What's This? What's This?

What's in your pantry? Part II

This is my list of recommended items necessary to efficiently try new recipes at home. With these items, you should be able to try just about any basic dinner recipe. Don't forget about all the items listed in part one as well, it's kind of important.

I included a funny little story about my Uncle Wayne tricking me into eating a jalapeno too!

What's This, What's This?

What is in your pantry? Part 1
Do you have basic ingredients to make a delicious meal? Every one knows the bare necessities are milk, bread and beer. But what are the bare necessities for a home chef? There is nothing worse than wanting to try a new recipe and realizing you don't even have half of the ingredients. Here is a list of ingredients that I find essential to make trying new recipes fun and hassle free. Nobody wants to buy a shopping cart full of spices all at once so next time your shopping try to pick up a few of things at a time so that eventually your pantry will be ready for any recipe!

You're Doing it Wrong!

How do you make scrambled eggs? Do you premix the eggs in a bowl and do you add milk or water? Do you gently fold the layers repeatedly until the eggs look like stacks of paper or one big blob? Well, that's wrong, that is an omelet.  Don't get me wrong, I love a nice fluffy omelet. When I want scrambled eggs, I want nice creamy flavorful, non-dry, non-runny eggs.Also...What's the difference between white and brown eggs?


Savings: 8-22$ (Restaurants typically charge 1-2$ per egg.)
Ingredients: One dozen organic eggs are roughly
four dollars. Plain white eggs are typically just under two dollars. 
Trust me, organic eggs taste 10x better, in this instance you really "get what you pay for".

I See, You See, We See

I was reading some of the "news" articles at Yahoo and came across this "supermarket guru article" on how to tell when meat is old and more. He has a lot of GREAT advice on how to avoid being tricked by the super sneaky markets. The only problem is, most of the stuff he said was wrong. Who declared this guy a supermarket expert? Someone needs to take that title back and give it to me! I'll show you some of the tips from the "expert" and then I'll show you what really to do in the supermarket. That's fair right?

Braised Chicken With Veggies

Best chicken ever. Do you have a problem making healthy food taste good? Some people just accept that chicken breast are typically dry and bland. Not this time, not with this recipe. Also, I have some tips to save some money on buying frozen instead of fresh.You can thank me later.
Savings: 5-10$
Ingredients:1 pound Chicken Breast or Thighs.
                   Assorted Vegetables/ any of these
                   works: Carrots, broccoli, potatoes,   
                   onions, mushrooms, potatoes, red 
                   peppers, asparagus, cauliflower,  
                   squash, green beans, ginger snaps.               
                   2-3 Strips Bacon.                                             
                   1 cup Water                                                    
                   1 can of Cream of Chicken
                   1 tbsp Garlic and 3 tbsp Butter
                   1 tsp Black Pepper and Thyme
                   1 tbsp Basil or 1 sprig (serves 2-3 adults) Cooking time about 60-130 minutes

London Broil

 "How come every time you come around My London Bridge wanna go down like LONDON LONDON wanna go down like LONDON LONDON be going down like. The drinks start pouring and my speech start slurring. Everybody start looking real good (OH SHIT!)

       Sorry, every time I buy a London Broil I think of that song by Fergie. It's actually a Top Round Roast but most places label it a London Broil. It's great for thin sliced roast beef. Try this marinade recipe for more flavor and tenderness. Keep reading to see the pictures of me dancing to Fergie. 

Savings: 5-10$

Ingredients: London Broil (thick cut)

                2 cup Beef Broth

                2 cup Mushrooms

                1 tbsp Salt

                1 tsp Pepper

                1 tbsp Garlic 

                1 sprig Rosemary

What's This? What's This?

In this series, "What's This? What's This? I will display various items to learn about and how to use them. In this post, I'll discuss cuts of meat and explain what it is, where it comes from and different ways to prepare it.
       These are called T-bone and Porterhouse steaks. A genius customer once asked me if they could purchase a boneless T-bone...No and never come back I replied. I didn't really say that, but keep reading so you don't make the same mistake of asking a foolish question when choosing steaks.

Name:Porterhouse/T-bone
Price: 10$ per pound (on average)
Prepare: 1 1/2" thick medium rare, On the grill! Make sure it is at least a grade of USDA Choice.