Dehydrating Brussels Sprouts and Making Chips

  Anyone who has spent time on my blog or Facebook page knows that I love to dehydrate.  I try to dehydrate about anything and everything.  In fact, I recently even dehydrated ALOE VERA.  Recently I was having Brussels sprouts with my dinner and it got me to thinking "can you dehydrate Brussels sprouts" and I decided it was doable.  I am so very glad I did try it because these little "chips" turned out really good.

Some fresh Brussels sprouts.

    These "chips" turn out crunchy and delicious.  They have a real nice and fresh taste to them.  Best of all, they are really good for you.  Since you dehydrate them and do not cook them, all the nutrients are still present.  Anyway, I love these Brussels Sprouts chips and I hope you do too.

     These are super easy to make.  To begin, cut off the "stems".

    Now start peeling off the little "leaves" and pull off as many as you can.

   When you have pretty much all the leaves off, place the leaves into a colander and set the "hearts" aside to be used in a future meal.  

     Run cold water over them to rinse them well.  Shake to remove the excess water and lay them out on your dehydrator trays and sprinkle them with sea salt and Parmesan and Romano cheese.

     Other flavor combinations include garlic powder and onion powder or even red chili flakes.  The best part about dehydrating these is that the bitterness completely disappears and they are much more substantial than kale chips. 

    Place the dehydrator trays back into your dehydrator and turn it on.  It only takes about 2 hours for the Brussels sprouts to turn crispy.  Once they are done, remove and try not to eat them all before you can place them into a mason jar.  They are great to eat as a snack or throw them into a salad for a yummy crunch. 

If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #countrifiedhicks — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter!

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Boiled Artichokes

   If you did not grow up eating artichokes or have never seen them prepared, they can be a bit intimidating.  They are not easy to figure out on what to do with them just by appearance so today, I am going to show you how to cook, prepare and eat them.

      Artichokes are not only yummy but they are nutritional powerhouse too.  Did you know that just one medium sized artichoke contains 6 grams of fiber???  That is MORE fiber than an entire CUP of prunes!!! Artichokes also contain 4 grams of protein, which is pretty significant for a vegetable.  They also contain antioxidants and probiotics.  

      If you have never tried artichokes, now is the time to give them a chance.  They are buttery smooth and have a really nice and pleasing flavor that is subtle but hearty.

      Okay, the first thing you need to do is cut of the top of the artichoke.  I used large kitchen knife  to remove about the top inch of it.  

      Next, using kitchen shears, cut of the tips of the petals.  

       Now cut off the smaller petals that are near the base of the artichoke.  They will be too bitter to eat so it is best to remove them.

    You can cut off part of the stem too if you wish.  If you do cut it off, be sure to leave about an inch of the stem and cut off the rest.  We just left the stem alone. 

     At this point, you need to rinse the artichoke again in some cool running water.  I kind of separated the petals a bit so the water can get into all the nooks and crannies.  

     Now you are finally ready to actually cook the artichoke. 

     Fill a large pot with water and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt.  Turn your stove onto high and bring the salted water to a full boil.  Once it is boiling, gently place the artichoke into the pot and return the water to a full boil.  Once it is boiling again, turn your stove to low; cover the pot and allow it to simmer for 25 minutes.

      You can eat artichokes either hot or cold but we prefer to eat ours hot.  You can eat the artichoke leaves by themselves or dip them into a few tablespoons of melted butter or make yourself a dip.  We make up a dip that is made from 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise mixed with 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar.

   Put the mayonnaise and the vinegar in a bowl and stir well.  That's all there is to it.

    In case you do not know HOW to eat artichokes, just pull off the outer petals one at a time.  

The end shown is the part you should hold and dip the other end into the dip.

   Dip the fleshy end of the petal into the dip.  

    Now, place the petal in your mouth, dip side down.  

      Now, pull the leaf through your teeth to remove the soft, pulpy part of the petal and then throw away the remaining petal.

     Continue eating them this way until all the petals are removed.  And that is all there is to it.  

     Ron and Bub really enjoyed it.

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Oven Roasted Asparagus

  I had never in my life tried asparagus but I saw some at the grocery store this past week and bought a bunch.  I decided to cook it and see if we liked it and between Ron, Bub and I, we ate the entire pan full.  I could not get over how much we enjoyed it.  So yummy.

    I read some other people's recipes and comments on asparagus and many stated that their asparagus had a foul taste or tasted very "woody" but we did not get that at all.  To us, the "tips" of the asparagus tasted a bit like Brussel sprouts and the rest of the asparagus has a taste all its own but was very, very good.

     Perhaps it is the way we prepared it.  Since none of us had ever tasted asparagus, I just came up with a way to cook and prepare it and maybe it is different than how others do it.  All I know is that it took very little prep time and cook time and we ended up with the most delicious, tender and vibrant green asparagus.  It was not "bitter" or "woody" at all.  It is a super easy side dish or it can be eaten as a snack.  I think it would pair perfectly with meatloaf, ham or some Soy & garlic chicken. 

Oven Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch of fresh asparagus spears (about 1 lb.)

1/4 c. Parmesan & Romano cheese

2 T. olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Get out a large bowl and pour in the olive oil.

   Now pour in the lemon juice.

     Take your asparagus and cut off the ends and discard them.

    Toss the asparagus into the oil and lemon juice and be sure they are all coated thoroughly. Take the asparagus and line them out onto a cookie sheet.  

Sprinkle with sea salt and then with the cheese.

    

   Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes.  Remove and enjoy.  It is great to top with some Homemade Creamy Alfredo Sauce.

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How to Make a Double Chocolate Chip Frappe

     This drink is the perfect pairing between rich, dark coffee and indulgent chocolate.  Take a sip and enjoy a party in your mouth!  It will definitely help you with your chocolate cravings.  It is so good and addictive!

 

 

Double Chocolate Chip Frappe

1 1/2 c. strong coffee, chilled

1 c. milk

1/2 c. milk chocolate chips

3-4 ice cubes

chocolate syrup

chocolate chips for topping

1 T. whipped topping

1/2 tsp. vanilla

     Place the coffee into a blender or personal blender cup.  Add in the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

     Add in the vanilla, milk and a squirt of chocolate syrup and the ice cubes.   Blend well.  Top with the whipped topping, sprinkle on a few chocolate chips and drizzle on some chocolate syrup and then enjoy.

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Lemonade Freeze

     This is a super refreshing drink that combines the sweet lemonade with refreshing vanilla ice cream and fresh milk.  It is so easy to make and tastes so delicious.  If you do not know what a "freeze" is it is basically a milkshake but instead of "vanilla" or "chocolate" it is made with frozen concentrated lemonade instead.  Tart, creamy, and cold...what could be better?!

 

Lemonade Freeze

2 large scoops vanilla ice cream

1 c. milk

1/4 c. frozen lemonade concentrate

     In a personal mixer (similar to a Magic Bullet), open up the frozen lemonade from concentrate and add it to a tall cup.

 Add in the milk and ice cream and then be sure to mix it well.  Now drink up and enjoy!

    Check out my recipe for Southern Style Peach Iced Tea!

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Delicious Glazed Sirloin Pork Chop Recipe

   

  These sirloin chops turn out so delicious and the glaze ensures the chops come out nice and juicy.  They do not take long to cook so you have a nice cut of protein which would be perfect for any weekday meal.  They are full of flavor and so tender.

Delicious Glazed Sirloin Pork Chops

4-6 boneless sirloin chops

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. honey

2 T. soy sauce

2 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

     Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place your brown sugar, salt & pepper in a shallow dish.  Mix up and then take each pork chop and push down into the brown sugar; turn over and press brown sugar into the pork chop. 

    Pour the olive oil into a cake pan and then lay the chops into the cake pan.  Drizzle the honey over the chops. 

Then drizzle soy sauce over the chops. 

 Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chops are cooked all the way through.  Remove from heat and serve.  They go beautifully with au gratin potatoes.  Also, be sure to check out my Homemade Mushroom Gravy recipe.

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Comprehensive Guide to Boiling Chicken

    Once you learn how to boil chicken perfectly, you'll find it is a great way to create a protein rich meal for your family that is also healthy, low in saturated fat and super flavorful.  Other methods of cooking chicken, such as grilling, baking, etc., tend to dry out chicken breasts and other cuts but when you boil them, the chicken turns out super juicy every single time.

    Boiled chicken is delicious as a meal on its own or you can chop it up or shred it and use it in a garden salad, in a pasta dish, or as part of your main dish like my Barbecue Chicken Pizza.  

    Boiling chicken is easy.  If you ever hear of someone referring to "poach chicken", it just means boiled chicken.  To boil chicken breasts, just place your chicken into a pot.

    Add enough cold water to completely cover the chicken.

       Add in 2 chicken bouillon cubes, a teaspoon of sea salt and a tablespoon of chives. 

     Turn your stove on to medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a steady boil.  Once it is boiling, reduce your heat; cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer until the chicken is no longer pink and reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.  

     The chicken breasts I used were HUGE (over a pound each) so it took 40 minutes to be cooked all the way through.  Smaller, boneless chicken breasts should take about 20 minutes to cook and if you are cooking bone-in breasts, expect it to cook for at least 30 minutes.  An entire chicken will need to cook about 1 1/2 hours or reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees F.  

     Once the chicken is done and cooled, you can shred the chicken with a fork.  Like I mentioned before, boiled chicken can be used in a variety of ways.  Try this chicken in one of the following ways for your supper tonight and you won't be disappointed.

• Make up a pot of comforting Chicken and Dumplings
• In a Mexican Chicken Casserole
• serve it in the classic Chicken Dorito Casserole
• or in yummy Chicken Enchiladas
• always pleasing Chicken Fried Rice

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