I use chicken a lot. I guess that’s because I can prepare all kinds of tasty dishes with this quintessential white meat. It is such a versatile protein. I also love turkey and duck, but turkey usually doesn’t appear on our dinner table except at Thanksgiving and possibly again at Christmas. I simply don’t think about fixing a turkey or even part of a turkey any other time of the year. Except in the form of ground meat. Then I use it more than ground chicken (if I can find it) because I like the flavor better. And as for duck – we both love duck. But again, I just don’t think of serving it as often as chicken. Basically, because it’s not as readily available. I must go out of my way to find duck.  Either make a trip to Central Market or order it on-line. And duck is expensive. So, that leaves chicken as my go-to poultry product.

So, below you will mainly find chicken recipes. But if you look closely, you will find duck and turkey recipes interspersed among the more pedestrian white meat recipes.  

Well, that’s it for today. We have a JazzVox concert here next Sunday, so I am up to my eyeballs in ingredients to feed 37 hungry attendees. And those ingredients refuse to turn into a tasty dish without my assistance. So, I best get to it.

May you too be blessed with ingredients to make delicious and nourishing food for yourself and your family and friends. We who have a full refrigerator and the means to keep it that way are the lucky ones. And I know, there are those who feel it has nothing to do with luck. I am not one of those people. Because I did not choose to have intelligent, loving parents. I did not have a choice when it came to my IQ. Believe me, if I had my choice, I would be far smarter, taller, have a fourth the metabolism of a pygmy shrew, and curly red hair. As it is, I was lucky enough to have parents who instilled honesty, empathy, forgiveness in me along with all the others life skills taught to most kindergarteners. I was and still am – just plain lucky!

Peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE CHICKEN, ETC. RECIPES 

Baked Chicken in a Savory White Wine Cream Sauce

Baked Chicken with Sour Cream and Mushrooms

Brined Oven Roasted Whole Chicken

Buffalo Wings

Cassoulet (chicken and duck)

Chicken Cacciatore with Parmesan Polenta

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Layered with Sage, Prosciutto, and Provolone Cheese (Chicken Saltimbocca)

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Saffron Rice

Duck Breasts with Orange Marmalade Sauce

Duck Ragù with Fettuccine

French Chicken Liver Pâté

Herb and Lemon Basted Turkey Breast with Cognac Pan Gravy

Herb Roasted Half Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

Herb Salted Turkey with Cognac Gravy

Hot Pepper Chicken Bites with Cilantro Sour Cream Sauce 

Hungarian Paprikás Csirke (Chicken Paprika)

Leftover Turkey à la King

Merry Me When I eat This Chicken Over Creamy Polenta

Oven Braised Chicken with Garlic, Rosemary, and White Wine

Oven Chicken Fricassee

Sautéed Chicken with Gruyère Cheese, Mushrooms, and White Wine   

Smothered Fried Chicken

Spicy Fried Chicken Thighs

Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings

  

My friend Jim called last night to tell me I forgot Mashed Potatoes and “Grandma” Gravy from my posting of My Favorite Side Dishes. I had a list already started for Savory Sauces and Gravies, but after talking with Jim I decided gravies needed their own list. Because if anything is more delicious and harder to achieve than a fantastic gravy, I have yet to prepare or taste it. And about the “grandma” part, well it’s because Jim always tells me I make good gravy because I’m a grandma. Ridiculous! It’s not being a grandma. The number one secret to making great gravy is time. Time spent preparing gravy (decades in my case) and actual time for the gravy to burble while the flavors develop, and the mixture thickens to glossy perfection. So, in my estimation, practice and patience are the two main ingredients in a wonderful gravy.   

So, along with providing you with my list of favorite gravies, I decided to write down my way of ensuring successful gravy results. There are just a few simple steps to follow, but they make all the difference in the world. (Or at least I think they do!)

Fat – drippings and brown bits from roasting/frying turkey, chicken, pork, or beef, unsalted butter, or fat of choice.

Flour or starch of choice – added to fat over low heat until the mixture resembles wet sand. This step takes time because you want all the fat absorbed by the starch. (And BTW, flour is my starch of choice.) If you are adding onion, garlic, or any other veggie to your gravy, slowly caramelize the onion in the fat and add the other veggies for just a minute before whisking in the flour. Let the mixture turn a nice golden brown before slowly adding liquid.

Liquid – Hot broth or stock (homemade is best), milk, or cream whisked in a small amount at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Whisking helps prevent lumps. This process takes me at least 20 minutes. Actually, when I am making turkey gravy, I start making the gravy as soon as the turkey comes out of the oven and has been transferred to a platter to rest before being sliced.

Don’t add salt until your final taste before serving, especially when using purchased broth or stock. (Even low-sodium stock or broth.) And never add salt when you make your own broth or stock. Salt can always be added. But do add a bit of freshly ground black pepper to any gravy.

Taste as you go along. If a boost of flavor is required, add a bit of base or even a gravy mix. (All’s fair when it comes to great gravy!) Better Then Bouillon makes great flavor bases. Plus, they offer a wide variety of flavors.    

For brown or white gravy, add a bit of Kitchen Bouquet. Kitchen Bouquet adds a nice rich color to your gravy. This seasoning sauce is primarily composed of caramel with vegetable flavorings. I also use KB in stews and some soups.

For any gravy, fresh herbs and spices can be really tasty. Wine or dry sherry are also fine additions.

Give it time! Gravy requires time to thicken and become silky smooth. So, never rush your gravy. And serve it super-hot.

Cognac – OK, not everyone has a small bottle of cognac in their pantry. But I would not have it any other way. Just a bit added to some gravies just before serving lifts the taste of your gravy to a new dimension. A tad bit of fresh lemon juice is also wonderful for certain gravies. 

Well, that’s it. All I have to say on the subject of gravy. Except, gravy is comfort food. Probably not a good idea to serve it every day. But on special occasions, there is simply nothing finer. I mean really, what would mashed potatoes and turkey dressing be without turkey gravy? Inconceivable! That’s what it would be. Inconceivable!   

So, with thoughts of turkey gravy happily floating through my mind, I wish you all peace and love.

MY FAVORITE GRAVIES

Bacon Flavored Red Gravy (under Grilled Meatloaf with Bacon Flavored Red Gravy)

Beef Gravy with Mushrooms and Onion

Creamy Chicken Gravy

Italian Chicken Gravy (over polenta)

Lamb Gravy (under Stuffed Boneless Leg of Lamb)

Mushroom Gravy (under Jägerschnitzel – German Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy)

Onion Gravy (under Beer Braised Bangers (Sausages) with Onion Gravy)

Pan Gravy (under Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy)

Sausage Gravy (under Biscuits with Sausage Gravy)

Turkey Gravy with Cognac

This was a hard category for me to undertake. For me, side dishes are often more important to the meal than the entrée. Wait, that’s not true. Most of the time, for me, side dishes make the meal.

As I’ve gotten older, I find meat less appealing. Yes, I still eat meat. But a lot less than when I was younger. So, keeping my list of favorite side dishes to a reasonable size was like asking me to choose which of my kids I loved the most. Almost impossible! (Not for my kids because I love them all to the moon and back.) But to choose my favorite side dishes? Holy cow. And then, what constitutes a side dish? The starch or the vegetables or a combination thereof. So, I have broken this category into two parts. MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE STARCH) and MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE VEGGIES).

And even then, the lists are longer than I wanted. But none of these dishes could be eliminated. So, if you were looking for a short list, just know that I tried my darndest to adhere to the KISS principle. (Keep It Simple Sister.) But this was the best I could do.

So, I hope you find these lists beneficial. I know looking at my “favorites” lists is a lot easier than looking through all the recipes on this site. But don’t limit yourself to just my favorites. Because all the recipes on this site I consider worthy of your time and effort in the kitchen.

OK, that’s it for today. It’s stormy outside so there are no mountains in evidence. It’s windy, so the birds must have hunkered down and decided to stay at ground level rather than be up in our trees. Even Port Susan Bay is disguised as a fog bank. So, our outdoor color palette for today seems to be restricted to various shades of grey and green. With more of the same predicted.

But we are cozy in our home, with nothing more important to worry about than the possibility of snow this weekend. My wish is that every person on earth was blessed with this same inconsequential level of concern. I realize this will never be the case. But if I happen upon a bottle with a genie in it, my first and only wish will be for life to become considerably easier for everyone on earth.

Peace and love to all.     

MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE STARCH)

Asian Flavored Steamed Rice

Baked Cheddar Cheese and Fresh Chive Polenta

Brown Rice Patties

Creamy and Savory Grits

Creamy Garlic and Rosemary Polenta

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Creamy Polenta with Cream Cheese

Easy Fried Rice

Fried Marinated Tofu with Green Onions and Sesame Seeds

Green Chilies and Rice Casserole

Gruyèr Cheese Soufflé

Israeli Couscous with Shallots, Garlic, and Shiitake Mushrooms

Lemon Pepper Rice

Lemony Quinoa with Fresh Herbs

Mushroom Risotto with Green Onions and Peas

Potato, Gruyère Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Gratin

Noodles Romanoff

Quinoa, Kale, and Shallot Pilaf

Rice Cooker Savory Brown Basmati Rice

Savory German Bread Pudding with Mushrooms

Savory Kale and Mushroom Strata (Bread Pudding)

Savory Mushroom Rice-A-Roni

Savory Wild Rice, Brown Rice, and Mushroom Pilaf

Simple Vegetarian Fried Brown Basmati Rice

Spinach and Mushroom Wild Rice Pilaf

Turmeric Rice

White Cheddar Cheese Grits

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

MY FAVORITE SIDE DISHES (EMPHASIS ON THE VEGGIES)  

Accordion Baked Potatoes (Hasselback) (Under Easy Friday Night Fish Fry)

Beets in a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

Braised Green Cabbage

Cheezy Baked Cauliflower

Chinese Salt and Pepper oven Roasted Beans

Collard Greens with Smoked Pork Hock

Creamy Caramelized Pearl Onions and Petite Peas

Creamy Corn Pudding

Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Dried Corn Casserole

Eggplant Parmesan Light

French Mashed Potatoes with Gruyère and Mozzarella Cheese (Aligot)

Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Fried Zucchini

German Potato Salad

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Chili Garlic Sauce

Honey and Soy Sauce Glazed Green Beans

Honey, Thyme, and Balsamic Glaze Dressed Beets with Feta Cheese

Mashed Potatoes with Bacon, Cheese, Chives, and Sour Cream

Oktoberfest Sauerkraut

Oven Baked Melting Potato Slices

Oven Roasted Steak Fries with Fry Sauce

Roasted Carrots with a Honey Bourbon Glaze

Roasted Veggies with Lemon Garlic Aioli

Scalloped Potatoes

Spinach and Gruyère Cheese Gratin

Spinach with Almonds and Feta Cheese

Sweet Potato Casserole

Twice Baked Potatoes

Yukon Gold and Sweet Potato Gratin with Manchego Cheese

Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with Pepper Jack and White Cheddar Cheese

Zucchini, Caramelized Onion, and Pepper Jack Cheese Gratin

Zucchini Pancakes

Since it is winter and the holidays are over and I’m still recovering from all the food, fun, and friendship, I decided it was the perfect time to share my favorite casseroles with you. Because casseroles are comfort food. And who doesn’t need a little extra consideration after all the hard work of making the holidays special for family and friends.   

Now, I’m not implying that every casserole can be thrown together at lightning speed. That just isn’t how it works. Some casseroles take a great deal of preparation. For example – lasagna. Which at first glance appears to be easy-peasy. Easy to prepare yes, quick to make, not so much. But casseroles often have the redeeming quality of needing only one other dish to make the meal complete. Lasagna again, for example, needs only a green salad to make for wonderful eating. Of course, garlic bread wouldn’t hurt. But not absolutely necessary. (Except at our house. But that’s a story for a later time.)

A guess my point is that casseroles once prepared, can often just be popped in the oven while a simple salad is being prepared. After that, if the cook is lucky, she or he can relax a bit while the oven does the finishing work. Or if extremely lucky, can imbibe a glass of something refreshing while contemplating the world from a comfy chair in front of the fire.

And not to be forgotten, casseroles can usually be made ahead. And that too is a great thing.

But basically, casseroles make for good eating. And I know, some people turn their noses up at the very thought of casseroles. I can only feel sorry for these poor folks who must have endured too many dry tuna casseroles as children. (I am among that group.) But luckily, I got over the horror of tuna casserole when I learned to cook.

So, if you too enjoy a good casserole, know that from all my casserole recipes, these are my all-time favorites.

In the next few days, I will also be posting My Favorite Vegetable Side Dishes. Many on the side dish list would also fit perfectly on this list of favorite casseroles. So, keep that in mind when you need ideas for baked veggie dishes.

Well, that’s it for now. Mr. C. has a gig tonight at the Rockfish Grill in Anacortes with the Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet. (Four of my favorite people who just happen to also be great musicians.) So, I need to get going.

But before I stop blathering for today, I do hope you know how much I enjoy sharing my world with you. And I do appreciate that you allow me to be myself, even though I’m sure you often throw your hands up and roll your eyes at some of my stream of consciousness diatribes. Just think of yourselves as my avenue to sanity.

Because sometimes I just can’t keep my worrisome thoughts and feelings to myself. What is currently happening to our world often makes me extremely sad. I hate wars of any kind. I loathe the gun violence in our country. I detest any group feeling superior to another and acting on that ignorance. And I especially despise the political division in our country even though I try to understand other people’s opinions. But not when they involve greed, hate, prejudice, and a willingness to hurt others for their own gain. Or to inflict their own personal belief or beliefs to the inevitable detriment of others. There I draw the line. So, to my thinking, if I don’t draw a line and express my concern, then I am silently expressing approval. And I absolutely refuse to do that! So, pardon my strong feelings on these matters, but hopefully you will understand that it comes from a place of deep concern and empathy.

If you too have something to say in defense of others who may not have a voice, please do so. If nothing else, it will help you get whatever it is off your chest. And if done in the spirit of offering a respectful difference of opinion, the other person might possibly re-think his or her own position. Or you might possibly change your own way of thinking. That too could happen. And all in the spirit of learning and civility.

And as always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE CASSEROLES (or casserole like dishes)

Baked Cheesy Chicken Florentine Casserole

Baked Chicken with Sour Cream and Mushrooms

Baked Puttanesca with Béchamel Sauce 

Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

Cheezy Stuffed Green Peppers

Chicken Enchilada Suizas Casserole

Chicken Pot Pie – Have it Your Way!

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

Creamy Mac and Cheese

Fast and Easy Italian Sausage Pasta

Green Chilies and Rice Casserole

Gruyère Cheese, Spinach, and Mushroom Breakfast Casserole

Italian Casserole with Sausage, Mushrooms, and Sour Cream

Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Cheese, and Egg Breakfast Casserole

Italian Sausage Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers and Mozzarella Cheese

Italian Sausage, Spinach, and Mushroom Casserole

Lasagna Bolognese

Pancetta and Gruyère Breakfast Casserole

Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Cheese Béchamel Sauce 

Three Cheese Macaroni Casserole (gourmet Mac and Cheese)

Vegetable Lasagna

OK, back to my regularly scheduled posts. I had to take a couple days off to make Holiday Fruitcake (recipe on site), host Jim and Margo for my first try at preparing Cassoulet and get mincemeat (under Mincemeat Galette) started. Mincemeat (no critters harmed in my recipe BTW) needs to mellow in a cold environment for a couple three weeks before it is ready to be used in whatever dish I decide is worthy of its magnificence. And as “they” say, timing is everything! So, regardless of my commitment to you to provide you with my favorite recipes, Christmas reared its head and demanded my attention. But, at least for now, I’m back to post my list of favorite recipes by categories.

Like I said in an earlier post, this is not easy. Because I love food. And singling out just a few recipes out of over 2,000 (either on this blog or in my 2 cookbooks) is taxing. But being the considerate person that I am, and tired to death with being asked what my favorite recipe for this or that is, I am back on track. Well at least until it is time to make all the cookies and goodies that go in my kids and special friends Christmas treats packages. So, if I get off track again, get over it! I’ll get to each category as time permits. Remember, I’m 79 years old. Cut me some slack! (Now, if I could just remember to do the same, I would be a lot happier. But I digress!)

Anyway, these are my favorite beef recipes. And the ones I am going to prepare again and again until either my doctor tells me to cut back on beef (which I already have) or I look one more cow in the eyes and decide that there is no way I am going to be responsible for any more of these critters’ early loss of life! (And yes, I’m getting soft in my old age. I’m actually quite fine with that!)

So, my friends, I hope you enjoy these recipes. But certainly, don’t limit yourself to my favorites. Food is such a personal thing. Eat what you like. Eat healthily (at least most of the time). Cook from scratch. And try to make each meal special not only for yourself, but also for your family and friends.

And as always, peace and love to all.

MY FAVORITE BEEF RECIPES

Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Burgundy)

Beef Stew

Beef Stroganoff

Ćevapčići (Serbian Grilled Sausages)

Cheezy Stuffed Green Peppers

Chez Carr Chili Con Carne

Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy

Grilled Argentine (Like) Marinated Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Grilled Meatloaf with Bacon Flavored Red Gravy

Hamburger Dip Sandwiches with Onion and Dry Sherry Au Jus

Hamburger Steak with Mushroom Onion Gravy

Meatballs (under Old Fashioned Spaghetti and Meatballs)

Old Fashioned Meatloaf

Oven Baked Boneless Beef Country Style Short Ribs

Pot Roast with Potatoes, Onions, and Carrots  

Quick and Easy Marinated Flank Steak

Simple Braised Corn Beef with Horseradish Cream Sauce

Steak Au Poivre (Peppercorn Steak)

Swedish Meatballs

Swiss Steak with Cheddar Cheese Polenta

Swiss Steak with Mushrooms

Weeknight Tamale Pie