Four Things to Spice Up your Cooking

Getting into a cooking rut?
I do all the time, so I've tried from time to time to spice up (intentional punning) my cooking.  But sometimes it's easier to change an already-good recipe, than to find good new ones.

Here are my favorite simple solutions to mix it up!

1.  Almond Extract

Use almond extract to replace anything that calls for vanilla.  My favorites are: icing, white and yellow cakes, homemade ice-cream, hot almond milk instead of hot chocolate, add a dash to whipped cream, or fruit dip to make your sweet delights uncannily unique.

2. Cajun Seasoning (AKA Creole Seasoning)

Add to pretty much anything savory or American.  It's made from a number of different milder peppers, so though adding spiciness, it's still mild enough for most people.  Some of my favorites are: steak, taco meat, hamburgers, beef stew, stir-fry, omelets, (I sometimes will sprinkle a bit on top of pizza, but I realize that's not for everyone.)

3.  Celery

The raw stuff is awesome, and has almost no taste, but once you cook it, it adds a very unique flavor.  Most little kids that will not eat peas, will still eat a little cooked celery.  It is delicious with chicken, and creamy chicken sauces.  I typically boil a stalk or two in water, and add that instead of milk to white sauces.  Some of my favorites are: chicken and dumplings, chicken-a-la king, chicken and gravy, biscuits and gravy, pretty much anything that needs gravy.

I've only recently started experimenting with celery, so let me know any additional things that work or don't.  Some suggestions: pot roast, mashed potatoes, fried, stir fry, soups, etc.

4.  Lemon and Lime Juice.

Salads, seafood, and most mexican food stereotypically benefit from lemon and/or lime juice.

Some other ideas: meat in general (chicken and steak), stir fry, Asian food, sautéed veggies, tacos, etc.

Lactose-Free Chicken-a-la King

2 Chicken breasts (preferably thawed.)
4 tbsp. butter or butter substitute 
        (My cousin recommends Earth Balance, which is dairy and soy free.)
4 tbsp. flour of choice
Salt
Pepper
2 c. rice
1 or 2 c. frozen or fresh vegetables of choice (I like frozen peas and carrots.)
Water (the original gravy recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups milk. Skim/fat-free/cream won't work.)

Makes enough to serve 4ish people.  Probably.  I usually halve the recipe for two.

Expert Directions:

1. Make white gravy with chicken broth instead of milk.
2. Add chicken and veggies.
3. Pour over rice.

Directions for the rest of us:

1. Start the rice, because it takes the longest.

A general rule for rice-cooking: 1 part rice, 2 parts water.

Put rice and 4 cups water into a pot with a lid.  Cook as directed on the rice packaging. (Different types of rice have different cook times, (usually 20 minutes-30 minutes).

2. In another pot, boil your chicken in water.  Use only as much water as it would take to cover the chicken breasts if they sank to the bottom.  Chicken should be done in 10-15 minutes.  Cut chicken to see if center is done.  (Pink=not done.)

When your chicken is done, DO NOT POUR OUT THE WATER.  The water is now called "Chicken Broth."

Remove the chicken from the water and put it on a cutting board.  Make gravy while you wait for the chicken to cool down a little bit.

3.  Gravy: in a large sauce pan, melt all the butter over medium-high, to high heat.   Dump in all the flour, stir violently for one or two minutes.  The flour will begin to change color, this is normal.

WHEN you add the water (I mean, chicken broth,) makes a huge difference.

There are 4 phases of the color of flour when you make gravy: 

     Creamy white-yellow=this flour is uncooked. Gross. Tastes like glue.

     Medium-Dark Yellow=This will make white gravy (YOU WANT!)

     Browned (a soft brown, still smells good)=This will make brown gravy

     Dark-brown-Black(smells bad)=You ruined it. You burned it.  Start over.

Timing is the hardest thing to work with, when making gravy.  So makes sure your gravy is in the medium-dark yellow phase when you add the chicken broth.

Add 1/2 cup (ish) of broth at a time, and stir consistently.

Turn the heat down to medium-low after 1 cup of chicken broth has been added.

(When I make white gravy, I usually wait to add chicken broth until I absolutely panic that I'm going to miss the golden window of white gravy and end up with brown gravy from waiting too long.)

Stop adding broth when the gravy is a consistency that you like.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Add the frozen vegetables and cover for three minutes, or until veggies are warm and tender.  While the veggies are thawing, cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.  When veggies are done, or almost done, add the chicken back in.

5.  Put gravy with veggies and chicken over rice.

NOW EAT IT.

And don't forget to do your dishes.

PS: has anyone tried making white gravy with a non-dairy milk?  Would you recommend it?