Simply Artichokes and Dip

Artichokes are a strange beast. While I understand the trepidation you might feel when it comes to cooking them, you should know that you are seriously missing out if you don't try. Artichokes are one of the most delicious greens on the planet, and there are so many ways to eat them that don't involve making them into a dip. In fact, I like to make a dip for them rather than of them.

Prepping the artichokes: I don't usually trim my artichokes. There, I said it. The ones I buy don't have super-pointy tips, and I like having that little extra to hold on to for easy dipping. If you want to trim your artichoke, here is a handy guide. I do try my best to open the center and scoop out the hairy choke when I'm serving this to someone other than my husband, and even I will admit that trimming does make that step much easier and less painful. If you're trying to do anything that involves accessing the center, it might be worthwhile to trim. Make sure to trim the stem (I steam it separately) and pull off any split leaves, extra tough leaves, and leaves that are on the stem, separate from the main body.

 What I did: Juice the lemon into a small bowl and set aide. Toss what is left of the lemon into a large pot with a couple inches of water. Drop in a bay leaf and a clove of garlic as well. (Note: If you want a stronger garlic flavor, split the garlic and tuck half into the center of each artichoke)

 Place your steamer basket into the pot and chuck in those artichokes!

 Cover and steam them for 30-45 minutes, depending on size. If you can easily pull off an outer leaf, they're done.



Time for dip!
While the artichokes are steaming, find that small bowl of lemon juice from earlier. Got it? Good. Add the mayonnaise and parsley to it and stir. Note: Many different herbs work great in this sauce. I occasionally use minced green onions, red pepper, or Italian seasoning

Boom. You done.

But, in case you're still a little intimidated... How to eat an artichoke. 

Trifecta Baked BBQ Chicken!

As promised, my staple for BBQ chicken. And, like staples, it's dirt cheap folks. Dirt. Cheap. We call it the Trifecta because it's cheap, healthy, and delicious! Yessir!

The best part about this recipe is that you can use any kind of chicken your heart desires. Heavier pieces like thighs take the full two hours to bake, while the two little drumsticks I used didn't take much more than an hour (though the full two hours won't hurt them either, just keep basting). Rule of thumb: The more crowded your pan, the longer it will take. I only made 2 drumsticks, but the recipe that follows will make up to 4 thighs. We're only two people around here, and I hate wasting food just so I can take pictures of it!

 What I did: Thaw and rinse your chicken. Remove skin if desired. Place chicken in a container with flour and shake to coat.

  

Place your flour-coated chicken in a covered baking dish. Pour your favorite BBQ sauce on top.

Speaking of BBQ sauce,  here's a very tasty and extremely frugal recipe!


**Note: 1 cup BBQ for four pieces, do the math if you're using more or less. It won't look like enough, but that is as it should be.

Cover it and chuck it in the oven at 350F. After one hour, uncover your dish and spoon the pan juices over the chicken. Leaving the dish uncovered, do this every 15 minutes for another hour. If, during the last 15 minutes, it still looks like you don't have enough BBQ juices, feel free to add a spoonful or two of sauce. If you're using less chicken (like I did) you may need a little extra to make up for the lack of chicken juices.

Once it's all barbequed up, put those chickies on a plate and chow down! Personally, I like to serve it country-style with baked potatoes and sweet corn, but BBQ is complimented by so many different side dishes, so get creative. Just don't forget the extra napkins!

Frugal Farmgirl: Make Your Own BBQ!

I don't care how you think it should be spelled. Every one who does it right spells it BBQ. That, my friends, is how you know where to find the good stuff.

Now, I'm not saying this is the best BBQ sauce EVAR, because that depends a little on your personal taste, and depends a lot on where you were raised (East River farm girl, represent!) However, if you consider the cost vs taste, it is pretty darn amazing. I rarely buy anything else.

Take note: this sauce has a definite zing to it. For a milder sauce with a small kick, reduce the crushed red pepper by half. For no-kick sweet sauce, omit the crushed red pepper and add an additional tablespoon of brown sugar.

What I did: Throw all the ingredients in a small saucepan and mix well. Heat to boiling, then reduce to simmer for 10-30 minutes.

The longer you simmer, the thicker the sauce. (Careful not to leave it on high too long, or else you get ring around the pan, like mine on the left there.) 30 minutes and it will stick to your grillins like a paste. Cool and it's ready to use! It can store in the refrigerator for a little over a month. This batch fits in a standard mason jar, though I'm waiting for an empty ketchup bottle so I can re-purpose it for BBQ sauce!

Here's my full batch. I'm getting ready to slather some on my favorite baked chicken. Yessir!

Alright, I'm ready for grilling! Who's bringing the ribs?

Recipe Reboot: Easy Peasy Blue Bleu Cheesy!

© Csp | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Blue.

Bleu.

Blooooooooo!

However you spell it, I love blue cheese. I love it as much as it is possible to love a food.

 I dislike blue cheese dressing. It just doesn't do it for me. So what's a girl to do when confronted with a pile of delicious, lip-smackin' hot wings?

Why, make her own, of course. It's easier than you might think. I came across this recipe on Pinterest and gave it a go. I modified it slightly from the original recipe to fit what I had on hand, (more blue cheese!) and it was still fabulous. It's been a hit all around.

How I did it:
Mix together milk, sour cream, mayonaise, vinegar, sugar, and garlic powder. Crumble in blue cheese. Use more or less cheese depending on your taste. I like it chunky. If you like a smoother dressing, just mash the blue cheese with the milk before adding the other ingredients. Salt and pepper until you're satisfied. I use very little.



How much:
This recipe makes just under a cup, and I leave it at that. We like our blue cheese around here, but the two of us don't use more than 1 cup per meal.


Good to know:
This recipe does not store well. The vinegar mixed with the milk leads to an increasingly sour taste the longer it sits. I only make what I can use in one sitting, because it's pretty darn sour even if I eat it the very next day. If you'd like to store it, you may have to omit the vinegar entirely and switch the milk to buttermilk, which may still leave you with a very sweet dressing. Your call.

Now fetch me some hot wings and I'm a happy, happy girl!

007 Muffins

These muffins are not ordinary muffins. These muffins have a secret. Wanna know what it is?

Broccoli. Delicious broccoli, stuffed right in the center.

I found this recipe some time ago and, after several less-that-desirable results, I finally seem to have found the right conversion that gives me the perfect savory little broccoli cake. Delicious!

I use less butter and slightly less cheese than the original recipe. I found it was too greasy for my taste. That's saying something, because this farm girl seriously loves butter. Yes yes.

What I did:

Grease the muffin tin. Note: If you're using the amount of butter in the original recipe, this is unnecessary. I use less, so the tins need a little something to make them not stick. Nobody likes a sticky muffin!

Preheat the oven to 350. Do it.

Blanche the broccoli for about 3 minutes. Do not leave them in the boiling water too long, as they still need to stand up in the muffin cups. After 3 minutes, rinse them in cold water and pat dry.

Beat the softened butter until it is creamy, then add the sugar and beat some more. Add the eggs and keep on beating it, you cruel thing, you. Mix together the dry ingredients and add these to the mixture, beating well. Lastly, fold in the cheese with a spatula or large spoon.

Put one spoonful of batter in each greased muffin cup.Stand one broccoli floret in each cup, and top with another spoonful of batter. Repeat until you have a dozen little muffins! It's going to look a little rough, and that's ok. The beauty is in the taste.

Bake for 30 minutes, until they are golden brown and smell delicious. Let them cool 15-20 minutes before eating. Nobody likes getting their tongue burned on hidden broccoli, and trust me when I say the broccoli inside is hotter than the muffins on the outside.

That's it! These are among my favorite side dishes, and are always a hit at potlucks, since they're easy to prepare ahead of time and transport and also because they're just so darn scrumptious!