Cooking for My Peace of Mind

Drunken Cows Milk

2012-01-29T10:16:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago, my friend Jodie from Pairings (I told you about this upcoming webseries last weekend) sent me a message with a link titled How to Make Milk That'll get you Hammered. Apparently she knows me well...saying that I needed to try it (of course I do!). I was so intrigued that I started the process that very day.

The ingredients are simple enough. The only thing I needed to purchase was some vodka (and a pretty little bottle to store the finished product in. Which I have to say, I found at a local thrift shop for under $2.00)

Drunken Cows Milk
Printable Version

2 cups vodka
2 cups whole milk
2 cups sugar
2 oranges, cut into chunks
1 lemon, cut into chunks

Combine all of the ingredients in a large jar (1/2 gallon)

My jar was just shy of 1/2 gallon but it all fit in there. Barely

Screw on the lid....

and keep in a cool dark cupboard for 10 days. Every day, take the bottle out and give it a good shake or stir. Return to it's place of hibernation.

The first day....it looked like this:

Aint that peerty. Ya...a little scary. But science projects in the kitchen are always fun.

After that...it mostly looked like this:

I'd just shake it up and put it back. Although I have to admit there were a couple of days that I forgot about it. And when the 10 days was up, I just didn't have the time to strain it. During the week....it's just too late to mess with so I waited until the 14th day (mostly out of convenience...partly cuz I figured that I missed a day or two of the shaking up process, that it would be a good thing.)

Yesterday morning, I got out the strainers and bowls and got busy.

Let's take a look inside and see what was created:

Hmmm....for some reason, I expected to see something a lot more offensive. Milk chunks maybe? Guess all that vodka kept the milk and citrus under control. I don't see any curds. Ok...lets continue

I strained it through a colander with large wholes first...to catch the big stuff without blocking everything up

I then put it through a mesh colander

Hard to believe that this creamy stuff becomes clear yellow as shown at the top, right? You'll see. Btw...at this point, if you are totally into creamsicles....this is your drink. It's totally fine to drink as is. I personally have never been a fan of creamsicles. The combination of ice cream and popsicles never appealed to me. So I kept going...and strained it even further by lining my mesh strainer with a coffee filter. (I think my mesh strainer needs to be replaced, don't you? Kinda frustrating cuz it's not that old)

This is where it got time consuming. All those milk solids kinda clog up the filter and you get this slow stream that quickly becomes a slow drip. But check it out....its CLEAR!!

As the dripping became painfully slow, I found myself changing the filters often

I don't even know how many I went through....6 or more? Once those solids clung to the filter...there was no way the liquid was escaping.

Eventually, I ended up with 3 cups (plus a shot) of clear yellow Drunken Cows Milk.

Even with the milk solids gone, there's a hint if creaminess. It's very sweet. Almost syrupy but not quite. It has nice light citrusy flavor. Did I mention how smooth it is going down? Ya...smooth as silk. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 6 months. However, I think I'll be keeping mine in the fridge. I find that it's best when it's chilled.

There are variations of this drink. Things that can be altered. The sugar can be reduced. You can add vanilla. You can also leave out the citrus all together. Or use 2 oz of grated 70% bittersweet chocolate and 1/2 lemon (no oranges)....which I believe I will be trying next (did someone say Malt Balls?).

Thank you Jodie for turning me on to this!! You need to come by and give it a try :)

One more thing....there's a fun little recipe contest over at Pairings....

"The winner of the recipe contest will have their recipe added to the script of an episode of Pairings. Have your recipe prepared by the characters in the show! We will also list your winning recipe on the Pairings website with your name and include it in our Pairings digital cookbook for season 1 and you'll receive a free copy."

Entry deadline: 2/25/2012

For details, it's Entry #6: Recipe Contest : http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/834231336/pairings-the-series/posts

Potage Celestine (Celery Soup with Potatoes, Leeks, and Rice)

2012-01-25T19:56:00.000-08:00

You know when there's that kitchen gadget that seems pretty darned cool but you're not sure if you're going to use it that often? I mean...you've gone all this time without it. Do you really need it?! But for some reason you still want it. And you'll find a way to need it. And use it.

Hence....the potato ricer.

It's been on my list of "kitchen wants" for a while now but I wasn't sure if I really needed it. I've heard that it aids in making fantastic mashed potatoes. However, I'm a bit of a purist in some ways. All my life I've had potatoes mashed the old fashioned way. I felt a bit of a surge of pride when I mashed up a bowl of creamy potatoes by hand (however tiring it was....and on more than a few occasions, felt as if my arm was going to fall off).

Well, the other day when I asked my peeps on facebook what they were having for dinner....someone piped up with "Potato Soup!" I love potato soup and haven't had it in a while. I thought how handy a potato ricer would be for that and next thing I knew I was out and buying a one. That very day!

Next day...I find myself in my kitchen with Julia Child making Potage Celestine from Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume Two. The ingredients are basic. The results are clean, fresh and more flavorful that I ever expected.

(ok, there are a few more ingredients than shown in the picture, but these are the main ones)

Potage Celestine (Celery Soup with Potatoes, Leeks, and Rice)
Printable Version
6 servings

2 medium leeks, white parts, sliced and cleaned
3 cups sliced celery stalks
1/4 tsp salt
3 TB butter
4 cups chicken stock (I used 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of collard greens stock)
1/3 cup white rice (uncooked)
3 or 4 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp sugar
Salt and White Pepper to taste
4-6 TB soft butter
3 TB minced fresh chervil, tarragon or parsley (I used chives) and more to garnish if desired
Croutons to garnish if desired

In a large (3 quart) saucepan, melt 3 TB of butter over a medium low heat. Add the leeks and celery, cover and cook until tender but not browned. This should take about 10 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and simmer for about 25 minutes, uncovered.

In another large saucepan or pot, (at least 3 quarts but larger would be better), boil the potatoes with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Once the potatoes are tender, drain the water into the pan with the celery and leeks.

With a handy dandy potato ricer, puree the potatoes back into their cooking pot.

Add the milk and whip with a wire wisk until smooth (takes seconds).

If you don't have a potato ricer....it's ok. No one will hold it against you. I swear. Just put the potatoes and 1 cup of the milk into a blender and puree away. Pour back into the pot and beat in the remaining milk. See? No worries.

We're almost done.

Add the celery and leeks into the whipped potato pot and if you have an immersion blender, puree it all together

No immersion blender either? Put it back into your blender, in batches and puree it all.

Beat in the sugar and season with salt and white pepper to taste.

As is....it tastes amazing!

Now, for a little added amazingness.....check this out...

In a small bowl, mash 4 - 6 TB of softened butter and 3 TB of your choice of a fresh herb together.

Divide the butter / herb mixture between the serving bowls, blend the servings of hot soup into the bowls with the butter / herb mixture, top with croutons and maybe a little extra minced herbs and serve.

For the croutons, I used some sourdough bread, cut into little 1/4" or so cubes, dried in a warm oven (325' F) for about 15 minutes. Then sauteed them in clarified butter until golden brown.

The results of this soup? Amazing! Simple flavors blended together to make a deliciously clean soup. I do believe this is now one of my favorite soups. Ever!

Sourdough Sandwich Bread

2012-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's one thing to make great artisan type breads, baguettes, rolls, etc. I love them all. But the Frugal Franny in me (or maybe it's the Little House on the Prairie character in me.... and no, I refuse to be Nelly although Nelly was pretty hysterical as a stand-up comedian but that's a story for a different time) I have this desire to make sandwich bread. Loaves that look like the kind of bread I grew up on...only I made them. Something you wouldn't think twice about when grabbing a slice for toast in the morning.

In my hunt for soft sandwich sourdough bread, I found myself in a website called The Fresh Loaf. I poked around a bit and discovered a forum where I could introduce myself and ask questions.

So I did.

And I got a response that very day!

Ford and Amolitor were so kind in answering my questions. Ford even shared his recipe, and allowed me to share it with you. You can check out how the forum thread went --->Hello from Los Angeles<--- there's a lot of great information there regarding when a starter has reached its peak.

Just a quick FYI....

For a starter that is at 100% hydration, you measure the starter, flour and water by weight with a 1:1:1 ratio.

For a starter that is at 166% hydration, you measure the starter, flour and water by volume with a 1:1:1 ratio.

White Sourdough Sandwich Bread
makes 3 loaves of bread

Printable Version

3 - 5" x 8" loaf pans
2 3/4 cups sourdough starter at 100% hydration
3 3/4 scalded milk, cooled to below 115' F
10 1/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 TB salt
1/4 cup melted butter plus more to brush the dough
Butter or shortening to grease pans

We're going to start off by making a poolish by combining your starter with milk and half of the flour, in a large bowl.

I just love that thick, bubbly starter.

Set aside for 1 hour.

Once that hour is up, add in 1/4 cup melted butter, salt and as much of the remaining flour as you can while still mixing with a spoon. Then turn it out onto a well floured surface and knead in more of that flour until you have a soft, non-sticky dough.

Oil a large bowl, place the dough inside

Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to double in size.

Prepare your loaf pans by brushing the insides with melted butter. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface

Divide into 3 equal parts and shape into loaves. Place them into your prepared loaf pans. Brush the tops with melted butter, cover with plastic wrap

Allow to rise for about 2 hours, or until the tops are above the rim of the pans (picture above is prior to rise).

Preheat your oven to 450' F. Place a large pan on the bottom rack in the oven and careful pour in a cup or two of boiling water.

If you'd like, slash the center of each loaf with a sharp knife, down the center (I forgot to do that...no big deal). Also, this next stage I didn't do which is to mist the tops of the loaves with water. (I don't have a water mister in my kitchen...silly me). Then spray them a few more times, every 2 minutes during the first 15 minutes of baking.

Place them on a rack that is positioned in the center of the oven. After the first 15 minutes, turn the oven temp down to 350' F and bake for 40 more minutes or until the inside temperature of the bread is 190-195' F.

Carefully take the bread out of the pans and allow to cool on a rack.

Ok....I just discovered another step that I totally missed in this whole process. As soon as you place the bread on the cooling rack, before it cools.....brush all the sides with melted butter. Cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap. THEN allow to cool. Hmm...I'm going to have to make more of these beautiful loaves of bread and see how that works out. I am very happy with how they turned out as is..but the addition of the butter brushing and steam cooling would probably make them even more soft.

I waited (as needed) until they had cooled completely before slicing. I use my electric knife to do this and it works wonderfully.

I then froze 2 of the loaves for later use, which works out very well.

This bread is wonderful! It makes fantastic sandwiches

It's soft yet holds together (unlike that store bought stuff)....and has that lovely sourdough tang.

Pom Wonderful and Hot Sex

2012-01-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

See those luscious little red nuggets on top of my ice cream? Those are called Pom Poms. Pom Wonderful has these cups of fresh arils that they call Pom Poms and they sent me two of them back in December. I was suppose to write about them before the New Year but with the holidays and 3 birthdays all within 3 weeks....something had to give. Then, my girls chowed on the Pom Poms and I had nothing left. Off to the store to purchase more, I went.

And to purchase some Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. I had big plans for the stuff.

I do apologize to Pom Wonderful for being late.

So, which would you like first...Hot Sex or ice cream?

That's what I thought...let's start off with Hot Sex. But we must make sure we're prepared.

With grenadine.

Really? Yes....really. You can't have Hot Sex without grenadine. You'll thank me afterward,

I promise.

Grenadine:
Equal amounts of pomegranate juice and sugar. Pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow to cool. Store in a cute little bottle in the refrigerator. Or whatever you happen to have on hand.

That's it. See? Simple. Prep work for Hot Sex isn't as much work as you'd think...and the results are way better. Seriously...once you've tried this...you'll never go back.

Nooooow...let's get down to business.

Hot Sex
2 1/2 oz orange liqueur
4 oz orange juice
Dash of grenadine

Mix well, server on the rocks, garnished with a....cherry (of course)

And there you have a delicious little cocktail, known as Hot Sex. Cherry and all. I found this recipe at DrinkMixer. They suggest triplesec. I personally don't like triplesec and used Citron. Cointreau would also work beautifully. This is a delicious little drink full of sunshine and promises...that will wipe you out if you're not careful. Enjoy it in a leisurely fashion. Unless of course your goal is to end up under the table instead on top. (did I really say that?!)

Now that we're done with that. Or maybe we're in between....drinks....lets enjoy a little ice cream. Which also requires some prep work. That's not so quick but an amazing addition to your pantry. Pomegranate Molasses. Amazingly sweet and tart all in one bite. It's used in middle eastern cooking. I personally like it for dessert. You can find the recipe on a post I did about a year ago ----->Pomegranate Molasses<------ You'll end up with something like this

Get out your ice cream and your Pom Poms

Drizzle the molasses over your ice cream

And top with a handful of Pom Poms

The molasses mixed with that vanilla ice cream is fantastic. Add the Pom Poms and you get that texture added in there....pure delight. Almost as good as Hot Sex...

Now...If you'll take a minute to watch a little video. Some friends of mine, Ed and Jodie whom I met last year in a class we all took together, are producing a web series called Pairings:

"The show centers around a group of friends who are foodies. Alan Wallace is a food geek who is awkward with women. His family and friends convince him that cooking is sexy and that he shouldn't hide it from the women he dates. Along the way he discovers that the way to woman's heart is through her stomach."

Take a quick peek at the video and get to know Ed and Jodie a little. They need some help getting the production going. You might also enjoy their food blog, 5ivedollarfeasts.com which is about eating like royalty, on a budget. Who doesn't want that?! Great recipes...fantastic photos. These two really know what they're doing.

Good luck Ed and Jodie! I can't wait to watch Pairings!

Collard Greens

2012-01-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

Collard greens. Some people love 'em. Some people hate 'em. I fall under both categories. Or maybe you should say I've visited both sides.

Thinking back...I don't remember ever eating collard greens during my gazillion trips to the south. I'm sure my grandmother made them. I don't remember seeing them. Or even hearing about them. I'm wondering if I took one look at them and figured it was a plate of spinach and quickly moved on. (what do kids know, right?)

Believe it or not....this western gal, who's soul roots are firmly planted in Alabama, did not even taste a collard green until about 2 yrs ago. I walked into a BBQ.... place....(I can't call it a restaurant or diner. Or even a whole in the wall...). I ordered a BBQ chicken sandwich, fried okra and since I had my choice of another side...I noticed collard greens on the menu and thought...'heck, if this place has fried okra on the menu, they gotta know what they're doing'. Well, they tasted like fish. And being allergic to fish, I kinda panicked for a second there and did a very unlady like thing. I spit them right back out of my mouth. Seriously....plah...plah......PLAH! I don't even know what the dish actually tasted like....but I knew that wasn't right. Btw I never went back to that BBQ....place. The sandwich was dry and the fried okra was all wrong. It's not there anymore anyway. I assumed it had closed down but I heard a rumor that it had relocated. Someone should mention to them that Subway and Flooky's Deli competition isn't what killed their traffic.

Collard greens....Take 2: I decided my next venture with the greens would have to be from a trusted source. And should most likely occur in the south where people know what they're doing. And they do it with pride. Well....let's see. My sister Jenifer swore that she could get a can of collards from the store that were pretty good. (We didn't have time to make them...or hadn't planned on making them...I can't remember but things are crazy at her house and if anyone is home for more than 2 hrs at at ime during the day, it's a miracle). So she took me on a tour of the local Walmart (that she so lovingly calls Wally World). Have you ever seen those funny pictures or videos of Walmart shoppers? I think a lot of those were taken at this particular store. I never thought I could say "I saw a woman sit on the bacon" and mean it literally. Anyway....I watched the cart while Jenifer ran around the store like a mad woman (cuz she doesn't know how to be anything but a mad woman) and I kept changing my location (with the cart) and hiding from her (had to make it interesting)....well...bottom line. She grabbed the wrong can. Collard greens failed again.

Collard greens.....Take 3: I had just about given up and resigned to the fact that I was going to be one of those people who hated collards. But then my mom intervened. She swore that my cousin's husband, Chad had the best recipe ever. She said it was fabulous...made with wine, etc! Fast forward about 4 months.... Mom kept forgetting or couldn't find the recipe. I was starting to get anxious. I wanted to try them out for my New Years Day dinner. Silly me...I should've just asked my cousin right up front cuz she sent it to me the very next day....(Thank you Rachie!)...just in time for my big dinner plans. You see...I had never had the full on Southern Good Luck meal for New Years. I always do the black-eyed peas thing....but the greens. I'd never made the greens. I needed the greens!

That's a lot of greens...and they are a bit time consuming in the beginning...but once its done...you sit back and wait. Or make your other dishes for the meal.

Chad's Collard Greens
Printable Version

4 - 6 bunches of collard greens
1 onion, diced
2 ham hocks
1 TB cooking oil
6 cups of water (more if needed)
1 cup dry white wine
2 TB hot sauce (or to taste)
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar

Wash and cut the collards. Now what that really means is.... you need to remove the central stem. Fold back the leaf (which will sorta snap a bit), exposing the stem...then gently tear the leaf away and toss the stem.

I then washed the leaves (although if your collards are coming straight from the garden, you may want to wash them before removing the stem. I guess it just depends on when you want to deal with the dirt).

I then took a few leaves together and rolled them up like a cigar....sliced into 1" bits then rotated the knife and cut straight down the middle of my slices

This gave me some decent sized pieces, quickly. This filled up a very large bowl, which I set aside.

Time to get your ham hocks out

In a large stockpot, heat the oil and add the ham hocks...sauteing a bit to release some of the flavor. Carefully add the water. Then add in your wine, hot sauce and soy sauce

Hey....see that little bottle of hot sauce with the wooden cap? Does it look familiar? I don't know about you...but it seems that I've just about grown up with that stuff. Cholula Hot Sauce has been around for over 20 yrs and now it has new flavors! Chipotle, Chili Garlic and Chili Lime. I think my favorite, besides Original...is the Chili Garlic.

Anyways...back to the collards...bring the water mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add the greens and the onions,

At first, your pot is going to be really full but within a minute or so the greens will reduce down to a manageable size

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender. When there's about 30 minutes left in the cooking time, add the sugar.

Drain out the water (see note below), sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Let's just say....Third Times a Charm! They were really good...especially with that plate of food. My favorite way to eat them is with a little slaw and black-eyed peas in the same bite.

NOTE: DON'T pour that collard green liquid down the sink when you drain it out. Save it. Give it a taste and tell me that won't make the best ever stock for soup! Not to mention that during that long cooking process, we've probably released all the wonderful nutrients into that water.

Mini Strawberry Pies with Chocolate

2012-01-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Strawberries and chocolate go together like.... ham and eggs, peanut butter and jelly, pork chops and apple sauce (The Brady Bunch anyone?) or...cheese and wine. Both are wonderful on their own but when you put them together it's a whole new level and deliciousness.

In my mission to make mini pies, I searched high and low for mini pie pans. I couldn't find any. I know they're out there. I've seen them since making these but in my impatiences, I didn't want to order them online or wait another week for me to have a whole weekend to search another set of stores. Sooooo I decided to use my muffin pan. Which made perfectly sized little individual servings of pie. I thought about using my ramekins but they don't have an edge on them to be able to make the little crust edge designs. Not that my crust design is great but it has one at least. Which makes them truly look like mini pies.

Before I go into detail here, I want to explain something. I made the pie crust with cocoa powder in it. My intention of course was to create a chocolate flavored crust. It looks chocolaty....all brown and everything.

But the flavor isn't there. It ended up just tasting like any ol' crust. (but there's a fun surprise inside that makes everything wonderful so it wasn't a fail). I'm hesitant to add more cocoa to the my crust recipe in fear of breaking down the flakiness and making it more doughy. I could've used a chocolate cookie crust but then it would be a totally different kind of pie, wouldn't it? Any hints, tips or clues out there on how to make a flaky chocolate pie crust that actually tastes chocolaty?

With all that said.......(crap....I forget where I was going with this)

Well, never mind. Lets just get to it

For the pie crust...you can use your favorite recipe. If you want to try the chocolate version, rule of thumb...for every cup of flour, add 4 tsp cocoa powder and 4 tsp sugar. The recipe I used was from Mastering the Art of French Cooking:

This recipe makes 8 mini pies.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
6 oz chilled butter, but into 1/2" bits
4 TB chilled shortening
a scant 1/2 cup of iced water (plus more if needed)

then I added:
8 tsp (2 TB plus 2 tsp) cocoa powder
8 tsp (2 TB plus 2 tsp) sugar

In a chilled mixing bowl, add flour, salt, sugar, cocoa powder, butter and shortening.

Using a pastry blender (or the tips of your fingers....working very quickly) work the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until you have pea sized crumbs.

Don't get too mental on this one. It doesn't have to be perfect. Everything will be worked in more thoroughly later.

Add the water and blend quickly with a fork, or your fingers slightly cupped and gather everything together into a mass. If needed, sprinkle more water by the droplets over anything that's not combining with the rest of the dough. Be careful. You want the dough to hold together and be pliable but not sticky. Press together into a rough ball.

Place onto a floured surface. Now...I tried a new method here. One I had never heard of until reading Julia Child's instructions. With the heel of your hand (not the palm, which is the warmest part of your hand) press the pastry, bit by bit away from you in a firm, quick smear of about 6 inches

until you've worked through the whole ball of dough. Scrape up the dough with a spatula and gather it into a mass. Knead it for a second into a smooth round ball. Lightly sprinkle it with flour, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator or about 2 hrs or over night.

While the dough was chilling, I prepared my strawberry pie filling.

2 cups of strawberries
1/2 cup sugar (plus more to garnish if desired)
2 TB balsamic vinegar
1 TB flour
3 TB butter, diced
2 oz dark chocolate divided into 8 - 1/4 oz pieces

I washed, hulled and sliced the strawberries. Stirred in the sugar and balsamic vinegar and let sit in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use.

When the dough is ready, divide into 8 equal balls. As I worked with 1 ball, the remaining were stored in the fridge to keep cold.

Preheat the oven to 400' F

On a lightly floured surface, I divided 1 ball in half. Each half was rolled out into a circle. Use a 3" cookie cutter to cut the dough into uniform crusts. Place the circles in plastic wrap and stored them back in the fridge.

Once all the dough was rolled out and cut (you should have 16 dough rounds), line 8 muffin tins with half of the dough rounds. Carefully trim the edges of any excess dough, sprinkle the bottoms with a little flour.

Drain off any excess balsamic vinegar from the strawberries then divide them evenly between all 8 dough lined tins.

I had some wonderful sample sized pieces of dark chocolate from Scharffen Berger that were perfect for this! Take a piece of chocolate and bury it in the center of the strawberries, 1 piece per pie. Drop 2 pieces of diced butter on top of each strawberry mound.

Take the remaining rolled out dough rounds and cover each pie. With a fork, carefully press the edges of the pie crusts together to seal the tops to the bottoms. With a knife, slice two little 1/2 inch vents on top of each pie. Sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.

Place an empty cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drips (there will probably be drips). Bake for about 30 minutes or into crust is brown and the filling is bubbly.

Let cool, then carefully remove each pie from the muffin tins. You may need a blunt knife to help loosen the edges of the crust.

Now, like I mentioned earlier, the crusts lacked the cocoa flavor completely. But....the little jewels of chocolate on the inside.....

Well, the chocolate melted all over those rich strawberries and mixed in with the filling.

So I think maybe the crust was just a tease....pretending to be chocolaty when in reality, the chocolate was hiding inside.

Savory Jellies: Garlic Jelly and Pepper Jelly

2012-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

As I was browsing through an old cookbook, I discovered a recipe in the "gift" section of the book. The section includes marinades, flavored mustard, breads, brittle, cakes and jellies, just to name a few. This old cookbook, which I've had for over 15 years I'm sure....is a Leisure Arts Publication called The Spirit of Christmas Cookbook. I have a lot of their books. Most are about arts and crafts, which is what I was into at the time I subscribed to this monthly publication. So I s'pose I shouldn't be too surprised with myself when I realize that I never cooked a single thing from the cookbook editions back when I got them. Which means....now...it seems like I have a new cookbook with new recipes to discover. I'm so excited! This is the second recipe that I've found and made in the past 30 days..and both have been great. The first one I made was for Apple Crisps.

Ok, back to the recipe I discovered....Garlic Jelly! Omg...the minuted I saw it, I knew I had to make it. which I did...that very day. Or was it the next day? No..I think it was that very day. The weekend before Christmas. I decided then and there that I would make a cheese and cracker plate for our Christmas Eve Party and include some savory jellies on the side. Which meant...I needed to find an old recipe that my dear 93 year old neighbor shared with me some 20 years ago....Pepper Jelly. Oh, and did I mention that I found a jar of Balsamic and Sweet Onion Jelly at Cost Plus the week before? I was ready to roll out the savory jellies. (Now that I think of it, I forgot to include the Margarita Jelly that I found at Sprouts last month. And yes....there is tequila in that jelly.)

If the idea of making jelly intimidates you...don't worry. These are freezers jellies. You do not need any special canning materials or knowledge. Easy peasy.

Garlic Jelly
Printable Version
Yields about 3 cups (more like 4)

2 TB butter or margarine
1 head of garlic, minced
3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 oz liquid fruit pectin

In a good sized saucepan add the butter and garlic. Over medium heat, while stirring constantly (garlic burns easily.....so make sure you stir!) cook until the garlic is golden brown. This should take a couple of minutes....3 - 4? maybe more...just keep an eye on it, which shouldn't be too hard to do since you're standing there stirring it the whole time.

Add the sugar, vinegar (and the odor increases) and water. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Add the pectin and bring the mixture back to a rolling boil....and yes...you are still stirring. Stir and boil for 1 minute.

Remove your jelly from the heat. If there is any foam on top...skim it off. Carefully pour the jelly into heat resistant jars with lids.

Store in the refrigerator or freezer. It takes a bit of time to set....up to a week.

Note: This is a very fragrant jelly to make (and to eat). Your house will smell like garlic......a LOT, during this process, and you may get a few extremely vocal complaints from other occupants. When the jelly is still "young" (the first week of "setting") you will notice the vinegar flavor quit a bit. Once it has set, and....aged a bit (I guess that's the best way to define it) the vinegar will mellow a bit, but it will still be there, which happens to compliment the garlic flavor rather nicely. I think this jelly would be a wonderful marinade and / or glaze for meat. The vinegar will aid in tenderizing as well. But I do have to say that I loved it on crackers and cream cheese. Oh...did I mention that you have to be a major garlic lover to enjoy this jelly? Another little side note....be mindful of those around you. They may not want to smell you.

Pepper Jelly
Printable Version
Yields about 8 cups

3 - 4 bell peppers (I used red) roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
4 TB crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
6 1/2 cups sugar
6 oz liquid fruit pectin

In a blender, puree the bell peppers, vinegar, and pepper flakes. Pour into a saucepan and add the sugar.

Bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the fruit pectin and boil for 1 minute. All the while, you need to keep an eye on this. It likes to sneak up to the top of the pan and you don't want it to boil over.

Skim off any foam. Carefully pour into heat resistant jars with a lid. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. Will take up to a week to set.

Note: I find this jelly to be very spicy. My girls beg to differ. You have control over how much heat you want by adjusting the amount of red pepper flakes you add. My favorite way to eat this is on crackers with cream cheese. Like the Garlic Jelly, it too would be a wonderful marinade and / or glaze.

There's just something so good when sweet and savory are combined. Something that makes you wanna come back for more. You try to walk away, but find yourself inevitably migrating back. It's almost like a never ending cycle. When eating these jellies, the first thing you notice is the sweet...then the flavor kicks in, whether its the garlic or the pepper heat. When served with the cream cheese, you are left with the coolness of the cheese. You walk away feeling satisfied.

For a minute

Then the need to start all over kicks in....and the cycle continues. Until somehow you've made a whole meal out of just this.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

2011-12-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

Not long ago I was challenged.....to make a "healthy muffin". I thought about it for a minute. Asked..."you mean, as in...good for you? Whole wheat? Applesauce? Low fat? That sort of thing?!" And all the while, wondering...why would I want to do that? Next thing I knew.....I heard myself saying..."sure" (in a small, doubtful voice). When I think of "healthy muffins"....I think of earthy, lacking in flavor...cardboard tasting muffins. Probably because that's what the ones I've had at those coffee shops tasted like. Even the not so healthy ones aren't all that great. I usually end up eating the tops off of them and tossing out the rest. (Is that why I have a muffin top?)

I took up the challenge and got started right away. I looked up several recipes. Came across a few that claimed to be healthy but contained things like corn syrup and white flour. I'm sure there are several recipes out there that are wonderful and perfectly healthy. I just didn't come across them and my attention span was waning.

After some research (watching Good Eats) and making some major alterations to a few recipes combined, I came up with a wonderful recipe. The muffins were moist, light and very flavorful. I did some calculations and found out that each muffin is about 163 cal (most those coffee shop muffins are over double in cals. (at least)....holy cow!!) and they didn't taste anything like cardboard. You wouldn't even know they're whole wheat AND contain wheat bran. Actually....these beauties taste like those famous Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies. If your News Years resolution this year has anything to do with changing some of your eating habits, this would be perfect.

Say you're not into raisins? Just add some berries instead (or nothing). Want a little crunch? Add some nuts. I think if you take the basics of this recipe and just swap out the cinnamon and/or raisins...you can make it anything you want.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
Printable Version

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, sifted
1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 TB vegetable oil
1 TB honey (optional)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 TB or so of raw sugar (optional)
Cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 375' F
Spray 12 muffin tins with the cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, bran, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, yogurt, oil, honey, egg and vanilla.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add the applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. You don't want to over stir or you'll end up with a dense muffin. (These aren't like cupcakes which require lots of beating).

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with the raw sugar.

Bake for 18 minutes or until the muffins spring back when touched in the center.

Immediately remove from the tins and let cool a tiny bit before eating.

And there you have it....muffins that are so good you won't believe they're healthy.

I think I would consider this challenge a victory.

If I don't see you until next year....have a happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

Playing with Godiva Limited Edition Coffees

2011-12-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

Yes...I know it's winter. I know it's cold out there...and I know that's ice cream. Sometimes it's just the thing a gal needs. Especially when it's doused in Godiva's Limited Edition Caramel Pecan Bark Coffee...made into an extract.

Once again....I'm late.

On my blog posting!!! (ya I know, there's a different kind of "late" that's associated with ice cream. That ain't it.) A while back, through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program I received two bags of Godiva Chocolatier Coffee. One bag was Pumpkin Spice and the other bag was Caramel Pecan Bark. I should've posted about my experience a month ago....but like I said. I'm late. I apologize to both Foodbuzz and Godiva.

I have to say this....of all the flavored coffees out there...Godiva makes THE best! Rich, deep, and well blended. The flavor combinations are just fantastic. I'm particularly in love with the Caramel Pecan Bark. I've run out and am in need of more!!

So....what did I do with these coffees? Well...I attempted a latte. At home. Without a latte maker thingy bob. It wasn't difficult. It was a bit fun. Don't compare my attempts to what you'd get at any of those fancy coffee shops by any means.

I used the Pumpkin Spice coffee for my latte. You see, I'd found a bottle of Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur and thought the two had to go together. A no brainer. Which is a good thing because in the morning...I can only deal with no brainers. And yes....I did drink a spiked latte in the morning. And loved every moment.

I started off by making a very strong pot of Pumpkin Spice coffee. Then I heated up some half and half. Got out my handy dandy immersion blender and whipped that half and half into a foaming frenzy

It never did get as foamy as the coffee shops....but it was fun anyway. I then filled my mug half way with coffee. Now for the fun part.....that shot of Pumpkin Pie Cream liqueur.

Pour one shot in with the coffee. Yes...only 1 shot. It was morning....remember? Next I added the ~~frenzied~~ foamy half and half.

I tried to garnish it with a bit of cinnamon. All it did was agitate the foam. There actually was a lot more foam on that baby before the cinnamon arrived.

It was a very nice way to start the day. Fun and easy. I don't have exact measurements for the ratio between coffee and foam. I think thats a personal taste thing. I'm looking forward to having another go at it on Christmas morning.

Now for my favorite flavor.....the Caramel Pecan Bark. YUM!!! It's on my grocery list....I need more! It's that good.

I did make something rather fun with it though.....

Coffee Extract
Printable Version
1 1/3 cups fresh ground coffee
1 cup cold water

Place the coffee grounds in a glass jar. Pour the water over the grounds. Close the jar and keep it in a dark place for 3 days.

After the 3 days are up....line a strainer with cheesecloth and strain the "mud". It doesn't make much....but its wonderfully.....strong....coffee extract.

Store in a little bottle and keep in the refrigerator. I don't know what the shelf life is. I've had mine a couple of weeks...and it's still fine. Just know one thing....it can't take the place of vanilla extract. I tried. It doesn't do anything for the flavor of the dessert. So sad.

But....it does taste fantastic on vanilla ice cream

Almond Crisp Cookies

2011-12-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

A loooooong time ago....when I was a young wife and mother (early 90's?), I use to subscribe to a series of "Leisure Arts Publication" books. The books arrived monthly and had a different theme each month. Then they came out with a Christmas series and I was all over those babies. I loved looking through the books and "planning" on making something....sometime. The books had, not only recipes....but cute little crafty things as well. Now that I think of it though...I don't remember making a single thing from any of the books. But one can't always rely on my memory...so don't hold me to it.

Last weekend while I was pulling out my boxes of Christmas decorations, I came across a couple of the Christmas books...specifically....The Spirit of Christmas Cookbook....how fun does that sound?! So of course I sat down right away....I mean...I did need a rest after futzing around in the garage, right? I came across the Almond Crisps recipe and saw how easy they seemed...with only 5 ingredients! I can do that!!

I think what really caught my eye though...was thier lacy appearance and the promise of sweet, crisp yumminess. And that's exactly what I got. Very caramelly....delicate and delicious!

This recipe calls for ground, blanched almonds. I had a bag of raw whole almonds in my freezer (I keep all my nuts in the freezer) and I really didn't want to spend the money on already ground blanched ones.....so I did a little research and found out how to do it on my own.

How to blanch almonds: bring some water to a boil (enough to cover the amount of almonds you're going to blanche), remove the pan from the heat, toss in the almonds and let them sit there for a bit....until the water is cool enough to be able to place your hand in it without burning yourself. Then gently squeeze one almond at a time between your thumb and forefinger....causing the almond to simply slip right out of it's own skin. Lay them out to dry on a towel.

Once dry...the almonds are ready to grind.

How to grind almonds: Place 1 cup of almonds at a time into a food processor along with a few tablespoons of sugar and grind away. If you're using a blender, grind 1/2 cup at a time. The sugar is necessary when grinding nuts. It prevents the ground nuts from becoming oily and lumpy which would make it near impossible to add to other dry ingredients. (at least that's what Julia Child says...and I will take her word for it).

If you don't want to go through all of that...then by all means....buy yourself a bag, already done. I'm too much of a cheapskate.

Almond Crisps
Printable Version

2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely ground blanched almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350'. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease it. You will be baking only 4 crisps at a time. They need lots of room to spread (hey!! I resemble that remark!!). Plus...when it comes time to "roll" them....they'll cool off too much by the time you get to the last one if you're working with more than 4 at a time. (That'll make sense in a minute)

Combine all of the ingredients into a nice big 10" skillet. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the butter has completely melted and the mixture is well combined. It'll kinda resemble a grainy type gravy.

Turn the heat down to very low, to keep your mixture warm (stir occasionally) . Drop mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet....4 cookies...at least 2 inches apart. More if you have room....I think I had 4" in between the little blobs.

The book says to bake for 5 minutes. That was not the case for me....at all. I don't know if my "heaping tablespoonfuls" were more than theirs....but I ended up cooking mine for 8 - 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them. They're done when they're nice and golden brown.

Let them cool for just a second! Gently loosen the cookie with a spatula and turn it over.

As you can see, the bottoms are nice and smooth. Quickly roll each one around the handle of a wooden spoon.

Place on a rack and allow to cool completely.

Here are a few hints and tips. I found that it worked best when I did one cookie at a time....flip, roll....then moved on to next. What this did was allow the other cookies to remain warm on the sheet. Once the cookie cools, it becomes too delicate and crispy to roll. But!!! If a cookie does become too firm to roll just stick it back in the oven for a minute until it softens up, then proceed.

They're fun, delicious and so pretty!

I'm definitely adding this recipe to my yearly Christmas Cookie baking list. Here are my other favorites that have become a tradition in my household:

Ginger Cookies: Soft, chewy, spicy and very addictive. Perfect with a cup of tea. If you want to make Gingerbread Man Cookies....just add an additional 1/4 cup of flour to recipe. I haven't tried it yet so I can't guarantee the results.

Eggnog Kringla: Soft, light and delicately sweet with just a hint of eggnog flavor.

Linzer Sandwich Cookies: These are probably the most festive Christmas Cookie I bake....buttery and nutty and are sure to impress your guests.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Berry Medley Muffins

2011-12-10T08:44:00.000-08:00

I knooooow! They're doing that weird thing in the middle. But, ya know what? That's what happens when you put yummy gooey goodness inside.

It's all under control. No worries. Except for the fact that I can't decide if these are for breakfast or dessert. (as if that's going to dictate when I eat them!)

Not too long ago I was given a whole little pile of coupons for free Duncan Hines and Comstock-Wilderness Fruit Filling stuffs as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers program. Perfect timing with the holidays coming up. A girlfriend of mine found cans of Comstock Fruit Filling....Limited Edition Berry Medley. Limited Edition? I've never experienced limited edition food.....kinda makes ya feel a little special or something.

Limited Edition.

Why limited? Why not always? Are they testing the market....to see how much we like the combination of Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries? Come on....no test needed guys. It's wonderful! Let's remove the "limited" and make it a permanent "New" Edition to the Comstock family line. Seriously.....out of all the pie fillings I've tried, this is my favorite. There's something about those particular berries that work so well together.

Although...I didn't use mine in a pie. You see, after my little Duncan Hines shopping spree (you should see my cupboard!!! I've got some fun things in there to play with), I grabbed the box of 100% Whole Grain Blueberry Streusel Muffin Mix and the can of Limited Edition Berry Medley and went to work on a combination of my own.

Berry Medley Muffins
Printable Version

1 box of Duncan Hines 100% Whole Grain Blueberry Streusel Muffin Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Filling:
1/2 can Berry Medley, Comstock Pie Filling & Topping
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons of a beaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375' F. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake liners.

For the filling, combine the cream cheese, 1 1/2 TB egg, sugar and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until mostly smooth. Lumps will happen. But if you use a mixer, all the filling will end up stuck on the beaters. Set the filling aside, but do not chill, while we get the muffins going.

Follow the instructions on the back of the box. Easy stuff really...combine the stuff in the box with the eggs, water and oil....but being careful not to over stir. Lumps.....no worries. Rinse the can of blueberries that came in the box with the muffin mix and fold them into the batter.

Now for the fun part. Not the "funnest" part....but just fun. (the funnest part comes at the end when you get to eat them!)

Fill each muffin cup about 1/2 full with the batter, reserving the remainder of the batter. Then put a dollop (about a tablespoon) of pie filling in the middle

Now get that filling that we set aside earlier and put a dollop on top of the berries.

I think its about a tablespoons worth as well. Just eyeball it as you try to evenly divide the filling amongst all 12 muffins.

Get the remainder of the batter and evenly divide it between the muffins to cover up the filling. If it's not perfect....don't stress. It'll all be fine in the end. I had a few that weren't completely covered with batter. Once you have distributed the remainder of the batter, top with the streusel that's provided in the box of muffin mix.

Place in the oven and bake for about 20 - 23 minutes. Or until the tops are golden brown and the crumb mix is lightly brown. You can't do the toothpick test....the inside is just too darned gooey.

Gee, darn.

Let it cool for about 5 - 10 minutes

But wait!!!

You need a fork! Trust me on this one. This is one muffin you can not eat without some sort of utensil

You know what happens when you take a photo like that? It ends up in your mouth. So then you take another photo, just in case...different angle and pose.....and poof! That one ends up in your mouth. After a few more shots......

Ya...thats what happens. True story.

Classico Alfredo Sauce.....LIGHT!

2011-12-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

I must start off by apologizing to both the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program and to Classico.

A while back, I received a jar of Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program. I was suppose to write about my experience by November 15th. Well, as you can see, that date has come and gone. All of a sudden it's December!

How did that happen?!

It's almost next year! The holiday season is upon us (I attended my work holiday party last night.....so it's official). All of a sudden I find myself smack dab in the middle of the busiest time of year. In the next 30 days not only do I have to get ready for Christmas (haven't even thought about shopping yet), but there are 3 birthdays in my household to celebrate.

And let's not forget about.......the dark side of the holidays. The side that no one wants to experience but most of us do. The side that we all joke about.....but deep down, we're cringing. The side that invokes numerous resolutions for the new year.

The ever dreaded gaining of weight! (noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!)

And...that's where Classico's Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce comes in. Not only is it perfect for a hectic night when you have zero time to cook dinner, but it's light! 60 calories per 1/4 cup serving (5 grams of fat....ya, i know....most of those calories are fat calories but it's better than the non-light stuff).

Ok...now let me just say something here. I stay away from canned, boxed and jarred foods as much as possible. Not always....but I do what I can. I'm not going to say that I make everything we eat in this house from scratch. I'm not going to say that I don't stock up on processed foods. I have plenty in my cupboard because there are nights when time is limited and what's in my cupboard is better than fast food (although a Big Mac now and then sure does hit the spot).

With that said....I have never been a fan of alfredo sauce in a jar. Even "doctored up" it's never impressed me. So I was a bit leery about what to expect from my little jar sitting on the counter. And even more leery because of the scary word on the label. That word that messes with flavor on so many levels. LIGHT! Oh man.

So it sat there for a couple of weeks. Reminding me. Daily. That I had to give this jar a shot. I had to let it have its "say". Even while the memories of past experiences (taste buds never forget) still lingered in the back of my mind. To the point where...when the night finally came...I was prepared to doctor it up. I had my garlic ready. Salt and pepper were on the side lines. I even had some cream willing to come to the rescue if needed. Lets not forget to mention Parmesan cheese....who was begging to be the hero.

With all that at my beck and call...I set out to cook dinner. I had picked up from the deli, a bag of ravioli filled with chicken and cheese or maybe it was mushroom...I forget. I boiled it as directed then decided to saute it with some garlic

I then sauteed some mushrooms and onions and set those off to the side. All this going on while the sauce was heating up in a pan.

Then came big moment. Spoon in hand....thoughts of whether or not I'd need the gang to come in and save my dinner. I could just hear the garlic chomping at the bit......Parmesan was trembling with anticipation as I raised the spoon to my mouth.....

And tasted

My eyebrows raised....

The expression of pleasant surprise came over my face. I tasted again....just to be sure I was right. And yes! It was good. Nothing else was needed. Dinner was ready to serve...as is!

Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce was a hit! Served over a plate of ravioli and topped with a few sauteed onions and mushrooms, this thick and creamy...and yes, LIGHT sauce was good.

Let me end this by saying...if I am ever in a pinch and need a quick fix for alfredo sauce...I will not hesitate to use this again.

Thank you Classico for allowing me to try your Light Creamy Alfredo Sauce.

Spaghetti Squash Boat and a WINNER!

2011-11-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti squash. What do you do with that?!

I remember my mom making it once when I was a child. I wasn't impressed. I mean...spaghetti is one of the favorite foods of a child. Mess with it, and you could be asking for some serious trouble. Soooo...when mom served her spaghetti sauce over a shredded winter squash (because she was always trying to make us eat healthier)...I'm sure the whole lot of us revolted in one way or another. Poor mom. She's a great cook. She tried so hard to keep us kids healthy...back when "healthy eating" wasn't "in". Kids just don't always appreciate what their parents are trying to do for them. So...That was the end of my spaghetti squash experience.

Until recently.

My youngest (who's no long a "child" and will only be a teenager for another month) has been wanting me to make spaghetti squash for quite some time now. Because the idea didn't thrill me...I just never got around to it. The two of us took a little vacation during the summer to visit my family. Of course "Grandma" was more than eager and willing to make some for dinner. Problem was, we couldn't find it in the stores in August. (ya...its a winter squash).

A week or so later, when we were back home, I did see it at the stores. I bought it. I let it sit in my fridge for longer than it should've been. So I bought another one. I mean....I wasn't excited about playing with this stringy...rather large squash. It wasn't motivating. But I wanted to make it for my girls. Who happen to eat a lot healthier than I do. And are way more into the whole "health" thing than I am.

The time came to just do it. And that's when I happened to see a marvelous thing on TV. One of those cooking channels. I think it was Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dive or something...where they were interviewing the chef, who served his spaghetti, inside the squash shell. Well! How cool is that!

I was motivated then....thinking....'this could be fun!'

Btw....yes, I will get around to announcing the winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook and Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Cookies giveaway. But I just wanted to tell you about my squash experience first. You don't mind too much, do you?

I don't have a recipe for this. It's more of a method. And I've already explained the madness behind the method...so here goes.

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Start bringing a large pot of water to a boil. While that's in progress...get your spaghetti squash and wash it. Get a good, sharp knife. I cut the ends off a little because they didn't look pretty...but I don't think its necessary. And its not easy...so you might want to save yourself the trouble. Cut the squash in half, length wise. You will see seeds in there that might remind you of pumpkin seeds. Yes you can roast them just like you would pumpkin seeds. I didn't. I should've. Scrape the seeds and strands out. Not the meat of the squash. Just the inside crud stuff.

Once your pot of water is boiling, place the squash halves in. Boil for about 20 minutes. Remove and drain. I placed them on a baking sheet, upside down so the excess water could drip out. Let them cool a bit.

While the squash is cooling, get your sauce ready. I used marinara sauce with some ground Italian seasoned turkey sausage. I then added some big chunks of cut up veggies to thicken everything up...such as zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, mushrooms and tossed those in. I did not want a runny sauce or even a thin sauce. I wanted chunky!

Once the squash is cool enough to touch, take a fork and start pulling the "meat" away...which will separate into thin strands, resembling spaghetti noodles. Leave about 1/2" of the squash unshredded so that your boat has stability.

Take those strands and add them to the sauce

Allow to cook a bit...say 15 minutes or so, on a low heat. This will give everyone in the pot a chance to get to know each other before they get cozy in the boat.

While that's happening, get out some mozzarella cheese and cut into nice thick slices, about 1/4" or so. The quantity will depend on how cheesy you want to get.

Line each squash with slices of cheese

Get your oven turned on a good high heat....maybe 450' F. Mound the boats with your sauce mixture and then top it all off with more cheese

Stick in the oven and let it get all hot and melty. The amount of time will depend on how hot your oven is and how close everything is to the heat source. I believe these babies were in there for about 10 minutes or so. Just keep an eye on it. If it's not happening quick enough...adjust the temperature..move the oven rack. Whatever works. Take it out when it looks like this...

And enjoy your melty spaghetti squash boat. The "noodles" have a crisp texture. They're not soft and tender like pasta. They flavor is almost non-existent and will not interfere with the other flavors going on in your meal.

Spaghetti squash is a great carb alternative. And contains all sorts of nutrients, folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin A, potassium....and is only 42 calories per cup. I think...if I hadn't loaded this boat up with cheese, it would've been a very healthy meal. But I just couldn't resist the cheese.

And now....the moment you all have been waiting for.....

The winner is.......(drum roll please)........

PATTI T!!!!!

Woo hooo!!! Congrats girlfriend! All I need is your address so Tate's Bake Shop can send out your goodies :) You can email your info to me: peacefulcooking at gmail dot com

Chuckies Cookies and Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway

2011-10-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Cookies. There are so many kinds out there and several textures....soft, fluffy, thin, chewy, crispy. We all have our favorites. Some of us are picky....some of us aren't. Me? A cookie is a cookie. I love 'em all.

October is National Cookie Month and I'm barely getting there...by the skin of my teeth. It's finally cooling off a bit and I wasn't frowned upon for turning on the oven. Do you know how happy I was when the mercury dropped below 90'? And I got to make a beautiful batch of thin, chewy cookies from a recipe in Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook called Chuckies? Woo hooo!!! I have made a few recipes from this cookbook (which, by the way, is one of my all time favorite dessert cookbooks) in the past and have loved every one of them:

Chocolate Jumbles
Anadama Bread
Cappuccino Shortbread

And there are several more that I ~~want to~~ must try!

A few weeks ago, Tate's Bake Shop sent me 3 bags of their new award winning cookies, Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies

They almost vanished before my eyes...a bag left the house that night to a "kick-back" with one of my daughters. The next day, another bag disappeared at my office and the last bag disappeared somewhere in between. I think I got to eat 2 cookies. They were delicious! Thin, crispy yet the chocolate chips were soft (one of the first things my youngest, chocolate-loving daughter noticed with approval). I'm not a "whole wheat" fan. I just don't care for that earthy flavor but to be honest...I couldn't even tell that these cookies were whole wheat. Which is a huge plus in my book.

With all that said.....I have the pleasure of GIVING AWAY 3 bags of these fabulous Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies....AND a copy of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook,

autographed by Kathleen King, the owner and baker at Tate's Bake Shop in Southhampton, New York. If you're not familiar with them...I highly recommend checking them out...

On their website
TatesBakeShop.com
or on FaceBook
Facebook.com/TatesBakeShop
or.... on Twitter
Twitter.com/#!/TatesBakeShop

And now....for the cookies I baked for National Cookie Month....Chuckies. I made only 1 change. And it was out of necessity on my part rather then with the intent to alter or improve. You see, I thought I had bittersweet chocolate at home so I didn't buy any. But I didn't. Therefore, instead of having chunks of chocolate in this amazing cookie, I had a Mexican chocolate flavored dough. Which was wonderful. But I still wanna bake these again the way they are intended in the cookbook. You see...I had just bought some Mexican Chocolate (had no idea what for at the time....but I figured these cookies would be a great way to put the chocolate to the text). Only I didn't know that the kind of Mexican chocolate I purchased is intended for hot chocolate and it is not that great to eat...as in chunks...in cookies. Apparently, the chocolate is a bit grainy. But this was the chocolate I had at home (I seriously did not want to go to the store again). Soooo, with a little help from my wonderful baking buddies....whom I can go to with all sorts of questions and someone will have an answer....I was informed that I could stick the Mexican chocolate in a food processor, grind it up and use it that way (Thank you Lee...you're the bestest!!!). Which I did. With delicious results.

Chuckies with Mexican Chocolate
Printable Version

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar (dark or light...whatever you have)
1 cup sugar
2 TB corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 lg eggs
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks (or 6.2 oz of Mexican chocolate)
1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts, lightly toasted and chopped
2 cups coconut, lightly toasted

Preheat the oven to 350' F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease them)

To toast the nuts and coconut, spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350' for about 10 minutes or more. Shake the pan part way through to ensure you get an even toast.

In a large bowl, combine your flour, ground Mexican chocolate if thats the route you're taking, baking soda and salt.

And while you're at it, get in touch with the child in you and play with your food

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the corn syrup and vanilla . Mix until just combined. Add the eggs and mix them lightly.

Then add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture until just combined. In other words...don't over mix.

Stir in the nuts and coconut and chocolate chunks (if that's the route you're going).

Using a small ice cream scoop, or 2 tablespoons, scoop and drop the dough onto your prepared cookie sheets. Leave at least 2 inches...if not more (don't skimp on the space.....you will need it!!) and bake them for about 18 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Be warned...they may not even last that long!

Place on a cooling rack and let them cool completely.

If by chance you over bake this cookie and you find yourself with a rather hard, crunchy cookie (ya...I did that with a few of them). Don't worry. Don't fret. Don't beat yourself up over it.

There's a cure.

Place the cooled, hard cookies in a sealed container or baggy along with a slice of bread. Leave it for several hours or overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread and become nice and moist again!

And now for the Giveaway! Are you ready?

To enter to win 3 bags of Tate's Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate All Natural Cookies....AND a copy of the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook, autographed by Kathleen King....

Leave a comment (please note that if your comment doesn't link to your blog or email address and I have no way of contacting you....you will forfeit your winnings :( Make sure I have a way to contact you!!)
"Like" me on Facebook.com/pages/Peaceful-Cooking
"Like" Tate's Bake Shop on Facebook.com/TatesBakeShop
"Follow" me on Twitter.com/#!/ImStuffed
"Follow" Tate's Bake Shop on Twitter.com/#!/TatesBakeShop

All entries must be made by 11:59 p.m. pst, Sunday, November 6, 2011

I will announce the winner in about a week or so! Good luck and enjoy!

Ciabatta Bread

2011-10-16T21:31:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with my sourdough starter since last April. I've made dozens of loaves of sourdough bread. (to find out how to make your own starter click here --->Sourdough Starter<---). This is the second ciabatta bread I've made and I think it's the best bread I've ever made.

Before I continue, let me say...today, October 16th, is World Bread Day (ya i know...it's just about over..and by the time you see it, it will be yesterday...but hey...it's here). I discovered this quite by accident just a couple of hours ago and it just so happened that I had this ciabatta baking in the oven at the very same time. So I thought I'd better participate.

The purpose of World Bread Day is to stir up awareness of those who are not as fortunate as others. Those who do not have enough food to eat. Not that baking this loaf of bread will do anything for the world hunger problem, but maybe it will remind you to donate food to your local shelter or food bank.

So, are you wondering what made this particular ciabatta loaf so special or different than anything I've made in the past? It's due to the "mother dough". Something about mother dough that makes a loaf of bread......better. The crust, the crumb....the flavor. It's almost like the bread is more...I dunno...mature? It has a particular depth to it that I have not experienced in any of my breads in the past. A mother dough is basically like a biga, only it's for sourdough breads. It's a cold pre-ferment and is made with wild yeast (a.k.a. sourdough starter) and has anywhere from 50 - 80% hydration. My standard sourdough starter is at 166% hydration (1 cup of existing starter with 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water added). Btw, the recipe is from an e-book called Discovering Sourdough (NorthwestSourdough.com)

Making a mother dough is not difficult....

Motherdough @ 80% hydration

4.5 oz of 166% hydration sourdough starter

5 oz water

8 oz bread flour

In a good sized container (at least double the size of the amount of ingredients) combine the ingredients well and let it sit at room temperature for 4 hours. Cover loosely and let sit in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. Thats it. No fuss, no muss. If it goes beyond 5 days....well, you'll need to start over. So I highly recommend that you begin this process on Wednesday or Thursday. Actually, if you're going to bake the bread of Sunday, you can start this as late as Friday.

When you're ready to bake your ciabatta (you need to start your this in the morning), take your mother dough out of the fridge. You will see a nicely developed gooey dough

Get out your ciabatta ingredients:

Ciabatta (makes 2 loaves)

All of the mother dough that you made
1 cup water, room temperature, divided
1/2 cup canned milk
1 TB vegetable oil
4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp salt

Pour the mother dough into a large bowl or into the bowl of your dough mixer

Add 6 oz of water (setting 2 oz aside), the canned milk, vegetable oil and the flour. Mix on low speed for about 3 minutes. Or, if you're like me and you don't have a dough mixer, stir with a heavy duty spoon for a bit then get your hands in there and mix, and twist and turn until everything is incorporated...this can be done in about 3 minutes and will look something like this:

Cover it up with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Then....add the salt and mix the dough for 5 minutes (using the lowest speed if you're using a mixer). Toward the end, slowly add the remaining 2 oz of water.

Place the dough into a folding trough (or large casserole dish) and let it sit for 4 hours, lightly covered, at room temperature. Every hour, fold or stir the dough. For more in depth instructions on folding the dough, please click --->HERE<---

Once the 4 hours are up, pour the dough onto a very well floured surface. Divide the dough in half (about 1.5 lbs each). Now you will have two big thick blobs of sticky dough. Take one of the blobs and fold it over on itself (just as you did in the "folding trough") and place it on a well floured baking sheet. Do the same to the other blob.

Cover and let rest for about 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

Preheat the oven to 450' F.

Using your finger tips, make dimples in the dough, then gently stretch the dough to make the loaves a big longer.

Place the baking sheet into the oven along with a small oven proof dish with water in it (I used a ramekin). Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the loaves around, reduce the heat to 425' F and bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until a deep golden redish brown.

Allow the loaves to cool thoroughly before slicing.

Then watch them disappear. If you can manage to save a slice for yourself, which I hope you do since you put all that work into such a wonderful loaf of bread, slather it with butter and drizzle a bit of honey on it. Crumble up some of your favorite cheese and pour yourself a glass of wine.

Sit outside, watch the sunset and know that its been a glorious day. Count your blessings and make plans to share with those who are less fortunate than you are. There are countless ways to do this...whether you give money, donate canned goods or drop off lightly used items to a thrift store that provides for a shelter. It's the least we can do.

Kahlua Mousse

2011-10-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of those recipes that is sooo good that no matter how bad the pictures are, you just HAVE to share it.

It took me a while to work through that. I mean...I made this over a month ago. I was really irritated that I just couldn't get a good pic. Timing was horrible.... I was rushed. Then there wasn't anything left to photograph. The mousse was aaaaall gone.

I hate that.

But you know what? This mousse is too dang good not to share with you all.

It all started when I discovered an amazing book at the bookstore! If you love chocolate, then you NEED this book....

The Golden Book of Chocolate. There are over 650 (closer to 700) pages of mouth watering, delicious, dream inducing recipes that will make you wish, more than ever, that chocolate desserts were diet and figure friendly. You'll have a difficult time deciding which recipe to try first...I mean this book has everything....cookies, brownies, pies, cakes, candies, muffins...and savory dishes. Even the introduction is seductive..it's called "Introduction to The Sublime". (yes! please, introduce me to the sublime...) Oh!! And did I mention drinks? Ya....pages and pages of beverages...all with chocolate! (and some with alcohol...can't wait to try a Chocolate Monkey). This is like the bible of chocolate! It's so big, thick and heavy and the page edges are gold. (no this is not a review...I was not given this book. I bought it myself and have fallen in love with it. It was a bit of a splurge but so very worth it!)

Now, the Kahlua flavor in this mousse isn't strong or intense. The mousse is thick and creamy, not too sweet....and so very chocolaty. And the whipped cream....no vanilla in that baby. Kahlua was used instead. Simply wonderful.

Kahlua Mousse
Printable Version
Makes 8 servings

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 oz butter
3 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 cup Kahlua (coffee liqueur) (gotta figure out a way to increase that amount)
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 cups heavy cream

In a double boiler (or a sauce pan and a bowl as I do since I don't own a double boiler and have discovered I don't really need to buy one) melt the chocolate, butter and egg yolks. Wait!!!...those instructions scared me. I mean..I had a lot of chocolate in that bowl and the idea that the egg yolks could quite possibly "scramble" which would ruin my chocolate....well....I did it a bit differently.

Let's start over.....

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter over a low heated simmer. Once melted, remove from heat

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. While beating, gradually add about 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate.

By doing this, you are tempering the egg....bringing the temperature up slowly while mixing in the chocolate....so that the egg doesn't scramble.

Slowly beat the tempered egg mixture into the chocolate mixture

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners sugar, Kahlua and coffee granules. Stir the chocolate mixture into the Kahlua mixture.

In yet another bowl (ya....you're gonna be using a lot of bowls) whip the cream until you have stiff peaks (being careful not to turn it into butter). Fold the whipped cream into the Kahlua and chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff (once again, do not over beat) and fold into the mixture.

Spoon into serving bowls and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Top with additional whipped cream and cocoa powder. But instead of adding vanilla to the whipped cream....try a little Kahlua. You might possibly never go back to vanilla in a whipped cream again! (unless you're serving it to kids of course).

Now treat yourself to a little bit of sublimity.

Light Wheat Sandwich Bread

2011-10-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of the flavor of whole wheat. I know, I know...white flour is so bad for you. I can't help it. I've tried. I've especially put forth a strong effort these past 2 years as I baked with the HBin5 bread baking group. If you look along the right side of my blog, scrolling down to the "Labels" section, you will see HBin5 where I have linked all the bread posts I baked with the group (over 30 posts). Not all are whole wheat. But there's a whole heck of a lot of them. (BTW...HBin5 is short of Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day).

But I still don't enjoy the taste of whole wheat bread.

This does not mean that I didn't gain anything from this cozy little HBin5 adventure. In fact...I learned more than I can express in this one little post. I met fantastic people whom I will never forget. I gained an enormous amount of knowledge and 'yeast confidence'. And I have grown to love baking bread. I've stepped way beyond my comfort zone and discovered that it's comfortable out there as well.

Somewhere along the line, it became a goal of mine to find a whole wheat sandwich bread that Sir Sportsalot would like. He's a Roman Meal kinda guy and it would make my day if I could trump the store bought stuff.

This recipe is probably as close as I've been able to come, so far. It's not an HBin5 recipe. It's not even a no-knead recipe. It's just a good recipe that I found over at SmittenKitchen

With minor alterations.

I do know one thing....without HBin5, I would not have attempted to make this loaf of bread.

The crust is firm without being "crusty" or chewy. The crumb is soft and airy with just the right amount of firmness. Its not going to fall apart on you from the weight of the tiniest amounts of sandwich makings. It's substantial without being dense. It has that wheat-ie flavor but it's light enough (and gentlemanly enough) to step aside and allow the others to shine. You want to be able to taste the meat. You want to experience the full bodied flavor of your freshly sliced tomato straight out your garden. This bread knows its not the center of attention....but more of a supporting cast, and does it's job with grace.

Light Wheat Sandwich Bread
Printable Version

2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 TB sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 TB powdered milk
1 1/2 tsp yeast
2 tsp barley malt syrup
1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 TB shortening

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, powdered milk and yeast. Dissolve the barley malt syrup in the water. Add the water mixture and the shortening to the flour mixture. Stir until thoroughly combined and the dough forms into a ball. (I started off using a spatula or spoon and ended up just using my hands).

If by chance after you've tried working it all together with your hands, you still cannot incorporate all of the flour in the bowl, add a little more water. (tsp at a time). You want the dough to be soft and supple but not a shaggy mess.

Sprinkle your counter with flour and turn the dough out. Knead away, adding a little flour if needed. Knead for at least 10 minutes (by hand). I kneaded for 15 minutes. The dough will be ready when you can gently stretch it without it tearing apart.

I learned something yesterday as I watched one of those cooking shows out there. It is very unlikely that you'd over knead your dough if kneading by hand. (If you're using a machine...then yes....it can happen. Make sure you obey the time frames specified in a recipe) So....knead away. Fold, push, pull, rotate....repeat. Or whatever way you find yourself kneading. Some say that all you have to do is fold and flatten, rotate. No muscle work involved at all. Your main goal, however you achieve it, is to get the gluten working.

I wish I had known that a long time ago. It would've really alleviated a lot of my yeast based fears.

Lightly oil a large bowl. Put your dough into the bowl, rotating so that the surface gets coated with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. The dough should be doubled in size (which is difficult to gauge exactly. Don't stress. You'll notice it has gotten really big.)

Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a 6" x 10"rectangle by pressing it with your hand on the counter.

Starting at the short end, roll the dough up the length a little at a time. With each "roll" pinch the crease with your fingers to secure the dough in place and strengthen the tension. Once you get to the end, pinch the final seam closed (using your hand or the thumbs...you don't really want "pinch" marks on your bread).

Lightly oil an 8.5 x 4.5" bread pan. Place the dough into the pan. The ends of the loaf should reach ends of the pan. This will aid in an even rise.

Mist the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise, at room temperature for about 90 minutes. Could be shorter. Could be longer. You'll know it's ready when you poke the dough with your finger and it does not spring back at you very quickly (or at all).

Preheat your oven to 350' F. Make sure your rack is in the middle of the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate 180' and continue baking for another 20 - 30 minutes. If you have an instant read thermometer, the inside temperature should be about 190' F. The top and sides will be a nice golden brown.

Immediately remove the loaf from the pan and allow to cool on a rack for at least an hour (or more). This is VERY important. I know...it's hard. You can smell that warm bread and it's begging to be smothered in butter. But...

NO!

You have to wait. The dough is going to continue to do its thing for a bit. You don't want all the inside steam to escape. Just let it be. Let it settle. Allow the crumb to come into it's own. That's the only way you will achieve that light, airy crumb. Otherwise, it'll be a bit doughy and almost sticky. You'll know immediately you've done wrong. The bread will leave a smear mark along the knife. A tale-tale sign that the bread wasn't allowed to fully cool. So do yourself a favor. Just walk away.

I promise, it will be worth the wait. And then you can do anything you want. Slice, dice, rip, break....toast, butter, grilled cheese. It's all good.

I will have more HBin5 and ABin5 recipe posts in the future. (one coming up pretty soon in fact). It doesn't seem like it's been 2 yrs already but the HBin5 Bread Braid is officially done. I have a feeling that we'll all stay in touch and it will seem as if it's still in progress. I can't imagine not sharing my bread with the group...or reading what they have to share. I can't imagine the group not being there to support each other as we work through our bread issues and questions. Thank you all in the HBin5 Bread Braid group!! It's been a wonderful adventure. Sooooo.....whats next?

I want to take a minute to give a special thank you and hug to {{{{Michelle}}}} over at BigBlackDogs.net You are an amazing woman. I will never make bread without thinking of you, your courage and your strength. This is not good-bye by any means...but a segue to the next stage.

Migas and The Homesick Texan Cookbook Review

2011-09-24T18:24:00.000-07:00

It's that time....we've been playing around with The Homesick Texan for a few weeks now. I've shared a few recipes and tidbits here and there. And now....it's time to lay it all out on the table. Tell it like it is....give you the skinny. Express my honest opinion. Give you the scoop on whats between the covers. I'm going to tell you the lowdown on the hoedown.

Before last month I had never heard of Lisa Fain. After reading through her cookbook, I feel like we would totally mesh! There's something about her that echos within my soul. Although I have never lived in Alabama, I feel deeply connected and very rooted to my family, the way of life and the food there. Being in the city, you just don't get that "down home" connection. One of the ways I cross all those state lines between me and my family is by cooking foods that feed my soul. Which is what Fain did when she started her blog and wrote this cookbook. She fed by her need to connect to her home while living in New York.

Now....I have never "really" reviewed a cookbook before. It's rather intimidating. I mean, you want to be accurate and informative as well as sounding like you know what you're talking about. That's when I turned to my peeps over on Facebook and asked them what they're looking for when searching for a cookbook. What points they'd like me to touch on in my review. I got some awesome responses. You people are the best! Thank you so much for your guidance.

With that said, let's get down and dirty....and into the nitty gritty of it all (ok, are you soooo over the idioms? me too)

When I look at a cookbook, the first thing I do is flip through the pages. I hate to sound so "shallow" but honestly, photos are very important. I have a hard time buying a cookbook that doesn't have a single photograph (besides Mastering the Art of French Cooking....HUGE exception). The Homesick Texan has a ton of fabulous photos. Not only of mouthwatering food but also a few nostalgic, pure Texas shots that are scattered about strategically.

Next...contents. Theme. Tex-Mex is totally up my ally. I love Mexican food. I love southern food. When you combine the two.....you have something uniquely Texan. The Homesick Texan has a fabulously diverse content which is brilliantly divided. How often do you open a cookbook and see a chapter called "The Larder: The Homesick Texan's Pantry"? This is probably my favorite chapter. In it Lisa acknowledges and addresses the fact that not every city has the ingredients for a good Tex-Mex meal. She discovered this while shopping in New York City. You will see a solid 8 pages of ingredients and kitchen equipment that you should have, with descriptions and alternatives. In the back of the book you'll find a "Resource" page that tells you where you can order items and ingredients if you can't find them in your local market or Mexican grocer.

Not only does she have your typical chapters for Appetizers, Seafood, Sweets but there are whole chapters dedicated to Pickles and Preserves....Salsa, Sauces, And Gravies and Tex-Mex Classics (not to mention Morning Foods; Chilis, Soups, and Stews; Beef, Pork, and Fowl; Sides, Hot and Cold and last but not least, Breads). That pretty much covers it all. And if you can't find what you need based on the chapters....all you have to do is look in the Index where you will find recipes listed not only by name, but by ingredient.

One important factor that was brought up on Facebook was the desire to see the level of cooking experience needed as well as the length of time it takes. Neither of these are addressed in The Homesick Texan. I have found though, that most of the recipes range from very basic to requiring a bit more "how-to" knowledge. But to be honest, this is all good, down-home food that can be cooked and enjoyed by anyone with any level of cooking experience. Each recipe includes a great little intro that makes you wish you were in Texas having it the way it was originally experienced. As for the "how long" portion. You'll have to gauge this a bit. If you browse through the instructions...mentally adding up the cooking time frames...you should get a pretty good idea on what's required. I will say that the instructions are easy to follow.

If you haven't been following along during The Homesick Texan journey I've been on, you can view the recipes I've cooked below:

Pork Tacos, and Black Beans

Poblano Mac and Cheese

Pan De Campo

And now I have one more recipe to share. This is an easy one. Not as quick as your typical scrambled eggs....but when you're getting ready to experience something fabulous.....prep is never as quick as ready set, ready go. But it can be effortless.

Migas

Printable Version

Oil for frying

4 corn tortillas cut into strips

1/2 medium onion, diced

4 jalapeno chiles, seeded, stemmed and diced (I didn't have fresh jalapenos so I used the kind in a jar)

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (4 oz) grated cheddar cheese, jack cheese or maybe a combo

Usually I show you a nice display of ingredients all arranged on a cutting board or something. This time I decided to be real. I do gather all of the ingredients before starting on a recipe. But it's always "everywhere" on the counter....and that's how I really cook.

In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of oil over a medium-high heat. Put the tortilla strips in the hot oil and let cook until nice and crispy...about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Drain out the oil, leaving about 2 TB. Turn the heat down a bit and add the onions and jalapenos. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent. While that's going on, whisk together the egg, milk, salt, pepper, cumin and cilantro in a bowl.

Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the egg mixture to the skillet along with the tortilla strips. Let the egg cook for a minute so the bottom sets a bit. Stir gently and then add the cheese

I have a confession to make here. I did a few things out of order. When I measured the cumin, instead of tossing it into the egg mixture, I tossed it into the pan with the onions and garlic. (silly me). Then I forgot to add the cilantro to the egg...so it went in along with the cheese. But you know what? It didn't matter. This is such a free-form recipe and very forgiving as it also allows for adjustments to accommodate your own personal tastes. More cheese? Less cheese? No onions? More heat? Just do it. We're talking about eggs here. Make it so you like it.

Once the cheese has been added, gently stir until the cheese has melted. Add more salt and pepper to taste (if needed).

Lisa Fain recommends that you serve Migas with salsa and tortillas. I personally found it very filling and satisfying. Not to mention simple. I didn't need the extras. (BTW...I halved the recipe and this plate served 2). All I did was sprinkle some jack cheese over the top and let it melt. (love me some melted cheese).

This is the perfect example of many of the recipes in The Homesick Texan. Complex in flavor yet simple enough for any level of cook to make. I loved the corn flavor that the tortilla strips added to the eggs. The jalapenos were a great addition of some slight heat. The smokey flavor from the cumin was wonderful. If I wanted to beef it up a bit....I could've added some chorizo or sausage. If I wanted more veggies...some diced tomatoes would've been a wonderful addition.

Let me wrap this up with a simple 5 star rating for a fabulous cookbook. It has been a sheer pleasure being part of the The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off that was sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at Girlichef*, (where you will find others who have cooked from and reviewed this cookbook. I recommend that you mosey on over there and see what the rest of us have to say).

If you love Mexican and / or Tex-Mex food....I highly recommend that you not pass this one up. It's a keeper and bound to become a favorite in your collection, as it is mine.

Thank you Hyperion and Girlichef* for including me in such a fun adventure.

Citrus Chicken

2011-09-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was hunting for a new chicken recipe. Nothing in particular in mind....just something I hadn't done before. I came across Grilled Citrus Chicken over at Spryte's Place and the freshness of it...zest and juice from lemon, lime and orange....really got my attention. As I read her post, I noticed that Spryte had gotten the recipe from a fellow BakeSpace member...AND she included the link to the forum thread that lead to the sharing of the recipe. I clicked on the link to see if I would remember the conversation...but of course I didn't. It occurred over 2 yrs ago...but it was fun to reminisce.

The good ole days.

Well...I made a couple of changes in the recipe. Not because it "needed" it by any means...but we weren't grilled and I was in the mood for little bite sized chicken. And I was planning on making rice. The original recipe had Dijon mustard in it. Spryte replaced it with soy sauce. I used both. I'm not a fan of thyme...which was in the recipe. I replaced it with sage. I then made a sauce so go over the chicken and rice.

Let's just say....it was fabulous! A new favorite around here for sure! I wish I had made it 2 yrs ago when it was first shared with all us lucky BakeSpace peeps.

I have to warn ya here...I didn't jot down exact time frames on cooking this dish...you just have to kinda keep and eye on it and go with your gut.

Citrus Chicken
Printable Version

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs or a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used the prepackaged chicken thighs from Costco) cut into chunks
1 TB each lemon, lime and orange zest
1 TB each lemon, lime and orange juice
2 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 TB Dijon mustard
1 TB soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil plus extra for the pan
1 1/2 TB honey
2 TB fresh sage, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1 1/2 cups chicken broth

In a sealable baggy, combine the citrus zests and juice along with the shallots, garlic, Dijon, soy sauce, veggie oil, honey, sage, salt and pepper. Squish around to combine. Add in the chicken. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for a few hours. I wouldn't do it overnight though. Citrus is a fantastic tenderizer but if left too long, it starts to break down the meat. I've even heard that it will begin to "cook" fish. I don't do fish (due to allergies) so I haven't investigated how and why this happens. Or how technically true it is.....anyways....2 - 6 hours is fine.

Add enough oil in a hot skillet to cover the bottom. Pour everything, chicken and marinade, into the heated skillet.

Cook on medium low, stirring often, until liquid is pretty much cooked down. This is were you have to be careful. If the heat is too high or you cook it too long, you could scorch the marinade residue.

Remove the chicken and set aside

Add the vermouth to the hot skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring up all those crispified bits that might be stuck to the bottom...mmmm....lots of flavor in those babies. Add the chicken broth

Allow to simmer until reduced a bit. Not too much cuz you want enough sauce to pour over the chicken and soak into the rice...ya know? Because once the sauce is done, you add the chicken back into the pan and serve it over some nice fluffy rice

Pan De Campo

2011-09-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

Breakfast for dinner. It's one of my most favoritest dinners. And I almost always do the bacon and eggs with biscuits and gravy thing. Which happens to be one of my most favoritest breakfasts too.

This week for our Cook-off and Spotlight of The Homesick Texan Cookbook we got to choose whatever recipe we wanted to showcase. There were so many to pick from. I could've gone with the Blueberries with Cornmeal Shortcake, or the Hush Puppies...I really considered the Tamales. I mean there are just so many wonderfully mouthwatering recipes to choose from and you just KNOW you're going to love whatever it is you decide to make.

And here I am.....with one of the most simple recipes in the whole dang book. The Pan De Campo. Lisa Fain proceeds the recipe with a bit of history telling. It's just so cute how she has a story behind every recipe in the book. The Pan De Campo is Texas' state bread. (I wonder if California has a state bread...it should....and I think it should be Sourdough Bread). Apparently this is the bread of cowboys. It's kinda like the biscuit version of cornbread....made in a cast-iron skillet and all. If you're a cowboy out on the range, you'd be making this over an open fire. Us citified people will have to put up with using a stove and oven and just deal with it.

Pan De Campo
Printable Version

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 TB (aka 1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 TB lard or shortening, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 400' F and grease a large (10") cast-iron skillet

Combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the shortening and blend (use a fork or pastry blender) until you have fine crumbs. Add the buttermilk and blend until smooth.

Heat up your skillet on the stove. While that's going on....on a floured surface, roll out the dough into a circle, about 9" wide (a bit smaller than your skillet)

Place into your hot, greased skillet and cook for about 5 minutes per side over a medium low heat

Then put the whole thing in the oven, skillet and all, and bake for about 15 minutes

And there you have it....Pan De Campo. You can slice it like a pizza or tear it off into pieces

What do you do with a giant biscuit? Well...you can do what I did and treat it like a regular biscuit by pouring luscious, creamy breakfast gravy all over it.

You can do as the cowboys do and dip it into beans. Or you can have it for dessert with some honey or homemade jam.

And if you have any leftover the next day slice it length-wise and make yourself an egg sandwich.

Whatever you do...I'm sure you'll have fun with it as much as you enjoy it. And maybe, just maybe.... you'll feel a little bit like a cowboy while you're doing it.

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at Girlichef*

Mac & Cheese and natural Sargento cheese

2011-09-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

I can count on 1 hand how many times I've made macaroni and cheese....from scratch. The first time I tried it, (about 20 yrs ago)...I made it using American Cheese. Aaack. I don't know why I even tried that. The only time I eat American Cheese is when it's on a cheeseburger or inside a grilled cheese sandwich. But in my defense, I was young and ~~stupid~~ ignorant. I tried other various recipes...even one that used velveeta cheese. I think what I was ultimately trying to do was make something that tasted like mac & cheese in the little blue box cuz that's what I grew up on.

Not long ago, my girlfriend showed up for a bbq with homemade mac and cheese and it was wonderful! The first homemade version that I actually enjoyed. Then recently I made the Poblano Mac & Cheese which was a great alternative to the norm.

Through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Sargento, I was able to get some Sargento cheese and pairings.

I love cheese (mild to medium....nutty, buttery kinds. I can't do the stinky cheeses) and I was excited to have the chance to give Sargento the test.

The macaroni and cheese test.

First I had to "cultivate my experience". With the help of the tasting guide that Sargento sent me...I became familiar with the differences between natural cheese and processed cheese through the 4 points explained to me...

1. Look

Sargento's real cheese (medium cheddar) on the left and the processed cheese on the right. You can see the sheen and rubbery appearance of the processed cheese. The sliced Sargento cheddar cheese looks as it would if you had sliced it yourself, not to mention the deep rich color.

2. Touch

I'm sure by looking at the photo above you can imagine how they feel. Now notice in the photo below.....

The processed cheese (now on the left) tore into smooth rubbery pieces while the Sargento cheese broke more than tore.

3. Smell

Have you ever smelled processed cheese? The first thing I smelled was salt. Then nothing. Of course the Sargento natural cheese smelled like....cheese! I mean...it smelled like cheddar cheese. You knew what you were going to experience once it hit your palate. Which leads me to the 4th point...

4. Taste

I tried both cheeses.... alone, with fruit and with wine. Actually....I only tried the processed cheese alone and with wine. Then stopped. No flavor. Bland. Ack. I'm beginning to wonder what it is I like about it on even a cheeseburger. Surely it can't be contributing to the flavor. The Sargento cheese on the other hand was so flavorful that I finished the slice of cheddar and started in on the muenster

I could've just made this my dinner. The smooth salty buttery-ness of the muenster and the nutty, full bodied flavor of the medium cheddar. Even after you finished with the bite...the flavors danced in your mouth...creating the urge for a second (and 3rd) round.

And then came the real test. I mean...what better way to test cheese than to make America's #1 side dish....Macaroni and Cheese

I used a very basic recipe and I reduced it down tremendously. I didn't need a huge casserole dish lying around, threatening my mid-section, if you know what I mean. I ended up with some sauce left over, which I will be saving for later this week to use on some veggies or maybe to pour over a baked potato (cuz I don't feel so threatened by cheese soaked potatoes? Who the hell am I kidding!)

Btw...my girlfriend...Dianna, who brought the mac and cheese to the bbq sent me her recipe. She cracks me up. She warned me..."I don't use a recipe with measurements". And then proceeds to write:

'Mac N Cheese - Macaroni - Butter, Cheese, Half & Half, flour, salt, pepper. Cook the noodles drain and set aside. Melt butter in a pan and add the flour, salt and pepper to make it like a paste and cook it, add the half and half slowly (and use a whisk so it doesn't lump) till it's like a thick cream sauce. Mix the sauce and cheese with the noodles - Top with cheese and bake until it's golden.'

I just love that woman!

Anyway.... if you can make a basic roux, you can make this dish without measurements. The rule of thumb is...equal amounts of fat (ie: butter) and flour. And enough liquid (ie: milk) until you've reached your desired consistency. If you're not comfortable with a roux...I suggest you practice and get comfortable. It's the basis for so many good things....white sauce, cheese sauce, gravy, etc.

Basic Mac and Cheese (serves 2 - 4...depending on your piggy-ness)

4 oz elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1 1/2 cups half and half (or milk)
Salt and Pepper to taste
5 slices Sargento Medium Cheddar Cheese
5 slices Sargento Muenster Cheese
handful Sargento Mozzarella Cheese
handful cracker crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375' F. Spray a little 7 x 7 oven safe dish with cooking spray. Pour the cooked pasta into the dish and set aside.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over a medium low heat. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for a few minutes. Don't let the flour get too brown. Slowly whisk in the half and half (or milk if thats what you have). Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Don't let this happen too quickly...you want to cook out the flour taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cheddar and muenster cheeses and stir until melted.

Pour the sauce over your pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese and crackers.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and browned on top.

And there you have it. For me.....the best homemade, basic macaroni and cheese I've ever made. Sargento, with its great tasting natural cheese that melts wonderfully, definitely passed the mac and cheese test. I can only imagine how good it would be in a sandwich or on a burger. No more processed tastelessness for me.

BBQ Oven Fried Chicken

2011-09-11T09:23:00.000-07:00

Barbecue sauce isn't just for the grill. Actually....I rarely use it on the grill. Mostly because one of my kids doesn't like barbecue sauce. She also doesn't like cheese (unless it's on pizza. but never 'extra cheese'), bacon (omg!!!....really?!) mayo, potatoes, rice, pasta, syrup, and most nuts. Seriously....she's nuts!! But....in her defense...out of all of us in the family....she eats the healthiest (except for her sweet tooth. At least she got ONE of my food genes). I don't remember her being all that picky when she was little (except when it came to peas....her whole little body shivered, all the way down to her toes (literally) in revolt to the taste of peas). I s'pose she grew into this neat little picky eater trait of hers. It can be challenging sometimes...making dinner. One loves cheese, one doesn't. One loves chocolate, the other can take it or leave it (have you ever in your life heard a girl...yes, a girl....say these words..."it's too chocolatey"). Try making lasagna in my house....one child loves it really saucy with barely any cheese and the other is the exact opposite. Sir Sportsalot has his likes and dislikes too. He's easy to please as long as it's not too fancy or unusual. American, Mexican, Italian...and Amercanized Asian are usually safe. As long as I don't twist up the recipes too much. (I think I've crossed that line in abundance these recent years.).

Thank God we all like chicken.

But sometimes....I just have to cook for me. (which is best done on nights when no one's home). As the girls get older and Sir Sportsalot gets busier with his sports stuff...that seems to be happening more often. And here's the double-edged sword. I don't know how to cook for one. Fine....we have leftovers. Sir Sportsalot won't eat leftovers (I've even tried telling him...'if you didn't eat it when I made it last night....technically, for you, it's NOT leftovers!'). The girls....they will if they think to look in the fridge. That leaves at least 3 servings for me to devour before the food has passed it's 'time'. Not to mention the fact that...honestly....it gets rather boring eating the same leftovers for a couple of days. Thank God the girls bring their friends around and I can usually count on things getting eatin up.

Once in a while....there's that really good dish that you make and you want to eat it the next day...and the next. It's that good. You can't get enough. (for some reason, this most often happens with those really good, cheesy, fattening dips). Anyway....the BBQ Fried Chicken was just as much of a delight to eat the next day as it was the night I made it. It remained juicy and tender. And even though it may not have been as "crispy" (which it wasn't all that crispy to begin with because I chose to use skinless meat)....the caramelization of the sauce is what made it so darned good.

Let's back up a minute. Not long ago, I came home from work to find a box. For me. (it's like getting a present...even though you know it's coming.) Inside was a bottle of KC Masterpiece Southern Style Barbecue Sauce (you know me...I'm all over anything "southern") shipped to me through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.

(Yes, the bottle is 1/3 of the way empty. I swear, that's not how it arrived, all snug in the box. I just didn't think to take a picture of it until after I'd started on my fried chicken adventure.)

I started thinking about what to do with it. BBQ ribs briefly came to mind. As did bbq burger patties. I could've done the typical bbq chicken. But I feel the need to do something more unusual when I'm trying a new product. I feel the need to be more creative. To try something new. So I let the bbq sauce ideas simmer in my mind for a few days. (One thing was for sure....when I made whatever it was I was going to make, it was going to be a night when my youngest child wasn't going to be eating dinner at home).

And the night came (unexpectedly as usual). One by one, they all left...I had boneless skinless chicken thighs defrosted with no idea what I was going to make. It was 7:00 at night and still...not a clue. I saw something on TV, boneless chicken wings or something....being dipped in buffalo wing sauce. The image merged with my simmering bbq sauce thoughts. They danced around for a few minutes...getting a bit excited as the realization that what was happening was going to be nothing short of deliciousness. But as is with all things new....nerves set in. Is it really going to work? Is it too good to be true? But the thrill was already there and it was going to happen.

BBQ Oven Fried Chicken
Printable Version

Amounts for this recipe are not exact. I didn't measure a single thing.

5 - 6 pieces of chicken. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you want crispy....keep the skin on.
2/3 bottle of KC Masterpiece Southern-Style Barbecue Sauce (divided)
1 cup or so (as needed) of flour
Seasonings for the flour (use whatever you normally use when making fried chicken. I use salt and pepper, garlic powder, paprika and poultry seasoning)
about a cup of buttermilk
1/4 cup butter or margerine
1/4 cup shortening (do not substitute oil for this)

Preheat the oven to 425'. Line a baking sheet with foil (easy clean up). Melt the butter and shortening on the sheet. Being careful not to burn it. Cuz then you'll have to start over (been there, done that).

Get out 3 dishes (pie plates or round cake pans work great). Pour about 1/3 of the bottle of barbecue sauce in one dish. Because KC Masterpiece's Southern-Style Barbecue Sauce is thin-bodied it's perfect for dipping. In another dish combine the flour and seasonings. In the 3rd dish, pour in your buttermilk.

One at a time....dip the chicken into the buttermilk, then into the flour. Then dip it into the bbq sauce and then back into the flour. Carefully place the chicken (skin side down if applicable) onto the prepared baking sheet. I say 'carefully' because you don't want to disturb all your hard work by inadvertently removing the coating. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Place in the oven and bake for 15 - 30 minutes. The time frame will depend on the chicken. If using bone-in....30 minutes for sure. I did my boneless thighs for 20 - 25 (boneless breasts will be less). Then carefully turn the chicken over (trying not to leave any of the coating behind) and continue baking for the same amount of time. During the last 10 to 15 minutes, pour the other 3rd of the bbq sauce over the chicken.

Remove and let sit for about 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

What did I serve with these juicy, tender, caramelized beauties?

Leftovers!

Yes....I served leftover Poblano Macaroni and Cheese and corn casserole.

And it was good!

KC Masterpiece's Southern-Style BBQ Sauce is perfect for this recipe. Its tangy, sweet and has a bit of heat that catches your attention without making you worried. I have a fear of things that are too spicy. Of not knowing when the heat is going to end. With this sauce....no worries. It's all good.

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese

2011-09-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

I've recently discovered my love of the poblano chili. With that said, you can imagine my excitement when I found out that our second assignment in our Cook-off and Spotlight of the fabulous cookbook The Homesick Texan, we were making Poblano Macaroni and Cheese.

Over the Labor Day weekend, we invited friends over for food and fun and I knew this dish would be perfect to share with everyone. I'm just glad that our friends are willing and hopefully eager guinea pigs for my kitchen shenanigans.

Before we begin here, let me give you a little heads up.....in the stores here in the states (from what I've read and experienced), fresh poblanos are labeled as pasillas, which in reality (according to Wikipedia) is actually a dried chilaca pepper...and a dried poblano is called an ancho chili. How confusing is all that? Sooo....if you can't find anything in the produce section labeled as a poblano, look for a pasilla.

(you won't see the chiles in there because they were already in the oven roasting)

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
Printable Version

2 poblano (aka pasilla) chiles
8 oz elbow pasta (2 cups)
2 TB unsalted butter
4 cloves minced garlic
2 TB flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 cups grated while cheddar cheese (12 oz)
1/2 cup Cotija cheese

Under the broiler, roast your poblanos until blackened. This will take about 5 minutes per side. And we're not talking about 2 sides. It could be 3 or 4 sides....depending on the shape of your chili. Don't rush the process....but keep an eye on things. While you're at it...make sure you thoroughly enjoy the aroma. It's heavenly. The smokey sweetness of it all......mmmmm

Once they're roasted, stick em in a plastic bag and let 'em steam for a while....say...20 minutes. Remove from the bag and peel off the skin, remove the stem and seeds...

Then cut that roasted baby into 1" long pieces. Set aside.

While all this is going on....cook your pasta according to package instructions. But don't over cook them....maybe a little less than al dente. You don't want pasta paste once everything's said and done.

About now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 375' and grease a casserole dish. If your pasta is done....pour it into the prepared dish and let it sit there while you make cheese the sauce

Next, you're going to start on your roux. Over low heat, melt the butter, then add the garlic and cook for about a minute tops...I recommend stirring the whole time so your garlic doesn't burn. Burned garlic is rather yucky. Whisk in the flour and cook, while whisking, until it becomes a light toasty brown color. This part is important. The browning of the flour reduces the floury taste. The recipe says about a minute...I did it a bit longer.

Whisk in the milk and stir until it thickens....yet is still "fluid". Remove from heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro and poblano chiles.

Next, you're going to take half of the shredded cheese

I want to mention here....white cheddar is more expensive than regular cheddar cheese. Feel free to use the orange cheddar instead...or even go half white and half orange if you'd like. It's all good.

Slowly add the cheese to the sauce and stir until it melts and is well combined. At this point, if your sauce is too thick, add a little milk....about a teaspoon at a time. Which I did have to do. If the cheese won't melt because your sauce has cooled down too much....put the pan back on the stove over a low heat.

Pour the sauce over the pasta....

Then top with the remaining cheddar cheese

Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until its bubbly and brown. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and serve

I enjoyed this dish....but I found the lime to be a bit over powering. I think...I may have added too much. I suspect that I added a tablespoons worth instead of the 1 tsp.... but I can't be sure. Next time...I'm going to use less....or I might just use lime juice instead of the lime zest. But it is definitely worth making again. I might take Lisa (the author) up on some of her recommendations for variations...I might substitute some of the cheddar with pepper Jack cheese and maybe add some bacon!! She also recommends topping it with some crushed tortilla chips for a nice crunchy top.....YUM!!!

I do absolutely love the poblano flavor is this dish!

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at Girlichef*

Next week....I get to pick my own dish to spotlight. I just have to decide if I'm going to do bread or something sweet. Oh man...just looking through these recipes...my stomach is growling!

Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Chicken

2011-09-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week. My children are in college now. But somehow I've managed to get my life involved in the rush-rush of each new school year. I don't work for the schools. I don't even step foot into a school. I don't work in retail. What I do does impacts a few children in school. But I don't see the children.

And I love my job.

Yet...summer is ending. School is starting on Wednesday and that effected my work week in a major way. (And will continue to do so (in a lighter manor) until summer school is out next year.) So you can understand my excitement when I received a box of Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix in the mail early in the week. Why the excitement? Besides the fun of trying new things through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Kikkoman, I was excited....thrilled....overjoyed because I was able to make a quick, delicious meal, in minutes. Without having to over think it. I didn't have to think about it at all. I got to come home...coat, pan-fry and eat. Minimal effort. Maximum results. Perfect for those exhausting, mind numbing days at work.

I've been using Kikkoman brands for years. I have a gallon of their soy sauce in my fridge (I'm not lying). I've used their sauces and dips numerous times. In my American mind, Kikkoman is the brand that represents Japanese food. Yet somehow I had no idea that Kikkoman makes more than dips and sauces. Seriously....take a look at some of the stuff they have on their Kikkoman Homecooks Products page. Soup mixes? Soymilk? Yep...all there and then some.

Well, let's take a look at what I did for my simple dinner....

1 packet of Kikkoman Kara-Age Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 lbs) (you can use breasts instead or even fish fillets)
Vegetable Oil

Cut the chicken into little bigger than bite sized pieces, about 1 1/2 inches. This will take longer than anything else you do in this recipe. If you'd really like to save time....use those chicken tenders and call it night.

Heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil in large, heavy skillet to about 350' over a medium heat.

Pour the seasoned coating mix into a baggy.

I know that's not a baggy...but I wanted to show you the coating. It's not a breaded mix at all...but very finely ground flours, spices...etc. (there's always "etc" in packaged products). When I opened the packet....my senses were overpowered with various scents. Don't go sticking your nose in there...it's about as bad as straight pepper. In other words... those 3 oz are fully packed with flavor.

Working in batches of about 12 pieces of chicken at a time, coat the chicken

Pan-fry half of the pieces of chicken in the hot oil for about 2 - 4 minutes....turning often, until cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.....repeat with rest of the chicken.

Serve with your favorite sides. I made a simple vegetable fried rice (here's a quick tip for fried rice.....use leftover rice. That way it doesn't end up being mushy rice)

One of the things I loved about this coating is that it stayed on the chicken! Every piece was still coated with seasonings when I removed them from the pan. And somehow....that seasoning seemed to penetrate into the chicken. I'm not sure if that's also why the flavor had mellowed quite a bit since it first came out of the packet. I have to admit...once I'd gotten a whiff of the seasoning, I was a bit concerned that it would be insanely overbearing. But it wasn't. It was flavorful and delicious. I drizzled a bit of lemon juice over the chicken which brought out a certain brightness (the way only lemon can do). Each bite was just as tasty as the last.

I have another packet in the box (each box comes with two 3 oz packets). If I weren't allergic to fish, I'd try it out that way. So I'm thinking of other, non traditional ways to use the packet. And I think I just decided what I'm going to do with it. But it's a secret for now.....shhhh

Pork Tacos and Black Beans

2011-08-31T23:24:00.000-07:00

Lisa Fain....who is this gal? Where have they been hiding her (from me)? I want to kick myself for not knowing who she was until recently.

She comes from a loooooong line of Texans but has moved to New York City (I can just hear the Pace Picante "guys" sayin'...'New York City?!'). And Lisa is the author of a fabulous cookbook that I have the pleasure of 'playing with'. It's called The Homesick Texan. It's packed with page after page of mouthwatering recipes.

By the way...she has a blog herself called Homesick Texan. I highly recommend you pay her a visit. You'll thank me for it, I'm sure.

Several of us bloggers have joined with Heather over at Girlichef to spotlight The Homesick Texan and you know what? I am going to thoroughly enjoy this little glimpse of Texas.

Our first recipe is for Pork Tacos, Dallas Gas Station Style. Apparently them hungry cowboys get to feed on some good grub will filling their tank. I guess you could say...they're fillin' up both tanks. If I hadn't seen this recipe and it's history in this book....I know I would not even consider buying a taco from a gas station. Now? You bet your boots I'd grub on a gas station taco in Dallas. I'd probably stop at a gas station just to get one of these tacos....whether or not my car needed gas.

Pork Tacos

4 dried pasilla chiles (stems and seeds removed) (we'll have a little chat about these chiles in a minute)
2 lbs pork shoulder
1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce (not the whole can....just one)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Small pinch of ground cloves
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 TB white vinegar
2 TB olive oil
Salt to taste
1 TB vegetable oil

Lets talk about those chiles. You may not be able to find pasilla chiles. Or at least they may not be called that. Apparently here in the states, things get mixed up in translation. I found this great website for reference...talks about the chiles and their substitutes for dried chiles (as well as other things)....Foodsubs.com There's also a great chapter in The Homesick Texan Cookbook called 'The Larder' that provides information and graphics that I found very helpful. I happen to live very close to a Mexican grocery store and was able to pick up "Chile Negro"...which is the same (from what I understand) as Pasilla Chiles. Which by the way is mild in the heat department.

So...you have your chiles all ready, right? Take a nice heavy skillet (I love my cast iron skillets) and heat it up (no oil). Place the chiles in there and heat them for about 10 seconds on each side. Add enough water to cover the chiles. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat, letting the chiles soak until softened which takes about 30 minutes.

While the pasillas are enjoying their little hot tub experience, get out that pork shoulder and get ready to do a lot of chopping. Trim off the fat and cut the pork into little 1/2" pieces. This will most likely take up most if not all of that 30 minute chile hot tub time.

Once the pork is chopped and chiles are softened...drain the water out and rinse the chiles. Place them into a blender. Add the chipotle chile (if you're a-feared of the heat...remove the chipotle seeds), garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, orange juice, pineapple juice, vinegar and olive oil. Puree it all. Taste it and add some salt.

In a zip lock bag (or non-reactive dish) combine the chopped pork with the pureed chile sauce

I love that rich, deep color....

Mix it all up to make sure all the pieces are covered and stick in the fridge for 8 hours. (yup...you're gonna wanna get this baby started rather early.)

Once all that time has passed and you've spent the day...I dunno...grocery shopping? Reading recipes? Lounging by the pool with a margarita.....

Take the pork out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.

Fry the pork until done. And tender. And tasty. (takes about 15 minutes or more). Don't forget to stir it every so often.

Serve in a warmed taco shell, topped with onions, cilantro and a little lime juice.

If you'd like a little side dish to go along with these Dallas Gas Station Tacos....I recommend the Austin-Style Black Beans.

I don't know if you know this about me or not...but I'm not a huge bean fan. Some I can tolerate more than others. And I can certainly do without. Let me just say....these beans are GOOD!!

Austin-Style Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans
1 TB vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion (I think I used a white one) diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 TB tomato paste
1/4 cup line juice
Salt to taste

Rinse and sort your beans to make sure there aren't any pebbles or other weird things in with the beans.

Place them in a large pot. Cover the beans with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse.

In the same pot, on a medium low heat, saute the onions and carrots in oil until the onions are translucent and the carrots are lighter in color. This takes a few minutes....8? 10? Just keep an eye on it and make sure you stir them up a bit occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the beans to the pot with the veggies. Add the chipotle chiles and 1/4 cup of cilantro. Cover everything with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours.

Once that time has passed (maybe this time you did a load of laundry and watched your favorite movie for the umpteenth time while sipping on another margarita)....

Add the remaining cilantro to the beans along with the cumin, tomato paste and lime juice. Salt to taste. Cook some more for about 30 minutes or until the beans are tender. Here, Lisa states that the actual cooking times may vary depending on how fresh your dried beans are (never thought about the freshness of dried anything before but apparently it does matter).

When the beans are done, smash a few of them on the side of your pan with a spoon to thicken things up a bit....and then get ready to enjoy the best beans ever! (I can say that since I don't like beans....and I think these are amazing!)

*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at Girlichef*

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

2011-08-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from a lovely two week vacation, visiting my family in Alabama. Good-byes are always so difficult. The hugs, and kisses and tears...knowing that it'll be quit some time before I see my family again. I hate it. But...I always carry a little bit of each of them back home with me (especially the pounds I gained eating all the fabulous food we all cooked).

The older of my two sisters, Jenifer, picked me and my youngest daughter up from the airport. Our first night there we decided to keep dinner simple and easy. (it was something we had discussed and planned days in advance....1. I'm always thinking about what we're going to cook and eat. 2. Jenifer is a planner. She probably has Christmas already planned and began Christmas shopping months ago) Jenifer had the perfect meal in mind....Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole. Just a few simple ingredients thrown together with fabulous results. Comforting and tasty in no time at all. If I remember correctly, she said she found the recipe in Southern Living magazine. I poked around the internet a bit to see what was out there. I found a few variations of this recipe....some included cheese, others had onions....but this recipe is great as is. Not only because of it's simplicity but also because the ingredients are basic staples that most of us can find in our pantry on any given night. Which by the way is perfect for Jenifer. I mean....seriously...with her crazy life....working full-time, raising two wonderful children, keeping up with their activities....and maintaining a loving home, I don't know how she does it. This recipe is made for families like hers.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
Printable Version

4 - 5 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 to 2 sleeves of crushed crackers (she used Ritz)
1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350' F, spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray (for good measure)

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, sour cream and poppy seeds. Put the mixture into the casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers and drizzle the melted butter over the crackers.
Bake at 350' for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubble.

And that's it. With a quick salad tossed together...maybe a few slices of Texas Toast on the side and dinner is served, devoured and enjoyed.

Cheese Filled Rolls

2011-08-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm currently enjoying a nice little vacation visiting my family in Alabama. I've been here over a week now and will be heading home in a few days.

I hate when vacations have to come to an end.

I come from a good sized family....2 sisters, a brother.....lots of aunts and uncles, dozens of cousins and unknown numbers of second cousins. It goes on and on. I even met a sweet lady last week who's somehow related to me.....2nd or 3rd cousin to my dad. (What does that make her and I?) Unless a family reunion were to be arranged, there would be no way I'd get to see everyone. So, this trip I've spent my time with my immediate family. And as is typical....most of it centered around cooking. It's a good thing we all love to cook and are good at it. Even my brother is into cooking. Actually....to be honest, my brother is better at "plating" food than I am.

The day after I arrived, I was staying at the older of my two sisters, Jenifer's house (both are younger than I am), in Birmingham. We had decided to have a girls night since her husband and son would be gone most of the night doing boy things (football practice). Which left the house to us girls...both of my sisters (Jenifer and Nicki), my two beautiful, sweet nieces (ages 10 and 2) and one of my cousins, Rachel

We planned a great dinner, along with wine and beer and enjoyed each others company. My baby sister, Nicki, brought Bacon Cheddar Dip

Hers didn't look exactly like that (this is a photo of some I made a while back)...she had dipped into hers the night before. It's so good she couldn't wait. Or maybe she made it for herself and then decided to share it with us to save herself from eating the whole thing. It doesn't matter....it's a great dip, and very addicting.

Jenifer made our grandmother's Baked Beans

I made our grandmothers Lemon Ice Box

We had other dishes but these were the highlights of the evening.

Anyways, this post is about the yummy little delectable Cheese Filled Rolls that Jenifer and I made. I know it's not a new recipe. And I'd bet most of you have made them, or a variation of, in the past. I know it's not the first time I've had them....but I'd never actually made them before. So.... I felt they needed a spot on my blog.

I think we made some alterations to the recipe to accommodate some "particular" palettes....and that's what I love about recipes like this one....the fact that you can make changes to fit your needs, tastes or even ingredient limitations.

Cheese Filled Rolls
Printable Version

1 can of grand flaky biscuits (8 biscuits)
1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup crushed, toasted pecans

Preheat the oven to 350' F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Peel each biscuit in half (so you have 2 disks) and flatten them out a little....stretching them a bit to make them bigger.

Cream together the cream cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning. Put a dab (about a scant tablespoons worth) of the mixture in the center of each biscuit disk

Fold each disk in half and pinch the edges together to secure

(Using a fork to pinch them is not necessary or even recommended. Although it looks 'purty' now, by the time these are baked, you don't even see the edges)

Now....get out medium smallish bowls. Put the melted butter in one bowl. In the other bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese and crushed pecans.

Dip each biscuit in the butter and then roll it in the cheese mixture.

Place on your prepared cookie sheet.

Bake at 350' for 25 - 30 minutes.

Makes 16 rolls for your enjoyment.

These are even good the next day....cold!!

I'd like to try them again and add some finely chopped green onions to the cream cheese. Or little bits of bacon...or Italian sausage. Hmmm....of course my mind wanders over to the Mexican cuisine side...with jalepeno's and cheddar cheese. Desserts just around the corner with the thought of maple flavored cream cheese and bacon bits.....or a fruit version or....chocolate in there somewhere.

I gotta stop.....now!

Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee Float

2011-08-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I told ya'll about the coffee I had received from Godiva through the Tastemaker Program and the Double Nut Godiva Iced Coffee I made with their Hazelnut Creme Coffee. Well, I hadn't done anything with the Chocolate Truffle coffee yet. Then one morning I made myself a little pot of it and sat in my backyard to enjoy it.

(yes, I know. I put a lot of cream and sugar in my coffee. I've tried not to....but I just can't do it any other way.)

Well, let me tell you...this little cup (read: big mug) of coffee was amazing. The chocolate flavor was bold and silky and smooth. I've tasted chocolate coffees before but none as perfect as this. It was like chocolate heaven in my mouth but it wasn't too much chocolate. What I mean is....don't think "chocolate milk" or "chocolate flavoring".....those coffee beans must've been bred with cocoa beans or something because the two flavors meshed as one and it was obvious to my taste buds that they were made for each other.

That's when I decided....Yes, I need to do something special with this bag of coffee as well. So I quickly saved and chilled the rest of the coffee in the coffee pot. You see...I'm a 'one cup of coffee a day' kinda gal and I had made half a pot. And even though I knew I wouldn't have enough time to play with the coffee that day....I did not want to waste even a drop. So in the fridge it went while I pondered the possibilities for a few days.

I wish I could remember what lead me to the idea of a coffee float. (I wish I could remember a lot of things but that's a different story). I looked up some recipes but none of them were what I was imagining in my head. Part of the fun of a root beer float (the ideal model for my coffee float) is the foaming ice cream. And that comes from the fizz.

My coffee needed fizz.

Chocolate Truffle Coffee Float
(makes 2 floats)
Printable Version

1 1/2 cups strong Godiva Chocolate Truffle coffee
1/2 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup club soda
6 scoops vanilla ice cream (divided)

In a small saucepan combine the coffee and simple syrup. Over medium to low heat, reduce by half being careful not let it boil (nothing worse than burned coffee flavor).

Allow to cool a bit then chill in the fridge.

When ready to serve, put 3 scoops of ice cream in a tall glass. Add the club soda to the reduced coffee and pour 1/2 of the coffee mixture over the ice cream and there you have it.

What you'll experience is the creaminess of the vanilla ice cream followed by the wonderfully fizzy chocolaty flavor of this amazing coffee. Truly a delightful experience.

I just can't decide if this should be for dessert or breakfast....

Breakfast Bruschetta

2011-08-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

I love me some bruschetta.

I love me some hummus.

I've made variations of both but I don't think (although I could be wrong) I've combined the two before. When I received a coupon through the Tastemakers Program for a free tub of Sabra hummus....(which I absolutely love), that's exactly what I did....in breakfast form.

At first I really had a hard time deciding what to do with the hummus. I mean...I like it so much as is, on pita or crackers that I just couldn't imagine what else I could possibly want to do with it. I asked some friends and was lead to the Sabra website (duh.....why didn't I just go there to begin with?) and discovered all sorts of wonderful recipes. One of them that really caught my eye was a recipe for Breakfast Nachos. I figured I'd make a variation of that....a sorta Mediterranean version. Well, in the process of actually making them, they morphed into a bruschetta instead. As I sit here, thinking about them.....they're morphing some more into all sorts of other ideas....like a breakfast casserole with the bread made into a chunky topping....crouton style. Or rolled up into little breakfast burritos, or folded up in a flat bread.

(Morphing food is a lot more fun than morphing transformers into automobiles and aliens)

Breakfast Bruschetta
Printable Version

Preheat oven to 350'

1 baguette, cut into 1/4"slices
Olive Oil to drizzle on bread
2 - 3 cloves of garlic to rub on bread
1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 medium zucchini, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1 minced garlic clove
pepper to taste
3 roma tomatoes, diced
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Your favorite Sabra Hummus flavor(s) (I used roasted red pepper and roasted garlic cuz I couldn't decide which one I wanted).

For the baguettes, I could've toasted them in the oven but often times they come out too toasted...on the very crunchy side. I wanted the bread inside to be softer. Just do it the way you like it. What I did was drizzle the slices with olive oil then stuck a grill grate over my stove flame and toasted them over the open flame (I LOVE that open flame flavor on bread! It reminds me of camping and making toast over the campfire). Then I rubbed fresh garlic over one side of each slice of toast. Once those were done I set them aside to await their destiny.....being the vehicle that transports the "goods" from plate to face.

Preheat the oven to 350' F.

Heat an oven safe skillet over medium heat. Drizzle a bit of oil in there. Cook your crumbled sausage in the pan until no longer pink. Remove from pan (drain if necessary) and set aside.

Add a bit more oil and saute the zucchini and onion until just tender. Then add some pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic. Saute for another minute or so.

Note: I don't have salt added at this time because it will cause the vegetables to release their moisture.

Remove the seasoned vegetables from the pan and set aside with the sausage. Clean out the pan and heat some oil and / or butter.

In a good sized bowl, combine the sausage, veggies and eggs (now you can add your salt and pepper to taste)

Pour into your warm skillet. Top with the diced tomatoes, cheeses and basil.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center is set...I cut the center a little to make sure it was cooked through.

Spread the toasted baguette slices with your hummus and top with a scoop of egg and chow down!

This is great for serving several people for brunch, or even for a holiday breakfast. You can cook and saute the meat and veggies ahead of time. You can even toast the baguette the night before then all you have to do is beat the eggs, add everything else and bake away.

If you don't know what your favorite Sabra Hummus is, I recommend trying them all. I haven't tasted one that I didn't like. As for my favorite...I'm torn between the Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (that I used in this recipe) and the Chipotle Hummus. Great flavor! If you're not gonna make it yourself...this is the next best thing. I wouldn't normally recommend a store bought hummus.....but honestly Sabra knows what they're doing.

Cambodian Grilled Chicken

2011-08-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

I learned a new word. A very weird sounding word that means something totally unexpected.

Spatchcock

If you had to guess, what would you think that word means?

Me? I dunno....it just sounds.....soooo not very appropriate for anything that has to do with food. But it does. Honest.

After deciding I wanted to try a recipe for Cambodian Grilled Chicken from the book Planet Barbecue, I started reading the instructions. There were very few ingredients...most of which I already had. But when the instructions said to "spatchcock the chicken"...I was a little nervous to say the least.

Do what to the chicken?!!

Wikipedia: "A spatchcock is poultry or game that is prepared for roasting or grilling by removing the backbone and sternum of the bird and flattening it out before cooking"

(Who invents these words, anyway?!)

Ok...so it's a NOT so fancy word for butterflying a chicken.

Basically what you do is rinse and dry the chicken. Turn the chicken over on its tummy....ok....breast side down, and using a pair of kitchen shears, cut out the backbone.

Step one accomplished.

Btw...if you're into making chicken broths and stock, save that back bone for your next batch.

Now we spread that chick open and proceed to remove the sternum by running a knife (recommended knife: pairing) along the edge of the sternum....run your thumbs along the cartridge and pop that baby out.

Now....there's a flap of skin laying over each thigh......using your pairing knife, cut a little hole, about an inch long in the skin, then insert the end of each leg into a hole. Turn the bird over and snip off the tips of the wings.

And there you have it. A spatchcock.

Personally, I'd rather say I butterflied the damn thing.

The purpose of going to all this trouble? It speeds up the grilling time.

Now lets get cooking.

Cambodian Grilled Chicken
Printable Version

Marinade
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 - 4 lbs), spatchcocked
5 garlic cloves, cut in half
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (or more soy sauce)

Glaze
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, crushed gently
2 teaspoons annatto seed (achiote) or sweet paprika

Do you have a mortar and pestle? If not....just use a mini food processor or something.

To make the marinade:
Place the 5 cloves of garlic, sugar and salt in your mortar. Pound away until you have a smooth paste (it smells amazing!). It only takes a minute. Seriously...it's quick and easy. Add in the soy sauce and fish sauce (in my case, I omitted the fish sauce and used more soy sauce due to allergies) and work it together. Pour over the chicken and rub it in good....getting it all over.

Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. (I highly recommend the 4 hours if you have the time....the flavor will be more intense)

For the glaze:
Heat the oil in a small saucepan, over a medium heat. Add the gently crushed garlic and cook for about a minute....until the garlic just begins to brown. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and place in a heat proof bowl. Add the annatto seeds to the oil in the sauce pan and cook for about 2 minutes...until fragrant and brown. Strain the oil over the bowl with the garlic and set aside until ready to grill.

If you're using paprika powder instead of annatto seeds, then remove the oil from the heat...add the paprika and pour into the bowl with the garlic.

Once the chicken is ready to grill....or maybe when you're ready to grill the chicken...heat the grill to medium. You can either use direct or indirect heat....depending on how you like to roll. I think Sir Sportsalot is all about direct heat. I'm convinced indirect heat would be a better choice.

Discard any excess marinade. Brush and oil the grill grate. During the last 10 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken with the glaze, on both sides. Grill for 12 - 20 minutes per side or until the meat is done (ie: meat thermometer reads 170' F, the juices run clear....you know the drill).

Let the chicken rest a bit before serving.

Now...this recipe also includes a "dip". I didn't care for it, but just in case you want the full experience and to be able to judge for yourself....here's the dip:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine

Now...this is not a pretty picture. The skin...I don't know what happened to it. But it's almost all gone (and I love grilled chicken skin, so you can imagine my disappointment). I think this may have been the result of direct heat (and indirect attention). But still....the chicken was extremely tender and had great flavor.

Sooo...I made it again. Only this time I used bone-in, skin on, chicken thighs (it's what I had on hand) and baked the thighs in a 350' oven for about an hour

Sure...there's not a single grill mark. I know....it doesn't have that smokey grilled flavor. But guess what? If it's winter and you can't grill, or maybe you don't own a grill, or what if you live in an apartment....well, this here is your alternative. It totally works and is still a wonderful dish.

Double Nut Godiva Iced Coffee

2011-07-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

You know that old commercial...."Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't". Well...even though this drink is called "Double Nut" ...one is a nut and one's not.

Let's start at the beginning. Not so long ago...in the rather recent past, through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I received 2 bags of Godiva coffee.

Chocolate Truffle and Hazelnut Creme. My mission? To create an iced coffee beverage. Being in a nutty mood, I chose to play with the nuts first. I made a nice big pot of Hazelnut Creme coffee....drank a wonderful cupful and enjoyed it immensely. It was rich without being too sharp or bitter. Flavorful without tasting overly much or imitation. I love hazelnuts but I refuse to add flavored cremes to my coffee because it doesn't taste 'right' to me. This coffee blend has the perfect combination.

Right then and there I knew this was the coffee I'd use for my iced coffee beverage. And being the ~~lush~~ alcohol connoisseur that I am, of course this iced coffee is for adult consumption only.

And that's where the second....non-nut, comes into play.....Coconut Rum.

Double Nut Godiva Iced Coffee
makes 2 servings

6 oz cold, strong Godive Hazelnut Creme Coffee
6 oz Coconut Rum
4 oz creme, half n half or milk
1 tray of ice cubes
Whipped Cream and Chocolate Syrup to garnish

Combine the coffee, rum, milk and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into an 8oz chilled glass. Top with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

This is a wonderful little drink to enjoy after a hot day as you sit in the backyard enjoying the sunset and cooling breeze. Once you get to the bottom of the glass....who knows, maybe you'll even be relaxed enough to act like the hidden child within...and slurp up that last little bit with a straw and make that extremely annoying sound that's only funny when you're a kid or when you're 'fuzzy' enough to think so.

Pesto Biscuits

2011-07-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Let me just start off by saying....it's not the pesto on the biscuit that makes this a Pesto Biscuit. It's whats inside. I mean...that would just be 'pesto on a biscuit'. And why would I blog about that, right?

For the first time in my life I have a little herb garden. It's so nice and smells wonderful. I have mint, rosemary (actually, I've had the rosemary for years...it's rather large and grows, in an unruly fashion in my front yard), cilantro, chives, dill, lavender and sage. Oh....and basil! Sooo....for the first time in my life, I get to make pesto from my own homegrown basil. I like that. I like the idea of making stuff from scratch....with my own hands. Like they did in the old days (when I was a kid, I wanted to live like The Little House on the Prairie). I even take this "thrill" to other areas of my life.....other hobbies. When I use to tole paint...I got a scroll saw and cut my own wood pieces. When I crocheted, I had this wild idea of having my own sheep and finding a spinning wheel so I could spin my own yarn (that idea never came to fruition...sheep smell). When I had pet birds, I decided I wanted to see baby birds and bred them (I once had 80 birds until my dogs worked the aviary cage door open and released them all into the wild.....Fly, Be FREE! That was a costly mishap). If I could have chickens, I would. If I had a larger backyard, I'd have fruit trees everywhere. You get the idea...

Anyways...here I sit, in my little city house growing my little city herb garden and joyfully making fresh pesto. If you're interested in my recipe ----> click here <---- I had so much basil over the weekend that I was able to make 3 batches. One for a friend, one for the freezer and one for the fridge. From the looks of things, I'll probably have enough to make another batch any day now.

In the midst of soaking my basil leaves and making sure they were all clean.... Btw....basil from the garden requires a bit more attention than the store bought stuff. I mean....you're bound to come across at least one free-loader

This is proof that there are wild things living in the backyards of city homes. But, I'm sorry to say....this was his last appearance. I'm not the kind of person who's going to re-release him into the wild. I'm sure there are enough of them out there already. When they're outside, I leave them alone (unless its a black widow).....when they're in the house (even if I inadvertently brought one in) their number's up. Funny how I assumed it's a "he". Hmmmm....best leave that one alone.

Sooo....I had a few extra, clean, basil leaves and decided that I wanted them in a biscuit. Since I had pesto on the brain, I went ahead and added pine nuts and Parmesan cheese as well. Thinking back....I should've added garlic. I wonder why I didn't think of that then? I mean...that's a no brainer. Garlic goes in everything! Hmmm....maybe spidey threw my game off. It certainly couldn't have been the cocktail I was experimenting with. (If you want to see how that turned out....visit Cocktail Puppy and check out my Seven More Sins.)

Well, here's my garlicless recipe....if you like garlic, I recommend adding some...according to taste.

Pesto Biscuits
Printable Version

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (toasting them a bit gives them more flavor)
2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh basil
6 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 425'.

Chop up the pine nuts.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, pine nuts and basil

Doesn't that look so fresh and tasty? And it's not even made into anything yet!

Using a pastry blender, fork or fingers....work the cold butter into the flour mixture until you have small pea sized pieces.

Add the cheese...stir with a wooden spoon. Add the milk and sour cream and mix until just combined.

Dust your work surface with a bit of flour. Turn out the dough and knead 3 - 5 times just to get the stuff to come together. (hint: over kneaded biscuits = tough biscuits, ie: paper weights).

Roll out the dough to 1/2" thick. Cut the biscuits with a 2" round cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown for about 12 - 15 minutes.

The result? A tasty little morsel that's mildly flavored and the perfect side for most any dish. I guess that means that biscuits aren't just for breakfast. These babies are for dinner!

Tate's Chocolate Jumbles

2011-07-20T19:56:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been on a Tate's Bake Shop kick lately. But lemme just tell ya....the recipes in that cookbook are so danged good. I mean....as I'm looking at this book, opened next to me, I see a recipe called Simple Lemon Wafers. How wonderful does that sound?!

Ok, back to the cookies. I did change up the recipe a bit. Hmmm...now that I look at it, more than I thought. I omitted the nuts cuz one of my darling daughters (and some days that term is used more loosely than others....more like in a rather sarcastic tone) does not like nuts. I'm not a huge huge fan of white chocolate so I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Also...I had enjoyed the Cappuccino Shorbread that I made recently and I was still on a high from those....sooooo I added espresso powder to these beauties. But the basic foundation of the cookie remains the same. The structure was not altered. The cookies are still cakey and absolutely fabulous. If you want to eat something sweet that makes your taste buds sing like an angel and all your senses and awareness of space and time are focused on the flavors dancing on your tongue....then these are the cookies for you.

Chocolate Jumbles (in an altered state)
Printable Version
makes about 18 jumbo cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 TB espresso powder
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (light or dark...doesn't matter)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350' F Grease 2 cookie sheets or cover with parchment paper

In a large bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.

In a another large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix together. Gradually add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).

If you have an ice cream scoop....this is the perfect time to use it. Fill a cup with some warm water...dip the scoop in the cup and scoop out a blog of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons worth is what we're going for) and drop unto the cookie sheet. Press each dough wad down with your fingertips....gently, to sorta flatten them out a little.

Bake for about 20 minutes. You don't want to over bake them. If they're a bit soft when they first come out of the oven....that's normal.

Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Remove and allow the cookies to continue to cool on a wire rack.

That's it. The end. Now all you have to do is enjoy and try to prevent yourself from eating several before the day is done. If you want to save yourself....take most of them to work and share with your co-workers.

Cappuccino Shortbread

2011-07-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ooey gooey chocolatey deliciousness. Rich and wonderfully satisfying. Did I mention how easy it is to make?

I found this recipe in Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook. Kathleen described them as "...thin and crisp....". Mine didn't turn out that way. Probably because I didn't use the recommended 9x9 square pan. I don't have a 9x9 square pan. I have one that's 8x8 and that's what I used but didn't adjust the cooking time at all....which I imagine resulted in the thicker, more chewy version. Whatever the case may be.....it just doesn't matter. They're good.

The recipe calls for instant espresso powder. My local market just recently started stocking it. The minute I saw it on the shelf, I grabbed one. I don't make espresso. Well, I did once....but I use it for baking when called for. But my favorite application is adding it to my morning coffee for that little extra somethin' somethin'. If you don't have any, or can't find it....you can use instant coffee. The flavor will be a bit mild. Maybe increase the amount a little? I don't think it would hurt anything.

Cappuccino Shortbread

Printable Version

1/2 cup plus 2 TB room temperature butter

1 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp instant espresso powder

2 TB firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 cup confectioners / powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)

Hmm....as I type this...and take a closer look at my photo, I realize that I did not use confectioners sugar. I used just plain old granulated sugar. How silly of me. O'well. No harm done. They're good.

Preheat the oven to 325' F

In a medium mixing bowl, combine everything except for the chocolate chips.

I know that the only liquid ingredient is vanilla extract. No, that is not an error. Forge ahead....all will be well. Trust me.

See? It may be crumbly.....but it's combined. Just the way it's suppose to be.

Now get that pile of chopped chocolate and mix it in.

Don't worry about greasing the pan. Put (no point in saying "pour" cuz that's not gonna happen) the mixture into your pan....pat down evenly

Bake for about 30 minutes or until brown on the edges.

Ya....the edges weren't brown....I could've baked it a few more minutes. Hm. Whatever....they're good.

Ok...as soon as you remove the pan from the oven, cut the shortbread into squares (whatever size you want....just keep in mind that it's rich and sweet so you don't need big squares). Allow to cool in the pan before removing.

When ready....grab yourself a square and enjoy with a cup of coffee, tea or even an ice cold glass of milk.

If you haven't already notice by all the things that I did differently, this here is a pretty forgiving recipe. Now I want to make it right....so its thin and crispy. Only I kinda wanna sprinkle the top with some coconut before going into the oven.

Newtons Mini Tarts

2011-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago (and I use that term lightly cuz I don't remember exactly when), I received a package in the mail. Through the Tastemakers Program at Foodbuzz.com, I was one of the lucky recipients of a box of Newton's Fruit Thins.

Let me just say.....Yum! Seriously good cookies. And not in an overly sweet way either. Yet they satisfy that sweet craving. They're crispy like a cracker and they have these little chewy bits of fruit in them that are just soooo dang good.

Kudos to Newtons! I've always enjoyed Fig Newton bars, but this new addition to the Newton family is fabulous. And did I mention that they're made with whole grain? Niiiiiiiice

The letter that came with the cookies suggested crushing the cookies and sprinkling them over ice cream or yogurt. Which I'm sure tastes great. But that got my brain whirling and I came up with a different plan. Trouble was....by the time the weekend came around, there weren't enough cookies left. Apparently the girls and their friends enjoyed them as well. But I really wanted to make my little treat so I added Newtons Fruit Thins to my grocery list. And you know what? They have some great flavor combos out there. Oooooh....choices! I couldn't resist picking up a package of Chocolate Raspberry instead of the Fig and Honey version they sent me.

I don't know about you but I am a huge fan of raspberries and chocolate combined and this got me excited! (apparently I'm easy...)

The next phase of my quest had me searching for recipes for no-bake tart like fillings. Sure...I could've made the standard cream cheese filling with the sweetened condensed milk it in.

I could have.

I didn't want to. I wanted something different. (to me) Something new. (to me) Something not so dang sweet (sooooo not like me). And when I found something that satisfied all those requirements....it was back to the grocery I went. To purchase mascarpone.

Before we get into the nitty gritty details of the recipe and process, let me share with you a little something. A while ago (and again, I use that turn lightly....cuz it was seriously...months ago), I chose to review product from CSNStores.com instead of doing a giveaway. One of the items I picked were these darling little non-stick mini tart pans

This was the perfect time to break these babies in. I have a thing for individually sized desserts. They just seem more....special. I mean, not only do you get to eat the whole thing....but you get so see the completed product, not just a portion. Like...getting the "B" on your slice of cake from a birthday party, or half of a balloon. When you have mini desserts, you get to see the whoooooole thing as it was intended. And you don't have to share it with anyone. And in your mind...you're thinking....this cute little, delicious dessert as just for me.

I spose this is where I tell you how great these little tart pans are. Not cuz I have to. But because they are. Easy to work with. Easy to clean and they get the job done. What more could a cook / baker ask for? (besides someone else to clean up the mess....but that may be asking for too much).

This is a very simple, easy dessert. Minimal effort required.....great results!

Newtons Mini Tarts
Printable Version

1 1/2 cups Newtons Fruit Thins Chocolate Raspberry (about 15 cookies)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
4 oz mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Handful of fresh raspberries to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375'F
Spray mini tart pans with cooking spray

In a food processor, process the cookies until you have fine crumbs.

Add melted butter and mix until well combined.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the cookie crumb mixture into each tart pan. Press mixture to the bottom and up the sides so the crust is as even as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for about 5 - 7 minutes. Allow to cool in the fridge for about an hour.

Once the crusts have cooled, in a medium sized bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft and fluffy. Do not over beat....we're dealing with whipping cream here and we do not want butter now, do we?

Spoon filling into mini tarts, dividing it up as evenly as you can between them. Garnish with fresh raspberries. Allow to chill for about an hour so the filling sets and the flavors settle.

And there you have your little mini tart filled with a decadent filling that's reminisce of a smooth, homemade whipped cream...only creamier and not as sweet. This allows the crust to be the star in this show. As you take your bite, of course your mouth is filled with creamy goodness....but soon the chocolate raspberry cookie flavor bursts out onto center stage and steals the show. Your taste buds are bound to give a standing ovation, demanding an encore.

Are you wondering why I've served the tart still in the pan? Cookie crumb crusts are not made to support themselves....they sorta crumble.

By the way...don't worry if you don't have mini tart pans. Just make it a full sized tart. Or in a pie plate. Its all about the flavor. Be creative with the presentation.

Soft Pretzels

2011-06-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

I don't particularly like pretzels. I don't like mustard. I especially don't like pretzels and mustard combined. Sir Sportsalot likes both.

Before I'll eat a pretzel.....I have to be super duper hungry and limited in snack choices.

But I love soft pretzels. The chewiness. The smell. The texture of the firm outside crust and the soft pillow-y insides. Not to mention the bits of crunchy salt that litters the tops. Soft Pretzels are among the best things you can buy at the mall. (That and Hot Dog on a Stick....one of the very few things you will ever see me eat with mustard).

And believe it or not....they are among the easiest snacks to make at home. Had I known they were so easy...I would've made them ages ago!! (They've been on my list of fun things to try for years)

The recipe I used is Alton Brown's and can be found -----> here <----- if you want to check out the original. Although I did not change the recipe, I did add a minor step.

Soft Pretzels
Printable Version

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 110'F)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour (or 22 oz)
2 oz melted butter (cooled a bit, no hotter than 115'F)
Vegetable oil, for the pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt (if you have it....or course sea salt)

In a large bowl, combine the lukewarm water with the sugar and salt, then sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5 minutes at which time the yeast will have started to foam a bit.

Pour in the flour and butter and mix until well combined. Pour out onto a smooth surface (I found that I did not need to dust the surface with flour as the dough did not stick. If you find that it's sticking to your surface, dust slightly but try not to use too much. You don't want too much flour added to your dough). Knead the dough until smooth. This will take 5 - 10 minutes.

This is not considered smooth...

If that's what your dough looks like....knead on baby.....you've got a bit more work to do. You want it to look like this....

See the difference? Now it's ready for the next phase. Clean the bowl you had mixed it all in, dry it and oil it. Place your nice smooth ball into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit in a draft free place in your kitchen and allow to rise for about 50 - 55 minutes. At which point your dough has doubled in size

Niiiiiiiice! It's time to get rolling!

Preheat your oven to 450'F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper with vegetable oil.

In a large pot or stock pot, bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil.

While the water is heating.....lightly grease your counter space where you'll be working the dough. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a 24" long rope. I think that was the most challenging part for me. My ropes kept springing back. I probably should've let the 8 balls rest a few minutes before working them so much.

Anyways....now that you have the ropes made, shape them into pretzels

Or some other shape.....My youngest daughter was helping me out and is never one to remain "in the box".

Place the pretzels on your prepared baking sheets.

Now....your water should be boiling like crazy. If not.....it will be soon. Once it is, gently and carefully place one pretzel in the water and boil for 30 seconds, carefully flipping it over halfway through the process. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pretzel from the water and return to the baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining pretzels, one at a time.

Take your egg wash and brush over the tops...then sprinkle with course salt.

Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes before eating.

Once cooled slightly....chow down. Or, if you must....break out the mustard. Me? I liberally applied melted garlic butter. And had a ~~little~~ lot on the side for dipping.

This recipe made 8. They were devoured within a few hours. They were in the oven after dinner....and by midnight....poof! They had vanished.

Let me just tell you about a personal observation....when I bit into one, fresh out of the oven...still warm and soft....it reminded me of salty soft bread. I was a bit disappointed at first. BUT....after they cooled a bit more...to room temperature, the pretzel flavor shined through and I was thrilled. And relieved. I didn't want Sir Sportsalot, the lover of all pretzels, to be unimpressed. I needn't have worried.

Now that I think of it...I just may have to make another batch today. After all, it is Father's Day. And I've been pondering the idea of a nacho version. Jalapenos chopped up and added to the dough during the mixing process and then maybe some shredded cheddar sprinkled on top just before baking. Aaaaand for that added gooeyness....a bowl of nacho cheese dip on the side. How's that for a Father's Day snack?

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. Now grab a beer and a pretzel and have a great day!

Peanut Butter and Maple Ice Cream

2011-06-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Guess what I bought recently!!!

Yep...an ICE CREAM MAKER...and I am so excited. I had one years ago...loaned it out and never got it back. By the time I went to use it, I had forgotten who I loaned it to, or they forgot they borrowed it...and well, I found myself ice cream maker-less.

I was rather bummed. Don't you just hate when that happens?!

Before I made my purchase though....I ask everyone on my Facebook page what they recommended. The verdict? A resounding vote for Cuisinart.

And that's just what I did. Found myself at Bed Bath and Beyond (after searching a few other stores) with my 1.5 qt ice cream maker in hand....a 20% off coupon from the lady in line behind me (because I never actually "plan" on going to Bed Bath and Beyond) and when all was said and done, I spent under $45.00 for the easiest ever ice cream maker.

Btw.....when did they stop using ice and rock salt? (ya....it's been a while since I've owned one. Can you tell?)

Have I ever mentioned that I love peanut butter and maple? Oh ya....I did, in my Belgian Waffle post. Now I'm going to share the story that made it happen....

It all started years ago...when I was a young girl. One of my favorite sandwiches was peanut butter and honey. I'd make them often for my sack lunch. One morning when I had my taste buds set on having one for lunch that day, I discovered that we were out of honey. Mom?!! I have never been a bologna type of gal. Not sure why I just didn't use jelly (like everyone else)...soooo, I found myself pouring maple syrup all over my bread. Shoved it in a plastic baggy (not the zip lock kind.....the old fashioned kind....the ones that fold over. Remember those?) and off to school I went. When lunch time rolled around, I found myself with a bit of a sticky baggy....but something wonderful had happened. The syrup kinda crystallized and made the edges of my bread....the crust ....the part I NEVER ate....almost like candy. Not to mention the wonderful coming together of two great flavors. Meshing in your mouth to create something amazing. A love that apparently has lasted a lifetime.

And a love that has lead to this....

Peanut Butter and Maple Ice Cream (makes about 5 cups)
Printable Version

1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp maple flavoring / extract (if you don't have any....skip it)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter

In a medium sized bowl, on low speed, beat together the milk, sugar and salt. Stir in the maple syrup, heavy cream, maple flavoring and vanilla extract. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 1 or 2 hours or longer (over night if need be).

Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker. After the ice cream is done, fold in the peanut butter. Enjoy now or store in the freezer until you have a harder set.

Scoop and server

And enjoy as you taste a bit of my childhood obsession.

Note: this is a very sweet ice cream. There's no denying the flavor of maple. If your a bit hesitant....maybe omit the sugar all together. You could even omit the maple flavoring (might be redundant) and then increase the vanilla extract by a teaspoon. Either way...I hope you find yourself enjoying the combo of peanut butter and maple as much as I do.

SoCal Quiche

2011-05-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

A.K.A.....BLT w/ Avocado Quiche. For reals. All of the ingredients of one of the most popular sandwiches wrapped up in one pie plate.

Just for the record...my oldest child doesn't like quiche.

Except for this one.

She was amazed..."Mom! I don't even LIKE quiche, and this is really good."

Through the Taste Maker Program with Foodbuzz.com, I was one of the lucky recipients of a case of avocados from the California Avocado Commission.

Last week I received an email saying the avocados were on their way. I got home from work that evening and Poof! There they were....all snug in cozy, just waiting for me.

Being the avocado loving family that we are....I don't think I need to tell you how exciting this was.

The avocados were pretty hard when they arrived (which was last Thursday) and with Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, I wanted to showcase these babies. In order to speed up the ripening process, I popped them into a brown paper bag and sure enough....by Sunday, they were perfect for my BLT with Avocado Quiche.

SoCal Quiche
Printable Version

Pastry for 9" one-crust pie (I added some shredded Parmesan cheese to mine)
4 eggs
2 cups half and half
1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 handful arugula
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Pinch or two cayenne pepper
1 or 2 Avocados, sliced
1 tomato slice
1 handful grape tomatoes, cut in half

Preheat the oven to 425' F

Prepare your pastry and line your 9" pie plate with it.

Beat the eggs and half and half. Add the bacon, cheese, onion, arugula, salt, pepper and cayenne. Pour into your prepared pie plate.

Which reminds me...the pie plate I used, for the very first time, was one that I had received from CSNStores.com. It was a Paula Deen Stoneware Pie Plate. What a great addition to my kitchen essentials! Not only is it beautiful, but man...is that baby DEEP! No worries about anything spilling over the top as I was placing it in the oven. (have you ever had that happen? man, what a mess it can be!)

Decorate the top with the tomatoes and avocado slices.

If you don't want to do that...just chop it all up and mix it in with the rest of the goodies. Sprinkle the top with a little pepper if you'd like.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat down to 300' F and continue baking for another 30 minutes or so. If the crust is getting too dark, just cover it with a strip of tin foil. To test for done-ness, insert a knife halfway between the center and the edge. If the knife comes out clean, then its done. If not...back in the oven it goes.

Allow the quiche to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

And there you have it....a great breakfast quiche. Perfect for a Sunday brunch, a family gathering...or a side for an afternoon bbq.

Sloppy Jose

2011-05-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

Nope...it's not a type-o. I didn't make a sloppy joe.

What you're looking at is Joe's south of the border cousin, Jose.

Not only is this baby packed with amazing flavor, but it takes a fraction of the time and effort typically used to make homemade sloppy joes.

Sloppy Jose
Printable Version

1 lb Mexican chorizo, casing removed
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced (I actually used 1/4 of a sweet vidalia onion)
1/2 cup beef broth

Mexican Chorizo. Let's think about this for a minute. The chorizo I'm talking about is not dried. It's not hard like the Spanish version. It's a "fresh" chorizo. When you remove the casings, you are left with a minced meat that is reddish in color and packed to the hilt in flavor. Not long ago, I made my own. A beef version so that my youngest child would eat it (she's not a pork fan). It's not difficult if you have access to the various chilies that go in it. If you're interested....check out my Beef Chorizo. Anyway...the point is, you want minced, crumbly, flavorful meat. Not chunks of sausage.

So, get some chorizo and cut the casings away and squish the meat out into a well oiled hot skillet. Add the turkey and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Add 1/2 cup beef broth and simmer until desired consistency.

Serve on a roll and enjoy with a side of nachos.

That's it. No extensive lists of ingredients. Minimal preparation. Fabulous results.

This recipe is being shared with:

Beef Tortilla Soup

2011-05-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am fairly new to the whole tortilla soup thing. As a matter of fact, I've only recently had my first ever bowl. (recently means....within the past year.) So you'd think, being so new and all, that I'd stick to the rules.

Think again.

When I looked in my freezer for dinner ideas, I found a big ole bag of beef broth and a beef tenderloin. Both needed to be used pretty quickly. Now mind you, I normally wouldn't use a beef tenderloin for soup.....but I was in the beginnings of a yucky head and chest cold. I needed soup. That I could taste. And with all the flavors and spices and heat in tortilla soup....it fit the bill.

What threw me for a loop was....when I Googled 'beef tortilla soup'...all I found were recipes that used ground beef.

I don't know about you....but the idea of ground beef in my soup did not appeal to me in the least. Maybe if they were made into meatballs or something.....but my mind was set in "shred" mode. So...I closed Google. Referred to My Tortilla Soup recipe for guidance and went for it.

Fever and all.

Results? Wonderful! Lots of flavor that even my congested-self could enjoy.....and it totally hit the spot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

What I have below is an extensive recipe...not hard. But the extra steps, I believe, add an incredible depth to the soup itself. There are some short cuts that you can use. If that's what you prefer, than I totally encourage you to do so. I'd rather you take a few short cuts and enjoy the soup than not at all. After I give the how-to's, I'll tell you how-to cut the steps down.

Well...let's start with the beef. If I had a roast, leftover or otherwise, I totally would've used it. But I didn't. What ever cut of beef you have on hand (about 2 lbs is enough)...make a rub as follows:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 TB garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)

Mix together, rub all over the meat and cook as appropriate for the cut. Keep in mind that the above measurements are not exact or set in stone. Alter according to your own taste.

Once the meat has cooled enough to handle, use a fork to shred

Shredded Beef Tortilla Soup
Printable Version

1 large onion (I used vidalia) cut into large chunks
6 roma tomatoes cut in half
2 jalapenos (left whole)
1 poblano chili (left whole)
Oil
Salt and Pepper
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder or ground pasilla (I used ground pasilla)
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
8 cups beef broth
1 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes
Juice from 3 limes
2 corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 cup corn (or a 14 oz can of whole corn kernels, drained)
1 - 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed.
2 lbs shredded, pre-cooked beef

Recommended garnishes: avocado, cheese, fried tortilla strips or chips, chopped onions, sour cream or Crema Mexicana, cilantro

Preheat your oven to 400' F. Place the onion, roma tomatoes, jalapenos, and poblano chili on a cookie sheet. Drizzle some oil over the veggies, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and roast for about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.

Puree the tomatoes in a food processor and set aside.

Remove the stems and seeds from the jalapenos and poblano. Chop roughly, along with the onions.

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat about 2 tsp or so of oil and saute the jalapenos, poblano, onions, and garlic.

Add the cumin, chili powder and oregano. Continue to saute for another minute or so, stirring often so as not to burn.

Pour 1 cup of the broth into the pot, stir to de-glaze. Pour in the remaining 7 cups of broth, along with the can of diced tomatoes, the pureed tomatoes (that you set aside earlier), lime juice and tortilla strips. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, put it use and puree the crud out of what's in the pot. Otherwise, work carefully as you puree it in batches with a blender.

Add the corn and beans, and heat through.

Now you're ready to serve it. Place the meat in the bowl, spoon the soup over the meat and garnish as desired.

Enjoy the heat. The layers of flavors...the smokey, the spicy....and everything that screams South of the Border....all in one bowl of delicious goodness.

And nooooooow...I promised a few short cuts for those of you who are not interested in spending the day in the kitchen or who just don't have the time.

Skip the whole roasting of the veggies section. Just saute them in the pan. If you don't want to saute the 6 roma tomatoes....then just add another can of diced tomatoes. That right there cuts out about 45 minutes of time. Use leftover beef. You know how hard it can be to figure out what to do with that leftover roast. Just shred it up.

Tip: If you can't find (or don't like) the store bought tortilla strips (they usually have them in the crouton section of your supermarket) then slice up some corn tortillas and deep fry them until crispy. It's one of my favorite garnishments for tortilla soup.

This recipe is being shared with Heather at Girlichef.com for the final days of her year long quest to explore all the different variations of Tortilla Soup

as well as the Tuesday Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

And last but not least...I'm sharing this with Deb over at Kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com for her Souper Sunday extravaganza (which will post this coming Sunday).

Lay's New Dip Creations aren't just for chips

2011-05-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I was the lucky recipient of a few samples of Tostitos and Lays Dip Creations. I received them through the Tastemakers program with Foodbuzz. I'm not obligated to write anything in particular or anything at all, but when you play with an ingredient that's fun, you want to share it with your friends, right?

So what exactly did I get? Well.....

2 Seasoning Mix packets each of Freshly Made Guacamole, Garden Onion, Country Ranch. All made with 100% natural ingredients.

So far I've played with the Freshly Made Guacamole and the Garden Onion. Based on the picture up top, what do you think I did with the Garden Onion? Did I add it to the patty? Did I coat the fries? Well, you're just going to have a wait and see.....cuz.....

I started off with the guacamole mix. Since the packet is just seasonings....and not actual avocado, I decided to marinate some chicken with a bit of oil and vinegar (or lime juice) and let it hang out in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or a few hours, soaking in all those lovely, fresh spices. I then grilled the chicken (yes...all by myself....which is always an adventure).

(I apologize for the horrible picture. I don't know what my issue was that day...probably frazzled from dealing with the bbq)

Then I proceeded to make the most yummy quesadillas ever!!

(and another horrible pic)

But seriously...with some sauteed onions and bell peppers...a few slices of avocado and lots of cheese....not to mention the wonderfully tender and succulent chicken....this was one mighty tasty quesadilla.

Just a note....if you're taking the time to fire up the grill to cook the meat, do yourself a favor and grill the quesadillo as well. It adds such a wonderful flavor!

Of course I did use the other packet to make actual guacamole.

Quick and easy with wonderful results! All you need are the avocados. The Dip Creations does the rest. Not too spicy for those who like it mild. If you want heat....add your own :)...I'm sure the avocado won't mind.

Please, don't buy the pre-made guacamole in the deli section of your grocery store. It rarely tastes anything at all like guacamole (seriously). If you don't like guacamole, it could be because you've only had that processed, flavorless, weird stuff that comes in a plastic container. Even the texture is funky. If you ever see it at a party.....run away....fast. Don't let your lips or chips come in contact with the stuff. Grocery store brand, pre-made guacamole is that bad!

Promise me....if you're not going to make it from scratch....at least buy a packet of Lay's Dip Creations Freshly Made Guacamole mix, a few avocados, and smash them all together. Stick it in the fridge for an hour and enjoy. It's that simple

Now...what did I do with Garden Onion packet.....

Did I add it to the burger patty?

Nope

Did I add it to the fries?

Nope.....

I added it to the bun! I made a small batch of No-Knead Olive Oil dough and tossed in the whole packet.

I was originally going to make focaccia. Add some grilled onions on top before baking. But I forgot. Or subconsciously changed my mind. I had some Italian Sausage that needed to be used so I thought I'd remove the casings and make them into burgers.

So...I needed the buns.

This recipe is adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 packet Lay's Dip Creations Garden Onion Seasoning Mix
3 1/4 cups unbleached bread flour

In a non-airtight container, with a lid, combine the water, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and Garden Onion packet. Add the flour and stir until combined. Do not knead. Cover lightly with a lid and let sit on the counter for 2 hours

I love seeing all that speckled flavor running through the dough.

Once the 2 hours are up, you can either refrigerate the dough or continue on to make the burger buns. I find that it is a bit easier to work with if the dough is allowed to chill-out in the fridge first. It's not as 'sticky'.

Either way, you're going to work the dough into a ball by holding it in your hands and stretching the dough around to the bottom as your rotate it. Then divide the ball into 6 equal portions (about 3 oz each). Shape each portion into a ball as your did before, adding a small amount of flour if needed. Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and just barely flatten them a bit.

Cover with plastic wrap and a let rise for 40 minutes. (if you didn't refrigerate the dough, they only need 20 minutes to rise).

Preheat the oven to 350' (if you're using a baking stone...the preheat time is 30 minutes before baking. If no baking stone is used, you only need about 5 minutes to preheat).

Just before baking, brush the tops with melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until richly browned and firm.

As you can see, my buns didn't brown. I even let them bake a bit longer. The buttoms browned just fine but the tops decided to be a bit stubborn. I didn't stress over it much. Maybe my burgers can be considered "White Burgers"....turkey meat and pale buns. With a big ole slab of mozzarella cheese melted over that Italian Sausage patty....and some grilled onions in there....

Yes....it was a great burger....from patty to bun. I loved the addition of Lay's Seasoning Mix to the dough and plan on doing that again.

Thank you Lay's for this opportunity to play with your Dip Creations.

No, I have not forgotten about the Country Ranch. But you see....ranch dressing is my favorite. And I'm just going to use the 2 seasoning mix packets that I have to make just that....Country Ranch Dressing. To dip my fries in. To pour over my salad. Even to dip my pizza in. I am a true blue ranch dressing kinda gal.

Tuscan-Style Chicken Sandwich

2011-05-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Super easy....waaaaay yummy!

It even says so in the cookbook. In MY writing.

This is one of those little Pillsbury Slow Cooker mini-cookbooks from 2004. Not only did I write "YUM" at the top of the page but I made notes at the bottom for me to try in the future.

The recipe lists focaccia as the bread to use. Which is great....but ciabatta (and yes, I spelled it wrong in my notes but in my defense, at that time I had never seen the word 'ciabatta'...and had just recently discovered the wonderful bread). Wait..where was I? Ah....I was going to say.....ciabatta is a much better bread for juicy sandwiches such as this one. Also....the original recipe didn't call for any leafy greens such as lettuce or basil or arugula (all of which would be great additions). I happen to love alfalfa sprouts....so that's what I recommended to myself back in 2004.

And had not made this sandwich since. Which was really dumb cuz it really is good.

Last weekend when I made my Sourdough Ciabatta.....thank God I remembered this recipe! It was perfect! Rustic, filling, yet fresh and flavorful....and and....just plain......YUM!

Tuscan-Style Chicken Sandwich

Printable Version

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 - 3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped roasted bell pepper (or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

3 TB pesto

Your favorite sandwich bread, enough for 6 sandwiches (focaccia, ciabatta etc)

Slices of tomato

Alfalfa sprouts, or lettuce, basil, arugula...basically, your choice of greens (optional)

Put the chicken, garlic, red bell pepper and salt into your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours

Just before the chicken is done, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and pesto. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred with 2 forks, put back in the cooker (so you can mix it up with all the juices.

Assemble your sandwiches and enjoy!

Makes the perfect summer dinner served with your favorite sides. But to be honest....I was full without any sides. All I needed was a little cocktail.......

Peachy Sangria! If you'd like this recipe...which I'm sure you will...because it's delicious and goes down easy....I've posted it on the Cocktail Puppy blog, where you're bound to find lots of other wonderful cocktail recipes to choose from as well.

I've shared the Tuscan-Style Chicken Sandwich with Kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com

Sourdough Ciabatta

2011-05-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am going on record here....to say that this is the best bread I have made thus far in my bread baking experience.

It was good....it was fun....and it has the biggest holes I've ever been responsible for (in bread. walls, pants, shoes...those don't count here).

Now...know ahead of time, that this recipe takes time and patience. And Sourdough Starter.

But also know....it's totally worth every minute, hour, day! And it makes 2 loaves. One to keep....and another...to ~~keep~~ giveaway.

You will want to get this started in the early evening. Say....around 5:00'ish. It will be ready the next day. For lunch if you're a super early riser. Or if you eat a late lunch.

Ciabatta
Printable Version

18 oz (2 1/4 cups) starter
6 oz water
3 oz canned milk
1 TB oil
1 1/2 lbs (4 3/4 cups) flour
2 1/2 tsp salt

(I weighed my flour instead of measuring it in a cup.)

In a mixing bowl, combine the starter, water, milk, oil and flour. If you have a mixer with a dough hook, mix on low - medium speed for about 3 minutes. I did it by hand with a wooden spoon until everything was well combined for a little longer than the 3 minutes.

Cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Add the salt and then mix (on the lowest speed or like me, by hand) for 5 minutes.

The instructions said to put the dough in a folding trough. I don't have one. I used a large casserole dish....sprayed with a little non-stick cooking spray. It's a sticky dough. Here it will sit for the next 4 hours on the kitchen counter, covered with plastic wrap. But don't leave. At least for long. You have work to do every hour. Not hard work...but important work.

Once an hour, fold the dough, left to right, like a letter. And then side to side like a letter.

This is called the "bulk fermentation stage". Once the 4 hours are up (and I'm sure you're ready to go to bed, unless you're a night owl...in which case, your dough is ready to go to bed) place the dough in a bowl, covered lightly, and put it in the fridge overnight.

The next morning...wake up...yawn....stretch. Shuffle out to the fridge and place the bowl on the counter. Go back to bed or grab a cup of coffee and the newspaper. The dough will need to warm up a bit....which takes about 2 hours. Unless you have a proofing box, in which case it will only take an hour. I don't have a proofing box....so there it sat, on my kitchen counter for the full two hours. While I drank coffee. Started the laundry. Poked around on my Facebook Fan Page and did whatever else fluttered through my head that morning.

Once the time is up, thoroughly flour your counter surface and divide the dough in half. Set one aside (in the bowl works) while you form the first loaf.

Fold the dough over, just like you did when it was in the ~~folding trough~~ casserole dish. Since the dough is so sticky, keep your hands only on the floured parts. Keep in mind, that you are not kneading the bread. You are folding and forming. Do this a couple of times...you'll notice that the dough firms up a bit. Place the dough on a floured baking sheet (I used the back side of a cookie sheet....covered with parchment paper). Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to proof for 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

You can tell with it's finished with the final proofing by poking it with your finger and seeing that it doesn't spring bag quickly.

Preheat your oven to 450' F when there's about 30 minutes left in the final proofing time.

Just before popping these beauties in the oven, "dimple"the tops with your fingers and then stretch the dough out a little bit, lengthwise.

I placed a roasting pan in the bottom of the oven and poured 1 cup of water inside (for steam) and baked for about 15 minutes. (I also had my baking stone in the oven.) Remove the parchment paper, turn the oven down to 425'F and continued baking, either directly on the cookie sheet or directly on your baking stone if you have one, for an additional 15 - 18 minutes....until your bread is a deep golden, reddish brown.

Allow to cool completely and there you have it....

Beautiful, light, airy, wonderful, fresh ciabatta bread. To eat any way you want.

One of my daughters made herself a turkey sandwich

I used the bread for a special dinner sandwich....which I will share with you in my next post.
Stay tuned :)

This is my entry for the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop this week. Hop on over and see what foods for the soul are cooking on other hearths.

Fresh Tex Mex Corn Casserole

2011-05-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

Corn is one of my favorite veggies. I love grilled corn, creamed corn...and just plain ole corn off the cob with butter, salt and pepper.

I especially love when corn is in season. Fresh, juicy, sweet corn.

There are a lot of ways you can make corn, but when the weather starts to heat up and bbq's and get-togethers by the pool with friends and family start filling up the calendar, this has become one of my go-to recipes.

Tex Mex Corn Casserole
Printable Version

1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 - 4oz can of diced green chillies
4 ears fresh corn
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup corn meal
3 TB sugar
1 TB baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350' F. Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray

In a medium pan heat 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil over medium low heat. Saute the onions, bell pepper and garlic until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, sour cream, whipping cream, 2 TB vegetable oil, melted butter and green chillies.

Cut the corn off the cob and then run the knife up the cob to release the remaining "milk"

Add corn to the mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine then add to the corn mixture.

Pour into your prepared casserole dish

Bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top and bake for an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown and the center is set.

If you'd like more ideas or more information about the wonderfulness of corn, visit FreshSuperSweetCorn.Com

Apple Craisin Turnover and a Margarita

2011-04-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read a book just because it was associated with cooking in some form, even though the plot was horrible?

I don't advise it. It can tend to be mentally painful.

My neighbor gave me a book to read. She thought I'd enjoy it because after each chapter there's a recipe. Sounds like fun. I've read books like that before that were enjoyable.

I'm really having a hard time getting through 'Apple Turnover Murder'. But I'm enjoying some of the recipes. (looking forward to trying watermelon cookies in the near future....just because it sounds so .... odd).

At least the book has some fun, interesting and rather tasty recipes. These apple turnovers were simple, easy and very good!

And just because I like you so much, I'm going to share the recipe with you so you are not forced to suffer through the book just so you can enjoy a good turnover.

Apple Craisin Turnover
Printable Version

1 - 17.5 oz package of frozen puff pastry sheets
4 1/2 cups apples (about 4, I used Gala and Fuji), peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1 TB lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamon (if you don't have cardamon, don't stress...you can leave it out.)
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 TB water
Sugar

Preheat your oven to 400' F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Thaw the puff pastry sheets according to the instructions on the box.

Meanwhile, prepare your apples. In a mixing bowl, combine the apples, craisins and drizzle the lemon juice over them. Toss to thoroughly coat.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar, flour, spices and salt. Add to the apple mixture and toss to coat.

When your pastry is ready, on a lightly floured surface, roll one of the pastry sheets into a 12" x 12" square (you can put the other sheet in the fridge for now). Cut vertically and horizontally to create 4 equal squares (6"x6")

Now to prep the assembly line. In a small bowl or cup, beat the egg and water to make your egg wash. Have a slotted spoon, fork and sharp knife handy as well as a small bowl of sugar for sprinkling.

With a pastry brush, dampen the edges of a square with the egg wash.
With a slotted spoon, scoop about 1/4 cup of filling onto the center of the square.
Pull one corner over the filling to the opposite corner to create a triangle.
Press the edges together to seal. Using the fork, press along the edges to make it pretty (and to make a better seal).
Make 2 slits in the top with your knife to ventilate
Transfer to your prepared cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining 3 squares.

When all four squares are ready and on the cookie sheet, brush the tops with some egg wash. Sprinkle with some sugar.

(every time I see this photo, stingray comes to mind)

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

While those are baking, prepare the second pastry sheet into 4 more apple turnovers.

Allow the turnovers to cool for 5 minutes and enjoy while warm

And there you have your own little miniature personal take along pie. I think I'd like to make a blueberry-lemon version. Or cream cheese and strawberry. What kind would you try?

Speaking of strawberry. Let's get a little more adult here. Have you tried strawberry and pink lemonade together?

As a margarita?

I'm one of the co-contributors for Cocktail Puppy. If you'd like to try this wonderfully refreshing margarita (my latest adult beverage contribution) then head on over for the Strawberry Pink Lemonade Margarita recipe. If margs aren't your thing, I'm sure you'll find something there that is.

Unless of course all you want is plain beer.

This is my entry into Hearth and Soul this week....make it from your hearth and feed your soul

Rainbow Cupcakes to dye for

2011-04-23T23:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!

And Thank You Clarissa for introducing me to these adorable cupcakes :)

If you're not a Skittles fan, don't worry.....you can still Taste the Rainbow!

Rainbow Cupcakes
Printable Version

White cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
Red, Blue, Green and Yellow food coloring
Favorite white icing

Preheat the oven according to box instructions. Prepare 16 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

Mix the cake mix according to box instructions and evenly divide the batter between 6 small bowls. Color the 6 bowls as follows:

Purple - 9 drops of red and 6 drops of blue
Blue - 12 drops of blue
Green - 12 drops of green
Yellow - 12 drops of yellow
Orange - 12 drops of yellow and 4 drops of red
Red - 18 drops of red

Combine well

Keeping the colors in the same order as listed above, divide each color between the muffin cups, starting with purple, then blue, then green....etc etc

Until you have finished with red.

Bake according to the instructions on the box.

Allow to cool completely and then frost with some white icing....making a cloud on top of your rainbow. (awwww)

Take a bite and experience the rainbow inside

Funny thing...the only reason I took the time to make these is because a while ago I bought the cutest little Easter cupcake liners and I needed to use them, right?

The sad thing is.....once baked, the liners don't look so cute anymore.

It's a good thing the cupcakes are so fun to make.

One more thing....I used the recipe listed on Familyfun.go.com

White Cheddar and Cauliflower Soup

2011-04-16T14:37:00.000-07:00

This soup is dedicated to winter....who refuses to let go and let it be spring. To the hopes of warmer weather and comfortable nights. This soup is dedicated to everyone who does not live in Southern California.

We're pushing 90'F here today. Although in my defense, when I made this soup is was in the mid 60's (just last week)....and for us, that's still winter (unless one lives in the high deserts or mountains).

White Cheddar and Cauliflower Soup (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Printable Version
Serves 8 cups

Salt
1 lb cauliflower, cut into 1 1/2" florets
2 TB butter
1 medium onion, diced finely
1 garlic clover, minced
2 TB flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth (if you want this to be vegetarian, of course use veggie broth)
1/2 cup cream or milk
2 cups water
3 sprigs thyme
4 cups (about 14 oz) sharp white cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish
3 TB Toasted pecans
1 TB chopped basil
2 tsp lemon zest

In a large pot, bring enough salted water to a boil to cover the cauliflower. Boil the cauliflower for about 5 minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Remove 18 florets and trim the stems and cut the crowns so that you have little mini florets that are about 1/2 inch. Set the florets aside and return the stems back to the rest of the larger florets.

In a 4quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add your onions and 1/4 tsp of salt and saute until soft, stirring often. add the garlic and continue sauteing for an additional 2 or 3 minutes.

Turn the heat up a bit to medium and add the flour, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Continue cooking, stirring constantly for 3 minutes (this is your roux).

Whisk in the broth, cream and water. add the thyme sprigs (keep them "whole" cuz you're going to end up removing them). Bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and toss 'em out (they've done their job....toodles). Add the larger (1 1/2") cauliflower florets along with the cut stems. With an immersion blender, puree your soup. If you don't have one, work in batches and use a blender....being careful not to puree too much at a time. You don't want it to explode everywhere.

Season your soup with salt and pepper to taste. add the mini 1/2" florets to the soup and over a low heat, reheat your soup.

Garnish and serve immediately.

The flavor is smooth and tangy. The garnishments are a must! They add additional flavor, especially the lemon zest which adds a nice, fresh zing!

Here's to warmer weather to come and the last of the winter soups!

I have submitted this soup to Deb at Kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com to be included in Souper Sundays. If you need more inspiration for soups, salads or sammies...I highly recommend that you pop on over and look around.

Sourdough Bread from Starter to Finish

2011-04-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Tangy, soft, chewy.....sourdough bread is wonderful. For as long as I can remember (almost) I've been eating sourdough bread. Of course the best kind is San Fransisco Sourdough. I mean...honestly! That stuff totally rocks! Now I know I will never be able to make a loaf that can even be seen in the same room as that yumminess but that's not going to (and didn't) stop me from making some good ole homemade sourdough.

Starter and all.

If you "like" my Peaceful Cooking fan page on Facebook, then you may have seen my daily posts of my starter adventure. For those of you who didn't see it, or who do not have a Facebook account, no worries...I'm going to give you a semi quick (because there is nothing quick about sourdough) version of how to make a sourdough starter and a loaf of bread. I'm going to share with you what I know (which isn't much) about the process. If you want more details and specifics (and I mean....scientific type specifics) then I highly highly recommend a wonderful series of e-books called Discovering Sourdough by Teresa L. Hosier Greenway. You can purchase the e-books (for a modest price...and I highly recommend each book. Soooo worth every penny) from http://www.northwestsourdough.com/discovering/

And without further ado....lets get to it!

Keep in mind that this is a process. It's not labor intensive. It's time intensive. It's a "labor" of love and worth every single minute and day.

Sourdough Starter

Day 1
1/4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup rye flour (or whole wheat...I used rye cuz I had some)
1/2 cup pineapple juice (or apple juice...I used pineapple juice)

In a very clean, non-metallic 32 - 48 oz container with a lid, mix thoroughly. Cover lightly and let set at room temperature.

Day 2
Stir. Cover lightly and let set at room temperature

(pretty complicated, eh?)

Day 3
Stir, pour 1/2 of your starter out and add
1/4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup rye flour (or wheat)
1/2 cup pineapple juice (or apple juice)

Stir will (a whisk works great! Incorporates a lot of air which is a good thing), cover lightly and let set at room temperature

Day 4

Stir, pour out half of your starter and add
1/4 cup bread flour
1/4 cup rye flour (or wheat)
1/2 cup pineapple juice (or apple juice)
Stir, cover and let set at room temperature

Day 5
Stir, pour out half of your starter and add
1/2 cup filtered water (do not use tap water)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour or unbleached white flour
2 tablespoons rye flour (or wheat)
Stir, cover lightly and let set at room temperature

At this point, we're done with the pineapple juice and are weaning the starter off the rye / wheat flour. You may notice a layer of liquid at the top....that is called a hooch. Stir it in...don't pour it off. If the hooch is in the middle of the starter or at the bottom...somethings wrong. You'll probably want to start over. If you see mold....somethings wrong. If your starter turns pink or orange....somethings wrong. As long as you use clean utensils, filtered water and fresh flour....you should be good. If you want more details or explanations, I suggest getting the e-books or visit the authors website. You can email me too but keep in mind that I am by no means an expert. This was the first time I had ever attempted this whole "science project" in my kitchen. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have, though.

Days 6 - 14 (yes...it takes 14 days for a starter to be ready for bread making)
Stir, pour out half of your starter and add
1/2 cup unbleached flour or bread flour
1/2 filtered water
Stir, cover lightly and let set at room temperature.

You will be doing the same thing for the remainder of this process. You may notice some odd smells coming from your starter....it's normal. Sometimes it probably won't smell too good at all. But by the time you get to the 14th day, it should smell tangy and yeasty...in a good way. Below are a few pictures at various stages....

Day 8:

You can see my hooch (that doesn't sound right does it?!) in the pic on the left as well as in the middle. These were taken before I stirred and "fed" my starter. The picture on the right is after the "feeding".

Day 9:

This was taken before the feeding.

Day 12:

Taken after the feeding

Day 14:

Before the feeding....

After the feeding....

I did my feedings in the morning. No particular reason. On the 14th day, I fed my starter as usual. That night I poured out some of my starter so that I had about 1 cup left and added
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup filtered water

When I woke up, this is what I had.....

Me and my starter were ready to bake (I hoped). If I'm not mistaken, that is what is called a "vigorous starter".

I was nervous....not confident or secure in anything that I had going on here. Not even sure if I knew what I had and if it was what I ~~thought~~ hoped it was. Even with all the information I had read (some of it I didn't and still do not understand)....I felt like I was in way over my head. But I decided I'd go for it. Besides, it was Sunday morning and if I didn't do it then...I'd have to wait another whole week.

Sourdough Bread (this takes several hours.....start early in the morning)

1 cup vigorous starter
1 cup tepid water
2 teaspoons oil
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt

In a mixing bowl, combine the starter, water, oil and flour. Stir until well incorporated.
Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle in the salt, stir for a couple of minutes (I used my hands).

Cover with cotton towel and allow to set at room temperature for 5 hours.

After the 5 hours is up, stir the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Fold the edges to the middle, sprinkle a little flour on the dough and continue to fold in the edges, rotating until you have the dough in a ball. (Sourdough doesn't not need to kneaded heavily).
Turn the loaf over so that the "seam" is facing down. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Cup the sides with your hands and jiggle it back and forth a couple of times as your rotate it in a circle. This will give the loaf a little "lift" and make it more of a dome shape.

Prepare an oven proof bowl or baking dish by greasing it will and sprinkling it with cornmeal. Sprinkle the top of the loaf with more cornmeal, cover and allow to rise for 2 hours.
1/2 hour before the 2 hours is up, preheat your oven to 450'F.
When the 2 hours is up, take a sharp knife and slash the top a couple of times about 1/4".

Here's a little trick I learned from the author here.....part of what makes a good sourdough loaf is humidity in the oven. So...I have a baking stone. If you don't have one, use a baking sheet. This is placed in the oven on a low rack. I got a deep, large roasting pan and a small ramekin dish. I placed my loaf on the baking stone with the ramekin next to it. I then covered them both with the bottom portion of the roasting pan....keeping it completely on the baking stone so that it sealing everything inside....steam and all.

I let the bread bake under the roasting pan for 20 minutes. Then I carefully removed the pan and ramekin, turned the heat down to 425'F and continued to bake for another 10 - 15 minutes. You're suppose to turn the loaf once so that it browns evenly but I forgot.

I then removed the loaf from the oven, careful removed it from the bowl and placed it back in the oven so that the bottom and side could get brown (since they were being shielded by the bowl). This took another 10 minutes. Your bread is done when the inside temperature has reached 200- 210'F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing. I know...it's hard but you really don't want soggy bread...especially after all the work you've put into it!!!

I mean....when you slice into this baby....isn't this what you want to see?

I can't wait for the weekend to come back around so I can make another loaf!

Sourdough Belgian Waffles

2011-04-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know a little secret? Never in my life have I ever made waffles.

Until This morning.

For some reason they intimidated me. Something about that waffle iron made me think it wanted to screw with me. Make my waffles stick. Burn me. Laugh at me as I wrestled the waffles out of the grids.

I just looked like an evil little appliance.

Until I started wishing I could have Belgian waffles at home.

Then one lovely, fine day...I won a gift certificate for CSNStores.com from Michelle's blog....Bigblackdogs.net and ordered myself a super nice Presto Flip Side Belgian Waffle Maker. This thing rocks! Btw, if you've never been to Big Black Dogs, you're really missing out. Great recipes. Fantastic photos and just an all around super nice lady. I really have learned a lot from Michelle.

Actually.....Michelle was instrumental in my decision to dive into the world of sourdough. Michelle hosts HBin5 and it was one of the HBin5 members (Mary J) who offered to share an e-book about sourdough starters and bread. (If anyone is interested in the Northwest Sourdough e-book, just send me an email (peacefulcooking at gmail dot com) and I will be glad to share it with you).

I began my sourdough started a little over two weeks ago (March 26th to be exact). I shared my daily experiences on my facebook fan page (if you wanna take a peak....Peaceful Cooking on Facebook)

Today, my starter looked like this

I have a loaf of sourdough bread rising on the counter at this very moment. I'll be giving more details about my starter and how my first loaf turns out later on this week. In the mean time, I had enough starter to not only make the bread and keep the starter going....but I had enough to make a stack of Sourdough Waffles.

Sourdough Waffles (adapted from Northwest Sourdough)
Printable Version
makes 4 Belgian waffles

1 cup sourdough starter (166% hydration recommended)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly (or 1/4 cup neutrally flavored oil)
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

In a large bowl, combine the sourdough starter, water, milk, eggs, malt syrup and butter. In a small bowl, combine your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

If the batter is too thick, add a little water, keeping in mind that the batter needs to be on the thin side (so I'm told....I'm not the expert here by any means. Remember....this is my first time ever making these things).

Heat your waffle iron and do whatever it is you're suppose to do with whichever waffle iron you happen have. If you have heat settings on yours (mine doesn't)....set it on high.

My waffle iron doesn't have settings. What it does have is a nifty little timer. It took about 4 minutes (or until the steam subsided) and poof....I was removing my waffle with ease. No fuss...no muss. And what a beautiful, fat little waffle it was....

I did it! I had conquered my fear of the evil waffle appliance!

And....I made something from my sourdough starter!!

Aaaaand....it was easy. As a matter of fact, as I was standing there waiting to remove my next waffle...I was thinking to myself...'This is so much easier than pancakes!'

So what was I afraid of?

Ooooh ya....this...

The melt down. The overload. The mess. Oh well...it's bound to happen. And it's really not all that bad. Way worth the results. And still much easier than pancakes. Seriously...if that's the only mess I end up with....that's nothing compared to all the drips and drizzles across the counter and stove when I make pancakes.

Now that I have a stack of these beauties, what would you put on them?

Sure...I could totally go for the strawberries and whipped cream.

But I happen to have a thing for peanut butter and maple syrup.....