We’ve Moved! www.cookingmyway.com

Our venture into wordpress was an experiment that we’ve decided to abandon. There are many things this blogging site has that we love but without having the programming ability to do a few of the things we really want to do we’re back to the old site…

Come visit us at www.cookingmyway.com !

Biscuits & Gravy!

My all time favorite breakfast food is biscuits & gravy – or B & G’s are they’re known in my house… I don’t remember how old I was the first time I had biscuits & gravy but I’m pretty sure they put it in my baby bottle… Anyway, making this wonderful dish is very simple.

1 lb sausage – country or breakfast works well (not the spicy)
3-4 Tbs flour
2-3 Cups milk
salt
pepper
love
1 Package of biscuits

Start by preheating the oven and making the biscuits according to the package. Then brown the sausage off. Once cooked remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat that was rendered. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour over the sausage and mix it in well. Once all the flour is incorporated slowly add the milk a little at a time. Doing the milk in batches will help keep your gravy lump free. Turn up the heat to a medium high and the milk will thicken. Once it’s to your desired thickness add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
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Pizza Sauce Version 001

I’ve been on the quest for the perfect pizza sauce for quite some time now…

Smoked Chicken Wings

What better to eat on the 4th than smoked chicken wings. This was a very easy process. We went to the market and bought some wings. I washed them and cut off the nubs off the end of the wings. Tina created the rub for these and they turned out really dang good. We go to Fast Boys and have their grilled wings every once and a while – they’re really dang good – Ours turned out better! It’s a nice change to have them in the smoker – it really brings out a nice flavor.

Rub:
Paprika
chipotle pepper powder
jalapeno pepper powder
cayenne pepper powder
granulated garlic
shallot salt
white pepper
black pepper

Avocado & Shrimp Salsa

Avocados and shrimp are a match made in heaven. If you ask me the light creaminess of the avocado goes well with the light taste of the shrimp.

This fresh salsa doesn’t take much prep.

1 small red onion
1 or 2 tomatoes
1 large avocado
1 jalapeno
6 boiled shrimp (can be grilled too)
lime juice
cilantro would be nice if you have it.
salt & pepper

Dice everything up and mix it up in a bowl. Let sit i the fridge for 20 min to get happy. Eat & Enjoy!

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Kinda Ratatouille

I’ve never made ratatouille before – and as you can see in the video I didn’t really make it here either… This is my spin on a ratatouille. This was fun to make and it tasted really dang good.

1 lb chicken
1 eggplant (aubergine)
10 or so small carrots cut into pieces
2-3 zucchini (courgettes) cut into pieces
2-3 squash cut into pieces
1 red onion cut into pieces
2 portobello mushrooms cut into pieces
handful of cherry tomatoes
salt & pepper
oregano
basil
lavender
thyme

Kinda Ratatouille

FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti

I’ve had some pretty amazing ravioli in my days but the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti ranks! As members of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz (www.foodbuzz.com), we were sent the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti to try, and we’re so glad they did! This is an amazing product. The semolina pasta is very thin and has a smooth texture and great bite. The true gem of this product is the pairing of the mushrooms, garlic, and cheeses that makes for an explosion of flavor in every bite.

There are so many amazing things you can do with this pasta. Given it was our first time with this product we decided to go down a very simple road so we could experience the essence of the agnolotti. All we did was sauté the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti in some sage butter. That’s right we didn’t boil the pasta at all – just right into some butter infused with sage. The agnolotti cooked for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. All I can say is every single bite made me smile. All I could think of was that I wanted more when my plate was empty – it’s just that good.

The next time we make the Wild Mushroom Agnolotti I believe it’s going to be simmered in chicken broth with a bit of baby spinach, crispy prosciutto, and maybe some extra mushrooms…

I’ve tried a few more pastas from Buitoni’s Riserva line of pastas and they are all amazing! I’m all for making fresh pasta at home, but if you want a quick 20 minute from start to finish meal – give them a try!

1 Package Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti
10 or so Sage Leaves chiffinade
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Saute sage in butter for a few minutes. Add the Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. Plate, eat, & enjoy!

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Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken fried rice should not be something you only eat out of a box that was delivered to your door. With a few shortcuts it’s uber simple to make at home.

1 lb chicken cut into bite sized pieces
6 cups of cold cooked rice – must be cold
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup peas
2 eggs
stir fry sauce to taste

I personally think it’s nice to brown your chicken when preparing it for fried rice. That way it stands up to the rest of the dish. Most of the local place around here do not and I find the chicken gets lost in all the other tastes. With that said start by browning your chicken. When the chicken is about 85% done add the onion and carrots. Cook these for a few minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and scramble them. Once the eggs are done mix them in with the rest of the ingredients. Add the peas then add the cold rice and the stir fry sauce. You can add a much or as little of the stir fry sauce as you like. Mix everything together and bring it to temperature. Eat & Enjoy!

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Homemade Pasta on a Imperia Pasta Machine

Nothing quite says love like homemade pasta. It really doesn’t take all that long to do, and it will be better than anything you can buy at the market. My grandmother showed me how to make homemade pasta for the first time when I was about 9.

My grandmother doesn’t remember when she got her pasta machine, but knows that the one shes uses is the one shes always had… I got my Imperia pasta machine at Williams-Sonoma. There are a few different types of pasta machines out there – pick the one that makes you happy…

Once you get the machine together it’s time to make some pasta! The recipe I use is really easy:

2.25 cups of flour
3 eggs
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon water
1 splash olive oil

Pile the flour on your counter or a cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour large enough to hold the eggs, water, and olive oil. Add the eggs, water, and olive oil to your well – scramble the eggs with a fork. Once the eggs are well incorporated start bringing in the flour from the sides of the well. Keep mixing in the flour and when you get to a point where the eggs are not runny anymore you can put up the fork and use your fingers. Bring together the dough and knead for 10 minutes. You will end up with a smooth dough ball. Wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. You can either put it in the fridge or leave it on your counter. Once rested cut your dough ball into four pieces. Working with one at a time, flour the piece and hand form it into a disc. Set your machine on it’s widest level and start working the dough through. After each pass, set the machine to the next smallest level. The dough will get thinner and thinner as you go. Once done use the pasta cutter to cut the pasta. You can either hang the pasta or coat it with corn meal and let dry. Bring a gallon of water to boil and salt it well. Boil the pasta until it has a nice bite – about 5 minutes. Sauce the pasta and plate. Eat & Enjoy…

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Green Chicken Curry – Again…

You might be asking yourself, why green curry again? The answer is quite simple – I love it!

Now I prefer fresh green curry when I have the time to make it, but when that’s not the case the CurrySimple green curry is a really easy alternative. At the market you can find pre-diced just about anything you need to make this dish. The chicken, cilantro, and the lime are the only things you really need to cut yourself if you want it that way. When I need a quick meal that’s not from a fast food place – I’m all good with using pre-cut items to speed up dinner…

1 pound chicken tenders (or any type of chicken you like
1 medium red onion diced
1 cup bell pepper (green, yellow, and red) diced
1 cup squash and zucchini sliced
1 package CurrySimple green curry
1 lime
cilantro

Brown chicken in a spot of oil. Half way through add the onion. Cook until the chicken is done. Add the bell peppers, squash, and zucchini – cook for a few minutes. Add the CurrySimple green curry and bring to heat. Serve with rice, cilantro, and a nice squeeze of lime… Eat & Enjoy…

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