This cold really knocked us all down for about 2 weeks now. We're home with few plans this weekend for the second "snowstorm" of the year (Saturday afternoon and its already melted) and I have a mental list going of what I am going to cook for the next day or so. I definitely wanted to get a recipe in and was trying to figure out what I could create by using a recipe, things that I have in house, and something that was on the agenda for the weekend menu. This part of the recipe planning can actually be tough sometimes. I selected the biscuits mainly because they'd go with anything and also because I had some buttermilk in the fridge that I could use. I was anxious, given my many failures at baking, but you can't improve if you don't try, right?!
I measured out 2 cups of flour into the food processor and added baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Pulsed them for a few seconds and then added cut up pieces of unsalted butter. The recipe called for 2-5 tablespoons. I knew that we weren't adding butter after baking, so I erred on the higher side. Oh, and butter is really damn tasty. That's another reason. I blended the butter in by pulsing a few more times. So quick!! I can't believe I went so long without one of these wonderful machines.
I started adding the buttermilk and quickly realized that the blades were going to make the next part of the recipe a logistical nightmare. I made the excellent decision to take the mix out of the processor, put it into a bowl, and then stirred in a cup of buttermilk slowly with a large spoon until it was in a ball. Once the dough was ready, I had 2 options. You can press it out and cut circles out for a more formed biscuit or you can spoon it onto the sheet for the "drop biscuit" method. I chose the drop method for many reasons. One, its quicker. Two, I have limited counter space and rolling things out is a total pain. Three, I actually prefer the texture of drop biscuits and the crunchiness that comes from the uneven surface.
I was able to gain about 14 biscuits by spooning out pieces onto a greased cookie sheet. The recipe called for it to bake at 450 for 7-9 minutes. I checked at 8 and they were ready at 10. Perfectly golden on the bottom and a tough of golden on top. I couldn't wait and had to sample one out of the oven..... it was good!! Great, even!! The salt, butter, and dough had a nice balance and the texture was spot on. Oh my gosh, I actually baked something from scratch that tasted good!
I served it with a quick chicken stew type of thing. Sort of like chicken pot pie filling but I serve it with biscuits (tastefully simple ones, usually). We like it and its cheap, simple, and can be made with most anything fresh, frozen, or canned that you have on hand. I sauteed some chopped celery, carrot, and onion until soft; added a handful each of frozen corn and peas, and a cup of cooked shredded chicken breast that I had in the freezer. Mixed in a can of cream of celery soup, a little milk, and a little chicken broth and finished it with some seasoning for flavor. Put on low and let it go while I cooked the biscuits, stirring it up every once in a while.
We ate it all together and it was a perfect lunch for a snowy day! I had half of the the biscuits left and put them in the freezer to toast up another day. I really can't believe how quick and easy this was! The whole recipe took about 10 minutes to prep and another 10 to cook. I have a keeper!
Buttermilk Biscuits- How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
2 cups all purpose or cake flour
1 scant teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2-5 tablespoons cold butter (more is better)
1 cup buttermilk (can substitue plain yogurt)
1. Preheat the oven to 450
2. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl or food processor. Cut the butter into bits and either pulse it in the processor (the easiest) or pick up a bit of the dry ingredients, rub them with the butter between your fingers, and drop them again. All the butter should be thoroughly blended before proceeding.
3. Use a large spoon to stir in the buttermillk or yogurt, just until the mixture forms a ball. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the biscuits are a beautiful golden brown. Serve within 15 minutes for them to be at their best.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Hot Toddy
This has been quite a week for the Bittmann family. A virus has come through this house, hitting all three of us for about a week now and still going. Its an odd one, too changing symptoms and victims daily. My cooking has been downgraded to heating up frozens pizzas and leftover Boston Market for the most part. The weekend came and I gave in; staying on the couch trying to knock this thing out before work starts up again on Monday. This saddens me today, of all days, because its Superbowl Sunday. Not only is it Superbowl Sunday, but a Giants/ Patriots Superbowl and Shawn is a diehard, radical, ritualistic Giants fan. Normally, on a day like today, I'd be cooking up a storm. Creating some sort of ridiculous sandwich, followed up by our requisite 2nd quarter guacamole, and accompanied by some other fun appetizer foods. Not this weekend, unfortunately..... this weekend I was thankful to have the guac ingredients on hand and couldn't even bring myself to go to the store. Poor Shawn. We made due, and pieced together some fun football foods to enjoy with the game.
One of Shawn's playoff rituals is enjoying his Makers Mark throughout the game. My man loves his bourbon, and this is his brand. I decided to join him in a drink by making myself a Hot Toddy. I've never had one before, but always hear about it as an old fashioned cold remedy. I looked up a recipe and then realized that this could be featured right here, for you fun folks! Drink recipes count, right? I found the perfect one on Epicurious, featuring exactly what I was looking for. Hot water, lemon, honey, and bourbon. I'm already a sucker for honey and lemon when I'm sick. Why have I never thought to make this before?
I started by putting some water on in the teapot. I decided to double the recipe simply because I love big mugs and the recipe wouldn't have filled it even halfway. I feel like I should mention that I used one of my favorite mugs- a large one with a picture of Cinderella that says "A Princess Shouldn't Have to Work This Hard". Its awesome. I squeezed some lemon juice into a measuring cup, scooped out the seeds, smarted as the juice his a few cuts on my fingers, and poured out 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. I then used the same cup to measure out a 1/2 cup of hot water and added 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of bourbon. I was convinced that the honey would be too much for my taste, so I tried it after one tablespoon to see if it needed more. It definitely does, to counter the lemon and bourbon. They both have such strong flavors that they really need the honey to bring them together.
I settled on the couch with my mug and a blanket to watch the rest of the game. Oh, this was gooooood. So soothing and warming and delicious. It was really, really good. You could taste the bourbon, for sure, but it was subtle and highlighted by the lemon and honey. The warmth made it really comforting. Again, why have I never thought to make this before?
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/views/Hot-Toddy-233821
One of Shawn's playoff rituals is enjoying his Makers Mark throughout the game. My man loves his bourbon, and this is his brand. I decided to join him in a drink by making myself a Hot Toddy. I've never had one before, but always hear about it as an old fashioned cold remedy. I looked up a recipe and then realized that this could be featured right here, for you fun folks! Drink recipes count, right? I found the perfect one on Epicurious, featuring exactly what I was looking for. Hot water, lemon, honey, and bourbon. I'm already a sucker for honey and lemon when I'm sick. Why have I never thought to make this before?
I started by putting some water on in the teapot. I decided to double the recipe simply because I love big mugs and the recipe wouldn't have filled it even halfway. I feel like I should mention that I used one of my favorite mugs- a large one with a picture of Cinderella that says "A Princess Shouldn't Have to Work This Hard". Its awesome. I squeezed some lemon juice into a measuring cup, scooped out the seeds, smarted as the juice his a few cuts on my fingers, and poured out 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. I then used the same cup to measure out a 1/2 cup of hot water and added 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of bourbon. I was convinced that the honey would be too much for my taste, so I tried it after one tablespoon to see if it needed more. It definitely does, to counter the lemon and bourbon. They both have such strong flavors that they really need the honey to bring them together.
I settled on the couch with my mug and a blanket to watch the rest of the game. Oh, this was gooooood. So soothing and warming and delicious. It was really, really good. You could taste the bourbon, for sure, but it was subtle and highlighted by the lemon and honey. The warmth made it really comforting. Again, why have I never thought to make this before?
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/views/Hot-Toddy-233821
Monday, January 30, 2012
Venison Chili and Cracklin Cornbread
We had an influx of free food at the end of December, making me thrilled to have our big freezer!! My hotel gives us each a free turkey for Thanksgiving, Shawn received a box of steaks, chicken and burgers as a gift, and my wonderful coworker gave me ground venison and a venison tenderloin. I've learned that venison is one of those meats that you don't really buy in the store. You need to be in the loop with hunters, butchers, or friends who know those hunters and butchers to get it. You can probably find it in a store, but its going to be more money than its worth. That's what I'm told, anyway. So when I mentioned to said coworker that I had only had deer once or twice and wasn't 100% sold but open to trying it, she was kind enough to share some of her recent gain with us!
Now, I'm finding this venison to be a little intimidating. I keep hearing about gaminess and remember the last time that I tried deer (at a country club where I worked and had recently witnessed the actual deer becoming that evening's special) and I wasn't a huge fan. I've been really interested in trying it again and decided that chili would be a good way to ease us into the flavor. I make chili all the time and have heard its a great venue to start with. Chili and cornbread go hand in hand in this region but my baking skills (or lack thereof) have kept me from making cornbread in the past. I decided to go for it!!
Suprisingly, none of my cookbooks had recipes for venison. I went online and found a chili variation on MyRecipes.com that sounded basic but tasty. I usually wing it with my chili, but wanted to be sure that my spices were to par. I also found a recipe for cornbread in Shawn's "Smoke & Spice" cookbook that sounded really good. I definitely wanted to use my cast iron skillet and like the idea of using bacon grease as the fat addition in the recipe.
We started early in the morning when I made pancakes and bacon for my boys. I needed bacon grease and they were kind enough to take one for the team! I saved the grease and went on with my day. Later in the morning, I busted out my brand new food processor. Would you believe that with as much as I cook, I've never owned one until this Christmas? We don't have a dishwasher and I've always thought it would be a pain to clean. I do, however, spend a ridiculous amount of time on food prep and decided that this would be a good day to test it out. Since I was using it, I ended up chopping up extra onions and garlic and put them in containers to use later in the week. Love it! So much quicker and much easier on the eyes. Not a total pain to wash and as long as I'm getting myself prepped for the week it saves a ton of time in the long run.
I opted to steer away from the trusty crockpot and took out my large stockpot to keep the chili on the stove throughout the day. I sauteed up the deer and removed it, covering the dish to keep it warm. A cup each of chopped peppers and onions went in next with 4 cloves of chopped garlic. I sauteed it on medium high for about 10 minutes and then added the spices. Followed with the venison, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of chicken broth, and a touch of tomato paste. I added the can of rinsed kidney beans before noting that it should have been added toward the end of cooking. I didn't really notice anything off, so I wouldn't say that it was a necessary step. I did, however, add a 1/4 cup of frozen corn at the end. It wasn't in the recipe, but Shawn really loves corn in his chili. I left it all on the stove, on low, stirring every 20 minutes or so, for 4-5 hours.
About an hour before dinner, I mixed together the dry ingredients for the cornbread and then mixed together the wet separately and combined them with a little frozen corn and some melted butter. Then I warmed the skillet on the stove and added a tablespoon of bacon grease, swirling to coat the pan. When the oven was ready (400) I poured the batter in the pan, creating a fun sizzle sound, and transferred it to the oven. The recipe called for it to cook 20 minutes and I left it in a few minutes longer (I know my oven) and tested with a toothpick. All was ready!
The chili was fantastic!! I could only taste a hint of gaminess, but the texture was a little different from beef or ground turkey. It was a slightly finer consistancy, which went really well in a chili form. I've heard that venison meatballs are good and I could see why. The spices and tomato consistancy were perfect! I omitted jalepenos from the recipe, out of preference, but found that the cayenne, chili powder, and cumin gave a nice subtle heat.
The cornbread was simply gorgeous. Golden brown and crisp. I was disappointed to see that the center was underdone, despite the toothpick test. I cut the bread from around the edges and popped the skillet back in for another 20 minutes, since it had already cooled. The center cooked up wonderfully. It did need something, which we had a hard time putting our finger on. A little touch of sweetness, perhaps? Maybe even a touch more salt? Shawn suggested creamed corn instead of frozen.... I'll try another recipe to get it down eventually. Love the cast iron skillet method, though!!
My favorite way to eat this was created by a suggestion from my deer benefactor. I put the cornbread in my bowl and topped it with the chili. Then put a little sour cream and a little cheese on the side to add as desired. I've always eaten the bread on the side and thought this would be weird, but I trust her and gave it a shot. Wow. Simply, wow. The textures and flavors of this all together was simply brilliant!! Yum.
Venison Chili- MyRecipes.com
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/venison-chili-10000000780398/?k=1
Cracklin Cornbread- Smoke & Spice
*ask if you want the recipe
Now, I'm finding this venison to be a little intimidating. I keep hearing about gaminess and remember the last time that I tried deer (at a country club where I worked and had recently witnessed the actual deer becoming that evening's special) and I wasn't a huge fan. I've been really interested in trying it again and decided that chili would be a good way to ease us into the flavor. I make chili all the time and have heard its a great venue to start with. Chili and cornbread go hand in hand in this region but my baking skills (or lack thereof) have kept me from making cornbread in the past. I decided to go for it!!
Suprisingly, none of my cookbooks had recipes for venison. I went online and found a chili variation on MyRecipes.com that sounded basic but tasty. I usually wing it with my chili, but wanted to be sure that my spices were to par. I also found a recipe for cornbread in Shawn's "Smoke & Spice" cookbook that sounded really good. I definitely wanted to use my cast iron skillet and like the idea of using bacon grease as the fat addition in the recipe.
We started early in the morning when I made pancakes and bacon for my boys. I needed bacon grease and they were kind enough to take one for the team! I saved the grease and went on with my day. Later in the morning, I busted out my brand new food processor. Would you believe that with as much as I cook, I've never owned one until this Christmas? We don't have a dishwasher and I've always thought it would be a pain to clean. I do, however, spend a ridiculous amount of time on food prep and decided that this would be a good day to test it out. Since I was using it, I ended up chopping up extra onions and garlic and put them in containers to use later in the week. Love it! So much quicker and much easier on the eyes. Not a total pain to wash and as long as I'm getting myself prepped for the week it saves a ton of time in the long run.
I opted to steer away from the trusty crockpot and took out my large stockpot to keep the chili on the stove throughout the day. I sauteed up the deer and removed it, covering the dish to keep it warm. A cup each of chopped peppers and onions went in next with 4 cloves of chopped garlic. I sauteed it on medium high for about 10 minutes and then added the spices. Followed with the venison, a can of diced tomatoes, a can of chicken broth, and a touch of tomato paste. I added the can of rinsed kidney beans before noting that it should have been added toward the end of cooking. I didn't really notice anything off, so I wouldn't say that it was a necessary step. I did, however, add a 1/4 cup of frozen corn at the end. It wasn't in the recipe, but Shawn really loves corn in his chili. I left it all on the stove, on low, stirring every 20 minutes or so, for 4-5 hours.
About an hour before dinner, I mixed together the dry ingredients for the cornbread and then mixed together the wet separately and combined them with a little frozen corn and some melted butter. Then I warmed the skillet on the stove and added a tablespoon of bacon grease, swirling to coat the pan. When the oven was ready (400) I poured the batter in the pan, creating a fun sizzle sound, and transferred it to the oven. The recipe called for it to cook 20 minutes and I left it in a few minutes longer (I know my oven) and tested with a toothpick. All was ready!
The chili was fantastic!! I could only taste a hint of gaminess, but the texture was a little different from beef or ground turkey. It was a slightly finer consistancy, which went really well in a chili form. I've heard that venison meatballs are good and I could see why. The spices and tomato consistancy were perfect! I omitted jalepenos from the recipe, out of preference, but found that the cayenne, chili powder, and cumin gave a nice subtle heat.
The cornbread was simply gorgeous. Golden brown and crisp. I was disappointed to see that the center was underdone, despite the toothpick test. I cut the bread from around the edges and popped the skillet back in for another 20 minutes, since it had already cooled. The center cooked up wonderfully. It did need something, which we had a hard time putting our finger on. A little touch of sweetness, perhaps? Maybe even a touch more salt? Shawn suggested creamed corn instead of frozen.... I'll try another recipe to get it down eventually. Love the cast iron skillet method, though!!
My favorite way to eat this was created by a suggestion from my deer benefactor. I put the cornbread in my bowl and topped it with the chili. Then put a little sour cream and a little cheese on the side to add as desired. I've always eaten the bread on the side and thought this would be weird, but I trust her and gave it a shot. Wow. Simply, wow. The textures and flavors of this all together was simply brilliant!! Yum.
Venison Chili- MyRecipes.com
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/venison-chili-10000000780398/?k=1
Cracklin Cornbread- Smoke & Spice
*ask if you want the recipe
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Slow Cooker Ribollita- Food Network Magazine
The picture in this recipe looks soooo good and I love the fact that it uses my slow cooker. Seriously, click on the link below to see the picture and you'll be making this, too. My time with my crock pot is almost over.... 15 years and kicking for this amazing, $30 piece of equipment. There's a crack in the crock (lol) that'll pop one of these days, causing me a huge mess and anguish but I just can't bear to replace it yet. I've cooked hundreds and hundreds of meals in this thing and am now pretty convinced that its indestructible. My next one will totally be another Rival.
So, this is a somewhat embarrassing meal for me to blog about, but I'm going to go for it! I've been making soups more often than normal these past few weeks. Soups are one of those things that get easier and easier the more you make them. I remember once, in my early twenties, having a really strong craving for homemade chicken noodle soup. Maybe I was sick, nostalgic, who remembers.... but I decided to make some soup from scratch. I roasted a chicken, pulled it apart, made the stock, made the soup.... 8 hours later I had a just-ok bowl of homemade soup to work with. A decade later and I've learned to manage my time a little better and, thankfully, the taste as well. What's funny about these soups is that I'm pretty much the only one who likes soup in the house. John will try a little bit and Shawn will eat a bowl because he feels obligated. I just take the rest for lunch or freeze for when one of us gets sick. There is NOTHING like homemade soup when you're sick.
I had the ingredients for this at hand, with some light variations, and decided to try it out. On Friday night (yes, I stay home and prep veggies some Friday nights) I cut up 3 carrots and 3 stalks of celery.
Then I sauteed up a few pieces of diced bacon, removed most of the grease, and sauteed the veggies a touch. You don't have to sautee vegetables before putting them in the crockpot, but it really does improve the flavor a bit. While everything sauteed, I rinsed some small dried white beans and picked out the broken and off color ones. I combined the beans, the veggies, the bacon, some bagged cabbage, and a 1/4 cup of tomato paste; topped with water and turned it on. Then I went to bed.
Note- my sense of smell is terrible. My unprofessional diagnosis is that its part allergies and frequent sinus infections and partly because I smoked for so many years.
I woke up on Saturday morning and asked Shawn if it smelled good. He didn't smell anything. Uh-oh.... I checked the crockpot and it was on low. Then I realized..... I didn't plug it in. Total rookie mistake!! I was so annoyed with myself!! I debated for a while on what to do next. Part of me thought I should throw it away, part of me thought it would be ok to proceed. So, I put it out to my friends at Chowhound.com. Common consensus- Bacon is a smoked product that wouldn't spoil and I used water and not chicken stock. Proceed. I turned on the pot, rethought our lunch plans, and went on with my day.
7 hours later, my beans were cooked and the dish was ready for the next step. The recipe calls for stale bread, but I had half of a really good roll that had hardened over night. I put that in the cooker and let it sit a while. It took 2-3 times longer because of the crust and I needed to break it up after a while. The bread disintegrated into the soup, thickening it up nicely. Then I stirred in a 1/4 cup of parmesa cheese and some parsley. I skipped the toasted bread step, and sauteed sliced garlic in oil, adding it to the soup before serving.
The soup looked really, really good. Thankfully, it tasted really really good, too!! I liked the addition of the tomato paste. It gave it a nice note of flavor and color without the acidity of actual tomatoes. The cheese gets a little melty on your spoon as you eat it, which I enjoy. I can imagine that if I had spooned the soup over toasted bread, as suggested, that the cheese would stick to the bread a bit. I just am not a fan of wet bread.
There's a bunch leftover, so I look forward to enjoying some soup throughout the week. I'll give this a go, again. Oh, and I'll always check the plug before going to bed (hangs head in culinary shame).
Slow Cooker Ribollita- Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-ribollita-recipe/index.html
So, this is a somewhat embarrassing meal for me to blog about, but I'm going to go for it! I've been making soups more often than normal these past few weeks. Soups are one of those things that get easier and easier the more you make them. I remember once, in my early twenties, having a really strong craving for homemade chicken noodle soup. Maybe I was sick, nostalgic, who remembers.... but I decided to make some soup from scratch. I roasted a chicken, pulled it apart, made the stock, made the soup.... 8 hours later I had a just-ok bowl of homemade soup to work with. A decade later and I've learned to manage my time a little better and, thankfully, the taste as well. What's funny about these soups is that I'm pretty much the only one who likes soup in the house. John will try a little bit and Shawn will eat a bowl because he feels obligated. I just take the rest for lunch or freeze for when one of us gets sick. There is NOTHING like homemade soup when you're sick.
I had the ingredients for this at hand, with some light variations, and decided to try it out. On Friday night (yes, I stay home and prep veggies some Friday nights) I cut up 3 carrots and 3 stalks of celery.
Then I sauteed up a few pieces of diced bacon, removed most of the grease, and sauteed the veggies a touch. You don't have to sautee vegetables before putting them in the crockpot, but it really does improve the flavor a bit. While everything sauteed, I rinsed some small dried white beans and picked out the broken and off color ones. I combined the beans, the veggies, the bacon, some bagged cabbage, and a 1/4 cup of tomato paste; topped with water and turned it on. Then I went to bed.
Note- my sense of smell is terrible. My unprofessional diagnosis is that its part allergies and frequent sinus infections and partly because I smoked for so many years.
I woke up on Saturday morning and asked Shawn if it smelled good. He didn't smell anything. Uh-oh.... I checked the crockpot and it was on low. Then I realized..... I didn't plug it in. Total rookie mistake!! I was so annoyed with myself!! I debated for a while on what to do next. Part of me thought I should throw it away, part of me thought it would be ok to proceed. So, I put it out to my friends at Chowhound.com. Common consensus- Bacon is a smoked product that wouldn't spoil and I used water and not chicken stock. Proceed. I turned on the pot, rethought our lunch plans, and went on with my day.
7 hours later, my beans were cooked and the dish was ready for the next step. The recipe calls for stale bread, but I had half of a really good roll that had hardened over night. I put that in the cooker and let it sit a while. It took 2-3 times longer because of the crust and I needed to break it up after a while. The bread disintegrated into the soup, thickening it up nicely. Then I stirred in a 1/4 cup of parmesa cheese and some parsley. I skipped the toasted bread step, and sauteed sliced garlic in oil, adding it to the soup before serving.
The soup looked really, really good. Thankfully, it tasted really really good, too!! I liked the addition of the tomato paste. It gave it a nice note of flavor and color without the acidity of actual tomatoes. The cheese gets a little melty on your spoon as you eat it, which I enjoy. I can imagine that if I had spooned the soup over toasted bread, as suggested, that the cheese would stick to the bread a bit. I just am not a fan of wet bread.
There's a bunch leftover, so I look forward to enjoying some soup throughout the week. I'll give this a go, again. Oh, and I'll always check the plug before going to bed (hangs head in culinary shame).
Slow Cooker Ribollita- Food Network Magazine
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/slow-cooker-ribollita-recipe/index.html
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mexican Mac & Cheese- Better Homes & Gardens
This month, I've been cooking and experimenting more often. I'm aiming to work with the food in my freezer and pantry as often as possible to cut back on spending a bit. I went through my handy dandy clipped recipe binder and pulled out those that I could make with whatever I have on hand, give or take an ingredient or two. Then I gave those recipes to Shawn to weed out the ones that he wasn't interested in trying. Its interesting to see what I think he'll like versus what he'll actually try. It surprises me sometimes! This one looked delicious and he seemed pretty interested in it, so I gave it a shot.
Some background on the recipe: Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a section where they give you a topic each month and people can contribute recipes for prizes. I aim to win this one day! In the meantime, I clip other people's recipes to try new things. This recipe won the $500 prize for "new ways with sausage" back in March 2011. I submitted my breakfast potatoes and didn't hear back. Their loss!
Recipe planning can be a little hard when you're working out of the freezer because you have to get your timing just right. You have to get the meat defrosted in time to cook but you can't always guarantee what you'll want to eat the next night. So, I had the sausage all ready to go for the evening and Shawn wasn't feeling pasta. I wasn't feeling sandwiches, so I made the pasta for John and I and cut aside some sausage to make him sausage & pepper sandwiches.
I used bulk sausage and sauteed up about 2/3 of the package with a chopped small onion in a sautee pan. I drained the fat, then added the meat back to the pan with a jar of salsa. I had about 3/4 of a jar from a local farmers market with a little heat to it. While this was going on, I cooked up approximately 12 oz of rigatoni. I've learned with time and practice to always undercook pasta when you're going to be baking it. It'll finish cooking in the oven! I got a hodge podge of cheese together- some colby jack, reduced fat cheddar, and a little sharp cheddar to finish it off. The recipe called for a pound, but I used around 2/3 of a pound to match the rest of the scaled down recipe.
I took a baking dish, coated with spray, and added a layer of pasta, a layer of meat, and a layer of cheese. Repeated the layers- snuck a bite to make sure it tasted good (it did) and put in the oven for 35 minutes. I topped it with some chopped tomatoes and cilantro.
Ooooohhhhh, I love baked pasta. Any kind, really. Its just one of those dishes that I can eat way more than I should. This was like a cross between mac and cheese and baked ziti, but with a Mexican flair. Aka- it was absolutely and ridiculously amazing! The cheese and meat sauce stayed separate, but kind of melted together at the same time. The edges were crispy and the salsa made it all pretty spicy but the chopped tomatoes helped tone it down.
One of my proudest moments was when John took a few bites and said it was spicy. Then he asked for a drink and kept on eating it. My little foodie in training!!! Leftovers were not as plentiful as they should be (I really love baked pasta) but heated up really well the next day. I'll definitely do this again with some turkey sausage and light cheese to lighten it up a bit. I bet some chopped peppers would be good, too.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/mexican-mac-and-cheese/
Some background on the recipe: Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a section where they give you a topic each month and people can contribute recipes for prizes. I aim to win this one day! In the meantime, I clip other people's recipes to try new things. This recipe won the $500 prize for "new ways with sausage" back in March 2011. I submitted my breakfast potatoes and didn't hear back. Their loss!
Recipe planning can be a little hard when you're working out of the freezer because you have to get your timing just right. You have to get the meat defrosted in time to cook but you can't always guarantee what you'll want to eat the next night. So, I had the sausage all ready to go for the evening and Shawn wasn't feeling pasta. I wasn't feeling sandwiches, so I made the pasta for John and I and cut aside some sausage to make him sausage & pepper sandwiches.
I used bulk sausage and sauteed up about 2/3 of the package with a chopped small onion in a sautee pan. I drained the fat, then added the meat back to the pan with a jar of salsa. I had about 3/4 of a jar from a local farmers market with a little heat to it. While this was going on, I cooked up approximately 12 oz of rigatoni. I've learned with time and practice to always undercook pasta when you're going to be baking it. It'll finish cooking in the oven! I got a hodge podge of cheese together- some colby jack, reduced fat cheddar, and a little sharp cheddar to finish it off. The recipe called for a pound, but I used around 2/3 of a pound to match the rest of the scaled down recipe.
I took a baking dish, coated with spray, and added a layer of pasta, a layer of meat, and a layer of cheese. Repeated the layers- snuck a bite to make sure it tasted good (it did) and put in the oven for 35 minutes. I topped it with some chopped tomatoes and cilantro.
Ooooohhhhh, I love baked pasta. Any kind, really. Its just one of those dishes that I can eat way more than I should. This was like a cross between mac and cheese and baked ziti, but with a Mexican flair. Aka- it was absolutely and ridiculously amazing! The cheese and meat sauce stayed separate, but kind of melted together at the same time. The edges were crispy and the salsa made it all pretty spicy but the chopped tomatoes helped tone it down.
One of my proudest moments was when John took a few bites and said it was spicy. Then he asked for a drink and kept on eating it. My little foodie in training!!! Leftovers were not as plentiful as they should be (I really love baked pasta) but heated up really well the next day. I'll definitely do this again with some turkey sausage and light cheese to lighten it up a bit. I bet some chopped peppers would be good, too.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pasta/mexican-mac-and-cheese/
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sausage Stuffed Manicotti- Cooking Light
There are certain recipes that I just can't wait to try, but never get around to making. I can't even remember how long ago I printed this recipe up. I was searching for something else and loved the look and sound of it so much that I couldn't wait to try it. Of course, it took me at least a year to do it.
The best kind of recipe is one that features items that I usually keep in my house and seems easy, but is also a little outside of the box. This has it all for me. It also uses a cream sauce instead of ricotta cheese, which excited me. Shawn can't stand ricotta which really limits us in the baked Italian world. I will, sometimes, make it with half ricotta and half not but its just not the same for some reason. I hoped that the cream sauce would be a happy medium.
I started by browning up turkey sausage with chopped peppers and onions. In a separate pan, I used equal parts flour and butter and added 2 cups of skim milk. Boiled until it got thick, stirring constantly. I learned a long time ago to not do anything else while performing this step. The sausage was off the burner at this point and I had full focus on the sauce at hand. I really like the consistancy that it created and will give this a shot the next time that I make mac and cheese.
I added about half of the cream sauce to the meat mixture and set the rest aside. The recipe calls for uncooked manicotti shells. I started filling them by using a spoon and that got old really fast. I ended up using my (washed) hands to stuff the shells and placed them in a pregreased baking dish. The recipe doesn't call for it, but next time I will add some sauce to the bottom. I also would leave some more space between the shells, allowing sauce to fully envelop the shells. There was a little meat leftover, which I added to the open spots in the dish. Topped those bad boys with some mozzarella, then covered with the remaining cream sauce, 2 cups of marinara sauce, some parmesan cheese.
It looks like a lot of sauce, but trust me. It'll soak it all up.
I baked it all for 30 minutes and then let it sit for a while. The dish looked fantastic!! The sauce didn't cook the noodles completely through. They were a little al dente for my taste, but that's easily adjusted for next time. The taste was ridiculous, though!! So flavorful, creamy, and delicous. I would just encourage you to make a side vegetable or salad with it to keep you from eating way more than the recommended portion size. Oh, and the leftovers were just as good!
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-stuffed-manicotti-10000001886430/
The best kind of recipe is one that features items that I usually keep in my house and seems easy, but is also a little outside of the box. This has it all for me. It also uses a cream sauce instead of ricotta cheese, which excited me. Shawn can't stand ricotta which really limits us in the baked Italian world. I will, sometimes, make it with half ricotta and half not but its just not the same for some reason. I hoped that the cream sauce would be a happy medium.
I started by browning up turkey sausage with chopped peppers and onions. In a separate pan, I used equal parts flour and butter and added 2 cups of skim milk. Boiled until it got thick, stirring constantly. I learned a long time ago to not do anything else while performing this step. The sausage was off the burner at this point and I had full focus on the sauce at hand. I really like the consistancy that it created and will give this a shot the next time that I make mac and cheese.
I added about half of the cream sauce to the meat mixture and set the rest aside. The recipe calls for uncooked manicotti shells. I started filling them by using a spoon and that got old really fast. I ended up using my (washed) hands to stuff the shells and placed them in a pregreased baking dish. The recipe doesn't call for it, but next time I will add some sauce to the bottom. I also would leave some more space between the shells, allowing sauce to fully envelop the shells. There was a little meat leftover, which I added to the open spots in the dish. Topped those bad boys with some mozzarella, then covered with the remaining cream sauce, 2 cups of marinara sauce, some parmesan cheese.
It looks like a lot of sauce, but trust me. It'll soak it all up.
I baked it all for 30 minutes and then let it sit for a while. The dish looked fantastic!! The sauce didn't cook the noodles completely through. They were a little al dente for my taste, but that's easily adjusted for next time. The taste was ridiculous, though!! So flavorful, creamy, and delicous. I would just encourage you to make a side vegetable or salad with it to keep you from eating way more than the recommended portion size. Oh, and the leftovers were just as good!
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/sausage-stuffed-manicotti-10000001886430/
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Chocolate Bark- Food Network Magazine
Its been a while. Its funny, because I've been still using new recipes. I just haven't written then out. There's been a few awesome ones. Cabbage with Bacon and Onions from Emerill should have been written about, and I suggest you try it. But for now, I'll talk about one of my favorite things in the world. Chocolate.
I have been making a seriously awesome and super easy fudge recipe for the past few years. I wanted to try removing the sweetened condensed milk from the mix to see if I could make it a little lighter and remove a touch of the sweetness. I took out all the dessert recipes from my accordian recipe file (I have a slight obsession with clipping good recipes from magazines) and found the one that best suited my mood. The set up is simple. Split into 5 sections:
1. Prepare the pan. Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side up; smooth out the creases
I was curious about using foil only, but it worked just fine. Peeled right off once the chocolate cooled.
2. Pick your ingredients
CHOCOLATE; 1 pound
Bittersweet, Semisweet, White
CRUNCH; 1/2 cup, chopped
Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews, Pine Nuts, Hazelnuts, Peppermints, Toffee, Peanut Brittle, Toasted Coconut Flakes, Peanut Butter Chips, Banana Chips
CHEWY TOPPINGS; 1/2 cup, chopped
Dried Figs, Dried Apricots, Dried Cherries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Mango, Raisins,
Mini Marshmallow, Candied Orange Peel, Crystallized Ginger
SPICES (optional)
Red Pepper Flakes, Flaky Sea Salt, Crushed Cardamom Seeds, Toasted Fennel Seeds, Crushed Pink Peppercorns
I made 2 variations. One with Milk Chocolate, Mini Marshmallows, & Salted Peanuts and one with Semisweet Chocolate, Blueberry Craisins, & Peanuts. I prefer semisweet choclate but the milk was just as good, I loved the peanuts and the other toppings were decent. I didn't use the full amount in the recipe and wish that I had. It definitely needed more. Next time I plan on trying semisweet chocholate with crushed candy cane topping.
3. Melt the chocolate
A. Make sure that all of your tools are dry. Chop chocolate into 1/2 inch pieces with a large knife. Place all but 1 cup of the chopped chocolate in a mircowave safe bowl.
B Microwave 30 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula. Continue microwaving and stirring at 30-second intervals until melted, 3 to 5 minutes total.
C. Immediately add the reserved chopped chocolate to the bowl. Stir vigorously until melted and shiny. Don't worry if there are a few small unmelted pieces.
I used chips for the chocolate so there was no chopping involved. The method worked perfectly, except I set the microwave for the full amount and kept forgetting to get the chocolate out. I didn't think it affected the taste at all. I only had to stir the extra chocolate for a minute or two and it melted beautifully.
4. Spread it out
Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet; use the rubber spatula to spread it into a 10-12 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
This part was easy.
5. Add your toppings
Press your cruchy and chewy toppings into the choclate, arranging them so each bite has a mix of flavors and textures. Sprinkle with spices, if desired. Let the bark harden completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (if the room is warm, you may need to freeze the bark for a few minutes). Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
Don't rush the chocolate! You definitely want to give it enough time to harden and it'll come right off the foil and break or cut into pieces.
This was great! Affordable and easy. We loved it! I'll make this again and again and can't wait to try all different combinations!
I have been making a seriously awesome and super easy fudge recipe for the past few years. I wanted to try removing the sweetened condensed milk from the mix to see if I could make it a little lighter and remove a touch of the sweetness. I took out all the dessert recipes from my accordian recipe file (I have a slight obsession with clipping good recipes from magazines) and found the one that best suited my mood. The set up is simple. Split into 5 sections:
1. Prepare the pan. Line a baking sheet with foil, shiny side up; smooth out the creases
I was curious about using foil only, but it worked just fine. Peeled right off once the chocolate cooled.
2. Pick your ingredients
CHOCOLATE; 1 pound
Bittersweet, Semisweet, White
CRUNCH; 1/2 cup, chopped
Almonds, Walnuts, Macadamia Nuts, Pecans, Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews, Pine Nuts, Hazelnuts, Peppermints, Toffee, Peanut Brittle, Toasted Coconut Flakes, Peanut Butter Chips, Banana Chips
CHEWY TOPPINGS; 1/2 cup, chopped
Dried Figs, Dried Apricots, Dried Cherries, Dried Cranberries, Dried Mango, Raisins,
Mini Marshmallow, Candied Orange Peel, Crystallized Ginger
SPICES (optional)
Red Pepper Flakes, Flaky Sea Salt, Crushed Cardamom Seeds, Toasted Fennel Seeds, Crushed Pink Peppercorns
I made 2 variations. One with Milk Chocolate, Mini Marshmallows, & Salted Peanuts and one with Semisweet Chocolate, Blueberry Craisins, & Peanuts. I prefer semisweet choclate but the milk was just as good, I loved the peanuts and the other toppings were decent. I didn't use the full amount in the recipe and wish that I had. It definitely needed more. Next time I plan on trying semisweet chocholate with crushed candy cane topping.
3. Melt the chocolate
A. Make sure that all of your tools are dry. Chop chocolate into 1/2 inch pieces with a large knife. Place all but 1 cup of the chopped chocolate in a mircowave safe bowl.
B Microwave 30 seconds, then stir with a rubber spatula. Continue microwaving and stirring at 30-second intervals until melted, 3 to 5 minutes total.
C. Immediately add the reserved chopped chocolate to the bowl. Stir vigorously until melted and shiny. Don't worry if there are a few small unmelted pieces.
I used chips for the chocolate so there was no chopping involved. The method worked perfectly, except I set the microwave for the full amount and kept forgetting to get the chocolate out. I didn't think it affected the taste at all. I only had to stir the extra chocolate for a minute or two and it melted beautifully.
4. Spread it out
Pour the chocolate onto the prepared baking sheet; use the rubber spatula to spread it into a 10-12 inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick.
This part was easy.
5. Add your toppings
Press your cruchy and chewy toppings into the choclate, arranging them so each bite has a mix of flavors and textures. Sprinkle with spices, if desired. Let the bark harden completely at room temperature, about 1 hour. (if the room is warm, you may need to freeze the bark for a few minutes). Break into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks.
Don't rush the chocolate! You definitely want to give it enough time to harden and it'll come right off the foil and break or cut into pieces.
This was great! Affordable and easy. We loved it! I'll make this again and again and can't wait to try all different combinations!
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