A The Squirrel Can Cook Classic

By popular demand, here's my slow-cooker turkey breast recipe • republished from last year. We just had one of these a few weeks ago!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

It is 6 days until Thanksgiving, and thoughts turn to turkey dinner. But turkeys are HUGE, and, unless you’re cooking for a big family or a bunch of guests, a whole turkey, even a small one, really is just too much. For smaller gatherings, consider a boneless turkey breast. Today, we’re going to cook a boneless turkey breast in the slow-cooker. (Technically, it is a “turkey breast roast” because the de-boned turkey breast has been rolled into a roast shape and bound with a string net.)


Our ingredients are:

Turkey breast roast – thawed
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice

Remove the turkey breast from its package (but leave the string net on), rinse it under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Coat with olive oil and then rub a generous amount of Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice all over – top, bottom, and sides.


Place something in the bottom of your slow cooker to hold the turkey about ½ inch off of the bottom. (I’ve got a nice little wire rack that works well. An upside-down saucer would work, too.) Fill the bottom of the slow cooker to just below the level of your rack. (The chicken broth adds flavorful humidity to the slow cooker, and keeps the turkey nice and moist. Nobody likes dry turkey!)


Place the turkey in the slow-cooker, skin side up. Cook on high for 1 hour, then cook on low for 6 hours. After 6 hours, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Your turkey breast is done when the center reaches 170+ degrees.



Remove from slow cooker, place on a rack above a drip-pan, tent with a sheet of aluminum foil, and allow the turkey breast to rest for 15 minutes.


Slice and serve! Serves 6 (or four with some sandwiches later) (or two with lots of sandwiches for later!) Enjoy!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

A The Squirrel Can Cook Classic – Baked Sesame Chicken & Fried Rice

(Today's The Squirrel Can Cook is a classic repeat recipe from May 2009. It also happens to be what I'm fixing for dinner tonight. Happy New Year, everyone!)

Where last week’s recipe was all about the Hot & Spicy, this week we’ve got Subtle & Savory in store. This is my take on a recipe that Mom has made for years. She fixes it with white wine, were I use chicken broth, and I added the sesame oil, for that subtle Asian flavor.

Note: All photographs (Here you go, Fred!) show a half-recipe that I fixed for Mrs. Squirrel and me last Saturday. I guess, if I’m going to include pictures, that Friday’s recipe will usually reflect the prior Saturday’s dinner. This means that you may get the occasional frozen pizza recipe!

Our ingredients today are:

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2 cups of rice (regular white rice – don’t use “minute” type rice --- ever! For anything! Blech!)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

First we have to fry our rice. Heat your stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the 4 cups of rice. Mix thoroughly so that all rice is coated with oil, add another tablespoon of oil, if needed. Then stir slowly until the rice is a nice toasty brown color (close to the color of a brown paper shopping bag.)

In a large covered baking dish, mix the chicken broth, sesame oil, soy sauce. Now, the fun part! Spoon the fried rice into the chicken broth mixture… ah, nice hiss and a cloud of steam! Add the sesame seeds, and give it a stir. Then arrange the chicken breast on top of the rice. Everything will be mostly submerged under the chicken broth, with sesame seeds floating on top.




Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove the cover and bake another 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is nicely browned.

Serve with the veggie of your choice, and enjoy.



The Squirrel shall not live by nuts alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook - Ham & Bean Soup

It is winter. And, here in the woods, we’ve been enduring wintery weather for many weeks now. When the weather is cold and blustery, nothing hits the spot quite like a nice hot bowl of soup. My two favorite soups are vegetable beef and ham & bean. Sometime soon, we’ll make a batch of vegetable beef soup, but, today, we’re going to have some ham & bean soup.

(If you’re daring, you can ask Mrs. Squirrel about the time, when we were still dating, when I went to her place for an evening of television after I’d been enjoying several days of my Mom’s ham & bean soup. She married me anyway…)

Our ingredients are:

6 cups of dried beans (I used a mix of beans I had in my pantry; everything from kidney beans to pinto beans to navy beans.)
2 pounds of cooked ham, diced.
2 onions, chopped fine
1 cup of chopped celery
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of The Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice Blend
3 14-oz cans of chicken broth
2 cups of water (well, with all the soaking and rinsing and such, you'll likely need lots more than 2 cups of water -- but 2 cups is what you'll need for the final soup preparation...)

First, measure out, wash, and soak your beans overnight. Place the washed beans in a large bowl and fill with cold water to a depth of 2 to 3 inches above the level of the beans. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator. I like to soak beans for 8 to 10 hours.


After they’ve soaked, it is time to cook the beans. The beans really need to cook a good long time; 2 ½ to 3 hours total. Drain the beans and give them a good rinse, then place them in a large stock pot. Fill it with cold water until water covers the beans to a depth of 2 inches. Over medium-high heat, bring just to a boil, stirring frequently. When they’re just starting to boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ hours.

After 1 ½ hours, remove the beans from the heat, drain, rinse well with cold water, and return to the stock pot.


Sauté the onions, celery and garlic, and add to the beans, along with the diced ham. Then add the 3 cans of chicken broth and the two cups of water. Stir thoroughly, and heat over medium-high heat, just until it starts to boil. Reduce heat, stir, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir well every 15 minutes or so.


After an hour, serve and enjoy! Makes more than enough for the aforementioned 3-days worth of soup…

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook – Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast

(This is part 2 of the Teach Susan Yenser to Cook series)

It is 6 days until Thanksgiving, and thoughts turn to turkey dinner. But turkeys are HUGE, and, unless you’re cooking for a big family or a bunch of guests, a whole turkey, even a small one, really is just too much. For smaller gatherings, consider a boneless turkey breast. Today, we’re going to cook a boneless turkey breast in the slow-cooker. (Technically, it is a “turkey breast roast” because the de-boned turkey breast has been rolled into a roast shape and bound with a string net.)


Our ingredients are:

Turkey breast roast – thawed
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice

Remove the turkey breast from its package (but leave the string net on), rinse it under cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Coat with olive oil and then rub a generous amount of Squirrel’s Low-sodium Cajun Spice all over – top, bottom, and sides.


Place something in the bottom of your slow cooker to hold the turkey about ½ inch off of the bottom. (I’ve got a nice little wire rack that works well. An upside-down saucer would work, too.) Fill the bottom of the slow cooker to just below the level of your rack. (The chicken broth adds flavorful humidity to the slow cooker, and keeps the turkey nice and moist. Nobody likes dry turkey!)


Place the turkey in the slow-cooker, skin side up. Cook on high for 1 hour, then cook on low for 6 hours. After 6 hours, check internal temperature with a meat thermometer. Your turkey breast is done when the center reaches 170+ degrees.



Remove from slow cooker, place on a rack above a drip-pan, tent with a sheet of aluminum foil, and allow the turkey breast to rest for 15 minutes.


Slice and serve! Serves 6 (or four with some sandwiches later) (or two with lots of sandwiches for later!) Enjoy!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook – Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

Most times, by the time I get around to blogging a recipe, it has been a few weeks since I actually cooked the meal in question. Not this time. What you are looking at was last night’s dinner. And it was late… really late… I think we ate around 7:30 PM or so. I forget that, when you cook dinner from scratch, you need to start cooking shortly after lunch. Anyway, Mrs. Squirrel was very patient with me, and we tried not to over eat. All is well that tastes good! (And I like breakfast for dinner sometimes!)

This hashbrown casserole is a great breakfast all by itself, or is a great side-dish as part of a large breakfast or brunch gathering. I served a variation of this as a side dish when I cooked omlettes to order for a crowd of seven at my Oregonian friends’ home when I stayed with them a few weeks ago.

Our ingredients are:

9 thick slices of bacon, cooked and cut into ¼ inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped and sautéed
5 red potatoes, grated and drained (dump the grated potatoes in a tea-towel and squeeze the excess liquid from them)
10 slices of bread, crusts removed
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
6 eggs
4 cups of milk
1 tablespoon of yellow mustard
1 tablespoon of butter

Cut the crust from 10 slices of bread & cut two slices in half. Liberally spread butter on the inside of a large casserole dish (mine is a 10-inch by 15-inch dish). Line the bottom of the dish with the sliced bread.


Crack the 6 eggs into a large mixing bowl; add a tablespoon of yellow mustard, and wisk until smooth. Slowly pour 4 cups of milk into the bowl while continuing to wisk gently until thoroughly mixed. Cover and refrigerate.


Grate and drain the potatoes and sauté the onions. In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes, 2/3rds of the cheddar, 2/3rds of the mozzarella, the bacon, and the sautéed onions. I find it best to use your biggest bowl and just get your hands in there and mix the ingredients well. Arrange evenly on top of the layer of bread in the casserole dish.

Gently pour the custard into the casserole. Pour slowly, otherwise you could disturb the potatoes and such. Bake, uncovered, in a 375° oven, for 45 minutes. Remove and spread remaining cheese on top, then return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.


Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 8 servings. Enjoy!


The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook - Grilled Chicken Sandwich

If there is a quintessential American Food, it has to be the sandwich. I can say for sure, I’ve never done any research on it, but I would think that Americans probably eat more sandwiches and anybody else. The sandwich just seems to fit our “on the go” lifestyle better than just about any other cuisine.

Sandwiches, while being quick, easy, and convenient, don’t have to be plain or boring. Today we’re cooking a grilled chicken breast sandwich that is flavorful and far from ordinary.

Our ingredients are (per sandwich):

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 small French baguette
1 thick slice of onion
¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Butter or margarine (I like Smart Balance)
Olive oil
Spices (I used McCormick’s Herb Chicken Seasoning, but, it seems that they don’t make that anymore. Therefore, I would recomend Basik’s Italian Table or Hunter Blends)

Cut a ¼ inch thick slice of onion and brush both sides with olive oil. Dry your chicken breast with a paper towel and brush with olive oil and liberally season with spices. Make sure to coat both sides.


Grill the chicken and the onion together on your George Foreman Grill for 9 minutes.

Slice your baguette lengthwise, spread with butter, and toast lightly.

Preheat your broiler. (I used the broiler in my toaster oven.) Put the bottom of your bun on a broiler pan. Put the grilled chicken breast on the bread and arrange the grilled onion on top of the chicken breast.


Top with ¼ cup of mozzarella cheese, and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted.


Put the top on your sandwich and enjoy! Each sandwich serves one.


The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook – Steak & Bean Burritos

You hear it said again and again and again, “Good food doesn’t have to be difficult!” That really is such a true statement.

Today’s recipe, Steak & Bean Burritos, is about as easy as it gets, but is excellent for either lunch or dinner. I think the total time from raw ingredients to finish meal on this one is about 20 minutes.

Our ingredients are:

1 steak (I used an 8-oz. Sirloin)
1 12-oz can of refried beans
1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup of raw onions, chopped
6 large flour tortillas
Salsa or hot sauce of your choice

Cook the steak to your desired doneness. As you can see, I don’t like my steak over cooked. If a good veterinarian doesn’t think he could save it, if he got it to the animal hospital right away, I think it’s over cooked. (The steak pictured here is almost over cooked…)Slice the steak into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut the strips into 1/4 inch pieces.


Now heat up the refried beans and the tortillas. Prepare the beans according to the package directions. But how to heat the tortillas? Here's how I like to do it: lay out a large sheet of aluminum foil -- long enough to fold over and completely enclose your tortillas (about enough to make two good, mind-control-ray-stopping hats). Fold over you tortillas and seal the edges really well. Heat in a 350° oven for 5 minutes.


Assembly time! Lay out one tortilla and put a strip of refried beans down the middle, leaving a few inches clear on one end. Then arrange the steak, onions, and cheese on top of the beens. A spoonful or two of salsa, and it's ready to roll! (How to do a burrito wrap) Be careful not to overfill your burritos, because then you get a mess instead of a meal! Better to heat up more tortillas instead of overstuffing!


Like a taco bar, this can be a "Everybody gather 'round and make your own" fun meal for an informal dinner party or a family meal. Try setting out a variety of different meats, salsas, sauces, and cheeses. Have fun!


Plan on 2 to 3 burritos per guest. Enjoy!

The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!

The Squirrel Can Cook - Slow Cooker Pot Roast

My friend Susan Yenser, who has repeatedly claimed things like, "Yes please help me out...I can't cook! Lol!" recently bought a slow-cooker, and has, as you can see, asked for help. (I don't know if I should mention that her boyfriend has also asked for my help in teaching Sue how to cook? No, probably shouldn't go there...) Since I like to help, I am planning on posting at least one slow-cooker recipe per month for the foreseeable future, beginning with the basic pot roast.

The pot roast is really both the crown jewel of the slow cooker and the first dish that should be mastered. I doubt that there is anything that lends itself to the slow cooker better than a pot roast. We will also be making a nice onion gravy to go on top.

Our ingredients are:

1 Roast (I used a 3-pound bottom round roast)
1 large Onion
2 cups Low-sodium beef broth
Black pepper to taste
And not pictured...
2+2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour (4 tablespoons total)
2 Tablespoons minced garlic

Chop your onion and cover the bottom of the slow cooker with chopped onion.


Next, we need to brown our roast. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in your cast iron skillet. With a paper towel, pat the roast dry, then coat it with all-purpose flour and shake off the excess. Add some black pepper, and brown the roast well -- 2 to 3 minutes on each side over medium-high heat.


Place the roast on top of the onions in the slow cooker. Add the two cups of beef broth and the two tablespoons of minced garlic...


...And cook for 8 hours on low. Make sure you eat a good breakfast, because the smells in your house will be torture, otherwise!


And whatever you do, don't remove the lid during cooking! After 8 hours, you roast still needs to rest before carving. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, set it on a rack over a pan to catch the drippings, and cover with an aluminum foil "tent" and let rest for 15-20 minutes...


Which gives us time to make our gravy.

First, we need to make a light roux. In your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 1/2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of flour while stirring constantly until the flour is fully incorporated into the melted butter. Continue to cook the roux, stirring constantly, for a few minutes until it just starts to darken.


Then add all the cooking liquid (and the onions!) from the slow cooker and bring to a low boil. reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.


Now it is time to slice your roast. You will want to use a sharp knife, and carve thick slices, since a pot roast is always pretty soft, and often just wants to fall apart on its own!


Top slices of roast with the gravy and serve with Oven-Roasted Potatoes and Onions. Serves 4. Enjoy!


The Squirrel shall not live by bread NUTS alone!