I had to laugh while preparing dinner tonight, because I realized that I’ve begun to cook just like my grandmother. Now let me tell you, that is not a bad thing! My Grandma Rose had to be one of the best cooks who ever lived. What I found amusing is that I now just cook, instead of slavishly following recipes. Yes, I still refer to them, but they are guides, not rules.
My Grandma Rose was the one who taught me to cook when I was a little kid. I spent most of my childhood at her house, while my parents were working, and so I learned to make cookies and all sorts of things while she looked on, and best of all, I was allowed to make mistakes and learn from them. I was also allowed to have fun doing it. I learned to make homemade noodles, jello salads, pies, cakes, and candies. I eventually even learned to make Grandma’s wonderful meat loaf, which was a staple in our family’s diet—we had it at least once a month as long as she was alive.
I will never forget trying to translate Grandma’s favorites into recipes so that I could reproduce them myself. One afternoon Grandma Rose was in the middle of making the meat loaf we all loved, so I began writing down all the ingredients. How much onion, celery, or cornflakes? How much ground beef? What do you do when? How long does it bake in the oven? It took some doing to get it all down, but I finally did it, and “some” onion and celery and cornflakes began to make sense.
It wasn’t until after I got married, and had to turn out meals on a regular basis, however, that I really learned how to cook. I learned the processes involved and how to substitute ingredients (“Oops, I didn’t get any of that at the store;” or “Oops, I’m out of that and don’t want to GO to the store.”). No doubt you’ve been there too. That’s when cooking became a great creative and entertaining endeavor, instead of a chore, and I began to appreciate the freedom cooks have in the kitchen.
Here is what I made for dinner tonight:
Chicken Goulash (8-10 servings)
¼ C. extra virgin olive oil
½ large onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed and minced
½ C. chopped celery
½ green pepper, seeded and chopped
½ red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 large chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce
1/3 16-oz. pkg. rotini (or any other macaroni-type pasta), cooked and drained
1 14.25 oz. can French-style green beans, drained
½ tsp. crushed dried cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Tbsp. dried oregano (optional)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet, then add the onion, celery, and peppers, sautéing them until the onion appears done. Add the diced chicken breast meat, the salt and pepper, and cook until the chicken is done on all sides. Add the spaghetti sauce, cooked pasta, canned green beans, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Mix ingredients together well and simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes, then serve. Add a topping of grated parmesan cheese if desired.
I used veggie rotini and Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic spaghetti sauce when I made this. I like highly seasoned food, so if you don’t, ease off on the garlic, cayenne pepper, and the oregano.
Enjoy! You’d probably want to enjoy this with a glass of red wine, and I’m sure the leftovers will be divine.
