help i need new recipes?

Question

i have a husband and 4 kids eges 2,3,6&9 i would like to try something new but not too expensive i dont mind how long it takes to prepare /cook we eat all meats most fruit n vegetables i really enjoy cooking so please set me a challenge remembering the above i look forward to hearing your suggestions .

Answer 1

I'm 27 and I still get my Mom to do this dish for me when I go to visit her, so maybe your family likes it, too: Chicken pastries (well, I guess that's what you would call them - my native tongue's not English). I'm afraid I cannot give you exact amounts for the recipe but only a list of ingredients, but it sounds like you are an experienced cook, so I'm sure you can improvise on that.

Ingredients:
- Puff pastry (preferably already in flat squares)
- chicken breast (basically you don't want bones in there)
- onion
- herbs of the provence (we can buy those deep frozen here but if you can't find dried herbs and let them soak a bit)
- milk
- egg
- flower
- oil
- salt
-pepper

Preparation:

If the puff pastry isn't in flat squares yet you want to get them into that rough shape (about 15 - 20cm). Use the flower so they don't stick to the work surface or the rolling pin. Be careful to not make it too thin otherwise it'll break later.
Cut the onions into small bits and the meat into bite sized bits and prepare your herbs if necessary.
In a frying pan heat a bit of oil and add the onions. Once they are "clear" add the chicken and fry it until it's nice and brown. Then add salt and pepper and the herbs (if you soaked them try to squeeze most of the liquid out) and fry for a bit longer (you don't want them to get crispy). Take off the fire.
Mix an egg yolk with a bit of milk.
Put the chicken on the prepared puff pastry and flap it over so it's all covered and squeeze together the edges. Take a brush or a spoon and glaze the pastries with the egg/milk mixture (you can also use the mixture to stick the edges together if it doesn't work otherwise) and then stick it in the oven according to the instructions on the puff pastry packaging (normally around 180°C) and wait until light brown.
It's perfect finger food (though you have to be careful there'll be hot air coming out when you first bite in) and is really nice with a fresh salad.

Again, apologies that this is such an inexact recipe, but I hope you and your family will like it anyway...

Answer 2

Chicken, Potatoes and Veggies
Cut up your whole chicken.
Take the leg and with a kitchen knife cut along the thigh area, gently pulling apart the leg from the body. With the knife, cut between the joints. You can cut the drumstick away from the thigh by finding the joints.

Remove the wing from the breast, and then cut the breast off the body cavity. Cut the body in half by following the spine.

In a large bowl, add 1 cup water and 2 eggs. Mix well.

Coat the chicken with an egg/water mixture, roll in seasoned bread crumbs. Put on slightly grease baking pan, skin side up. Add crushed garlic to the top and bake 40-45 minutes at 325 degrees. You can cheat and get precrushed garlic at the store... they're ina jar. Its not as tasty but its fast and easy!

If you're real lazy, get some shake n bake type coating, and coat the fresh chicken with that mixture. Tastes just as good.

While the chicken is baking, make some fresh mashed potatoes.
If you have a microwave its super easy.
In a large microwave safe bowl, add 3 potatoes, washed and cut. Peel if you wish. Poke a few holes in it with a fork.
Fill the bowl with water, put in microwave, cover with paper towel or waxed paper, microwave on high for 15 minutes. If you don't have a big enough bowl, microwave 1 and 1/2 potatoes for 8 minutes.

If you don't have a microwave, wash and cut the potatoes and put in a large pot. Fill pot with water until the potatoes are covered. Turn on heat to high and cook until bubbled. Then lower heat to med/high and cook 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

When the potatoes are done (fork should slide easily into it), carefully drain the water. Return to pot or bowl and Mash

If you do not have a potato masher, use the fork and break the potatoes down until you can mash it. Add a splash of milk about 1/4 cup, a gob of butter (or 1/2 stick) and a dash of salt. Mix well. For creamier potatoes, add more milk... but not too much milk or it'll turn mushy. Let the potatoes sit 5 minutes before serving.
To make the potatoes more flavorful, add crushed garlic or some spices like oregano, basil or dill.

Then for veggies, you can serve fresh veggies (ie: corn on the cob, carrots) or frozen or canned.. whichever you prefer

Answer 3

I made a Jamie Oliver recipe the other night, it was gorgeous and pretty cheap too

Take some chicken legs and season with salt and pepper and put in a pyrex dish, chop a load of cherry toms in half and add with some fresh chopped basil leaves and stalks. Add some garlic cloves - he says a whole clove of garlic, peeled but not chopped. Add a chopped red chilli for spice if you want. Tip on some olive oil and put it in the oven on gas mark 5 for about 90 mins. I always add baby potatoes to this dish which roast really well in the juices.

The juices from the tomatoes and chicken and oil all simmer together and coat the chicken making it crispy, its lovely - and I tested it on an eight year old too and he loved it.

If you get the big red chillis they are not as spicy - I use two. I also change the recipe by adding different veg, peppers etc. Its very versatile.

I would definitely reccommend buying his cook books for easy recipes.

Answer 4

Stuffed Grape leaves
250 gm grape leaves
1 cup rice
250 gm mince beef
1 onion
2 Tbsp softened butter
2 cups chicken stock
1 lemon
salt
pepper
peppermint

Grate the onion. Add the butter, rice, mince, salt and peeper to taste, and a pinch of dry peppermint. Mix well until it's like a paste. Put aside.
Put grape leaves in bundles tieing each with a thread. Boil for 5 minutes. Take out and untie the bundles.
Take the leaves, one at a time. Put it soft side up on a plate. Put a bit of the mix in the middle and form a long shape. Close the leaf sides on it and roll the leaf closed.
Put all the leaves in order in a pan leaving no spaces. Cover with chicken stock leaving about 1/4 cup behind. Put on low heat. Cover tightly. When you can't see the stock anymore ( about 30-45 mins later), mix the juice of the lemon with the left stcok and add. Cook for another 20 minutes on low heat.
Serve with youghurt, or just green salad. Enjoy!

PS This is the lebanese recipe. There are two other recipes: Greek and Egyptian. This is my favorite. Hope you like it.

Answer 5

How about making spaghetti and meatballs? Very quick/simple and goes a long way.

You can use Lamb or Beef mince. Mix it up with some seasoning (rock salt and a few herbs), add some chopped onions and then shape them into balls. Roll the balls around in flour to coat them and then fry them.

Add some tomato mix (buy a jar or mix up some chopped tomoatoes/seasoning/herbs/water) and pour over the meatballs. Leave to simmer for a few minutes.

Meanwhile boil your pasta and then serve all together.

Answer 6

Definetly watch food network. Rachel Ray is always whipping up some amazing meals. Or maybe try a picnic style dinner - pasta salad, potatoe salad, shish kabobs with beef chicken or shrimp, mac & cheese, baked beans, cucumber & tomato salad, corn on the cobb, then maybe some strawberry shortcake for dessert! Perfect for any summer night and I'm sure the kids will love it.

Answer 7

well here onr thats big with my four...stuff
2-3# ground beef
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
sliced cheese
tater tots
salt and pepper to taste

brown hamburger in skillet, drain grease. Add cream of mushroom soup(if it's not wet enough you can add a third can).
Put a layer of the mixture in the bottom of a baking dish and add a layer of cheese. Layer in the rest of the mixtiure and layer cheese again. Put tater tots over that and bake in oven as directed on the tater tot package.
Goes well with a side salad too....Affordable and tasty...

Answer 8

Homemade pizza is always a good choice for young kids, since everyone can put on what they like. Even if you can't manage pizza dough, a good chewy foccacia works just as well. Add a little tomato sauce with herbs, grate on some mozzarella, and let the kids add what they like. Easy and fun.

Answer 9

How about chicken goujons? Dip strips of chicken first in seasoned flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs (you can add spices to make it more interesting). Then fry till cooked. Apparently marinading it in buttermilk first makes it really tender. Or you could substitute fish instead.
You could serve it with potato wedges, which you first pre-boil for 8 minutes, then stick in the oven for 30-45 minutes.

Answer 10

Jamie Oliver