A Helping Hand

I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis of the spine.  On bad days I can barely hold up a lettuce leaf never mind standing there holding up a mixer or try to pour boiling water out of a heavy pot.  I started this blog to help others that are ill still be able to cook.  While recipes are great, kitchen tools are also needed.  I know I dusted off my crockpot after being sick.  I found I had more energy to cook in the morning that at dinner time.  It has been a godsend.  I also use my stand mixer, blender, mandolin slicer, food processor and any other gadget that makes my life in the kitchen easier.    So here are some cool things I've just found:

Jug Tipper for Cold Items

Tipper for hot items

Rolling Trivet: It has ball bearing under it so you just roll the pot around the counter without lifting

Jar Opener: I have the Oxo Good Grips version and I LOVE it



For those times when you have to cook from a seated position

 Most of these items I found at Peterson Medical  I haven't shopped their myself yet but they have lots of assitive technology for all sorts of things.  I've only listed a few of the kitchen things here.  There are items for other things such as bath items and wheelchair accessories.
I also love anything by Oxo Good Grips.  I have their garlic press and jar opener.

Hiatus

I've had to go on a slight hiatus.  As part of this illness I seem to have lost both my sense of smell and sense of taste.  All I can taste now is salt.  This makes cooking a challenge and I refuse to rely on my husband's palate to determine if a new recipe is blog worthy.  As soon as I can taste food again I'll post some more of my experiments.

Ham and Potato Bake

I meant to post this weeks ago when I first made it but I've been dealing with some health issues.  I hope I can remember all the modifications that I made to the original recipe because the one I made came out fantastic.  The original recipe is in an ancient cookbook I inherited from my Mom, The Pillsbury Family Cookbook published in 1963.  They loved their pimentos back then!

Everything except the cheese sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for a day or two.  Just heat the ingredients up in the microwave before using them in the recipe.

Ingredients
serves 3-4

~2 c cooked ham (I just cooked up a ham steak that I got prepackaged at the supermarket)
1-2c peas
2 medium potatoes
1t parsley
1t marjoram
1/4c diced onion (frozen is fine)
2T butter
2T olive oil
1-2T corn starch
2c milk
1/2c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4c  shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4c grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oven to 350F and grease a  2qt casserole dish.
2. Peel and cut potatoes into bite sized pieces.  Boil in water with peas until just fork tender. Drain.  It is better if the potatoes are just slightly under done since they will continue to cook in the oven.
3. Fry up ham steak and then cut into bite sized cubes removing extra fat and center bone.  Set aside.
4. In same frying pan add butter and oil.  Fry up onions.  Use a spoon to free up bits stuck to bottom of pan.
5. While onions are cooking, mix 1/4c of the milk with the cornstarch, stir until well mixed and set aside.
6. When onions are soft, add remainder of milk along with the cheeses to pan.  Also add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir constantly and do NOT let it come to a boil. 
7. Once cheese is melted, whisk the cornstarch mixture again to make sure it isn't lumpy and slowly add it to cheese mix while stirring constantly.  Continue to stir until mixture thickens and immediately remove from heat.
8. Put potatoes, peas and ham in casserole dish.  Pour cheese mixture over it.
9. Bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Chicken Cacciatore

I've adapted my old Cacciatore recipe for use in the slow cooker.  I've used this recipe for so long I forget where I got the original from.  You can stretch this recipe with a side salad and extra rice or pasta and some bread.  Of course it tastes even better the second day after all the flavors have time to meld together. 


Ingredients
serves 4-6

~2lbs of chicken pieces (legs or thighs preferably bone in)
26oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce Plain
1 small can tomato paste (I like Contadina.  It is less acidic.)
medium onion
1 small carton sliced mushrooms (I prefer criminis but buttons are fine)
1 small bag peeled baby carrots
1 small bag frozen peas
1-2T good olive oil
1T oregano dried
1t basil dried
1t thyme dried
1t parsley dried
1 large bay leaf
1-3 cloves garlic (to taste)
salt & pepper

1. Pour olive oil in slow cooker and grease the inside of the pot with it.
2. Coarsely chop onion.  Not too fine or it will disappear into the sauce.  Put in bottom of pot.
3. Layer in the carrots and mushrooms.
4. Skin chicken if necessary and cut off any extra fat. Layer on top of vegetables.
5. In bowl, mix together the Hunts sauce, paste and all the herbs and spices including the garlic.  Fill the Hunts tin half way with water, swish around to get all the good stuff out, add to bowl and stir in.
6. Pour sauce over chicken.
7. Cook on high for 3-4 hours depending upon chicken chunk sizes.
8. Half hour before finishing add peas and stir in.  Cook on high for last half hour.
9. Remove bay leaf.
10. Remove bones if you are so inclined.  Not necessary if there isn't company though.
11. Serve with pasta or over brown rice.
12. Leftovers taste great and can be frozen.

Quesadilla

I actually have several versions of this recipe that range from super easy to a little on the fussy side but seriously yummy.  I'll start with the easy version and work my way up in difficulty. 

The chicken can always be cooked separately and stored in the fridge making the cooking day of a bit easier.  I wish I could remember the name of making chicken this way.  The traditional method is to quarter a fresh onion, and then throw in a couple of sticks of celery and a whole carrot maybe cut in two so it fits in the pot along with peppercorns and bay leaf and of course chicken.  Cover with water and boil until it falls apart.  The vegetables and spices are there to give the chicken some extra flavor and are disposed of when the chicken is done.  I believe it is a French thing but I learned it so long ago I don't remember.  Chicken made this way also makes excellent chicken salad so keep any leftovers for lunch the next day.

I've also heard of people buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding the meat off that.   I've never tried this myself since boiling chicken tenders is fairly simple and there are no bones or left overs to contend with. 

I've been very lax with amounts for the recipes because this is really a to taste recipe. 

Super Easy Version
Ingredients
makes 1

GF tortilla shell (rice or corn)
Olive oil
Perdue Short Cuts Carved Chicken Breast
Shredded Mexican cheese
Sour cream
Guacamole

1. Heat a skillet on stove
2. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
3. Place greased side down in skillet
4. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over).  If you are using the small corn ones just cover the entire thing with cheese and then add a second tortilla after putting chicken on.
5. Put chicken on top
6. Fold shell in half and brown bottom or top with a second tortilla shell.
7. Flip over and brown top half.
8. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Healthy version
Ingredients
serves 2-3 people

~1 lb of  chicken tenders (raw)
celery flakes
dried onion
peppercorns
1 bay leaf
salt
1 carrot (optional)
garlic clove
Shredded Mexican cheese
GF tortilla shells (rice or corn)
Sour cream

1. Boil chicken with celery, onion peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic (these can be dried or fresh and the quantity isn't really important about 1-2t of each.  You can also throw a carrot in there if it is kicking around) until falling apart
2. Remove chicken making sure the onions and spices stay in the pot.  Shred chicken.  The chicken can now be stored in the fridge and you can make the quesadillas later, even the next day.
3. Heat dry skillet on stove.
4. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
5. Place greased side down in skillet
6. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over)
7. Put chicken on top
8. Fold shell in half and brown bottom
9. Flip over and brown top half.
10. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Fancy Version
Ingredients
serves 4-6

1/2c white or brown rice
1c water
1/2 can black beans rinsed
1c frozen corn
1t cilantro
1/4c frozen diced onion
~1lb raw chicken tenders
dried onion flakes
celery flakes
peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 carrot (optional)
olive oil
salt
Shredded Mexican cheese
sour cream
guacamole

1. Put rice, beans, water, onion, corn and cilantro in rice cooker.  Put on cover and cook.
2. While this is cooking make the chicken:
1. Boil chicken with celery, onion peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic (these can be dried or fresh and the quantity isn't really important about 1-2t of each.  You can also throw a carrot in there if it is kicking around) until falling apart
2. Remove chicken making sure the onions and spices stay in the pot.  Shred chicken.  The chicken can now be stored in the fridge and you can make the quesadillas later, even the next day.
3. When both the rice and chicken are done heat the dry skillet on the stove.
4. Moisten a paper towel with the olive oil and use to lightly grease the outside only of the tortilla shell.
5. Place greased side down in skillet
6. Put cheese on one half of shell (it is important to do this first since it will melt and keep things together when you go to flip the quesadilla over)
7. Put chicken on top
8. The rice mix can either be put into the quesadilla at this point or served on the side.
9. Fold shell in half and brown bottom or top with second tortilla shell
10. Flip over and brown top half.
11. Serve hot with sour cream and guacamole on the side

Of course if you want to make a vegetarian version increase the beans and leave out the chicken.

Black and White Chilli

I made a mild version of this since my tummy can't handle spices since I've been sick.  I've adapted the recipe from "Black and White Chicken Chili" in Cook's Country Lost Recipes.  Not sure if the edition on Amazon is the same as what I got in the mail.  Mine is in the style of a magazine and was a freebie when I got some cookbooks.

Anyway, this dish was a total hit in my house.  I had two bowls myself.  I just wish I had some GF cornbread to go with it.  That would have been perfect!  Instead we had it with Cheesy Bread.

Ingredients:
serve 4-6

1pkg of four bone in chicken thighs
1c diced frozen onion
1 1/2c frozen corn
1can (15.5oz) cannellini beans
1can (15.5oz) black beans
1c Pacific Foods organic chicken broth
1c water
1jar (16oz) salsa (mild, medium or spicy as you wish)
4 cloves garlic or equivalent from a jar or two cubes frozen
1 1/2t ground cumin
1 1/2r dried oregano
1t dried cilantro
salt and pepper

1. Skin chicken and remove excess fat
2. Spray slow cooker with no stick oil.
3. Place onion and frozen corn in bottom of slow cooker.
4. Rinse and drain both cans of beans and add to slow cooker
5. Place chicken on top
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cumin, oregano and cilantro
7. Mix broth, water, salsa and garlic together in bowl and pour over chicken
8. Cook on high for 4 hours.
9. Remove chicken and remove meat from bone.  Return meat to pot.
10. Enjoy!

Note: if you use a regular broth like Swanson's use 2 cups and skip the water.  Pacific Foods broth is very concentrated so I usually cut it with water so it doesn't overpower the dish.

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

This is a super simple dinner to make.  You cook the chicken in a slow cooker for three hours and then do some minor assembly work.  The original recipe called for a half cup of vinegar but I found this to overpower the dish so in this version I've left it out.  If you like vinegar and want to counter balance the sweetness of the coleslaw by all means add it to the crock pot along with the BBQ sauce.  Since hubby doesn't like coleslaw I left it off his but he said that some pepperjack cheese would be a nice addition.  This can be served with green salad and french fries.


Ingredients
serves 4

1-2lbs bone in chicken thighs (4 pieces)
1/4c frozen onion diced
1 1/4c favorite BBQ sauce (I like Annie's original with sweet & spicy being my second favorite)
1t -1T hot sauce (optional:I left this out)
medium sized deli container of coleslaw (try to find stuff without HFCS)
Favorite GF hamburger buns

1. Strip skin off chicken and cut away extra fat.
2. Spray no stick in slow cooker and put onion in first and then layer chicken on top.
3. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
4. Mix BBQ sauce with hot sauce and pour over chicken.
5. Cook on high for three hours. 
6. Remove chicken pieces from sauce strip from bone and return to pot.
7. I get my GF buns frozen so this is the point where I defrost them in the microwave.
8. Put chicken on bun, add coleslaw on top.
9. Enjoy!

Options:

1. Top with pepperjack cheese instead of slaw
2. Make with pork instead of chicken