Farm Style Chicken and Dumplings ~ Comfort Food

When I think about living on the farm this time of year, I think of hot steaming comfort food.This dish can be done in one single skillet and in no time at all. You need to have chicken pieces: legs, thighs, or breasts with skin on. You can do all legs, or all thighs or all breasts or a mix. Take from your pantry: one onion, chicken stock, flour, heavy cream, milk and one egg.


Begin by browning one chopped onion in 3 tbs of olive oil and the same of coconut oil in your covered skillet on med heat. Once the onion is browned on the edges, add your chicken pieces. Season using generously: rosemary, mint and oregano along with a dash of red pepper flakes and a dash of garlic powder. Cook the chicken on med heat until all sides have browned nicely.

Next, you will need to add 1 cup of chicken stock. Cover and let simmer for 30 min. on low heat. Near the end of this timed simmer, prepare your dumplings. Mix 2 cups of milk with 1 and 1/2 cups of flour (use gluten free if you are on such a diet) 1 tsp of baking powder, and one egg.  I suggest you eye ball the consistency of the dumpling dough, it should be sticky but not thick, so go slowly with the flour.

Just before you drop in your dumplings, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the chicken bubbling in the skillet. You may also want to add a bit more chicken stock if you see that it has reduced too much. The dumplings will need plenty of liquid to cook in.

Turn up the heat to med high and drop in your dumplings, cover and let them grow up into clouds of yummy.

Test them to make sure that they are completely cooked through, they should appear light and fluffy not gooey. If the are cooked through, then ladle all that goodness onto a large serving plate.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Savory Lamb with Mushroom infused Tagliatelle and Fresh Grated Zucchini

Lamb is eaten in many countries; Italy as well. It is a very flavorful meat and easy to cook. Believe me! This year the Brainy Gourmet is on a crusade to make every meal fast and frugal and thus every reader into a fast and frugal food gourmet.

Yesterday's meal was the beginning, though I can tell you that most of the Brainy Gourmet meals have been made within a time frame of 35 min or less. This year, I am bound and determined to reduce that time frame by 10 min. The time on the Tuna Alfredo was within that new time frame.

Being fast and frugal does not mean you cut down on quality. You just learn how to cook faster and better and for less money. This evening's dish is savory lamb ($5.75 for two luscious patties fresh ground) with mushroom infused tagliatelle ($1.99 used only half the bag) topped with fresh grated zucchini (.58 cents).  This dinner was for two people, so add it up and divide by 2 ... round it off leaving $3.67 per person.

Start your clock and get fast and frugal. Brown your lamb patties in 3 tbs of olive oil and 2 tbs of coconut oil on med. heat. Add to the oils dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano plus some garlic powder, red pepper flakes and a dash of sea salt. Once browned on both sides, turn down your heat to low cover and cook for 20-25 min.  Occasionally, turn over the patties and press down to let the juices flow out.

In the meantime, boil salted water and toss in the pasta. As for the zucchini, wash and julienne grate. Once, the pasta is tender, drain and ladle onto a low lipped serving plate and drop a dollop of butter on the pasta. Take your lamb and lay them onto another serving plate. Pour out some of the savory juices over the top and garnish. Then take that skillet and quickly saute your zucchini just for one minute to absorb the lamb juices and flavor. Top your pasta with the zucchini.

~Tutti a Tavola!

Feeling a Little Cabin Fever ~ Tuna Alfredo

When the snow and cold prohibit outside activity, one can feel a bit of cabin fever coming on. There is no better quick comfort food than Tuna Alfredo. This recipe is definitely for the fast and the frugal.  All you need to have on hand are these basic ingredients: one onion, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, fettuccine pasta, butter and tuna. Almost impossible to imagine that is all you need for a delicious and inexpensive dish.


Begin by sauteing one whole onion in olive oil and coconut oil (2 tbs each).

Add to that, dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. When the onion is browned on the edges, add one small can of albacore tune in oil, do not drain. Stir and add 3/4 of heavy cream. Grate into that now bubbling sauce about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

In the meantime, boil your pasta in salted water. Today, I used spinach infused noodles. Once tender, drain and put back into the pot so that you can toss in one dollop of butter, stir gently and then ladle your pasta onto a low lipped serving dish. Pour out your sauce and grate over the top additional Parmesan.

~Tutti a Tavola!

Hawaiian Pork in the Crockpot

At this time of year, in the northern Midwest, who wouldn't want to go to Hawaii for a week or two. If you can't go, then at least cook as if you were already there. This dish won't let the snow spoil your sunshine.  The best thing about crockpot cooking is that it lets you get out and enjoy the day even if just for a walk in the calm quiet woods or nearby park. If you like the snow and are more ambitious, cross country skiing is always a fun way to spend a wintry Saturday. In any case, walking or skiing or just staying in, let the crockpot do the cooking.

It was about noon when I started this dish in my skillet by searing a nice plump pork butt in olive oil and a bit of coconut oil along with chopped onion and crushed pineapple. To that I added 2-3 tbs of fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of ginger powder, 3-4 tbs of molasses, fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano a dash of sea salt. Once  the bubbling liquid started to caramelize around the pork, I turned it all into the crockpot (warmed up and now 'hot' on high setting). Lastly, to the crockpot, I poured 1/2 cup lightly salted beef broth, locked down the cover, turned the setting to low and went outside to play in the snow.

Choose any side dish you like: potatoes, pierogi, rice or any vegetable.

~Tutti a Tavola!


*Depending on the weight of the pork butt, adjust your ingredients. For a larger portion/cut, use the greater amount of tbs.

Pork 'cutlet' Steak with Mushrooms

Warm food on a cold day that is simple and delicious! Pork cutlet is a cut of meat is usually quite reasonably priced; which means that you don't have to check the sale papers. Pork is the other white meat and it is good tasting. You should buy the amount of cutlets you need. I say cutlets though one should consider it a loin steak that is not pounded. Brown your meat in a skillet on med heat in 3 tbs of olive oil and the same of coconut oil. Season with dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Add to that fresh washed, sliced mushrooms and chopped onion can be a nice addition as well. Cover and simmer for 20 min  on low heat. Prepare your sides: vegetables or potatoes. I like julienne cut carrots and parsnips sauteed in olive oil and herbs. About 10 min. before serving, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a rue (2 tbs.butter and flour paste) to your meat and mushrooms which have been bubbling in a rich sauce. This will create a simply gorgeous delicious gravy.

~ Tutti a Tavola!






*homemade applesauce on the table... 

Pepper Steak with Buckwheat Groats

Ranch pepper steak with buckwheat groats... talk about fast and frugal!

For this dish you will need: 1 lb pound of round or sirloin steak, one whole onion, one green pepper and one red pepper. And, don't forget the buckwheat groats (brown rice can also be used).

To begin, saute on med heat the onion chopped and the peppers sliced in 3-4 tbs of olive oil.  Once they are tender and starting to brown on the edges, add the steak, thinly sliced.

At this time, go ahead and sprinkle on organic garlic powder and fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint, oregano; next pour in about 1/4 cup of beef stock and 1-2 tbs of steak sauce (number of tbs added determines strength of taste) before simmering on the stove covered for 30 min. on low heat.

Boil in the bag buckwheat groats (if you can find) or cook them stove top style as you would brown rice. When fully cooked, drain and ladle into a serving dish and top with steak and peppers.

~Tutti a Tavola!


*Buckwheat groats, what are they? Buckwheat is not wheat, nor is it related to wheat. Like many of the other so-called "whole grains," buckwheat is not technically a grain nor a cereal. So where does it come from? Buckwheat is derived from the seeds of a flowering plant. Several other foods typically thought of as whole grains, including quinoa, are actually seeds and not grains as well. And yes, it is gluten-free! Check out this website for more info -https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-buckwheat-3376802

Pork Loin with Creamy Mustard Sauce

On a Sunday cold evening, who wouldn't like to have a stove top roasted pork loin with onions, sun dried tomatoes and carrots topped with a creamy mustard sauce. You will need to buy a small to medium sized pork loin (depending on number of guests), one whole onion, a few sun dried tomatoes, and carrots. You should have on hand (in your pantry stock or fridge) heavy cream and Dijon mustard.


To begin, generously coat the bottom of your covered stock pot with olive oil, turn the heat to med. add chopped onion and dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. Stir, cover and prepare whole baby carrots to be added next, use as many as you like. Then, take your loin and lay it in over the onion and carrots. top with a couple of sun dried tomatoes, sprinkle in some organic garlic powder and sea salt, add 1 tbs of vodka and 1/4 cup of beef stock, cover and let simmer for 40-45 min on low heat.

Microwave some yellow gold potatoes or any vegetable as a side dish. As for the sauce, take a small creamer and pour in 1/4 cup of heavy cream, a tsp of olive oil and 2 tbs of Dijon mustard, stir and microwave until bubbly.

Serve on a large plate and garnish.

~Tutti a Tavola!