December 12, 2010

Pumpkin Pie

I got this recipe from my Food Network magazine (I couldn't bear the thought of making the recipe off of the pumpkin can!). It only makes enough for one pie. I tried a fancy dough edge on my pecan pie, but it just detached during the cooking, so I went for the faster heart edging this time.

1 9-inch uncooked pie crust
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a bowl.
  • Pour into the crust, bake until the edges are est but the center quivers, about 1 hour - 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust until the last 10-15 minutes to prevent over browning.
  • Cool completely on a rack and serve with whipped cream.

Apple Crisp

I'm not a big fan of pies, so I made sure we had this crisp! The topping on it is my favorite. Instead of a crust, it's more of a sugary crumble :)

Filling1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
12 cups thinly peeled and sliced apples
  • Mix all above ingredients together and pour into 11 x 14 pan.
Topping2/3 cups sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour
12 Tbsp margarine
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut together above ingredients with pastry blender until pea-sized and sprinkle over top of filling.
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Raspberry Cheesecake

I don't actually like cheesecake, but for some reason I absolutely LOVE making it. The recipe calls for raspberries, but you can really use any similar berries. In the picture, I had used blackberries because they are Michael's favorite. I'm not sure where it came from, my mom just came home with it one day and asked me to make it for her because she didn't want to!

Cheesecakes are really hard to get to not crack. The recipe doesn't call for a waterbath, although I've heard people say that's what you're supposed to do. I've never tried because either way it tastes the same! If it does matter to you, the one cheesecake I didn't have crack on me I over cooked a little, so maybe leave it cooking for longer than the recipe calls to allow it to set a little further in to the middle of the cake.

Filling
1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries, partially thawed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • Combine raspberries and cornstarch in 2-quart saucepan.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil (6-10 minutes) and continue boiling for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes (or while you're preparing the rest of the cake).
Crust
1 package (9 oz) chocolate wafer cookies
1/3 cup butter, melted
  • Crush cookies and add to melted butter
  • Press on to bottom of 9-inch springform pan, set aside.
Cake
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
4 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups sour cream
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Mix sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  • Add sour cream and cornstarch. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Stir in vanilla.
  • Pour half of cheesecake batter over crust.
  • Spoon filling evenly over batter in pan.
  • Pour remaining cheesecake batter in to the pan.
  • Bake for 60-70 minutes or until set 2 inches from the edge of the pan. Turn off oven, but leave the the cake in the oven for two more hours.
  • Remove from oven, loosen sides of cheesecake from pan by running knife around inside of pan.
  • Cool completely (about two hours), loosely cover, and refrigerate 8 hours (or overnight).

December 09, 2010

7 Layer Salad

This is a recipe I got from my grandma. It was in a relatively old looking salad cook book, maybe from the 50s or 60s? The original recipe called only for iceberg lettuce, but to spruce it up, I threw in some romaine lettuce and spinach as well. Then I threw an extra layer of the greens mixture on top of the peas. I like lots of lettuce in my salad!

I didn't follow any of the measurements, I just kind of cut things up and covered the layers by eye based on the size of my dish. I put the measurements there just so you can have an idea of how much you'll actually need to purchase.

After posting a picture of this on Facebook, a friend said she'd made this but put crab in the mayonnaise. Sounds good to me! I also thought it would be good to try any variety of mayonnaise based dips for that layer.

1 medium iceberg lettuce (shredded)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts (drained)
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2-3/4 lb bacon, crisp cooked
3 hard cooked eggs (chopped)
2 medium sized tomatoes, wedged
  • In 3-4 quart glass bowl, make layer of lettuce. Top with layer of onion, celery, water chestnuts, and peas.
  • Spread with mayonnaise.
  • Sprinkle with sugar, cheese, salt, and garlic powder.
  • Cover and refrigerate over night.
  • Before serving, crumble bacon onto salad, sprinkle with chopped eggs, and arrange tomato wedges around salad.


Burbon Pecan Pie

This is a recipe my mom has had and used forever. Looking at the printout she gave me, it says it was a winner of some pie contest back in the mid-late 90s. It was made by Nancy Neiss. It's always been one of my dad's favorites :D

While making this, I thought the mixture was pretty runny. I was assured that it was fine, and it did in fact turn out great :)

1 9-inch unbaked pie shell
3 large eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp bourbon
1 & 1/3 cups chopped pecans (large chop)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In medium sized bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla, and bourbon. Stir until well blended. Stir in pecans and pour into unbaked pie shell.
  • Cover edge of pie to prevent overbrowning. Bake for 25 minutes, remove shield from edge, and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or more (until a knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean).

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

In my grandpa's old age, he's gotten really hard to buy for for holidays and birthdays. This year he said all he wants is sweets! Since I like to cook and bake, that works for me! I made him cookies :D

This recipe came in my most recent Food Network Magazine and I've been looking for a good oatmeal raisin recipe. I think they ended up over cooked a little, but they were still the best homemade recipe I've found!

1 & 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp molasses
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
  • Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  • Beat the butter, sugar, and molasses in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy (about five minutes). Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth (about two more minutes).
  • Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the raisins by hand. For the best flavor and texture, cover the dough and chill at least four hours (or overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form dough in to balls, about 2 tablespoons each.
  • Bake until the cookies are golden, 15-17 minutes. Let cool five minutes on baking sheets, transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

November 29, 2010

Butter Rolls

I decided to move these back up to the top to go with the rest of my Thanksgiving food since I took a picture of the actual finished product this time.

These are the best rolls you'll ever have. My brother used the phrase "buttery pieces of heaven" to describe them. Yeah... they're that good! We like to prepare these for holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter (or any other get together where we serve a big meal). They do take a little bit of time, but are totally worth it :) If you want to make them in larger batches you can freeze them and save for later to save some time.

2 - 1/4 packets of active dry yeast
1 cup sugar (divided)
2 cups warm water (100-110 degrees)
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 & 1/2 tsp salt
9 cups flour (give or take)
  • Stir together yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, and 2 cups warm water in a glass measuring cup.
  • Stir together yeast mixture, remaining sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Stir in egg and salt.
  • Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.
  • Cover with a damp towel and chill for 8 hours (over night works best). Divide the dough in to 4-6 equal portions. Turn each portion out on a lightly floured surface and roll in to a 14 inch circle.
  • Melt butter as needed, and with a pastry brush spread it over the top of the rolled out dough. With a pizza cutter (or knife) cut each circle in to 8-12 wedges. Roll up each wedge, starting at the wide end.
  • Place on baking sheets, covered, and let rise for two hours (or until doubled). You can also freeze the rolls before allowing them to rise. If you do this, just remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw until they have risen to about double their size.
  • Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Just a couple extra tips... stuff I've learned from experience!!!
  • The baking time can really vary depending on the oven and how big your rolls end up being. Mess with the time and temperature until you get them exactly how you like them. The best combination I've found is dividing the dough in to 6 portions, cutting in to 8 wedges, baking at 375 for 14 minutes.
  • BE SURE the towel is wet, because you will get a dry crusty layer across the top if it's allowed to dry out. If this does happen, just kinda knead it together and any pull out any really hard chunks as you're rolling it out.
  • It helps to get the dough out of the bowls if you spray it with a cooking spray before you put it in there.
  • The dough is pretty tough to roll out when it's cold, so sometimes it helps to let it sit out for a while.
  • If you're making more than one batch, it's easiest to make them one at a time.

November 23, 2010

Chicken with Lemon and Herbs

I got this recipe out of the amazing chicken cook book I got from Costco (well worth the purchase!!!) I didn't broil it, I just cooked it in the oven because I wanted it done while I was doing other stuff (so if yours doesn't look the same as the picture, that's why!). I loved how buttery and lemony this dish was... I think the only thing I would change is making the sauce a little thicker.

Note, I couldn't find fresh tarragon in the grocery store, so I didn't use any in my dish and it's not in the picture.

1/4 cup butter
2 spring onions, white part, finely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 Tbsp chopped fresh fennel
Juice of 1 lemon
4 chicken thighs
Salt and ground black pepper
Lemon slices and herb sprigs, to garnish
  • Preheat grill (broiler) to medium.
  • In a small pan, melt the butter, then add the spring onions, herbs, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Brush the chicken generously with the herb mixture.
  • Broil the chicken for 10-12 minutes, basting frequently with the herb mixture.
  • Turn over, baste again, then cook for another 10 minutes (until juices run clear).
  • Serve, garnished with lemon and herbs.

November 12, 2010

Stuffed Chicken

I got this recipe from my Bon Appetit magazine. The stuffing in this wasn't my favorite, but the rest of it was pretty darn good, so I decided it was worth sharing. I think part of it has to do with the fact that neither Michael nor I really like green olives. My dad, on the other hand, really liked everything about it. Next time I make it I'm simply going to remove the stuffing part of the recipe and make everything else the same (or maybe find a different recipe for the stuffing part).

Because it was raining pretty hard the day I made this, I really didn't want to go outside and do any grilling whatsoever. Instead, after preparing the chicken, dressing, and oranges I put the chicken and oranges in a 9 x 13 pan and poured the dressing over the top. I cooked it at 425 degrees for approximately 40 minutes (for breast).

Chicken/Stuffing
1 cup pitted brine-cured green olives
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp finely grated orange peel
6 boneless chicken breast halves (with skin)
  • Blend first five ingredients in mini processor until olives and garlic are chopped. Transfer to small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Using fingertips, gently loosen skin on 1 chicken breast leaving one long side attached. Spread stuffing under the skin and pull skin flap back over to cover. Repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Arrange chicken on large rimmed baking sheet (can be done 1 day ahead, cover and chill).
Dressing and Oranges
6 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp finely grated orange peel
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped pitted brine-cured green olives
2 large unpeeled oranges, cut in to wedges
  • Combine first four ingredients in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil then olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Transfer 3/4 cup dressing to small bowl and reserve for serving.
  • Coat grill rack with nonstick spray and prepare on medium-high heat.
  • Divide remaining dressing between two small cups. Drizzle chicken with dressing from 1 cup.
  • Arrange orange wedges on sheet of foil, brush with dressing from second cup.
  • Grill chicken until cooked through, drizzling with dressing from first cup and turning occasionally, about 12-14 minutes.
  • Grill orange wedges until heated through and slightly charred, turning and brushing often with dressing from second cup, about 10 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken and oranges to serving platter, serve with reserved dressing.

Beef Taco Skillet

This was a lot more plain than I thought it was going to be. If I had been thinking ahead, I would have prepared lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, chips, etc. to go along with it. It was pretty good and a different little spin on tacos :D

I'm also a firm believer that everything taco related should have taco seasoning on it, so even though the recipe doesn't call for it, I threw a package of seasoning in with the soup, salsa, water, and tortillas.

1 lb ground beef
1 can (10 & 3/4 oz) Campbell's tomato soup
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 water
6 flour tortillas (6") cut in to 1" pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • Cook beef in 10" skillet until well browned, pour off fat.
  • Stir in soup, salsa, water, and tortillas.
  • Heat to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for five minutes.
  • Stir, top with cheese.

November 01, 2010

Chicken-Broccoli Mac & Cheese

I felt like a gourmet chef with this meal! I'm not a big fan of pasta but this was pretty darn good :) To go along with this dish, we found some AMAZING bread at Costco this weekend. Michael's was a roasted garlic and mine was a rosemary olive oil. I'm hopefully going to find a recipe for these and make them from scratch soon.

To go with the bread I handmade some garlic butter. To do that I took a stick of butter from the fridge and microwaved it for 8 seconds to make it soft. I then pressed about 3 cloves of garlic in to the butter and blended it together.

The original recipe called for a whole roasted chicken, we just use chicken breasts/thighs, which I cook ahead of time. You could do either, they both work well and taste great!

8 oz of uncooked rigatoni pasta
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 - 2 & 1/2 lbs cooked chicken
5.2 oz package semisoft cheese with garlic and fine herbs
3/4 - 1 cup milk
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • In large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.
  • While pasta is cooking, cut chicken into bite size pieces.
  • In same saucepan, combine cheese, 3/4 cup milk, and black pepper. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta mixture and chicken.
  • Stir together and heat through. If necessary, thin with additional milk.

October 29, 2010

Russian Tea Cakes

I searched cookie cook books for quite some time trying to find a recipe for these cookies. I finally went to the internet and found a yummy recipe! These cookies are one of mine and Michael's favorites!

1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbsp confectioners' sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup confections' sugar (for decorating)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth. Combine the confectioner's sugar and flour. Stir in to the butter mixture until just blended.
  • Mix in the chopped walnuts. Rough dough in to 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes. When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar.



Spritz Cookies

Sorry for the mass amount of recipes being posted this morning! I have had a few piling up and then realized I had a couple more from a year ago that never went up... I hope you enjoy them :)

This recipe came with my awesome cookie press that I bought from pampered chef! I made them to send to some friends in Australia (along with the Russian Tea Cakes, also posted this morning).

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
Colored sugar or sprinkles
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed for about three minutes. Should be creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, mix on low speed just until blended.
  • Fit cookie press with desired disk and fill with dough. Press dough on to cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. Decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles.
  • Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool two minutes on cookie sheet then remove to cooling rack.



Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin cookies have always been a favorite of mine growing up. I'm not sure where this recipe came from though. It's written on that paper they use in elementary school to teach children to write, the ones with two solid lines and a dotted line in the middle. It's so old it's actually an orange/yellow color. It's pretty tattered... so tattered that one time I misread it and accidentally put 4 times the amount of salt in them! After that, I decided I should type it out so I don't make those kinds of mistakes again!

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir until smooth. Blend in raisins and nuts.
  • Drop by spoonfuls on to cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.



Sesame-Teriyaki Salmon

This was one of the first fish recipes I made for my husband. I got it out of my Better Homes and Gardens cook book and originally called for sea bass. Instead, I made a couple servings of a white fish (for him) as well as a couple servings of salmon (for me). Michael is not a big fan of fish, so I was pretty proud when he decided he liked it!

4 4-oz fresh or frozen fish fillets (1/2-3/4 inch thick)
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup sweet rice win (mirin)
2 tsp honey
2 tsp cooking oil
2 tsp sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds, toasted
  • If frozen, thaw fish. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with pepper and set aside.
  • For glaze, in small saucepan, combine soy sauce, rice wine, and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for about ten minutes. Should be slightly thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook fish in hot oil over medium heat until fish is golden and begins to flake. About 4-6 minutes per 1/2 of thickness. Drain on paper towels and transfer to platter.
  • Drizzle fish with glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve!
Because meat never seems to cook as fast for me as it says it should in the recipe, I have started covering my skillets while the meat is cooking in hot oil. It helps keep the heat AND the oil in the pan!



Zucchini Bread

My cousin brought some zucchinis over for our house warming party... I looked at them later and mentioned that I don't like cucumbers! LOL, shows exactly how much I eat my vegetables ;) Because we don't make any meals with those types of vegetables, I decided to try out some bread. My husband had said before how much he liked it, so I gave it a whirl.

3 cups all purpose flour
1tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups white sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts
  • Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • In a medium bowl, sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together.
  • In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together.
  • Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.
  • Pour batter in to prepared pans and bake for 40-60 minutes or until tester insreted in to the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes, remove from pan and completely cool.



Banana Bread

This isn't the exact recipe my mother used growing up, but it tastes just as good! I got this out of my Better Homes and Garden cook book. I often find that we don't eat our bananas as fast as they ripen up (I prefer my bananas green!) so we always have plenty left over for bread :)

2 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter/margarine
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and 1/2 up sides of one bread pan.
  • In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
  • In a medium bowl, combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (should be lumpy). Fold in walnuts, spoon batter in to prepared pans.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, remove from pan, cool completely on rack.

October 18, 2010

Honey-Mustard Chicken and Apples

This was another wonderful Food Network Magazine find! Sorry if there's been too much chicken lately, it's one of our favorite meats and it just seems there are plenty of good recipes for it out there :)

8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2-2.5 lbs)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut in to large chunks
2 cooking apples (such as Cortland), cut in to chunks
1 cup chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp honey mustard
1-1/2 tsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1-2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the oil in large ovenproof skillet over med-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until golden (about 6 minutes). Flip and cook 2-3 more minutes then transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp of drippings.
  • Add the onions and apples then season with salt and pepper. Cook until slightly softened (about 4 minutes). Mix the broth with the mustard then add to the skillet and bring to a boil.
  • Arrange the chicken skin-side up in the skillet, transfer to the oven and roast until cooked through (15-20 minutes).
  • Mix butter and flour to form a paste. Use slotted spoon to move chicken, apples, and onions to a platter. Bring the pan juices to a simmer, add the butter-flour mixture, and boil to thicken. Pour over chicken and sprinkle with parsley.


October 14, 2010

Chicken Picatta

Last night we had a dinner party for a friend from out of town and this was the dish I made. It's definitely a new favorite and we'll be eating it quite often! I'm actually eating leftovers of it as I type, hehe.

I got it out of my "teaser" Cuisine at Home. They sent me a free preview to try to get me to order it... it worked! I decided to not renew my Bon Apetit magazine (not that there wasn't good food in it!). There just weren't enough pictures, so I often found myself picking dishes out of my other magazines. This new magazine has a picture of EVERY dish, yep! Those are my favorite kind of magazines :)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 thighs if you like!!)
Salt
Black pepper
Flour
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 dry white wine
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Fresh lemon slices
Chopped fresh parsley
  • Cut the chicken in half and pound in to cutlets. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
  • Coat a saute pan with nonstick spray, add oil, heat over medium-high. Saute cutlets 2-3 minutes on one side, flip over and saute other side, covered, 1-2 minutes. Transfer to warmed platter.
  • Pour off fat from pan, deglaze with wine and add minced garlic. Cook until garlic is slightly brown and liquid is almost gone (about 2 minutes). Add broth, lemon juice, and capers. Return cutlets to pan and cook on each side for about 1 minute. Transfer back to warm platter.
  • Finish sauce with butter and lemon slices. After butter melts, pour sauce over cutlets and garnish with parsley.

October 05, 2010

Quick Coq Au Vin

This is a recipe I got from my Bon Appetit magazine. I wasn't sure what it was (they don't have pictures with most of their recipes), but the ingredients sounded tasty, so I gave it a try! It was my first time making a sauce with red wine and I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out (I don't like wine at all!). The finished sauce did NOT look very good... but don't let that keep you from trying it :)

I used both breast and thigh so everyone got the kind they liked. While I was cooking this, the chicken breast didn't seem to be cooking all the way through and I was running out of time before we needed to be at bowling! To help with the problem, I left them undercooked from the skillet, set the oven to 350 degrees (instead of the 300 in the recipe below) and let them finish cooking in the oven.

4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
3 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley (divided)
8 oz large cremini mushrooms (aka baby bella), halved
8 large shallots, peeled and halved through root end
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1-1/2 cups dry wed wine (such as Syrah)
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (divided)
4 tsp all purpose flour
  • Preheat the oven to 300. Saute bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl.
  • Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp parsley. Add to drippings in skillet. Saute until cooked through (about 6 minutes per side), transfer to pie dish, place in oven to keep warm.
  • Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until brown (about 4 minutes). Add garlic, toss for 10 seconds. Add wine, 1-1/4 cups broth, bacon, and 1 Tbsp parsley. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, boil 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, place flour and 1/4 cup broth in small cup. Stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to sauce and cook until sauce thickens (3-4 minutes). Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Arrange chicken on a platter, stir juice from pie dish into sauce, and spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp parsley.

September 10, 2010

Bacon-Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

This was another AMAZING dish we got from the Food Network magazine. I love baked potatoes but really don't care to take the time to actually bake and prepare them. Plus they never seem to taste as good as the restaurant. This was a great substitute, and I think might actually be even better!!! I served sour cream and extra butter along side.

2 lbs small potatoes
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Crumbled bacon
Sliced scallions
  • Peel potatoes, then simmer in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Cool slightly.
  • Heat milk with butter then mash with potatoes.
  • Stir in cheddar cheese and desired amount of bacon bits.
  • Top with sliced scallions

Rosemary-Mustard Pork with Peaches

I got this recipe from a Food Network magazine (yes, I'm still LOVING that subscription!) and it's one of our new favorite meals. I'm not a big fan of fruit with my meat, but this was absolutely amazing! I'm glad I didn't eat with my eyes on this recipe :)

2 - 1 lb pork tenderloins, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil (for the grill)
3 firm, ripe peaches, halved, pitted, and cut in to wedges
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 lemon
2 tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, plus 1 or 2 small sprigs
  • Preheat grill to high and lightly oil
  • Pat the pork dry and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning, until marked (about 10 minutes)
  • Meanwhile, combine peaches, wine, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan. Remove strips of zest from lemon with a peeler and add to the pan. Squeeze in lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the peaches are just tender (5 to 7 minutes). Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
  • Add mustard, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 pepper to the juices in pan. Transfer 1/3 cup of the liquid to a small bowl and stir in the chopped rosemary. Brush on to pork and continue grilling about 10 to 15 more minutes (until temperature in center of meat reaches 145 degrees).
  • Meanwhile, simmer the remaining liquid in saucepan until syrupy (about three minutes). Remove from heat and season with salt. Return the peaches to the pan along with rosemary sprigs.
  • Slice the pork and serve with peaches.

Salmon Picatta

A little while back, Olive Garden had salmon picatta on their menu. It was my favorite dish there, unfortunately they replaced it with a basic grilled salmon. I finally got around to finding a recipe for a picatta sauce and made some myself :) As usual, we used both salmon and halibut for this dish.

1 lb center-cut salmon fillet (skinned)
1 cup dry white wine (divided)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large shallot (minced)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 tsp capers (rinsed)
¼ cup reduced fat sour cream
¼ tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
  • Cut salmon fillet in to 4 pieces. Place in a large skillet and add ½ cup wine and enough water to just cover the salmon.
  • Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer, turn the salmon over, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  • Add remaining ½ cup wine, boil until slightly reduced (about 1 minute). Stir in lemon juice and capers; cook 1 minute more.
  • Remove from the heat, stir in sour cream and salt.

September 09, 2010

Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce

I have quite a few dishes piling up (literally and figuratively) so I figured I should probably start posting a few of them! I apologize if I fill your dashboard up with my posts :/

The first dish is another fish dish that my entire family (aside from Isaiah, but he's just picky) likes! Yep, even my dad who hates fish... I've always LOVED the salmon at Anthony's because they put this great beurre blanc sauce on it. I decided to see if I could find a recipe for the sauce and try it out myself. I couldn't find any cedar planks to cook it on or I would definitely have done that as well!

4 fish fillets (we used Salmon and Halibut)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay)
½ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 lb unsalted butter (cold)
Kosher salt (to taste)
  • Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add fish fillets and cook for approximately 10 minutes on each side. While fish is cooking, prepare the sauce.
  • Heat wine, vinegar, and shallots in a saucepan until the liquids boil. Lower the heat a bit and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced down to about 2 tablespoons. This should take about 10 minutes.
  • When the liquid is almost completely reduced, cut the butter in to ½ inch cubes. Be sure to keep them cold until the mixture has completely reduced.
  • Reduce heat to low and start adding the cubes of butter, one or two at a time. Whisk rapidly with a wire whisk. As the butter melts and incorporates, add more butter and continue to whisk. Once you are to the last couple cubes, remove the sauce from the heat. Whisk in the last few cubes, whisk for a moment or two more.
  • Originally, shallots are supposed to be drained from the sauce, but they're good left in as well. Should be thick and smooth. Pour over fish fillets and serve immediately.

Rosemary Baby Reds

This is a side dish I threw together for dinner one night because I was REALLY in the mood for some good baby reds and rosemary. I didn't do any measuring, so I'm guesstimating at how much of each item I put in. If you want to adjust these measurements to your taste, go ahead!

6 baby red potatoes
2 sprigs rosemary
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (to taste)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut the baby reds into 1/2" pieces
  • Pull the rosemary off the sprigs and mix with olive oil in a large bowl.
  • Put potatoes and salt in bowl and toss. 
  • Place in 8 x 8 or 9 x 13 pan and bake for approximately 15 minutes. Stir about half way through baking time. Edges should be starting to brown when they are done.

August 03, 2010

Honey & Orange Glazed Chicken

I think the chicken cookbook I got at Costco is definitely one of the best cookbook purchases I have made!! This is a recipe from that book :)

Chicken breast or thigh, totaling about 24 oz
1 Tbsp oil
4 spring onions
1 garlic clove
3 Tbsp clear honey
4 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 orange, peeled and segmented
2 Tbsp soy sauce

  • Preheat oven to 350, place chicken in a shallow roasting pan and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a small pan and fry the spring onions and garlic for approximately two minutes (until softened). Add the clear honey, orange juice, orange segments, and soy sauce to the pan. Stir well until the honey has melted.
  • Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes. Baste with the honey glaze a couple times during cooking. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

July 24, 2010

Indian Spiced Beef Filets

This dish came from my pampered chef cook book. It was spicier than I was expecting, but good :) If you don't like spicy food, I wouldn't recommend this dish.

Instead of cooking these in the oven this time, I decided to throw them on the grill in the hopes that it would be easier to read a medium consistency (rather than well or well done). They turned out just right! So you can cook these in the oven, on the grill, or even on the stove top. Do whatever is easiest for you.

2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 beef tenderloin fillets, 2 inches thick (6-8 oz each)
1 tsp olive oil
  • Combine garlic, cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and salt in small bowl. Rub evenly over fillets. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in saute pan over medium high heat until hot. Place fillets in pan, cook for two minutes and turn fillets. Place pan in oven and roast 12-15 minutes. Temperature at center should read 155.
  • Remove fillets to cutting board and tent with aluminum foil. Let stand about 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160. Cut each filet in to slices.

July 22, 2010

Rye Rolls

I got this recipe from one of my many magazines. Rye bread is one of my favorites, but the caraway seeds were a little strong in this recipe. I'm a really picky eater though, so the fact that my husband and mother in law loved them says I should probably share :)

This was the first time I'd ever used buttermilk or molasses while cooking or baking so I learned a little bit. I bought the buttermilk on the baking aisle in powder form but didn't mix the water and powder together before putting it in the main mixture. Because I did this, it didn't mix well, so definitely prepare the buttermilk beforehand!

1 - 1/4 to 1 - 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 pkg active dry yeast
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 - 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp salt
1 cup rye flour

  • In a bowl, combine 3/4 cup all purpose flour, potato flakes, whole wheat flour, yeast, and caraway seeds. Set aside
  • In saucepan, heat and stir buttermilk, butter, molasses, and salt until warm and butter is almost melted.
  • Add the heated mixture to the flour mixture and mix on medium low for 30 seconds, then high for 3 minutes. Stir in rye flour and 1/4-1/2 cup all purpose flour to make a stiff dough.
  • Transfer to lightly floured surface and gradually knead in some all purpose flour until dough is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes).
  • Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease surface. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
  • Gently punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Divide in half, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. In the mean time, grease 16 cups of a standard muffin tin. Divide each half of the dough in to 24 pieces.
  • Gently roll each piece in to a ball and place three balls in each muffin cup. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Near end, heat oven to 350.
  • Bake about 20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Immediately remove from pan and cool on wire rack for 2 minutes. Brush with extra butter if desired.

July 13, 2010

Beef Stroganoff

This is a meal that my mom made for us all the time. I'm not sure where it came from. When we have our cows butchered I always have them cut some stew meat just for this. You can buy stew meat at the grocery store as well. Just be sure the meat is not over cooked because the meat becomes tough very quickly. This is another dish I like to use my electric skillet with.

1 lb cubed beef
1/2 chopped onion
1 can beef broth
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 water
3 cups medium egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
  • Cook the ground beef with onion in large skillet until beef is browned. Spoon off the fat
  • Add the beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, and water. Cover and heat to boiling.
  • Reduce heat to low and add noodles and sour cream. Simmer for ten minutes or until the noodles are tender, stirring often.

June 30, 2010

Salmon with Whiskey and Cream

I bought a fish and shellfish recipe book from Costco a couple years ago because I'm a big fan of seafood. Unfortunately, my husband doesn't like it as much :( I finally got around to making a dish out of it and it was one that he liked! What's even better is my dad (who really doesn't care for fish at all) liked it as well! Both of them requested I make it again in the future!!! The best part is this dish is really fast and easy.

The recipe calls for salmon fillets, but my husband prefers white fish so I went ahead and prepared it with both halibut and salmon.

4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 butter
5 Tbsp whiskey
2/3 cup heavy cream
Juice if 1/2 lemon
Salt and ground black pepper
Dill sprigs, to garnish

  • Season fillets with the salt, pepper and thyme. Melt half the butter in a frying pan large enough to hold two fillets side by side. When the butter is foaming, fry the first two fillets on each side until they are golden on the outside and just cooked through.
  • Pour in 2 tablespoons of the whiskey and light it on fire. When the flames have died down, transfer the fillets to a plate and keep hot.
  • Repeat above steps with the other two fillets.
  • Pour the cream into the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly and scraping up the cooking juices from the bottom of the pan. Let bubble until reduced and slightly thickened. Season and add the last of the whiskey and a squeeze of lemon.
  • Place the salmon on individual plates, pour on the sauce, and serve garnished with dill.



June 04, 2010

Caramel Nut Rolls

This is my all time favorite "cinnamon roll" recipe. Great for breakfast or dessert. They do take a little bit of work but are also totally worth it!!! I like to double the topping part of the recipe because if you don't it never seems like enough. If you want to try it out, make one batch of the filling and spread in the pan. If you think it's enough, move on. If not, make another batch and add it to what's already in the pan... after all, the topping is the best part!

Dough
1 cup warm milk (105-115 degrees)
1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
5 to 5.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs

Filling
1/4 cup sugar
2 - 3 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1.5 cups pecan halves
  • Pour warm milk into a large bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar, let stand for 5 minutes (See my butter roll recipe tips for details about this part).
  • Beat in 2 cups flour, salt, softened butter, and eggs until blended. Gradually stir in enough flour to make soft dough.
  • Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about ten minutes).
  • Place dough in buttered bowl, turning to coat top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled (about one hour).
  • Punch down dough, and on lightly floured surface roll in to large rectangle (about 1/3 inch thick). Brush with melted butter and sprinkle filling evenly over dough. Press in to dough with a rolling pin.
  • Starting at long edge, roll up dough as tightly as possible, jellyroll fashion. Cut dough crosswise in to slices about 1.5 inches thick.
  • Filling - Bring butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil. Add pecan halves.
  • Lightly butter sides of 9 x 13 pan, pour topping over bottom and arrange rolls over topping, leaving space for them to rise. Cover and let rise until doubled (about 1 hour).
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Invert on to large platter and serve.

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

I got this recipe from a chicken cookbook I got at Costco. Chicken is one of Michael's favorites so I had to buy it! This wasn't one of our favorite recipes, but I think with a few tweaks it could be really good. I'm going to go ahead and share it anyway (with ideas to make it better) because I'm sure a lot of other people would love it! Plus it's pretty :)

Chicken
4 small chicken breasts or thighs, skinned
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp dry sherry
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and ground white pepper
Chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, spring onions (scallions), and lemon wedges to garnish

Sauce
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp lime cordial
3 Tbsp caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 tsp cornflour
6 Tbsp cold water
  • Place the chicken in a shallow bowl. Mix the sesame oil with the sherry and add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 pepper. Pour over the chicken. Cover and marinate for 15 minutes.
  • Mix together the egg white and cornflour. Add the mixture to the chicken and turn to coat.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan or wok and fry the chicken for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cook through and golden brown on both sides.
  • Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine all the ingredients in a small pan. Add 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to boil over low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is smooth and has thickened slightly.
  • Place the chicken on a serving plate. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with the coriander leaves, spring onions, and lemon wedges. Serve!
Notes:
I wasn't very pleased with the sauce, it was too sweet and limey (I'm not a fan of sweet sauces on my meat). I was thinking if the lime cordial was taken out it should take care of both of those problems. Replace it with more lemon juice. I wasn't sure what lime cordial was when I went shopping, so I looked it up. It's sweetened lime juice basically. There was nothing in our store that was actually called "cordial" but on the aisle with mixes for drinks I found a bottle of sweetened lime juice, so I assume this is what I was supposed to use.

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

I got this recipe out of my first Food Network magazine. I'm really please with the layout as well as the recipes in the magazine, I definitely recommend it to everyone! This is by far one of my favorite new recipes. Lemon, rosemary, and baby red potatoes are three of my favorite things to eat, so it made it that much better!! The entire house smelled wonderful the rest of the evening (and a little the next morning)!

3/4 lb red-skinned potatoes, halved (quartered if large)
Kosher salt
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp rosemary leaves
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Juice of 2 lemons (reserve squeezed halves)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 skin-on bone-in chicken breasts, 6-8 oz each (or 24-32 oz of thighs)
10 oz cremini mushrooms, halved
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover potatoes with cold water in a saucepan, salt the water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • Pile rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 tsp salt, and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board. Mince and mash in to a paste using a large knife. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the juice of one lemon and the olive oil. Add chicken and turn to coat.
  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about five minutes.
  • Turn chicken, add mushrooms and potatoes, drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon. Add rosemary sprigs and squeeze lemon halves to the skillet, transfer to the oven and roast uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp.
A couple notes:
I misread the recipe and ended up using three lemons (two in the first step involving lemons, one in the next). I love lemon, so it still tasted good to me! The mushrooms do not come in a 10 oz package so I probably ended up using about 13 oz. I also used an excessive amount of baby reds, mainly because I love them and I wanted a lot for myself :) There was about 2.5 lbs of those. I don't like crispy skin on my chicken, so to fix this, I cooked it with the skillet lid still on. It kept everything very moist.



May 21, 2010

Spice Cured Pork

This is a recipe we got from my husband's cousin. She made it for Christmas dinner and it was so good Michael had to get a copy from her :) This is the second time I made it. The first time I found it to be a little salty, so I didn't put quite as much as the recipe calls for. I'm not sure exactly how much I put in, so for this, I left the recipe in it's original form.

I'm getting two new cooking magazines, but unfortunately my pots, pans, and skillets are still over at the other house, but it shouldn't be much longer until we have it moved. We're getting really sick of eating out, so hopefully I will be able to get a lot of new recipes up here soon :)

This must be cured over night, so don't forget to start it the day before you want to eat it!

2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp crushed sea salt
1 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbsp dry oregano
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground clove
2.5 lbs pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup water
  • Mix sugar, salt, pepper, oregano, coriander, and cloves. On a baking sheet, completely coat tenderloin with spices. Refrigerate overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Heat olive oil until very hot in large skillet. Sear tenderloin until brown on all sides (leaving a crusty skin)
  • Place tenderloin in a shallow baking pan. Leave room so juices don't burn.
  • Brush tenderloin with syrup, reserve leftover. Pour water around tenderloin.
  • Bake 10 minutes, brush with the rest of the syrup and pan juices. Return to oven, but add water if juices start to scorch.
  • Bake for another 10-15 minutes and take temperature. Will be fully cooked at 150-155 degrees and may take more than 25 minutes total.
  • Reserve juices and let stand for 10 minutes.
  • Pour juices over meat. Drizzle with olive oil if dry.

Chicken Marsala

I got this recipe out of an application on my phone. I absolutely LOVE the stuffed chicken marsala at Olive Garden, so I thought I'd try a version at home (this one is NOT stuffed). As usual, I used chicken thighs rather than breasts, just remember that they are smaller so you have to use more of them.

1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp water
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp pepper
1-1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
4 boneless chicken breasts (or 8 thighs)
2 Tbsp sliced green onion
1/4 cup dry marsala or dry sherry
1/2 cup dry marsala wine
  • Pound chicken with a meat mallet until 1/4" thick.
  • Mix together salt and flour, pat chicken in mixture until coated.
  • Spray a skillet with nonstick spray (unless using a non stick skillet) and preheat over medium heat.
  • Add half the chicken and butter, cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until tender (or until no pink remains). Transfer to a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining chicken.
  • Add mushrooms, green onion, water, and salt to skillet. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated (about 3 minutes). Add marsala or dry sherry to skillet. Heat through. Spoon over chicken.

March 25, 2010

Cheesy Chicken with Dressing

Sorry its been so long since I posted my last recipe! We're in the process of moving so I haven't been cooking a whole lot. When I do it tends to be nothing new so I can get things done fast and easy! We should be in our new house in a few weeks so hopefully I'll get back to making lots of new recipes then :)

This is a great chicken meal that is quick to put together. It does take a while to cook though. The original recipe calls for chicken breast, as do most chicken recipes, but as I'm sure you've figured out, I like thighs :)

1 - 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken pieces (breast or thigh)
2 cans cream of chicken
1/3 cup water
6 slices Swiss cheese
2 cups dry dressing
1/4 cup melted butter
  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  • Spray a 9 x 13 pan and place chicken in the pan. Cover the chicken in a layer of the Swiss cheese.
  • Mix soup and water together and pour over the top of the cheese.
  • Spread dry dressing over top of soup mixture and top with the melted butter (I usually use closer to 1/2 cup of butter).
  • Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

February 25, 2010

Chicken Pot Pies

I also got this recipe from a Bon Apetite magazine. Everyone LOVED them, and I'm sure I'll be making them again soon! It is one of the more difficult recipes I have tried, mainly because it takes a LOT of time. You'll want to be sure to start this meal the day before and read the entire set of instructions to make sure you get everything done in a timely manner. I forgot to do that and ended up having to find something else for dinner the night I was planning on cooking these. I wasn't too eager to try making the crust myself as well, so I bought frozen puff pastry for it, but I will include the recipe to make your own if you want.

Chicken (must be done the day before)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups chopped carrots
1.5 cups chopped celery
1.5 cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
16 cups water, divided
1/2 cup coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups ice cubes
Chicken

Any desired amount of the chicken will work. The recipe called for one whole chicken, but I wanted to make it easy on myself so I bought a 1 lb package of boneless skinless thighs. It could have used more, so I would go for at least 2-2.5 lbs total.
  • Make sure celery, carrots, and onion are all chopped and heat oil in large deep pot.
  • Add carrots, celery, and onion and saute until golden and tender (about ten minutes). Add garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and pepper corns. Stir two minutes.
  • Add 8 cups water, coarse salt, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and stir until salt and sugar dissolve.
  • Remove from heat, add remaining 8 cups water, 4 cups ice cubes. Let stand until completely cool.
  • Submerge chicken, cover, and chill for at least 12 hours, up to 24.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove chicken from brine, rinse, and pat dry. Place in roasting pan and sprinkle with pepper.
  • Roast until cooked through. For whole chicken, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. For large pieces (breast) about 40 minutes, and for small pieces (thighs) about 25 minutes.
  • Spoon fat from pan, cover, and freeze (only necessary if you're making the pastry yourself). If you don't have at least 1/4 cup, you'll want to supplement with store bought fat.
  • Tear or cut pieces of chicken in to bite size pieces and reserve for filling.
Filling (can be done up to six hours ahead)
1/2 cup milk
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup water
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp olive oil
1.25 lbs chanterelles or other wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cups cubed, peeled carrots
3 cups 1/2 inch pieces leeks (white and pale green parts only)
3 cups cubed, peeled white potatoes
2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
3.5 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
10 oz package frozen peas, thawed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp white truffle oil (optional)
  • Combine milk and garlic in small saucepan, simmer 2 minutes. Remove garlic from milk and chop finely (discard milk).
  • Heat 1 Tbsp oil in heavy large pot over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until tender and brown (about six minutes). Transfer to bowl.
  • Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in same pot, add carrots, leeks, and potatoes. Saute until beginning to soften (about ten minutes). Add chopped garlic and thyme, stir for about two minutes.
  • Add 3.5 cups broth, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). In the mean time, whisk together water and cornstarch.
  • Re-whisk cornstarch (if settled) and add to broth mixture. Stir until it thickens (about two minutes). Stir in mushrooms, chicken, peas, and cream. Simmer uncovered until heated through and mixture has consistency of stew. Add more broth but 1/4 cups if too thick.
  • Stir in lemon juice, hot pepper sauce and truffle oil (if desired). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add filling to six, two cup ramekin or souffle dishes and top with pastry rounds (prepared in next section).

Since you can't see it in the finished picture, here is what the filling looked like. Michael doesn't like mushrooms, so there aren't any in here.

Puff Pastry (can be made one day ahead)
3.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1.5 cups chilled unsalted butter, cut in to 3/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup frozen chicken fat (reserved from roasted chicken)
1/2 cup (or more) ice water
1 egg yolk, beaten together with 1 tsp water
  • Blend 3.5 cups water flour and salt in processor. Add butter and chicken fat.
  • Using on/off turns, cut in butter and fat just until pea sized pieces form
  • Add 1/2 up ice water, using on/off turns, blend juts until moist clumps begin to form (do not overwork).
  • Gather dough together quickly; shape into 8 x 5 inch rectangle (dough may have streaks), wrap in plastic, and chill until firm (about 45 minutes).
  • Working quickly, on a floured surface and rolling pin, roll dough out to 12 x 7 inch rectangle. Starting at 1 short end of dough, fold in to thirds (like a business letter). Roll out again to 12 x 7 rectangle, fold again in to thirds, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Repeat previous step three more times. Wrap in plastic, and chill for at least one hour and up to one day.
  • Roll out on floured surface to 1/2 to 1/3 inch thickness. Place ramekin upside down atop dough; cut with sharp knife around ramekin to form dough round. Repeat for each ramekin. Place on baking sheets and child until firm (about 30 minutes).
  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees, brush with egg glaze and bake until puffed and golden brown (about 15 minutes).
I also took the puff pastry and lined the bottom of each ramekin so there would be more breading to the dish and just put the ramekins in the oven with the tops.

The finished pies, there are lines through some of them because that is where the fold in the frozen puff pastry was.

Fish with Lemon-Shallot Brussels Sprouts

I got this recipe from one of my Bon Apetite magazines. The picture I have at the end doesn't really look anywhere near as good as the one in the magazine, but it sure tasted wonderful. I was actually really surprised at how good it tasted! The original recipe calls for petrale sole, but I don't like white fish, and they happened to have halibut (my husband's favorite) while I was at the store, so those are the two fishes we used. I also forgot to put the parsley on top, and I wasn't brave enough to try the brussels sprouts (which I've never had before) so I'll include those in the recipe, but they're not in the picture.

There's really just one helpful hint for this recipe... and that is to make sure you cook the fish over a low enough heat that it doesn't blacken the outside before cooking the inside, and high enough to actually get the fish cooked. I haven't quite mastered the not blackening part, but oh well, it still tasted good :)

1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper (plus extra for seasoning)
3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Fish fillets of your choice
3/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
6 oz brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced length wise
1 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
  • Combine flour, lemon peel, coarse salt, and 1/2 tsp white pepper in shallow bowl. Coat fish in flour mixture and shake of excess.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add fish and cook until golden brown and cooked through. A couple minutes each side for thinner fillets (such as sole), or about 5-7 minutes for thicker fillets (such as halibut or salmon). Season to taste with salt, cover, and set aside.
  • Wipe out skillet and add remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Heat over medium high heat then add shallots and saute until almost translucent. Add brussels sprouts and broth. Cook until brussels sprouts are tender and liquid is almost completely absorbed (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter, season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  • Serve fish over brussels sprouts


February 17, 2010

Philly French Dip

I wasn't quite sure what to call this, because it's kind of a mix between a Philly Cheese Steak and a French Dip. I'm not even sure where the idea came from! My mom just threw it together one evening and we all loved it, it's been a favorite ever since.

Hoagie Rolls
1.5 - 2 lbs roast beef
Au Jus Mix
One onion
One package sliced mushrooms
Olive oil
Shredded mozzarella
Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
  • Prepare Au Jus mix as described on the package. Because the meat is going to be boiled in the mix, you'll want to double or triple the water. Heat mix to a boiling and add roast beef.
  • Cut onion in to slices and the slices in to quarters, put in skillet (either electric or stove top work with this recipe) with mushrooms and a coating of olive oil (about 2 tbsp). Sautee until both mushrooms and olives are soft.
  • Put Miracle Whip or mayonnaise on hoagie roll, add roast beef, top with mushroom/onion mix and mozzarella.
This recipe is good for those that don't like onions and/or mushrooms, because you can simply not add them and just eat a regular french dip!

February 16, 2010

Spaghetti (with a twist!)

Last night was a simple, fast meal night. We did spaghetti... but with a little twist. Everything is pretty much bought prepared, you just need to cook it or heat it. I'm not a fan of red sauce (or pasta for that matter), so while we were growing up my mom came up with this meal. It's especially great for little kids, it's the first real meal that we fed Isaiah... and it's been one of his favorites ever since!

4 servings whole wheat pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 can mushroom alfredo spaghetti sauce (Bertolli)
1 can chopped mushrooms
  • Prepare spaghetti as described on package. Or if there's no description, this is how I do it. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, pull out 2 servings of pasta, break in half, and drop in water. Repeat for remaining 2 servings.
  • Brown ground beef. Once beef is thoroughly cooked, pour alfredo sauce over meat. Drain mushrooms and add to sauce. Mix together completely.
  • Serve beef/sauce mixture over pasta.
We like to pair this dish with a bread and salad. Since this is a fast meal, I'll keep with the theme... we like to use the Texas Toast that's frozen and comes in a box (5 minutes to cook) and bagged Caesar supreme salad.

February 12, 2010

Teriyaki Chicken Kebabs

This is a recipe I found in one of my magazines. Again, I changed a few things, but this time because I was too lazy to go out in the cold and rain to use the grill, haha. I will include both sets of instructions so you can cook it no matter what kind of cooking devices you may have!

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sesamie oil
Boneless skinless chicken
  • In small sauce pan, bring brown sugar and soy sauce to a simmer and cook for two minutes. In large bowl, combine soy sauce mixture, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and oil.
  • Cut chicken in to strips of desired size. If you plan to cook on the grill, reserve 1/3 cup sauce. Add to the mixture and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  • Heat grill to medium and thread 1-2 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Oil grill grates and cook kabobs, turning once, until meat is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Brush with reserved sauce.
  • If you choose to not cook the chicken on the grill, don't use any skewers. Pour chicken and sauce in to skillet. Turn after about 5 minutes and cover until meat is cooked through (about 10 minutes).
Tips!
  • Make sure you use a low sodium soy sauce. I didn't, and it was a little salty. I assume the soy sauce was the reason.
  • The sesame oil smells BAD, so I suggest taking care of the soy sauce and brown sugar before you pour it out of the bottle!!!
  • As with almost every single chicken recipe I'll put up here, you can use thighs or breast. I suggest thighs (as I always will) because I find them to be juicier, more flavorful, and when you're cooking them whole they cook through much more evenly.
  • Because I was cooking the chicken in the sauce I went ahead and doubled that part of the recipe. It never hurts to have too much, but it doesn't do you any good to have not enough :)

February 10, 2010

Herbed Pork Chops with Rice


This is the second of the pork chop recipes I was talking about in the previous post. I got it off of my Favorite Recipes app on my Android phone ;) I'm a pretty picky eater, so if you notice I tend to change a lot of things in the recipes that I get from someone else. Hopefully including these tips with help appeal to a wider range of people. It definitely makes it easier to cook for people with different tastes in my household.

1/4 tsp salt
1 clove garlic, minced
Oil
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup converted rice
4 pork chops
  • Saute mushrooms in lightly oiled skillet.
  • Combine garlic, salt, and rosemary. Rub in to pork chops and then brown with mushrooms.
  • Stir in soup, 1 can water, and rice. Simmer covered for about 25 minutes (or until no pink remains).
A couple tips for this dish:
  • A lot of the tips from above apply to this dish as well. So take a look at those!
  • I don't like rice, so instead of mixing in one can of water I prepared the soup as the above recipe calls and then dumped it in with the pork chops. I also prefer to use two cans because I really like cream of mushroom.
  • I found that there wasn't enough rub for all of the chops so doubled it (and then some).

Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops

This last summer we went to the fair to buy a pig that a friend of ours had raised for 4H. We (my dad) ended up walking out with 3 pigs and 3 cows! So one of my goals is to try to use a lot of that meat. It tastes a lot better than meat you can get in a grocery store, so if you ever have the opportunity to buy meat like this it is a great idea!

Because we had gotten too much meat out for a meal last week, I decided to make another dish to use it before it went bad. It's actually similar to the previous dish, but they both have some individual qualities. I've posted both posts today, so try them both and see which you like best!

This one is the original recipe I had. I got it off of a cream of mushroom can quite some time ago but it has since gone missing. Because we liked the dish so much, I continue to make it but kind of guessed what was in it, haha.

4 pork chops
Oil
minced garlic
1/4 cup milk
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can sliced mushrooms (drained)
  • Pour enough oil in to a skillet to lightly coat the bottom. Add desired amount of garlic (usually about 1 tsp - 1 tbsp is enough).
  • Brown pork chops in oil, remove from heat.
  • In the mean time, mix together cream of mushroom soup, can of mushrooms, and milk. Pour in to skillet and heat until simmering.
  • Add pork chops back to skillet, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes (or until no pink remains).
Now, for a couple tips for this dish:
  • If you don't like mushrooms, don't fret! Just don't put in the canned mushrooms. Michael doesn't like mushrooms either, but the soup doesn't bother him. Or, if you put the mushrooms in, it's really easy to just pick them off.
  • I like to use one of those free standing skillets that you plug in. The high sides are really good for this type of dish. If you don't have one, they are a great investment... they're wonderful for pancakes, bacon, hash browns, stroganoff (which is another recipe I'll be putting up here eventually), etc.
  • If you use garlic that is already minced rather than fresh garlic, make sure you drain out the juices before hand or it makes it too strong! Yes, I've made this mistake before, haha. Another option, if you want to fore go putting in garlic yourself is to buy cans of garlic cream of mushroom soup.
  • If you feel 4 chops aren't enough for the amount of people you're serving, you can add a couple more without needing to increase the rest of the ingredients.