Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee

Deep Dish Breakfast Pizza For the recipe, I used an eight-inch deep cast-iron skillet. The pizza takes about twenty minutes to prepare. Five of those minutes are just for prep time. I added diced cooked ham, pepperoni slices, shredded cheddar cheese to this yummy deep dish breakfast pizza. Of course, if you prefer, you can add additional toppings onto yours. Ingredients: 10 large eggs ¼ cup of diced cooked ham 20 pepperoni slices ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese 1 teaspoon of onion powder ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon of water 2 tablespoons of canola oil for the skillet Instructions: First, crack the eggs in a bowl and whisk them for a couple of minutes. Then add one tablespoon of water and whisk again. Add the oil to an eight-inch deep skillet; allow the oil to get hot over medium heat. Add the whisked eggs to the skillet and cook for about five minutes. Using a spatula, go around the outside edges and underneath the egg slowly. (This helps prevent it from sti...

Bringing Family Tradition Back to the Dinner Table for More Meaningful Family Time A family can eat in the same room and still feel far apart. One person checks work messages, another rushes to practice, and dinner gets eaten in shifts. Bringing family tradition back to the dinner table gives everyone a steady place to pause, talk, and share the stories that shape who they are. The table does more than hold plates. It can become a trusted setting for family connection, shared identity, and small rituals that children remember years later. The goal is not a perfect meal each night. It is a pattern your household can keep. Bringing family tradition back to the dinner table starts with one meal Shared meals create room for connection A shared meal gives family members time to hear about each other's lives without a planned meeting. Conversation can cover school, work, friendships, worries, and funny moments that might never come up during a busy day. Regular meals also create a ...

Easy Tortilla Chicken and Dumplings Full Recipe for a Cozy One-Pot Dinner A bowl of chicken and dumplings brings tender chicken, savory broth, and soft dumplings together in one warm meal. This easy tortilla chicken and dumplings recipe uses sliced flour tortillas instead of homemade dough, so you can skip kneading, rolling, and baking. The result is a creamy, pourable soup with tender chicken, sweet vegetables, and chewy tortilla dumplings. This full recipe includes exact amounts, stovetop timing, thickening tips, storage guidance, and easy swaps for leftover chicken or pantry ingredients. Why Tortillas Make Chicken and Dumplings So Easy Flour tortillas cook right in the simmering broth. Once cut into strips or squares, they soften and take on the flavor of the creamy chicken soup. You get the comfort of chicken and dumplings with tortillas and far less prep. The recipe also works well in one pot. Rotisserie chicken, leftover roast chicken, frozen vegetables, and basic bro...

Homemade flour tortillas Save money and enjoy making homemade soft-shell flour tortillas at home, using only three ingredients. With my recipe, you can make various sized flour tortillas to make street tacos, regular tacos, taco bowls, Mexican pizza, burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, etc.. The recipe is so simple to make. I hope you'll try it! Ingredients: 2 cups of self-rising flour 3 tablespoons of shortening 3/4 cup of water Instructions: Add the self-rising flour and shortening together and mix with a fork until the mixture comes together in pea-sized shapes. In the center of the flour mixture, make a circled well. Add the water. Slowly mix the dry and wet ingredients together with your fingers until it comes together as a dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured countertop. You'll need to knead the dough for about five minutes, or until it becomes smooth. Once your dough is finished, cover it with a tea towel and allow it to rest for thirty-five minutes. Press the tor...

Roasted Tomato & Basil Pasta Today, at Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee I'm making Roasted Tomato & Basil Pasta. Are y'all ready to indulge in a comforting weeknight classic featuring charred tomatoes and fresh basil? If so, please stay tuned as I walk you through the recipe. Here's the list of ingredients that are needed for my delicious recipe! Two pounds of cherry tomatoes, left whole or halved Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt Fresh basil Four to six cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced. Two to four tablespoons of tomato paste. One cup of fresh parsley. Twelve ounces of your favorite pasta. Instructions: Arrange the tomatoes in a large cast-iron skillet, add fresh basil, and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Roast in the oven for 2 to 3 hours at 300-degrees. Cook until the tomatoes are slightly charred and flavorful. In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the shape, fres...

Southern-Style Water Biscuits If you have ever wondered what can be created with just flour and water, allow me to introduce you to these remarkable water biscuits. These water biscuits are not only incredibly easy to make, but they also boast a delightful soft texture on the inside. The secret lies in the use of self-rising flour, which adds a touch of magic to these yummy biscuits. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour 1 cup of water Instructions: Begin by combining 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour and 1 cup of water in a bowl. Mix the ingredients until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix. Allow the dough to rest for a blissful 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This presents the perfect opportunity to whip up some homemade gravy while you patiently wait for the dough to reach its full potential. Once the dough has had its well-deserved rest, gently knead it for a few seconds. Then, take handfuls of the dough, approximately the size of a tangerine, and roll them into ...

Baked steakhouse chicken You probably would not expect chicken to be seasoned with steak sauce and steak seasoning, but those are two of the main ingredients that I used for seasoning, to create my delicious baked steakhouse chicken. This chicken is economically irresistible, it's extremely delicious, and it's made with just a few ingredients. I used chicken thigh-drumsticks with chicken quarters instead of white meat because it makes the recipe more economically friendly. However, if you prefer chicken breast and wings, use them instead.  What's the difference between chicken leg quarters and chicken thigh-drumsticks? In case you didn't already know: A thigh-drumstick is considered a chicken's whole leg. Whereas chicken quarters are the thigh section, that's left attached to half portions of the chicken back. These two portions are usually what meat-packing plants and our local butcher's bag up in 8-10 pound bags to sell. Generally, these big bags of chicke...

Homemade mixed pepper flakes Today, I am dehydrating a mix of different colored bell peppers to create mixed pepper flakes for seasoning. To prepare this seasoning mix you can use any type of peppers that you have on hand. However, if you prefer spicy red pepper flakes, use mostly cayenne peppers. Bell, chili, habanero, jalapeño, serrano, and Thai peppers are some of the other peppers that can be used to create homemade pepper flakes. Mixed pepper flakes can be used in various ways, in many recipes, sprinkled on pizzas, tacos, and salads to add an additional peppy flavor. To dehydrate peppers, there's no need to blanch them first. Just wash them well, cut off the stems, de-seed them, and slice them into thin strips. If you want flavor, but don't want the heat, use bell peppers only. For mild heat, use jalapeño peppers mixed with bell peppers. To make spicier pepper flakes use cayenne, or opt for a mixture of chili, habanero, jalapeño, serrano, and Thai peppers. And if you'd...

  Stewed Chicken Full Recipe for Tender Chicken and Rich Gravy A good stewed chicken recipe gives you tender meat, savory gravy, and a hearty meal from one pot. The key is to brown the chicken first, cook the aromatics in the same pan, then simmer everything gently until the meat pulls tender from the bone. This method also gives the gravy a rich taste without complicated steps. The recipe below includes ingredient swaps, cooking tips, serving ideas, storage guidance, and fixes for thin gravy, dry chicken, or uneven cooking. Build Deep Flavor With the Right Stewed Chicken Ingredients The best stewed chicken starts with dark meat and a well-seasoned base. Bone-in pieces add flavor as they cook, while onions, garlic, herbs, and stock create a savory sauce. Tomato paste adds color and depth, but you can leave it out for a lighter brown gravy. Choose the Best Chicken Cuts for Stewing Use 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or a mix of both. Skin-on pieces offer ext...

Bisquick griddle biscuits Griddles aren't just for cooking pancakes and hamburgers. Today, I am making Bisquick drop biscuits. This is a simple but yummy biscuit recipe, and since Bisquick already has leavening ingredients added to the mix, the only other ingredient you'll need to add is milk. Ingredients: 2 cups Bisquick mix 3/4 cup of milk Instructions: Mix two cups of Bisquick mix with three-fourths of a cup of milk. Combine well.  Allow the dough to sit for at least ten minutes. Turn your griddle on (low heat) to 250 degrees F to 350 degrees F (medium heat). Spray cooking spray on the surface of your griddle or use oil or butter to coat it before placing the biscuits on the griddle.  Now, place your biscuits on the warm griddle. Since I didn't roll my dough this time, I just dropped spoonfuls of the biscuit dough on it.  Place a metal lid over your biscuits to keep the heat inside the cover, and cook the biscuits for about 12 to 15 minutes. Flip the biscuits about mid...

  Shellfish Used to Be Prison Food? How Oysters Became a Luxury A raw oyster can cost several dollars today, yet oysters once fed workers, families, and people in public institutions. The phrase shellfish prison food comes from this older reality, when coastal shellfish were cheap, local, and easy to collect. It doesn’t mean every prison served oysters or that shellfish had one fixed social class. It points to a time when oysters, clams, mussels, and other shore foods were everyday fare. Why Shellfish Used to Be Prison Food in Some Coastal Cities Oysters were a working person’s food Native oyster beds grew near many early American settlements. People gathered oysters in bays, tidal rivers, and estuaries, often close to where they lived. Clams, mussels, and periwinkles added more choices, especially for coastal families with limited income. Oysters appeared in stews, pies, soups, and simple meals served with bread. Vendors sold them in busy port towns, while households bought them ...