Eatin' Good in the Neighborhood
Easy Button Recipes for the Rest of Us

October 28th

Super Simple Chicken Stir Fry

(cause we are busy, y'all!)

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This is one of our easy-button, stand-by dishes...we eat it once a week.

Cooks up quick, with flexible, flavorful ingredients

that'll do ya' good and help ya' too!

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Helpful Hint: Read Recipes ALL THE WAY THROUGH so you're

prepared ahead of time for whatever possibilities might arise :-) 

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1 lb package of Providence Farm Stir Fry white meat chicken

 

And here’s where it gets flexible because you can do as much or as little as you like of the following ingredients:

 

Soy Sauce (or fish sauce)

Teriyaki Sauce (or not!)

Sesame Oil (or whatever cooking oil you have on hand; ideally not olive but it will work)

Sesame Seeds (or not)

Makoto Ginger Salad Dressing  OR  freshly grated ginger root

Garlic, freshly minced or out of a jar or even a squirt of paste from a tube

 

VEGETABLE SUGGESTIONS:

Bok Choy – stalk chopped, leaf intact but we’re using it all

Napa Cabbage – thinly sliced to seem almost shredded

Broccoli – cut into small florets

Onion (yellow or white; red if that’s what’s in the pantry) – I like ‘em chunky cut

Mushrooms – sliced if I bother to add it in

Carrots – I peel the carrot and then keep using the peeler to make threads

Red or Green Cabbage – same as the napa cabbage

Zucchini, Squash, etc. - diced or sliced, spiraled...it's your dinner!

Snow Peas/Pea Pods

Mung Bean Sprouts - these will cook up FAST. Add towards the end if you use them. 

Baby Corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts…you might find these in your pantry if you aren’t me – but drain the fluid off and should be ready to dump into the skillet

 

Here’s how I do this….

In a large skillet with a lid…

 

1. Add just barely enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan that is on MEDIUM HIGH HEAT.

2. Add soy/teriyaki/fish sauce to the pan and swirl it all around to mix it up…the amounts of these ingredients are up to you. Remember they are all heavy in the sodium department and less is more! You can always add up, but you can’t take away!

3. Add chicken stir fry, onion chunks, broccoli, garlic, bok choy stalk cuts. Let this cook a minute or so, lid on.

4. Lid off and push the contents of the skillet around.

5. This is when you add the ginger IF you are adding the ginger. We usually use the Makoto salad dressing because it’s fast and easy)…stir it around. Add sesame seeds here if you’re using them.

6. Now add the green or red cabbage and canned items IF using them.

7. Put the carrot peelings on top of that; add a dash of soy or teriyaki sauce.

8. Lay tops of bok choy on top of that and put the lid on.

9. You’re still on MEDIUM HIGH HEAT on your stove top. Depending on your stove’s heat source, you either need to cook for 1 minute (gas stove) or cook for 30 seconds or so (electric) and then TURN THE STOVE TOP OFF.

10. LEAVE THE LID ON. The lid will contain the steam and heat and continue cooking so make sure you visually monitor the color of the bok choy leaves  (or use a crystal ball) to determine tenderness of veggies.

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There are a variety of things that will determine your cooking time…type/material of skillet, amount of veggies, how thick you cut the veggies, how “done” you want the veggies. Don’t be afraid to check your work as you go.

You can always add cooking time!

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This dish is great AS IS or you can serve it up over basmati rice (my current obsession) or with some twenty-five cent ramen noodles. It’s all good!

Like everything we throw together in the farmhouse kitchen, the ingredients and the method are flexible. It’s about eating as good as we can

with the time and resources at hand!

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October 14th

It's Getting Chili, Baby

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This is one of our favorite go-to dishes when the weather gets cold.

And like everything we make, measurements are adjustable to YOUR taste.

Spice it up or keep it calm and quiet. Be fearless, it's YOUR dinner!

Like most of our recipes, this is like the Pirate’s Code: guidelines, not actual rules. 

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Ingredients:

 

1 lb Providence Farm ground pork chorizo

1 big ol' white or yellow onion (what's in your pantry or cabinet? just use that); diced

Sweet Bell Pepper - seriously use as much or as little as you want and use whatever color you want! We suggest a total of 3, one of each color, diced

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The following canned items should be drained: 

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Sweet corn - (2) 15.5 ounce cans 

Large Red Kidney Beans - (1) 15.5 ounce can

Black Beans - (1) 15.5 ounce can

Small Red Kidney Beans - (1) 15.5. ounce can

Great Northern or Cannellini beans - (1) 15.5 ounce can 

Diced Tomatoes - (2-3) 15.5 ounce cans

 

Spices! Here's where you make it your own, folks! 

Cumin - we use 1/8-1/4 teaspoon

Chili Powder - heaping 1/2 teaspoon

Cayenne Pepper Powder - heaping 1/4 teaspoon

Garlic - 2 Tablespoons from the jar in fridge or as much of the fresh stuff as you like

***Add jalapeno and/or green chili to taste. We usually do (1) jalapeno, very finely diced ... and wash your hands before you accidentally rub your eyes.  

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We're gonna use a frying pan to brown/saute the chorizo, bell peppers and onions. The rest of the ingredients can go in a crock pot while you're doing something else with your life, or you can simmer in a stock pot on the stovetop for half an hour or so and then let it rest for another hour with the lid on so it can "steep" and appropriately flavorful. 

Instructions:

Brown the chorizo and diced onions in a skillet/frying pan; if using a stock pot, use that. One less pot to clean later on. If you're using the crock pot, put ALL of the other ingredients into the crock pot while the chorizo/pepper/onion mixture is sauteeing. Stir all of these ingredients well and then add the chorizo/pepper/onion mixture when chorizo is nicely browned. 

If you are using the crockpot, you're cooking this on low while you're gone to work all day, or on high for around 5 hours. 

If you're using the stock pan method, bring the chili to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for a solid half hour. At that time, remove from heat, place lid on pot and let steep for at least 30 minutes before eating. 

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We serve this chili with a dollop of sour cream, Darrell also adds shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack, while Joy eschews the cheese and opts for a ridiculous amount of fresh cilantro scissored onto and into the bowl of steaming hot chili. 

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As always, remember we only post easy button recipes. You can make all sorts of adjustments to the ingredients list as well as the suggested amounts based on your preferences.