Family Chow Hall

If you don’t own a bread machine, stop reading this and go buy buns. Or a bread machine.

Homemade bread lovers, this one’s for you. Dr. Atkins, South Beach diet fans, I believe the philosophy of avoiding a lot of carbs, but I just can’t overcome my love for fresh bread.

We’re just having grilled burgers for supper, and I wasn’t going to blog about it, but I decided to make these buns and share the recipe:

Onion burger buns
Prep time: 5 minutes / Cooking time: 3 hours

1 1/4 c. water
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. oil
1 t. salt
2 T. dry minced onion (or 1/2 c. chopped onion, sauteed in the oil)
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. wheat germ
2 t. yeast

Follow the instructions for your bread machine. Use the dough cycle. When the machine is done, punch the dough down and knead a bit to get the big air bubbles out. Roll into 12 balls - they’ll rise, so they may look a little small right now. Place them, almost touching, onto a greased cookie sheet or 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Cover with a towel to prevent drying. After about an hour, they will double in size. Preheat your oven to 375, then bake for about 15 minutes. You can glaze them with some egg and water before baking if you want them glossy on top.

Split the buns, insert burgers, and chow down.

Okay, I happened to notice, last time I was at Stuf-Mart, a lot of people wandering aimlessly down the aisles, cell phone to their ear, haphazardly tossing items into their grocery cart. These people are usually in my way as I am making a beeline from one item on my list to the next. If you are an aimless grocery-store wanderer, please keep reading…

Doesn’t anyone use a list anymore, other than a few scribbled items on a scrap of paper hanging on the fridge? Could this be why so many of us find ourselves eating out more and more, even when we really don’t want to?

I think the list-making process is the KEY to eating right, cooking good meals, and shopping right. We need a plan. We make plans for everything else in life! I’m going to do a short series of blogs on how to plan for your next grocery trip.

First, define what you want. I want variety. I usually want soup one night, a good sandwich another night. A casserole. Something on the grill. Beef… Pork… Chicken… Pasta… Italian… Mexican… German… You get the picture.

There are two ways I can accomplish this. First, I can ask everyone in the family to request one or two meals. This usually provides a good variety. Or, I can think of one meal for each of several different categories. Usually we shop for two weeks of meals at a time, but for example here I will make a list for just one week.

Here is my meal list for next week, provided with help by three of my children:

Beef Stew
Meatball Subs
Burger & Macaroni Casserole
Chicken & Dumplings
Reuben sandwiches
Baked Steak
Grilled Smoked Sausage Kabobs

That’s all I’ll say for today. Think about it, make a list, and check back here tomorrow for more.

We like it spicy!

Our five year old is quite picky but loves spicy chicken. A couple members of our family look a little nervous when I prepare this dish, but I am careful to just lightly dust their chicken with the spices while putting a thick coating on the rest. Hubby thought it was too “limey” the first time I made it, so I cut the lime juice with chicken or beef broth now. Everyone’s happy.

Spicy Lime Chicken
prep time: 10 minutes; cooking time: 15 minutes

Chicken breast halves — as many as you need for your crew.
Marinade:
3 T. Lime juice
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. worcestershire sauce
1 c. water
Spices:
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. cayenne
1/8 t. paprika
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. onion powder
Olive oil
butter
1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. beef or chicken broth
1 t. minced garlic

Marinade the chicken overnight or at least several hours. If you butterfly the thickest parts, the chicken will cook more evenly. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Now sprinkle those spices on as thick as you think you can handle it. Get some butter and oil good ‘n hot in a skillet, then add the chicken. Don’t worry, it’s okay if it smokes a little. If the fire department comes, your skillet might be a little too hot. Cook chicken until done. (depending on thickness and heat, 5 minutes per side) CHECK the chicken to avoid bird flu, selmonella and other nasty diseases. When it’s no longer pink, remove from skillet and stir in the lime juice, broth, and garlic to make a nice brown wangy sauce. Serve sauce and chicken together.

This is great served with brown rice and a salad or other crisp veggies. You might break a sweat eating this dish, but it’s worth it.