Recipe for Success

March 29, 2023 General /FamilyRecipes

Mariah was faced with cooking a meal for her family.

Many thoughts entered her mind at one time. What can I make? Are they going to like it? What if they don’t like it? What would my mother do? How can I give this dish a new twist? Why does this recipe seem so hard?

Cooking can be an overwhelming, yet rewarding activity.

It means different things to different people. It can depend on your family, your experiences with food or even the part of the country where you live. Some people think of fellowship, comfort, love, family and friends when cooking comes to mind. Others are scared to death and won’t go near a kitchen. However, in the long run, cooking can save money and give your family a healthier diet.

The art of cooking starts with meal planning and preparation.

When planning a meal, start with the foods and spices you already have. You should think about the people that you are going to serve — their likes, their dislikes, allergies or special diets. An important thing to consider is time — how much time do you have to cook? Don’t just think of one meal, consider how you might use parts of it later in the week for other meals. Adding one or two ingredients can give your original dish a whole new twist.

If you are new to cooking, it’s a good idea to use a recipe.

Recipes serve as your roadmap for cooking. They tell you the ingredients, temperature and cooking time. Once you get comfortable, you can make the dish with your own personal touch. Below are ten common cooking terms that might help to make things a little easier.

10 Common Cooking Terms

  • BAKE - to cook in an oven
  • BEAT - to mix ingredients together using a fast, circular movement with a spoon, fork, whisk or mixer
  • BLEND/MIX - to mix ingredients together until well combined or smooth, either by hand with a spoon or fork, or with an electric mixer or blender
  • BOIL - to heat a food so that the liquid gets hot enough for bubbles to rise and break the surface
  • BROWN - to cook over medium or high heat until surface of food browns or darkens
  • CHOP - to cut food into small pieces
  • MASH - to squash food with a fork, spoon or masher
  • PREHEAT - to turn oven on ahead of time so that it is at the right temperature when needed (Usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes.)
  • ROAST - to cook in oven in uncovered pan
  • SAUTE - to cook and stir food in a small amount of fat over medium to high heat in an uncovered, shallow pan

Mariah found this easy recipe online, but made a few changes to the recipe.

She was out of fresh garlic, so she used ¼ teaspoon garlic powder instead. Her family loves chicken, so she used 3 pieces instead of 2. Because she found chicken on sale, the total cost was only $7.10 or $0.89 per serving. This recipe provides enough for another meal!

20-Minute Chicken Creole

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 whole, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 (14 ½ ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 cup chili sauce (low sodium)
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Heat a skillet pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and chicken. Cook until no longer pink when cut (3-5 minutes).
  • Reduce heat to medium.
  • Add tomatoes with juice, chili sauce, green pepper, celery, onion, garlic, basil, parsley, cayenne pepper and salt.
  • Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes.
  • Serve over hot, cooked rice or whole wheat pasta.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Recipe modified from Oregon State University Cooperative Extension Services.