6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, in 1 inch pieces
¼ lb. chorizo or Italian sausage, in 1 inch pieces
½ lb. medium shrimp, shelled, deveined
1 pepper (green or red), coarsely chopped
2 carrots and/or zucchini, chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped or ½ 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
3 teaspoons paprika
¼ teaspoon saffron
2 cups uncooked short grain rice
5 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 bay leaf, crumbled
3 ½ cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ cup dry white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup petite peas

In 10-14 inch paella pan or large heavy oven-proof skillet heat oil. Saute sausage over medium heat 5 minutes. Add chicken. Cook additional 5 minutes, stirring, until chicken is golden. Remove chicken and sausage to warm bowl. Add shrimp to pan. Saute 3 minutes or until shrimp is barely pink. Remove to warm bowl.

Add peppers, onion, garlic and any other vegetables to pan. Saute 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cook 10 minutes over low heat. Add paprika, saffron, and rice. Stir to coat rice well with oil. Add parsley and bay leaf.

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add to rice mixture. Stir. Add lemon juice, wine, salt and pepper. Stir in peas. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook uncovered 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken, sausage, and shrimp. Bake uncovered in preheated 325 degree oven 15 minutes. More broth may be added if mixture seems too dry. Remove from oven and cover lightly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley. Serves 6.

If you’re making this for a party, try our White Sangria recipe, as well.

White Sangria

2 medium oranges, sliced and seeded
1 large lemon, sliced and seeded
1 large lime, sliced and seeded
1 cup Grand Marnier
½ cup sugar
2 bottles dry white wine, chilled (not expensive)
1 quart club soda

One day before party: cover fruit in the Grand Marnier in a Tupperware container and refrigerate overnight.

On the day of the party, pour fruit and alcohol mixture into a large pitcher. Mix in sugar. Add cold wine and soda.

Makes 12 servings.

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Drivesmarterchallenge.com has some great tips to get the best mileage you can from your car on your summer road trip. Inflate your tires to the proper pressure. Turn down the A/C to as high a temp as you can stand it. Don’t speed (or don’t speed excessively). Use your cruise control as often as you can.

Photo courtesy of shastacascade.com.

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If you want to save a little money, it’s common knowledge that home cooking is a good place to start. But what do you really need to have in your kitchen if you are new to cooking? You can get by with very little, actually, and some of the best tools are simple, classic and inexpensive. Here is Ms. Nickel’s list of necessities for getting your kitchen ready to cook. One you’re well stocked, don’t forget to check out this site’s tasty recipes for cooks of all skill level.

1. A basic cookbook – My two standbys are How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and the old classic red-and-white checked Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Between the two of them are a ton of basic recipes.

2. Measuring cups – You can do almost anything with a 2-cup Pyrex (glass) measuring cup and a set of metal nesting measuring cups. They both pop right in to the dishwasher and the Pyrex is great for heating foods in the microwave.

3. Wooden mixing spoons – These are great for mixing, sautéing, serving and they are biodegradable (but will last forever if you hand wash and dry them).

4. A 12-inch frying (sauté) pan with a glass lid – The sky’s the limit on how much you can spend on one of these but if you buy a good stainless steel one, it will last for years. The glass lid is a necessity so that you can watch your meal without letting out the heat or steam. You can also cook rice in this if you only have one pan.

5. Two large metal mixing bowls – You can get these everywhere and they clean up easily and least forever.

6. A Chef’s knife, a bread knife and a paring knife – With these three tools, meal prep will be a snap. Your local kitchen store can help you choose good ones that are in your budget.

7. Cutting Boards – A large plastic one for meat and a large wooden one for breads and vegetables. The wooden one will last forever. Get the largest plastic one that can fit in your dishwasher.

8. A 13 x 9 Pyrex baking dish – You’ll use this for everything – baking meats, pasta, cakes, potatoes, and my favorite, apple crisp!

You can get almost all of these items at Target or Walmart. Bon appétit and good luck with your kitchen adventures!

Founders, Julie Arnheim and Darcy Ratner

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4 pounds baby back ribs (3-4 ribs per serving)
salt
pepper
paprika

Sauce:
¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup brown sugar or honey
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder

Season ribs with salt, pepper, and paprika. Place ribs bone side down in shallow roasting pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 ½ hours. May be done early in the day or a day ahead and refrigerated.

Combine sauce ingredients. Mix well. Place cooked ribs, bone- side down on the grill over medium heat. Cook 20 minutes or until heated through. Baste occasionally with sauce. Do not turn ribs.

Ribs may also be broiled in the oven. Sauce is also good for barbecued chicken.

This side-dish recipe is a good way to get kids to eat cauliflower.

Cauliflower Fritters

1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup cooked cauliflower, mashed with a masher until mixable
Vegetable oil, 1-inch deep in a skillet

Preheat oil over medium heat. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Blend in egg, milk, butter, and cauliflower. Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

This photo is courtesy of alleghenybbq.com thru bing images.

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When busy families have no alternative but to dine out, here are some tips to contain your restaurant bill.

1) Have a drink before or after you eat out. This can easily save $20 on your bill.

2) Order appetizers as entrees. This can save $3-6 dollars per person and you

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Serves 4

6-8 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned and washed
½ cup Catalina or Russian dressing
Fresh Ground Pepper
Canola Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss chicken in dressing in a medium bowl. Place meaty side down in a 13 x 9 pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle each piece with fresh ground pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, turn over and then bake for 20 more minutes. Serve warm. If you double up this recipe, you can pull the meat off the bone on the extra pieces and use it later in our recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad.

Good sides or starters: White or brown rice (cook in broth for more flavor) and frozen mixed vegetables.

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