Don't Ask Why Rotisserie Chicken Thighs

Bake these and you'll have individual portions of rotisserie chicken!

We buy the thighs in bulk from Costco, but thighs are one of the more inexpensive parts of the chicken at any grocery store. So, if you are looking to wow on a budget, look for medium to large sized thighs, bone-in. There is so much more flavor and moistness in a chicken thigh. Once you try thigh, you'll never ask why!!

*Preheat oven to 325.

Needed:

Chicken thighs (as many as you want; we suggest at least 2 per person)
One pat of unsalted butter for each thigh
salt
paprika
a mild dried herb, such as marjoram, parsley or basil


Rinse and pat dry the thighs. Spray a large, high-edged baking pan. Liberally salt both sides of each thigh. Loosen the skin on top of each thigh by sliding your finger underneath the membrane, and placing a pat of unsalted butter, centered up under there. Sprinkle paprika and your herbs on top.

Cook, uncovered, for one and a half hours.

This will make the skin get crispy and the bottoms of the thighs will remain moist, because they are sitting directly in the pan. (Do not use a rack inside your pan!)
If you have a meat thermometer it should quickly read over 160 when you test them at this point. You won't have any pink showing--you want them to be almost over-cooked and easily coming off the bone.

*We used a self-correcting convection oven set to 325 and baked for one hour and twenty minutes. If your convection oven does not self-correct, set it to 300 degrees.
If you are using a conventional (plain 'ole regular oven), bake for at least one and a half hours. Keep an eye on them, of course.

Quick 'n Dirty Chicken Stir Fry

Sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add cubed chicken. Cook for a few minutes, until brown. Add, carrots, red and green peppers, celery. Cook for 5 minutes. Add green peas and broccoli florets. Cook for 2 minutes. Add shredded ginger. Add stir fry seasoning to two cups of water. Stir until there are no lumps. Add mixture to other ingredients. Put a lid on the pan and bring to a boil. Let it sit for a minute. Serve with white rice. Salt to taste. Enjoy.

Cooking Oil

1 onion, 2-3 pieces of garlic, finely sliced

2 chicken breasts, chopped in small cubes

Cut vegetables, celery, carrots, green and red peppers.

Green peas, broccoli florets.

Ginger, shredded to give it some kick.

2 cups of water

Stir fry seasoning, envelope

White rice

Salt

Serves: 4

QBK’s Chicken Parmesan

2 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 egg
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce (I use Giada’s recipe, it’s easy to make, it’s good and it’s versatile)
2 cups panko crumbs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper
A dash of cornstarch (optional – it helps with the crust, however)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 – 8 ounces spaghetti rigate (I use Barilla)
Sargento bag of shredded 6 Italian cheeses
Pepperidge Farm garlic Texas toast

Preheat oven to 425 degrees for the Texas toast.

Slice the chicken breasts crosswise and season with salt and pepper.  In a shallow bowl, beat egg till yolk and white are incorporated.  In another bowl, combine panko crumbs, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cornstarch (if using).  Heat deep pan over medium heat and add olive oil.  Soak sliced chicken breasts in egg wash, then dredge in crumb mixture.  Place chicken in oil, cover, and sauté for 5 minutes; turn chicken and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan, and set aside.

Begin warming marinara to a slow simmer, and fill deep pan with water for the spaghetti.  Cook the spaghetti according to manufacturer’s instructions.  Meanwhile, place sautéed breasts on a shallow rimmed baking pan, drizzle marinara sauce over each breast (to your liking) and sprinkle one to two tablespoons of shredded cheese atop the sauce.  Place in oven with garlic toast and bake for 5 minutes.  Serve chicken over pasta and marinara sauce with bread as an accompaniment.  Mangia!

Sunday Night Pasta with Balsamic Vinegar

~ Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Lynne’s ‘Sunday Night’ supper is a variation on Italy’s popular pasta dressed
with garlic and olive oil, ‘pasta aglio olio; but hers goes a good step farther by blending mellow, slow-cooked garlic with the bright, fresh taste of barely cooked tomatoes, fresh green herbs – and a final anointing with sweet, rich balsamic vinegar. This is a lovely simple basic pasta, typical of the best Italian cooking,
which depends on the beauty of its ingredients. There should be no waiting
around when it’s ready – it is to be served and eaten at once.”

Ingredients for 4 servings as a main course

For slow-cooking the garlic
3 tablespoons excellent olive oil
12 large cloves of garlic, peeled and
cut into 1/2-inch dice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce
7 medium-size ripe red superbly flavored tomatoes
(about 4 pounds) or 4 cups best-quality drained,
 canned peeled plum tomatoes
3/4 cup (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves,
plus a dozen nice leaves
for decoration
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint,
marjoram, and chives

For the pasta
1 pound best-quality (imported durum wheat
semolina) tagliatelle or linguine
6 quarts water, rapidly boiling when you are
ready to cook the pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons salt, plus more if needed

For serving
A generous wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
of which you will need some 25 to 30 shavings,
cut with a vegetable peeler
4 to 6 tablespoons best-quality commercial
balsamic vinegar

Special Equipment Suggested: A heavy 12-inch sauté pan, 4 to 5
inches deep (for the garlic and final mixing of pasta); a colander; a
warm pasta bowl and serving bowls; a vegetable peeler for the
cheese; a long-handled spoon and fork (for tossing and serving)
 

Preliminaries:
Slow-Cooking the garlic: Pour enough olive oil into the sauté pan to
film the bottom lightly. Stir in the garlic, season with a sprinkling of salt
and pepper, and cook slowly over low heat. stirring frequently, until the
garlic is soft and barely blond, about 15 minutes. Take great care not to
let it color more than a pale gold; if it browns it will lose its sweetness.
(You may wish to add a little water to the pan – about 1/4 cup – to keep
the garlic from coloring too much.) When soft and blond, cover the pan
and set aside at room temperature.

Ahead-of-Time Note:The garlic may be cooked several hours in advance.

Preparing the Sauce Ingredients:If you are using fresh tomatoes, seed and juice them but do not peel,
then cut the pulp into 1/2-inch dice [see below]. For canned tomatoes,
crush them with your hands, reserve about 1/4 cup for garnish, and set
the rest aside in a large bowl. Chop the measured basil leaves roughly,
combine with the other herbs, and set aside next to the tomatoes.

Shortly before serving:
Cooking the Pasta – 7 to 10 minutes. Pour the salt into the rapidly
boiling pasta water, and taste to be sure it is just right for you. Drop in
the pasta, give it a quick stir, and cover the pan to return the water quick-
ly back to the high boil. Then uncover the pan. Begin to test and taste the
pasta as soon as it begins to bend when you lift a piece. It will be done
when it is tender, yet slightly firm, but not brittle to the bite – al dente. Undercooked pasta is disappointing, while overcooked pasta is limp and characterless. You are the judge - get a second opinion if you have doubts.
As the pasta cooks, scoop out half a cup of the pasta water, pour it in the
pan with the garlic, and set the pan over moderate heat. Make sure your
serving bowl and dishes are hot, and that all is ready at the table, including your guests.
Finale and Serving: The very minute that the pasta is cooked, drain it and turn it into the garlic pan along with the herbs. Proceeding rapidly, toss the pasta with salt and pepper as needed, then toss with the prepared tomatoes. Carefully correct seasoning again. Using the vegetable peeler, shave a dozen
or so thin slivers of Parmesan over the pasta, transfer it to the heated bowl, scatter the reserved basil leaves and tomatoes on top, and bring to the table. Dramatically shave more cheese over the pasta, and lastly the glorious drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Toss again several times with feeling, and serve at once.
 

Julia’s Notes on Peeling, Seeding, and Juicing Tomatoes

Blanching Before Peeling: One or two at a time, drop the tomatoes into a 3-quart saucepan of rapidly boiling water, bring rapidly back to the boil, and boil exactly
10 seconds. Immediately remove with a slotted spoon and drop them into a bowl
of cold water. (Unless you have a caldron of boiling water, blanch no more than
one or two at a time, or they’ll start to cook, and will not peel cleanly.Peeling: Cut out the stem piece with a small knife, cut a 1/2-inch cross in the
skin at the other end, and strip off the peel. (You may want to save the peels
for a tomato sauce, since peel intensifies the red color as well as imparting a
little flavor.)Seeding and Juicing: You can cut a peeled tomato in half crosswise and,
holding one half, cut side down, gently squeeze out juice and seeds, poking
out the remaining seeds from the interstices with your little finger. This is
fine for most purposes, like the tomato sauce in [the recipe above].

Note:  This recipe is not as complicated as it looks, just make sure you have everything ready at hand the first time.  You can figure out shortcuts.  It is very good and satisfying.  bambam

 

southwestern grits with queso fresco, cilantro and lime

Dinner in 30 Minutes

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Main Course
• Features: Fast

Summary:

Here's a bowlful of color, creaminess, crunch and flavor, for not much effort. The option of adding pimenton-seasoned ground chicken might make it an alternative to taco night at your house.
Serve with a crisp green salad.

4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup polenta (coarse yellow grits)
• 5 cups just-boiled water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 8 ounces ground white-meat chicken (optional)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika (pimenton; optional)
• 1/2 medium white onion
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1/2 firm but ripe avocado
• 2 limes
• 1/2 cup queso fresco

Directions:

Heat the polenta in a large saucepan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds or until it becomes slightly toasted, watching carefully so it does not burn. Gradually add the water (avoiding a face full of steam as you do); stir as the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and stir in the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, while you prep the remaining ingredients. The polenta should be creamy and thick; reduce the heat as needed to keep it from scorching on the bottom.
Cut each tomato in half and place in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring a few times, while you prep the remaining ingredients or just until some of the tomato halves deflate. Transfer to a bowl.
Optional: Grease the same skillet with cooking oil spray and return to medium heat. Add the ground chicken and smoked paprika, using a spatula to break up any clumps. Cook through, making sure to distribute the seasoning; this will take about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, or next, cut the white onion into small dice. Cut the olives into thin slices or coarsely chop them. Coarsely chop the cilantro. Cut the flesh of the avocado into small chunks. Cut each lime into quarters; squeeze one wedge over the avocado chunks.
Divide the polenta among individual wide, shallow bowls. Spoon in the tomatoes, seasoned ground chicken, if using, onion, olives, cilantro and avocado. Crumble the queso fresco on top, then squeeze three of the remaining lime wedges to distribute juice evenly over the four bowls. Pass the remaining wedges at the table. Serve hot.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "Cooking With Herbs: 50 Simple Recipes for Fresh Flavor," by Lynn Alley (Andrews McMeel, 2013).

posted by bambam

the only ribs you need to know

 

• Cuisine: Southern/Soul Food
• Course: Main Course
• Features: Make-Ahead Recipes

Summary:

The title may sound hyperbolic, but it’s not. These ribs are delicious hot, cold, at room temperature or any way you can get your hands on them.
MAKE AHEAD: The ribs can be boiled, sauced and refrigerated several hours in advance. Bring to room temperature before roasting.

6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 racks (7 to 8 pounds total) baby back pork ribs, preferably at room temperature
• 16 ounces light brown sugar
• 20 ounces (2 1/2 cups) Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup bourbon

Directions:

Bring one large (at least 12-cup) pot of water to a brisk boil over high heat.
Add the racks of ribs to the boiling water; you might need to cut the racks in half to make them fit in the pot. Once the water returns to a boil, cook for about 15 minutes; the meat will not be cooked through.
Use tongs to transfer the racks to a cutting board. Let them rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then use a large, sharp knife to cut between the bones, separating the individual ribs.
While the ribs are resting, make the sauce: Wipe out the pot you used to boil the ribs, then add the sugar, mustard, soy sauce and bourbon. Place over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat. Return the ribs to the pot and toss to coat evenly.
At this point, the ribs can be cooled and refrigerated for several hours.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Divide the ribs between the baking sheets; if there’s any sauce left in the pot, use it for basting. Roast for about 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Baste with any remaining sauce or with sauce that has pooled on the baking sheet. Roast until the ribs are crisped on the edges and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Transfer to a platter. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from Lee Manigault and Suzanne Pollak of Charleston, S.C., known as the Deans of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits.

Beef Strokin’ Off

Serves 2

¾ pound button and cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless short ribs, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon flour
½ cup red cooking wine
3 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
6 ounces heavy cream*
Hot cooked noodles

Heat butter in a large pot, add mushrooms and garlic and sauté covered, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are brown and softened and have released their liquid, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.

Sauté beef cubes in pot until brown on all sides, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in flour until incorporated, then add red wine and simmer till wine has almost evaporated.

Add 2 cups of beef broth, bay leaf and pepper and bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook about one hour. Stir occasionally.

Uncover pot, add remaining cup of beef broth, mushrooms and garlic, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, and cook (uncovered), stirring occasionally till broth is reduced by half, approximately another hour.

Reduce heat, remove bay leaf and stir in heavy cream till incorporated. Serve over hot noodles.

(*A typical beef stroganoff recipe usually calls for sour cream, not heavy cream, but I don’t like the texture or taste it brings to the dish.)

Submitted by QueenieBK

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

This is an amazing recipe and really is simple to make.  You don't have to worry about the cayanne being too strong, it will dilute as it cooks.  Serve with French bread and cold beer.  

6 chicken thighs (or if you have leftover chicken from a rotisserie chicken you can use that instead and skip the 3 paragraphs, just coat well with cayanne)
cayenne pepper, to taste
1/4 cup peanut oil
flour to coat chicken
salt
black pepper
garlic powder
 
3 large white onions, chopped (DO NOT use a food processor)
5 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme
handful chopped parsley
1/2 package Hillshire Polish kielbasa (or other smoked sausage), sliced and quartered
2 cups white rice (not instant), washed
12 ounces beer, warm
2 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the chicken and place it skin side down on a plate (you can remove the skin if you want).  Coat the chicken with cayenne pepper until very red (I use a LOT of Cayenne in mine). Don't worry about getting it too hot, since this is the majority of the pepper you are going to add and it will cook into the rest of the dish. Turn the chicken pieces over and lightly coat the skin side. Let sit for 15 minutes or so to soak it all up.

Heat the oil in the bottom of a large heavy cast iron or aluminum pot (don't use thin aluminum or stainless steel since the rice will tend to stick and burn if you're not really careful). Place the flour in a paper bag or large bowl. Season the flour lightly with salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder. Place a couple of pieces of chicken at a time into the bag and shake to coat.

Fry the chicken in the oil until golden brown. Don't worry about cooking it all the way through. Remove the chicken.

Place the onions, celery, garlic and bell pepper into the pot along with a bit more oil if necessary and saute them until the onions are transparent, scraping the bottom of the pot often.  I like to make the onions very crispy and caramelized.  Add the rosemary, thyme and parsley and cook for a minute.

Place the sausage slices, chicken, and a little water into the pot and mix well with the vegetables. Turn heat low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes (until the chicken is tender). Stir the mixture frequently, always scraping the bottom to keep things from burning (break the chicken up a bit with the spatula as it cooks. It should break up naturally as the dish cooks, but this just helps things a little).

When the chicken is cooked, add the washed rice and stir it into everything for a couple of minutes. Pour the warm beer and the water in and stir things for another minute or so. Taste it at this point and adjust the salt if necessary. Now, keeping the heat low, cover the pot and cook until the rice is tender (anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour). Stir the mixture every now and then, scraping the bottom of the pot.

LEFT COAST SALADE NICOISE

* An original recipe for this blog [not the dressings though]

   Approx. ½ hr.-45 min.

2 Ahi Tuna pieces, fresh, approx. 4-6 oz. each
Chili Oil or Basil Oil, approx. 2-3 tblsp.
2 Eggs, hardboiled
Chinese Long Beans, approx. 1/4 lb.
Jicama, small, peeled, cut into thin strips
Cherry Tomatoes (mixed color if possible), container
Cole Slaw mix,* fresh or packaged, approx. 1/4 lb.
Cilantro, approx. 1/4 c., chopped
2 Lettuce leaves, large
Salt/Pepper
1 Lemon
Rice Wine Vinegar
Sesame Seeds, white or black (optional)

* shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots

Hard boil and chill the eggs.
Snip and blanch (or boil, or grill) long beans; cut into 4" pieces.  Chill.
Peel jicama, slice half into 4" x 1/4" strips.  Blanch if preferred; or leave raw.

To prepare fish: 
[If serving chilled tuna, cook it first and refrigerate.  If serving warm, assemble salad first, then cook fish]  Squeeze ½ lemon over ahi; season w/salt and pepper.  If using sesame seeds, spread seeds on plate, rub oil on fish, press both side of fish on seeds.  Heat 2 tblsp. oil in heavy skillet, sear ahi until browned/blackened on both sides but still rare-to-medium well, depending on preference – it will briefly continue to cook after removed from pan; if you want to serve it medium rare, take it out when it looks rare-turning-to-medium, etc.

To prepare salad: Arrange lettuce leaf on each plate; fill with cole slaw mix; top with cilantro.  Drizzle w/rice wine vinegar. Arrange long beans, sliced egg, sliced jicama, and halved cherry tomatoes around flattened edges of lettuce leaf.  Drizzle w/vinegar again.  Place ahi in center.  Squeeze remaining lemon over all. 

Suggested Dressings:  Kraft Asian Toasted Seseme
                                    Green Goddess w/Wasabe [homemade or add wasabi 
                                                                                 to Kraft Green Goddess]
                                    Soy Wasabe Dressing:
                                    1 teaspoon soy sauce

                                    1 teaspoon wasabi paste (Japanese horseradish)
                                    3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
                                    1 tablespoon sugar
                                    1/2 teaspoon sesame oil  

                                   









 

GREEK ROASTED CHICKEN & POTATOES

GREEK ROASTED CHICKEN & POTATOES

Serves 3-4

Approx 2 hours 

 INGREDIENTS

Whole Chicken (5-6 lbs.) [brining preferred but optional]

Olive Oil (approx. 1/2 c.)

Lg. Lemons (2-3)

Lg. Onion

White Potatoes, washed and cubed [peeling optional; thin-skinned potatoes preferred]

Garlic (3-4 cloves) or Garlic Powder  (2 tblsp.)

Fresh Mint/Oregano/Thyme/Rosemary*  (approx 1/3 c.)  or 

Dried Mint/Oregano/Thyme/Rosemary (approx 2 tblsp.) 

McCormick Greek Seasoning (approx. 2 tblsp.)

Butter (2 tblsp.)

Salt and Pepper (acc. to taste)

* if using fresh rosemary, use 2-3  6" sprigs, strip the leaves to combine w/other herbs but 

   leave one sprig intact 

Oil roasting pan well, or use whatever technique you use to prevent sticking; pre-heat oven to  450 degrees.  

Cut lemons and onion in half; slice the garlic cloves.  In clean chicken cavity: drizzle olive oil; sprinkle all seasonings (if using fresh herbs - insert 1-2 garlic cloves, sliced, and the full rosemary sprig); squeeze 1/2 lemon, insert both pieces of onion and the squeezed lemon shell in cavity.  [Everytime you use a lemon, see if the shell will fit in the chicken cavity]

Gently lift skin over breast and carefully insert half of remaining herbs (garlic and green), the butter (cut into small pieces, and squeeze lemon into the underskin area.  Massage under skin across breast and into the thighs [now pull your minds out of the gutter, dlisters.  i know you people.]  Put the lemon shell in the cavity.

Turn chicken breast down in pan; drizzle well with olive oil, season with salt n pepper.  Roast approx 10-15 min at 450, just until fully brown.  Flip that bitch.  Roast another 10-15 min. just until fully brown.  Remove from oven; put foil tent over breast, foil the wing tips, etc.

Reduce heat to 300-325 degrees.  Surround the chicken with the cubed potatoes, which have been mixed with the remaining herbs, and salted and peppered to taste.   Drizzle with remaining olive oil.  Return to oven for another 1 - 1 1/2 hours, periodically basting.

Serve with warm crusty bread and salad; onion lovers can be served the onion in the cavity.   Blue and white tableware nicely support the Greek theme.  :-D

Squash in Your Spaghetti

1 package of Angel hair pasta
1 Zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (homemade is of course optional)
Cook Angel hair pasta to your liking.

Heat up your tomato sauce.
While your sauce is heating up, chop your zucchini and yellow squash in to chunks and broil just until they are tender, but still maintain some crunch. Add zucchini and squash to sauce and allow to marinate. Once your sauce is warmed up to your liking, add over pasta and Voila!
(It’s also delicious if you add in meatballs).

Submitted by BoredAs

Cheese Chicken Casserole

Package boneless/skinless thin-cut chicken breast(You may want to flatten out thicker cuts)
2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese (add more if you like it cheesier)
1 can Cream of Celery or Cream of Chicken
1/4 cup milk
1/2 water
1 to 2 cup of Stove top Stuffing(adjusting amounts is fine)

Coat a 9x13 casserole pan with cooking spray.
Place your chicken breasts in pan and sprinkle cheese over chicken breasts.
Pour canned soup in to a bowl and add the milk and water and mix well until blended.
Pour over Chicken and Cheese.
Spread the Stove Top Stuffing evenly over the chicken,cheese and cream of celery.
Finally cover the top with aluminum foil, and put in the oven.

Place pan  in  400 Degree oven and let this cook for 45-to 50 minutes.

I prefer to eat this over rice, but it's wonderful on it's own or some other complimenting side dish of your choosing.

Submitted by BoredAs

My Brother's Fresh Fish Tacos

Made these recently and they were a big hit. Edit: Continuing the Fish Theme, lol.

Ingredients:

• Egg
• Flour
• Bread crumbs
• 1 Lemon
• Pepper (dash)
• 5-6 Cloves of garlic
• 1 lb. Cod fish fillets (4 people)
• Some Refried beans
• 12-15 Corn tortillas
• Cup of shredded dry coleslaw (pre-bagged) or shredded lettuce.
• Ranch dressing
• Hot sauce (optional)

Directions:

Cut cod fillets into small portions. Marinate them in lemon juice and a dash of pepper, 15 minutes. Bread fillets. Heat oil in fry pan and add garlic cloves. Fry fish until golden brown. Warm up tortillas in pan on stove top. Cut up cooked fish. Take 2-3 warm tortillas per person, spread a tablespoon of refried beans on each tortilla. Add pieces of fish fillet. Add shredded coleslaw, ranch dressing to taste. Add hot sauce (optional). Roll tortillas and serve. 

Note: I am not a cook so feel free to add suggestions!