Main Dishes - Home-Ec 101

Simple Alfredo Sauce

Heather says: If you load this dish up with steamed broccoli it’s easy to pretend it’s healthy. This recipe makes four servings of alfredo and can create a variety of meals by varying the accompaniments. My favorites are blackened beef, chicken, or shrimp. If spicy foods are not your style, try grilled chicken, shrimp, or …

Heather says: Meatless meals are often great for the wallet. This recipe can be prepared with canned or dried beans. If you use dry black beans, cook 1/2lb dried beans until soft. I put mine in the crockpot the morning I want to make the burritos, cover them with water, and turn the crock on …

Heather says:

I have said it before, but whole chickens are often a great buy. I am a huge fan of cooking once and eating several times, but how do you reap the benefit when it is is too warm for the oven? You grill it, of course. Rather than cutting the bird into parts first, I decided to experiment with spatchcocking. This method allows for more even cooking as a larger surface is presented to the grill. Spatchcocking is simply an old Irish term that means to butterfly; I just think it’s fun to say.

To accomplish today’s project you will need:

1 grill
1 chicken
kitchen shears
your favorite rub or seasoning mix

In order to not offend our more sensitive viewers the pictures and tutorial follow the jump.

Heather says:

Many thanks to Candice of <a href= — Many thanks to Candice of Ragamuffin Designs for letting me use her picture of this recipe.

I was not content with the pizza crust I originally posted, it was good, but not something I felt others would rave about. Consequently I have been experimenting with variations for the past few months. While searching for a simple crust I had some criteria in mind: the ingredients must be both inexpensive and readily available, the directions must be both easy and forgiving, and finally it must taste at least as good as the chain delivery joints. (There are a few independent places who have a fantastic product that would be difficult to recreate in the average kitchen.)*

This crust is chewier and more flavorful than the original with no increase in difficulty.

Ingredients:

1 TBSP active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour + a little more for dusting
1 1/2 TBSP olive oil + extra to grease the bowl for rising
2 TBSP molasses
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning – OPTIONAL
cornmeal for sprinkling

Directions after the jump.

Do you ever have a snippet from a TV show stay with you for eternity? That’s all I can think whenever I make chicken bog Now that you’ve had a peek into my twisted little mind, let’s talk chicken bog. At first glance, some long-time readers may say, “But Heather, that looks just like chicken …

Heather says: You’ve heard that rice and beans can reduce your grocery budget. On the rare occasion, we have ham, I freeze the bone and save it for a week when I need our grocery dollars to stretch just a bit further. Cornbread rounds out the meal nicely and keeps the grand total, for us, …

Heather says: I have updated this dilled salmon from an old baked salmon recipe that used mayonnaise. Those who know how much I dislike mayonnaise are not the least bit surprised. Fish is much more delicate than chicken, pork, or beef. I will not be giving a specific cook time as oven temperatures vary and …

Heather says: Way back, a hundred years ago, I used to work for a Spanish restaurant. Yes, Spanish as in Spain. One of our top selling lunch dishes was very simple and not exactly Spanish, it was a variation on fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and sweet peppers. My husband requested this dish so often that …

I love this simple chicken cooked with herbs, mushrooms, onions, and bell pepper. Use the baking time to prepare a salad or grab a book, hide in the kitchen, and rattle some dishes every now and then for some peace. No one will know you weren’t busy the whole time. We have been making this …

Heather says: I’m not going to lie. The original name for this classic turns my stomach. There is something about the idea of “fish pie” that brings up all sorts of unspeakable concoctions, rather than the simple and classic combination of fish, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. This makes for a simple meal of comforting flavors …