One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Erin

Oh help me now.

It’s really not good how easy this is. And it’s really not good how simple the cleaniup is. This is really just not good.

In fact, it’s so not good…that I couldn’t not keep it from you.

Alright. Enough with the negatives. This is me being facetious.

But seriously…help.

It really is not good that I now know how to make a chocolate chip cookie in just a skillet. No messing with bowls, cleaning up cookie sheets. Just bake, eat and wash out the skillet. It’s too simple. And way too easy!

Inspired by this one pan skillet cookie from Sophistimom.

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One Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yield – 16 cookies
Prep Time – 10 minutes
Cook Time – 15 to 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, chopped (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

 

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350.
  • Add the stick of butter to an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, stir in the sugars and vanilla. Remove from heat.
  • Whisk in the egg and milk, then stir in the flour, soda and salt.
  • Fold in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if needed to cook through.
  • Serve warm from the skillet
  • (Remember to use caution with the skillet after removing it from the oven. Leave an oven mitt around the handle so you don’t forget you just took it out of the oven and that it’s piping hot!)
Posted in Recipe, Skillet Dinner | 35 Comments

Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Erin

I’ve been itching to make a stir-fry for weeks.

I love them because they are so flavorful. And easy. And quick. And make your house smell like your favorite Chinese dive.

(As long as you get the rice cooking in time. Or you make with noodles that cook in just a few minutes.)

This was a “one-dish dinner” for us because I used leftover rice. Last week I made a double batch of “red rice” (cooks just like brown rice) that I found in the pantry and wanted to use it. What I had left was too much for one meal, so I just cooked it all and saved the rest for the next night’s stir-fry.

Either way…quick and easy. And tasty too!

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Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-fry

Yield – 4 servings
Prep Time – 10 mintues
Cook Time – 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 10 oz. bag frozen stir-fry veggie mix

Rice – brown, red, white, basmati or noodles

 

Directions

  • Add the chicken pieces into a shallow dish or plastic baggie with the orange juice, zest, ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
  • In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil. Toss in the marinated chicken pieces and the frozen veggie mix into the skillet and let cook for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing often. Cook until chicken pieces are cooked through…cooking time may vary depending on thickness of the chicken.
  • Add crushed red pepper to individual servings if you’d like a little heat.
  • Serve Orange Ginger Chicken Stir-fry over cooked rice or noodles.
Posted in Recipe, Skillet Dinner | 4 Comments

Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Erin

I trust you all have had a wonderful holiday and new year celebration! Other than a trip to Chicago to spend time with family for Christmas, our family did a whole lotta n.o.t.h.i.n.g. these past 2 weeks. Seriously, we did nothing. The big outing of the week between Christmas and New Years was to the grocery store. And a quick trip to grandma’s house!

We played games, we watched movies, we made puzzles…the entertainment was endless with all the new toys from Christmas.

And when it came time to cook dinner, I needed easy. I needed something I could drop into a dutch oven or the slow cooker, and plop myself back down on the couch with my book. Or laptop.

This meal was one of those meals…what can I dig out and throw together. Chicken from the freezer, coconut milk from the pantry, carrots from the fridge…and yum!

Simple ingredients. Simple cooking methods. Just what I needed while enjoying our Christmas break!

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Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots

Yield – 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 50 minutes to 1 hour, or 30 minutes if you use white rice

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 15 oz. can light coconut milk (not coconut water)
1 1/2 cups brown rice (or white rice)
2 cups carrots, cut into bite size pieces
2 Tbsp curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

  • In a Dutch oven, heat the olive oil, then saute the chicken pieces with the minced onion and minced garlic until they are brown on all sides.
  • Pour in the coconut milk with 2 cups HOT water. Bring to bubbling and then add the rice, carrots and curry powder.
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the brown rice is fork tender. (Cook for 18 to 20 minutes if using white rice.)
  • Remove from the heat to prevent overcooking the rice. Let cool slightly before serving.
  • Serve Coconut Chicken and Rice with Carrots, as is or with simple side dish.
Posted in Dutch Oven, Recipe | 20 Comments

Winter Vegetable Chili

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Erin

We hear it all the time when talking about cooking, shopping and frugality: eat seasonally.

But what if you don’t know how to cook seasonally. You can’t eat seasonally if you don’t know how to cook seasonal vegetables.

Winter vegetables: sweet potatoes, potatoes, broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, turnips and winter squash like acorn, butternut and spaghetti

Here’s a simple chili recipe with some winter vegetables cooked right in.  Your heart and tummy will be warmed by this delicious winter chili.

Other helpful resources –

To make in the slow cooker, add browned ground beef with all other ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.

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Winter Vegetable Chili

Yield – 6 servings
Prep Time – 15 minutes
Cook Time – 20 to 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 carrot sticks, peeled and sliced
2 large parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

  • In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. Drain and return to the pan.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, beef broth PLUS 2-3 CUPS HOT WATER (or use 4-5 cups hot water). Bring to a boil and add the sweet potato chunks, carrot and parsnip slices.
  • Add the chili powder and cinnamon. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat to medium. Then cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots are fork tender.
  • Serve as is, or with a side of fresh bread. Enjoy!
Posted in Dutch Oven, Recipe | 6 Comments

Lentil Minestrone Soup

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Erin

I’ve shared this week’s recipe for Lentil Minestrone Soup over at Life as Mom.

I’ve also added it to the “Rice and Beans Budget” recipe list over on $5 Dinners.

Enjoy!

Posted in Dutch Oven, Recipe | 2 Comments