Monday, February 28, 2011

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe was one that my mom made numerous times when I was growing up.  It was a meal that even after I moved out I would come home and ask her to make.  I asked for the recipe years later, yet never attempted it.  My mom passed away last year and I went digging for this recipe, determined to do it justice, however a little skeptical, since her notes were not quite exact.  In fact, I don't think my mom ever used a measuring spoon.

Sweet & Sour Chicken


Sara and I dove into this recipe tonight, but some of the measurement are pure guesswork.  It turned out good, and the flavor was almost there, but the consistency was off.  It was definitely edible--my husband had seconds!

Since my "recipe" was mom's simple notes, this is the card we wrote up tonight. 

Sweet & Sour Chicken
Sweet & Sour Chicken

The directions are pretty much exactly what we did, with the exception of thinking there wasn't enough cornstarch, so we added a bit more toward the end.  We also initially used only a large tablespoon of Ketchup, but realized later that it wasn't nearly enough.   The sauce my mom wound up with was always darker red and much thicker--much  more like something out of a jar, or from a Chinese takeout joint.  Whilst eating our creation, we decided it must be the amount of ketchup--it must be increased!  We purposely included a quarter cup instead of a tablespoon on the recipe card so we would try it again that way next time.  I'll be sure to follow up when we do!

So here they are, the inevitable FIVE QUESTIONS:

1.  How did it taste on a scale of 1 to 5?
I'm calling it a four.  The first taste reminded me of mom in the best way, but it was much more bland than her version.

2.  How difficult was it to make, on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most difficult?

Super Easy.  1 

3.  What was the price range to make it?

Super affordable.  Most of these things are regular on-hand items in my kitchen.  I had to spring for the chicken and veggies, which can ultimately be varied according to what's in season. 

4.  Would you make this again?

I definitely intend to!  I gotta get it right somehow, right?

5.  What would you do differently next time?

White vinegar.  I was out an only had rice vinegar.  And add more ketchup to the sauce when I mix it up.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Nutrition Information: Chicken & Rice Casserole

Here is the approximated nutrition information for yesterday's recipe:



Check back next week for our review of the Sweet & Sour Chicken recipe I grew up enjoying!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Chicken & Rice Casserole

Tonight we embark on our first food mission.  Well, our first official food mission.  Sara and I have been cooking together for several months now, and the time has come for us to begin documenting our adventures.  Cooking together, for us, has been something that keeps us sane.  We call it our therapy.  There are no husbands and no children in the kitchen when we cook.  Mostly its because no more than two people at a time will fit in either of our kitchens, but we like to believe its because we don't allow them to bother us when we're in the zone.

So here we are, beginning our journey by preparing one of Sara's mom's favorite recipes.  Sara grew up eating her mother's Chicken and Rice Casserole, and now it's her turn to make it for her kids.  I don't have any kids, so my husband was my personal test subject.  And he loved it.

Chicken & Rice Cassarole

Tonight we dove into Frankie's recipe, as published in her 1994 church fundraiser cook book.  Total preparation and cook time was around an hour.  Step one was to cook the rice--and a good reference point is that one cup of uncooked long grain rice makes three cups of cooked rice, exactly what we needed for this recipe.  Next was the sauce.  After sauteing the onions in the butter, we added the pre-combined flour and spices, mixed, and then added the evaporated milk.  We doubled the mushrooms, partially by mistake and partially from a unrequited love of mushrooms (and it was a fabulous idea). 

Chicken & Rice Cassarole

While the sauce was thickening, we chopped up the chicken and threw it in a pan with some oil until it was cooked throughout.  Once we had all of our ingredients prepared, we layered the pan first with rice, then the bag of broccoli, followed by the chicken, evenly topped with sauce and sprinkled with cheese.  We used an entire bag of pre-shredded cheese and I personally thought it was a bit much, but three of the four people eating tonight disagreed with me.  Oh well.

Chicken & Rice Cassarole

Chicken & Rice Cassarole 

Now we ask ourselves the five glorious questions that you ask yourself about a recipe:

1.  How did it taste on a scale of 1 to 5?
We both gave it a 4.  It was comfort food all the way, but not quite gourmet. 

2.  How difficult to make was it on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the most difficult?
Easy peasy ... we both scored it a 2.  Basic enough so that even a beginning chef could master this.

3.  What was the price range to make it?
Less than $20--pretty affordable for a dish that serves 6 or more.  

4.  Would you make this again?
Yes.  This is a good dish to comfort you on a rainy day or to forget about a crappy day at the office.  Usually I have these types of foods lying around, which makes it easy to throw together in a pinch.  And its even better the next day. 

5.  What would you do differently next time?

I would add less cheese ... Sara would remember to defrost the chicken first.  We really liked it with double the mushrooms and would suggest this. 

If anyone decides to give this recipe a try, we would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions!