Wishes Granted: Grandma Z's sugar cookies

This is Grandma Carol Z's sugar cookie recipe. It makes a ton of cookies. Make sure not to use too much flour when rolling out and that your rolling pin and dough are very cold. As in put that rolling pin in the freezer for awhile and roll out in small batches. Very important is that you roll them out once only. 

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup crisco shortening (don't skimp)

Creme together. Then add:

2 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp real vanilla

Creme together. Then add slowly and alternately: 

4 cups flour

1 cup milk 

Add flour first and last. If it's too sticky add a tbs of flour or so. 

Chill for a minimum of 3 hours in refrigerator. 

Roll out on clean lightly floured surface quickly. Don't let it reach room temperature or it will be a right bastard to work with. 

Cut with cookie cutters or biscuit cutters or just make squarish shapes with a knife. 

Bake on ungreased sheet for 10 minutes. Don't let the bottoms burn. Let cool before adding frosting or glaze of your choice. 

Wishes Granted: Chicken Adobo

Filipino style chicken adobo.

1 cup APPLE CIDER vinegar

1/2 cup Aloha shoyu

3-4 cloves smashed garlic

1/4 tsp salt, pepper

2 bay leaves

cup or so of water

Put pack of thighs in pan. Add adobo sauce. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Flip thighs over. Cover and bake another 30 minutes. Eat with rice. 

Can also use breasts or chicken legs. Leftover chicken is great in fried rice, if there is any leftovers. 

Chicken and Dumplings

I earlier posted the recipe for dumplings. I made chicken and dumplings the other day and it took practically no time to make. I used the bisquik recipe for the dumplings because nobody complains about them. 

(I just pulled a carcass from the freezer and boiled it in pot for a few hours with some italian seasoning and let the water cook down. Pulled the meat from carcass, then strained the broth a few times to make sure to get the bones out.)

So here we go:

1-2 cups cooked chicken 

8 cups chicken broth 

Bring to a boil. 

Add a 1/2 cup of frozen peas, 1/2 cup of frozen corn, a few chopped carrots. 

Let boil or simmer until tender. Add some seasoning and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add a little more water or broth if needed and heat. 

Add dumplings. Cover and let them cook for 10 minutes or so. Eat. 

Wishes Granted: Roast Chicken or 3 day chicken

Roast chicken is the pinnacle of a good cook. To me that is. You can eat the roast chicken one day, make enchiladas, tacos, salad and whatever with it the 2nd day. Then cook the carcass and all the bits the 3rd day to make a broth and have chicken and dumplings. Or just freeze the carcass and use it later, just don't throw it away, it's still good!

Plus the best part of a roast chicken is that roast chicken skin. 

So many ways to cook a chicken, here's the one Mom always did but there are so many variations. Keep with me as I explain the simple process with notes. You don't need a fancy pan. You don't have to tie the legs together and baste the crap out of it. Just a good pan, some foil or preferred is a pan with a lid. I found that the Le Creuset style pan makes the best damn chicken but if you don't have one, any pan will do. 

Also, wash your damn hands with soap and hot water. A lot. You'll be washing your hands a lot if you aren't wearing disposable food gloves.

Preheat oven to 350. 

1 stick of butter

1 whole chicken

peeled garlic cloves or granulated

salt

Optional: italian seasoning, seasoned salt, tony cacheres seasoned salt,  1/2 an onion, more garlic, more butter,  fresh basil leaves, rosemary, thyme or tarragon, white wine

Wash your chicken, pull out giblets and schmaltz. Schmaltz is that large chunk of fat at its butt. Some people like to sauté it until it's crispy. Let the chicken dry a bit. 

Rub it generously with the butter on the skin. Get under the skin or put bits under the skin. At this point you can add fresh herbs under the skin, especially the breast and thighs if you're feeling fancy. If you don't have garlic cloves, sprinkle the chicken all over with granulated garlic, especially into the cavity. If you have cloves, put a bunch into the cavity if you want it really garlicky. You can also put 1/2 an onion into the cavity with some butter. 

Place it breast down in your pan. Unless you want it fancy looking, I like it breast down because the flavors and butter juices get absorbed into the breast meat and make it taste so much better. Salt with seasoned salt of choice or just plain salt if you want. This is for tasty crispy skin. 

Add a cup or so of water, some more butter, 1/4 cup of white wine if you want to the pan. Cover with foil or lid. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes until that skin is just like you want it. It will make your house smell so good and don't forget those delicious oysters on the back.

So here is the TL;DR version. 

Oven 350. One whole cleaned chicken. Rub butter, add garlic. Drop in baking pan with water and butter. Salt. Bake for an hour. Remove lid for last 15 minutes. Go nuts over that chicken skin. 

Wishes Granted: French Onion Soup

I received a list of requests recently and have a chance to fulfill them. So here we go.

French Onion Soup

1 large sweet onion like a Walla Walla Sweet
4 cups Beef Broth (good quality)
optional: splash of red wine
Slices of provolone, gruyere or swiss cheese
French bread (home made preferred)
butter, salt, garlic

Slice onion thin. Transfer to a pot and sauté with a large chunk of butter until they are translucent and soft. Add beef broth and wine. Add a little garlic and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour each serving into a deep bowl, add a slice of bread on top. Top with cheese of choice and broil 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Here is another recipe I found handwritten in the ratty handwritten cookbook without a cover.

French Onion Soup
1/4 cup butter
2 lbs onion sliced thin
2 large cloves sliced garlic
2 TBS brown sugar
4 cups beef stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
salt
1 cup Swiss cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

that's all it says. But I figure the execution is something like: brown onion and garlic in butter. Add rest of ingredients except for cheese and simmer for 30 minutes. Ladle into individual soup bowls, add slice of bread and cheese on top. Broil for 5 minutes.

Macaroni and CHEEEZZZEE

Macaroni and Cheese. It's not hard. It's super easy. Today I made it while on the phone with one hand. Give it a try, use some of your own ideas to make it what you want. You don't have to bake it but baking it does give it some crunch in the right places and makes it "set". You'll see. This makes enough for 4 people. Lately we have been cutting down on portions because I only know how to make a ton and we don't eat as much anymore. Plus our household is small.

Use cheese of your choice. Remember, each cheese has different properties, melting temperatures and tastes. Use what you like and experiment later after you get used to making this. You can also add tomatoes, ham, cooked bacon and other seasonings if you'd like.

Here's todays recipe.

3 TBS Butter
2 TBS flour
3/4 cup milk
3 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend was today)
salt, pepper

1/2 package of macaroni (today was rotini)

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain.

Melt butter, add flour and whisk until smooth. Add milk and whisk until smooth again. Add cheese, salt, pepper. Whip well. While hot, add pasta, mix well.

For baking: bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes in greased casserole dish.

 Can add panko or breadcrumbs on top before baking. If doing so, spray with vegetable spray to toast them without burning.

Potatos Soups

As Toki would call it. Potato Soup. Easy, cheap and delicious.


Potato Soup

4 potatoes peeled, quartered
1 cup water
1 can chicken broth
italian seasoning, salt
pinch of Tony Cacheres cajun seasoning
2-3 TBS butter
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves chopped garlic

Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add potatoes, stir up for a minute in butter. Add water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings. Bring to a simmer and cover for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.
Whip well so it breaks up to get creamy. Add 1 TBS flour to 1/2 cup of milk, whisk well and add slowly to soup. (if you have a hand blender, put it in there for 30 seconds) Cook another few minutes to thicken. Serve with bread.

You can also add a cup or two of chopped ham which is a great way to use up holiday leftovers.