One Pot Meal Ideas for easy summer cooking

Well .....just because I am a self proclaimed foodie does NOT mean that I walk around cooking 3 rounded meals a day.... sometimes cheese and crackers are my food of choice! Macaroni and Cheese and beef hot dogs YUMMMMM.. and yes ..gasp horror.... I like processed cheese spreads....

I eventually will have a huge amount of one pot meals that I have happily made my own, but until then I am giving you a link to a FANTASTIC site.


 Real Simple is wonderful for organizational tips and recipes just for a few things!

But their one pot meals... so easy and tasty I consider them totally 'Gourmet Cooking on a Dime'!

Click here for ideas;
One Pot Meal Ideas   and let me know your favorites!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

We have a constant stream of people in our home! We feel very fortunate and delight in all the personalities and tastes that are expressed when we gather together. 

Appetizers are a wonderfully economical and belly filling way to entertain and love on your company.

 Here is a very simple and elegant stuffed mushroom that is fast and easy to make!

Makes 24

Ingredients

 Splash of  Olive oil

 3 slices white sandwich bread or 1 cup of breadcrumbs

 3 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped

 1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled

 1/2-cup fresh parsley leaves or arugula

 1/4-teaspoon red-pepper flakes

 Sea salt

 2 packages (10 ounces each) white button mushrooms, stems removed

Prepare

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil your prepared mushrooms in a bowl

*In a food processor, pulse bread or breadcrumbs and garlic until fine crumbs form; set 1/2 cup aside.

*To food processor, add goat cheese, parsley or arugula, and red-pepper flakes

*Season with salt, and pulse filling until combined

*Spoon filling into each mushroom, and roll filled side in reserved breadcrumbs

*Bake until mushrooms are tender and lightly browned- 15 to 20 minutes.

**Try adding a handful of Pine nuts to your mixture when you pulse the goat cheese !

                   http://gourmetcookingonadime.com/

Chicken Tenders with Black Beans and Rice

A few of the dishes I put up may get a reaction of "This is considered gourmet?"
In my world, freshly made food  always deserves recognition and I would be remiss not to share these quasi gourmet recipes with you as well as the others.
The comfort food my family gravitate to often includes these. I had a friend while living in Brooklyn who would make this next dish with lovely flavors. Her family didn't have a lot of money, so it was intriguing to me how she made it seem like a meal for kings! I was inspired to make it for my family and it immediately became a hit. I modified it in using tenders instead of whole chicken pieces, but that means I can freeze extras if there are any and use them for salads or another meal.

I used Red and White Kidney Beans here

Feeds 6

Ingredients

Chicken for 6 ( either pre-cut into strips or hand cut from breasts)
5 cups all purpose flour
1 1/ 2 cups of bread crumbs
5 eggs whisked
4 cups of frying oil
Seasoning for your flour (I think my new favorite is All Spice,sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, or try cumin, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, add to taste)
3 cups of rice
4 cups of black beans ( See how to prepare beans from dried in the recipe for  Bean Burritos under Mexican) dried or canned
2 cups of shredded cheese
Butter for your rice
Sea salt and black pepper

Prepare

* Put your rice on to cook, when done take off heat and leave covered
* Heat up your beans and set aside covered
* In a deep pan or wok, heat up your frying oil
* Alternate your chicken stripes into the egg mixture and then the flour/bread crumbs mixture making sure you coat really well
* Add your strips to the hot oil and cook until golden brown, turning once with tongs
* Place on a platter lined with paper towel
* Place your rice, butter if desired and then beans and sprinkle some cheese, salt and pepper if desired

* Give each person 3 to 4 chicken strips to start.



TRY ALL KINDS OF BEANS!!
Use Rice Flour and make rice cracker " bread crumbs"  for Gluten free!
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes to make it lighter!