Hello friends! As promised, I am bringing you a SUPER SIMPLE/EASY but very yummy recipe. I like this recipe because there are SO many different things you can swap, substitute, and choose from. I thought this would be a good first recipe, very fitting for this time period we are in. I didn’t want to bring you a recipe that had too many ingredients or not enough things you can swap for, as I know this is a challenging time and ingredients can be hard to come by.
In my next blog, I will finally let you know what I have been working on since January and my new learning/education endeavor I have taken on! So stay tuned for that!
Now, let’s get started. I call this my Easy Simmer Recipe because it’s so interchangeable that you can pair almost any protein with it.
ALL you need is:
- A large pan/pot
- Meat (preferably nothing ground or flaky)
- A broth of some sort
- Canned cream of chicken, mushroom, celery, or something else creamy of your liking
- Spices of your liking (preferably salt, pepper, garlic)
- ½ Onion
- Butter
- Prep time: 30 min
- Simmer time: 30 min+++
Now let me say… there are a million substitutes to the above list. You truly don’t need all of these, but if you have them awesome!
So, before you begin, let me explain the substitutes first:
- Broth – chicken, veggie, beef, or bone, if you have anything else that’s a broth like consistency that will work. WATER will also work, too.
- Canned cream of _____ - if you don’t have this, this is not a meal breaker. Although it makes your dish a little thicker, it is not a must. If you don’t have this, use a thickening agent in your broth or liquid base (ideas: pure cream, potato flour, Bob’s gluten-free flour, arrowroot, almond flour, coconut flour, etc.)
- Spices include, but are not limited to:
o Garlic
o Pepper
o Sea salt
o Onion powder (especially if you don’t have an onion)
o Cayenne (if you like it spicy)
o Jalapeno powder (my fav)
o Whatever else you like!
- Like I said above, onion powder can be substituted for onion and is really there just for flavor, but not a meal breaker
- Butter – you can use ghee, or coconut oil, or avocado oil. If you must, you can use olive oil. I have been staying away from olive oil because of its low smoking point, more on that in another post.
Lastly, meat is kind of a must. To all my vegan/vegetarian friends, I’m sorry but this dish probably isn’t for you. You’re welcome to try it but I have never done it without meat and can’t tell you how it will come out.
On the subject of meat, you can truly use different cuts but here’s what NOT to use. I wouldn’t use anything that has bones in it that could splinter i.e. fish, ribs, anything containing small bones.
Here are some acceptable meats (I’m sure I’m forgetting a few):
- Chicken breast/tenders/cutlets
- Beef
o Eye of round slices
o Round steak
o Top round roast
o Top round steak
o Rump roast
o Tip steak
o Sirloin variety
o Stew cubes
o Etc – just cuts with not a ton of bones
- Buffalo
- Turkey cutlet/ breast/tenders
- Duck breasts
- Lamb – lots of options like beef
- Game meat – deer is good!
Okay now we got all that out of the way, here’s the recipe with steps and pictures to follow below:
In this example, I decided to cook turkey cutlets, which I normally hate turkey, but cooked in this recipe I actually love it (hehe).
Step 1: Melt the butter, covering the bottom of your pan
Step 2: cut ½ onion into small pieces (video on my cheat way to cut an onion).
Step 3: add onions (or onion powder if you prefer) to butter. Then add salt, pepper, and garlic (to taste). Cook until onions are somewhat clear. I think this step is SO important for building the wonderful flavor to this dish.
Step 4: push onions to the sides. And start adding your meat and BROWN it (cook it thoroughly) on both sides
Step 5: whisk together your broth and cream of chicken (we want it thick, like a runny gravy)
LINKS:
https://drkellyann.com/collections/bone-broth
https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Foods-Organic-Chicken-Condensed/dp/B004564DM6/ref=sr_1_2?almBrandId=VUZHIFdob2xlIEZvb2Rz&dchild=1&fpw=alm&keywords=pacific+foods+cream+of+chicken&qid=1585324574&sr=8-2
Step 6: add wet ingredients to pan once meat is cooked or 75% cooked
Step 7: add other spices you like and allow mixture to come to a rolling boil (until you see it actively bubbling)
Step 8: once mixture is at a rolling boil, then turn the heat down all the way to your lowest heat setting, cover, and let this simmer for at least 30 minutes. Target time is usually 1-2 hours for the most tender, flavorful meat.
Seriously, the meat will be so tender it will fall apart with a fork! Normally, I pair this with organic rice (cauliflower rice or mashed potatoes), green beans, and cranberry sauce (my dad has to have it). The sauce will be so yummy you will want to use it as a gravy over the rice and meat!
I hope you like this yummy, easy, recipe and I hope it can bring some comfort to you in this crazy, chaotic time. I am praying for you all and the health of this world. God bless, stay safe, and love each other!
xx Kimberly Ann