"If you can cook, money isn't a problem. If you can cook -- you can
whip together a tasty, wholesome meal in a few minutes, that's
cheaper than anything you can get at MacDonald's." --The Naked Chef
The other day, while shopping at the Mall, I overheard a
mother tell her children, "C'mon. we're going to MacDonald's." One
of her children said, "I don't want to go to MacDonald's!" To which
she replied, "Well, we're going. I've got coupons." With the
current financial Recession, MacDonald's sales -- as well as those
of other Fast Food Outlets -- have increased big time. Business is
good -- it's just the fat-rich, nutrient-poor "product" that is
not. But any professional cook will tell you this: "You can prepare
an easy, fast meal for your family that is nutritious, delicious --
and cheaper -- than any fast food meal out there." Chefs will
tell you that for years they've been hearing their kids' friends
saying, "Wow! You're always having these fantastic meals at home --
how can you afford it?" And the chef will reply, "Actually -- these
meals are cheaper than any meal you can buy out there -- fast food
joints -- TV dinners -- you name it." IF YOU CAN COOK AT ALL -- YOU
CAN CUT DOWN YOUR MEAL COSTS DRASTICALLY -- WHILE INCREASING THE
NUTRITIONAL QUALITY... YOU CAN DO IT ALL! I've been a pro cook for
over 30 years, and I've been doing just that. So -- if you want to
impress family or friends -- or if you have a hot date, maybe that
special you-know-who you just met on WUVING.com or
somewhere and you want to prepare a romantic
dinner... For you -- here are a few of my favourite easy
recipes that have also been Family Favourites: --Mexican
Shake & Bake Chicken-- 1 Chicken, cut up 4 Cups Flour 2 Tsp.
Cayenne Pepper 1 Cup Bran Flake Cereal (crushed) 2 Tbls. Parsley
Flakes 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder 1 Tbls. Onion Powder 2 Tsp. Chili
Powder 2 Tbls. Taco Seasoning 1 Tsp. Ground Pepper 1 Tsp. Curry
Powder 1 Tsp. Basil 1 Tsp. Oregano Mix together well. Preheat oven
to 400F Dredge the chicken pieces in above mix. Melt 1/4 cup butter
in a shallow 9 x 12 baking pan. Place chicken skin side down and
baste top with melted butter from the pan. Bake uncovered for 25
min. Turn skin side up, reduce heat to 350F and bake until tender;
30 - 35 minutes. You can serve Mexican Shake & Bake
Chicken with: -- Red Chili Beans and Rice-- 2 cups Uncle Ben's long
grain rice (cooked) 1 - 16 oz. can Red chili beans in chili gravy 1
teas. Chili powder 1/4 teas. Cumin Dash garlic salt In saucepan,
heat beans without letting them boil. Stir in chili powder, cumin
and garlic salt. When piping hot, add warm rice and gently mix. 1
Chicken, cut up 4 Cups Flour 2 Tsp. Cayenne Pepper 1 Cup Bran Flake
Cereal (crushed) 2 Tbls. Parsley Flakes 2 Tsp. Garlic Powder 1
Tbls. Onion Powder 2 Tsp. Chili Powder 2 Tbls. Taco Seasoning 1
Tsp. Ground Pepper 1 Tsp. Curry Powder 1 Tsp. Basil 1 Tsp. Oregano
Mix together well. Preheat oven to 400F Dredge the chicken pieces
in above mix. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a shallow 9 x 12 baking pan.
Place chicken skin side down and baste top with melted butter from
the pan. Bake uncovered for 25 min. Turn skin side up, reduce heat
to 350F and bake until tender; 30 - 35 minutes. You can
serve Mexican Shake & Bake Chicken with: -- Red Chili Beans and
Rice-- 2 cups Uncle Ben's long grain rice (cooked) 1 - 16 oz. can
Red chili beans in chili gravy 1 teas. Chili powder 1/4 teas. Cumin
Dash garlic salt In saucepan, heat beans without letting them boil.
Stir in chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. When piping hot, add
warm rice and gently mix. Serve the above two with nachos, and
you've GONE MEXICAN! --Top Chef's Beef Cabbage Soup-- 1 lb
lean ground beef 1/2 head medium cabbage, shredded or chopped 2
ribs of celery sliced 1 small bell pepper (cut up into small
pieces) 1 medium onion diced 1 16 Ounce can kidney beans 1 28 oz.
can tomatoes (cut up the tomatoes if whole) 4 beef bullion cubes
1/4 tsp. garlic power 1/4 tsp. garlic salt salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground beef and drain. Add to ground beef remaining
ingredients adding 28 oz. of water using the 28 oz. tomato can.
Bring to boil and simmer for at least one hour or until veggies are
tender. -- Italian Fried Chicken-- 4 lb. Chicken -- cut up 3
cups Self-rising flour 1 cup Cornstarch 3 tbl. Seasoned salt 2 tbl.
Paprika 1 teas. Baking soda 1 pk. Italian Salad Dressing Mix Powder
1 pk. Onion Soup Mix -- (1 1/2 Ounces) 1 pk. Spaghetti sauce mix --
(1/2 Ounce) 3 tbl. Sugar 3 cups Corn flakes -- crushed 2 Eggs --
well beaten 1/4 cup Cold water Combine first 9 ingredients in large
bowl. Put the cornflakes into another bowl. Put eggs and water in a
3rd bowl. Put enough corn oil into a heavy roomy skillet to fill it
1" deep. Get it HOT! Grease a 9x12x2 baking pan. Set it aside.
Preheat oven to 350~. Dip chicken pieces 1 piece at a time as
follows: 1-Into dry coating mix. 2-Into egg and water mix. 3-Into
corn flakes. 4-Briskly but briefly back into dry mix. 5-Drop into
hot oil, skin-side-down and brown 3 to 4 minutes on medium high.
Turn and brown other side of each piece. Don't crowd pieces during
frying. Place in prepared pan in single layer, skin-side-up. Seal
in foil, on 3 sides only, leaving 1 side loose for steam to escape.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes removing foil then to test tenderness
of chicken. Allow to bake uncovered 5 minutes longer to crisp the
coating. Serves 4. Leftovers refrigerate well up to 4 days. Do not
freeze these leftovers. Leftover coating mix (1st 9 ingredients)
can be stored at room temp in covered container up to 2 months.
Serve Top Chef's Beef Cabbage Soup or Italian Fried Chicken
with hot Biscuits: --Quick Down-East Biscuits-- 4 Cups Bisquick 4
Ounce Sour Cream 1 Cup Club Soda (room temp) 1 Stick Margarine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix Bisquick, sour cream and club soda
together. Pour onto floured surface and knead very lightly. Roll
out to about 1/2" thickness and cut with cutter. Melt butter and
pour half into a glass casserole dish. Place biscuits in dish and
pour remaining butter over top of biscuits. If you would like to
use less butter, do not put butter in bottom of the pan; just pour
a little over the top. Also, make sure that the club soda has never
been refrigerated and still has a lot of fizz. Bake at 375 degrees
for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. It's easy. If
you don't have all of the ingredients at home, it's worth the
initial expense getting them. Those ingredients will save -- and so
will you, because your family will be asking for more! Enjoy! -
Brian Alan Burhoe www.brianalanburhoe.com
Date Published: