I love to cook. I really do. There are times when I feel like it's a chore, but once I start cooking, I feel good about it. And there are things I absolutely love to cook because I know my family loves that meal. I also like to experiment every now-and-then with new recipes. I don't really like to have the same meals every month. I like variety in my life I suppose, and I definitely don't want my family to get tired of me cooking the same thing over and over.
I do like to watch food network and get inspired from some of the chefs. They always make it look so easy and it makes me want to cook different styles and cultures of food. I also get the Rachel Ray magazine and it gives me new ideas that sometimes becomes part of our family cookbook. But there are those recipes that we have tried that never make it, and instead get thrown away. But that doesn't stop me from trying. We are in that stage with our son to try different foods. He is six years old and has a very limited palette. His staples: pizza, macaroni and cheese, chicken strips, hot dogs, corn dogs and hamburgers. We haven't been successful yet in getting him to eat the same thing as us all the time. But we have made some strides towards that when I make a pasta dish like spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna.
I love to watch "Dinner: Impossible" and "Chopped" on food network. It always surprises me to see what they come up on the spot, with only a few ingredients they are given. And they are so creative. And, of course, when the dishes are completed they are such masterpieces.
I would say that I am a pretty good cook. Give me a recipe and I can cook it just fine. Lately, I've been changing up my recipes. If there is an ingredient I don't want to use, I leave it out and substitute something else in its place. I've changed things up to our own tastes. I love being creative with food, as long as I have a recipe to follow.
Yesterday, my husband decided to throw me a food challenge. I have no idea why. Maybe he wanted to change things up with dinnertime? I have no clue. He gave me a list of seven ingredients and I had to make something for dinner with them. The list he gave me: chicken, potatoes, beans, red onion, bell pepper, cream and wine. The rules: I could use any kind of chicken, potatoes, beans, bell pepper and wine. I have access to the pantry items, of course. I could use other ingredients if I wanted. I couldn't use my crock-pot or rotisserie oven (nothing that made it too easy for me). The wine had to be used in the dish. (I couldn't have it just as a glass of wine, shucks!) And I couldn't make something I've made before or look up a recipe for ideas. It had to come from my head. Oh man! I hope we have a back-up for dinner. Frozen pizza?
I don't think I've ever taken some ingredients and just thrown them together. Well, maybe I have but it has never turned out good. I've always followed a recipe. Again, I'm not that creative. I spent all day trying to figure out what I was going to make. I went to the store to get some inspiration. Still, not much came to mind. I tried to recall something I saw on all those food shows I watch. Nothing! Finally, I just decided to start cooking. Here's what I used:
1 lb chicken tenders
2 tbsp olive oil
3 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch discs
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp dried italian seasoning
2 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 can northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 red onion, sliced into thin strips
1 mango, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Hoyt Cellars Apricot Sauvignon Blanc (this was the easy part)
Here's what I did:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season potatoes with salt and pepper. Cook potato discs enough to brown on each side, about 3 minutes each side. Place in a baking dish, add italian seasoning and finish cooking in oven at 300 degrees, about 15 minutes.
Cook mango, ancho chile powder and wine in a small saucepan until softened and reduced, about 10 minutes. Add mango mixture to potatoes and top with parmesan cheese.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and coat with flour. Add chicken to skillet and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add red onion and red bell pepper, and saute for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir for 1 minute. Add cream and cook until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Add basil and beans to chicken mixture, and cook until beans are heated through, about 2 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
Okay, so it's probably not food network, chef Robert Irvine quality. But it turned out pretty good. That is what the critics said. My husband said it was so good, he is going to have this challenge for me once a week! Thank you, Jason! The funny thing is what I had in my mind when I first started making it was totally different than what actually turned out. It was a little stressful at first, but I just drank a glass of wine while making dinner and voila! I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be "Chopped". My family needs me to keep cooking.
I am going to pay a little more attention to food network this week and take notes. Hopefully next week's dinner will be even better!
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