Down Home Kitchen

I sure do like “fried chicken”, and it likes to put pounds on me……….I just can’t seem to resist the fried chicken, cream gravy, creamed potatoes, hot rolls and a tossed salad.  I pour the gravy on the chicken, potatoes, and rolls and I’m in “hog heaven”.  I’ll sit there and eat until every savory morsel is gone.  I love my food………..it’s something I’ve always had a craving for.  For some people it’s hard to fry chicken, that turns out good.  I had to work at it for years.  Believe me, it wasn’t as easy as breading it and putting it in the grease and frying.  I got several pieces, that still had the center raw.  So, trail and error became the standard in everything, I’ve learned to cook over the years.  I’ve really learned how to make it all taste “very” good.  Guess that ’s why everyone comes to my house for the holidays.  They know where the good food is going to be and that I’ll be cooking……..lol.

4 to 6 pieces chicken

1 c. flour

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 c. oil

In bowl mix together dry ingredients, rinse chicken pieces in water, baste in flour mix.  In lg. skillet, place oil and arrange basted chicken.  Fry until sides start to brown, turn and pierce with fork.  When both sides are brown, make sure to pierce again, just in to be sure middle of pieces are done.  Remove to paper toweled plate, to drain off excess oil.  Serve hot.

While I’m not a big fan of salmon, several of my family members are.

Herbed Salmon
1 lb. salmon fillet, skin removed

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 T. thyme, chopped

3 T. olive oil

Salsa Recipe Follows

Rub salmon with salt & pepper, sprinkle or rub with herbs till coated evenly, let stand covered at room temperature for 30 mins.  Heat skillet over high heat, add oil, cook salmon 4 to 5 mins. per side, till crispy on both sides, about medium cooked, move to individual plates and top with salsa.  Serves 4

Cucumber & Peach Salsa

Remove peel & pits and finely dice 3 ripe firm peaches.  Finely dice cucumber, 1 sm. red onion, 1/4 c. fresh mint leaves.   Combine peaches and other ingreds.  in bowl with juice of 1 lime, 1 orange, 1/2 t. salt & 1/4 t. pepper, cover and refrigerate, till served.

Ingredients:
4 cup low fat mayonnaise
2 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
1 cup minced fresh parsley
2/3 cup chopped pimentos
1/3 cup onions\raw, grated

Cooking Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.

I don’t always put pimentos and parsley in it, but it adds flavor and color.  If I’m in a hurry I mix in some pickle relish instead of chopping up a bunch of pickles………

1 pkg. boneless, chicken breasts

1 c. (26.5oz) Mushroom Spaghetti Sauce

1 c. (14.5oz) Diced tomatoes with mushrooms(optinal) can use diced tomatoes with juice

1 pkg. refrigerated fettuccine pasta

1/4 c. heavy cream

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

Spray lg. skillet with cooking spray, cook breast till browned on both sides and no longer pink , remove and keep warm.

Stir sauce and tomatoes in skillet, add pasta and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 10 min or till pasta is tender.  Add cream till blended and serve on individual plates.  Slice each breast into strips; place on top of pasta, and sprinkle with cheese.

This goes great with garlic bread and a nice tossed salad………

It’s hard to imagine a sandwich or burger without good old-fashioned mayonnaise. However,  there’s the appeal of mustard, especially since a tablespoon of mayo will set you back at least 110 calories.  This condiment is full of fat and calories and even the light mayo has 50 calories a tablespoon. Mustard, brings along just as much flavor with a fraction of the calories. One tablespoon of yellow mustard contains 11 calories, and it comes in several varieties, including brown, yellow and honey Dijon.

Well, as you can tell ………there was plenty of food…..  ….front and center was my dressing……..right next to it on the right sliced turkey and then just to the right of the turkey, Mom’s sliced ham……..above the dressing…….is green onions…..the creamed potatoes and to the right of them is the sweet potatoes, topped with melted, marshmallows……….over on the left is some dishes that my sister left covered that she brought, they kept getting cold for some reason………..Above the potatoes were her deviled eggs and banana pudding, which you can’t see, because they are covered…….too………. she was supposed to bring a fruit salad, which she forgot……..

Oh I kept my giblet gravy on the stove……..since there wasn’t enough room for it on the table and was able to re-heat it ever so often and keep it warm…… 

Hope all of you had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving…….

16 oz. fresh cranberries, rinsed

2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. orange jusice

1 T. chopped ginger

grated zest of 1 orange

Combine all ingredients in saucepan.  Cook over med. heat till berries pop open, about 10 min.  Remove from heat skim over surface foam and discrd.  Cool and serve, can be kept in refrigerator  up to 3 mon.

I found this article on Glycemic levels, and thought it was a good idea to note it for my readers.  I believe that many are obese, because they eat the wrong carbs and done watch their intake.
Keep an eye on G.I. levels. Glycemic Index were the buzzwords of the last year. The Glycemic Index chart ranks carbohydrates based on their effect on blood sugar levels. Carbs that break down fast and lead to blood sugar spikes are given a high value while carbs that move through the body slow are assigned a low value. The more low G.I. foods you consume the better for your blood sugar. For example, a doughnut has a G.I. of 76. Yogurt, on the other hand, has a G.I. value of 14.

There are two types of carbohydrates – simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are usually sweet and can include cakes, candies and other sugary foods. Some foods such as peaches, melons and apples are simple carbs. Complex carbs include whole grain pasta, brown rice, oats, vegetables and whole grain cereals. For the most part, try to stick with complex carbs which take longer to digest and are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Make your food complex. as in carbohydrates. White bread, cookies, pasta and other highly-processed foods give carbs a bad name.

Have you ever got to feeling good enough to fix a dish from “scratch?” Well, it’s actually fun, if you know what your doing. It’s fun if you get things all set up ahead of time. Going looking for something, when your in the middle of mixing doesn’t make for a good outcome. I’ve been in a hurry many times, grab for things, mix them together, and what a mess. You’ve been there, I’m sure. It’s just not going to work, if the eggs aren’t beaten, or the butter and sugar haven’t been creamed. Imagine that! They all go in the same bowl, mixed together, so why can’t they work right, just this time?

It’s very nice to have a food dish, turn out right. Especially, when you work so hard to make it from “scratch”. You hope that it tastes as good, complementing your efforts. But those biscuits, can get really hard, can’t they?  I swear, I could knock someone out with mine. Just can’t seem to get it right.

I have had times that I threw something together, and it came out wonderful.  I keep thinking back wondering just how I did it? Maybe if I could remember I could do it again. Ha, ha………the jokes’ on me, it will never happen again.

So, it’s back to the conventional way and reading the recipe the right way.