Karyn's Kitchen

How To Be Creative With Chicken, Pasta and Vegetables

Experiment and cook something easy for dinner tonight.

Another day, another roasted chicken. Yup, I do them fairly regularly because it’s so simple and feeds us multiple meals. But that doesn’t mean I want to eat it with mashed potatoes and gravy every time. How about with pasta? Michael never argues about pasta. Here’s what to cook for dinner tonight that’s easy.

Linguine with roasted chicken breast, shitake and asparagus on a white plate

Since the oven was on, it was a cinch to roast some asparagus while the cooked chicken rested. Onions, shitakes and garlic in a skillet with olive oil. Done. Hit it with a little truffle oil to serve if you have some.

A couple days later some of these ingredients reappeared in another pasta dish. Nothing is easier than pasta, right? It’s a great way to use up all kinds of bits and bobs…like this:

Spaghetti with roasted chicken, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes and bacon crumbles on a white plate

Wait! Do I see two kinds of pasta mixed together on that plate? Don’t tell me you’ve never done it…so I had a tiny bit of the linguine left over from the previous meal and why waste it? The mushroom flavor was a nice addition to the rest of this dish. Artichoke hearts that didn’t make it into a salad the day before. A few crumbles of bacon left over from BLTs a couple days before that. Did I season that chicken with some Herbs de Provence or thyme? I don’t really remember, but it was divine…not bad for a mish mosh of ingredients thrown together. What’s your favorite quick dinner?

What else goes with roasted chicken? Your imagination is the only limit. Read Get Happy With Apples and Cabbage for one suggestion.

In the Mood for Mrs. Blue’s Tamale Pie

Everyone loves a savory pie.

After making a new friend in college, Michael became a frequent guest at his home and fell in love with his mother’s signature dish she called Tamale Pie. I never had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Blue or her homemade dish, but she was kind enough to share the recipe with Michael’s mother years ago and it’s one of the first given to me after we were first married. It then became a tradition in our family.

Tamale pie in a glass casserole dish surrounded by a dish of green olives, a dish of raisins, a bell pepper and onion

I usually make a small one for the two of us using a pound of ground beef, but below are the list of ingredients as it was presented to me:

1 dozen corn tortillas
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 small cans tomato sauce
2 cans water (from rinsing out sauce cans)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 to 3 Tablespoons seedless raisins
1 small jar Manzanilla olives
cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup or more grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling on top

After preheating your oven to 375, brown the beef in a large skillet. Add the onions and peppers to cook for a couple of minutes. Then the seasonings and the remainder of ingredients, except for the cheese. Simmer 15 minutes or until sauce has reduced a bit. Line a greased casserole dish with tortillas and then fill it with the meat sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 45 minutes. Let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

Intuitive Adaptations

I heard that Mrs. Blue sometimes added corn to this, so I often toss in a handful of frozen roasted corn and I also add some smoked paprika. I don’t think Mrs. Blue would mind because she also was an intuitive cook, always adapting and using what she had on hand. In fact, she had never written down this recipe until requested by Michael’s mother on his behalf.

Because I make this with half the amount of ground beef, obviously I also adapt the proportions of other ingredients and make it my own. I use a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce with one can of water to rinse the can. I baked this small tamale pie for 30 minutes. You will know when it’s ready by the consistency. Shells should be crispy and the filling not too saucy nor too dry.

A serving of tamale pie with rice and asparagus on a white plate. An onion and orange napkin lay in the background

You could serve this with a salad, but we had a salad for lunch after a vegetable smoothie for breakfast, so I decided on rice and asparagus instead. What will you serve with this legendary dish?

Ready to try another savory pie? My Simple and Comforting Shepherd’s Pie is another favorite.

How to Quickly Poach Fish That’s Delicious

You will love cooking fish, such as orange roughy, once you realize how easy it is.

For the past few months, we have been ordering online from the supermarket, so it’s difficult to see what’s fresh at the fish counter. That means I have been purchasing a lot of frozen wild fish. One that’s readily available is orange roughy. It’s a mildly flavored fish with a medium texture, which makes it very versatile. After defrosting it, I especially enjoy it poached.

I started by roasting some potatoes coated with grapeseed oil and dried oregano and rosemary in the oven at 400. After about 20 minutes, I added some carrots and swiss chard stems to the roasting pan along with some minced garlic. Stirred a couple of times and cooked until vegetables were tender when pierced with a fork. Seasoned with salt.

Poaching the Orange Roughy

The leaves of the swiss chard I reserved for cooking along with the fish in a large, deep skillet. First I sautéed some minced garlic in olive oil. Once the garlic had turned brown, but before it burned, I added some chicken broth because I had a carton open in the refrigerator. I could have taken some shrimp stock out of the freezer or used some white wine instead. Whatever is handy that will add a nice flavor will work.

Once the liquid came to a boil, I added the swiss chard and fish that I seasoned with salt and dried rosemary. Covered the pot and reduced to simmer for about 8 minutes, just until the fish flaked with a fork. These pieces of fish were fairly small, so they didn’t need much time at all. Tender and juicy as long as you don’t overcook. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top to serve and of course, find a way to reuse whatever is left in another meal, such as in a soup.

Are you intimidated by cooking fish? It really couldn’t be easier. It’s fast and healthy and can be dressed up in so many ways! Read Fine Dining in Under 30 Minutes for another idea on fish that your family will love.

Get Happy With Apples and Cabbage

Find an appealing way to use whatever you have in abundance.

It seems like apples have been multiplying in my refrigerator. While others might decide to bake apple pie, I prefer to use them in a savory dish. While a chicken roasted in the oven unassisted by me, I was free to mull over the possibilities. What would you do with them?

I cut off an inch of bacon from my treasure chest of freezer gems and looked into the refrigerator for some kind of leafy green to accompany it. Then I realized that I had bought a new head of cabbage, while another older one had been waiting for its turn. Yes, the cabbage would be perfect for combining with the apples and bacon. Now that I am writing this, I wonder how it might have worked out as a salad. Maybe I will try that next!

Roasted chicken and yams served with cabbage and apples on a white plate with a fork resting on top. A lemon, onion and apple sit in the background while a glass of white wine and beige linen napkin lay beside the plate.

Am I old fashioned for putting a trio on my dinner plate? A variety of colors and textures appeals to me, so here’s how it often works out. I made a huge pot of this cabbage with apples, so it could have been a meal in itself. Nothing wrong with leftovers for later. We did, in fact, enjoy it for days!

Cabbage With Apples

bacon
onion
cabbage
rosemary
apples

After browning the chopped bacon in a large pot, I discarded most of the grease before adding some chopped onion. Once that had softened, I added the chopped cabbage and some dried rosemary. Why? It seemed to me like a good match for everything that was going on here: the chicken and bacon and fruit…And indeed it was! What else might you try? I added the apples near the end of cooking the cabbage because I didn’t want them to become overly soft. Michael isn’t a huge fan of cooked fruit. I just wanted everything to be pleasingly tender. Poke around with a fork to see when it’s right for you.

Because of the bacon, this dish didn’t even require much salt. I love cabbage to begin with, but the apples, rosemary and bacon gave it so much additional flavor. It was a party for the taste buds. I’m just saying, if you are having trouble getting others in your household to eat vegetables such as cabbage, try it with a savory, sweet and herbal component. Vegetables, like people, enjoy being well dressed. So experiment with different ingredients and see what appeals to your family.

Yams

As for the yams: after cutting them into wedges, I sprinkled them with Herbs de Provence and put them into the roasting pan with the chicken during the last half hour of cooking. While the finished chicken rested, I put the yams under the broiler for a minute to get a touch more color.

After talking to a friend the other day, I realized how many of you still think it’s a big deal to roast a chicken. She said, “That’s a lot of work. You have to brine it. You have to season it…” Well, it’s true that you can get very creative and do all kinds of things with it, but it’s not really necessary. If you’re still not confident in roasting a chicken, trust me when I say it’s just about the easiest thing ever. Read Don’t Be Chicken next.

Cook Flavorful Beans for Life

Give your favorite pot of beans a flavor boost.

When I was a kid, I thought beans were boring. Then I grew up and learned that they don’t have to be. Shelf stable and budget friendly, they are the foundation for countless flavorful, simple meals. In fact, in the blue zones, areas where people live the longest, beans are a regular part of a plant based diet. Who wants to start cooking more beans?

A white plate filled with small white beans, carrots and swiss chard. A white soup tureen sits in the background along with a head of garlic and a rust colored napkin.

I buy a variety in order to keep things interesting. Soak them overnight and cook up a big batch so you have some to freeze for later. Cook once and eat multiple meals. Simple.

Here’s what went into this pot:

2 pounds small white beans
olive oil
8 ounces chopped ham
1/2 onion, diced
a cup or so of leeks, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
parsley, chopped
1 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon dried sage
small piece of jalapeno pepper, chopped
2 parmesan rinds
a cup or so of white wine
enough water to cover
salt to taste near the end of cooking

Do you need all of these ingredients? Of course not. Create as you go, adding flavor with what you have on hand. I started with half an onion because I had one already cut in my refrigerator. Before I pulled out another one, I looked around and found a bag of sliced leeks in the freezer that was starting to get a little frosty, so I decided to use them. Most of what I chose to use came from my treasure chest of freezer gems: ham, leeks, jalapeno, parmesan rinds.

Starting with pork of some kind and an onion, I progressively add various ingredients to a large pot, sautéing in olive oil until I think it looks like a pleasingly flavorful combination. Then add the beans and liquid and simmer for a couple of hours until tender. Taste for seasoning and make any adjustments if necessary.

Nothing boring about these beans! For lunch the next day I sautéed some garlic in olive oil before reheating the beans with some freshly chopped tomato and mixing with pasta.

Penne with white beans and tomatoes on a yellow and terra cotta colored painted plate. In the background are blue and white toile napkins, a red onion, tomato, parmesan, grater and a glass of red wine.

The beans that went into the freezer could become soup later or they could go into a salad. Or what else? You decide how many simple meals you can create.

Looking for more ideas on cooking flavorful beans? Read Reasons to Eat This Easy Meaty Bean next.

A Comedy of Errors Yields Great Results

Here’s what you do when nothing is going right: improvise!

Sometimes a new combination of ingredients is born from a comedy of errors. Last time I ordered groceries online, they were out of corn tortillas. I had requested green enchilada sauce, but ended up receiving red instead. So I considered making my own flour tortillas because I didn’t have any corn flour…but then I decided to simplify by improvising with another corn product. Why not use grits? Cheesy polenta would do nicely with some chicken and enchilada sauce.

Polenta with chicken and enchilada sauce in a white bowl with broccoli served on the side. A cheese grater, white napkin and a bag of grits are in the background

I love making grits in the slow cooker. I start by boiling 4 parts chicken broth and whisking in one part corn grits in a saucepan. After cooking for a minute or two, I put that into the slow cooker on high for about an hour and 20 minutes. I whisk the mixture once or twice while cooking, but otherwise it doesn’t require any attention.

Well, on this occasion I had inadvertently used far too much liquid for the amount of grits. When I went to stir the grits after about 40 minutes, I realized my absent minded mistake. Oops! It happens, folks. Don’t panic. No need to start over. I just dumped it back into a saucepan and added more grits. It simply meant I needed to continue to whisk it on the stovetop for another 30 minutes before adding some grated cheese. No big deal. That being said, I ended up with a lot more grits than I had originally intended, so guess what we had for lunch the next day?

Polenta chicken casserole in a glass baking dish on a dark granite board. A royal blue dish towel sits in the background while a sprig of parsley peeks into the foreground.

Leftovers are made for casseroles! Starting with a layer of polenta in a greased baking dish, I topped with chicken and sauce, followed by another layer of polenta. More sauce and cheese finished it off and then I put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Of course there are numerous ways to reinvent leftover grits. Read No Waste Begets Big Taste for another idea.

Got an improv meal to share?

It’s Fun Experimenting With Onion and Herb Burgers

It’s fun and easy to cook once for multiple meals.

How do you keep meal planning simple? I often have some kind of meat defrosting overnight in the refrigerator. Ground beef, for example, is so versatile. I don’t necessarily know until I start cooking what it will become. Cooking without a recipe is so liberating!

A white platter is filled with 5 kofta burgers, yellow rice, yogurt dip, roasted red pepper topped with eggplant dip. Green onions on the side. A red pepper, wooden pepper mill and beige linen napkin sit in the background with a plant in a copper pot.

What’s in those little burgers? Could be just about anything you wanted. I made them kofta style with lots of onion, parsley and Middle Eastern spices.

Ground beef in a package sits on a gray granite surface with a white marble mortar behind it. A black bowl is full of chopped onion, parsley and cilantro.

Did I say onion? Yes, I mean a lot of it, which is why I took this picture to show you. You could use less, but I chopped a whole medium onion in the food processor to go with a pound of meat. A big handful of parsley and half that amount of cilantro went into the food processor next to be chopped. To that mixture I added the following dried spices in descending order of amounts:

turmeric
cumin
garlic
cardamom
cinnamon
ginger
salt

If I had some coriander, I would have used that too, but I was out. Time to order spices!

You could cook these just about any way you wanted. On a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes seemed the easiest in this case. Flipped them over at around 12-15 minutes.

Make it a meatloaf, meatballs or hot dog shaped. Serve with Middle Eastern dips like roasted eggplant or yogurt, along with flatbread and salads. Or…serve some mashed potatoes and gravy with whatever fresh veggies are handy.

On a white plate are 3 kofta burgers, mashed potatoes with gravy and swiss chard leaves and colorful stems. A glass of red wine and beige linen napkin sit in the background.

Pictured above, lamb stock from the freezer made a quick gravy. Swiss chard stems roasted in the oven while the leaves were sautéed just until wilted.

2 kofta burgers topped with tomato sauce are served with rice parsley salad with tomatoes on a brown plate. A bottle of oil, a lemon and a tomato sit in the background.

How about adding a touch of tomato sauce and serving with a salad of rice and parsley? Cook once and enjoy multiple meals. It’s fun cooking without a recipe and so easy to do.

Ready to sneak another vegetable in there? Take Your Burger Further With This Surprise Ingredient.

Keep It Simple In the Kitchen

Learn to work smarter, not harder creating simple meals.

Besides striving for safety and hygiene in the kitchen, my main objectives are to be practical and to keep it simple. Simple meals are the best.

I always keep hard squash in the refrigerator not only because it lasts longer than a lot of other more perishable vegetables; but it also gives me variety in color, texture and nutrients. Whenever you already have the oven on is a perfect time to put one in. Whole or halved or sliced, it doesn’t really matter. Roasting a chicken? I put a butternut squash and a kabocha in there at the same time. It could be part of dinner or repurposed for later.

Here’s an example of lunch the next day. After boiling the chicken carcass to make stock, I combined some with the butternut squash and pureed. Simple as that. Michael wanted to know what else was in this soup because it was so delicious. No other ingredients. You could add herbs or cream or any number of other things, but sometimes the simplest and quickest meals are the best…just like this chicken breast sandwich. He loves it with lettuce and mayonnaise. Could you put other goodies on it? Sure. But why do you need to? Simple, quality ingredients require very little embellishment.

Ruffled pasta with kabocha sauce and ground turkey on a white plate. Behind it sits an acorn squash, a cabbage salad on a white plate and a small plant in a copper pot.

After doing the same thing with the kabocha, I put some of that soup in the freezer. Later it reappeared as a sauce for pasta along with some ground turkey. At first I considered adding pumpkin pie style spices to it, but then I decided on fennel and fenugreek in addition to minced garlic. I bought some fenugreek a while back and then promptly forgot what I intended to do with it. So I have been having a fun moment experimenting with it. I like it for its sweet, warm character. Once again, only your imagination is the limit. Especially if you begin with a basic preparation for the first time you serve something, you have so much versatility to completely reinvent it in the future.

What have you been experimenting with in the kitchen? How do keep things simple? For more simple meals as you develop your intuition in the kitchen, read this next.

Fine Clementines and So Much More

Find delicious new ways to use up everyday ingredients like mandarin oranges.

Do you have more Clementines than you know what to do with? You know those little mandarin orange hybrids branded as Cuties or Halos. We snack on them and like any other citrus, they go into our morning smoothies with vegetables. Why not use them in a sauce or a healthy homemade salad dressing?

Panko crusted salmon on a white plate with rice, greens, carrots and citrus soy sauce on a white plate. A metal basket filled with Clementines sits in the background with a blue and white vessel of sauce.

After sautéing some minced garlic in olive oil, I added the juice of a few Clementines to the pan. I cooked it down a bit, added a splash of soy sauce and thickened slightly with tapioca starch. It was the perfect finishing touch to panko crusted salmon. Any kind of fish or chicken would be great with this. What about crushing raw garlic and using the same ingredients minus the starch? Healthy homemade salad dressing.

How about quickly searing some shrimp in a preheated screaming hot skillet with garlic? Add the juice of some Clementines to the skillet at the end and give thanks for the perfect sweet zing. It couldn’t be easier.

Shrimp with garlic clementine sauce served with black beans, rice and broccoli on a white plate. A head of garlic and an orange napkin in the background.

I love simple sauces, don’t you? Here’s another idea for chicken or fish that is best prepared a day ahead so the flavors have a chance to marry:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon or less of minced ginger root
1/4 teaspoon or less of wasabi paste
1 Tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of soy sauce

Chicken thighs topped with yogurt sauce sit on a white plate with spaghetti squash and mushrooms and roasted carrots

Roasted chicken thighs and carrots get dressed up with this sauce alongside spaghetti squash and mushrooms. As you can see, I love all kinds of vegetables. How many can you get on a plate?

Taste Mystery Greens to Make Interesting Things and see this same sauce on fish.

Indulge Someone in a Berry Special Treat

Simple indulgences for an after dinner treat.

When I first started this blog, a friend commented that she didn’t see many desserts. Bingo! I don’t do many of those. I bake only once in a blue moon and generally find that a piece of fruit or dark chocolate satisfies the occasional sweet tooth. How about combining both for a special after dinner treat? Strawberries anyone?

A white platter is set with strawberries in a dish beside yogurt and brown sugar. One that has been dipped in them sits to the right. 3 chocolate dipped strawberries sit in the foreground next to a colorful china espresso cup and saucer. A glass of rose wine is in the background.

Everyone loves strawberries dipped in melted chocolate. Here’s another idea that is very simple and elegant: Serve sour cream or Greek yogurt with brown sugar for dipping. Does sour cream sound odd to you? Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Some of the best ideas sound unusual at first. Dip strawberries first in sour cream and then into brown sugar. A marriage made in heaven.

What about liqueur for a special after dinner treat? A friend sent me these cognac filled chocolates. What a thoughtful gift combining two indulgences!

A box of cognac filled chocolates stands behind a cut crystal decanter and small glass of liqueur on a silver tray.

What’s the best indulgence of all? Someone making breakfast especially for me! Pancakes are my favorite. Even Michael has made them successfully from scratch. Yes, you can too!