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Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
October 15, 2014
October 5, 2013
Autumn!!! ...& PW's Chicken and Dumplings
It's autumn!
We had an abnormally hot September which meant that there was tons of fresh produce available at the farmers market but I had absolutely no desire to cook it.
Normally back to school time is my favorite part of the year. It's exciting for the kids, it's a new chapter for everyone. It's easy to get caught up in that excitement and make personal resolutions for all the things I'm going to get done once they're in school. I've had a list a mile long of recipes I want to try, projects I want to start (and probably never finish), cleaning I need to do before the winter blahs set in, calendars filled with new routines and ways to work out because THIS is the year I'm going lose all that baby weight...you know, the stuff that started piling on 17 years ago and kept going until 2 years ago when Ari was born...
So this week October showed it's lovely, autumnal face. It's been crisp in the mornings and warm in the afternoons. The leaves are starting to turn colors, it's beautiful. This weather makes me want to cook - comfort foods and soups and stews - things like homemade spaghetti, chili, my curried butternut soup, PW's Chicken and Dumplings, Sandwiches with crisp fresh apples tucked inside, fresh baked cranberry-apple crisp and carrot cake and apple cider with cinnamon sticks. It's simply the best part of the year.
We always talk about moving somewhere warmer - every winter that drags on endlessly, every day it's 20 below. It gets downright frigid here come February! But I don't know if I could give up my seasons...I love how the changes mean new possibilities, how exciting it is when the first snow falls - how exciting it is when you get that first day in the spring that's over 40. I love the hot summer days on the beach and the harvest that comes with the fall. It's Minnesota, baby!
Last night I made chicken and dumplings for the first time ever. I used PW's recipe which is adapted from and old Gourmet recipe and it was actually really good. I am typically NOT a dumpling fan - I think they're bland and gummy and...ish.
But these were really really good. They were light, they were tasty, they were everything I always imagined a dumpling SHOULD be, but never are. Liam even liked them, even though earlier he claimed that dumplings make him puke. Max was the only one who wasn't a fan. Max isn't a fan of very many things, so I wasn't too worried, although when he tried them he said that they tasted like "potatoes and underpants" - ha! Not sure how he knows what underpants taste like...
I posted some pictures of the boys, and the food of course and copied and pasted the recipe below :)
I Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
Oh, and here's the recipe! (copied from PW's site)
We had an abnormally hot September which meant that there was tons of fresh produce available at the farmers market but I had absolutely no desire to cook it.
Normally back to school time is my favorite part of the year. It's exciting for the kids, it's a new chapter for everyone. It's easy to get caught up in that excitement and make personal resolutions for all the things I'm going to get done once they're in school. I've had a list a mile long of recipes I want to try, projects I want to start (and probably never finish), cleaning I need to do before the winter blahs set in, calendars filled with new routines and ways to work out because THIS is the year I'm going lose all that baby weight...you know, the stuff that started piling on 17 years ago and kept going until 2 years ago when Ari was born...
So this week October showed it's lovely, autumnal face. It's been crisp in the mornings and warm in the afternoons. The leaves are starting to turn colors, it's beautiful. This weather makes me want to cook - comfort foods and soups and stews - things like homemade spaghetti, chili, my curried butternut soup, PW's Chicken and Dumplings, Sandwiches with crisp fresh apples tucked inside, fresh baked cranberry-apple crisp and carrot cake and apple cider with cinnamon sticks. It's simply the best part of the year.
We always talk about moving somewhere warmer - every winter that drags on endlessly, every day it's 20 below. It gets downright frigid here come February! But I don't know if I could give up my seasons...I love how the changes mean new possibilities, how exciting it is when the first snow falls - how exciting it is when you get that first day in the spring that's over 40. I love the hot summer days on the beach and the harvest that comes with the fall. It's Minnesota, baby!
Last night I made chicken and dumplings for the first time ever. I used PW's recipe which is adapted from and old Gourmet recipe and it was actually really good. I am typically NOT a dumpling fan - I think they're bland and gummy and...ish.
But these were really really good. They were light, they were tasty, they were everything I always imagined a dumpling SHOULD be, but never are. Liam even liked them, even though earlier he claimed that dumplings make him puke. Max was the only one who wasn't a fan. Max isn't a fan of very many things, so I wasn't too worried, although when he tried them he said that they tasted like "potatoes and underpants" - ha! Not sure how he knows what underpants taste like...
I posted some pictures of the boys, and the food of course and copied and pasted the recipe below :)
I Hope you enjoy as much as we did!
 |
| "Mom! Take my picture! Know what this means? I love this dinner!" |
 |
| Maxi taking a bite of his potato-ey underpants-ey dumplings... |
 |
| This is Ari's "smile!" face for the camera. Ridiculous but adorable :) |
 |
| My Lodge pot full of yummy autumnal goodness... |
 |
| Look at those perfect dumplings! Rustic and wonderful! |
Oh, and here's the recipe! (copied from PW's site)
Chicken and Dumplings
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 whole Chicken, Cut Into Pieces (cut Up Fryer)
- Salt And Pepper
- 1/2 cup Finely Diced Carrots
- 1/2 cup Finely Diced Celery
- 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric
- 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
Dumplings:
- 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
- 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley (optional)
- Salt As Needed
Preparation Instructions
Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in flour.
Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. In two batches, brown chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.
In the same pot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in chicken broth and apple cider. Stir to combine, then add browned chicken. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes.
While chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings: sift together all dry ingredients, then add half-and-half, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.
Remove chicken from pot and set aside on a plate. Use two forks to remove chicken from the bone. Shred, then add chicken to the pot. Pour heavy cream into the pot and stir to combine.
Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add minced parsley if using. Cover pot halfway and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check seasonings; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
*Adapted from Gourmet Magazine
January 24, 2012
Cuban (err...Minnesota) Black Beans
I hated beans as a kid - thought they were disgusting, gross, yuck! A pot of chili? No thanks. I don't know if I ever had them any other way as a kid but I remember hating chili. I also hated tomato sauce, so there was that.
It's good to be an adult and try things again that I thought I didn't like and realize that I actually DO like them - love them even! Black beans, mustard, marinara, chili...the list goes on and on.
Anyway, my favorite thing is often a big pot of black beans - we'll have them plain one night alongside something from the grill. I'll mash up the leftovers with extra cumin and chili powder the next night and cover them with cheese and cilantro and onion for "chips and dip dinner", (my kids favorite). I can also freeze these and add them into a pot of rice or to a pot of jambalaya, since we like our jambalaya with black beans in it.
They're easy and versatile.
Feel free to adjust the heat or leave out the lime - cuban black beans usually use red wine vinegar or sherry. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can just use what you have. Sometimes I cover them with fresh chopped white onion, sometimes green - just depends on what I have in the fridge. I often make a double or triple batch so I can freeze some because a pound of these disappears pretty quick around here!
Ms. Pinks Minnesota Black Beans
Ingredients:
1 lb dried black beans
6 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 sweet peppers, diced (you can use any combo - I typically use 1 red and 1 green)
2 jalapenos, minced (you can use just 1 or you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat or just leave them out altogether if you don't want any heat- it's up to you!)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle (if you don't have one, you can just mix them together but I find this way gets the most flavor)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil to drizzle over the beans
Instructions:
1. Cover the dry beans with water and let them stand covered overnight. Drain and discard the water.
2. Put the beans in a large pot, add the 6 cups of water and a Tbsp of olive oil. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until they're tender - about an hour.
3. When the beans are almost cooked, add the other Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat - add the onion, peppers and jalapeno and cook until slightly tender, 3-5 mn. Add the garlic and cook another minute or until fragrant.
4. Add the cooked beans with 4 cups of the cooking water, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 20-30 mn, stirring occassionally, adding more of the reserved water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
5. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Add the lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper and taste to adjust if needed. Drizzle with the 2 Tbsp olive oil and cover the pot, off the heat, for 5-10 minutes.
6. If you like a thicker pot of beans, take a cup or so of the mixture and mash it and then add it back to the pot of beans - when I make these the 2nd night, I usually take a few cups and mash them for our "dip".
Enjoy!
It's good to be an adult and try things again that I thought I didn't like and realize that I actually DO like them - love them even! Black beans, mustard, marinara, chili...the list goes on and on.
Anyway, my favorite thing is often a big pot of black beans - we'll have them plain one night alongside something from the grill. I'll mash up the leftovers with extra cumin and chili powder the next night and cover them with cheese and cilantro and onion for "chips and dip dinner", (my kids favorite). I can also freeze these and add them into a pot of rice or to a pot of jambalaya, since we like our jambalaya with black beans in it.
They're easy and versatile.
Feel free to adjust the heat or leave out the lime - cuban black beans usually use red wine vinegar or sherry. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can just use what you have. Sometimes I cover them with fresh chopped white onion, sometimes green - just depends on what I have in the fridge. I often make a double or triple batch so I can freeze some because a pound of these disappears pretty quick around here!
Ms. Pinks Minnesota Black Beans
Ingredients:
1 lb dried black beans
6 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 sweet peppers, diced (you can use any combo - I typically use 1 red and 1 green)
2 jalapenos, minced (you can use just 1 or you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat or just leave them out altogether if you don't want any heat- it's up to you!)
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle (if you don't have one, you can just mix them together but I find this way gets the most flavor)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil to drizzle over the beans
Instructions:
1. Cover the dry beans with water and let them stand covered overnight. Drain and discard the water.
2. Put the beans in a large pot, add the 6 cups of water and a Tbsp of olive oil. Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until they're tender - about an hour.
3. When the beans are almost cooked, add the other Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat - add the onion, peppers and jalapeno and cook until slightly tender, 3-5 mn. Add the garlic and cook another minute or until fragrant.
4. Add the cooked beans with 4 cups of the cooking water, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 20-30 mn, stirring occassionally, adding more of the reserved water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
5. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaf. Add the lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper and taste to adjust if needed. Drizzle with the 2 Tbsp olive oil and cover the pot, off the heat, for 5-10 minutes.
6. If you like a thicker pot of beans, take a cup or so of the mixture and mash it and then add it back to the pot of beans - when I make these the 2nd night, I usually take a few cups and mash them for our "dip".
Enjoy!
January 12, 2012
Banana Walnut Muffins
I created this recipe one morning when we were out of both cereal and toast and the bananas hanging on the loop were more brown than yellow. The kids needed to have breakfast before a busy day and I wanted them to have something halfway healthy, so I made these.
The recipe makes 24 muffins so of course you could just halve it to make an even dozen, but I tend to make big batches here with all these boys. Even if by some miracle they're not all gone in two days, I can throw some in the freezer for later and toast them in the oven for a bit before breakfast one morning.
You could also fold in a handful or two of blueberries into these and have them that way as well and sub out the nut or even just leave them out but I have a TON of walnuts left here and like my muffins nutty, so...
Banana Walnut Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1.2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
2 eggs
2 cups banana - or 3 medium sized ones, softened and smashed
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1.5 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions:
Mix together the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the egg, banana, and brown sugar on med-high until just mixed. Turn speed to low and add the butter, milk and vanilla until just incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients, a 1/2 cup at a time on low speed until the mixture just comes together.
Fold in the walnuts.
Divide batter into 24 muffin tins (I prefer nonstick that have been coated in cooking spray (we use olive oil) but you can also certainly use muffin wrappers. I just never have them and sort of like the crispy edge that results from not using them and they're less messy for preschoolers (and more green!).
Either way, wrapped or not, they'll be good.
Bake at 400 for 15-17 mn or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Eat warm with butter and honey for a real treat! Mmmmmm
The recipe makes 24 muffins so of course you could just halve it to make an even dozen, but I tend to make big batches here with all these boys. Even if by some miracle they're not all gone in two days, I can throw some in the freezer for later and toast them in the oven for a bit before breakfast one morning.
You could also fold in a handful or two of blueberries into these and have them that way as well and sub out the nut or even just leave them out but I have a TON of walnuts left here and like my muffins nutty, so...
Banana Walnut Muffins
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups oats
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1.2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
2 eggs
2 cups banana - or 3 medium sized ones, softened and smashed
1 cup dark brown sugar
8 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1.5 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions:
Mix together the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together the egg, banana, and brown sugar on med-high until just mixed. Turn speed to low and add the butter, milk and vanilla until just incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients, a 1/2 cup at a time on low speed until the mixture just comes together.
Fold in the walnuts.
Divide batter into 24 muffin tins (I prefer nonstick that have been coated in cooking spray (we use olive oil) but you can also certainly use muffin wrappers. I just never have them and sort of like the crispy edge that results from not using them and they're less messy for preschoolers (and more green!).
Either way, wrapped or not, they'll be good.
Bake at 400 for 15-17 mn or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Eat warm with butter and honey for a real treat! Mmmmmm
January 9, 2012
A year of updates and some seriously good chicken...
Not too big on posting in 2011, I'm going to try and start up again - I originally started this blog to post updates about our family for those far away and it sort of morphed into a cooking blog when Pipps and I decided to start posting the "good recipes" that I made. We have a few things that make a rotation in our house but mostly it's just me experimenting with food and cooking things from magazines, books and online sites.
Last year brought a big surprise - this guy!
We weren't expecting to be parents again - thought for sure we were done with 4 but it looks like God had other plans for us. Our giant baby boy, who we affectionately call "Cheeks" was born on October 22nd and we all instantly fell madly in love with him. Even Pipps, who is spending a year abroad, loves him.
My pregnancy was long and hard, my labor ridiculously long and hard, and so I hadn't felt up to really being creative in the kitchen since almost a year ago. We ate a lot of take out and noodles with butter and Parmesan and I'm pretty sure we lived on PB&J's this summer. Thankfully my husband took up a big interest in grilling, so that was a life saver.
It's been 11 weeks since Cheeks was born and we're starting to get a handle on things. Sort of. Five kids is a tough gig and somewhat overwhelming at times but slowly and surely, we're figuring it out. My brain is constantly scattered, I start things and never finish them (that's not really new), I struggle to get us out of the house so we're not so cabin-feverish, I do my best. That's all I really can do.
My New Years Resolution, something I never ever do, was to simplify our lives, to slow down, to enjoy these little buggers while they're young and still think we're the most awesome people on the earth. Having a teenager, especially one living abroad, is bittersweet. I'm happy for her and her new experiences but I miss her being a baby and feel like it went by entirely way too fast.
With a newborn and 3 kids under 5 in the house, prepping meals and cooking is difficult. Finding the right window of time between when Daddy gets home, (IF he's home - between work and school we miss him a lot), Cheeks needs to nurse, big kids off to sports and activities...well, it's a small window. Especially if I want to actually sit down and eat with my family instead of nursing as soon as everyone eats (it happens a lot - that kid has impeccable timing!).
Part of simplifying our lives means no more complicated, "fancy", recipes. A short list of ingredients is nice, limited hands on time is a must. Crock pots are sometimes a nice idea, but since my 1970's one broke this fall and I bought a new one, nothing has turned out, so I've sort of ditched it for now...we've been eating a lot of soup. Not homemade. It's been slim pickings around here - lol.
I get a few cooking magazines every month and so I've been bookmarking those and vow to actually cook out of them. The chicken I made last night was AMAZING - and I made enough extra to serve as a base for 2 more meals this week. Plus, it was on sale last week! So Sunday dinner was roast chicken, tonight it's a curried chicken salad with rolls and for tomorrow - green chicken enchiladas with black beans. This recipe will go into our regular rotation although the leftover recipes may change, it was a big enough hit and easy enough that I'll make it every time breasts go on sale.
I adapted this finecooking.com recipe for what I had on hand and to minimize waste - sure, whole fruits are great but do I need to buy them when I already have the juice on hand? Probably not...fresh garlic is lovely too but I find that in roasting, it often burns and gives things a bad taste so I used powdered. Cutting up 2 whole chickens when breasts are on sale for half the price? Well...less work and less money = a very happy girl :) Plus, I really hate cutting up chicken. Yuck.
Anyway, here's my version of the recipe. I have a few more written down in my notebook that I'll be sharing over the next couple days as well - or as Cheeks permits - that little sucker is so sweet but also pretty colicky so I don't get much "hands free" time these days. And that notebook? That's also part of my resolution but I'll update more on that later so this doesn't get too wordy.
Citrus-marinated Roast Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 lbs bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts (I had a family pack that was a little over 5lbs and had 5 breasts)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
Pour olive oil roasting pan big enough to fit the breasts in a single layer.
Mix together the next 7 ingredients and pour over the chicken breasts, turning to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours, turning every few hours.
Position rack in the center of the oven and bring to 425.
Turn chicken so they're all skin side up and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
Roast for 20 mn at 425 and then turn down the heat to 375 and roast 30 mn or until cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to rest.
Meanwhile, pour the pan juice into a fat separator or pot and remove the excess fat - boil over med-high heat until reduced by half, about 1.5 cups, about 10 minutes.
Pour a little over the chicken and serve the rest of it at the table.
We had this with brown and wild rice cooked with chicken stock and saffron, and some Parmesan green beans. It was simple and it was delicious.
Last year brought a big surprise - this guy!
We weren't expecting to be parents again - thought for sure we were done with 4 but it looks like God had other plans for us. Our giant baby boy, who we affectionately call "Cheeks" was born on October 22nd and we all instantly fell madly in love with him. Even Pipps, who is spending a year abroad, loves him.
My pregnancy was long and hard, my labor ridiculously long and hard, and so I hadn't felt up to really being creative in the kitchen since almost a year ago. We ate a lot of take out and noodles with butter and Parmesan and I'm pretty sure we lived on PB&J's this summer. Thankfully my husband took up a big interest in grilling, so that was a life saver.
It's been 11 weeks since Cheeks was born and we're starting to get a handle on things. Sort of. Five kids is a tough gig and somewhat overwhelming at times but slowly and surely, we're figuring it out. My brain is constantly scattered, I start things and never finish them (that's not really new), I struggle to get us out of the house so we're not so cabin-feverish, I do my best. That's all I really can do.
My New Years Resolution, something I never ever do, was to simplify our lives, to slow down, to enjoy these little buggers while they're young and still think we're the most awesome people on the earth. Having a teenager, especially one living abroad, is bittersweet. I'm happy for her and her new experiences but I miss her being a baby and feel like it went by entirely way too fast.
With a newborn and 3 kids under 5 in the house, prepping meals and cooking is difficult. Finding the right window of time between when Daddy gets home, (IF he's home - between work and school we miss him a lot), Cheeks needs to nurse, big kids off to sports and activities...well, it's a small window. Especially if I want to actually sit down and eat with my family instead of nursing as soon as everyone eats (it happens a lot - that kid has impeccable timing!).
Part of simplifying our lives means no more complicated, "fancy", recipes. A short list of ingredients is nice, limited hands on time is a must. Crock pots are sometimes a nice idea, but since my 1970's one broke this fall and I bought a new one, nothing has turned out, so I've sort of ditched it for now...we've been eating a lot of soup. Not homemade. It's been slim pickings around here - lol.
I get a few cooking magazines every month and so I've been bookmarking those and vow to actually cook out of them. The chicken I made last night was AMAZING - and I made enough extra to serve as a base for 2 more meals this week. Plus, it was on sale last week! So Sunday dinner was roast chicken, tonight it's a curried chicken salad with rolls and for tomorrow - green chicken enchiladas with black beans. This recipe will go into our regular rotation although the leftover recipes may change, it was a big enough hit and easy enough that I'll make it every time breasts go on sale.
I adapted this finecooking.com recipe for what I had on hand and to minimize waste - sure, whole fruits are great but do I need to buy them when I already have the juice on hand? Probably not...fresh garlic is lovely too but I find that in roasting, it often burns and gives things a bad taste so I used powdered. Cutting up 2 whole chickens when breasts are on sale for half the price? Well...less work and less money = a very happy girl :) Plus, I really hate cutting up chicken. Yuck.
Anyway, here's my version of the recipe. I have a few more written down in my notebook that I'll be sharing over the next couple days as well - or as Cheeks permits - that little sucker is so sweet but also pretty colicky so I don't get much "hands free" time these days. And that notebook? That's also part of my resolution but I'll update more on that later so this doesn't get too wordy.
Citrus-marinated Roast Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 lbs bone-in, skin-on, chicken breasts (I had a family pack that was a little over 5lbs and had 5 breasts)
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Directions:
Pour olive oil roasting pan big enough to fit the breasts in a single layer.
Mix together the next 7 ingredients and pour over the chicken breasts, turning to coat.
Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 6-12 hours, turning every few hours.
Position rack in the center of the oven and bring to 425.
Turn chicken so they're all skin side up and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.
Roast for 20 mn at 425 and then turn down the heat to 375 and roast 30 mn or until cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with foil to rest.
Meanwhile, pour the pan juice into a fat separator or pot and remove the excess fat - boil over med-high heat until reduced by half, about 1.5 cups, about 10 minutes.
Pour a little over the chicken and serve the rest of it at the table.
We had this with brown and wild rice cooked with chicken stock and saffron, and some Parmesan green beans. It was simple and it was delicious.
January 9, 2011
Tortellini and Spinach Ribbons in Saffron-Romano Broth
The weather this week-end is bitterly cold. Driving home last night from my girlfriends house, I had to alternate hands on the steering wheel because they kept freezing! No fun...totally worth a fun night with the girls though :)
My original plan today was to roast a turkey but I forgot to take it out yesterday morning. So today I thought I'd make a huge pot of marinara, but I was short a couple ingredients and when my husband came home with them I was taking a nap, so....I was looking for something easy.
This soup is perfect for a cold night - it's basic yet filled with great flavor - not too many ingredients and easy enough for even the beginner cook. Try it. You'll like it! It made enough for all of us, (2 adults, a teen, a tween and 2 toddlers), to finish and a bit left over. Double it if you want to serve a crowd...
Ingredients:
- 5 oz piece Romano cheese with roughly 3"x3" rind, or enough area to cover approximately the same area
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 sprigs fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups cheese tortellini
- 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, cut into 1/2" wide ribbons
- 1/2 lemon, juiced - about 2 Tbsp
- Homemade or good quality croutons
Directions:
- Cut rind off cheese
- Combine rind, stock, garlic, saffron, parsley and olive oil in a medium sized pot and simmer gently, partially covered, about 30 minutes.
- Discard parsley and rind and season broth with salt if needed (probably not, depends on your broth)
- Add tortellini and simmer, partially covered, until al dente, about 10 minutes
- Add spinach and simmer, uncovered, 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
- Divide among serving bowls and shave remaining cheese on top to taste.
- Top with croutons.
January 5, 2011
Crazy Potato Squares! (Ham and Potato Gratin)
Monkey is my #1 fan in the kitchen. I don't mean that he loves everything that I make, but every time I'm in there, he really really wants to help. He's a natural and will actually eat anything he helps make, so it's a good motivator for me to try new things with him.
For Christmas, he made an apron at a playtime, and got these knives
and this cookbook
from his Nana. We haven't made anything with the cookbook yet, but I promise we will and post how it went!
Last night my plan was to make a quick potato gratin - I bought 20 lbs of the suckers on impulse at my grocer when they had organic bags on sale for $3.99. It's a lot of potatoes! I also had some ham in the freezer from Christmas that my Grandmother sent home so the gratin seemed like a good idea. I also almost always have cheese and cream in my fridge. What can I say, it's a good thing I'm not lactose intolerant!
Enter my little Monkey.
He tried to help cut up the ham with his trusty knife but it was a little tough going so I helped with that. We cut up the potatoes in my Cuisinart using the julienne attachment, or as he likes to call it, the crazy potato squares! (Side note, my Cuisinart is still semi-broken and while I can get it to make salsa without too much effort, putting things through the feed tube means an entirely different headache...I put this
on my Valentines wishlist...)
Anyway, Monkey assembled the entire dish with very little help from me and loved doing it. It turned out wonderful and the entire dish was gone! No leftovers! I couldn't believe it...
Crazy Potato Squares aka Ham and Potato Gratin with Cheese!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven to 375
2. Butter the inside of an 11 x 15 pan
4. In another bowl, or food processor, combine the shredded cheeses
5. Place 1/3 of the Potato mixture in the pan
8. Press the mixture down flat with the back of a spatula and bake in the oven for 90 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
p.s. Because he ate all his dinner and because he's so dang cute, here are a couple pictures of him eating his pumpkin pie for dessert!
For Christmas, he made an apron at a playtime, and got these knives
and this cookbook from his Nana. We haven't made anything with the cookbook yet, but I promise we will and post how it went!
Last night my plan was to make a quick potato gratin - I bought 20 lbs of the suckers on impulse at my grocer when they had organic bags on sale for $3.99. It's a lot of potatoes! I also had some ham in the freezer from Christmas that my Grandmother sent home so the gratin seemed like a good idea. I also almost always have cheese and cream in my fridge. What can I say, it's a good thing I'm not lactose intolerant!
Enter my little Monkey.
He tried to help cut up the ham with his trusty knife but it was a little tough going so I helped with that. We cut up the potatoes in my Cuisinart using the julienne attachment, or as he likes to call it, the crazy potato squares! (Side note, my Cuisinart is still semi-broken and while I can get it to make salsa without too much effort, putting things through the feed tube means an entirely different headache...I put this
on my Valentines wishlist...)Anyway, Monkey assembled the entire dish with very little help from me and loved doing it. It turned out wonderful and the entire dish was gone! No leftovers! I couldn't believe it...
Crazy Potato Squares aka Ham and Potato Gratin with Cheese!
Ingredients:
- Approximately 5 cups of potatos cut into 1/4" julienne, from about 2.5 lbs
- 2 cups leftover ham, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp Marjoram
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 6 oz Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- 2 oz Romano Cheese, shredded
- 2 Tbsp Butter
Instructions:
1. Preheat Oven to 375
2. Butter the inside of an 11 x 15 pan
3. In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, ham, onion, marjoram and salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
4. In another bowl, or food processor, combine the shredded cheeses
5. Place 1/3 of the Potato mixture in the pan
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top
7. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cheese, ending with a layer of cheese.
p.s. Because he ate all his dinner and because he's so dang cute, here are a couple pictures of him eating his pumpkin pie for dessert!
December 31, 2010
Turkey Tomatillo Tamales
Again, pictures from my phone. I'll never ever do it again, I promise...
Tamales! I've always wanted to make them and when Heavy Table posted this recipe last year, I knew that someday I'd have to do this myself...I've eaten La Loma's tamales and they're wonderful so it's been bookmarked forever and I finally made them yesterday with the leftover turkey from this post.
To be fair, this recipe is unusually vague and so I had to consult my Rick Bayliss cookbook, Mexico One Plate At A Time
, for some pointers. If you don't own it, check it out. Every recipe I've tried from here has been a hit!
Also, the recipe says it makes 30 tamales and it made about 50 for us and I'm pretty sure we overfilled them since a few were leaking out the top...
The nice thing about tamales is that they're actually really easy to make and pretty adaptable. Every family, I'm told, has a different recipe and everyone thinks theirs is the best so have fun, experiment and make your own.
Also, get a friend to help you because the assembly is a lot more fun when you have a friend. Shellville, my trusty cooking cohort and author of The Road to Shellville helped me. I love her for it! (and many other reasons, of course...)
One other thing - if you like sauce on the side or on top afterwards, DOUBLE THE SAUCE RECIPE! I really wish I would've because I could have had some on the side or saved for enchiladas...
Add 12 oz of the sauce to the shredded chicken; set the remainder aside for use in the following dough preparation.
Tamale Dough
2.Mix the masa and baking powder together - add broth, green sauce and lard or crisco until the mixture resembles that of cake batter.
Tamales! I've always wanted to make them and when Heavy Table posted this recipe last year, I knew that someday I'd have to do this myself...I've eaten La Loma's tamales and they're wonderful so it's been bookmarked forever and I finally made them yesterday with the leftover turkey from this post.
To be fair, this recipe is unusually vague and so I had to consult my Rick Bayliss cookbook, Mexico One Plate At A Time
, for some pointers. If you don't own it, check it out. Every recipe I've tried from here has been a hit!Also, the recipe says it makes 30 tamales and it made about 50 for us and I'm pretty sure we overfilled them since a few were leaking out the top...
The nice thing about tamales is that they're actually really easy to make and pretty adaptable. Every family, I'm told, has a different recipe and everyone thinks theirs is the best so have fun, experiment and make your own.
Also, get a friend to help you because the assembly is a lot more fun when you have a friend. Shellville, my trusty cooking cohort and author of The Road to Shellville helped me. I love her for it! (and many other reasons, of course...)
One other thing - if you like sauce on the side or on top afterwards, DOUBLE THE SAUCE RECIPE! I really wish I would've because I could have had some on the side or saved for enchiladas...
Turkey Tomatillo Tamales
Yield: 50 tamales
Yield: 50 tamales
Approximately 3 lbs of turkey left over from this recipe, shredded
(You can also just cook your own chicken or even use a rotisserie...)
2 ½ lbs tomatillos, skin removed and quartered
8 jalapeno peppers, stems removed, cut into chunks
1 medium white onion
4 cloves garlic
Chicken bouillon to taste - (This instruction left me wondering if they meant just the boullion cube or in liquid form or what...I chose to throw in a cube and then added enough water so that my total sauce was 40 oz.)
Instructions:
Boil the tomatillos, jalapeno peppers, onion, and garlic in water until cooked, about 5 mn.
Discard the water and process the sauce ingredients in a blender with the chicken bouillon.Add 12 oz of the sauce to the shredded chicken; set the remainder aside for use in the following dough preparation.
Tamale Dough
1 ½ lbs dried corn husks for tamales, picked clean of stringy fibers
6 cups of Maseca Brand Corn Masa
4- 5 cups chicken broth, to reach desired consistency
1.5 tsps baking powder
1 lb lard or crisco (we had crisco although I'm sure lard would make a much better flavor)
Instructions:
1. Soak the corn husks in hot water for 10-20 minutes, wash them and allow them to drain.2.Mix the masa and baking powder together - add broth, green sauce and lard or crisco until the mixture resembles that of cake batter.
3. Into each tamale wrapper, spread 1/4 cup of the masa dough and on top of that, place 1-2 Tbsp of meat mixture and wrap with the corn husk, folding the bottom up or tying with a strip of wrapper. More detailed instructions can be found here.
4. After all tamales are assembled, place them upright (closed end down) in a 20-qt tamalera
(tamale steamer) or a really large pot. I ended up using my Ball Canning Bath
with the steamer handles flipped under and the top lined with leftover corn husks. Pour about a cup of water into the pot and Steam for two hours; making sure to check that the water doesn't evaporate. Keep a small pot with simmering water next to the steamer so that you can refill it if needed (I needed to twice).
(tamale steamer) or a really large pot. I ended up using my Ball Canning Bath with the steamer handles flipped under and the top lined with leftover corn husks. Pour about a cup of water into the pot and Steam for two hours; making sure to check that the water doesn't evaporate. Keep a small pot with simmering water next to the steamer so that you can refill it if needed (I needed to twice).5. After they're done steaming, let them sit at least 15 minutes and then warm up if you're eating them immediately. Otherwise, they can be refrigerated and re-steamed (or microwaved) within 3 days or frozen and saved for up to 3 months.
Chile-Rubbed Roast Turkey aka Turkey Heaven!
I'm going to apologize in advance for the shoddy photos - I used my phone thinking it would be the same. It's obviously not.
I discovered this recipe when I was searching for a brine recipe for Thanksgiving and just knew that I had to bookmark it and save it for later. I don't know about you, but although I love holiday food, I really start craving SPICE right after Christmas. Too much starch and ham and sausage and meatballs and....well, you get the picture.
I got a little impulsive around Thanksgiving and bought 3 turkeys! They were such a great price and I had room in my freezer at the time...so I had that going for me. I adapted the recipe only slightly because I had forgotten my list when I got to the store and so bought guajillo peppers instead of the pasilla. They're close enough I guess, or maybe this is even better because I'm absent minded....either way, you should totally make this. It's SO SO good - and although I used all the leftovers to make a mad amount of tamales, (recipe to come), they could also be used to make some killer enchiladas! In fact, I froze the rest of the gravy to use as a base for enchiladas that I'll probably make with chicken next week - I'll let you know how that goes.
p.s. My husband had THIRDS of this - he was pretty leery at first, but everyone loved it, even picky little baby Moo who NEVER eats dinner unless we have pizza...
Chile-Rubbed Roast Turkey
6 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
30 cloves garlic (5 finely chopped) - (yes, this seems like way too much, but it mellows and is lovely, I promise)
1/3 cup orange juice - I used fresh squeezed from about 2 naval oranges
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp. whole black peppercorns
1 12 lb. turkey
1 large onion, quartered
1 orange, quartered
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups turkey or chicken broth - I used low sodium Pacific Natural - it's my favorite to buy when I don't have any of my own in the freezer.
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
1. In a 10" cast-iron skillet over high heat, toast chiles, turning once, until fragrant, about 30 - 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water; let soak until soft, 20 minutes.
2. Transfer chiles and their liquid to a blender along with 25 cloves garlic, orange juice, oil, honey, 1 tbsp. salt, and peppercorns and purée until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set chile rub aside.
3. Heat oven to 475° and place rack in bottom third of oven. Season inside of turkey with salt. Stuff the turkey with the oranges and onions and then pour the rub all over the turkey.
Transfer the turkey breast side up to a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes; lower heat to 325° and cook for 30 minutes more. Remove turkey from oven and, using kitchen towels to protect your hands, flip turkey breast side down. Roast, basting every 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh but not touching the bone registers 165°, about 3 hours total for a 12 lb turkey - mine was about 10.5 lbs and so only took 2.5 hours. Lower oven to 150°. Transfer turkey, breast side up, to a baking sheet; return to oven to keep warm. Remove turkey from oven 15 minutes before serving.
3. Meanwhile, add wine to roasting pan and heat over high heat. Scrape up any brown bits; cook, stirring, until mixture has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Set a sieve over a bowl; strain liquid and discard solids. Put liquid into freezer and leave for 30 minutes. Skim and discard fat; set liquid aside. Melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 5 cloves of minced garlic; cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add broth and reserved liquid; turn up heat to medium high and boil to reduce by half, about 15 minutes. Whisk in cornstarch mixture; bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes; strain through a sieve into a 1-qt. saucepan. Stir in nutmeg and cilantro and season gravy with salt and pepper. Carve turkey and serve with the gravy.
December 28, 2010
Cran-Neño Jam!
I put out a feeler on my facebook a week or so ago about what my family would like better for a gift, a salted caramel pear butter or a cranberry jalapeno jam. While most of my friends voted for the butter, the family weighed in with a vote that was almost unanimous towards the jam.
So today I made it! And it's delicious!
A complex layer of flavors that hits your palate when you try it - the heat from the jalapeno, the sweet from the sugar, the tart from the lime and cranberry. Again, something that pairs wonderfully with cream cheese and crackers...seriously, do I can anything that DOESN'T pair well with cream cheese and crackers? Thank you Amy for introducing me...life hasn't been the same since.
This is a really simple, straightforward project and I encourage you to try it. I made 13 pints as well as having another 2 that I just stuck in the fridge for Christmas Day.
Ingredients:
6 cups water
6 cups sugar
3 lb bag of cranberries
6 jalapenos
2 limes, zested and juiced
Instructions:
Chop 1/2 of the cranberries and all of the jalapenos (you can deseed or remove the pith first if you don't want it too spicy) in your food processor. I pulsed mine maybe 12-15 times.
Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large stockpot. Cook until sugar dissolves and then boil hard for 5 minutes.
Add all the cranberries, jalapenos and the zest of the lime
Bring back to a boil and cook hard for 15 minutes or longer, making sure that the cranberries pop and release their juices.
Take off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Fill pint or jelly jars 1/4" from top, release bubbles, and process for 15 mn. Let sit for a minimum of 24 hours before opening.
p.s. I'm finally publishing this now, after Christmas - a couple notes - I accidentally let this boil over after I had added the fruit and the peppers and all my seeds (a source of most of the heat) rose over or stuck to the sides of the pan. The batch that I stuck in my fridge had most of the seeds and so was really spicy and wonderful, but all the ones that I canned were really tame. However, the flavor was still really good. I served it at two different parties and it was hit both times, so have fun with it and enjoy! Even mistakes turn out wonderful sometimes...
December 4, 2010
Beer Cheese Soup - Round 2! The American Version...
My sister sent me an email a while ago asking for a good beer cheese soup recipe and I knew I had posted one previously and liked it but don't remember it being amazing or anything...(that one is here).
There was a recipe in the ATK magazine recently that inspired me to try again and so I did. It was good but lacked the beer taste and zip of the other soup, however, this one was MUCH creamier and less gritty which I attribute to a bit o' American.
My sister hates american cheese, but M - if you're reading this - just try it! It doesn't taste like yucky american cheese, you just use 3x more extra sharp cheddar and it balances out perfectly - no gritty oily soup!
I'm just going to plug my lodge dutch oven
here for a sec...
It's sort of really awesome and I make so many things in it. Perfect for soup and I can finally make rice perfectly!!! I got it as a present from my husband a couple years ago and it was the best thing he's ever given me. He loves technology and so usually gets me gadgets but that particular year I specifically requested this and he obliged. Mine is blue, like above, because someday when I can afford to remodel my kitchen, it will be filled with blue things. My friend just bought one too and I don't know if she loves it yet, but I think she will :)
AMERICAN! Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped fine - about 1 cup
2 carrots, finely diced
1 large celery stalk, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 - 12 oz bottle beer (I actually used miller lite this time since it was all we had - I think the lack of beer taste definitely had something to do with it. ATK recommended Miller High Life! which I thought was funny, but my husband reminded me that it's the "champagne of beers", so hey...who am I to judge.)
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz american cheese, frozen for 15 mn and then shredded
2 tsp cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
POPCORN!!! for garnish (Mmmmmmmm)
Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until lightly browned, 8 -10 mn. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
2. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about a minute.
3. Slowly whisk in the broth, beer and milk. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently (do not boil) until the carrots are very soft, about 20 mn.
4. Meanwhile, toss the cheeses together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss until well combined.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth (safest done off the stove)
6. Return soup to the stove and simmer over medium low heat.
7. Whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, until smooth.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with popcorn (lots of it!)
Enjoy!
There was a recipe in the ATK magazine recently that inspired me to try again and so I did. It was good but lacked the beer taste and zip of the other soup, however, this one was MUCH creamier and less gritty which I attribute to a bit o' American.
My sister hates american cheese, but M - if you're reading this - just try it! It doesn't taste like yucky american cheese, you just use 3x more extra sharp cheddar and it balances out perfectly - no gritty oily soup!
I'm just going to plug my lodge dutch oven
here for a sec...It's sort of really awesome and I make so many things in it. Perfect for soup and I can finally make rice perfectly!!! I got it as a present from my husband a couple years ago and it was the best thing he's ever given me. He loves technology and so usually gets me gadgets but that particular year I specifically requested this and he obliged. Mine is blue, like above, because someday when I can afford to remodel my kitchen, it will be filled with blue things. My friend just bought one too and I don't know if she loves it yet, but I think she will :)
AMERICAN! Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped fine - about 1 cup
2 carrots, finely diced
1 large celery stalk, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 - 12 oz bottle beer (I actually used miller lite this time since it was all we had - I think the lack of beer taste definitely had something to do with it. ATK recommended Miller High Life! which I thought was funny, but my husband reminded me that it's the "champagne of beers", so hey...who am I to judge.)
12 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz american cheese, frozen for 15 mn and then shredded
2 tsp cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
POPCORN!!! for garnish (Mmmmmmmm)
Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until lightly browned, 8 -10 mn. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
2. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about a minute.
3. Slowly whisk in the broth, beer and milk. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently (do not boil) until the carrots are very soft, about 20 mn.
4. Meanwhile, toss the cheeses together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the cornstarch and toss until well combined.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth (safest done off the stove)
6. Return soup to the stove and simmer over medium low heat.
7. Whisk in the cheese a handful at a time, until smooth.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with popcorn (lots of it!)
Enjoy!
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