Column from February 10, 2011

A warm dish on a cold winter day

The snow storms ravishing the eastern part of the U.S. are pretty amazing. Most are staying indoors to avoid getting stranded and I certainly can’t blame them.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I can emphasize with their plight.

However, the adults are the ones who feel it the most. For the kids … well, it’s playtime!

I remember the huge snow storms we had when I was a kid. They always meant lots of fun making snowmen, snowball fights, sled riding or just running around and having a great time.

I also remember spending days digging the family car out so my dad could go to work.

Sure, it was cold, but we didn’t notice it. Yet, it was still great to come indoors to a cup of hot chocolate and a warm meal.

Those days, we didn’t buy a hot cocoa mix from the grocery store. We warmed up milk and added Nestlé Quik for a great tasting drink.

A quick snack and dry clothes and we were back outside for more fun in the snow.

When I was in high school, we lived a mere six blocks from the school. I would leave earlier than usual to walk that short distance with snow falling around me. It was still dark and no cars had disturbed the peaceful landscape.

School closures were rare since a lot of snow was normal. Everyone was always prepared for it.

If there was more snow than usual, you stayed home – like people are doing there now – and you made do with what you had. Sometimes, that meant you had to have a little imagination when it came to cooking a meal with what was in the cupboard.

That was often easier than today, too, since we didn’t have as many convenience foods to rely on. You could cook up a stew or a roast in no time and everyone was satisfied.

A favorite quick meal then and now is stroganoff. It’s easy to prepare and most people have the ingredients handy. You can use any meat you have on hand – beef, ground beef or even chicken. It’s a pretty versatile dish.

Here’s a recipe for stroganoff that’s very simple to prepare. Next time you’re shopping, pick up what you need and stash the ingredients aside for anytime you need a quick meal.

Easy chicken stroganoff

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

½ cup sour cream

4 cups hot cooked egg noodles

In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 1 tablespoon hot butter or margarine, cook half the chicken until browned, stirring often. Remove; set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Reduce heat to medium. In same skillet, in remaining 1 tablespoon butter or margarine, cook mushrooms and onions until tender and liquid is evaporated, stirring often.

Stir in soup and sour cream. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet. Heat through, stirring occasionally.

Serve over noodles. Garnish as desired.