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Hello from the kitchen and Happy end of February!
Since it's getting closer to spring, I thought I'd end the month with a big comfort meal. I roasted a chicken. Made mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and filling. Oh, and fried apples. Growing up, we ate a lot of comfort food type meals. Pretty sure they were just called breakfast, lunch and supper and not comfort food, gourmet or organic. Yes, I'm old fashioned.
How are you all dealing with the sticker shock at the grocery stores? Remember to take a list along and try to stick to it. Eat before you go. Just because it says 'it's on sale' doesn't mean it's cheaper. Watch the prices of things you buy. Sometimes they raise the price and then offer it on sale. I recently bought a whole chicken and got a few meals from it. I'd highly recommend buying veggies at roadside stands, markets or bulk stores in your area. I got the potatoes, beans and apples at a local Mennonite-run store. Take a list along to all the stores you frequent. Also, growing your own veggies saves you not just money, but time in the store. Starting a garden is a good way to save, too, if that's an option for you. When I was a child, our garden consisted of a patch of potatoes and a patch of sweet corn. Harvesting those veggies seemed like drudgery at the time but did it ever taste good in mid- winter.
I like to put a whole chicken in the crockpot overnight and in the morning debone it and put it on a serving plate. I'm sharing my filling recipe with you that I've used in the catering business for years. The fried apple recipe, well, it wasn't really a recipe. It just popped into my head.
Filling
• 12-16 ounces bread cubes
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp season salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP dried parsley
• 1.5-2 cups either chicken broth or vegetable stock
Put bread cubes in a large bowl. In a microwaveable bowl put the broth, butter and all the seasonings. Microwave till butter is melted. Pour over the cubes and toss around so the flavors are on all the cubes. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until the top is nice and browned.
Serve hot.
Fried apples
• 3 apples, peeled and sliced
(I used a softer apple)
• 4 TBSPs butter
• 1/4 c packed brown sugar
• 2 TBSPs heavy cream
• Cinnamon for sprinkling on top
Melt butter in a skillet. Add the apple slices and fry for 5 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar and the cream over and stir gently. Simmer on low for a few more minutes. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over top before serving. I like to grate a bit of fresh nutmeg on it for added flavor. Serve warm either alone or over ice cream.
Happy cooking and eat well my friends!
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Bev Kauffman, of Lewistown, operated a catering business in Juniata County for nearly 20 years. She has authored the cookbook, "Preserving the Past: In the Kitchen with Bev Kauffman" in 2013 and is currently working on a second cookbook.