Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Week 12: BBQ Crock-pot Chicken

Another freezer meal...

The Recipe
2 chicken breasts
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground red pepper flakes
1/3 tsp garlic powder

Defrost and pop in the crock-pot. Cook for 3-5 hours on HIGH or 7-9 hours on LOW.

Serve with rice.

The Verdict
I thought it looked a bit boring as I popped it in the crock-pot, so I added 1 small can of corn and a chopped bell pepper - definitely an improvement!
It was okay... nothing spectacular, but a decent meal. Probably not something I'll make again, but only because I've got a lot of similar recipes that are equally good or better.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Week 11 - Oven Baked Chimichangas

The Recipe
1lb ground chicken
1 package taco seasoning (~30gr)
2.5dl water
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tomatoes, diced
2 spring oniones, chopped
½ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
~50g butter - melted
6 large flour Tortillas
GARNISH: Tomatoes, Lettuce, Cheese, Guacamole, Salsa, Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 225C. Saute meat until cooked through and starting to brown. Add taco seasoning and stir. Add water and stir. Cook until liquid has reduced 2/3.

Add cumin, oregano, tomatoes and green onions. Simmer until the rest of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and Cheddar cheese.

Lay tortillas on a plate and brush both sides with the melted butter. Spoon 1/6 th of filling into center of tortilla and fold like and envelope.

Put tortillas, seam-side down on a non-stick sheet pan. Spaced so they DO NOT touch. Bake 15 minutes or until golden and crisp (careful - they suddenly get too much). Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven to melt.

Serve with the garnishes.

The Verdict
A lot of work, but so totally worth it! It tasted fantastic, and I was disappointed I could only eat the one. Definitely worth a repeat. Would probably taste just as good with any other form of ground meat I think.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Week 10: Twice Baked Potato Casserole

The Recipe
6 large potatoes
1 tsp salt
A dash of pepper
60g butter
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 cup hot milk
3 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream

Scrub potatoes, pierce skins and bake at 200C for 60 minutes. Cut potatoes and scoop out pulp; mash. Add salt, pepper, butter, and cheese; beat well. Add hot milk and beat until fluffy and cheese is melted. Stir in green onions and sour cream; blend. Reduce oven temperature to 175C. Spoon potatoes into an baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

The Verdict
I usually love mashed potatoes and especially baked mashed potatoes, so had high hopes for this one. And it was okay... just not as terrific as I had expected. Part of this was because of the green onions - 15 minutes just wasn't enough to get them properly done, so they were too crunchy and tangy compared to the rest of the dish. I should probably just have left them out. In the end, too much hassle for not a particularly satisfying result.