I heard a lot noise outside the other morning and when I went to look, I caught these guys on our back patio ...
I threw out some stale bread for the birds and this mom decided that it would be a great meal for her babies. They followed her all over the yard trying to get their fair share. They even ended up on our barbeque AND on the handle of our power edger (Yes, lined up in a nice row with mommy in the middle)! Unfortunately, by the time I got the camera, they had moved to the patio.
Here's a great recipe to use if you are trying to find something healthy (especially if you omit the sausage) AND filling to eat for dinner. Please don't let the number of ingredients put you off, because although it does take a little over an hour to prepare, it is very easy to do. For just two people, this recipe will make meals for just over a week (depending on portion size). In other words, this recipe makes A LOT!!
Also, you can add just about anything to this recipe that you want. I have used pork instead of chicken and it tastes just as good. Feel free to experiment. This recipe is a great base from which to play around with different combinations of veggies and meats. Oh, it also goes great with Naan bread (an Indian bread). This is a flat bread, you can use it as a spoon to scoop the rice mixture. Very tasty!!
Here is a recipe for Naan bread that I found. I originally found this recipe at budgetbytes and I would encourage you to visit her site and take a look around. She has also broken-down the recipe and given a price list for each item, which is great if you're on a budget.
There are many recipes out there for this bread, but this is the one that I have used several times, with great results. It is very easy to make and makes a great compliment to curry and rice dishes. It's also just fun to snack on :)
What you need:
2 tsp. Yeast
½ Cup warm water(about 110 degrees)
2 ½- 3 Cups flour
1 tsp. Sugar
¼ Cup olive oil
1/3 Cup plain Greek yogurt (if you don't have this, try using sour cream. Sour cream is not as "tangy" as the Greek yogurt, but it won't affect the overall taste.)
1 large egg
½ tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Ground flax seed (optional) (high in fiber and
has many health benefits)
Olive oil...for heating the bread (If not using cast iron pan)
Brown paper bag...for storage of bread
Putting it Together:
Set your bread machine to the "Mix Dough" setting and then add the sugar, water, and yeast. Let proof for about 5 minutes. It will be nice and foamy
Add 1 ½ cups of flour and then olive oil, salt, ground flax seed (optional), olive oil, yogurt, and the egg
Start the machine and add the remaining flour ½ cup at a time. Let the machine incorporate the flour before adding more. Once all flour is added, make sure the dough is not too wet or dry (add flour or extra water as needed)
Once the dough cycle is complete (about 1 hour 40 minutes), remove dough and gently roll into a ball
OR remove dough from machine after it is finished kneading- about 20 minutes- and place in a large, oiled, bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and place in a warm area until doubled- about 1 hour), then remove dough and gently roll into a ball
Cut the ball into 8 equal parts and roll each of those into individual balls
Here's a photo of a few of the bread balls. They look bigger than they actually are..
Let rest for 10 minutes
Heat a large skillet (I used cast-iron) to medium heat
Working one at a time, take one dough ball and flatten it into roughly a 1/4" thick, 6" circle. If you're like me, your circles will leave much to be desired, so try and make a very thin polygon :). You will want to have lots of bubbles in your dough when you heat it, so the thinner the dough, the better
Add small amount of oil to skillet (if not using cast iron)
Add flattened dough and cook until bubbles form and bottom is brown (about 65 seconds). The first one will probably take longer to cook, but it's good to check at the 65 second mark. You are looking for the bubbles to be a golden brown. This means it is done
Flip bread and cook for an additional 65 seconds
Place cooked bread in brown paper bag and close top. this will help keep your bread moist
