A Cook's Quest

After all the talk about what can a cook do with one chicken, I thought it would be nice for everyone to see the complete breakdown of meals produced during the Chicken Challenge. I have to say, I am quite happy with the results and my family loved eating the new food. Hopefully those of you reading this found some ideas that will work for your kitchens too! Final Results: 29 cups chicken broth -use this for soups, sauces, chilis and pastas--basically in place of water 19 egg rolls 2 chicken pot pies 1 Linguini with Chicken, Broccoli, & Sun Dried Tomatoes in Alfedo Sauce Meals Produced: 1 Egg roll dinner for 5 people 3 Egg roll lunches for one 1 Chicken pot pie dinner for 5 people 1 Chicken pot pie lunch (1 person) 1 Chicken pot pie in the freezer for another meal 1 pasta dinner for 5 people 2 pasta lunches (1 person) Total of 9 meals! Total Cost of these meals about $13.49! This includes all ingredients for each dish. Not too bad!! Chicken $3.62 Cabbage $1.19 ...

Tonight is the last night of the Chicken Challenge.  Like the other chicken recipes I presented, this isn't a fancy recipe, just an easy "go-to" meals for busy weeknights. It is quick to prepare, easy on my budget and very very tasty!   The beauty of alfredo suace is that so many other foods pair with it nicely.  Since I only had one cup of chicken left, I had to stretch this meal in order to feed all five of us.  I added some frozen broccoli and about 3/4 c of the sundried tomatoes I recently made.  Delicious I tell you!  Even my two broccoli hating boys finished thier servings which always makes a mama proud :) Linguini with Chicken, Broccoli & Sun Dried Tomatoes in Alfredo Sauce Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest 1 box pasta 1 jar of alfredo sauce (or you can make your own) 1 c cooked chicken, chopped 3 cups of broccoli 3/4 c sun dried tomatoes drained and chopped Boil pasta.  When almost done, throw in the...

The same day that I let my friends and family know of this little blog, my friend Ellie sent me one of her favorite recipes.  I have been waiting for the perfect time to try it out and the Chicken Challenge was perfect.  When I eat chicken pot pie there is something very heart warming and reminiscent of childhood. It is comfort food, the kind of food someone makes because they want to not just because they have to.  A pot pie takes time, preparation and the desire to make something that is just very good from very simple ingredients.  The vegetables float in a rich gravy that is studded with pieces of moist roasted chicken all wrapped in a crust that soaks up the flavors of each ingredient.  It is flexible in that each cook can use the ingredients he or she loves and no two pies will ever be exactly the same.   Like I did with the egg roll recipe yesterday, I am posting Ellie's recipe exactly as she gave it to me, and...

We all have those moments when we look at an object and think, "I should move that," or "that's not a good idea," and for whatever reason we don't move the item or we keep doing whatever it is we just told ourself not to do.  And inevitably, at least for me anyway, I regret not listening to myself because whatever "it" is does happen and things go very wrong. Case in point--my camera. No it wasn't the Pentax that my sister in law owns that takes amazing photos every time and makes even the most inept people like myself feel like real photographers, but it was a nice little digital camera that I loved using.  It was easy to operate, took pretty good pictures and helped make my food look good enough to eat, so why I put it in the windowsill of my kitchen window I will never know.  I am clueless as to why I didn't move it the instant I thought, "hmmm, maybe that isn't a good place to put that."  It at all started so normally....

I have already professed my love of vinegar a few times on my blog, so it will be no surprise to most of you that I tried these potatoes. Everyone in my house, even my little guy, loves salt and vinegar potato chips—you know the kind, thick and kettle fried, heavy with salt and infused with vinegar flavor. When you eat too many of them your mouth begins to hurt a little bit but you can stop because they just taste so good. These potatoes aren’t crispy; they are soft and delicious bites of tartness. Perfect served hot right out of the oven or cold from the refrigerator, they are addicting and a perfect way to make an easy snack. Salt & Vinegar Potatoes Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Potatoes Vinegar Kosher Salt (I used regular table salt) Oil Slice potatoes ¼ to 1/8 inch thick. Place in a saucepan and cover with white vinegar. COVER and turn your exhaust fan on—very important unless you want your whole house filling with the smell of vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn...

Ok, we're here.  Phase three--cooking actual meals.  I guess, the chicken broth from phase two could be a meal, but I don't consider broth to be a mouth watering, appetite satisfying, type of food.  Up first in this phase, are Egg Rolls, a perfect place to use some of the chicken I made for the Chicken Challenge.  Egg rolls are something I love to eat, but hate to pay for.  I mean, come on, they are just veggies and some meat, wrapped in a wonton wrapper and fried.  Why do they have to cost an arm and a leg? I found this recipe at A Thrifty Mom , the author Sarah is amazing at making her budget stretch and I knew I wanted to make this recipe as soon as I saw it.  Sarah told me, "I came up with it as a twist on my Mother in laws recipe for Fried Wantons....I love egg rolls but hate to pay over $1.50 each for them at our local take out restaurant. I realized they would be rather simple to make...and you can feed a whole family at a fraction of t...

Now that you have all your chicken set aside and some wonderful chicken bones, it is time to move on to phase two--chicken broth. I think making homemade chicken broth is my favorite part of cooking a whole chicken. The price for one container of chicken broth doesn’t seem outrageous by any means, but when I can make 29 cups of broth for drastically less (I’m talking less than one dollar) I have to admit store bought chicken broth is outrageously priced. Let’s also not forget all the excessive salt, "natural" flavors and MSG that many brands add. I use chicken broth for everything. I cook rice with it, I add it to gravies, sauces and even boil pasta in it for any easy side dish; then there is the obvious use--homemade soup. It is an easy way to add depth of flavor to any dish, not to mention it looks pretty cool to de-glaze a pan even if it is only chicken broth that you use. So let’s start boiling some bones and making all of you look awesome! ...

So, in order to make great chicken recipes you have to start with a chicken.  When whole roasting chickens go on sale I buy at least two or three at a time.  My family's favorite way to eat them is roasted in the oven.  They become golden and delicious with crispy, salty skin.  We could eat this meal many times a week,  however, when cooked this way, the meat doesn't go very far.  Thanks to a recipe from my friend Ellie when I started this blog, I was inspired to see how far I could stretch the meat from one chicken.  I will share her recipe later, first we have to cook some chicken!  Below you will find Phase one of the chicken challenge explaining the step by step instructions to get you started. Yes, there are phases because I didn't feel like making everything in one day, but if you want to, it is completely doable and not hard at all!! Phase One--Preparing the Chicken 1. Buy a chicken at least 5 pounds and at a great pr...

Not too long ago, even after I started couponing and really watching our food budget, I was a chicken waster. I would roast a lovely chicken to golden perfection, stuffed full of fragrant herbs and veggies and rubbed with butter, then serve it to my family along with the appropriate side dishes. To some this may not appear to be a crime, but to a cook on a budget it is a very serious offense. There is a lot more to a chicken than picking the breast meat off and letting the kids fight over who got the chicken leg last time and who gets it this time (why can’t chickens have three legs? It would help my family out a lot!). I have in the past, on occasion, ok, only one time actually, used a chicken to its full potential. I roasted it, served a meal, then took the rest of the meat off the bones for another meal and then boiled the bones to make my own chicken stock for another delicious meal of some kind. But, I never did it again even though I had plenty of good intentions and I have no ...

This morning I was telling my friend about the Lemon Tart calamity and she told me to try using Meyer lemons next time for the candied lemon slices.  There is less pith and rind, so there isn't that bitterness that regular lemons have.  When I can find Meyer lemons I will try this recipe again and let everyone know how it turns out!

My favorite fruit for dessert is lemon. Lemon cake, lemon cookies, lemon meringue pie, lemon bars you get the idea. When I stumbled across this recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens magazine it instantly caught my eye. The candied lemon slices on top of this tart looked beautiful and after reading the instructions I was surprised that all the steps were pretty easy. I don’t normally make desserts likes this tart but the whole point of this blog is for me to try new things right? Right. The tart itself was fantastic. Crispy flaky crust full of buttery goodness topped with a creamy filling flavored with heavy doses of lemon and vanilla. How can any of that be bad? The downfall, sadly there is one, came with the candied lemon slices. Yes, they were easy to make. Yes, they were beautiful, golden yellow gems. Yes, they smelled heavenly as they cooked. BUT, they tasted terrible! Everyone has seen, heard or read the advice regarding the pith of citrus fruits. It is bitter. That is why w...

One of the ladies at work was nice enough to bring hummus and pita chips to work on Friday. I love hummus and found myself wanting more once the weekend started. Traditionally made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic and lemon juice and sometimes flavored with ingredients like spicy jalapenos, roasted garlic and red peppers hummus is a creamy, delicious concoction that tastes wonderful on just about anything from carrot sticks to tortilla wraps. Well, I didn’t have any chickpeas or tahini on hand so I decided to try making my own dip that had the feeling of hummus and could satisfy my craving. The result was this tasty combination that my kids devoured and I found myself sneaking into multiple times when no one was watching. Don't be afraid to play with the flavors.  You can easily use something other than peppers to add flavor, add whatever you love.  This would be a great dish to take to a party or a potluck and is very easy on the checkbook! Roasted Red Pepper Bean D...

Bread Pudding. It is quite simply a sweetened version of bread dressing, made from bread, eggs and milk. The main difference is the addition of sugar or other sweet ingredients. It is also sometimes made from cinnamon rolls, sweet rolls, coffee cake or donuts. Quite simply I love it, especially when it’s served warm. This recipe is a little bit different than many I have seen. It isn’t flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, nor does it have a delicious syrup poured over the top. This bread pudding is flavored with coffee and topped with a Marscapone type of whipped topping—oh my goodness I could eat the topping alone! The texture is similar to a baked French toast, but heavier and denser. I love the corner pieces because it gets a little bit crispy on the edge but there is still some of the custardy, creamy center too. If you love the taste of tiramisu and you are someone that likes bread pudding I think you will really enjoy this recipe. Tiramisu Bread Pudding Adapted by: A Cook’...

I'm going to say it....maybe I shouldn't, but I am because it is the honest truth...this pizza dough is the best I have EVER had.  Period.  Don't get me wrong I have tried, very unsuccessfully, to make homemade pizza.  Never once did it taste remotely close to this pizza.  It is so good that we not only had pizza last night for dinner, but we are having pizza again tonight as well.  I'm not just comparing it to the homemade varieties, but also to all the purchased pizzas out there.  This is THE BEST.  My household has just declared a strike on ordering pizza.  We will save the $20 and create our own for much less money with far better flavor. I first saw this recipe at My Kitchen Cafe , (yes I go there at least once a day).  Melanie adapted this recipe from Savory Seasonings and I could tell by the pictures on both blogs that it was a recipe I had to try.  I made a few changes to the original recipe with complete success....

Peanut butter and chocolate.  These two flavors are my husband's favorite, I don't think he can get enough of this flavor combination. I can't say that I blame him, the salty peanut butter combined with rich, velvety chocolate is a perfect match for just about everyone.   When I saw this recipe in my mother in law's newest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray (March 2010) I knew that it would be something I made right away.  The final cookie is soft and chewy with a smooth peanut butter filling that is very rich.  Even better, this recipe was very very easy on the budget.  Next time I will make them smaller, I was a little generous when I was dropping the batter and ended up with pretty big cookies.  Penut Butter Stuffed Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Recipe Source: Every Day With Rachel Ray March 2010 issue 2 1/2 cups (15 ounces) milk chocolate chips 4 T butter unsalted butter, softened and divided 1/3 cup plus 2 T flour 1 tsp baking powder ...

I love breakfast, big hot breakfasts with the whole family.  But I do not love, or even like, pancakes.  You will never see me order them in a restaraunt and rarely has my family seen me make them.  I am a waffle girl, or even better, as I mentioned before , I am a toast kind of girl.  My family though loves pancakes and I have been very supportive of thier love by always making sure there was pancake mix in the cupboards to satisfy their cravings.  But I really don't like buying mixes when I know I can make a healthier and more budget friendly version...insert my new favorite breakfast recipe. I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, My Kitchen Cafe and I have to completely agree with the author (who also shares my feelings about pancakes) that this is the best pancake recipe ever. I decided to try this forValentine's Day because I haven't made breakfast for my family in too long.  Once prepared, the mix has a long she...

Ok, I know these two things aren't technically recipes, but they both do require some planning and both have a process required to reach the final tasty result so in a way they are recipes and I can count them towards my totals.  I have never made either one but have seen plenty a cooking show on how truly easy and cost effective they are to make.  First up, Roasted Garlic.  Honestly there are very few savory recipes that don't benefit from garlic in some form being added.  I was first introduced to roasted garlic on a trip to McCall about five years ago.  I ordered a pasta dish that allowed the eater, (me), to top it with what ever I wished.  As I scanned the long list of options my eye was caught by roasted garlic, something I had heard of but nothing I had ever tasted.  Add some alfredo sauce, grilled chicken and brocoli and I had a delicious meal.  I remember being surprised at how it didn't taste like raw garlic at all.  Roas...

I listed this recipe a few days ago on the Chocolate, Chocolate, and more Chocolate post with very high hopes of deliciousness.  Brownies are one of my favorite things ever.  Cheesecake is another of my favorite things.  Put the two together and I should be in dessert heaven.  Unfortunately, these brownies fall short.  I promised to post all 365 recipes whether they were successful or not, and here is my first disappointment.  As I prepared all my ingredients I was sure this would be another successful recipe. But even before it went into the oven, I didn't have a good feeling not good at all.  The cheesecake mixture was runny, maybe the cream cheese was too soft when I combined it with the other ingredients, and it wouldn't "marble" into the brownies creating a pool of raw cheesecake on top of a raw brownie batter base.  Honestly, knowing what I know now that the brownies are baked and cooled, I should have just eaten the batters with a s...

These meatballs are crazy good. I mean, they aren’t just pretty good--they are crazy, ridiculous, I want another one now, good. They bake in a sweet and tangy sauce that I think would be great on a variety of different meats, from chicken to salmon. The ground meat mixture can be used in a variety of different recipes, from spaghetti and meatballs to meatballs in cream sauce to these delicious sweet bites of yumminess. I hope you enjoy! Jenn’s Pineapple Meatballs Recipe Source: A Cook’s Quest  ¾ c quick oats ½ c milk 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef (turkey works well too) 2 eggs beaten ¼-½ c chopped onion 1 tsp salt 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp pepper 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve juice) Sauce ¾-1 c pineapple juice ¼ apple cider vinegar 1/3 c soy sauce 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp garlic powder ¼-½ cup brown sugar (depends on how sweet you want the sauce) In a mixing bowl combine the oats, and milk. Let set for ab...

***Update-Everything now appears to be back on track.  Thank you everyone for your patience!*** I am very sorry!  For some reason my feeds don't seem to be working properly and nothing has been sent out for the last few days to everyone that subscribes via e-mail.  I am working to figure out what is wrong and we will hopefully be working properly again soon.  Until then, you can still follow the blog by going directly to the site at http://www.acooksquest.blogspot.com/ Thanks everyone! Jenn

Hi. My name is Jenn and I am a bread lover. It doesn’t matter what kind, if it is made with flour and leavening of some kind I will more than likely eat it. Bread is what I look for at every meal, warm and delicious, usually with butter smeared on it and a wonderfully golden crust that can soak up whatever is on my plate. If I had my way, I would have a bread of some kind every night with dinner, but let’s face it, even simple recipes take time and time is not something I have a lot of. Usually I can get by with tortillas when we have a Mexican dish, or even just a slice of sandwich bread but without bread my meal just doesn’t feel complete. I found this biscuit recipe last week while the Million Dollar Pound Cake was baking. I was looking for a bread recipe that was fast, easy and versatile for weeknight cooking. Nothing with yeast, and nothing that required too much fussing over. This recipe immediately jumped out because it isn’t in anyway a sweet biscuit recipe…perfect fo...

I received a newsletter from Betty Crocker today and saw some great recipes that I wanted to share.  They would all be great Valentine's Day desserts, but I won't have time to try them all out before this weekend.   They all look easy which is always a plus, most of them are made with a mix of some kind so they don't require too many ingredients and they all have chocolate which makes them just fine in my book.  Click a link below and find a delicious treat to make for your family.  Let me know how they turn out if you try any of them! Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake Chocolate Turtle Cake Molten Chocolate Cupcakes Chocolate Ganache Mini Cakes Heavenly Chocolate Mousse Cake Marbled Cheesecake Brownies PS Keep checking back to this post because I will add more links over the next few days.

Soups, Stews, and Chowders.  All three go hand in hand with cold weather.  There is just something about these warm, thick, rich meals that makes a person feel good.  They are relatively easy to prepare, easy to serve, and even easier to eat.  I grew up eating potato soup, and my kids are doing the same but it is time to learn how to make new variations of one of my favorite comfort foods. Because I am home sick today, and because the groundhog saw his shadow a few weeks ago and we are being subjected to a longer winter, I decided today was going to be a soup day.  Over the weekend I did a huge search of soup recipes and a popular version I saw a lot of was Chicken Corn Chowder, a creamy, rich, and sweet combination that is reminiscent of my mom's potato soup but completely different at the same time.  Most recipes I read required longer cooking times, a lot of ingredients, and me, the cook, standing watch as everything cooked away--not s...

After a busy weekend of mini family reunions, birthday parties and a formal dance, the last thing I wanted to do was make snacks for the super bowl.  So I didn't.  Instead the boys all watched the game, and I sorted my pantry items making sure that the oldest items were in the front, and everything else was neat and tidy.  Because I was in anti-cooking mode, my children were left to their own creativity when it came to snacks.  The oldest, (B1), prepared a snack consisting of chocolate ice cream, bananas, Ritz crackers and a chocolate kiss on top.  It must have been good, because he ate it all but I'm not too upset that none was offered to me. The second child, (B2) prepared a snack not only for herself, but also one for her daddy.  There is nothing better than the creative snacks that children prepare for their parents.  I know my husband enjoyed his Graham cracker, covered in peanut butter and then topped with cheerios, (I know you are drool...

For me, the best part of any cake is the batter. I love to lick the mixing paddle and bowl. I knew this batter would be phenomenal because of the high fat content. Anything with one pound of butter in it HAS to taste good. I was not disappointed. The batter was very thick and creamy with great flavor. I was nice enough to scrap a little bit for each family member and they all loved it as well. Once the batter has been baked into a cake, it has a very smooth, dense, texture and isn’t dry like some homemade cakes can be (must be the one pound of butter). I was hoping for a stronger lemon flavor but I wasn’t completely successful. Since I made this cake for my co-workers it was their approval I was after. Everyone said it was good and I’ve noticed it is getting smaller and smaller every hour. Enjoy! Million-Dollar Pound Cake Revised from The Taste of Home Cookbook **I wanted a more lemony flavor so I added the zest of a whole lemon, along with the juice. I also...