ANGIE'S LIFE HACKS
  • Home
  • About Angie
  • Family Life
  • Work / Life Advice
  • Cuisine
  • My Travels
  • Gardening

ANGIE'S KITCHEN

PRACTICAL COOKING ADVICE I'VE GAINED OVER THE YEARS, FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS.
​

MY ROTISSERIE CHICKEN, YUCCA, SHITAKE MUSHROOMS and SPINACH ASOPAO (SOUP)

11/27/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The days are getting chilly and rainy. I don’t know about you but when the weather gets to be this particular way, my body screams for a thick soup to ease my pain, smile. Lentils take almost no time to soften and when you combine them with chicken and yucca, well, say no more, delicious!
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $7.90 or $2.63 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free   
Servings: 3+
 
Ingredients
2 ½ c. softened lentils ($1.00)
2 c. chicken stock ($1.25)
2 rotisserie chicken boneless parts (1 breasts 1 leg, shredded) ($1.50)
2 c. frozen yucca pieces cut at 2” ea. ($1.00)
1 tsp. Adobo with Sazón (.10)
1 tsp. curry powder (.10)
½ c. Shitake mushrooms (.50)
1 ½ tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (.40)
1 frozen “sofrito-molido” cube (.30)
4 garlic cloves (.15)
1 onion (.40)
1 ½ c. spinach $1.20)
 
Directions
Soften the lentils according to the package directions. I do the whole bag and when cold, I freeze in containers for weekly use.
Set the yucca pieces aside to thaw for easy cuts, while you prep the other ingredients.
Shred the chicken parts and set aside.
Chop the onion and garlic and sauté in a casserole with my basting oil.
Add the softened lentils, Adobo, curry powder, chicken stock, yucca pieces, sofrito molido and chicken.
Cook in med-low until the yuca softens and the whole soup get thicker, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Shortly before serving add the spinach, stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
Done.
0 Comments

MY DELICIOUS SURF AND TURF MEAL FOR “THANKSGIVING”, REALLY?

11/20/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Yes, not your traditional Thanksgiving dinner, smile! However, it is time to start thinking about a cozy Thanksgiving dinner for two people, that’s in case you had to cancel your family gathering this year (like us) simply because of COVID-19. It is all good, the cancellation means the whole family will stay safe and healthy for the whole Holiday Season. Instead, they will have individual cozy family celebrations in their own homes. Remember, there is always next year to make up for this. Smile!   BONUS: This meal will take no time to cook.
 
Category:  Entrée 
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  15 minutes
Approximate Cost:    $22.81 or $11.40 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  100% Gluten Free    
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients
2 Filet Mignon steaks ($14.16)
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed ($5.00)
2 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (.45)
2 tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs (.20)
½ box ripe plantains ($1.15)
1 large avocado ($1.25)
1 lime (.60)
 
Directions
Clean, pat dry and season the filet with 1 tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs and 1 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil, then refrigerate.
Clean the shrimp, peel, remove the tails if any and season with 1 tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil and 1 tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs. Refrigerate.
Sear both the filet and shrimp together to your like, med-well, well-done, rare…
Remove the shrimp as soon as they turn pink, set aside.
Microwave the pre-cooked ripe plantains according to the package directions, only takes few minutes.
Slice the avocado and lime.
Done. Get ready to give thanks for all you have been given in life.
0 Comments

MY PAN ROASTED COUNTRY STYLE RIBS with CHINESE EGGPLANT and a COLORFUL SALAD!

11/19/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I didn’t feel like turning the oven on to roast my eggplant, therefore, I decided to pan roast it on my stove with country style ribs and a colorful salad. It worked out perfectly.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $10.45 or $5.23 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free     
Servings: 2
 
Ingredients for the ribs and eggplant
6 country style ribs, clean of any fat and pat dry ($4.00)
2 tbsp. olive oil (1 for the ribs and 1 for the eggplant) (.40)
1 ½ tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs (1/2 tbsp. is to season the eggplant) (.15)
 1 large Chinese eggplant clean and sliced lengthwise. ($1.35)
 
Ingredients for the salad:
½ purple cabbage shredded (.45)
1 stalk of celery clean and cut in ½” pieces (.15)
1 Roma tomato rinsed, pat dry and cut in 1” pieces (.30)
2 c. broccoli florets ($1.75)
½ small onion (.15)
1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar (.30)
1 tbsp. olive oil (.20)
Salt & pepper to taste (0)
 
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
 Directions
Prep the country style ribs as indicated above and season well with1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs. Refrigerate.
 
Prep the Chinese eggplant as indicated above and season with ½ tbsp. Roasted garlic and herbs and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside until time to cook.
 
Prepare all the salad ingredients as I indicated above, use the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Mix well, refrigerate.
 
In a skillet on med-high, sauté until golden the eggplant half’s, add a bit more oil if needed. Then half way through it, add the ribs in its marinade and sear them until well done and golden.
 
Meantime, slice the avocado, bring the salad from the fridge, and get ready to plate this simple and yet delicious meal.
Enjoy!
0 Comments

MY FILET MIGNON STRIPS with ASSORTED VEGGGIES STIR FRY!

11/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
I love stir fry dishes and since I make them frequently, I use a variety of veggies and proteins to make them interesting, smile. This time I even decided to use small red new potatoes, can you believe it? Well, it was interesting and I did not fail, the potatoes flavor was amazing!
 
Category:  Entrée 
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:   Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $18.05 or $9.02 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 2+
 
Ingredients
2 small filet mignon steaks cut into strips ($11.00)
½ red onion sliced (.20)
2 c. Brussels Sprouts rinse, bottoms cut and sliced in half ($2.30)
10 garlic cloves (.60)
1 c. broccoli florets ($1.00)
2 baby new red potatoes cut small pieces (.25)
1 c. snow peas rinsed, ends and string removed ($1.00)
¼ c. Angie’s basting olive oil ($1.40)
1 tbsp. roasted garlic and herbs (.15)
2 tbsp. Soy sauce (.15)
 
Directions
  • Cut, season the filet strip with roasted garlic and herbs and soy sauce. Refrigerate.
  • Briefly, in a skillet with my basting oil, carefully sauté the filet strips and potatoes.
  • Remove the beef. Add the Brussels Sprouts, sauté until golden. Remove and set aside.
  • In the same skillet, add the garlic and onion, then broccoli, snow peas. Then add the filet strips and all the other veggies that you sautéed prior to this point.
  • The skillet veggies will look toasty and juicy.
  • Now you are ready to plate. You can eat this as is or serve over a bed of white rice, or pasta of your choice. It is so fulfilling!
 
My link: Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil
0 Comments

DESSERT: HOW I MAKE A SIMPLE CAKE BOX LOOK FANCY WHEN I AM IN A HURRY!

11/11/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​This dessert is not rocket science or difficult to make at all. Just get a cake box, follow the instructions on the back. Pour the mix into a cup cake mold, when done, add a scoop of Ice cream, some chocolate syrup and M&M and you will have your own master pieces. Smile.
 
Category:  Dessert
Approx. Prep and Cook Time: 35 minutes
Approximate Cost:    $5.53 or .23 cents per cup cake serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free ONLY if you use a GF cake mix box 
Servings: 24
 
Ingredients
1 box Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake ($1.25)
3 eggs (.48)
1/3 c. peanut oil (.40)
¾ c. evaporated milk (.40)
Breyers Ice cream ($1.50)
¼ c. M&M ($1.00)
¼ c. Hershey’s Chocolate syrup to garnish drops in the plate (.50)
 
Directions
  • Prepare the cake according to the box directions.
  • Divide into 24 cup cake mold.
  • Bake according to box directions and your oven.
  • Remove from oven, allow to cool, serve individually in plates garnished with the syrup, M&M’s and a big ice cream scoop on top.
0 Comments

MY GROUND CHICKEN with MY ORZOTTO STIR FRY

11/6/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​YES, we can stir fry anything we want to and it doesn’t need to have soy sauce, smile. Of course, the door is opened to add it to taste. This is simply one of my crazy recipes where I used an Italian starch (Orzo) with non-traditional (ground chicken) protein and then add my favorite flavors. Delicioso!
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $5.35 or $1.78 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  CONTAINS WHEAT
Servings: 3
 
Ingredients
½ lb. ground chicken ($2.50)
1 ½ tbsp. of Roasted Garlic and Herbs (.20)
1 ½ tbsp. Angie’s basting olive oil (.40)
2 c. chicken stock ($1.25)
1 c. Orzo (.50)
½ c. of fresh basil leaves (.50)
 
Directions
  • Season the ground chicken with ½ tbsp. of my basting oil and 1 tbsp. roasted garlic and herbs.
  • In a skillet with ½ tbsp. of my basting oil, sauté the chicken for about 4 minutes, remove from the skillet and set aside.
  • Add the last ½ tbsp. of my basting oil to the skillet and sauté the orzo briefly.
  • Add ½ tbsp. of roasted garlic and herbs and the chicken stock, adding just ½ a cup at a time, stirring in med-low until it begins to dry and adding more again. Continue until the orzo is soft to-taste.
  • Once the orzo is softened, add the ground chicken, stir well and if needed, add a bit more stock to make it yummy. This is not a dry orzo; it should be creamy.
  • Chop the basil leaves lightly, plate and sprinkle over the meal. Done!
0 Comments

MY OCTOPUS (or PULPO) SALAD with MOFONGO for the BIRTHDAY BOY!

11/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
So, my husband wanted this salad for his birthday, yeah, as his gift, cool! Since I can’t find fresh octopus where I live, the next best thing was to go to Costco and get a pack. No big deal. I remember when my daddy, (who didn’t eat octopus but loved to catch seafood as a hobby) brought live “pulpo” home for me to cook it and eat it, priceless, smile.
 
Category:  Entrée  
Approx. Prep and Cook Time:  Under 30 Minutes
Approximate Cost:    $19.65 or $6.55 per serving
Difficulty Level:  Easy
Allergens, Other:  Gluten Free    
Servings: 3+
 
Ingredients
½ lb. cooked octopus (pulpo) ($10.00)
4 tsp. lemon juice (.40)
Garlic rice vinegar (.15)
½ tsp. hot sauce (.15)
½ tsp. Angie’s dry seasoning (.10)
1 large garlic clove, chopped fine (0)
½ small red onion sliced (.20)
Flat parsley, and scallions, chives, jalapeno to taste (.50)
2 tbsp. salad olives (.20)
1 large red cooked pimento, chopped (.50)
¼ c. Angie’s basting olive oil ($1.25)
½ bag of Green Plantain Pieces (Mofongo Goya) (.2.25)
1 ½ c. beef broth approx. to make Mofongo smooth ($1.20)
2 c. Kale ($1.50)
1 avocado ($1.25)
 
Directions
  1. The octopus is already cooked and clean, however, I like to rinse and pat dry it before dicing it in bite size pieces and place in a med-size bowl.
  2. Chop the Chopped Onion, Garlic, Olives, roasted red peppers, and scallions, parsley and add to the Octopus bowl.
  3. Add my basting olive oil, my dry seasoning to taste, lemon juice, rice vinegar and some Red Hot sauce to taste. Stir it all well. Refrigerate while you prepare the plantain pieces.
  4. In a skillet bring to a simmer some basting oil and the beef broth.
  5. Add the plantains pieces, stir and mash until they become smooth. Add more/less broth as needed.
  6. Slice the avocado, plate the kale and you are ready to eat.

MY LINKS:
Angie’s Dry Seasonings: http://www.angieslifehacks.com/family-life/oven-roasted-bacon-chicken-and-angies-seasonings
Angie’s Basting Oil:  www.angieslifehacks.com/cuisine/the-flavor-series-recipe-2-angies-basting-olive-oil
0 Comments

    ABOUT THE Author

    I am a blogger, a photographer, a jewelry designer, a gourmet cook, and a recipe book writer. I am also a flea market flipper, an avid gardener, an interior/ outdoors designer, an avid golfer and traveler.

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • About Angie
  • Family Life
  • Work / Life Advice
  • Cuisine
  • My Travels
  • Gardening