Montreal Crumb Coated Potato Wedges and Post 500

It is sort of a milestone for me today as this is my 500th post.  When I started this blog back in 2011, I am not sure that I thought that it would ever get this far, but I am still here. It is not, however, my 500th recipe so I will save celebrating for that milestone.

Today’s recipe, Montreal Crumb-Coated Potato Wedges, is an easy side dish to make when you want to do a little something different with potatoes, and it goes well with any meat dish from steak to meatloaf.

I like to cut my potato wedges from the curved side of the potato as shown below.  I think that I have better control of the size of the wedges when I do this.

You can use either my Sorta Montreal Steak Seasoning or the commercial product.  Of course, any other seasoning blend can be used for this dish, also.   I prefer to use melted butter for the flavor, but do use olive oil whenever I am feeling lazy.

Montreal Crumb-Coated Potato Wedges
2 1/2 lbs. medium potatoes, about 3 to 4-inches long,  about 8 potatoes
2 T. melted butter or olive oil
1/2 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1 t. Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt

Peel potatoes and cut into wedges.  Place wedges in cold water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes.  Drain wedges and dry well with a clean kitchen towel.  Place wedges in a mixing bowl and drizzle with the melted butter or olive oil.  Toss until all wedges are coated.  Place the bread crumbs and seasonings in a plastic bag.  Shake potato wedges a few at a time in the bread crumbs until well covered.  Place on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan.  Roast about 20 minutes in a 375-degree oven.  Turn potatoes and cook another 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.  Serve these with a dipping sauce such as honey mustard or ranch dressing if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

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Homemade Celery Salt-Almost Free

Whenever I came across a recipe that called for celery salt, I never seemed to have any on hand.  I would look at the price of celery salt in the grocery and wince.  Since hubby does not like celery leaves in soups and such, I would throw the leaves away and feel guilty for wasting food.

Then one day I decided to try to dry my celery leaves and a way to make Homemade Celery Salt was born.  Now I can have celery salt whenever I need it, save money and not waste food.  It turned out to be so easy that I almost did not believe it.

See all the beautiful leaves on the celery stalk above.  Just snip them off as you use celery and place in a shallow pie pan.  If you have a pan that has holes in it, that is best.  Discard any leaves that are wilted or discolored.  Just place the pie pan in an out-of-the-way place in you kitchen and let the leaves dry.  This will take several days.

When the leaves are dry, store them in a zip-top bag.  Continue to add leaves to the pie pan as you use the celery.  When you get to the heart of the celery you will have quite a few leaves to put in your pie pan and may need to use two pans.  You always want the leaves to be in a single layer.  Continue to add the dried leaves to the zip top bag.

When there is about one-half cup of dried leaves, that will be enough to process in a spice grinder or a mini food processor.  That amount will yield about 1 1/2 T. of ground celery powder.  To make celery salt, mix the powder with an equal amount of salt.  Rather than make a large batch of celery salt, I just store the celery powder in an air-tight container and mix it with the salt as needed.  This way I can use the celery powder by itself if I want to.  Try this and enjoy “almost free”  homemade celery salt.

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Cooking with the Journal-Chili Seasoning Mix plus Recipes

This post could just as well been posted under DIY Groceries on Monday, but the recipe is from a Farm Journal cookbook so I am posting it here.

In my humble opinion, seasoning mixes are some of the most over-priced items that can be purchased at the grocery store.  They are usually made up of ingredients that most people keep in their pantries and contain unnecessary additives.  It take very little time to throw together one’s own seasoning mix.

This recipe and two of the recipes to use it with are from “The Thrifty Cook”, 1974.  This is one of my most used cookbooks.  You can use this mix anywhere a chili seasoning mix is called for.

Chili Seasoning Mix
The Thrifty Cook
Farm Journal Books, 1974

3 T. flour (you can leave this out for gluten free diets)
2 T. instant dry minced onion
1 1/2 t. chili powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. crushed dried red pepper (opt. leave out if serving children)
1/2 t. instant dry minced garlic
1/2 t. sugar

Combine all ingredients.  Store in plastic zip-top snack bag.  Makes 1 packet.  Repeat to make as many packets as desired.

Ranch-Style Chili
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet Chili Seasoning Mix
1 (1 lb.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, undrained
1/2 c. water

Cook ground beef in a skillet until well browned.  Drain if necessary.  Blend in Chili Seasoning Mix.  Stir in tomatoes and beans.  Use measured out water to rinse tomato and beans cans.  Add to skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Texas Meat Ball Stew
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/4 c. fine dry bread crumbs
1 T. milk
1/2 t. salt
1 T. vegetable oil
1 (1 lb.) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 c. elbow macaroni
1 packet Chili Seasoning Mix
2 c. water

Place ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk and salt in a bowl.  Mix together thoroughly.  Form mixture into 1-inch balls.  Brown meatballs on all sides in hot vegetable oil in large saucepan.  Drain off any excess fat.  Add tomatoes, kidney beans, macaroni and Chili Seasoning Mix.  Use measured out water to rinse tomato and bean cans.  Add to saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring gently.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Makes 6 servings.

Chili and Shells Goulash (my recipe and photo above)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet Chili Seasoning Mix
1 (1 lb.) can diced tomatoes-I used Rotel
1 (1 lb.) can chili beans
1 c. small shell pasta
2 c. water

Brown ground beef in large saucepan.  Drain if necessary.  Add Chili Seasoning Mix and cook for a minute or two.  Add tomatoes, beans, and shell pasta.  Use measured out water to rinse out tomato and bean cans.  Add to saucepan.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil, stirring often.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Serve sprinkled with cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese.  Makes 6 servings.

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DIY Groceries-Chicken Seasoning Mix & Clean the Pantry Chicken

Good Monday Morning.  Welcome to my new followers and thanks to you all for reading my blog.  I hope that you find some useful information here.

This is a seasoning mix I like to keep on hand to use when I make oven-fried chicken.  It is easy to put together and keeps 6 months when tightly covered.  It makes 1/2 c. mix which is 8 batches of chicken so I use mine up long before 6 months.

Chicken Seasoning Mix
2 T. Parsley Flakes
1 T. Ground Marjoram
2 t. Ground Rosemary
1 t. Onion Powder
1 T. Ground Ginger
1 t. Ground Sage
1 T.  ground Oregano
1 T.Ground Thyme
1 t. Garlic Powder
2 t. Celery Salt
1 t. Pepper
1 T. Paprika  (smoked if you have it)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or mini food processor. Blend briefly to chop parsley and thyme. Spoon mixture into a small airtight container and label as Chicken Seasoning Mix.  Store in a cool dry place and use within 6 months.   Makes about 1/2 cup.

We have friends who have a home on Moses Lake who have us come up with the grandkids and take them tubing every year.  We did that this last weekend.  I always make chicken and potato salad to have for lunches so people can just eat whenever they want.  Usually, I do thighs and legs as they are easy to grab and eat.

When I was checking to see what I had for coating the chicken, I found some bread crumbs, panko, potato flakes, and Rice Krispies.  I had a little of each so In keeping with my informal pantry clean-up challenge, I just used them all.  Hence-Clean the Pantry Chicken.

I used skinless thighs and legs, but a whole, cut-up chicken can be used or even chicken breasts.  I would probably adjust the heat of the oven and the time for chicken breasts.

Clean the Pantry Chicken

7 or 8 pieces of chicken or 10 to 12 legs
1/3 c. dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. panko crumbs
1/3 c. instant mashed potato flakes
1 1/2 c. Rice Krispies crushed to 3/4 c.
1 T. Chicken Seasoning Mix
2 eggs
2 T. milk
1/2 to 1 t. hot sauce
1/3-1/2 c. butter, melted or vegetable oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine bread crumbs, panko crumbs, potato flakes and Rice Krispies in a large pie pan.  Combine eggs, milk and hot sauce in another pie pan or bowl.  Place butter in a foil-lined (preferably non-stick) jelly roll pan.  Place in oven to melt.  Dip chicken in egg.  Remove letting excess egg drip off.  Place chicken piece in crumb mixture pressing down to coat.  Turn over and coat opposite side.  Place on waxed paper.  Repeat with all chicken pieces.  When butter has melted, place all chicken pieces in jelly roll pan.  Bake 20 minutes, turn chicken over with tongs, bake 20 minutes longer or until chicken is done.  Serve hot or remove to rack to cool if serving cold.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

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Frugal Friday Tips-Make Your Own Onion Soup Mix

Today I am going to talk a little bit about onions and onion soup mix.  Onions generally keep for some time, but if they are starting to go “south” as they say, chop them up and put in the freezer.  Put the chopped onions in 1/2 c. amount in snack bags.  Put the snack bags into a large freezer bag and freeze.  The onions can then be removed as needed and added directly to soups, stews, sauces, and casseroles.

One of the handiest things to have in your kitchen is onion soup mix because there are so many things you can do with it.  Purchased onion soup mix is expensive and high in sodium.  A homemade version of the mix can be made in less than 5 minutes with ingredients probably on hand, and will be lower in sodium even with using the instant beef broth granules.  If sodium is a concern, use low sodium granules.  Note:  The mix in the photo above is not as brown as some would be due to the brand of instant broth I used.

The mix can be stored in an air-tight container and measured out as needed, or 5 T (the equivalent of 1 envelope of mix) can be measured into snack bags and stored in a larger plastic storage bag.  Dividing the mix up ahead saves time when using it.

An advantage of homemade mixes is that they can be customized to a person’s tastes.  After trial and error, this is my version of homemade onion soup mix with several recipes to use it in.  I like to place my dried onions in a 350 degree oven and toast them for about 3 minutes, but that is optional.  Watch them carefully.

Homemade Onion Soup Mix

3/4 c. dried onion flakes, toasted if desired
1/3 c. instant beef broth granules
1 T. onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. celery seed
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. black pepper

Combine all ingredients together, blending very well.  Store in an air-tight container.  When ready to use, shake container well and use 5 T. for 1 envelope of mix.  This can also be divided up into 5 T. amounts and stored in snack bags.  If using for onion dip, spread, or rice add 1 t. dried parsley to each 5 T. mix
.
Onion Dip

5 T. Onion Soup Mix
1 c. sour cream or cottage cheese (put through a blender)

Mix soup mix and sour cream or cottage cheese together and let chill at least 1 hour.

For Onion-Cheese Dip add 1 T. grated Parmesan Cheese to above mixture.

Onion Spread

5 T. Onion Soup Mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) softened cream cheese, reg., low-fat, or fat-free

Mix soup mix and cream cheese together, blending well.  Let chill at least 1 hour.

Onion Rice Pilaf

1 T. butter or olive oil
1 c. rice, uncooked
1/2 c. vermicelli or thin spaghetti broken into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 T. onion soup mix
1 1/2 to 2 c. chicken broth or water.

Melt butter in medium saucepan.  Add rice and vermicelli and cook until vermicelli is browned, watching carefully and stirring often.  Add onion soup mix and chicken broth or water.  Bring to boiling, reduce, cover and simmer until rice is done and liquid is absorbed.  I give a range on the water because most directions  call for 2 cups water to 1 c. rice, but I have better luck with 1 1/2 cups.  Serves 4.

Curried Apricot or Peach Chicken

Chicken:  may be whole, cut-up; skinless thighs, or boneless, skinless chicken breasts-enough for 4-6 people
1 bottle (8 oz.) bottle Catalina Dressing or make your own.
1 (10-12 oz.) jar apricot or peach jam
5 T. onion soup mix
1/2 –1 t. curry powder

Place chicken in a foil-lined baking pan.  Combine Catalina Dressing, jam, onion soup mix, and curry powder.  Pour over chicken.  Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour depending on what chicken parts you use.  Sauce is good served over rice or couscous.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Greek Chicken-An Experiment, Mostly Successful

I really like the moist, slightly teriyaki flavored chicken meat that I get from Simmered Chinese Chicken and have wondered for some time if I could use the same method to make a Greek flavored chicken.  My husband had to be gone yesterday, so I decided that was the day to give it a try.

First I put a Greek seasoning mix on the chicken and let it chill for a couple of hours.  Then I combined ingredients from several recipes to come up with the mixture to cook the chicken in.  When the chicken was done, I had a chicken with the moist chicken meat I had hoped for and a nicely flavored gravy/sauce.  The chicken didn't have quite as much flavor as I had hoped so next time I will rub the seasoning mix under the skin.

Recently I had made Smothered Pork Chops in the Slow Cooker from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  (I had cooked some thin pork steaks in the oven using the ingredients in the recipe).  I decided to use a similar method for making the gravy/sauce for the chicken.

You can use Cavendar's Greek Seasoning or make your own.   I have seen the seasoning recipe I used a number of places on the internet, but Food for My Family has it with a Mediterranean Bean Salad and Chicken Gyros recipe so I will give credit to her.  The one variation I have seen in the seasoning mix is the addition of 1 t. instant beef bouillon.

Greek Seasoning
2 t. salt
2 t. dried oregano
1 1/2 t. onion powder
2 t. garlic powder
1 t. cornstarch
1 t. pepper
1 t. dried parsley flakes
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. grated nutmeg

Mix together and store in a cool, dry place.

Greek Chicken
1 3 1/2-4  lb. whole fryer
2 t. olive oil
1 T. Greek seasoning (above) or Cavendar's
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c dry white wine
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T Greek yogurt
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. marjoram
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. rosemary, crushed
1/2 t. basil
1 large clove garlic, minced
3/4 c. chopped onion
cornstarch

Remove giblets from chicken.  Rinse well and pat dry.  Lift chicken skin and rub 1/2 t. or so Greek seasoning over chicken breasts.  Brush chicken front with 1 t. olive oil and sprinkle with 1 t. Greek seasoning  Turn chicken over, brush with 1 t. olive oil and sprinkle with 1 t. Greek seasoning.  Place chicken in plastic bag or wrap in plastic and chill 2 hours or more.

Heat 1 T. olive oil in Dutch oven until hot.  Add chicken and brown well on both sides.  Remove from heat.  Add onion to Dutch oven.  Combine remaining ingredients and mix until yogurt is well blended.  Pour over chicken.  Heat until liquid boils, then turn heat down to maintain a simmer.  Cover and cook about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.  Remove chicken and keep warm.

Pour liquid in Dutch oven through a sieve to catch solids.  Set solids aside.  Pour liquid into gravy separator,  pour 1 cup or so into a blender container, stopping when fat gets to the bottom of spout.  You may have more liquid than will fit into the separator at one time.  If so, fill it in batches.  Pour remaining liquid into a 1-quart glass measuring cup.  Add reserved solids to blender container and blend until smooth.  Pour into the measuring cup.  Note amount of liquid in cup.  (I had about 2 1/2 cups.)  Pour liquid back into Dutch oven or a saucepan.  Add remaining Greek seasoning.  Mix together 1 T. cornstarch for each cup of liquid in pan with 1/3 to 1/2 c. water, blending well.  Add to liquid in Dutch oven.  Cook and stir over medium heat until sauce/gravy is desired thickness.  Serve with the chicken.

 
I tasted the chicken meat today after it was refrigerated overnight.  It is wonderfully moist with just a hint of additional flavor.  So next time I will put the Greek seasoning under the skin and add a bay leaf or two to the liquid the chicken is cooked in.  All-in-all, I am pretty happy with the results of my experiment.  It certainly is a long way from being a dish destined for the garbage.

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