Tag Archives: simple

The “Joye” of Cooking

Posted on by

2

teriyaki chicken

So I’ve been sorta-kinda posting on MWF (OK, technically this is only my second week with that schedule, but must we split hairs?)   Today, in case you’re not aware, is Thursday, but last night my girlfriend, Joye, found out about a chicken dish I was preparing.  She said it sound delicious and couldn’t wait to see the recipe.

Apparently flattery will get you everywhere with me ‘cuz here you go (Joye!)

Michelle’s  Very Own Hawaiian-Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:
Whole cut-up (organic if you like) chicken
1 can crushed pineapple in juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Set oven at 350 degrees.  Pour soy sauce and garlic powder in the bottom of a baking pan.  Place chicken upside down to coat with sauce/powder mixture and then flip over.  Pour pineapple over chicken.  Add a shake of garlic powder over top.  Crumble brown sugar over top of pineapple and then drizzle with vinegar.  Bake uncovered for one hour or until done.   Broil top for a couple of minutes to create a nice crusted glaze over top of chicken.

Tips: you can use whatever chicken you have around (thighs, breasts, whatever.)  Brown sugar, soy sauce and vinegar measurements can be adjusted for smaller quantities, in fact I don’t even measure, just sorta eye-ball and pour until it looks right.  You want about a quarter inch of liquid in the pan when it cooks.  Add a dash of orange (or pineapple) juice if there isn’t enough.  The sauce from the meat tastes super-yum over steamed brown rice…  Oh, and you can substitute cubed or round-cut pineapple, just drain some of the extra juice before pouring.

Bonus Tip: The best thing about this recipe is that I always have the ingredients on hand and can whip it up in a NY minute.  And, yes, the title of this post was a no-brainer. 🙂

p.s. (geeze, shut up already, Michelle!) this recipe is also posted on the “meat” section of my recipe page.  OK.  I’m done.  For real.

Advertisement

Roasted Chicken Anyone?

Posted on by

0

chicken

This week at our home… we’ll be enjoying a savory citrus-y roasted chicken!  If you’d like to make one too, check out the recipe by clicking on the “recipes” page at the top of my blog and select “meat.”

I buy mostly organic meats for my family.  Who the heck can afford to feed a family of 5 organic meats?  I have found some ways to make it work on a very tight budget (Hi: my husband is a public school teacher and I am a full time homemaker.  When I say “tight budget,” I mean it!)

I would like to take a moment to remind/inform everyone reading this that I, Michelle Calva-Despard, do not choose to cook recipes with long ingredient lists nor with lengthy, painstaking steps.  Someday when I’m not up to my neck in laundry and PTA, I may return to the more exotic side of the culinary world, but for now, I’m committed to making tasty, healthy, affordable and simple-to-make meals for my familia.  Do not fear my recipes!

You can look forward to a recipe “from our home” every Monday for the time being.  We eat a lot around here, so that should keep my Monday posts humming along for a while!

With my magic wand (aka: experienced mommy brain) I can turn this roasted chicken into three or four meals for my hungry bunch.  But for today; it’s just a beautiful and tasty roasted chicken.  And by the way, it tastes as good as it looks…

The Art of Soup

Posted on by

2

“A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.” –Abraham Maslow

I love soup!  I look forward to cooler weather (my Minnesota friends are laughing right now) so that I can make soup, soup, soup!  I actually make soup year round, although my husband does start to complain when the ambient temperature gets above 85 degrees or so.

What’s so great about soup?  Well, it’s delicious of course.  It’s also full of possibilities.  I can’t think of another food item that can be as versatile or played around with more than soup.  I have some great soup recipes, but quite honestly my favorite way to make it is something I call “Refrigerator Soup.”  I love (read: LOVE) to poke around my fridge (or yours if you invite me over…) and chop up whatever I find, simmer it, add a broth and a bunch of other stuff and call it soup.

Click on my recipe page and check out my family’s recipe for lentil soup, which is already pictured there.  This soup is easy and quick to make, and it’s possible to have all the ingredients on hand so you can whip it up whenever. 

One suggestion: the recipe portions are small.  Tiny.  Miniscule.  I never, ever, ever make small portions of anything I cook, especially soup.  Soups more than anything else only get better after they’ve been cooked, frozen and then reheated.  I recommend at least doubling this recipe or, if you’re a nut-job like me, quadruple it or even more.

Oh!  And I almost forgot: if you’d like to make a comment to my posts (please, please, please) just click on the word bubble.  And if you want to get email updates every time I reach out and try to touch the world, please click on the new widget Noeleen set up for me.  We’re hoping it will work!