some black pepper over those mashed potatoes.

Then we got out the bacon. . .

Zero made two meatloaves . . . Plain BBQ glaze and cheesy stuffed bacon wrapped one.
I personally loved the bacon wrapped meatloaf just a bit more. (It was even better the next day.)

Turtle made a roasted chicken with bacon and green pepper stuffing.
It was really good and very juicy. I also didn’t realized that green pepper was that good in stuffing. I learned a few things this weekend.

We also got a bag gruyere cheese from a friend as they have extra. We took the cheese sauce with thinly sliced potatoes and of course bacon and made our own homemade au gratin potatoes.

We also made bacon saute yellow squash and french fries.

We had so much food left over. I didn’t have to cook on Sunday. We had left over for dinner and still some left. Yay.

It was nice that we put down the Internet and the phone and just focused on the food. Sometime we need to forget everything around us and focus on what in front.

By the way, I love bacon!

Blood Orange Tilapia

I made Tilapia fish with a butter Moro blood orange sauce.
It was a very simple meal cook the fish in butter squeezing the blood oranges over the fish.
Once the fish is out if the pan squeeze more oranges and put the pulp in the pan with the butter and fish juice.

Note: Do not put a juicy orange on your computer. (orange in color or blood . . . its’ a moro as there are several types of blood oranges) I just did this to show the color.

We had it over stuffing with side of Asia cabbage salad mix.

Pollack Fish with Lemon Sauce

Today I made with the planning of my brother Turtle. . . Pollack fish with lemon sauce and avocado and lemon rice.

Both dishes are very easy to make.
However with fish, especially as fragile and flaky as Pollack you need to focus and make sure you don’t over cook the fish. I only cooked each batch (which I had two batches I made for three people) for only about 5 to 7 minutes once the butter started to bubble and the pan was hot.

I cooked the fish in a fry pan with butter, fresh squeezed lemon, chives, salt and pepper.

cooking lemon pollack

After I took out the fish, I used the butter with lemon juice and made a sauce. I let the pieces of lemon cook in the sauce and added tablespoon of sugar and butter as it was a bit tart.

I cooked the rice (2 cups of uncooked rice to 4 cups water) and once the water was gone and rice cooked completely added 3 smashed avocados and 1/4th cup of the lemon-butter sauce. I also salt and peppered to taste.

Finished plate

lemon pollack (2)

It’s a simple, light meal great for a date night, if they like fish.

Soupy Weekend

Out kitchen situation is very complicated. We got an opportunity to be in a kitchen large enough for all three of us to cook. So Saturday (March 9^th) we decided to make stew and soups.

Zeroman made Stew. It was extremely peppery and favoriful. It should be sold in diners. It was a bit thin on the first day, but it thicken up by the second day. I forgot to get a picture.

Turtle, Zeroman, and I made cheesy broccoli soup and Clam chowder. They were awesome and lasted almost four days. We also made biscuits and fish with it.

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Soup. It was very creamy and rich. I had hold myself back from over eating. I enjoyed the larger chunks of broccoli and chicken.

Clam chowder. It was full of clam and had amazing rich and flavorful creamy broth. It was a bit thinner than I want. However it turned out awesome for our first try at Clam Chowder.

To end an awesome Soup and Stew Saturday,
I even made a fruit cocktail yellow dump cake.
It’s simple empty a can or two of fruit cocktail on the bottom with the liquid. Then make a yellow cake mix and pour over.
Bake at 350 just as cake box suggests.

You can serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Sunday (March 10^Th) Turtle and I took left over biscuits, some ham, 3 minute eggs, and then drizzled the left over cheese soup over all of it. It was our simplified Eggs Benedict for breakfast. . . it was awesome. I almost just as good as a hollandaise sauce.