The next recipe on the menu was Turkey Noodle Casserole...I'm just not a fan of turkey although I probably wouldn't be able to tell that much, nevertheless I opted to use chicken. Here's the thing about making subsitutions, and with other ingredients as well: some of the ingredients used are really hard to mesaure! It said to use a package of ground turkey (about 1 1/3lbs) but I used a rotissere chicken which doesn't come measured for you like that so it kinda became a guessing game. Another thing, the egg noddles...when I bought them they came in a 2lb package and I've used them for other recipes. Now I only needed 1/2lb which I would have been able to distinguish if the package were just opened but how do I know how much 1/2 of a lb of egg noodles is...I mean, I could weight a container, then add the noodles and subtract the weight of the container until I thought there was 1/2 but that seems a little extreme! I'm not so crazy that I measure everything perfectly but since I'm just starting this adventure I'm not too sure what is the right amount. Another thing I hate, a lot of times it just says salt this, or pepper that, or put some thyme...well how much??? I've decided that less is more! I don't use too much seasoning after learning the hard way! And if it's not salty enough for your taste, add more salt after its been cooked but I prefer to keep my sodium levels down! :)
Ok back this this specific recipe. The mixture (that is what Rachel called it) called for onion, chicken (well turkey), bacon which I omitted!, seasonings, and then dry white wine, chicken stock, and heavy cream. My mom said there was probably more chicken in there than 1 1/3 lbs so I could go a little heavy on some of the other ingredients so I did that...the wine was the first thing I put in and then all of a sudden ALL I could smell was wine! I added the stock and cream but when I did a taste test ALL I could taste was wine! (I don't like DRY wine!) I'm sure it was mostly in my head but once I had it in my head all I could smell and taste was the wine and I wasn't a fan! So then it became somewhat of a science experiment....more heavy cream went in, and then more heavy cream and then more chicken stock and then MORE chicken stock!!!! and then more nutmeg and then more garlic powder and then more thyme! hahahahaha Finally it got to the point where I could taste more than just the wine, but it was still all I smelled. When all was said and done after adding the baby swiss to the top and then bread crumbs and sticking in in the oven for a bit, it turned out pretty good. The cheese helped with some of the wine flavor that I thought overwhelmed it....my mom said that she really liked it though, even before I added all the extra cream and chicken stock and spices. I have learned that alcohol doesn't always taste the best but people drink it for other reasons...so why would you want to put this in your food! The alcohol cooks out and you're only left with the flavor which isn't good so it ruins your dish and then you don't even end up with a buzz! That is the silliest thing I've ever heard! Next time one of the dishes calls for wine, I will use it sparingly!
The dish turned out to be I'd say a 7/10 though. And it was pretty easy to make! (I'm a fan of anything that has egg noodles involved though, so this score may be partial but I think the love for egg noodles and the hate for dry wine balance out so it's fair.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Mega Meatball Pizza
Some people have already suggested that maybe I'm not doing the right cookbook, I'm really starting to agree! I should have done a bit more research before choosing a cookbook. To be honest, I liked the title and the idea that each dish was a different dinner meal. I also liked that it seemed like they would be simple, not too complex for a beginner like me...and the deciding factor was that the bookstore was closing and they asked me to leave and it was the best one I had found so far. The thing about this cookbook though is it seems to take simple ideas and give you a different way to do it but I don't know the original way to do it. For instance, the goulash was NOT a traditional recipe for goulash and I want the regular way to do it... the mac and cheese all were different variations which was cool but what about good ole regular mac and cheese...now this mega meatball pizza.
It was good but not the typical pizza. First of all, it calls for store bought crust. I know I said I wanted simple but not that. So, it said bake the crust a little and while that is happening you make the top of the pizza...which was hamburger meat, tomato PASTE, onion and that was mostly it. Then after it was baked some you put that concoction on top, top it with cheese, and put it back in the oven til the cheese is done. Well, problem number 1 was that the crust only needed to be baked for 6-10 mins per the package directions so I definitely didn't need to do any prebaking. This just meant that the crust was a little too done. It wasn't burnt but it was pretty darn crispy. Also, there's no actual pizza sauce on this pizza. The tomato paste is really thick so it didn't have a "saucyness" to it. Overall, I ate it and liked it, but where's the normal pizza!!!!
This dinner also came with a side dish...Zesty Italian Popcorn.
It was popcorn and then you mix up a buttery sauce to go over it which was butter, oregano, crushed pepper and maybe one other thing. Well, I didn't care for it at all! It wasn't so disgusting that I had to spit it out, but just didn't see the point. First off, I can only handle so much popcorn before I can feel it just sitting in my stomach, definitely a snack food NOT something for dinner. The stuff that was over it was kind of overwhelming also. It didn't cover much of the popcorn, it only hit a few pieces but when you did get a piece with the sauce on it it was kinda overwhelming, especially taking a bite of a crushed red pepper!
So this whole meal gets a 6/10...this seems to be the average score. Not awful but not great. I want great! I want some regular stuff too! I'm gonna get my grandmas goulash recipe and try that one instead of Rachels!
This doesn't have to do with my little project but it does have to do with food so I figure this is a relevant place to talk about it. My study group wanted to have a little end of the semester dinner because we bonded as a group and won't all have classes again like this semester. They chose BD Mongolian Grill...if you know me at all you would know that I was not thrilled about this choice. I tried to talk them into Italian food but it was a no go. I decided to be adventurous and try it. The way it works is you get a bowl, pile in any meat you want, any noodles you want, any vegetables you want...all raw. Then you choose a sauce to go over it and keep that separate. There are grillers over a huge grill, you give them your bowl and they grill it then add the sauce so you get your very own personal stir fry. My bowl consisted of: chicken, noodles (normal noodles like spiral ones that you would find in a pasta salad), onion, and green peppers and I chose a teriyaki sauce. Kept it pretty simple! It wasn't very good though :( I don't know if it was the teriyaki sauce or what. The chicken was ok, I could eat it but the problem is I didn't put that much chicken in my bowl! The noodles with a teriyaki sauce was awful! The onions were ok, but who wants to just eat a bowl of onions, and then green peppers were cut kinda big so I don't know if they cooked all the way or what but just not a fan. I knew that I probably wouldn't be crazy about it though. I could have eaten more chicken with the teriyaki but I didn't want to pay to get a second bowl for something that was just ok. It was only 2 dollars for another bowl but it just didnt seem worth it to me. Here's the worst part about the whole thing: My bill was $22 just for myself!!!! (gratuity was included because of a large party) So it was $22 for food that I didn't like and when I left I was STARVING!!!! Hahah but it was fun and good company. I'm really gonna miss my study group! They helped keep me motivated to study and were really fun to get to know! Next time, I WILL BE PICKING THE RESTAURANT THOUGH!!! :)
P.s. I've heard other people that didn't care for the food their either so it might not be my pickiness, although that is probably a large factor.
It was good but not the typical pizza. First of all, it calls for store bought crust. I know I said I wanted simple but not that. So, it said bake the crust a little and while that is happening you make the top of the pizza...which was hamburger meat, tomato PASTE, onion and that was mostly it. Then after it was baked some you put that concoction on top, top it with cheese, and put it back in the oven til the cheese is done. Well, problem number 1 was that the crust only needed to be baked for 6-10 mins per the package directions so I definitely didn't need to do any prebaking. This just meant that the crust was a little too done. It wasn't burnt but it was pretty darn crispy. Also, there's no actual pizza sauce on this pizza. The tomato paste is really thick so it didn't have a "saucyness" to it. Overall, I ate it and liked it, but where's the normal pizza!!!!
This dinner also came with a side dish...Zesty Italian Popcorn.
It was popcorn and then you mix up a buttery sauce to go over it which was butter, oregano, crushed pepper and maybe one other thing. Well, I didn't care for it at all! It wasn't so disgusting that I had to spit it out, but just didn't see the point. First off, I can only handle so much popcorn before I can feel it just sitting in my stomach, definitely a snack food NOT something for dinner. The stuff that was over it was kind of overwhelming also. It didn't cover much of the popcorn, it only hit a few pieces but when you did get a piece with the sauce on it it was kinda overwhelming, especially taking a bite of a crushed red pepper!
So this whole meal gets a 6/10...this seems to be the average score. Not awful but not great. I want great! I want some regular stuff too! I'm gonna get my grandmas goulash recipe and try that one instead of Rachels!
This doesn't have to do with my little project but it does have to do with food so I figure this is a relevant place to talk about it. My study group wanted to have a little end of the semester dinner because we bonded as a group and won't all have classes again like this semester. They chose BD Mongolian Grill...if you know me at all you would know that I was not thrilled about this choice. I tried to talk them into Italian food but it was a no go. I decided to be adventurous and try it. The way it works is you get a bowl, pile in any meat you want, any noodles you want, any vegetables you want...all raw. Then you choose a sauce to go over it and keep that separate. There are grillers over a huge grill, you give them your bowl and they grill it then add the sauce so you get your very own personal stir fry. My bowl consisted of: chicken, noodles (normal noodles like spiral ones that you would find in a pasta salad), onion, and green peppers and I chose a teriyaki sauce. Kept it pretty simple! It wasn't very good though :( I don't know if it was the teriyaki sauce or what. The chicken was ok, I could eat it but the problem is I didn't put that much chicken in my bowl! The noodles with a teriyaki sauce was awful! The onions were ok, but who wants to just eat a bowl of onions, and then green peppers were cut kinda big so I don't know if they cooked all the way or what but just not a fan. I knew that I probably wouldn't be crazy about it though. I could have eaten more chicken with the teriyaki but I didn't want to pay to get a second bowl for something that was just ok. It was only 2 dollars for another bowl but it just didnt seem worth it to me. Here's the worst part about the whole thing: My bill was $22 just for myself!!!! (gratuity was included because of a large party) So it was $22 for food that I didn't like and when I left I was STARVING!!!! Hahah but it was fun and good company. I'm really gonna miss my study group! They helped keep me motivated to study and were really fun to get to know! Next time, I WILL BE PICKING THE RESTAURANT THOUGH!!! :)
P.s. I've heard other people that didn't care for the food their either so it might not be my pickiness, although that is probably a large factor.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Last Macaroni!
It's been awhile since I've made any more recipes because I was really busy getting ready to go out of town for Thanksgiving and then I was out of town for a few days. First I'll catch everyone up about Thanksgiving. Well I woke up to get everything ready for PA on Wednesday before Thanksgiving with a pretty nasty cough. My head was stuffy, my throat was sore, and I couldn't quit coughing up a lung. I was pretty useless for the 9.5 hour car ride...which is usually 7.5 hours by the way. We hit a lot of traffic in Cincinnati, which almost made it tempting just to turn around! So my poor mom had to drive pretty much the whole way! I drove like the last hour since I was able to sleep for a lot of the ride. So, also because of my cough I didn't help too much with the Thanksgiving meal because I didn't want to share my sickness withe everyone. I did make one contribution though...I made a strawberry salad that I've been wanting to make! I got the recipe from Heather who brings it to church events and it's delicious! It was a pretty good hit too! It turned out great and everyone loved it!!!! The worst part, you have to chill it over night and I'm not good at stuff like that because I always want to eat it right away!
Then there was Thanksgiving which was wonderful!!!!! It involves 2 of my very favorite foods...stuffing and broccoli casserole! YUM!!!! Thanksgiving was GREAT! Being home with family was GREAT! The next day we went to this odd little restaurant for dinner. I have to confess I was NOT thrilled about it before I even got there. My gramma was telling some of the menu options and it sounded kinda weird. My mom however was excited because they had gyros. Anyway, we pull up and it's this little hole in the wall that I wasn't convinced had electricity and running water! But I decided to suck it up and go in. Ordered a philly cheesesteak sandwich which was pretty delicious! I ate the whole thing. Then we left and about 15 minutes later the sickness hit! As if I hadn't had enough from the cold already! I realized that something I ate hadn't agreed with me. I was up all night getting sick! Then the next day found out that my cousin and her friend who both also ordered the philly cheesesteak had also been getting sick. Looks like a small case of food poisoning! YUCK! So after being sick all night and getting absolutely NO sleep, it was time to get up and drive back home! I wasn't getting sick anymore but I was really weak and exhausted from no sleep, and very leery to eat anything. My poor mom had to do all the driving again! She probably thinks I'm the biggest faker ever just to get out of driving but I promise I was sick. It was pretty awful, I much rather would have been feeling good and helped drive.
Anyway I'm back to my normal self and back to the routine of work and school! Next week is finals and then I'm free for a bit!!!!
Ok, now recipe business!
I made another one of the macaroni dishes. This one used white sharp cheddar and added ground beef and red peppers. It was supposed to be a tex mex macaroni dish. It was good, I like ground beef in anything and I love cheese but I wouldn't call it tex mex. It was mostly just mac and cheese with meat in it haha. It was good though, like macaroni and cheese would be. It's more a side dish item though and not a full dinner and since it's just really a side dish I'm not sure if all the work is worth it. It's not a lot of work but it does require a lot of pots to be dirtied. One pot to cook the noodles, one skillet to brown the meet and red pepper and then one pot for the sauce! Plus whatever stirring utensils and plate/bowls to serve it! Sheesh! Luckily my mom did the dishes!.....Wow, writing this post sure does make me appreciate my mom!!!!
I'm glad the macaroni dishes are finished! I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things!!!! Stay tuned to see what's next, cause I'm not really sure what the next one is, but I'm excited!
Then there was Thanksgiving which was wonderful!!!!! It involves 2 of my very favorite foods...stuffing and broccoli casserole! YUM!!!! Thanksgiving was GREAT! Being home with family was GREAT! The next day we went to this odd little restaurant for dinner. I have to confess I was NOT thrilled about it before I even got there. My gramma was telling some of the menu options and it sounded kinda weird. My mom however was excited because they had gyros. Anyway, we pull up and it's this little hole in the wall that I wasn't convinced had electricity and running water! But I decided to suck it up and go in. Ordered a philly cheesesteak sandwich which was pretty delicious! I ate the whole thing. Then we left and about 15 minutes later the sickness hit! As if I hadn't had enough from the cold already! I realized that something I ate hadn't agreed with me. I was up all night getting sick! Then the next day found out that my cousin and her friend who both also ordered the philly cheesesteak had also been getting sick. Looks like a small case of food poisoning! YUCK! So after being sick all night and getting absolutely NO sleep, it was time to get up and drive back home! I wasn't getting sick anymore but I was really weak and exhausted from no sleep, and very leery to eat anything. My poor mom had to do all the driving again! She probably thinks I'm the biggest faker ever just to get out of driving but I promise I was sick. It was pretty awful, I much rather would have been feeling good and helped drive.
Anyway I'm back to my normal self and back to the routine of work and school! Next week is finals and then I'm free for a bit!!!!
Ok, now recipe business!
I made another one of the macaroni dishes. This one used white sharp cheddar and added ground beef and red peppers. It was supposed to be a tex mex macaroni dish. It was good, I like ground beef in anything and I love cheese but I wouldn't call it tex mex. It was mostly just mac and cheese with meat in it haha. It was good though, like macaroni and cheese would be. It's more a side dish item though and not a full dinner and since it's just really a side dish I'm not sure if all the work is worth it. It's not a lot of work but it does require a lot of pots to be dirtied. One pot to cook the noodles, one skillet to brown the meet and red pepper and then one pot for the sauce! Plus whatever stirring utensils and plate/bowls to serve it! Sheesh! Luckily my mom did the dishes!.....Wow, writing this post sure does make me appreciate my mom!!!!
I'm glad the macaroni dishes are finished! I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things!!!! Stay tuned to see what's next, cause I'm not really sure what the next one is, but I'm excited!
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