The Kitchen Counter

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2011-12-13T00:25:00.004-05:00

Homemade Vanilla Extract, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I have seen a lot of homemade vanilla extract recipes on blogs recently. I love the idea and, more importantly, I've been waiting for any excuse to buy some blue bottles from this bottle company! Also, I bake a lot and this is a really affordable way to get vanilla beans and extract.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup vodka
1 1/2 madagascar vanilla beans (split open and cut in half to fit in the jar)

Let steep in jars for at least 2 months. Keep in a cool dark place and shake once a week. You can keep adding vodka after you use some of the extract.

Cobalt Blue 4 oz jars from: www.specialtybottle.com/cobaltbluebostonroundglassbottle4...

labels adapted from: www.marthastewart.com/275308/christmas-templates/@center/...

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuits

2011-12-12T14:50:00.005-05:00

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuits

I decided to make some Cranberry Apple Butter for Christmas presents this year. My mom always brings me a bushel of Northern Spy apples from Home, Pennsylvania, and this is a great way to use them all up.

I couldn't remember the yield of this recipe but it makes a lot more than the 4 1/2 cups that the original recipe says. I used large apples and 1 recipe made 8 1/2 cups. A double recipe did not fit in one pot, so I started out with my dutch oven and another large pot and consolidated after the apples cooked down a bit.

boiling cranberries for cranberry apple butter, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter and Biscuit,

Flying Biscuit Cranberry Apple Butter

* 2 cups of dark brown sugar
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
* 2 cups cranberries
* 10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

Place sugar, spices, and orange juice in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer and add the cranberries. Cook over medium heat until cranberries begin to pop.

Add the apples and cook over low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until apples are tender and falling apart. Puree contents of saucepan in a food processor or mash with a potato masher until smooth and thick. I used a potato masher because I like larger chunks. Also, because I was going to can the butter, I didn't want to worry about bringing it back up to temperature after pureeing it. Cool and serve with hot biscuits.

Yields: 4 ½ Cups (I used northern spy apples and the yield was about 8 1/2 cups)

Cranberry Apple Butter will keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Follow these instructions for preserving: nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/apple_butter.html

Flying Biscuits

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour (*Note: a soft winter wheat flour, such as White Lily, works best)
1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (it should be consistency of shortening)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half an half

1 tablespoon half and half for brushing on top of biscuits
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling on biscuits
______________________________

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into 1/2 tablespoon-sized bits and add to the flour. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

3. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in all the heavy cream and half and half. Stir the dry ingredients into the cream and mix with a wooden spoon until dough just begins to come together into ball.

4. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times to form a cohesive mass. Do not overwork the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1-inch thickness. The correct thickness is the key to obtaining a stately biscuit. Dip a 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter in flour, then cut the dough. Repeat until all the dough has been cut. Scraps can be gathered together and rerolled one more time.

5. Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops of the biscuits with 1 tablespoon half and half and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 20 minutes. Biscuits will be lightly browned on top and flaky in the center when done.

Makes 8 to 12 biscuits, depending on the size of the cutter.

Apple butter recipe from: www.pba.org/programming/programs/atlanta_cooking/flyingbi...
note that if you want to make the biscuits use this recipe: www.easygourmetrecipes.com/html/recipe_database/recipes.c... (there's a typo on the pba website leaving out 2/3 of half and half; I've done this and it gives you scones!)

I downloaded the label borders from here: www.marthastewart.com/275308/christmas-templates/@center/...
I used art paper for decorating the tops of the jars

Beef tips and rice with corn bread

2011-11-06T20:43:00.002-05:00

Beef tips and rice with corn bread, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This is the best beef recipe I've ever made. The meat was just falling apart and the beer gave it a more complex flavor than beef broth would have. It doesn't hurt that I was using organic beef that my cousin raised.

The corn bread is Jiffy corn muffin mix, but I used buttermilk instead of milk.

Beef Tips on Rice

1 to 2 lbs stew meat (I used a heel roast)
~½ cup flour with salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef bouillon
1 bottle of dark beer (I used Guinness)
salt and pepper
1Tbsp corn starch and 1 tbsp water

cooked rice (2 cups uncooked)

Cut meat into 1 inch pieces, tenderize (sprinkle with tenderizer and poke with fork). Coat meat in flour mixture.

Brown meat in dutch oven with 1 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp olive oil. Remove meat, brown onions and garlic with more olive oil.

Add beer and boil (scraping pan to get brown bits into broth. Add 1 cup bouillon, cream of mushroom soup, parsley, salt and pepper.

Simmer for 2 ½ hours at 300* (can increase to 325 for last hour). Add veggies and cornstarch 1 hr before done

serve over noodles or rice

Next time I will try adding 2 more onions sliced into 8 pieces.

Perfect Chili with Black Beans and Kidney Beans

2011-11-01T21:22:00.004-04:00

Chili spices, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I love the combination of beans in this chili and the spices are perfect

Bill’s Chilli

a few cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 an onion
1 lb hamburger
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 can of diced tomatoes, not drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
2 cans of black beans: not drained
2 cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 can of regular beer not light beer (bill uses Bud, I used "the champagne of beers") (you can substitute bouillon and water)
5 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of cumin (really, don't add too much cumin!)

Cook garlic, onion and hamburger until the meat is brown. Drain the fat off.
Add all of the other ingredients (make sure the tomato paste dissolves)
Add spices
Bring to a boil, add water to set thickness (I didn't need any)
Taste once it cools a bit, add chilli pepper first if it needs something.
Boil and stir occasionally on Medium heat
cook for about 30 minutes.
Tastes best if you let it cool and then reheat to serve.

Spice: 10/1 chilli powder to cayenne pepper; 10 /1 cayenne pepper to cumin

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-10-29T12:52:00.002-04:00

I made these for an wedding shower. They were a huge hit. The pineapple helps keep them moist and gives them a really nice texture.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Carrot Cake

2 cups ground carrots

1 15 oz can crushed pineapple, drained well

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 ½ cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

Dash/tsp salt

Raisins, mini chocolate chips or walnuts optional (1 cup)

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

IN large bowl combine carrots, pineapple oil and sugar. Add eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add flour mixture and mix well. Stir in raisins and nuts if desired. Batter will look runny, as though it needs more flour. This is normal.

Pour into greased (and floured if you want to) pans. Bake for 45 minutes (closer to 15 if you're doing cupcakes), or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. It will brown a lot so don’t worry if it looks like it’s getting too brown.

Cream Cheese Frosting from Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from several sources
Makes 6 cups
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. With a handheld electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat, on low speed to combine. If too soft, chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-09-18T00:25:00.004-04:00

When I was little I never liked red velvet cakes. I was always disappointed that they were not chocolatey enough (or at all). John's dad wanted Red Velvet cake for his birthday, so I looked for a good recipe. I have never gone wrong with Smitten Kitchen so I tried this recipe.

It has more chocolate than most recipes so it is much better (in my opinion) than the normal recipe. Plus, it has a volcano as the last step!

smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/red-velvet-cake/
Red Velvet Cake
Adapted from “The Confetti Cakes Cookbook” by Elisa Strauss via the New York Times 2/14/07
Yield: 3 cake layers or ~35 cupcakes

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.
2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.
3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.
4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.
5. Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Cupcake variation: Since this has been published, many readers have written in to express that it adapts well to cupcakes. The yield is approximately 35 cupcakes, with the liners filled only 3/4 of the way, and the baking time should be between 20 to 25 minutes, but check in on them 2/3 of the way through in case your oven gets the job done faster.
Cocoa Notes

Some red velvet cakes have no cocoa, others have up to half a cup. The less cocoa, the brighter the red, and the less food dye is needed to give it the desired hue. This cake has more cocoa and quite a bit of red dye, but as you cans see from the picture, it is a real stand-out red. Feel free to use less, but make sure you dissolve it in 6 tablespoons of water to compensate for any moisture lost.
Dutch versus Non-Dutched cocoa: This recipe uses baking soda, so it calls for non-Dutch-Processed cocoa. The reason is that Dutch-Process cocoa is neutral and will not react with baking soda, so it can only be used in 1) recipes with baking powder or 2) recipes with enough other acidic ingredients that will compensate for the lack of acidity. However, you’ll notice that this recipe has both vinegar and buttermilk in it, or quite a bit of acidity, leading me to wonder if either kind of cocoa could be used with success. I had non-Dutch on hand, so I used it, but if you only have Dutch and try this recipe, let us know if it works. Personally, I prefer the Dutched stuff because it usually is of a higher quality with a more delicate chocolate flavor.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from several sources
Makes 6 cups
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. With a handheld electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat, on low speed to combine. If too soft, chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using.
Icing Notes:

Technique: Cake decorators will always tell you to ice a cake in two batches, first a “crumb layer” and then the more decorative one. Though I rarely bother, in this cake in particular, with its dark hue barely disguised by a thin layer of frosting, it is especially helpful. To do this, place a small amount of frosting on the cake and spread it over the entire surface that will be iced, thereby anchoring wayward crumbs in place so that they will not mess up the final product. A few minutes in the freezer or longer in the fridge will firm this up so that you have an ideal surface to build the real layer of frosting upon. (I did a rushed, half-assed one, hence the visible crumbs in the final product.)
Quantity: The recipe here creates an amount of frosting that allows for a thin coat between and over the cake layers. I found it to have the ideal cake-to-frosting balance for this recipe. However, you might want to double the recipe if you prefer a more decadent, padded frosting layer.

Mixing Red Velvet Cupcake, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

red velvet cupcake batter, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Red Velvet Cupcake , originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cumberland Island Camping Trip

2011-09-18T00:11:00.010-04:00

A few weeks after our trip to Carrabelle, we went camping on Cumberland Island. We had plans to go to Sapelo Island, but Hurricane Irene was headed towards the coast, and the island cancelled our reservations. It worked out well because Cumberland was amazing!

The hurricane went by without much drama. The storm cooled the island down and caused some serious rip-tides, so we were not able to swim the first few days.

We saw such amazing things! When we first got to the island we saw a manatee rolling around next to the ferry. The live oak canopy that protected the camp site was simply beautiful. The trees are caught in a permanent breeze from the Ocean and they all lean together.

We went to the Dungeness ruins on the south part of the island and saw wild turkeys and horses. By far the most common animal was the raccoon (or crackoon).

One night we sat on the dock with the forest ranger and watched shooting stars. Then we noticed the water glistening. It was full of bio-luminescent algae! When you run your fingers through the water, the algae light up like fireflies swarming around your hands.

It was an amazing weekend, and I only took a few photos. Here they are:

Live Oak Canopy on Cumberland Island Georgia, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Dungeness Ruins, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Walking back to Sea Camp from dungeness ruins, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Tate's Hell State Forest,

2011-09-13T00:37:00.012-04:00

While we were staying in Carrabelle, John and I went into Tate's Hell State Forest. There's a stand of dwarf cypress trees that is simply amazing. No one is sure what dwarfed their growth, but the forest is prehistoric. We watched our second sunset from the Kendrick boardwalk and then hurried back to the car before seeing any wild cats or bears.

lilly pads in the black swamp, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Kendrick Boardwalk in Tate's Hell State Forest, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Dwarf Bald Cypress Trees in Tate's Hell State Forest, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Peace in the cypress swamp, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Kendrick Boardwalk in Tate's Hell State Forest, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Sunset on Carrabelle beach

2011-09-13T00:29:00.009-04:00

We took photos of the sunrise, got breakfast at 2Al's, and then we slept for a few hours. We decided to go to 2Al's for dinner, because they are right next to a beach access. At 2Al's a couple gave us part of their red wine and headed off towards the beach.

The sunset was just as gorgeous as the sunrise! We even got to see the full moon rise.

sunset on carrabelle beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

carrabelle beach sunset, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

hermit crab and sunset on carrabelle beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

There were a ton of these hermit crabs all over the beach.

sunset with sea oats and sail boat, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

carrabelle beach moon rise, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Sunrise and Cypress Graveyard at Carrabelle Beach

2011-09-13T00:19:00.003-04:00

When we first get to the beach the sun had not come up yet. We got to see the colors get more and more intense as the sun rose.

Carrabelle beach has a cypress stump graveyard and we got a lot of good photos with the stumps (until the biting flies ran us off).

Then we went to 2Al's for breakfast. They had the most amazing pancakes! I don't know what they did to them, but I think they had melted butter and buttermilk rather than oil and butter. Amazing!

Sunrise at Carrabelle Beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Sunrise on Carrabelle Beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cypress Graveyard at Carrabelle Beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Carrabelle Beach

2011-09-13T00:05:00.002-04:00

I took so many photos during this trip that I will make a few installments. John and I drove to Carrabelle Beach (on the panhandle) and arrived near sunrise. We drove down to the beach and caught the sunrise over the water.

A lot of the photos involved feet/footprints/and hands so I figured I'd gather those all in the first post.

Sunrise and shell at carrabelle beach, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This is one of the hermit crab shells with the sunrise in the background.

sand spur in toes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I walked on the dunes to take a photo of a beach ball and was not paying enough attention (apparently) to the sand spurs. These actually made me bleed!

my sandy toes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

hobbit feet, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

dog and bird footprints, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

little girl's footprint in the sand, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

There are more to come!

Ugly Lemon Cupcakes

2011-08-01T12:09:00.008-04:00

I got my cupcake genius pans in the mail and was really excited to try them out. I'm kind of tired of car bomb cupcakes so I thought I'd use a lemon cake recipe that I really like.

So, I got all my ingredients together, took a photo of my egg yolk flower and got to work.

Egg Yolks and lemons for lemon curd, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Unfortunately I forgot to account for the volume taken up by the silicone caps that keep the cupcakes hollow and my cupcakes overflowed.

Lemon Cupcakes with Cupcake Genius pan, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Hence, the ugly cupcakes. That's OK, this is why I'm doing a trial run.

Ugly Lemon Cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I filled them with the lemon curd, and remembered that lemon curd just soaks into the cupcake. Leaving it hollow after a few minutes. Once again, this is why I do trial runs.

Ugly Lemon Cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

See the little belly button?

Ugly Lemon Cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

(no belly button)

I did make about 1/2 dozen in a regular pan so I just poked holes in the top with tooth picks and let the curd soak in before I frosted the. In the future, this will be the method I use. No fancy pan required!

Lemon Layer Cake
adapted from : smittenkitchen.com/2007/09/layered-lemon-love/

1-2-3-4 Cake
This cake gets its name from its proportion of ingredients: 1 cup butter and milk, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups of flour and 4 eggs, and from cupcakes to layers cakes, as a basic, white cake, it does not fail. Yield: 3 9-inch layers (for the purpose of this cake) or 24 cupcakes (good to know, eh?)

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (at room temperature)
3 cups sifted self-rising flour (sift before AND after measuring. Use a spoon to scoop flour into measuring cup)
1 cup milk (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325°F (original recipe was 350). Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4-inches above counter, then dropping flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (start checking at 15 minutes if you are making cupcakes).

Lemon Curd
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
From the Joy of Cooking: This makes a sensation filling for sponge rolls or an Angel Food Cake. You can also marble it into a cheesecake.
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 lemons, zest grated and juiced
Place the ingredients in the double boiler over boiling water. Don’t let top pan touch the water. Cook and stir until mixture begins to gel or thicken ever-so-slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate it to thicken. This keeps, refrigerated, for about 1 week.

Cream Cheese Lemon Frosting (from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
6 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup butter softened
4 1/2-3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest

Beat cream cheese, lemon juice, and butter until light and fluffy, gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar. Add remaining between 2 1/2 and 2 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and beat until spreading consistency. Add lemon zest and mix.

Lemon Layer Cake Assembly: Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the cake pedestal. Run hands along the side of the cake to remove excess crumbs. Place the cake layers on the pedestal, spreading filling between the layers and on top. Spread the top of the cake with the remaining filling. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting.

Optional, but delicious: press sweetened coconut flakes into the frosting.

Lattice Top Apple Pie

2011-07-30T22:05:00.002-04:00

Lattice Top Apple Pie

Filling
1/2 c sugar (for granny smith apples)
2T flour
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
3-4 lb apples (8-10 medium apples) peeled, cored and chopped. As many as you can fit in the pan.

tbsp milk
cinnamon sugar

Use two pre-packaged pie crusts, rolling them thin. Put one on the bottom of a deep pie crust leaving an inch or two around the edge. Fill with the apple filling. Roll out the other pie crust and cut into strips. Alternate strips across the top of the pie, weaving them together. Fold the extra dough over the edges of the lattice and pinch. Brush the top of the pie with some milk and then shake cinnamon sugar over the top of the pie.

bake at 375 for 45-60 min

Lattice top Apple Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lattice Top Apple Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Indiana County Covered Bridges

2011-07-30T20:13:00.009-04:00

I visited my family in Home, PA. and went to see three of the covered bridges in Indiana County. The Kintersburg bridge is named after my grandmother's family (the Kinter's).

Kintersburg Bridge

Harmon's Bridge

Trusal Bridge

Orange-Ginger Swai

2011-07-28T02:30:00.003-04:00

Orange-Ginger Swai Fillets (and pasta, and, um, overcooked green beans.. whoops.)

¼ cup orange juice (sounds snooty, but for this, fresh-squeezed really is best)

1 tbsp. ginger, grated (note: ginger grates best when it's frozen. I grate it, then loosely scoop it into a measuring spoon. Don't pack it down when you measure.)

½ tsp. black peppercorns, lightly cracked

½ cup cilantro, minced

2 pounds swai fillets (or other firm white fish. Salmon would also be wonderful.)

Combine the marinade ingredients, then add the fish; turn the fillets in the marinade to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes, and up to two hours.

Heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fillets (remember to pick off the peppercorns!) about 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2ish minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. (It's also delicious grilled.)

It's really delicious as-is, but there are some sauces that go with it.. click here for more.

Dulce de Leche Crepes

2011-06-27T03:18:00.004-04:00

Dulce de leche is practically THE reason I'm grateful to have taken Latin cuisine last quarter.

Make your crepes (recipe yields 8-10 6-inch crepes):

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 to 1 cup flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, water and salt. Whisk in 3/4 cup the flour until fully combined. If it seems super-thin, add the remaining 1/4 cup. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and chill 30 minutes before using.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Check the consistency of your batter; you want it a bit thinner than heavy cream. Add a bit of water if necessary.

Pour about three tablespoons of batter into the skillet while simultaneously swirling the skillet to coat the bottom. Let cook for about 30 seconds; flip the crepe and cook another 15 seconds. Repeat with all remaining batter.

And now for the important part:

Dulce de Leche - South American Milk Caramel
(Heads up: You have to babysit this stuff to get good results. It's worth it, though.)

4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Rum (optional)

Combine the mik, sugar, and baking soda in a pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently; reduce heat to low and allow to simmer very gently, stirring frequently, about 1-2 hours. The milk will reduce, darken, and thicken to a spreadable consistency. Watch your heat; as the milk thickens, you'll have to start reducing the heat to prevent scorching (probably in the last 20 minutes of cooking). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and stir in rum to taste, if desired.

Slather about 2 tbsp. of caramel on half of a crepe, and sprinkle with pistachios (or macadamias, or pecans, or whatever). Fold crepe in half. Spread a little caramel on the top quarter of the crepe, and fold in half again.

Young Gentlemen of Insufficient Means...

2011-06-14T03:04:00.004-04:00

... also known as poboys. Delicious, and so much easier than I would've figured.

(School is forcing me to become more comfortable with frying; it's still not my favorite thing, but less daunting than it used to be.)

Po'Boys with Parsley Dijon Remoulade ("remoulade" = fancy word for mayo with stuff in it)

Fish:
1 pound firm-fleshed white fish (my favorite has been a fish called "swai," which our Winn Dixie carries. I've also used whiting)
1 egg
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
Vegetable oil for frying

Remoulade:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup dijon mustard
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. minced parsley
Salt to taste
(Combine all, and chill until ready to use; you can make it up to 3 days ahead)

Other components:
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato
Bread: 4 sub rolls, or one 12-inch loaf Frenchor Italian bread (for all the bread: it's best to split them and toast them under the broiler. Mmm.)

In a large skillet with high sides, heat about 1 inch of oil over medium high heat to around 350 degrees (or until your oil is shimmering in the pan, and a small cube of bread dropped into the hot oil sizzles and browns).

Lay your fish on a plate or sheet pan. Line another sheet pan with paper towels or newspaper; set aside.

Whisk egg with about 1 tbsp. water in a large-ish bowl. Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt in another bowl.

Coat a piece of fish with egg, then coat with cornmeal mixture. If your fillets are thick, repeat the process (dip into egg again, then into coating again) to give it a nicer crust. (One coating of breading is sufficient for thin fillets).

Lay fish into hot oil; repeat with as many fillets as your skillet will accommodate without overcrowding. Cook until light golden brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Flip fillet carefully and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove to paper-lined sheet pan (if desired, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature, which should read at least 145 degrees).

Spread remoulade on bottom half of bread. Top with fish, then top with lettuce, then tomato. Spread remoulade on top half of bread (if desired - I recommend it!), and place on top. Cut sandwiches and serve.

Thai Chicken Sesame Stir-fry

2011-06-12T19:14:00.003-04:00

Thai Chicken Sesame Stir-fry, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Thai Chicken Sesame Stir-fry

9oz chicken breast tenders (original recipe called for duck)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves finely sliced
½ tsp red pepper flakes (original recipe: dried chilli flakes)
1 Tbsp thai fish sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
½ Cup water
1 cup sugar snap peas (original recipe calls for 1 head of broccoli)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Heat oils in wok or large frying pan and stir fry the garlic over medium heat until it’s golden brown. Add chicken and stir fry for another 2 minutes until meat begins to brown.
Stir in red pepper flakes, fish sauce, soy sauce, and water. Add broccoli and stir fry for another 2 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Serve garnished with toasted sesame seeds

Next time I might use slightly less sesame oil.

Barbeque Chicken

2011-06-12T19:11:00.002-04:00

Barbeque Chicken, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Mom’s Barbeque Sauce

1 ½ c Ketchup
¼ c Worcestershire sauce
⅓ cup sugar (measure ¼ cup brown sugar into ⅓ cup measuring cup and fill with white sugar)
¼ c apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 Tbsp Chili powder

Best on Chicken. If using chicken with bones (wings, breasts, thighs etc.) then boil the chicken for 15 minutes first. If using a grill then grill the chicken. If cooking in the oven then cook in a 9x13 pan at 375 for 15 minutes (turning ½ way through). Then broil for 5-10 minutes on each side (until internal temperature reaches 165*).

Blackberry Cobbler

2011-05-29T23:53:00.003-04:00

Blackberry Cobbler, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I've had a love hate relationship with cobblers. I made peach cobbler three times before I got it to come out right. The first time I didn't use any baking soda (because I didn't realize self rising flour was not regular flour). The second time I used a substitute for the self rising flour and it still didn't rise. Third time was perfect.

For the Blackberry Cobbler, I made the same recipe as the peach cobbler, but it had too much butter, too much sugar, and not enough berries. The second time was absolutely perfect. Here's the recipe:

Blackberry Cobbler
www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1737,144189-252200,00.html
Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 cups self-rising flour
2 cups white sugar
2 cups milk
3 1/2 cups blackberries (I used two containers 12 oz each)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Once oven temperature is reached melt butter in a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar and milk; batter will be slightly lumpy. Pour mixture on top of melted butter in baking pan. Do not mix butter and mixture together.
Drop blackberries into batter; if more crust is desired add less blackberries. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until golden brown.

Wine Bottle Tiki Torch

2011-05-16T23:58:00.002-04:00

Photos taken by John Cantwell: http://www.cantwellphoto.com/

I have been wanting to make wine bottle tiki torches ever since I saw this post about them on design sponge: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/08/diy-project-eriks-recycled-wine-bottle-torch.html. I couldn't get much help at my hardware store so I gave up for a while.

I was in the garden and looking at these old tiki torches that had lost their oil holders and were just looking ugly. I decided to cut off the old cane and see what glass might fit in them. To my great excitement, the Riesling bottles are a perfect fit!!

2 new cobalt blue wine bottle tiki torches: $0.00.

Take 2 old tiki torches:

old tiki torch, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Cut off all the faded and gross cane:

Removing the old cane strips, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

insert the wine bottles:

lampsbench, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Fill with citronella oil and insert a wick. (I didn't have a wick holder so I just used some heavy wire. I'll probably get the real holder, but this works)

tiki bottles Nikon 70-300mm VR, originally uploaded by Cantwell Photo.

Photos taken by John Cantwell: http://www.cantwellphoto.com/

And light!!

DSC_3241p, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

(except this photo, I took this one)

Irish Car bomb Cake Balls

2011-05-16T00:38:00.006-04:00

Irish Car bomb cake balls, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Make the Irish car bomb cupcakes. Then use the extra frosting and the middles from the cupcakes to make balls.

Dip in melted semisweet chocolate.

Car Bomb Cupcake (doubled)
(makes 5 ½ dozen if you use a ¼ cup measure to fill the cupcake cups)

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cup stout (such as Guinness)
2 cup (4 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling : use a double boiler, it never works without it
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 to 4 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (doubled +1)
9-12 cups confections sugar (1 bag)
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
9-12 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 2 cup stout and 2 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.

Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.

Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). cut the holes and fill.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. Ice and decorate the cupcakes.

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

Pennsyltucky Lemonade

2011-05-16T00:37:00.002-04:00

This is surprisingly delicious. You can't identify that it has maple syrup, but it makes the drink very smooth, and not so bourbon-y.

Pennsyltucky, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Pennsyltucky Lemonade, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

pennsyltucky lemonade: smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/vermontucky-lemonade/

1 Cup lemon juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup maple syrup (to taste)
1/2 to 1 1/2 shots bourbon per glass (to taste)

Lemon Pound Cake

2011-04-24T21:15:00.006-04:00

I got this recipe from Rick. I don't normally care for pound cakes, but this is super moist and so lemony it's irresistible!

Lemon Pound Cake, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Lemon Pound Cake, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Sour Cream and Lemon Pound Cake

Bon Appétit | July 1993 by Darren DiPietro: State College, Pennsylvania
Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup sour cream

[image: preparation]

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 16-cup tube pan. Dust pan with cake flour; tap
out excess flour.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer,
beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar
and beat 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after
each addition. Beat in lemon juice and peel. Using rubber spatula, mix in
dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 30
minutes. Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Cut around cake in pan.
Turn out cake.

Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely. (Can be
prepared 2 days ahead. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Lemon Glaze

1/3 C lemon juice + 1/3 C sugar

Key Lime Cupcake

2011-04-18T01:35:00.008-04:00

Key lime Cupcake

Ingredients

* 1 18.25oz box lemon cake mix
* 1 3oz box lime jello
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 cup milk
* 4 eggs
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup key lime juice
Frosting:
* 1 8oz package cream cheese-softened
* 1/4 cup butter-softened
* 1 tablespoon key lime juice
* 1 teaspoon lime zest
* 4 cups confectioners' sugar-sifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl,sift together cake mix and jello.
4. Add sour cream,milk,eggs,oil,and lime juice and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool completely.
8. Frosting:
9. Combine cream cheese,butter,lime juice and zest.
10. Add sugar and beat until smooth and spreadable.
11. Frost cake.
12. Sprinkle extra lime zest over the top for garnish.

ingredients for key lime cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

key lime cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Key Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Artichoke Heart and Olive Pizza and Spicy Chicken Pizza

2011-04-18T01:33:00.004-04:00

I've been making lots of pizza recently. This one is my favorite!

Artichoke Heart and Olive Pizza

Pizza dough
marinara sauce
Garlic
olive oil
fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese
large pepperoni
diced Kalmata olives
diced artichoke hearts
Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning

Spread the pizza dough (I used publix dough)
Dice garlic and mix with olive oil. Use pastry brush to spread on the crust.
Cover with marinara sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, pepperoni, olives, and artichoke hearts. Shake a bit of Mrs. Dash on top.

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes on convection, or until done.

This Spicy Chicken Pizza is John's favorite:

Spicy chicken Pizza, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Spicy Chicken Pizza:

Pizza dough
Marinara sauce
Garlic
olive oil
fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese
breaded chicken cut into small bites and covered with hot sauce

Spread the pizza dough (I used publix dough)
Dice garlic and mix with olive oil. Use pastry brush to spread on the crust.
Cover with marinara sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and breaded chicken (cut up and mixed with hot sauce)

Bake at 450 for 10 minutes on convection, or until done.

Stromboli

2011-03-22T22:44:00.004-04:00

Stromboli, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Stromboli:
1 recipe pizza dough (I got mine from publix)
1/2 lb ham
4 slices salami
10 slices pepperoni
spicy mustard
3 slices provolone cheese

fresh mozzarella
italian seasoning

Spread pizza dough on a pizza pan. Spread mustard on one half. Layer meats then cheese and sprinkle with italian seasoning (I forgot so I put it on the outside), fold dough in half and cut strips in the top to help vent.

Bake at 450* for 10-15 minutes (with convection) or until it is browned on the bottom.

Carbomb Cupcake

2011-03-17T10:32:00.003-04:00

Carbomb Cupcake, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

carbomb cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I made two double batches of these (yes, that's 11 dozen) for St. Patrick's Day. These are definitely the best cupcakes, though they are a pain to make.

If you use a 1/4 cup measure to spoon the batter into the cups you can get exactly 5 1/2 dozen out of a double recipe. Also, I've given up trying to get the chocolate to melt just with the hot cream, I always have to use a double boiler to get all the bits to melt.

smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling (Updated to double it, based on many commenters suggestions — thanks!)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

[This is a fantastic trick I picked up while working on the cupcakes article for Martha Stewart Living; the test kitchen chefs had found that when they added the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frostings got less grainy, and tended to require less sugar to thicken them up.]

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Cheese, glorious cheese

2011-03-08T22:21:00.000-05:00

Cheese Crackers (basically homemade CheezIts)

1/2 cup softened butter
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, room temperature
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Note: If your cheese is cold, it'll solidify your butter and will take longer to incorporate. I grated mine cold from a block, then spread it on a plate in 3 batches and zapped them for about 11 seconds per batch. Worked like a charm. Carry on.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cheese until mostly combined. Combine the flour and salt, and add to cheese mixture until combined.

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface; cut into desired shapes and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. They'll crisp up as they cool.

Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch Cake

2011-02-24T22:06:00.004-05:00

A reading from the Book of Armaments:

Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, "Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy." And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals ... Now did the Lord say, "First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it."

Instructable

Yum yum yum yum yum.

2011-02-21T20:26:00.002-05:00

It's spaetzle! And you should make it!

Spaetzle (my teacher's recipe, I think)

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Water
Butter
Dry bread crumbs

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and stir lightly until it starts to come together a little.

The next part is approximate (sorry 'bout that)... To the flour and egg mixture, you'll add water until you get a dough that resembles a thick, viscous pancake batter. Just add water about 2 tbsp. at a time until it gets there. (I think I may have added about 1/4 cup of water, more or less.)

Let the batter/dough rest for a few minutes while you bring a large-ish pot of water to a boil. When you get a rolling boil, turn down the heat to a simmer.

Drop some batter in a colander and press the batter through the colander with a spoon into the boiling water to make little bitty dumplings. Just be sure to not leave your colander sitting on top of the boiling pot for a long time, otherwise the batter will cook in the colander.

Let it boil for about 1 minute. Fish 'em out with a slotted spoon and set aside. (You can do this several hours or a day ahead of time; just shock the spaetzle in ice water, drain well, and keep in the fridge until you're ready to saute.)

Melt about 1/2 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the spaetzle and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add bread crumbs - however much you want - and stir until spaetzle are coated.

Hoard them.

My nachos. Nacho nachos. get it ?

2011-02-18T18:35:00.003-05:00

Sometimes (read: every occasion), you just need nachos. My favorite: fat-free refried beans, lots of salsa, lots of cheese, and sour cream. Sometimes pintos. Occasionally beef. Rarely chicken.

Baked Potato Soup

2011-02-18T01:20:00.003-05:00

Baked Potato Soup, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Baked Potato Soup
variation of: www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/baked-potato-soup/
Ingredients

* 3 lbs potatoes
* one white onion chopped
* 3 cloves garlic
* 3 tablespoons butter
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 bay leaf
* ½ cup chopped parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 4 cups milk
* 1-1/4 cups shredded American cheese (5 ounces)
* 4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Directions
1. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Cut each potato lengthwise. Scoop out white portion of each potato. Break up any large pieces of potato. Discard potato skins.
2. In a large saucepan cook bacon. Put bacon on paper towels to drain. Cook onion and garlic in bacon grease over medium heat until tender. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add milk and bay leaf. Cook and stir for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add the potato and 1 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese melts.
3. Top each serving with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, remaining 3 tablespoons green onion, and the bacon.
4. Makes 5 to 6 servings (5 1/2 cups)

Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2011-02-14T14:17:00.003-05:00

Simple and perfect and yum.

3 sticks softened butter
8 oz. softened cream cheese
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large bundt pan or tube pan.

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar on high speed for at least 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl when necessary; add the vanilla and beat for another 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, and gently fold in the blueberries.

Smooth the batter in the prepared pan, then pick up the pan and smack it straight down on the counter a few times to settle things. Bake for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing.

Sugar Cookie Aftermath

2011-02-12T17:41:00.000-05:00

yum.

2011-02-11T19:37:00.000-05:00

As-Yet-Unnamed Creamy Chicken Veggie Pasta Bake Thing

There are a few steps to this, and all of them are quick and simple:

1. Cook your chicken (or use leftovers or rotisserie chicken and omit this one)
2. Saute your veggies
3. Make your sauce (this is the most challenging, and it's really not challenging)
4. Cook your pasta
5. Make your topping (if you want to)

So here - joo need thees theens:

2ish cups cooked chicken, chopped or torn into large bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb. dried penne, cooked for about 5-7 minutes or until still quite firm

Veggies:
2 tbsp. olive oil or butter
1/2 red pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 green pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 medium zucchini, sliced in not-too-thin rounds
1/2 medium summer squash (use the fat end), sliced in not-too-thin rounds
4 oz (half a package) mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mornay-ish sauce (yay, skoo recipes!)
3 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. chopped onion
4 tbsp. flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme (optional.. I like it)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups swiss cheese

Bread topping (optional):
2 cups fresh bread
6 basil leaves
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp. butter, melted
Salt

Saute your veggies:
In a large skillet, heat the fat over high heat until it's frighteningly hot. Throw in the red and green pepper; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to char a little (it'll smoke; you'll be fine). Turn heat down to medium and add zucchini, squash, and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute; remove from heat and set aside.

Make the sauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook it without browning for about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook another 2-3 minutes (add more flour if you need to; you want the mixture to look like wet sand). Whisk in the milk, bay leaf, and thyme, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaf, stir in cheese, and season with salt and pepper (make it saltier than you're comfortable with; the salt in the sauce will also season your pasta and veggies).

Toss the veggies, chicken, and pasta with the sauce, and smooth into a 9x13 baking dish.

In a food proessor, grind the bread, basil, and garlic; toss with melted butter, and add salt to taste. Sprinkle over everything (yes, sprinkle it over EVERYTHING. Your dog, your spouse, your wallet. Like fairy dust).

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly. Serve with parmesan cheese, because everything's better with parmesan cheese.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

2011-02-05T23:29:00.005-05:00

Tandoori Chicken:

Tandoori Chicken Recipe, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Tandoori Chicken
adapted from http://www.acommunaltable.com/tandoori-chicken-with-mango-curry-slaw/

This is spicy without being overpowering, if you want it hotter add more cayenne pepper and/or more jalapeno.

* 1 cup plain yogurt (regular or greek style)
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
* 1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
* juice of 1/2 of a lemon
* 2 tsp. fresh, grated ginger
* 2 Tbsp. garam masala
* 2 tsp. tumeric
* ½ tsp cayenne pepper
* ½ tsp curry powder
* 4-5 drops red food coloring (optional)
* 8 chicken drumsticks, chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and stir to coat evenly with the marinade.
2. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
3. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Spray a rack with cooking spray and place on top of the foil lined pan.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade (leave the yogurt mixture on) and place on the rack.
5. Bake at 425* for 30-45 minutes (on convection if you have it) or until internal temperature reaches 165*. Turn the chicken once ½ way through the cooking time.

Garam Masala (if you can’t find it at the grocery store)

* 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
* 1 Tbsp. ground coriander
* 1 Tbsp. ground cardamon
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper
* 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
* 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Combine all the spices in a small, airtight container.

poacher.

2011-01-29T20:54:00.003-05:00

My new second-favorite incarnation of the egg: poached. I love my eggs over-easy, and there are no egg dishes in the same league as those with slightly-crispy edges of egg white cooked in a little salted butter. So that's why poached eggs are only my second-favorite. But that still makes them my approximately fourth favorite food in the world, so they have nothing to cry over.

Poached Eggs

Equipment: small bowl or measuring cup, slotted spoon or spatula, plate, paper towel

Eggs (as many as you want)
A pot of water
A glug of white vinegar (maybe a tablespoon or two)
Salt and pepper. And chewy whole wheat toast, if you're worth anything.

Bring your pot of water to a very gentle boil, then turn down the heat. You don't want you water active, but you do want bubbles to form at the bottom and occasionally escape to the surface. It may take a minute or two of tweaking to reach this balance.

Break an egg into your small bowl or measuring cup. Using the handle of your spoon/spatula, swirl the water in the pot to achieve a whirlpool effect. As soon as you pull the handle out of the water, gently slip the egg into the center of the whirlpool. Some of the white will feather off and possibly detatch from the egg; that's okay. The whirlpool effect helps hold the egg together, and the vinegar sets the egg white quickly.

Let the egg cook for approximately 3 minutes. If it sticks to the bottom of the pot, gently dislodge it with your spoon/spatula. Remove it to your paper-towel-lined plate, then repeat with remaining eggs.

Then devour them.

Poached eggs keep well in the fridge in water; just slip them into barely-simmering water for a minute to reheat.

And if you're REALLY good, you can do several whirlpools in the same big pot and cook several eggs at once. I was too chicken to try.

Sausage and Peppers with Orzo and White Beans

2011-01-24T23:51:00.002-05:00

4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
5-6 mild or sweet Italian sausages
3-4 red/yellow/orange bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 14 oz. can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups orzo pasta
3-4 chicken bouillon cubes (or 5 cups chicken stock.. I ran out)
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. fresh chopped basil

Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet with high sides over medium high heat. Brown the sausages on all sides (don’t bother cooking them through). Remove sausages from pan, set aside, and reduce heat to medium.

Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil; add peppers, garlic, onion, and oregano. Sweat gently over medium heat, allowing veggies to release liquid. Stir in beans and tomatoes; place sausages back into pan and prick each one several times with a fork; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil water or stock for orzo (if using water, add bouillon cubes). Cook orzo until done, about 10 minutes. Add between 1-2 cups of the pasta water to the pepper mixture; stir and simmer for a few minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.

Drain orzo. Place in serving dish and stir in remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Top orzo with pepper mixture and sausages. Sprinkle with basil. If desired, slice sausages before serving.

Pumpkin Caramel Cupcakes

2011-01-23T21:23:00.006-05:00

pumpkin caramel cupcakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

My friend asked for a chocolate, pumpkin, caramel cake for his birthday. This is what I came up with. It is perfect. The chips give it some extra texture and the cream cheese frosting keeps it from being too sweet.

Cupcake:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 4 large eggs
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* pinch of ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups pumpkin puree or cooked mashed pumpkin
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preparation:
Directions for pumpkin cake
Combine sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl; mix well. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl; stir into oil mixture, beating well. Stir in pumpkin puree and vanilla. Add chocolate chips

bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean..

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
2 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 oz powdered sugar, sifted (2 cups)

Combine cream cheese and butter on medium speed until blended. Add vanilla and beat until combined. On low add powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each batch.

Caramel sauce
simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce-print/
Ingredients

* 1 cup of sugar
* ½ cup water (optional)
* 6 Tbsp butter
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Method
1 Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan.optional: add a half cup of water to the sugar, this will help the sugar to cook more evenly, though it will take longer as the water will need to evaporate before the sugar will caramelize.

2. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on.

3 As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.

4 Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big. (Check here for an explanation of why adding the cream makes the mixture bubble up so much.)

5 Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. (Remember to use pot holders when handling the jar filled with hot caramel sauce.) Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.
Makes a little over one cup of sauce.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub

2011-01-18T23:37:00.003-05:00

I loooove this body scrub. It leaves your skin ridiculously soft and doesn't leave an oily residue.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Brown Sugar Body Scrub
(I got this recipe online somewhere, but can't remember where)

--Use instead of salt scrubs, which can be drying or irritating to the skin if it is dry and/or sensitive.

Materials:

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
3 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. cinnamon (or ginger)

Take into the shower with you and apply handfuls at a time to polish the skin.

* Note: Should keep for several days in the refrigerator in a closed plastic container.

Baked Chicken Stew with Biscuits

2011-01-18T18:56:00.000-05:00

Baked Chicken Stew with Biscuits

Stew:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. fresh chopped rosemary (or ¼ tsp. dried)
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 large onion, chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped (or 8ish baby carrots, chopped)
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup flour
5 cups chicken stock
½ cup white wine (optional)
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric (optional)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add rosemary, thyme, onion, celery, and carrot; cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic; cook for a minute, then stir in flour and cook for another minute. Stir in everything else except the chicken; increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in chicken. Pour into a 9x13 or similar baking pan. Slide it into the oven while you make the biscuits (it doesn’t have to cook; you just want it hot when the biscuits go on top).

Make your biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk or half and half

Combine dry ingredients. Cut shortening into dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gently stir in the milk. Turn out onto floured surface and barely knead the dough 2-3 times. Pat the dough out into a 1-inch thick layer. Cut rounds, then get your stew out of the oven. Place biscuits on top of chicken stew.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until biscuits are golden.

Apricot Plum Chicken

2011-01-10T20:25:00.002-05:00

Apricot Plum Chicken

Assemble the ingredients:

Apricot Plum chicken ingredients (color was off in the last upload), originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Add the brown sugar

Add the wine (or beer if you don't have wine)

And devour:

I got this recipe from Betsy, it also works with whole chicken breasts. (I added 1/2 an onion and I didn't have any olives)

Plum Apricot Chicken

2 lbs chicken
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1/4 cup oregano Fresh from garden
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup prunes, pitted
1/4 cup apricots, dried
1/4 cup green olives, pitted
2 tbsp capers (plus a bit of the juice)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine, dry (I used beer this time)
1 tbsp italian parsley (chopped)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper,
vinegar, oil, prunes, apricots, olives, capers (with juice) and bay
leaves. Cover and refrigerate 1 hr to marinate.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

put in roasting pan. Spoon all the marinade over the chicken. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and pour wine around them. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, basting frequently, until golden.
Transfer chicken, fruit, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with drippings. You can serve with rice, pasta or potatoes.

chocolate orange mousse (grand marnier)

2011-01-09T23:42:00.002-05:00

chocolate orange mousse (grand marnier), originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This actually did take only 5 minutes. Next time I might try a more milk chocolate version, but this was delicious.

Chocolate Mousse
gracessweetlife.com/2011/01/chocolate-chantilly-chocolate...

Makes 4 X 4-ounce servings

* 265 grams (9.35 ounces) good quality bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
* 240 ml (1 cup) water
* 4 tablespoons caster (superfine granules) sugar, optional
* 1 tablespoon liqueur (Grand Marnier, Baileys, Frangelico), optional (reduce water by 1 tablespoon if using)

1. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Set a slightly larger bowl on top of this water and ice filled bowl. The bottom of the larger bowl should touch the iced water, set aside.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan combine together the chocolate, water, sugar (if using) and liqueur (if using). Set the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.
3. Pour the chocolate mixture into the top bowl. Whisk with a wire whisk or an electric hand-held mixer until thick. Keep an eye on the texture of the mixture as you’re whipping (do not over mix), if you whisk too much you run the risk of the mousse becoming grainy. If the mixture becomes grainy, transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and place back over the heat. Heat the mixture until half of the mixture has melted and then transfer back to bowl and whisk again briefly.
4. Divide evenly among serving cups and enjoy.

Hoppy Poppy Almond Loaf

2011-01-06T19:47:00.003-05:00

You have to say it in a dumb voice, because it's a dumb name. I know it is. But it was in my head all day, so I guess the loaf chose its own name.

Recipe:
Bread:
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond baking emulsion (it’s what I had; I think you might want to start with half that amount of almond extract and add it to taste)
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk

Beer syrup:
¼ cup beer, slightly heated
2 tsp. sugar, stirred in until dissolved

Beer glaze:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tbsp. beer, stirred in until smooth

(I know it sounds like a lot of beer, between the syrup and the glaze, but it’s really not.)

Grease and flour a standard loaf pan. Seriously, don’t just spray it – grease and flour the sucker to high heaven. Otherwise, this happens:

Beat the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat mixture for about 3-4 minutes. Add extracts and poppy seeds. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. When loaf is done, pour beer glaze evenly over. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes in pan, then run a knife around the edges, unmold, and cool completely on a cooling rack. After cooling completely, drizzle glaze over loaf. Let set for about an hour, if desired.

(If you'd rather avoid the beer, you can omit the beer syrup, and substitute milk for the beer in the glaze. It'll still be yummy.)

The most delicious way I can imagine to flunk a variety of abused-substances tests.

bad kitty.

2011-01-06T00:27:00.001-05:00

Pierogies

2011-01-05T18:06:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a girl, and she was housesitting, and the homeowners had lots of leftover mashed potatoes in their fridge, and the girl got some really awesome cookbooks for Christmas, and the girl has nothing but time until January 11 when school starts, so the girl made pierogies. She followed (most of) the instructions, assembled, boiled, and froze them, and she left half of the pierogies for the absentee homeowners.

And the girl told her friend, “You know, I’m not sure they’re worth the effort; I tasted one after boiling, and it wasn't any better than the storebought ones. Oh well.”

But then, a week or so later, the girl pulled them out of the freezer and fried them in butter. And LORD HELP IT, they’re better than storebought. So if you get a wild hair, make them.

The end.

Pierogies
Adapted from A Baker’s Odyssey by Greg Patent, Dave McLean, and Kelly Gorham
(makes 60-70 pierogies)

Dough (can’t wait to use this for ravioli – I think it’ll be perfect!):
4 cups flour
1 1/3 cup warm water
2 egg yolks
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

Filling:
2 lbs. mashed potatoes
Cheese (see note below)

In a small bowl, combine water, yolks, oil, and salt. Place flour in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the liquid into the center and, using a fork, gradually bring dry ingredients into the wet. Turn out onto a lightly-floured countertop and knead 4-6 minutes. Place the bowl upside down on the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine mashed potatoes and cheese.

When dough has rested, check the texture – shouldn’t be sticky, but shouldn’t be dry. Ambiguous, I know. Add a little flour if you have to.

Divide the dough in half, and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut in 3-5 inch rounds. Place a scant tablespoon of filling in each round, and pinch the ends together. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet for storage until all pierogies are assembled.

Bring a huge pot of water to a boil. Boil the pierogies 6-8 at a time; they’ll sink to the bottom, and then they’ll float. Starting when they float, boil them for 3 minutes, then remove to a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Freeze them until you’re ready to fry.

To fry:
Heat a stick of butter in a huge skillet until foamy. Add pierogies in a single layer, cook until browned, then flip them to brown on the other side. Serve with sour cream for dipping, applesauce, or like we eat them – with caramelized, almost-crunchy onions. Mm.

Filling note: You can do pretty much whatever you want to these. The traditional cheese for pierogi filling is farmer’s cheese, but I didn’t feel like buying any, so I just raided the fridge and used little bits of like five different cheeses. I also used a tiny, tiny bit of onion, grated with a Microplane.

Coconut Curry Chicken Stew, and I wish I could make gulab jamun.

2011-01-04T16:01:00.008-05:00

Indian food on a cloudy day makes me feel like it should be cold outside. And then I open the door to let the cat in and remember I'm in Florida. Sigh.

If you love Indian food, but are intimidated by huge lists of weirdo ingredients, don’t be, for several reasons: 1) Most urban areas have at least one Indian grocery store; 2) Many of the ingredients in that long list are just spices, some of which you probably already have on hand; and 3) generally, Indian groceries are dirt cheap. For example, when I purchased ghee, cardamom pods, tamarind concentrate, and red lentils this afternoon, I spent $11. It’s worth at least visiting an Indian grocery store to explore a little, and as I experienced today, international people here in the States are often eager to help and share insight with someone learning about their culture.

There’s an Indian grocery store down the street from my mother’s house, and they have a nice selection of fresh produce, but no curry leaves. I asked the owner about it, and we stood there and chitchatted for a bit about Indian food, cooking, his mother’s cooking, his favorite foods. Even though I don’t know anything about Indian food other than that it’s delicious, it just tickled his fancy to be able to discuss it with someone who appreciated a fundamental part of his culture. It was a sweet, perfect example of people connecting and sharing over a table, taking moments to ask because someone wants to share, and to share because someone wants to know. He was so warmed that he gave me a big handful of curry leaves for free and invited me to bring samples of what I used them for, and he and his elderly father were reminiscing about his grandmother’s gulab jamun as I left; his father called after me haltingly, “You know make gulab jamun?” and grinned.

Community, nurture, learning, teaching. That’s why I wanna cook, right there.

Anyway. Back to the recipe.

Coconut Curry Chicken Stew, adapted from a bunch of different recipes

2 tbsp. ghee (or vegetable oil)
1 whole chicken, cut up (I removed the skin from the breasts and thighs, but left it on the drummies and wings, ‘cause I’m not getting into all that)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 inches ginger, grated with a microplane
4 cloves garlic, grated with a microplane
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and ribs completely removed (leave some of that crap in if you’re into pain; I am not), grated with a microplane
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
½ tsp. ground fenugreek
6 green cardamom pods
about 15 small fresh curry leaves (every time I've made Indian food, I've thought, "man, there's some kind of flavor I'm missing" - it's the curry leaves. Get them if you can!)
1 carrot, coarsley grated
1 apple, cored and coarsley grated
1 potato, peeled and coarsley grated
1 cup dry red lentils
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. tamarind concentrate
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

Heat ghee or oil in a large dutch oven. Brown the chicken pieces, 2 or 3 at a time, for about 3 minutes per side or until golden. Remove and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom pods, and curry leaves to pot; cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Pull out the curry leaves and cardamom pods, and set aside (keep them; you’ll need them in a minute).

Stir in carrot, apple, potato, lentils, and broth. Nestle chicken pieces down into the mixture, then top mixture with curry leaves and cardamom pods (you’ll have to discard them at the end, and this just makes it easier instead of having to rummage around the whole pot). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat; remove and discard cardamom pods and curry leaves. Stir in tamarind, coconut milk, cilantro, and salt (remove some or all of the chicken first, if that makes it easier). Serve either as a stew or as a curry over jasmine or basmati rice.

Note: This could easily be made as a vegan soup by using vegetable oil instead of ghee, omitting the chicken, and using vegetable broth instead of chicken.

Low(ish)-Fat Creamed Spinach with Bacon

2011-01-03T17:05:00.005-05:00

Well, okay, I'm not sure you could call this "low fat," but it's definitely lower in fat than its delicious, heavy-cream-utilizing evil cousin. And it's really good.

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. minced onion

3 tbsp. crumbled bacon

2 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk (I used 1%)

2/3 cup parmesan cheese

2 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Salt to taste

A few grates of fresh nutmeg

Cook the onion and bacon briefly in the butter, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook another 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened. Stir cheese and spinach into sauce. Season with salt and nutmeg.

Easy Chicken Rice Bake

2011-01-02T21:04:00.004-05:00

I adapted this recipe from a Campbell's Soup/Rice-A-Roni recipe. I made the original recipe and, while it was pretty good, it was SO crazy salty that I could hardly eat it. I don't wanna sound like a food snob - processed foods have their place occasionally - but I prefer foods that aren't super-salted, and if a recipe has few ingredients and most of them are processed, the salt factor is usually way more than I can deal with.

I wanted to tweak it while still keeping the easy pantry-staple factor, and this is what happened. I'll post my recipe here, then post the original recipe in the comments section. (I would post a link, but the recipe was printed on the box.)

1 pouch boil-in-bag rice

about 2/3 capful Mrs. Dash seasoning

1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups veggies, fresh, frozen, or leftover (I used leftover chopped cooked broccoli)

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

5-7 raw chicken tenders (or 2-3 breasts)

Paprika

Combine all ingredients except chicken and paprika in an 8x8 pan. Lay chicken on top of rice mixture and sprinkle lightly with paprika. (Don't you love how paprika makes pale, orphan-child cooked chicken look like you spent some time on it? even though you totally didn't, because you're a bad chicken mother?)

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. (You can also use frozen chicken in this; just add 10-20 minutes to the cooking time.)

New Years dinner: Pork and sauerkraut, collard greens, black eyed peas, corn bread

2011-01-02T00:44:00.002-05:00

New Years dinner: Pork and sauerkraut, collard greens, black eyed peas, corn bread, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Pork and Sauerkraut

4 lb pork butt roast (I used boston butt roast)
2 cans of sauerkraut)
1 cup water

Put the roast in a roaster (with a lid) and cover with the sauerkraut and water.

Bake at 325 for 2 hrs or until the meat is tender and falling off the bone

Black Eyed Peas with Bacon

I bought pre-soaked beans to avoid boiling for an hour. You can just prepare the beans according to their instructions.

1 Package of black eyed peas
1/2 lb of bacon
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken broth

Boil Black eyed peas in water for 10 minutes. Drain.

while peas are boiling, brown bacon, onion and garlic in a cast iron skillet. Once they have browned, remove bacon to paper towels to drain.

pour 2 cups of chicken broth in pan and scrape the pan to get the browned bits into the broth. Add peas to the broth and boil for another 2 or 3 minutes. Pour bacon back into the beans and serve.

Collard Greens

1 lb collard greens (hard stems removed and leaves chopped)
1/2 lb of bacon (reserve 2-3 tsp bacon grease)
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
a few pinches of salt
a few pinches of sugar

Brown bacon, onion and garlic in a cast iron skillet. Once they have browned, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2-3 teaspoons of bacon grease.

Heat bacon grease and olive oil; add the collards, salt, and sugar. Put a tight fitting lid on the pot and let the collards wilt for about 10 minutes (or until tender). Add the bacon to the collards and serve.

Marshanmallows.

2010-12-27T21:41:00.006-05:00

Reasons why you should make marshmallows:

1. People will think you're cool.
2. They are plush and pillowy and WORLDS better than storebought.
3. They are relatively easy.
4. People will think you're cool.

Here's a basic marshmallow recipe with several variations. I'll be honest: this recipe requires you to have six hands and do approximately fifteen thousand things at once, but if you're a good multitasker (or have friends in the kitchen with you), you shouldn't have any problems.

Basic Marshmallows

2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup water, divided
4 envelopes unflavored gelatin
2 egg whites
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (clear imitation for really snow-white marshmallows)
Confectioner's sugar

Lightly grease an 8x8 square pan, then coat with confectioner's sugar. Set aside.

Combine sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan. Stir over high heat until sugar is dissolved; allow to cook to 250-255 degrees without stirring.

Meanwhile, combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan; allow to sit for 10 minutes, then melt gelatin over low heat until liquefied. Keep in a warm place until ready to use.

Mean-the-heck-while (see? fifteen thousand things at once. or three, or whatever), use a stand mixer to beat egg whites and salt until they're firm but creamy.

When sugar mixture has reached 250-255 degrees, remove from heat. Quickly stir in gelatin mixture (gelatin will bubble up - be sure to use a large saucepan!).

With stand mixer on high speed, stream gelatin mixture slowly into egg whites. Whip on high speed until mixture starts to pull away from sides of the bowl, about 5-8 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then spread quickly in prepared pan and allow to stand for at least 1 hour. Cut into desired shapes and roll in confectioner's sugar.

FOR PEPPERMINT MARSHMALLOWS: Decrease vanilla to 1/2 tablespoon, and add 1/4 tsp. peppermint extract and a dab of green gel color, if desired.

FOR ROSE MARSHMALLOWS: Add a scant 1/4 tsp. rose water and a dab of pink gel color, if desired.

FOR CHOCOLATE FUDGE MARSHMALLOWS: Bring 4 tbsp. water to a boil, then stir in 4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa. After whipping vanilla into marshmallows, fold cocoa mixture loosely into marshmallows without fully combining. Spread in prepared pan (fudge marshmallows may take a bit longer to set). Roll fudge marshmallows in confectioner's sugar with a bit of cocoa powder added, if desired.

Woofie cookies.

2010-12-21T21:11:00.003-05:00

We had steak for supper last night. It was tough, it was cooked on a panini press (sigh), and it was premarinated (ie., too salty and processed-tasting). We all just kind of sat and looked at it, and there was quite a bit left over.

That is the ONLY reason I ended up making dog cookies with steak in them. And if you want your mother's skittish little white dog to follow you around obsessively for the next twenty-four hours, you should make them, too. (Note: you'll need a food processor. If you don't have one, you can sub 4 oz. of baby food meat for the steak. Just check the ingredients to be sure there's no onion or garlic.)

3-4 ounces cooked steak, cut in smallish pieces

1/4 cup natural peanut butter

1 egg, divided

1 1/2 cups barley flour

1/3 cup beef broth (approximately)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Pulse the steak in the food processor a few times, then process until it starts to come away from the sides of the bowl in a paste (about 3-5 minutes). Add the peanut butter and egg white; process until smooth.

Add the flour all at once; pulse, then process until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the broth, one tablespoon at a time, until it forms a smooth, fairly soft dough. Roll out between wax or parchment paper sheets; cut into desired shapes and sizes.

At this point, you can make paint to prettify them if you like - combine the egg yolk with a bit of gel food coloring and about 1 tsp. of water, then paint onto cookies. Plain cookies can be baked directly on an ungreased baking sheet; painted cookies should be painted and baked on parchment.

Bake for about 2 hours, or until completely dry and crunchy. As long as they dried out completely in the oven, they should keep in an airtight container for about a month.

No.

2010-12-19T23:18:00.007-05:00

I am a nice girl. I don't yarf and tell. I won't post a link to where I got this recipe. The woman's blog was very lovely and well-thought-out and full of delicious-sounding recipes.

This one, though? SUCK.

Citrus Pate de Fruits. Simple.

2/3 cup fruit juice, such as fresh tangerine or pomegranate (I used a mixture of orange, grapefruit, and tangerine)
6 tablespoons smooth apple sauce
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 3-ounce envelope liquid pectin
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Combine juice, apple sauce, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Boil, stirring constantly, until mixture hits 238 degrees. Okay. I know numbers.
2. Stir in pectin; cook and stir for one minute. Gotcha.
3. Stir in lemon juice and immediately pour into lightly-greased molds or loaf pan. Sprinkle surface with remaining sugar. Allow to sit for 1 1/2 hours, then unmold (and slice, if necessary). I'm with you.
4. Roll in granulated sugar. Whee! (Oh, wh - roll the candy? Oh. Well.)
5. Enjoy?

Nope. All I tasted was apple. I even grated a tiny bit of tangerine zest in there, hoping to make it not taste like hot sugar applesauce sorta tangy liquid. No dice.

But the texture was what got me. I saw several recipes for pate de fruits - some using apples as the pectin, some using liquid pectin, some using gelatin. Most of them said the liquid pectin method produced the best texture - soft, only slightly gummy, intensely fruity.

Again, no dice - I could've played jacks with these things.

Boo. Hiss. Yarf. Sigh. Maybe it was the roll-around-in-sugar part that turned it to ick.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2010-12-19T21:43:00.003-05:00

Peanut Butter Blossoms, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Peanut Butter Blossoms: 4 doz

2 cups shortening
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
3 cups PButter: crunchy old fashioned: 24 oz
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
4 tsp soda
2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat. Add peanut butter, beat. Combine all dry ingredients and add in small batches.

Roll in sugar and either mush with fork before cooking or top with chocolate kisses after baking.

Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden brown

Candied citrus peels

2010-12-19T20:15:00.003-05:00

Pounds and pounds and pounds AND POUNDS of candied citrus peel! It's delicious! It's gorgeous! It's a big fat pain in the butt! But somehow, it's FUN!

Fruit:

4-6 pieces of citrus fruit with unblemished skins. Go for medium/large pieces of fruit if you can get them. Scrub the skins thoroughly with a little soap. Slice off the top and bottom, enough to expose the fruit inside. Then cut the peels from the fruit, trying to avoid as much pith as possible. Cut the peel into strips. You want about 2-3 cups of strips. Use more fruit, if you have to.

Blanch (you need: a big pot and lots of water):

Bring a pot of water to boiling. Drop in the strips; boil for 10 minutes, then drain. Refill the pot and repeat the process at least three more times. After the third time, taste one strip. If it's bitter, you need to blanch again. Keep blanching and draining until there's no (or very little) bitterness. (Time saver: keep a kettle of boiling water on a back burner. When you drain the peels, put them back in the pot, pour boiling water over, and voila - you don't have to waste time reheating another pot of water.)

Candy (you need: 3 cups EACH water and sugar):

When your peel is no longer bitter, drain it well. Combine and stir water and sugar over high heat until sugar is dissolved, then add strips. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes, or until peels are translucent and candied-looking. Drain candy very well, then spread on waxed paper to dry overnight.

Sugar (the next day):

Place about 1 cup sugar in a plastic ziploc bag. Drop in half of your candy. Close the bag, leaving lots of air in the bag, and shake the CRAP out of it because your candies will want to stick together. Then remove from the bag and allow to dry on racks for at least one day and up to two days.

Note: I made orange, lemon, grapefruit and tangerine peels (gotta love Florida - cheap citrus). Interestingly, the toughest, most bitter peels were the orange peels. They required SEVEN blanchings to get rid of the bitterness. The grapefruit and tangerine, however, only required three. Go figure.

Bringin' home a baby bumblebee.

2010-12-19T05:10:00.004-05:00

The cookie-making gene skipping a generation.

Also, a note of caution: if you feed too much of this to miniature citizens...

... they turn into this...

... which then turn into this. Which sleeps with its eyes creepily half-open and a blanket corner shoved up one nostril.

Side note: due to a substantial difference of opinion as to what elements constitute a "dinner" and who gets to decide the nature of those elements, Miz Thang never actually got to help bake these cookies. The dough languished in the freezer until Thang was unconscious, then it was discarded.

I'm telling you.. Aunt Lisa don't do cookies.

Food Processor French Bread

2010-12-17T16:10:00.007-05:00

Please ask me to make you some of this bread, because it is unbelieveably easy, and it will change the world.

I tweaked the sugar and salt a little, but I kept all the liquid proportions the same, which resulted in a very soft, sticky dough - almost a stringy, viscous batter. I left it to rise and then consulted the recipe again, which told me the dough should've gathered into a ball while processing. At this point, I thought, "Great, I ruined it. It'll probably spread all over the pan. Baaaaaah." So after the first rise, I scooped the dough into greased muffin tins.

But it wasn't necessary. Even though it was a very soft dough, it puffed beautifully and would have made perfect loaves. I just didn't trust it. I have trust issues. Judge not.

Even though I deviated, I was still so excited that I actually made this bread and I can't wait to deviate further by adding herbs, cheese, or whatevers. I can't tell you how perfect it is - super crisp, almost flaky outside, super tender inside. It's perfect. This is perfect French bread.

Selah.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/food-processor-french-style-bread-recipe

Cookie on Cookie Violence

2010-12-17T09:23:00.002-05:00

Another unsolved cookie-cide in Macon.

Mandarin Orange Yogurt Cake

2010-12-15T00:46:00.009-05:00

I almost hate to interrupt the gob-fest... :-)

I got stuff out of storage today, including my non-guilty-splurge Nordic Ware Platinum Collection Petits Fours Pan (said with nose in the air), which I actually purchased forever ago with a gift card from Elizabeth. I've only used it two or three times, and it was kind of problematic, but with boredom comes renewed motivation to master things. I guess.

Anyway. This is yummy.

Mandarin Orange Yogurt Cake
(adapted from http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/cake-paradisi/) (I halved the recipe to fill 20 wells in the pan; if you double what I've written, it'll fill a standard loaf, according to smitten kitchen)

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

6 oz. lowfat vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 eggs (yeah, I had to beat an egg and dump half.)

1 tsp. mandarin orange zest

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup mandarin orange juice

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tbsp. mandarin orange juice

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients (except the orange juice!), then gently whisk in the dry ingredients. Pour into shortening-ed and floured pan(s). Bake at 350; 20 minutes for the petits fours, and 50ish minutes for the loaf.

Let cake rest in pan for 10 minutes, then pour juice over cake. Let sit another 10 minutes, then unmold. (For petits fours: let rest for a minute or two, then unmold. Pour a scant half teaspoon juice onto each cake; let cool.)

Make the glaze and drizzle over cake(s).

Lemon Blackberry Gob (Whoopie Pie)

2010-12-13T14:53:00.002-05:00

Lemon Blackberry Gob (Whoopie Pie), originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This is a variation of the orange gob, but I like it even more! I think it's my favorite one so far. The blackberry jelly tastes delicious on the orange gob too. I probably wouldn't fill with the jelly too many days before you plan on giving it away or it might get soggy. Assuming they last that long!

Lemon Blackberry Gobs

2/3 cup shortening (crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 ¼ cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup lemonade concentrate mixture (1/4 cup water plus ¼ cup frozen concentrate)
1/2 cup nuts: optional

Cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and lemon rind, mix. combine flour salt and soda in separate bowl and mix together. Alternate adding about ⅓ of the flour mixture with ⅓ of the lemonade mixture, beating each time.

Scoop about 1 tbsp of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until edges start to turn golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Blackberry jelly: (or use store bought)

2 cups blackberries
2-3 tbsp sugar (don’t add too much, this should be a tart filling)
¼ cup corn starch
½ cup water

Dissolve the corn starch in the water and add to thicken. Boil all of the ingredients until the blackberries fall apart and the mixture thickens. Taste and add sugar if it’s too tart or lemon juice if it’s too sweet. Because it will be with the frosting you want it to be pretty tart. You can pulse in a small food processor to get a more even texture (after it’s done cooking). This is approximate, I did not measure.

Lemon Frosting:
allrecipes.com//Recipe/lemon-cake-with-lemon-filling-and-...

* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 1-2 tablespoons milk

To make frosting: In large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon zest until smooth. Beat in milk, and increase speed and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

To assemble: spread frosting on one cookie, jelly on the other, and put them together.

Springerle Cookies

2010-12-12T16:44:00.000-05:00

http://www.houseonthehill.net/recipes/springerle/

Whoopie! Mint Irish Car Gobs

2010-12-12T10:01:00.001-05:00

That's right, it's an unholy alliance of mint, chocolate gob cookies (whoopie pies) and Irish car bomb cupcakes. I used Yuengling black & tan and Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder.

2 cups sugar
½ cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
4 ½ cups flour (545g)
2 tsp soda
½ cup cocoa (41g)
1 cup dark beer heated to just boiling

Cream the shortening and sugar. Mix in wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients.After you have mixed all the ingredients and the batter looks like cookie batter, add 1 cup beer. It will look like cake batter. Drop dough onto cookie sheets, bake at 375 for 12 minutes

Baileys Frosting
3 to 4 cups confections sugar 345-460g
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys

Fill the gob sandwiches with the Baileys frosting and enjoy.

Orange Gob (Whoopie Pie)

2010-12-12T03:07:00.002-05:00

Orange Gob (Whoopie Pie), originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This is my mom's orange cookie recipe and a new frosting recipe. The frosting was a bit dense as it was so I ended up adding more milk and OJ to get it creamy.

Orange Gobs

2/3 cup shortening (crisco)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tbsp grated orange rind
2 ¼ cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 cup OJ mixture (1/4 cup frozen concentrate, 1/4 cup water)
1 cup nuts: optional

Butter Cream Frosting (this is a double recipe, probably should reduce by 1/2)
• 1 stick butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 4 to 5 tablespoons orange juice (equal parts frozen concentrate and water)
• 1 tbsp finely grated orange peel
(I ended up adding 1/4 cup OJ mixture and 1/4 cup milk)

Preparation:
Cream butter; add sugar gradually, alternating with enough orange juice to make frosting the right consistency for spreading. Stir in orange peel and salt.

Hard Candy

2010-12-10T16:14:00.004-05:00

I love that it looks like ice/glass.

Hard Candy

1 cup water

3 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups corn syrup

2 envelopes unsweetened drink mix, like Koolaid or something comparable (this is optional; you can use whatever flavors/colors you like, but this is the simplest option. In the picture above, I only used a tiny drop of blue gel food coloring, since it's just for decoration)

Spray a jelly roll pan or baking pan with cooking spray; set aside. (I used a 10x14, and I wouldn't go any smaller than that.)

Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium pot. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly until all the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a full boil over high heat and boil without stirring until temperature reaches between 305 and 310 degrees. Remove from heat and wait for the candy to stop bubbling, then add flavoring/color. Pour into prepared pan and allow to sit until cooled, anywhere from 1 hour to 4 hours.

You can either 1) break it into pieces after it's fully cooled, or 2) wait until the candy has set a bit, and score it with a knife so it breaks apart easily; or 3) pour the candy into greased/nonstick molds. I broke it apart after it was cooled since I wanted a jagged ice effect, and I'd recommend putting the sheet of candy into some sort of plastic bag before breaking it, because otherwise little pieces fly everywhere. The texture is similar to Jolly Ranchers, but maybe a little less sticky; you'll need to wrap each piece individually, or they'll stick. (Some people coat the candy pieces with powdered sugar, which also keeps them from sticking, but I prefer to see the candy in its totally clear, glassy form.)

Chicken and Rice Soup

2010-12-09T17:30:00.003-05:00

Chicken and Rice Soup

(note: mine was a little fattier than I normally like. To avoid this, either 1) use boxed chicken stock, or 2) make your stock, chill it overnight, then skim off the solidified fat before using for soup. I ran out of time to do the latter.)

So, okay, soup:

1 Sam's Club rotisserie chicken, stripped of all the meat (save the bones and skin for stock!!!)

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 carrots, finely chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

all of the green leafy goodness from the center of a bunch of celery, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup flour

5 cups chicken stock

3 cups water

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

1 can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup, optional

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, then add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Sweat for about 15 minutes. Stir in the flour, and cook for another minute.

Stir in the stock and water; bring mixture to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Remove from heat. Stir in chopped chicken and, if using, cream of chicken soup. Heat through and serve.

Gobs (aka whoopie pie, moon pie)

2010-12-08T02:06:00.002-05:00

Gobs (aka whoopie pie, moon pie), originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

This is mom's Gobs recipe. I am working on a substitute for the frosting, because of the raw eggs. This is also delicious with 1 tsp of Bailey's instead of vanilla.

Gobs (pennsylvania dutch recipe)
yield 5 doz.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp van
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup boiling water

Cream the crisco and sugar. Mix in wet ingredients. Mix in dry ingredients.

After you have mixed all the ingredients and the batter looks like cookie batter,
add 1 cup boiling water. It will look like cake batter. Drop dough onto cookie sheets.

bake at 375 for 12 minutes

Filling:
4 tbsp water
9 tbsp sugar (1/2 cup plus tbsp)
boil it cool it

blend 1 1/3 cup Crisco
1 box powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Beat all the ingredients together until icing consistency.

this makes a lot of icing, you can multiply the cookies by 1 1/2 to match the icing.

easy chicken pot pie

2010-12-08T01:59:00.002-05:00

easy chicken pot pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I like a higher proportion of filling to crust so I only do a top crust, obviously you can add a bottom crust if you want.

Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

3-4 large chicken breasts chopped into bite sized pieces
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp basil
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 lb. frozen peas and carrots

1 pie crust (I just buy them)

Heat/melt the butter/oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and chicken, cook until chicken is cooked through. whisk flour and milk together to avoid lumps and add. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, thyme, and basil. Cook and stir constantly for about 6-8 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.

Stir in the vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dump into glass pie pan; top with a pie crust. Brush it with an egg wash (1 beaten egg and 1 tbsp. water).

Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

Invisible Au Gratin Potatoes

2010-12-05T22:24:00.005-05:00

Christmas has officially vomited all over the house, and some of it has gotten on the animals, too.

I'm about to post a recipe, and you may notice the lack of accompanying photo. That is because 1) one of us forgot to take the foil off to let it brown nicely, so it was ugly and unappetizing-looking; and 2) because we almost ate it all before I had a chance to decide I wasn't taking a photo.

So make this. Just, for the love of Mike, remember to take the foil off.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Cheese sauce:
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups half and half
A few good handfuls of cheese (maybe 2 1/2 cups? as much as you want. I doubt you could use too much.)
Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

4-6 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly

1 medium onion, sliced thinly (use less if it's a super-funky one)

Salt and pepper

To make the cheese sauce: Melt the butter and whisk in the flour; cook for a minute. Add milk and half and half; whisk and stir over high heat until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cheese. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce; set aside.

Spray a 1-quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Lay half of the potato slices in the bottom, and top with half of the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then repeat with remaining potato and onion. Top with cheese sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. REMOVE FOIL, everyone, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Pork Chop... Stuff.

2010-12-01T19:15:00.004-05:00

Not the most glam photo, but dang, this was good. It all started because I didn't have enough cream of mushroom soup. So you could probably just use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup, some milk, and seasoning if you wanted. But I was bored.

All of these measurements are approximate.

6 center-cut pork chops
No-Salt Seasoning (from the previous post, about 1 1/2 tablespoons total, divided)
Olive oil and butter
about 2 tbsp. flour
about 2 cups milk
1/4 cup sherry
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box Stovetop stuffing, unprepared
6 slices provolone cheese

Sprinkle the seasoning over the chops and rub it in, then brown them over high heat for about 1 minute per side (just long enough to get brown bits on the bottom of the pan - don't cook them through). Remove to a large baking dish.

Add butter to skillet, if necessary, to make about 2 tbsp. fat. Stir in flour and seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Stir in milk and sherry and cook, whisking, until thick. Whisk in cream of mushroom soup; stir in enough milk or water that the sauce isn't super-thick - you want the consistency of heavy cream - then remove about 1 1/2 cups of the sauce.

Stir dry stuffing mix into remaining sauce. Mound on top of each chop, top with a slice of cheese, then top with extra sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

No-Salt Seasoning (with salt)

2010-11-30T21:06:00.004-05:00

Adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Salt-Seasoning/Detail.aspx It's seriously good, even without salt, but I added salt to it. Definitely a keeper.

5 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
scant teaspoon ground celery seed
generous 1/2 teaspoon table or popcorn salt (more if using kosher salt)

Combine everything and store in a tightly-sealed jar. Rub on chicken, pork, or beef before cooking, or use as a table seasoning.

Roast Brined Turkey with Garlic Herb Butter

2010-11-29T15:22:00.005-05:00

My favorite Thanksgiving leftovers in the world can be found on Robinswood Court in Lakeland, FL. Which makes me chuckle, since The Chef at said address has a totally different cooking style than I do. I'm herb-crazy; she is not. But her turkey is always awesome, and her stuffing is my favorite stuffing in the entire universe.

Turkey, though, is just one of those things: my own is my favorite, because I make it how I like it. Individual tastes always win turkey wars, I think. So this is how I make it.

Turkey Brine and Garlic Herb Butter

1 13-pound turkey, thawed

1 large, clean bucket (I used a clean trash can)

Brine:

1 gallon apple juice
1 1/2 cups kosher salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 large sprig rosemary

4-5 thick sprigs thyme

1 gallon ice water

1/2 gallon's worth of ice cubes

Garlic Herb Butter

1 stick butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Salt and pepper

To brine turkey: Pour some of the apple juice into a medium pot - maybe 4 or 5 cups. Add the salt, sugar, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes, until salt and sugar are dissolved and herbs are fragrant. Remove from heat and add water and ice cubes; let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture is cool (add more ice if necessary). Submerge the turkey breast-side down, filling cavity with brine. Let brine for at least 8 hours (overnight).

The next morning, remove turkey from brine and discard brine. Rinse turkey all over, including cavity. Pat the outside dry with paper towels. Let the turkey dry, uncovered, in the fridge for a few hours to let the skin dry, otherwise the skin won't be as crisp. (I let it sit in the fridge for a day, uncovered).

When ready to roast, preheat oven to 350. Separate the turkey skin from the meat, then stuff butter under skin. Coat the outside of the turkey with remaining butter. Roast for 2 1/2 hours, or until internal thigh temperature reaches 160 degrees (it'll coast to a higher temp outside the oven).

Roasted Pumpkin

2010-11-26T20:49:00.004-05:00

Everyone needs one of these. Even though Thanksgiving and Halloween, the traditional punkin-using holidays, are now over, you should still make this. I don't care if you make it in a Christmas ornament: just make it.

Roasted Pumpkin with Cheese Fondue, adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Pumpkin-with-Cheese-Fondue-350655

1 sugar or pie pumpkin (mine was 4.5 pounds)
4 ounces gruyere (I used smoked)
4 ounces emmentaler swiss
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chardonnay
1 1/2 tsp. honey
A few pinches or grates of nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 smallish baguette, sliced
Vegetable or canola oil

Cut the top off of the pumpkin and scrape out the innards. This is a pain in the butt.

Toss the cheeses with the thyme in a bowl. In a large measuring cup, or a bowl with a spout, combine the cream, milk, wine, honey, nutmeg, and salt.

Lay a few baguette slices in a single layer inside the pumpkin. Top with some of the cheese mixture, then pour on some of the cream mixture. Repeat this until all of your ingredients are used up.

Pop the top back on the pumpkin, place the pumpkin in an oven-safe dish of some kind, and coat the outside liberally with oil.

Roast at 375 degrees for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the pumpkin is tender all over. Let it stand for about 15 minutes before messing around with it.

Serve it with toast rounds, raw veggies, crackers, or whatever. We thought it was particularly good with Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuits. Just make sure to get a wad of pumpkin with each bite.

Thanksgiving moon... almost.

2010-11-23T21:29:00.001-05:00

Afternoon Delight

2010-11-22T22:10:00.003-05:00

Red velvet cuppies...

... and a little boy who was very happy to see his mama this weekend.

Pecan Pie

2010-11-21T02:14:00.003-05:00

Pecan Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I do not like the pecan pies that only have whole pecans because you get bites with no pecan, so I add a 1/2 cup of chopped pecans.

Pecan Pie

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 heaping cup pecan halves
1/2 cup pecans chopped
1 pie shell, unbaked, 9-inch

Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, salt, butter, and vanilla. Add slightly beaten eggs and blend well; stir in pecans. Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes, or until set. Cool pecan pie and serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

French Onion Soup

2010-11-21T02:04:00.003-05:00

Cook the onions with butter, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

onions caremelizing , originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

French Onion Soup, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

French Onion Soup

2 white or yellow onions, sliced thin
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp white wine approx.
½ tsp sugar
1 tbsp flour
4 cups beef broth (or 4 cups water with 1 bullion cube)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 cup mozz cheese
½ cup parmesan
½ cup asiago cheese
Stale sourdough bread, cubed

Cook the onions with the butter on medium low heat for 10-20 minutes (should caramelize and turn a golden color). Add the white wine, sugar, and cook a few more minutes.

Whisk the flour in with the broth so it doesn't clump and pour the broth mixture in, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 10-15 minutes (more if you feel like it, but I was hungry).

Pour the soup into small oven safe dishes and put the bread on top of the soup, cover with the cheeses and either bake at 400* until the cheese browns, or broil it.

Niecelet

2010-11-14T22:48:00.000-05:00

Captive Fraggle

finger foodsies

2010-11-13T02:12:00.011-05:00

Crappy photo of fun finger foodies.. I was tryin' on my fancy pants...

1. Spanish tortilla bite with sundried tomato/red pepper/manchego pesto

2. Bacon corn muffin with savory cream cheese frosting (adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/bacon-corn-muffins-with-savory-cream-cheese-frosting-recipe/index.html)

3. Bourbon bacon apple tarts with bourbon whipped cream (adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/bourbon-bacon-apple-tarts-recipe/index.html)

Spanish Tortilla Bites

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 green pepper, finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1 can new potatoes, drained, sliced, and blotted dry with paper towels (otherwise the oil splatters and ouchie)

2 slices deli sandwich ham, finely chopped (unless they're really small/thin; then you might want to double up)

5 eggs

2 tbsp. water

3/4 tsp. salt

fresh black pepper

1/4 cup jarred roasted red pepper, chopped finely

1 cup cheddar cheese

Heat oil in a skillet, then add pepper, onion, and potatoes. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until veggies caramelize, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and spread evenly in a greased small pan (I used an 8x10). Sprinkle with ham.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and pepper. Pour evenly over onion mixture, redistributing cheese if necessary. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until edges are set and middle is soft, and a knife inserted in edges comes out dry, but a knife inserted in center comes out wet. Allow to cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight before cutting into however many rounds/squares/wedges you want.

Leek flower!

2010-11-12T02:28:00.002-05:00

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Leek-flower-ribbon-for-Garnish/

Double Chocolate Layer Cake

2010-11-11T02:20:00.008-05:00

This week has been brought to you by the letter "F," as in "I need to find a FREAKIN chocolate cake recipe that I'm happy with, dangit."

This is a great one. Baked it about two hours ago and just tasted it about ten minutes ago.

This might just be a personal preference thing, but I like to let chocolate baked goods rest overnight before really evaluating their flavor - they're always a little flat to me when fresh out of the oven. So even though I found the flavor of this to be almost a tiny bit flat, I'll reserve judgment until tomorrow; I'm sure it'll develop overnight. The texture is just plain dreamy - dense, heavy, still fluffy, and so moist. I love that the cake is almost black in color.

A gripe: As you can probably see from the second picture, the middle sank a bit. The recipe says to bake at 300 degrees for an hour or a little more. Mine actually took closer to 1:25 to bake. It may have been the oven, though. Either way: still yum. I think. Awaiting a verdict....*

Double Chocolate Layer Cake
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-101275

(I halved the recipe for testing purposes.. worked great. Half of this recipe makes a LOT of cake.. probably would've worked out to around 18 cupcakes.)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (tempted to use a high-end, but too broke to justify it; used Hershey's Special Dark - RECOMMEND RECOMMEND!!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and lay parchment in the bottoms of two 9-inch round pans. (This is a sticky cake; definitely use the parchment.)

Stir the chocolate into the coffee until melted; set aside.

Sift dry ingredients together; set aside.

Beat the eggs until thick and lemon-colored, around 5 minutes. Combine oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and coffee/chocolate mixture; beat slowly into egg mixture. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until barely not lumpy. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 10 minutes.

Cool completely in pan.

(I didn't make the ganache frosting included with the recipe. Unless you're a major chocolate lover, I suspect the richness of the cake and ganache together would be way too much; it kind of makes me gaggy to think about it. But then, I am not a major chocolate lover.)

*Verdict: WIN. Keeper.

127 Irish Car Bombs

2010-11-10T17:08:00.000-05:00

My piping hand is tired!

Veggie Beef Soup and Sweet Skillet Cornbread

2010-11-09T22:16:00.009-05:00

I don't care what anyone says: Sweet cornbread is food. Savory cornbread is ew.

The soup really isn't this thick; this was cold leftovers in a bowl for the sake of photography. Viva el arte.

Veggie Beef Soup (adapted from, well, me)

1 lb. stew beef, cut in 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup red wine
4 cups beef broth

1 cup water
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes seasoned with oregano, garlic, and basil, undrained
1 16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables
Salt and pepper

Dredge beef in flour, salt, and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat. In three batches, brown the meat in the olive oil (just long enough to brown the outside; they don't have to be cooked through). Remove meat to a bowl; set aside.

Add additional olive oil to pot, if necessary. Sweat onion and celery in pot for about 5 minutes, stirring to get brown bits off the bottom of the pot. Stir in 2 tbsp. of the seasoned flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine, beef broth, water, tomatoes, beef, and vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cornbread (little bits of about 5 different recipes)
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tbsp. dark brown sugar (light works, too)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 tbsp. lemon juice/vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup)
4 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9-inch or 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk; barely stir into the dry ingredients. Add melted butter and stir gently just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Stuffed Chicken Thighs

2010-11-08T00:07:00.009-05:00

I'm about to post photos that I'm ashamed of. (Not that kind.) (...this time.)

Stuffed Chicken Thighs

3 tbsp. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 campari tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped (or enough of another variety tomato to yield about 1 1/2 cups chopped tomato)
Salt and pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
10-15 basil leaves
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes (do not let the garlic brown). Add tomatoes and increase heat to medium high; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have cooked down and have taken on a jam-like consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Speaking of crappy pictures...

(wince)

Let's pretend that never happened.

Lay a chicken thigh on a flat surface. Lay a basil leaf on the meat (or two leaves, if you think they're small). Spread about 1 tablespoon of the tomato mixture on the basil. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp. of cheese on the tomato mixture. Roll up, sealing as well as possible, and coat with bread crumbs. Lay in a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Repeat with remaining chicken.

(Have you ever noticed that raw chicken just does not photograph well? and you'll notice by the end of this post that the chicken ended up in a different pan; this one was too big. whoops.)

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and top with the leftover cheese, if you're feeling frisky. Just make sure your chicken isn't too close to your top burner when you bake them at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

I would make this again, at least that tomato mixture (YUM). But next time, I think I might chop the basil finely and add it to the tomato mixture after it's cooked (and in that case, probably only about 2 tbsp. total chopped basil). I wasn't crazy about the big pieces of basil in the chicken, personally. I'd also use a sharper cheese.

Rice Pudding

2010-11-03T22:45:00.004-04:00

Nothing about this post is even remotely appealing to me.

What a way to start a recipe post, huh?

I hate rice. I will eat rice if it's smothered with something delicious and international. And even then, I'd rather lick a plate clean of all kinds of goo than have the deliciousness taken up by rice. The smell of rice cooking makes me think of dogs, and the texture of it between my teeth makes me think of organisms that I won't write about here. You're welcome.

But I find myself surrounded by a bunch of weirdo rice pudding lovers, and I've never actually made rice pudding before. So I figured, hey... it's still gross.

This recipe was interesting because, unlike many others I saw, it doesn't require eggs; I guess the starch in the rice provides all the thickening power. I made this partially for a person who isn't a huge fan of spices; if not for that, I might have cooked the pudding with a cinnamon stick floating around in it, then fished it out at the end. I might do that next time (next time? psh).

Rice Pudding (adapted from the recipe at America's Test Kitchen, which I cannot link to because it's a paid site that I didn't pay for, but that's another story.)

1 cup medium-grain white rice

1 pinch salt

4 cups 2% milk

1 cup cream (not heavy whipping cream)

1/3 plus 2 tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste)

Another pinch or two of salt

Cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever else

Combine the rice, pinch of salt, and 2 cups of water in a medium-large pot. Cover and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the milk, cream, and sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil. Turn heat down to maintain simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. When mixture is fairly thickened, turn heat down to low and continue cooking, stirring more frequently, until mixture thickens further, maybe another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add pinches of salt as needed. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever else.

Pastitsio

2010-11-03T18:16:00.006-04:00

Pastitsio, adapted from Everyday Food (http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/recipes/pastitsio.html)

Topping:
6 tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Filling:

2 lbs. ground beef

2 medium onions, chopped

3/4 cup red wine

6 oz. tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. penne pasta, cooked and drained (I used elbows because that's what we had)

To make topping: Melt butter and add flour. Whisk and cook for about a minute, then add milk slowly, whisking until no lumps remain. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook beef until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and cook another 5 minutes. Drain some of the fat, if necessary. Add wine and cook until liquid is cooked away, about 6-8 minutes.

Add tomato paste, broth, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta, then transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Spread topping on top, and bake at 375 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until topping is slightly browned in spots (more brown than the picture above.. haha.. whoops).

Chicken Tetrazzini

2010-10-31T16:35:00.002-04:00

Chicken Tetrazzini, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I really really LOVE this recipe, it's so easy and ridiculously delicious.

Chicken Tetrazzini

thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/
Edited from pioneer woman (basically what I had on hand)
Ingredients

* 2 cups Cooked Chicken
* 1 lb spaghetti cooked
* 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
* 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
* 1/2 cup mixed carrots and peas (frozen)
* 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
* 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
* 1 tsp thyme
* Salt And Pepper, to taste

Topping

* 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
* 1 cup bread crumbs mixed in with the cheddar for topping

Preparation Instructions
(I never see this in recipes, but I just add frozen chicken tenders to the pasta water (before it starts boiling) and by the time the pasta is done, so are the chicken tenders)
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups.
Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar and bread crumbs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly.

Buttermilk Pancakes

2010-10-31T16:32:00.003-04:00

Buttermilk Pancakes, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes
from Better Homes and Gardens

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk (or pour 1 tbsp lemon juice in a cup measure and fill to the 1 cup line with milk)

Cook on medium heat until you see bubbles in the middle of the pancake and then flip. Serve with REAL maple syrup or boozy fruit :-)

Apple Crisp

2010-10-31T16:31:00.004-04:00

Apple Crisp, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Apple Crisp

Filling
1/2c sugar
2T flour
½ tsp cinnamon
3 lb apples (8-10 medium apples)

Topping
1 ½ cups quick oats
½ c flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ tsp cinnamon

375 for 45-60 min

I like this much better than pies because crust is mostly ignored. When I'm using sweeter apples I only use about 2 tbsp of sugar in the filling.

Apple Cranberry Bread

2010-10-31T14:36:00.004-04:00

I honestly didn't expect great things from this recipe, only because I pulled it out on a whim after another recipe failed me at 3:00 this morning while preparing food for a brunch, and ALL I wanted to do was make another easy dish as a "filler" and GO TO BED. Since I'd already prepared other fall-spiced apple dishes for this brunch, I wanted something that used apples, wasn't super-sweet, and wasn't spiced/cinnamony. This was it. And it was GOOD.

Apple Cranberry Bread

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2-3 cups chopped apples (I left them unpeeled)

1 cup fresh cranberries (next time I'll increase it to 1 1/2 cups)

Streusel topping

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (light brown would be fine)

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

3 1/2 tbsp. cold butter

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and oil. Combine all the dry ingredients and mix into wet ingredients just until barely combined (batter is extremely thick). Stir in apples and cranberries. Pour into a greased loaf pan and top with streusel. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes, or until knife/toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a wee bit of a schmear.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Apples

2010-10-26T21:13:00.002-04:00

Just a grand experiment that turned out pretty darn grand.

A few notes:
a) It's multi-step, and I know it looks like a lot, but it’s not too intensive. I started cooking at 4:47 and was finished at 5:22. Yes, I like to time myself. Because I’m racing myself. Because that way, I always win. It’s a rich life, and it’s mine.
b) I used one skillet for everything because I didn’t feel like slaving over a sinkful of dishes. Feel free to use different skillets if you’re one of those kids who doesn’t like your foods to touch. No judgment here.

Pork chops:
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 center-cut pork chops
Salt and pepper

Stuffing:
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
¼ cup minced onion
¼ cup minced celery
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. ground rosemary
Black pepper
1 large loaf Cuban bread (or other sturdy or slightly stale bread), torn into small pieces
1 cup chicken stock

Apples:
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. brown sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
3 medium Northern Spy apples, cored and sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

In a large skillet with high sides, brown pork chops (seasoned with salt and pepper) in olive oil over high heat for 5-6 minutes or until browned on both sides. Don’t start chopping apples and get distracted like some of us (eyes cast downward, muttering)… some of us. Remove chops to a platter and cover with foil. Do not wipe out your skillet.

Skillet-cooked pork chops are difficult to make pretty. So pile junk on top of them. Win.

Lower heat to medium. Melt butter and oil in skillet, then add onion, celery, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Sweat everything for about 10 minutes, scraping brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the bread (I like to let the bread toast in the skillet for a few minutes.. mmm), then add the chicken stock and combine thoroughly. Remove stuffing to a bowl and cover. Wipe out the skillet. (I found that the pork left behind enough salty yum that I didn't need to add salt to the stuffing; taste and add if you need to).

Melt butter in skillet. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, then add apples. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples have released juice and are very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in pecans.

Place a handful of stuffing on a pork chop. Top with apple mixture.

Attractive? No. Delicious? Yes. Barely sweet, just enough savory, good stuff.

Momentary Tantrums and Apple Crisp

2010-10-25T20:28:00.005-04:00

I'm normally a pretty laid-back, easygoing person. People don't get to me. Stress doesn't really get to me. I have a sweet spot of peace somewhere in the middle, and very little upsets it. I worked hard for it, and that's how I like it.

Lately, however, I find myself smacking my forehead against various walls during one of the most stressful periods I've ever experienced. And when I get stressed, I cook. I cook a lot.

Unfortunately most of my cooking has been mental, since I'm still staying with my mother (which I appreciate, but siiiiigh). Tonight, for example, I made my second apple crisp in as many days, and my mother (the non-cook) wonders how I'm not totally exhausted, while in my head, I've already made cranberry apple butter, applesauce, apple cake with browned butter frosting, apple-stuffed pork chops, and some kind of fantastically gorgeous over-the-top apple something resulting in a trashed kitchen and empty butter boxes and flour smeared across my forehead... (resisting the urge to smack forehead against floor)

Not to change the subject or anything, but I really liked that some of the apples had spots. I kind of think that's the way it should be. Real apples get spots and bruises and even worms; bionic Walmart apples rarely do. I'll take bruises, spots, and wildlife for $200, Alex.

I love to eat apple slices out of apple crisp before it's baked. I might be the only one, but I own it.

I could totally slam my forehead into that. I love how the thickened liquid looks like caramel.

sigh. recipe.

Apple Crisp (apple part kind of adapted from Elizabeth's recipe and a few others)

4 really huge Northern Spy apples, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut in chunks

Toss the apples with the lemon juice, then the remaining ingredients. Spread in a pan.

Combine all the topping ingredients, then sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Invite me over to cook you something. I don't care what it is.

(note: I like my apple crisp a little on the tart side, especially since the topping tends to be on the sweet side. Tweak away.)

Hmm.

2010-10-25T02:22:00.000-04:00

One of these things is not like the others.

Sliders

2010-10-23T18:58:00.005-04:00

Go beef! This beef is freakishly good.. not storebought, but purchased directly from the person who raised the moo. Is it pretentious for me to describe the texture of raw beef as "velvety?" I had to make myself stop playing with it and put it down.

(that's what she said.)

One little trick that I use every time I make homemade burgers (in a skillet or on a grill pan): Season the outsides with salt and pepper, and then dredge them in flour before cooking them. Stole that tip from an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," which I usually call "Drivers, Drivers and Drives," and which is my dream job, but anyway. I had to add a bit of olive oil to the pan for this beef, since it's so lean, otherwise my flour woulda burned. The meat, she is seasoned.. the flour, she browns and gives the burger a nice crusty outside...

... I like mine with squishy buns (also what she said)...

... and yummy toppings (caramelized onions and sliced campari tomatoes in our case.. didn't feel like leaving the house to forage for more)...

...and then your slider is ridiculously tall. :) But slap some Amish bacon cheddar on it, squish that sucker down, and mmmmm.

Cheese straws

2010-10-12T00:35:00.004-04:00

I've pretty much given up on taking pretty pictures until I get my own place (11 days, 11 days..), so I 1) don't have to sneak in cooking after everyone's gone to bed, and 2) can arrange cheese straws on the back porch in order to take advantage of the perfect lighting if I darn well please.

Until then.. sigh.. welcome to Overeditedshiretonville.

Cheese Straws

adapted from Ina Garten's recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cheese-straws-recipe/index.html

1 box (2 sheets) puff pastry, thawed

1 egg, whisked with 1 tbsp. water

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesano reggiano cheese

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp. dried thyme, ground

Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to approximately 10x12. Brush with egg wash, then sprinkle generously with salt and pepper (more than you think you'll need; I took it easy on the salt, thinking the salty cheese would make up for it, but later wish I'd used more). Toss the cheeses and thyme together in a bowl, then sprinkle half onto puff pastry. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 12 strips total. Twist the straws and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 275 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely on a rack.

Salad

2010-10-10T17:36:00.001-04:00

Petite Vanilla Scones

2010-10-02T21:56:00.005-04:00

Petite Vanilla Scones

adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/petite-vanilla-bean-scones

(she is a much better photographer than I am, and I hate her for it.) (if "hate" means "adore.")

SCONES
3 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 sticks cold salted butter, cut into pea-sized chunks

1 egg
¾ cups heavy cream

2 tbsp. vanilla bean paste

GLAZE
2 cups confectioners sugar

cream and milk (see note below)
1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
a pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles crumbs. (I worked quickly and smooshed the butter chunks into the flour with my fingers.. I swear my baking utensils are gonna be packed in boxes until the end of frickin time.)

Whisk vanilla paste into cream, then whisk in the egg. Combine with flour mixture; fold gently until the mixture barely comes together.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and lightly press it together until it forms a rough rectangle. (Mixture will be pretty crumbly.) Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.

I used a floured pizza cutter to trim the dough into a rectangle, then cut the rectangle into 12 symmetrical squares/rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 2 triangles.

Transfer to cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes. Cool completely.

VANILLA GLAZE

Combine all the ingredients to form a glaze that drizzles thickly from between the tines of a fork, kind of like Elmer's glue.

Note: I purchased an 8 oz. carton of heavy cream, but I had about 2 ounces left over. Instead of pitching it or letting it rot in the fridge, I just dumped it into the glaze.. worked just fine. I just added enough liquid to get a nice, thick glaze. I also think using the full 3 cups of sugar will leave you with too much glaze left over to have justified using so much real, expensive vanilla. The amount I made was perfect to submerge each scone, then scrape off the excess gently with the side of a fork. The glaze is thick enough that it settles down smoothly on the scone's surface after being scraped away.

Chicken with Lemon Feta Orzo

2010-09-25T23:44:00.007-04:00

This is one of the yummiest, simplest dishes I've ever made. Took five minutes to throw together and about 45 minutes to cook. I was skeptical about everything in the beginning.. afraid the tangy feta and the tangy lemon would be too much, afraid that the dill would be front-and-center (I don't like dill). But it's surprisingly, perfectly fantastic.. company-quality fantastic. I actually can't wait to make it again.

Chicken with Lemon Feta Orzo

(adapted from Everyday Food)

serves 6-8, depending on appetites

1 lb. orzo pasta, uncooked

1 8 oz. block of feta, cubed in very small pieces

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

1 tsp. fresh lemon zest, and the juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. dried dill

8 chicken pieces (we used boneless skinless thighs, fat trimmed; I worry that chicken breasts would dry out from the longer cooking time)

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup water

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In a 9x13 baking dish, stir together the orzo, feta, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and dill. Lay the chicken pieces on top; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the broth and water to boiling; stir in the salt and pepper, then pour over the chicken and orzo. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, then sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan over chicken pieces. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the orzo is cooked and the liquid is creamy. Let stand 5 minutes before stirring.

Brownie cappuccino cheesecake cups

2010-09-25T01:08:00.004-04:00

Mm.

I made these after spending hours on my niece's birthday cake, then realizing that EVERY year, my sister-in-law's birthday is neglected because her birthday is four days after my niece's. They're super-quick to throw together, taking maybe 10-15 minutes to assemble. I made them in muffin liners and was a little afraid they'd overbake. They didn't, but they were kinda ugly, so you might have prettier results using an 8x8 pan and increasing the baking time a bit.

Brownie layer :

1 Ghirardelli brownie mix

1/4 cup cold coffee (or water)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Cheesecake layer:

2 tbsp. cream, half and half, or milk

1 tbsp. instant coffee

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine all of the brownie ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand until moistened. Drop by scant quarter-cupfuls into paper liners.

In a separate bowl, combine the instant coffee and the cream and stir. If the granules don't dissolve, heat the mixture in the microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring until they dissolve. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla, and beat thoroughly. Beat in the egg. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using. Drop cheesecake by heaping soup-spoon-fuls onto each brownie cup, then swirl lightly with a toothpick.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until brownie looks moist but feels mostly set when pressed lightly with a fingertip

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-09-07T01:09:00.003-04:00

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I've made lemon and coconut cakes before but I've never had one come out so moist and perfect as this one!