Some recipes just shouldn’t taste good.
It’s not that the final result is something that tastes absolutely vile and repugnant. It’s just…when you look at the ingredients, or at the final product, you want it to taste horrible so you never have to consider making it again.
This is one of those recipes.
My nephew can’t cook a lot of stuff. He can do meat very well, having worked in a barbecue restaurant, but not much else. So, my sister (his aunt, not his mother) got him this cookbook for “guys.” It’s actually not a bad book, all in all. Most of the recipes are based around pre-packaged or canned foods.
It’s called A Man, A Can, A Plan. It’s broken down into sections – ham, chicken, pork, beer. And SpaghettiOs.
Yes. SpaghettiOs Which is where the recipe I mentioned comes from.
SpaghettiOs Western
Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan from Rodale Books, © 2002
Serves 2
2 cans of SpaghettiOs, 15 ounces each.
1 can black beans (16 ounces), rinsed and drained.
2 tablespoons shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese.
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Dump all ingredients except the cheese into a large skillet. Cook uncovered on medium heat, stirring occasionally. When heated through, sprinkle with cheese and cook until cheese melts.
Notes from the Hare
I usually add more chili powder. But then, I like things hot.
My nephew claims this isn’t really a recipe. It’s “improvising.” I’ll buy that.
Saturday, April 23, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Baked Porkl Loin Chops with Orange Rice
Not much to say today. It’s been a quiet day at work, and I’d be looking forward to going home more if the kitchen wasn’t badly in need of a good solid cleaning. I’m looking at a night of elbow grease, sponges, and Soft Scrub. Imagine my joy.
I’m not even planning a big dinner tonight. But for anyone wondering what to do themselves, might I offer this tasty sounding morsel?
Baked Pork Loin Chops with Orange Rice
2 pounds pork loin chops
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
Place flour and salt and pepper in a bag and coat each pork chop. Heat oil in a skillet and brown pork chops and onion.
Meanwhile cook rice according to manufacturer's instructions except replace 1/2 cup of the required water with orange juice. When rice has finished cooking, place in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and stir in onion, pecans, lemon juice and grated orange rind. Place pork chops over mixture and bake covered for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
Notes from the Hare
Nothing today. Although, I suddenly have a hankering for monster cookies…
I’m not even planning a big dinner tonight. But for anyone wondering what to do themselves, might I offer this tasty sounding morsel?
Baked Pork Loin Chops with Orange Rice
2 pounds pork loin chops
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
Place flour and salt and pepper in a bag and coat each pork chop. Heat oil in a skillet and brown pork chops and onion.
Meanwhile cook rice according to manufacturer's instructions except replace 1/2 cup of the required water with orange juice. When rice has finished cooking, place in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and stir in onion, pecans, lemon juice and grated orange rind. Place pork chops over mixture and bake covered for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
Notes from the Hare
Nothing today. Although, I suddenly have a hankering for monster cookies…
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Pan Glazed Chicken with Basil
Wow.
I’ve really gotten out of the swing of updating things. Not just here, mind you – my personal journal is looking kinda sparse of late too.
It’s not even that I’m swamped with things at work at the moment, either – right now things are very calm. I’m just…well, being lazy. My apologies.
I’m following up the Fruit and Nut Fried Rice with something a little less weird – namely a chicken recipe I found…somewhere. I have no idea where I found it originally. But it does sound pretty tasty.
Pan Glazed Chicken with Basil
Serves 4
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground pepper
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil, or 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken and cook for 6 minutes longer, or until chicken is done.
Stir in vinegar, honey, and basil. Cook an additional minute
Notes form the Hare
Nothing today, I’m afraid. I haven’t had a chance to try this one yet.
I’ve really gotten out of the swing of updating things. Not just here, mind you – my personal journal is looking kinda sparse of late too.
It’s not even that I’m swamped with things at work at the moment, either – right now things are very calm. I’m just…well, being lazy. My apologies.
I’m following up the Fruit and Nut Fried Rice with something a little less weird – namely a chicken recipe I found…somewhere. I have no idea where I found it originally. But it does sound pretty tasty.
Pan Glazed Chicken with Basil
Serves 4
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground pepper
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespons Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil, or 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn chicken and cook for 6 minutes longer, or until chicken is done.
Stir in vinegar, honey, and basil. Cook an additional minute
Notes form the Hare
Nothing today, I’m afraid. I haven’t had a chance to try this one yet.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Chocolate Chess Pie
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 5-oz. can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 9-inch pie shell
In a saucepan, melt chocolate, add butter and melt. Add evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into pie shell and bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.
The Skinny: Use fat free evaporated milk and your favorite egg and sugar substitute.
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 5-oz. can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 9-inch pie shell
In a saucepan, melt chocolate, add butter and melt. Add evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar and flour and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Pour into pie shell and bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.
The Skinny: Use fat free evaporated milk and your favorite egg and sugar substitute.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
The Hare Experiments, part 1
I come to you today, with an idea.
It is a good idea, I believe. A tasty idea. An acquired taste, I will grant you. But still, I believe this to be a good idea.
Fruit and Nut Fried Rice.
I like rice. To carry this to a further extension I like Asian food in general. I’m not an accomplished chef, just an enthusiastic amateur, a cook who enjoys making foods and occasionally has an idea that he chooses to play with.
Some time ago, I was looking through the cabinets. I had rice. I had soy sauce. There were a couple of eggs. I had a seasoning packet I had found in the grocery for fried rice. My original idea was to get some chicken and have chicken fried rice. But the chicken was frozen, and I was hungry, and it was late in the day and I hadn’t eaten.
Then I saw pineapple. And dried cranberries. And sliced almonds.
And I had an idea.
I’ve been toying with the recipe for a while now. I’ve tried different mixes of fruits, different nuts. The results have been mixed. Some things work well, others don’t.
Here, then, is my first iteration of my recipe. I’ll probably play with this more and more, trying to get my favorite combination of fruits and nuts integrated together into a pleasing whole. But for now, here is how it stands.
Fruit and Nut Fried Rice
3 tablespoons oil or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cold cooked rice
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup almond slivers
2/3 cup dried cranberries (a 3 ounce package, roughly)
¾ cup pineapple tidbits
2 large eggs
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon grated orange rind
salt and pepper to taste
Start by heating a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and let it heat for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the rice and continue stir frying for 1 minute.
Add ginger, cumin, orange rind, and soy sauce. Continue stir frying and add almonds, pecans, cranberries, and pineapple. Add the pineapple juice and stir fry until the juice is absorbed.
Push the rice mixture to the side. Add the last tablespoon of oil, followed by the eggs. Scramble the eggs for one minute, or until almost set, then stir the eggs into the rice mixture to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes from the Hare
This is still pretty rough. The spices are ok, but I’m not entirely sure I’m happy with them. The pineapple juice is also a question in my mind.
I’ve made this with almonds, pecans, cashews, and peanuts. Peanuts I usually sprinkle on the finished product. I’ve toasted the nuts in the skillet before adding the rice and I’ve added them cold as in the recipe above. Dried cranberries seem to work very well, as do pineapple – but then, I like these fruits specifically, so I can be called biased.
There will be additional iterations of this, as I make it again and again and refine things a little more. If anyone has a suggestion for this recipe, by all means let me know.
It is a good idea, I believe. A tasty idea. An acquired taste, I will grant you. But still, I believe this to be a good idea.
Fruit and Nut Fried Rice.
I like rice. To carry this to a further extension I like Asian food in general. I’m not an accomplished chef, just an enthusiastic amateur, a cook who enjoys making foods and occasionally has an idea that he chooses to play with.
Some time ago, I was looking through the cabinets. I had rice. I had soy sauce. There were a couple of eggs. I had a seasoning packet I had found in the grocery for fried rice. My original idea was to get some chicken and have chicken fried rice. But the chicken was frozen, and I was hungry, and it was late in the day and I hadn’t eaten.
Then I saw pineapple. And dried cranberries. And sliced almonds.
And I had an idea.
I’ve been toying with the recipe for a while now. I’ve tried different mixes of fruits, different nuts. The results have been mixed. Some things work well, others don’t.
Here, then, is my first iteration of my recipe. I’ll probably play with this more and more, trying to get my favorite combination of fruits and nuts integrated together into a pleasing whole. But for now, here is how it stands.
Fruit and Nut Fried Rice
3 tablespoons oil or butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cold cooked rice
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup almond slivers
2/3 cup dried cranberries (a 3 ounce package, roughly)
¾ cup pineapple tidbits
2 large eggs
¼ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon grated orange rind
salt and pepper to taste
Start by heating a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and let it heat for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the rice and continue stir frying for 1 minute.
Add ginger, cumin, orange rind, and soy sauce. Continue stir frying and add almonds, pecans, cranberries, and pineapple. Add the pineapple juice and stir fry until the juice is absorbed.
Push the rice mixture to the side. Add the last tablespoon of oil, followed by the eggs. Scramble the eggs for one minute, or until almost set, then stir the eggs into the rice mixture to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes from the Hare
This is still pretty rough. The spices are ok, but I’m not entirely sure I’m happy with them. The pineapple juice is also a question in my mind.
I’ve made this with almonds, pecans, cashews, and peanuts. Peanuts I usually sprinkle on the finished product. I’ve toasted the nuts in the skillet before adding the rice and I’ve added them cold as in the recipe above. Dried cranberries seem to work very well, as do pineapple – but then, I like these fruits specifically, so I can be called biased.
There will be additional iterations of this, as I make it again and again and refine things a little more. If anyone has a suggestion for this recipe, by all means let me know.
Stuffed Potatoes
Hello folks, it has been a while since I, the Ox, have checked in with anything interesting to put forth. I was looking through different recipes and wonderin' what to fix next for dinner this week when I came upon this in my e-mail of all things. So, yesterday, for lunch, I made a very simple version to feed 1 of this particular potato thing and found myself quite filled, happy, and rather enjoyed the lunch. Do try it. It is most enjoyable and quite yummy!
Stuffed Potatoes
6 servings
As it can be difficult to coax your loved ones into eating five helpings a day of vegetables (as nutritionists recommend), this recipe cleverly incorporates broccoli into a baked potato, without using a lot of fat. Broccoli is an excellent source of fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants. Potatoes are a universally loved vegetable loaded with vitamins C and B-6, potassium, and fiber. You can make the stuffed potatoes ahead and reheat them when everyone is ready to eat.
3 large baking potatoes
3 stalks broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons rice milk or soy milk (or whole milks works well too)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Scrub the potatoes and make shallow cuts around their middles to make it easier to cut them in half after baking. Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees until soft, usually 1 hour, depending on size of potatoes.
Meanwhile, cut the ends from the stalks of broccoli and peel some of the outer skin off to make the stems more edible. Steam the broccoli until crunchy-tender and bright green. Drain and chop fine.
Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add the salt, olive oil and just enough rice or soy milk to allow you to mash the potatoes into a smooth paste. Add the Parmesan cheese and the chopped broccoli and mix well.
Pile the mixture back into the potato shells, arrange on a baking dish and heat them to desired temperature.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving:136 calories4 g total fat (1 g sat)2 mg cholesterol24 g carbohydrate5 g protein4 g fiber250 mg sodium
Stuffed Potatoes
6 servings
As it can be difficult to coax your loved ones into eating five helpings a day of vegetables (as nutritionists recommend), this recipe cleverly incorporates broccoli into a baked potato, without using a lot of fat. Broccoli is an excellent source of fiber and cancer-fighting antioxidants. Potatoes are a universally loved vegetable loaded with vitamins C and B-6, potassium, and fiber. You can make the stuffed potatoes ahead and reheat them when everyone is ready to eat.
3 large baking potatoes
3 stalks broccoli
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons rice milk or soy milk (or whole milks works well too)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Scrub the potatoes and make shallow cuts around their middles to make it easier to cut them in half after baking. Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees until soft, usually 1 hour, depending on size of potatoes.
Meanwhile, cut the ends from the stalks of broccoli and peel some of the outer skin off to make the stems more edible. Steam the broccoli until crunchy-tender and bright green. Drain and chop fine.
Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add the salt, olive oil and just enough rice or soy milk to allow you to mash the potatoes into a smooth paste. Add the Parmesan cheese and the chopped broccoli and mix well.
Pile the mixture back into the potato shells, arrange on a baking dish and heat them to desired temperature.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving:136 calories4 g total fat (1 g sat)2 mg cholesterol24 g carbohydrate5 g protein4 g fiber250 mg sodium
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
The Hare Returnes - With Vegetables
Finally!
I do apologize for the lengthy lack of recipes. On occasion my day job gets incredibly busy, and the last couple of weeks have been exactly that.
To celebrate my return to the kitchens, I present you with two vegetable dishes tonight. The first is a quick and simple salad that showed up in my in-box a while back. The second is for vegetable kabobs. One of my friends asked if I could find one for him
Oriental Cabbage Salad
Serves 2
1/4 small head green cabbage
1 1/2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Combine the cabbage, scallions, oil, and vinegar. Toss well and chill until ready to serve. Add the sesame seeds and toss again before serving.
Source: my e-mail inbox...Originally from teh South Beach Diet, I believe.
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
Serves 8
2 zucchini, cut into 2" chunks
2 yellow squash, cut into 2" chunks
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned
2 red and green bell peppers, cut into 2" chunks
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
2 ears sweet corn, cut into 2" chunks
16 whole cherry tomatoes
8 ounces teriyaki sauce
Wash vegetables except mushrooms. Brush mushrooms clean. Prepare vegetables according to recipe. Cook corn in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Toss vegetables in teriyaki sauce. Thread vegetables onto skewers. Place on grill over medium-hot heat. Baste occasionally with teriyaki sauce. Grill 20 minutes or until tender.
Source: www.cooks.com
Notes from the Hare
Nothing specific about the food this time – I’m just glad to be back.
I do apologize for the lengthy lack of recipes. On occasion my day job gets incredibly busy, and the last couple of weeks have been exactly that.
To celebrate my return to the kitchens, I present you with two vegetable dishes tonight. The first is a quick and simple salad that showed up in my in-box a while back. The second is for vegetable kabobs. One of my friends asked if I could find one for him
Oriental Cabbage Salad
Serves 2
1/4 small head green cabbage
1 1/2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Combine the cabbage, scallions, oil, and vinegar. Toss well and chill until ready to serve. Add the sesame seeds and toss again before serving.
Source: my e-mail inbox...Originally from teh South Beach Diet, I believe.
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
Serves 8
2 zucchini, cut into 2" chunks
2 yellow squash, cut into 2" chunks
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cleaned
2 red and green bell peppers, cut into 2" chunks
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges
2 ears sweet corn, cut into 2" chunks
16 whole cherry tomatoes
8 ounces teriyaki sauce
Wash vegetables except mushrooms. Brush mushrooms clean. Prepare vegetables according to recipe. Cook corn in boiling water for about 10 minutes. Toss vegetables in teriyaki sauce. Thread vegetables onto skewers. Place on grill over medium-hot heat. Baste occasionally with teriyaki sauce. Grill 20 minutes or until tender.
Source: www.cooks.com
Notes from the Hare
Nothing specific about the food this time – I’m just glad to be back.
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