Cooking Ingredient Must-Haves

My oldest friend, Keri, got married in November of 2012. Read about their engagement here. Being a new bride, Keri has started to cook at home more for herself and her husband, Bradley. When we were in Ruidoso, Keri asked what sorts of things I buy at the grocery store. After talking to her, Andy suggested that I write a blog entry describing cooking ingredient must-haves for your kitchen- a "basic staples list" if you will.

So here it is, a list of basics that I believe no cook should be without. I fill my fridge and cupboard with low fat, fat free, healthy choices for my quick, easy, and healthy recipes. Of course, brand/nutritional content is your choice.

I suggest buying the non-perishable items in bulk at a place like Costco. They're less expensive- you can stock up, and you don't have to worry about those spoiling.

In your freezer: Meat, etc.

• Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
• least expensive & best quality I've found is Costco. You can get a bag for $18 of about 14 breasts that are individually wrapped
• They stay frozen in the freezer, so just buy a bag and pop it in. Pull out however many you need when you're ready for them.
• Porkchops, lean cut
• Again- Costco. Buy them in bulk, and wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Put the wrapped chop in a freezer baggie & freeze until you need them.
• Hash browns

In your cabinet: Spices & Herbs You can get these fresh or ground. Substitute 1 tbsp fresh for 1 tsp dried. 1/4tsp ground for 1 tsp whole seeds.

• Basil
• Black pepper (you need more than what's in your pepper mill)
• Brown sugar
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon- it can be substituted for nutmeg or allspice
• Chives
• Cumin
• Garlic salt
• Garlic powder
• Lemon pepper
• Oregano
• Paprika
• Powdered sugar
• Rosemary- if you want fresh, let me know- I have humongous bushes of this
• Sage
• Salt (you need more than what's in your salt shaker)
• Sugar or sugar-substitute
• Vanilla extract

In your refrigerator: Dairy & Perishables

• Milk
• Sour cream (buy in the 8 oz containers though unless the recipe specifically calls for it because it expires)
• Cheddar cheese
• Cream cheese
• Lemon/lime juice
• Minced garlic (in a jar)
• Butter (I use Smart Balance Light with Flax Seed Oil)
• Eggs
• Lettuce
• Salad dressing of your choice
• Reduced fat sausage *Freeze if not using by use-by date
• Reduced fat ground beef *Freeze if not using by use-by date

In your pantry/cupboard

• Chicken broth *Refrigerate after opening. Also, you can pour it into an ice tray and freeze leftovers. Pop out a cube or two when needed.
• Beef broth
• Cream of chicken condensed soup
• Cream of mushroom condensed soup
• Barbecue sauce *Refrigerate after opening.
• Bread crumbs- seasoned or non, your pick
• Croutons
• Pasta
• Black beans
• Corn
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste
• Marinara sauce
• Diced, canned tomatoes
• Canned, stewed tomatoes
• Onion, fresh
• Worcestershire sauce *Refrigerate after opening.
• Soy sauce *Refrigerate after opening.
• Mustard *Refrigerate after opening.
• Mayonnaise or mayo-substitute *Refrigerate after opening.
• Ketchup *Refrigerate after opening.
• Tabasco sauce *Refrigerate after opening.
• Salsa or hot sauce *Refrigerate after opening.
• Olive oil
• Vegetable oil
• Non-stick cooking spray- we buy the "Pam: Olive Oil" spray for cooking and "Pam: Grilling" spray for the grill
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic/seran wrap
• Ziplock baggies (snack, sandwich, and freezer size)
• Crockpot liners
• Parchment paper

These ingredients are all found in my recipes. What I usually like to do is stock up on the above items when I can. Sometimes it seems frustrating to buy an $8 spice when you only need 1/4 tsp at a time, but you'll be able to use the rest for quite a while before it goes bad.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Ryan Bingham and me at Magnolia Motor Lounge

March 11, 2013: This past weekend, Andy and I went to see Ryan Bingham play at Billy Bob's Texas. When we were in Ruidoso with our friends the Hickmans, Bradley asked us if we wanted to get a group together to go. Heck yeah, Andy and I love Ryan Bingham! We were in.

Andy and me at Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob's Texas
March 9, 2013

If you haven't heard of Ryan Bingham, Google him then download some of his songs on iTunes. Andy compares his sound to a modern-day Bob Dylan. While we have liked his music for a while, Bingham's career really took off in 2011. He co-wrote and performed the movie, Crazy Heart's, theme song, "The Weary Kind" that won Bingham an Academy award, Golden Globe award, Grammy award, and Critic's Choice Award- not to mention winning many hearts with his charming looks.

Ryan Bingham on stage at Billy Bob's

On Saturday night, just as we were getting in Andy's truck to head to the Northside, it started pouring rain. Not just sprinkling, but slow-the-car-way-down-streets-are-flooding-I-want-to-turn-around-and-go-home kind of rain. But we made it to Billy Bob's just in time for the show. Bradley had gotten us great seats, and we all had a great time.

Keri and me at Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob's

After Billy Bob's, we went to the White Elephant Saloon for a bit, and then saw on Twitter that Ryan Bingham was going to Magnolia Motor Lounge. We figured he was just going to play a bonus set, so off to 7th street we went. Turns out, Bingham wasn't playing at Magnolia- he just went to dance and have fun with his wife. Well, of course I hunted him down for a picture, which would have taken 45 minutes to get had I waited in the autograph line at Billy Bob's.

After our busy weekend, I wanted something easy to fix for dinner on Monday night. Preferably, I also something for which I didn't have to get out of my pajamas and go to the grocery store. I found this recipe for Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and was able to make it after a few tweaks of my own. It is very similar to my OMG Chicken, but this one has garlic in the mix. If you aren't a fan of garlic, try OMG Chicken instead. Maybe next time we make it, we can watch Crazy Heart in memory of our fun Bingham-filled weekend.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Modified from www.kalynskitchen.com
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 8

Parmesan Crusted Chicken and Roasted Butternut Squash

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
• '1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, reduced fat

1. Mix together garlic, sour cream, and poultry seasoning
2. Marinate chicken in mixture for 30min+
3. Preheat oven to 425
4. Mix bread crumbs and cheese
5. Immediately before baking, coat chicken in bread crumb/cheese mixture
6. Bake in foil lined pan for appr 30 min at 425

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Pollo & Patate (Chicken & Potatoes, Italian Style)

Andy and me at the Roadhouse, Rodeo 2013

On Saturday, January 26th, Andy, me, our friends, Paige & Kyle, and their friend Kenny adventured out to the rodeo grounds for the day.  We rode a few rides, checked out the chickens and goats, and walked around the exhibit halls.  The exhibit halls are, afterall, my favorite part of the rodeo.  After rodeo-ing all day, Andy and I met our friends Jason & Holly for dinner at Fireside Pies. 

Andy and me at Bulls Night Out 2013

Over the course of dinner, my voice started getting more and more hoarse, and I just figured it was from walking around in the cold all day, surrounded by dust and hay.  I woke up on Sunday morning, voice still hoarse, but with the most intense sinus headache I've ever had.  Keep in mind, I've had sinus surgery, so I know sinus pain, but this was like nothing else.  It felt like someone had cracked open my face, poured concrete in it, and was then jack-hammering the concrete out.  My body was aching and sore, and I was coughing and congested.


Brittney and me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

I googled my symptoms, and my symptoms kept coming up as symptoms of the flu.  No way... I got the flu shot. In October. We are required to get it at work.  But, nonetheless, I felt terrible.  I called in sick to work on Monday, and I hadn't called in sick in over a year and a half.  I went to the doctor who stuck a cotton swab up my nose and confirmed my Flu Type A. Ugh. 

Andy and me at the midway, Rodeo 2013

Prescription cough syrup and Tamiflu were called in to CVS, and I was sent to bed.  My doctor told me Type A Flu was "highly contagious" so I quickly texted Andy, and I suggested that he call his doctor for a Tamiflu prescription, too.  His doctor called him in the preventative little pack of pills, and he never did get sick.  I had been wanting to get into watching Downton Abbey, so Netflix and the humidifier were both turn on and into bed I went.  When I picked up my prescriptions, I grabbed a bottle of Pedialyte (which is my best friend when I am sick & dehydrated), and whipped out my neti pot. 

Katie & me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

Andy insisted on cooking dinner that night so my germy hands wouldn't get all over his food, but the next night I made this recipe.  I already have a recipe called Italian Chicken & Potatoes, so I wanted to come up with a clever twist to differentiate.  According to google, "chicken & potatoes" translates to "pollo & patate" in Italian, so that's where the name comes from.  I tried to use ingredients that I already had, and I found this recipe on Crock a Doodle Do, a cute blog with a lot of crockpot recipes.  Hopefully when you make it, you'll be flu-free, but it is a great dish if you're craving comfort food.

Me, Candice, Brittney, Jenny, and Kirsten at the Roadhouse for Josh Weathers and Brittney's birthday

Pollo & Patate
By Crock a Doodle Do
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 11

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 16 oz bottle non-fat Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 c reduced fat parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• 4-6 potatoes scrubbed, sliced thin
• 1/2 lb mini carrots

1. Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.
2. Place two chicken breasts in crock.
3. Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.
4. Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.
5. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.
6. Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.
8. Pour carrots on top
9. Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.
10. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.
11. Place potatoes on top.
12. Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

March 12, 2013: Throughout the years, I've been a generally healthy person. I eat well, exercise, take care of myself. The only real health problems that I had growing up were chronic sinus infections. In February of 2012, I had sinus surgery to help alleviate these infections, so I thought I was off scot-free. Well, as it turns out, 2012-2013 was not my time to be sick-free.

Pedialyte is my go-to when I'm sick

When I had my surgery, I knew it would be tough, but I had no idea what I was in for. I had a total of nine surgeries, including (but not limited to) a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction. I woke up feeling like my throat had turned to sandpaper and didn't stop feeling like that for the next two months. The first two weeks were the worst. The rumors about constant ice cream eating are lies- all lies. I couldn't even swallow my own spit! My diet consisted of just water for the whole first week.

Andy pushed the couches together for me for a giant pallet after my sinus/throat surgeries

Oh, and I formed a blood clot in my throat that later burst.  I woke up one night coughing, and it tasted like I'd swallowed a handful of pennies. I ran to the bathroom to see I was coughing up blood. I frantically screamed for Andy, who woke to what looked like a murder scene in our bathroom. I filled up the whole sink with blood- gallons of it- and had moved on to a mixing bowl. (Don't worry, I threw it out the next day). I told Andy I thought I needed to go to the ER, and my sweet boyfriend said, "No! You'll get blood in my truck!!" Well, I convinced him we could take my car, and Andy took me to the emergency room at 1am that night.  After a series of fainting episodes and blacking out, the ER doc told me I was "right above the cut off line for a blood transfusion." I was severely dehydrated, too, so they poked and pricked me some more to revive my pathetic self. 

The beautiful flowers Andy's family sent me after my sinus/throat surgeries

After those seven days, I was finally able to choke down Boost shakes and Pedialyte. Good thing, too, seeing as I ended up losing a grand total of 16 pounds. Don't worry- I gained it all back as soon I started eating solid food again. Then, in January 2013, I caught the flu. The full-out, high fever, body aches, chills and sweating flu. I called into work that day for the first time in over two years. Since I'd had the flu shot and quickly started taking Tamiflu, my bout didn't last too long.

To make the 365 days complete, I got a stomach bug in March. I was at work, and my stomach was rumbling and gurgling. After profusely getting sick at work, I knew I was done for.  Let's just say that I was lucky I have great managers who sent a sick girl home.

Beautiful flowers from my dad after my sinus/throat surgeries

So what does all this have to do with Teriyaki Chicken? After my stomach bug, my friends wanted to go get sushi. Sushi was at the bottom of my "easy on my stomach, light food" list, so I opted for some basic Teriyaki Chicken at Sushi Q. After eating it, I decided that I was certain I, too, could somehow make this basic dish. So I found this recipe on my Pinterest page and whipped it up for Andy and me. It was super easy, and super yummy. Definitely a do-again'er, hopefully not after having been sick.

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken
Modified from www.askchefs.net
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 c teriyaki sauce (I use low-sodium)
• 1/4c lime juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp peanut oil

1. Thoroughly mix the sauce, lime juice, garlic, and oil in a bowl
2. Pour this marinade into a freezer bag
3. Add chicken
4. Shake the chicken around, fully coating it in marinade
5. Marinade chicken 30min+, overnight if desired
6. Turn bag/chicken every so often
7. Heat grill to high heat
8. Grill chicken 6-8 min on each side or until thoroughly cooked (no pink)
9. At the end, cut the chicken down the middle and sprinkle on a bit of extra teriyaki sauce to saturate the chicken through and through

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Side note: I came up with a new strategy to reduce dishes and increase efficiency. I found a bowl that fit with a large freezer bag inside of it, turned down. Then I added all of my ingredients in the bag. I mixed them with a spoon, so they could be mixed thoroughly.

Last, I added my chicken breasts. I simply lifted the edges of the baggie up, squished out the air, and zipped it closed. Then I just stuck the whole bag of chicken in the marinade in the fridge to marinate overnight! No mess to clean up- easy as pie! Well, easier, actually.

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Sauce

Baby Abbie Anne

The day I got my Yorkie, Abbie, I had told my parents that I was just browsing. I told my mom, "I just want to go look at the puppies. I don't have to get one, but I just want to look." Now name the last person who went "just to look" at puppies. It can't be done. Ever.

The Creels' dog, Lily, and her bff, Abbie when the girls were babies!
Abbie sticking her tongue out... what a mischievous one!

We met the breeder in a McDonald's parking lot in Denton in January of 2009. I had actually wanted to look at another puppy in the litter, but she was very hyper and frisky. I knew from "wanting the fun one" with our Beagle that the other pup would be quite the mischief maker.

She was so teeny!

Instead, I reached for the little one snuggled in the back of the crate. She had a circus blanket underneath her. My baby blanket also had circus animals on it. "Circy" (hard C sound) I called it, was my crutch and still lives under my bed in a drawer with my bear, Brownie. So a lovable, adorable little puppy curled up on a circus baby blanket- I figured it was meant to be. So my "just looking" turned into "just buying" and Abbie was all mine.

Yook how yittle my yittle baby was! Not much bigger than this baseball!

Another coincidence- her birthday is November 9th which is my little cousin, Ashlea's, birthday. Ashlea has always meant the world to me, so I doubly knew Abbie was going to be special.  I know everyone is partial to their dogs, but my little gal is 4 pounds of amazingness. She's the best cuddle buddy with the sweetest face and the funniest personality.

Andy, me, and Abbie at my 4th Annual Holiday Cocktail Party, Christmas 2011

What hasn't been so precious about my sweet girl lately has been her breath. Yuck! Lucky me, Abbie's health care plan (yes, she has a health care plan) includes an annual dental cleaning. So off to Banfield we went early one morning, and I dropped her off to have her teeth cleaned. The vet always tells me to plan to keep an eye on her for the night since she will be coming out of anesthesia, so I planned an easy dinner that I could cook inside.

Abbie is a Longhorn fan, duh

Well, we should have known our little munchkin wasn't going to let anesthesia get her down. Not much does. She was spinning in circles and leaping from the couch the minute I let her in the door. So much for having to nurse her back to health. Regardless, we were having an easy-bake meal in the oven that night, with Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Sauce on the side. Usually I grill asparagus- click for more asparagus recipes: Barbeque Grilled Asparagus and Garlic Lime Asparagus. This time, I thought I'd try something different and bake it. It definitely has a different flavor than grilling, but is really a great alternative. Even Abbie sat by me all of dinner begging for a piece to drop!

Abbie Christmas 2012

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Sauce
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 1

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Sauce

• 1 lb asparagus
• Cooking spray
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet.
3. Coat with cooking spray
4. Season with salt and pepper, brush with soy sauce and balsamic.
5. Bake asparagus 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Roasted Butternut Squash

Andy hates going to the grocery store with me. He typically just gives me his list of usual items- G2, Special K Breakfast Bars, water, Nesquick chocolate milk, and eggs- and off I go. Sometimes he varies it up and wants the Planters Heart Healthy nut mix. What can I say, he's a creature of habit.  One Sunday I convinced him to go to the grocery store with me, which took much coercion. I drug his moping self to Kroger (I didn't even make him go to Wal-Mart, he should be thankful!) where we started in the fruit/veggie department.
I told him a few things to grab- bananas, Cutie clementines, and a butternut squash. Now, I'll admit, I asked him to get the squash because I didn't know what a butternut squash looked like. He didn't either, but he pointed the the squash section. I picked up "1 squash" as my recipe below called for, but it lacked the "large" component. Or was it large? I didn't know... I hadn't seen a picture of one, so I wasn't really sure which type of squash was which. We threw it in the basket and moved on to the drink aisle.

I should've had this image at the grocery store!

When we got home, I was confused as to why the squash in the recipe's picture was orange, and this squash was a greenish yellow. Finally, I Googled "butternut squash" and, come to find out, both Andy and I were way off with what we bought. Yes, we bought a squash, but it wasn't the huge gourd that I was going to need to make Roasted Butternut Squash. I went back to the store the next day and found a squash that looked much more like my Google image, and whipped up this side. For more info on the tons of different kinds of squashes, click here.

I don't remember ever having squash before- remember, I didn't each vegetables as a child, but this was awesomely delicious. It was light enough for a side, but hefty enough to be filling. It was nutty and fresh, and all kinds of yum. We made it again when I made Parmesan Crusted Chicken, and it really seems to be a side that pairs well with anything.

Roasted Butternut Squash
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 2



Butternut Squash

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced to 1-inch *Read how to prepare a butternut squash here.
• Pam Olive oil spray
• 1 tbsp chopped thyme (I usually use ground thyme)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400
2. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil spray
3. Spread squash out on sheet
4. Lightly coat squash in olive oil spray
5. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper- tossing to coat
6. Roast until tender, turning once during cooking
7. Roast 30-40min

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine  

Jalapeno Popper Rolls

Andy, me, Jennifer, & Chris, TCU tailgating 2012

Andy is in four (count them, FOUR- quatro, quatre) NFL fantasy football leagues.  I could barely even manage to remember to make my picks in my college pick 'em last year, so how he manages four teams each fall, I will never know.  One is a work group of friends, one is his dad's buddies, one is college friends, and one is a group of his KA buddies from Midwestern State University.  This year, the KA boys' draft was at our friends, Clay and Michelle's, house.  I wanted to make something easy and bite sized for the draft party, so I turned to my Pinterest boards to see what I could find.


Andy & Me, TCU tailgating 2012

Andy loves to make Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, but they are messy and were going to be hard to transport to Keller for the party.  Instead, I found a recipe for Jalapeno Popper Rolls, which are basically a self-contained, less messy, less gooey cousin of Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers.  I made them the morning of the draft party, cooked them for 10 minutes at my house, then reheated them at 350 again for 10 minutes once we got to Clay & Michelle's.  All of the attendees brought something different- from alfredo meatballs to Taco Bell tacos, and from McDonald's chicken nuggets to Fuzzy's chips & queso. 

Andy, me, Sara, & Philip: TCU tailgating 2012

The popper rolls were a hit, so I also made them the next weekend.  The next weekend was the first TCU tailgate of the season, and Jalapeno Popper Rolls turned out to be super fast and easy when I prepared them in advance.  Basically I made them and baked them on a Friday, sealed them in a baggie and refridgerated them overnight, and was able to pop them in the oven on Saturday before heading to the tailgate to crisp them up.  I tripled the recipe for the TCU tailgate, and they were gone in about an hour... so it's safe to say they were a hit with NCAA fans as well as the NFL fans.


Andy & me, TCU tailgates 2012

The tailgate was crazy-busy but a ton of fun.  In addition to my Jalapeno Popper Rolls, I took guacamole and Julio's chips.  Chris' mom brought the first Cinnamon Roll Cookie Bars that I'd ever tried, and I immediately fell in love with their rich, thick, sweetness- recipe to come soon when DeeDee sends it to me!  TCU made quite an entrance into the Big 12 with a 56-0 win over Grambling State, but I'm pretty sure it was the beer-drinking, snack-munching tailgaters that were the biggest winners that night.

Andy & me, TCU tailgating 2012

Jalapeno Popper Rolls
www.hellohue.com, healthified by Kate Strickland
Servings: 16; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 1

• 1 can reduced-fat Pillsbury crescent roll dough
• 2 tbsp fat-free cream cheese
• 2 jalapenos, chopped and de-seeded
• 3 strips center-cut bacon, baked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Roll out your dough. It's perforated in triangles, but cut each triangle in half using a pizza cutter to make more "bite-sized" poppers.

     3.  Place a dollop of cream cheese on the wide end of the triangle shape

     4.  Sprinkle bacon and jalapenos atop the cream cheese

     5.  Roll the crescent rolls from wide end to skinny end

     6.  Pinch together the two ends so the stuffing doesn't ooze out

7.  Bake 15 mins

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine